Spring-Loaded Tire Spiker for Safe Law Enforcement Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tire disabling methods for law enforcement, such as boots and tire puncture strips, pose risks to officers during traffic stops as they require physical proximity to the vehicle, increasing the danger of injury or death during potential high-speed chases.
Innovation Solution
A compact, one-handed tire spiker with a U-shaped frame and spring-loaded hinge that deploys into a U-shaped configuration, exposing spikes for tire puncture, and can be easily carried and stored in an L-shaped configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional tire disabling methods (boots or puncture strips) are used, then the vehicle can be immobilized, but the law enforcement officer is placed in danger during deployment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary device (the spiker apparatus with enclosed spikes) that can be deployed remotely using a launching mechanism. This intermediary delivers the tire-puncturing function without requiring the officer to physically approach the vehicle, thus eliminating the safety risk while maintaining immobilization effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The spikes are pre-loaded and enclosed within the spiker device before deployment. The officer prepares the device in advance and launches it toward the vehicle tire from a safe distance, performing the tire-disabling action before any potential chase begins, thereby preventing the need for close-proximity deployment
2Ease of operation
If the tire spiker is designed with exposed spikes for immediate use, then tire puncture capability is enhanced, but the device becomes bulky and difficult to store and transport
Solution Approach 1:
The spikes are nested within the spiker housing in a retracted position, with each spike contained within its own chamber or slot. When not in use, the spikes are fully enclosed within the compact device body. During deployment, the spikes extend outward from the housing to puncture the tire, providing both compact storage and effective operation
Solution Approach 2:
The spiker device transitions dynamically between two states: a compact stored state where spikes are enclosed for portability, and a deployed state where spikes extend outward for tire puncture. This dynamic transformation allows the device to be both small for storage and effective for operation
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The tire spiker effectively prevents high-speed chases by quickly and safely disabling vehicle tires from a safe distance, reducing the risk of injury to law enforcement officers during traffic stops.
Implementation Method 1
A compact, one-handed tire spiker with a U-shaped frame and spring-loaded hinge that deploys into a U-shaped configuration
Data Source
AI summary
The tire spiker is a L-shaped device deployable to a U-shaped deployed configuration having a first and second spike portion adapted to surround a tire on the front and back with a plurality of spikes held in a generally vertical disposition adjacent the tire tread. The tire spiker comprises a pair of L-shaped arms pivotally connected at one end to open to a U-shaped deployed configuration. Each of the L-shaped arms comprises a spacer and a spike portion. The spacers are hinged together. Each spike portion is on a respective spacer in a generally perpendicular disposition. Each spike portion comprises a spike side and a road side. Some of the plurality of spikes and a plurality of spike chambers are disposed in the road side of each spike portion. The spike chambers are adapted to receive a respective spike from the other spike portion in the carry configuration.