Dart and dart retainer

Abstract

The invention relates to a dart (10) comprising a body, the body defining a chamber (24) having a plunger located therein to operatively deliver a substance through a hypodermic needle (32) extending through a front end of the body, and a retainer comprising a barb body locatable on the hypodermic needle (32) characterised in that the barb body is threaded. The invention further relates to a dart retainer, wherein the retainer comprises of a threaded barb body locatable on a hypodermic needle (32) of a dart (10).

Claims

1. A dart comprising a body, the body defining a chamber having a plunger and a striker pin located therein, the striker pin configured to operatively strike a primer for actuating the plunger when the dart hits an animal to operatively deliver a substance through a hypodermic needle extending through a front end of the body, and a retainer comprising a barb body locatable on the hypodermic needle characterised in that the barb body is threaded which prevents the dart from being dislodged from the animal until the dart is removed by a user while allowing the user to remove the dart when the animal is inhibited by imparting rotational force resulting in minimal damage to a tissue and skin of the animal.

2. The dart of claim 1, wherein the body includes a stabilising member connected to a tail of the body for stabilising the dart in flight when the dart is discharged from a weapon, and an annular member connected to the stabilising member at a rear end of the stabilising member.

3. The dart of claim 2, wherein the striker pin, the primer and the plunger are disposed in an insert.

4. The dart of claim 2, wherein the annular member is substantially a same circumference as the front end of the body.

5. The dart of claim 4, wherein a circumference of the body decreases towards the annular member.

6. The dart of claim 2, wherein the stabilising member is a plurality of fins helically arranged relative to the body to cause the dart to operatively spin along a longitudinal axis of the dart; and wherein an orientation of helices of the fins and the barb body is the same such that a direction of spin of the dart corresponds to a thread orientation of the barb body to facilitate entry of the barb body into the animal.

7. The dart of claim 1, wherein the front end of the body includes a shock absorber member.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DIAGRAMS

(1) The invention is now described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

(2) FIG. 1: is a top perspective view of a dart according to an embodiment of the invention;

(3) FIG. 2: is a side view of the dart of FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3: is a cross-sectional side view of along the line III-III′ of the dart of FIG. 2;

(5) FIG. 4: is a top end view of the dart of FIG. 1;

(6) FIG. 5: is a bottom end view of the projectile of FIG. 1; and

(7) FIG. 6: is a perspective view of a dart retainer located on a hypodermic needle.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

(8) Referring to the drawings, a dart in accordance with the invention is generally indicated by reference numeral 10.

(9) Dart 10, to be fired using a paintball gun (not shown), includes a body provided as a tail 12 and extension 14; a stabilising member 16 connected to the tail 12 for stabilising the dart 10 in flight, and an annular member 18 arranged on the stabilising member 16.

(10) The stabilising member 16 is in the form of a plurality of fins (16.1 to 16.4) in a helical arrangement relative to the tail 12, which diameter decreases towards an operative back of the dart 10 proximate to the annular member 18.

(11) The purpose of the helically arranged fins 16.1 to 16.4 is to cause the dart 10 to spin along the longitudinal axis of the dart 10 in flight, thereby stabilizing the dart in flight and counteracting any drift due to inconsistencies in symmetry of the dart. The annular member 18 has the advantage that it ensures that the fins 16.1 to 16.4 remain in a required position, and also protects the fins 16.1 to 16.4 during packaging, handling and storage. Furthermore, the annular member 18 has substantially the same diameter and circumference as the front of the dart 10, which enables multiple darts to be stacked onto one another in a magazine (not shown), which ensures effective loading into the gun (not shown), storage of darts when not in use, and also aids in preventing the gun from jamming or misfiring. The annular member 18 also substantially increases the aerodynamic surface of the dart 10, causing the dart 10 to be fired more accurately, and to follow a more predictable and replicable flight path. The annular member 18 also moves the centre of pressure (CP) rearwards, increasing the stabilisation of the dart without increasing the frontal area of the dart. The dart 10 is configured to fit in the barrel of a paintball gun (not shown) and the diameter is configured to ensure optimum propulsion by the compressed air or other gas from the paintball gun. The annular member 18 may also include rifling lands and grooves (not shown) to facilitate operative spinning of the dart 10.

(12) An insert 20 is located in a volume defined by the tail 12 and extension 14. A rubber plunger 22 is frictionally slidable in the insert 20 to form a chamber 24 operatively filled with an inhibitory substance (not shown), the composition of the substance being determined by the intended use of the dart 10. A striker pin 26 in the insert 20 is provided to operatively strike a primer 28 located at the operative back of the plunger 22.

(13) The extension 14 forms a wall 30 through which a hypodermic needle 32 extends and which is in fluid communication with chamber 24 to operatively deliver the substance to an animal as will be explained in more detail below. The needle 32 furthermore has a barb body in the form of a threaded collar 34 located thereon.

(14) The extension 14 also forms a seat for a shock absorber in the form of a soft rubber cap 36 which absorbs some of the impact between the dart 10 and target to mitigate damage to the intended target.

(15) In use, the insert 20 and extension 14 incorporating the rubber cap 36 are fitted to the tail 12 and the volume in chamber 24 filled with the desired substance. It will be understood that the components may be secured to each other in any suitable way such as by means of a suitable adhesive or the components may be secured by friction fit.

(16) The dart 10 is loaded into a barrel of paintball gun and the diameter of the dart 10 is configured to ensure optimum propulsion by the compressed air or other gas from the paintball gun.

(17) Once the dart 10 hits the intended target, such as an animal, the striker pin 26 is propelled against the primer 28 which detonates and causes the plunger 22 to act on the substance in the chamber 24 to expel same through the needle 32 and enter the animal.

(18) The barb collar 34 also pierces the skin of the animal and is accordingly also located subcutaneously. In this regard, the helices of the fins 16 and the collar 34 are orientated in the same direction to facilitate entry of the collar 34 into the animal. Therefore, the longitudinal spin of the dart 10 which is imparted by the orientation of the helical fins 16 corresponds to the orientation of the helical thread of the collar 34. Rifles and grooves (not shown) may also be provided on the annular member 18 to facilitate the longitudinal spinning of the dart 10 and is accordingly of the same orientation.

(19) The barbed ridges of the collar 34 however prevent the needle 32 from being dislodged from the animal and will remain in the animal for some time until it is removed by a user.

(20) Once the animal is inhibited, a user may remove the dart 10 by simply pulling on the needle 32 until the collar 34 abuts the animal's skin, impart rotational force (which is converted into linear motion by the thread of the collar 34) and withdraw the needle 32 with minimal or even no damage to the tissue and skin of the animal.

(21) The collar 34 has the added advantage of being manufactured of a water soluble material which will dissolve in due time. In this regard, when the animal cannot be tracked and located by the user or otherwise not be retrieved from the animal, the dart 10 will fall off after the lapse of a period of time thereby ridding the animal of the dart 10.

(22) As mentioned, the dart 10 may be used in known paintball guns and a specific and exclusive dart gun need accordingly not be obtained and used by a user.

(23) The components are furthermore interchangeable and replaceable. The collar 34 may also be retrofitted onto existing darts.

(24) It is accordingly asserted that the disadvantages associated with known darts could be alleviated with the dart according to the invention.

(25) It will be appreciated that in terms of the invention, variations in details are possible without departing from the scope of the invention.