EXPANDABLE BATON STRUCTURE WITH SMASHER

Abstract

The present invention is to provide an expandable baton with a smasher at the front end of an inner rod thereof, wherein an impact groove, a tapered groove, an aligning groove, and a compression force application groove are sequentially formed in the smasher and the front end of the inner rod. A compression spring can push an impact block in the compression force application groove toward the impact groove in order to position a smashing rod in the corresponding grooves and expose a front conical portion of the smashing rod. When the conical portion is forcibly pressed against an object to-be-smashed, the smashing rod is partially pressed against the wall of the tapered groove and is thrusted into a hitting groove in the impact block upon aligning with the axis of the impact block. The impact block is then driven outward by the compression spring and drives the conical portion to smash the object.

Claims

1. An expandable baton structure with a smasher, comprising: an expandable baton comprising an outer tube and an inner rod, wherein the outer tube is configured to be gripped by a user, and the inner rod is retractable into the outer tube so that only a front end of the inner rod is exposed outside a front end of the outer tube; and the smasher, provided at the front end of the inner rod, wherein an impact groove, a tapered groove, an aligning groove, and a compression force application groove are sequentially formed, in a front-to-rear direction, in the smasher and the front end of the inner rod and are in communication with one another; the smasher has a front end formed with an aperture; the aperture is in communication with the impact groove, the tapered groove, the aligning groove, and the compression force application groove sequentially; the aperture has a smaller diameter than the impact groove; the tapered groove tapers from a rear end of the impact groove toward a front end of the aligning groove and has a wall forming a first tapered pressing surface; the aligning groove has a smaller diameter than the impact groove and the compression force application groove; and the smasher comprises: a smashing rod; an impact block movably positioned in the compression force application groove, wherein the impact block has a front end configured to be pressed against a wall portion of the compression force application groove that is adjacent to the aligning groove, the front end of the impact block is concavely provided with a hitting groove corresponding to the aligning groove, and the hitting groove has a smaller diameter than the aligning groove; and a compression spring positioned in the compression force application groove, wherein the compression spring has two ends respectively pressed against a rear end of the impact block and a wall portion of the compression force application groove that is away from the aligning groove, in order to push the impact block toward the aligning groove such that the front end of the impact block pushes a rear end of the smashing rod and thereby positions the smashing rod in the impact groove, the tapered groove, and the aligning groove, causing a conical portion at a front end of the smashing rod to pass through the aperture and be exposed outside the front end of the smasher; wherein when the conical portion is pressed against a to-be-smashed object and is subjected to a force applied through the expandable baton, the rear end of the smashing rod is displaced toward the compression force application groove; and when a second tapered pressing surface formed by a wall of a middle section of the smashing rod is gradually pressed against the first tapered pressing surface, and the middle section of the smashing rod is gradually guided by the aligning groove into alignment with an axis of the impact block such that a rear section of the smashing rod instantly extends into the hitting groove, the impact block is driven outward by huge elastic energy accumulated in the compression spring, hits the rear end of the smashing rod, and thereby drives the conical portion at the front end of the smashing rod to smash the to-be-smashed object.

2. The expandable baton structure of claim 1, wherein the rear section of the smashing rod has a longitudinal length greater than a longitudinal depth of the hitting groove.

3. The expandable baton structure of claim 2, wherein the smasher further comprises an eccentric spring, and the eccentric spring is positioned in the impact groove and the tapered groove and has two ends respectively pressed against the smashing rod and the wall of the tapered groove in order to push the smashing rod toward the aperture.

4. The expandable baton structure of claim 3, wherein the smashing rod comprises a first smashing rod and a second smashing rod, the first smashing rod has a front end provided with the conical portion, and the two ends of the eccentric spring are respectively pressed against the second smashing rod and the wall of the tapered groove in order for a front end of the second smashing rod to push a rear end of the first smashing rod toward the aperture, thereby causing the conical portion at the front end of the first smashing rod to pass through the aperture and be exposed outside the front end of the smasher.

5. The expandable baton structure of claim 4, wherein the smasher further comprises a base; the impact groove, the tapered groove, the aligning groove, and the compression force application groove are sequentially formed, in the front-to-rear direction, in the base and are in communication with one another; and the base has a front end formed with the aperture.

6. The expandable baton structure of claim 5, wherein the base comprises: a rear base portion integrally formed with the front end of the inner rod, the compression force application groove being provided in the rear base portion; a middle base portion having a rear end fixed to a front end of the rear base portion by threaded connection, the tapered groove and the aligning groove being provided in the middle base portion; and a front base portion having a rear end fixed to a front end of the middle base portion by threaded connection, the front base portion further having a front end formed with the aperture, the impact groove being provided in the front base portion.

7. The expandable baton structure of claim 5, wherein the base comprises: a rear base portion having a rear end fixed to the front end of the inner rod by threaded connection, the compression force application groove being provided in the rear base portion; a middle base portion having a rear end fixed to a front end of the rear base portion by threaded connection, the tapered groove and the aligning groove being provided in the middle base portion; and a front base portion having a rear end fixed to a front end of the middle base portion by threaded connection, the front base portion further having a front end formed with the aperture, the impact groove being provided in the front base portion.

8. The expandable baton structure of claim 5, wherein the base comprises: a rear base portion provided therein with the compression force application groove; a middle base portion having a rear end fixed to a front end of the rear base portion by threaded connection, the tapered groove and the aligning groove being provided in the middle base portion; and a front base portion having a rear end with an outer periphery and an inner periphery, the outer periphery being fixable to the front end of the inner rod by threaded connection, the inner periphery being fixed to a front end of the middle base portion by threaded connection, the front base portion further having a front end formed with the aperture, the impact groove being provided in the front base portion.

9. The expandable baton structure of claim 1, further comprising a cover, wherein the cover matches the front end of the smasher in configuration in order to be mounted to the front end of the smasher and cover the conical portion.

10. The expandable baton structure of claim 2, further comprising a cover, wherein the cover matches the front end of the smasher in configuration in order to be mounted to the front end of the smasher and cover the conical portion.

11. The expandable baton structure of claim 3, further comprising a cover, wherein the cover matches the front end of the smasher in configuration in order to be mounted to the front end of the smasher and cover the conical portion.

12. The expandable baton structure of claim 4, further comprising a cover, wherein the cover matches the front end of the smasher in configuration in order to be mounted to the front end of the smasher and cover the conical portion.

13. The expandable baton structure of claim 5, further comprising a cover, wherein the cover matches the front end of the smasher in configuration in order to be mounted to the front end of the smasher and cover the conical portion.

14. The expandable baton structure of claim 6, further comprising a cover, wherein the cover matches the front end of the smasher in configuration in order to be mounted to the front end of the smasher and cover the conical portion.

15. The expandable baton structure of claim 7, further comprising a cover, wherein the cover matches the front end of the smasher in configuration in order to be mounted to the front end of the smasher and cover the conical portion.

16. The expandable baton structure of claim 8, further comprising a cover, wherein the cover matches the front end of the smasher in configuration in order to be mounted to the front end of the smasher and cover the conical portion.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The structural features, working principle, and technical appeal of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to some illustrative embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0010] FIG. 1 schematically shows a conventional tool for use by a police officer or firefighter;

[0011] FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the expandable baton in the first embodiment of the present invention

[0012] FIG. 3A shows a state of use of the expandable baton in the first embodiment;

[0013] FIG. 3B shows another state of use of the expandable baton in the first embodiment;

[0014] FIG. 4A shows a state of use of the expandable baton in the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0015] FIG. 4B shows another state of use of the expandable baton in the second embodiment; and

[0016] FIG. 5A to FIG. 5C show three different ways to assemble a smasher to the expandable baton of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] During the development of the present invention, a baton was chosen as the tool with which a smasher is to be incorporated because a baton is operated mainly by a striking action and has an outer tube configured for gripping and force application and an inner tube that leaves much to be desired. Based on the expandable batons for which patent applications were respectively filed by the inventor, a novel baton structure was successfully designed as disclosed herein. According to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention as shown in FIG. 2, an expandable baton structure with a smasher includes an outer tube 21, at least one inner rod 22, and a smasher 4.

[0018] The outer tube 21 and the inner rod 22 form the basic structure of an expandable baton 2. The outer tube 21 has a rear section configured to be held by the user. The outer diameter of the inner rod 22 is smaller than the inner diameter of the outer tube 21. The inner rod 22 is movably (and sequentially if a plurality of inner rods 22 are provided) mounted into the outer tube 21 from the rear end of the outer tube 21. The configuration of the rear end 22a of the inner rod 22 matches the configuration of a portion 21a of the outer tube 21 that is adjacent to the front end of the outer tube 21. (For example, the rear end 22a of the inner rod 22 flares slightly while the front end portion 21a of the outer tube 21 is slightly reduced in the radial direction to enable engagement therebetween.) When the inner rod 22 is displaced in a direction outward of the front end of the outer tube 21 such that the rear end of the inner rod 22 reaches a position in the outer tube 21 that is adjacent to the front end of the outer tube 21, the outer wall of the rear end of the inner rod 22 is engaged with the inner wall of a portion of the outer tube 21 that is adjacent to the front end of the outer tube 21. Thus, a portion of the inner rod 22 that is adjacent to the rear end 22a of the inner rod 22 is fixed in the outer tube 21 while the remaining portion of the inner rod 22 is exposed outside the front end of the outer tube 21. When the inner rod 22 is received in the outer tube 21, the rear end 22a of the inner rod 22 is fixed by an engaging member 21b at the rear end of the outer tube 21, and only the front end of the inner rod 22 is exposed outside the front end of the outer tube 21.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3A, the smasher 4 is provided at the front end of the inner rod 22 (or the front end of the innermost inner rod 22 if the expandable baton 2 has a plurality of inner rods 22). Sequentially formed inside the smasher 4 and the front end of the inner rod 22 are, from front to rear, an impact groove 41, a tapered groove 411, an aligning groove 412, and a compression force application groove 42, all of which grooves are in communication with one another. The front end of the smasher 4 is formed with an aperture 410, and the smasher 4 includes a base 40, an impact block 43, a compression spring 44, and a smashing rod 45. The base 40 is integrally formed with the front end of the inner rod 22 such that the aperture 410 communicates sequentially with the impact groove 41, the tapered groove 411, and the compression force application groove 42. The aperture 410 has a smaller diameter than the impact groove 41. The tapered groove 411 tapers from the rear end of the impact groove 41 toward the front end of the aligning groove 412 and has a wall forming a first tapered pressing surface 4110. The aligning groove 412 has a smaller diameter than the impact groove 41 and the compression force application groove 42.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 3A, the impact block 43 is movably positioned in the compression force application groove 42 and has a front end configured to be pressed against the wall of the compression force application groove 42 (e.g., against a wall portion of the compression force application groove 42 that is adjacent to the aligning groove 412). In addition, the front end of the impact block 43 is concavely provided with a hitting groove 430 corresponding to and having a smaller diameter than the aligning groove 412. The compression spring 44 is positioned in the compression force application groove 42, has two ends respectively pressed against the rear end of the impact block 43 and a wall portion of the compression force application groove 42 that is away from the aligning groove 412, and can therefore push the impact block 43 toward the aligning groove 412.

[0021] To facilitate description of the structural features of the smashing rod 45, the smashing rod 45 is divided into a front section 450, a middle section 451, and a rear section 452. The front section 450 of the smashing rod 45 is formed with a conical portion 4501. The middle section 451 matches the aligning groove 412 in diameter and has a wall portion adjacent to the rear section 452 and forming a second tapered pressing surface 453. The axis of the smashing rod 45 can stay unaligned with the axis of the impact block 43 so that the rear end of the rear section 452 of the smashing rod 45 is pressed against the front end of the impact block 43, preventing the rear section 452 of the smashing rod 45 from extending into the hitting groove 430. Meanwhile, the front end of the impact block 43 pushes the rear end of the rear section 452 of the smashing rod 45 and thereby positions the smashing rod 45 in the impact groove 41, the tapered groove 411, and the aligning groove 412, causing the conical portion 4501 to pass through the aperture 410 and be exposed outside the front end of the smasher 4.

[0022] Referring to FIG. 2 to FIG. 3B, a user may press the conical portion 4501 against an object to be smashed (e.g., a piece of tempered glass) and, by holding the expandable baton 2, apply a force to the conical portion 4501 such that the smashing rod 45 is gradually displaced toward the compression force application groove 42. When the second tapered pressing surface 453 of the wall of the middle section 451 of the smashing rod 45 is gradually pressed against the first tapered pressing surface 4110, the middle section 451 of the smashing rod 45 is progressively guided by the aligning groove 412 and is eventually aligned with the axis of the impact block 43. As the diameter of the middle section 451 matches that of the aligning groove 412, the rear section 452 of the smashing rod 45 is thrusted into the hitting groove 430 as soon as the middle section 451 of the smashing rod 45 is perfectly aligned and corresponds to the hitting groove 430 (i.e., the state shown in FIG. 3B). Consequently, the impact block 43 is pushed outward by the huge elastic energy accumulated in the compression spring 44, hits the rear end of the smashing rod 45, and drives the conical portion 4501 at the front end of the smashing rod 45 to forcibly smash the object to be smashed. The functionality and applicability of the expandable baton 2 is thus enhanced with the smasher 4 on the expandable baton 2.

[0023] In order for the smasher 4 in this embodiment to have high and effective smashing power, the conical portion 4501 at the front section 450 of the smashing rod 45 can be made of spring steel, bearing steel, or the like (or the smashing rod 45 can be integrally formed of spring steel or bearing steel) so as to have a Rockwell hardness value of 58, which ensures that the conical portion 4501 can smash objects made of tempered glass of various grades. Moreover, the longitudinal length of the rear section 452 of the smashing rod 45 is greater than the longitudinal depth of the hitting groove 430, and the diameter of the rear section 452 is smaller than that of the hitting groove 430. This allows the compression spring 44 to transfer the huge impact energy accumulated therein to the smashing rod 45 through the impact block 43 when the rear section 452 of the smashing rod 45 is displaced into alignment with and hence instantly extends into the hitting groove 430.

[0024] In this embodiment, the smasher 4 further includes an eccentric spring 413. The eccentric spring 413 is positioned in the impact groove 41 and the tapered groove 411 and has two ends respectively pressed against a portion of the smashing rod 45 that is adjacent to the front section 450 and the wall of the tapered groove 411. The eccentric spring 413 can thus push the smashing rod 45 toward the aperture 410 and drive the conical portion 4510 at the front section 450 of the smashing rod 45 out of the front end of the smasher 4. The eccentric spring 413 must have lower elasticity than the compression spring 44 so that, once the rear section 452 of the smashing rod 45 is displaced into alignment with the hitting groove 430, the impact block 43 will impact the rear end of the rear section 452 of the smashing rod 45 before the eccentric spring 413 adds to the impact force of the smashing rod 45. When the smashing rod 45 completes a hitting action, the eccentric spring 413 renders the axis of the smashing rod 45 out of alignment with the axis of the impact block 43, in order for the rear end of the rear section 452 of the smashing rod 45 to separate from the hitting groove 430 and be pressed against the front end of the impact block 43 once more.

[0025] In another preferred embodiment of the present invention as shown in FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B, the smashing rod 45 includes a first smashing rod 45A and a second smashing rod 45B. (The smashing rods 45A and 45B may be made of different materials. For example, the first smashing rod 45A is made of spring steel while the second smashing rod 45B is made of a softer material.) The first smashing rod 45A is equivalent to the front section 450 in the previous embodiment (see FIG. 3A), and the second smashing rod 45B, to the middle section 451 and rear section 452 in the previous embodiment. The two ends of the eccentric spring 413 are pressed against the second smashing rod 45B (e.g., against a shoulder portion protrudingly provided at the front end of the second smashing rod 45B) and the wall of the tapered groove 411 respectively. The front end of the second smashing rod 45B is configured to push the rear end of the first smashing rod 45A toward the aperture 410, thereby displacing the front end of the first smashing rod 45A toward the aperture 410, making the conical portion 4501 at the front end of the first smashing rod 45A pass through the aperture 410 and therefore exposed outside the front end of the smasher 4. This two-section structure of the smashing rod 45 is so designed that the first smashing rod 45A is not integrally formed with but is pushed outward by the second smashing rod 45B. Therefore, even though the second smashing rod 45B is tilted (as shown in FIG. 4A, in which the axis of the second smashing rod 45B is inclined with respect to that of the impact block 43) while the expandable baton 2 has yet to be pressed against an object to be smashed, the axis of the first smashing rod 45A stays parallel to that of the impact block 43, allowing the conical portion 4501 at the front end of the first smashing rod 45A to pass through the aperture 410 and jut out of the front end of the smasher 4 perpendicularly. This not only gives the expandable baton 2 a neat and visually pleasing look, but also makes it easier for the user to aim the smashing rod 45 precisely at a smashing point.

[0026] In the two embodiments described above, the base 40 of the smasher 4 is shown as integrally formed with the front end of the inner rod 22. It is also feasible, however, that the base 40 is assembled section by section and then joined to the front end of the inner rod 22 to facilitate production. For example, referring to FIG. 5A to FIG. 5C in conjunction with FIG. 3A, the base 40 can be assembled in the following three ways:

[0027] (1) In one embodiment, referring to FIG. 5A in conjunction with FIG. 3A, the rear end of the base 40 is integrally formed with the front end of the inner rod 22, and the base 40 includes a rear base portion 51, a middle base portion 52, and a front base portion 53. The base portions 5153 are sequentially and threadedly connected to form a single unit. The rear base portion 51 is integrally formed with the front end of the inner rod 22. The compression force application groove 42 is provided in the rear base portion 51. The rear end of the middle base portion 52 is fixed to the front end of the rear base portion 51 by threaded connection. The tapered groove 411 and the aligning groove 412 are provided in the middle base portion 52. The rear end of the front base portion 53 is fixed to the front end of the middle base portion 52 by threaded connection. The aperture 410 is formed at the front end of the front base portion 53. The impact groove 41 is provided in the front base portion 53.

[0028] (2) In another embodiment, referring to FIG. 5B in conjunction with FIG. 3A, the smasher 4 is an independent component to enable easy manufacture, and the base 40 includes a rear base portion 51, a middle base portion 52, and a front base portion 53. The base portions 5153 are also sequentially and threadedly connected to form a single unit. The rear end of the front base portion 53 has an outer periphery provided with an external thread 531 to be fixed, by threaded connection, to a threaded connection groove (not shown) concavely provided at the front end of the inner rod 22 of the expandable baton 2. In addition, the rear end of the front base portion 53 has an inner periphery configured to be fixed to the middle base portion 52 by threaded connection. In this three-section structure, the impact groove 41 is provided in the front base portion 53, the tapered groove 411 and the aligning groove 412 are provided in the middle base portion 52, and the compression force application groove 42 is provided in the rear base portion 51.

[0029] (3) In yet another embodiment, referring to FIG. 5C in conjunction with FIG. 3A, the position of the external thread 531 may vary as needed, and the base 40 includes a rear base portion 51, a middle base portion 52, and a front base portion 53. The base portion 5153 are sequentially and threadedly connected to form a single unit. The rear end of the rear base portion 51 has an outer periphery provided with an external thread 511 to be fixed, by threaded connection, to a threaded connection groove concavely provided at the front end of the inner rod 22.

[0030] Referring back to FIG. 4A to FIG. 5C, when the smashing rod 45 has a two-section structure as shown in FIG. 4A, the first smashing rod 45A and the second smashing rod 45B can be respectively positioned in different ones of the base portions 5153, 5153, or 5153. For example, the first smashing rod 45A is positioned in the front base portion 53 while the second smashing rod 45B, in the middle base portion 52.

[0031] In addition, referring back to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3A, the smasher 4 may further include a cover 46. The cover 46 matches the front end of the smasher 4 (i.e., the front end of the base 40) in configuration in order to be mounted on the front end of the smasher 4 (e.g., by threaded connection or mutual engagement) and cover the conical portion 4501. To use the smasher 4, the cover 46 must be removed, and the inner rod 22 of the expandable baton 2, retracted into the outer tube 21 to bring the expandable baton 2 to the shortest state. Then, the smasher 4 can be used to smash an object to be smashed.

[0032] Moreover, the expansion mechanism of the expandable baton 2 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 2; other expansion mechanisms may be used instead, such as the one disclosed in Taiwan Patent Application No. 102133170, filed by the inventor of the present invention. As the expansion mechanism of an expandable baton is well known in the art, no further description is provided herein.

[0033] The above-mentioned descriptions represent merely the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, without any intention to limit the scope of the present disclosure thereto. Various equivalent changes, alternations or modifications based on the claims of present disclosure are all consequently viewed as being embraced by the scope of the present disclosure.