HAND-HELD POWDER LAUNCHER

Abstract

A hand-held single-use pneumatic powder launcher having a reusable body assembly and a replaceable barrel assembly. The body assembly has a handle with a cavity to house a replaceable pneumatic cartridge, a puncture tip in the cavity, a trigger movable between a normal position and a launch position, and a safety to prevent the trigger from being accidentally actuated. The barrel assembly removably secures to the body assembly and has a first cavity that houses a burst cap, and an adjacent powder chamber. After the cartridge is pierced, gas builds up until the burst cap bursts, allowing the high-pressure gas to propel the payload out of the barrel.

Claims

1. A hand-held single-use pneumatic powder launcher, comprising: a reusable body assembly, comprising: a handle body having a first end and a second end, an outer surface, an opening adjacent the first end leading to an internal cavity to house a pneumatic cartridge, the internal cavity extending from the first end of the handle body to the second end of the handle body and having a conical taper leading to a first end of a bore distal the first end of the handle body, the bore having a second end, the second end of the bore being adjacent a reverse conical taper portion of the cavity, the second end of the handle body having a male thread extending therefrom, and a transverse opening in the handle body adjacent the second end of the handle body; a puncture tip having a portion in the bore; a trigger extending through the transverse opening in the handle body, the trigger having a stop extending from a sidewall of the trigger, the trigger further having a transverse opening extending through the sidewall of the trigger, the trigger movable between a normal position and a launch position; a bias member in the handle body biasing the trigger to the normal position; a safety comprising a collar wall with a first opening in the collar wall for the trigger and a second opening in the collar wall for the stop extending from the trigger sidewall, and a trigger cover extending from the collar wall, wherein the safety is rotatable from a first position wherein the trigger cover covers the trigger to a second position where the trigger cover does not cover the trigger; a safety guard stop connected to the handle body and engaging the safety; an end cap removably secured to the handle body at the first end of the handle body to close the cavity at the first end of the handle body; and, a compression spring connected to the end cap and residing in the internal cavity of the handle body; a glass breaker connected to the end cap and residing outside the internal cavity of the handle body; and, a replaceable barrel assembly removably connected to the second end of the handle body, comprising: a barrel having an outer surface, a first end, a second end, and a cavity extending from the first end to the second end, wherein the cavity has an internal female thread at the first end of the barrel, wherein the cavity has a first section with a first diameter at the first end, a powder chamber with a second diameter adjacent the second end, and bore joining the first section and the powder chamber, the bore having a diameter smaller than the first diameter and the second diameter; a burst cap in the first section of the cavity distal the first end of the barrel and adjacent the bore in the cavity, the burst cap being made of a thin sheet of plastic material having a thickness of between 0.003 inches and 0.005 inches; a locking nut in the first section adjacent the burst cap to retain the burst cap adjacent the bore; a powder payload in the powder chamber; and, a plug in the powder chamber adjacent the second end of the barrel.

2. The hand-held single-use pneumatic powder launcher of claim 1, wherein the collar wall has a plurality of detents to receive a protrusion extending from the safety guard stop.

3. The hand-held single-use pneumatic powder launcher of claim 1, wherein the handle body has a groove in an outer surface of the handle body adjacent the transverse opening in the handle body, wherein the groove houses the safety guard stop.

4. The hand-held single-use pneumatic powder launcher of claim 1, wherein the barrel is generally cylindrical and made of a rigid material.

5. The hand-held single-use pneumatic powder launcher of claim 1, wherein the plug is made of a polyurethane foam that is pressure fit into the powder chamber at the second end of the barrel.

6. The hand-held single-use pneumatic powder launcher of claim 1, wherein the puncture tip has a central bore therethrough to allow high pressure gas released from the cartridge to pass into the cavity of the reverse conical taper at the second end of the handle body.

7. The hand-held single-use pneumatic powder launcher of claim 1, wherein when the trigger is moved radially inwardly into the handle body a tip of the cartridge aligns with the transverse opening in the trigger to allow the tip of the cartridge to pass through the transverse opening in the trigger body to engage the puncture tip for dispelling gas propellant from the cartridge.

8. The hand-held single-use pneumatic powder launcher of claim 1, wherein the safety rotates about a portion of the outer surface of the handle body adjacent the transverse opening in the handle body.

9. A hand-held single-use pneumatic powder launcher, comprising: a reusable body assembly, comprising: a handle body having a first end and a second end, an outer surface, an opening adjacent the first end leading to an internal cavity to house a pneumatic cartridge, the internal cavity extending from the first end of the handle body to the second end of the handle body, the second end of the handle body having a male thread extending therefrom, and a transverse opening in the handle body adjacent the second end of the handle body; a puncture tip in the internal cavity; a trigger extending through the transverse opening in the handle body, the trigger having a transverse opening extending through the sidewall of the trigger, the trigger movable between a normal position and a launch position; a bias member in the handle body biasing the trigger to the normal position; a safety comprising a collar wall with a first opening in the collar wall for the trigger, and a trigger cover extending from the collar wall, wherein the safety is rotatable from a first position wherein the trigger cover covers the trigger to a second position where the trigger cover does not cover the trigger; an end cap removably secured to the handle body at the first end of the handle body to close the cavity at the first end of the handle body; and, a compression spring connected to the end cap and residing in the internal cavity of the handle body; and, a replaceable barrel assembly removably connected to the second end of the handle body, comprising: a barrel having an outer surface, a first end, a second end, and a cavity extending from the first end to the second end, wherein the cavity has an internal female thread at the first end of the barrel, wherein the cavity has a first section with a first diameter at the first end, a powder chamber with a second diameter adjacent the second end, and bore joining the first section and the powder chamber, the bore having a diameter smaller than the first diameter and the second diameter; a burst cap in the first section of the cavity distal the first end of the barrel and adjacent the bore in the cavity, the burst cap being made of a thin sheet of plastic material; and, a locking nut in the first section adjacent the burst cap to retain the burst cap adjacent the bore.

10. The hand-held single-use pneumatic powder launcher of claim 9, wherein the internal cavity of the handle body has a conical taper leading to a first end of a bore distal the first end of the handle body, the bore having a second end, the second end of the bore being adjacent a reverse conical taper portion of the cavity.

11. The hand-held single-use pneumatic powder launcher of claim 9, wherein the internal cavity has a bore, and wherein the puncture tip partially resides in the bore.

12. The hand-held single-use pneumatic powder launcher of claim 9, wherein the trigger has a stop extending from a sidewall of the trigger, and wherein the safety has a second opening in the collar wall for the stop extending from the trigger sidewall.

13. The hand-held single-use pneumatic powder launcher of claim 9, further comprising a safety guard stop connected to the handle body and engaging the safety.

14. The hand-held single-use pneumatic powder launcher of claim 9, further comprising a glass breaker connected to the end cap and residing outside the internal cavity of the handle body.

15. The hand-held single-use pneumatic powder launcher of claim 9, wherein the burst cap has a thickness of between 0.003 inches and 0.005 inches.

16. A hand-held single-use pneumatic powder launcher, comprising: a reusable body assembly, comprising: a handle body having a first end and a second end, an outer surface, an opening adjacent the first end leading to an internal cavity to house a pneumatic cartridge, the internal cavity extending from the first end of the handle body to the second end of the handle body, the second end of the handle body having a first mating member, and a transverse opening in the handle body adjacent the second end of the handle body; a puncture tip in the internal cavity; a trigger extending through the transverse opening in the handle body, the trigger movable between a normal position and a launch position; a bias member in the handle body biasing the trigger to the normal position; a safety to prevent the trigger from being actuated; and, an end cap removably secured to the handle body at the first end of the handle body to close the cavity at the first end of the handle body; and, a replaceable barrel assembly removably connected to the second end of the handle body, comprising: a barrel having an outer surface, a first end, a second end, and a cavity extending from the first end to the second end, wherein the cavity has a second mating member to mate with the first mating member at the first end of the barrel, wherein the cavity has a first section with a first diameter at the first end, a powder chamber with a second diameter adjacent the second end, and bore joining the first section and the powder chamber, the bore having a diameter smaller than the first diameter and the second diameter; and, a burst cap in the first section of the cavity distal the first end of the barrel and adjacent the bore in the cavity, the burst cap being made of a thin sheet of plastic material having a thickness of between 0.003 inches and 0.005 inches.

17. The hand-held single-use pneumatic powder launcher of claim 16, further comprising a locking nut in the first section adjacent the burst cap to retain the burst cap adjacent the bore.

18. The hand-held single-use pneumatic powder launcher of claim 16, wherein the first mating member is a male thread component, and wherein the second mating member is a female thread component.

19. The hand-held single-use pneumatic powder launcher of claim 16, wherein the safety comprising a collar wall with a first opening in the collar wall for the trigger, and a trigger cover extending from the collar wall, wherein the safety is rotatable from a first position wherein the trigger cover covers the trigger to a second position where the trigger cover does not cover the trigger.

20. The hand-held single-use pneumatic powder launcher of claim 16, wherein the trigger has a transverse opening extending through the sidewall of the trigger.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] To understand the present disclosure, it will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which embodiments of the disclosures are illustrated and, together with the descriptions below are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, and serve to explain the principles of the disclosure. In the drawings:

[0028] FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of a powder launcher, according to the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the powder launcher of FIG. 1, according to the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG. 3 is a top view of the powder launcher of FIG. 1, according to the present disclosure.

[0031] FIG. 4 is a left side view of the powder launcher of FIG. 1, according to the present disclosure.

[0032] FIG. 5 is a right side view of the powder launcher of FIG. 1, according to the present disclosure.

[0033] FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the powder launcher of FIG. 1, according to the present disclosure.

[0034] FIG. 7 is a front end view of the powder launcher of FIG. 1, according to the present disclosure.

[0035] FIG. 8 is a rear end view of the powder launcher of FIG. 1, according to the present disclosure.

[0036] FIG. 9 is an exploded view of the powder launcher of FIG. 1, according to the present disclosure.

[0037] FIG. 10 is a transparent left side view of the powder launcher of FIG. 1, according to the present disclosure.

[0038] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the powder launcher of FIG. 1, according to the present disclosure.

[0039] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a barrel for the powder launcher of FIG. 1, according to the present disclosure.

[0040] FIG. 13 is a top perspective view of a body for the powder launcher of FIG. 1, according to the present disclosure.

[0041] FIG. 14 is a cross sectional view of the body of FIG. 13, according to the present disclosure.

[0042] FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a locking nut for the powder launcher of FIG. 1, according to the present disclosure.

[0043] FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a stop for a safety guard for the powder launcher of FIG. 1, according to the present disclosure.

[0044] FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a trigger for the powder launcher of FIG. 1, according to the present disclosure.

[0045] FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a safety guard for the powder launcher of FIG. 1, according to the present disclosure.

[0046] FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a burst cap for the powder launcher of FIG. 1, according to the present disclosure.

[0047] FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a glass breaker accessory for the powder launcher, according to the present disclosure.

[0048] FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view of the glass breaker accessory of FIG. 20, according to the present disclosure.

[0049] In one or more implementations, not all of the depicted components in each figure may be required, and one or more implementations may include additional components not shown in a figure. Variations in the arrangement and type of the components may be made without departing from the scope of the subject disclosure. Additional components, different components, or fewer components may be utilized within the scope of the subject disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] While this disclosure is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail preferred embodiments with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the disclosure and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the disclosure to the embodiments illustrated. It should be noted that the features illustrated in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and features of one embodiment may be employed with other embodiments as one of ordinary skill in the relevant art would recognize, even if not explicitly stated herein. Further, descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques may be omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments of the present disclosure. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the present disclosure may be practiced and to further enable those of ordinary skill in the art to practice the embodiments of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the examples and embodiments herein should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure, which is defined solely by the appended claims and applicable law.

[0051] Generally, this disclosure describes embodiments of a push-button activated hand-held launcher 10 that dispenses a powder, such as an irritant powder, including PAVA (Nonivamide, also called pelargonic acid vanillylamide or PAVA), which is an organic compound and a capsaicinoid.

[0052] Referring now to the figures, and initially to FIGS. 1-6 and 9, there are shown various embodiments of a hand-held powder launcher 10. While the launcher 10 is preferably used for dispensing powder, it may alternately launch a projectile (not shown). In one embodiment, the launcher 10 has a body 12 (also referred to as a handle body 12), a barrel 14, a locking nut 16, a burst cap 18, a plug 20, a trigger 22, a rotating safety 24, also referred to as a sliding safety 24, a safety guard stop 26, a puncture tip 28, a clip 30, an end cap 32 and a compression spring 34.

[0053] The launcher 10 generally is provided as two assemblies: a reusable body assembly 36 and a replaceable barrel assembly 38 that is screwed onto the reusable body assembly 36. In one embodiment, the reusable body assembly 36 generally comprises the handle body 12, trigger 22, sliding safety 24, safety guard stop 26, puncture tip 28, clip 30, end cap 32 and compression spring 34. As explained herein, a compressed air cartridge 40 that contains high pressure gas to provide the propellant to release or shoot the powder irritant 42 is also found in the barrel assembly 38. The compressed air cartridge 40 is a single use component. Thus, the compressed air cartridge 40 must be replaced for each shot of the powder irritant 42. To replace the air cartridge 40, the user unscrews the end cap 32 from the body 12 and removes the used air cartridge 40 from the internal cavity 44 of the body 12, and then inserts a new unused air cartridge 40 within the internal cavity 44 of the body 12, with the tip 46 of the cartridge 40 that has the opening to the cartridge 40 being inserted first as shown in FIG. 9. The compression spring 34 that is connected to the end cap 32 provides a force on the cartridge 40 to push the cartridge 40 toward the puncture tip 28 in the body assembly 36 as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11.

[0054] In one embodiment, the replaceable barrel assembly 38 generally comprises the barrel 14, the locking nut 16, the burst cap 18, the powder irritant 42, and the plug 20. In one embodiment, the barrel assembly 38 is a single shot assembly and must be replaced after each shot of the powder irritant 42. In one embodiment, the barrel assembly 38 comes preassembled with a new burst cap 18 and a new load of powder irritant 42. After the powder irritant 42 is shot out of the barrel assembly 38 that barrel assembly 38 can be removed from the body assembly 36 by unscrewing the barrel assembly 38 from the body assembly 36. A new barrel assembly 38 with the preloaded powder irritant and a new burst cap 18 can then be screwed onto the body assembly 36 for subsequent use.

[0055] As shown in FIGS. 9-11 and 13-14, in one embodiment, the handle body 12 is a cylindrical component made of metal that has several knurled ribs 50 on its outer surface 52 to assist the user in grasping and holding the launcher 10. The handle body 12 has a first end 54 at which is an opening 56 to the internal cavity 44 of the body 12. The handle body 12 also has a second end 58 that generally provides the mating arrangement for securing the barrel assembly 38 to the body 12, and which also has the trigger 22, rotating safety 24, also referred to as a sliding safety 24, safety guard stop 26 and puncture tip 28. In one embodiment, the mating arrangement for securing the barrel 14 to the handle body 12 is a threaded engagement. As shown in the figures, in one embodiment, the handle body 12 has a male thread 60 at the second end 58 (see FIG. 13) that mates with an internal female thread 62 at the first end 64 of the barrel 14 (see FIG. 12).

[0056] In one embodiment, the internal cavity 44 of the handle body 12 has a generally cylindrical bore 65 toward the first end 54 of the body 12, and then the internal cavity 44 has a conical taper 66 that leads to a smaller bore 68. A reverse conical taper 70 of the internal cavity 44 of the handle body 12 is provided at the second end 58 of the body 12. The reverse conical taper 70 extends from the smaller bore 68 of the internal cavity 44. As shown in FIG. 14, in one embodiment, the puncture tip 28 has housing portion 72 that is inserted into the smaller bore 68 of the body 12, and a shoulder 74 that sits on an inner surface of the internal cavity 44 to seat the puncture tip 28 within the internal cavity 44 of the body such that a tip 76 of the puncture tip 28 faces the tip 46 of the cartridge 40 to puncture a seal at the tip 46 of the cartridge 40 to release the high pressure gas within the cartridge 40. The puncture tip 28 also has a central bore 78 therethrough to allow the high pressure gas to be released from the cartridge 40 into the cavity of the reverse conical taper 70 at the second end 58 of the body 12.

[0057] As shown in FIGS. 9-10, and 13-14, the handle body 12 also has a transverse opening 80 to house the trigger assembly 82. In one embodiment, the trigger assembly 82 of the launcher 10 comprises the trigger 22, a spring 84 and a detent ball 86. The trigger 22 moves between a normal position and a launch position. The spring 84 biases the trigger 22 to the normal position. In one embodiment, the trigger 22, as shown in FIG. 17, has a body 88, a stop 90 extending from a sidewall 87 of the body 88, a transverse opening 92 through the body 88, and a longitudinal opening 94 at a bottom of the body 88. The transverse opening 92 is sized such that when the trigger 22 is in the normal position tip 46 of the cartridge 40 engages the sidewall 87 of the body and does not move and cannot engage the puncture tip 28. However, when the trigger 22 is moved radially inwardly into the handle body 12 of the body assembly 36 the tip 46 of the cartridge 40 aligns with the transverse opening 92 in the trigger body 88 to allow the tip 46 of the cartridge 40 to pass through the transverse opening 92 in the trigger body 88 to engage the puncture tip 28 for dispelling the gas propellant from the cartridge 40.

[0058] Referring to FIGS. 9, 13 and 14, the handle body 12 has a groove 100 in the outer surface 52 toward the second end 58 of the handle body 12 and adjacent the transverse opening 80 of the handle body 12. The groove 100 houses the safety guard stop 26. In one embodiment, the safety guard stop 26 comprises a form of a spring clip or metal flat wire that has a protrusion 102. The protrusion 102 engages detents in the sliding safety 24 as explained herein.

[0059] In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 18, the sliding safety 24 generally comprise a collar wall 110 with opening 112 in the collar wall 110 for the trigger 22, an opening 114 in the collar wall 110 for the stop 90 of the trigger 22, and a trigger cover 116 extending from the collar wall 110. The sliding safety 24 rotates about a portion of the outer surface 52 of the handle body 12 adjacent the transverse opening 80 in the handle body 12. Specifically, the sliding safety 24 rotates from a first position, as shown in FIG. 1, where the trigger cover 116 covers the trigger 22 and prevents a user from depressing the trigger 22. Additionally, in the first position the opening 114 in the collar wall 110 does not align with the stop 90 of the trigger 22, further preventing the trigger 22 from being depressed. The sliding safety 24 can rotate, however, to a second position where the trigger cover 116 does not cover the trigger 22 and where the opening 114 in the collar wall aligns with the stop 90 to allow the trigger 22 to be depressed and actuated for launching the powder irritant. In one embodiment, the collar wall 110 has several detents 104, 106 to receive the protrusion 102 of the safety guard stop 26, thereby stopping the sliding safety 24 in the first position with a first detent 104, and stopping the sliding safety 24 in the second position with a second detent 106. In one embodiment the sliding safety 24 also has several feet 118 to prevent the launcher 10 from rolling when placed on a surface.

[0060] As shown in FIGS. 9-12, in one embodiment the barrel 14 is a cylindrical component made of a rigid metal, such as a metal or plastic, that has an outer surface 120, a first end 64, a second end 124, a cavity 126 extending from the first end 64 to the second end 124, and a discharge opening 127 for the cavity 126 at the second end 124 of the barrel 14. A mating component for securing the barrel 14 to the handle body 12 is provided at the first end 122 of the barrel. In one embodiment, the mating arrangement for securing the barrel 14 to the handle body 12 is a threaded engagement. As shown in the figures, in one embodiment, the handle body 12 has a male thread 60 at the second end 58 (see FIG. 13) that mates with an internal female thread 62 at the first end 64 of the barrel 14 (see FIG. 12). In one embodiment, the internal female thread 62 at the first end 64 of the barrel 14 is long enough to accept both the locking nut 16 and the male thread 60 of the handle body 12.

[0061] In one embodiment, adjacent the internal female thread 62 in the cavity 126 of the barrel 14 is a bore 130 that receives and seats the burst cap 18. Further, adjacent the bore 130 for seating the burst cap 18 is an internal wall 128 and a smaller bore 132 in the wall 128 that leads to the powder chamber 134 portion of the cavity 126 of the barrel 14. The smaller bore 132 joins the cavity 126 at the first end 64 with the powder chamber 134 portion of the cavity 126.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 19, in one embodiment, the burst cap 18 comprises a thin sheet of plastic, such as ABS, that is shaped to fit in the cavity 126 of the barrel 14, and preferably in the bore 130 thereof. In one embodiment, the burst cap 18 has a thickness of approximately 0.003 inches to approximately 0.005 inches.

[0063] As shown in FIGS. 10, 11 and 15, in one embodiment, the locking nut 16 comprises a male threaded component 140 with a through bore 142 and a flange 144 extending from the threaded component 140.

[0064] In one embodiment, to assemble the replaceable barrel assembly 38 the burst cap 18 is inserted into the cavity 126 of the barrel 14 at the first end 64 of the barrel 14 and is seated in the bore 130 against the internal wall 128. Next, the locking nut 16 is inserted into the cavity 126 at the first end 64 of the barrel 14 and threaded into the internal female threads 62 in the cavity 126 of the barrel 14. The flange 144 of the locking nut 16 secures the burst cap 18 against the internal wall 128 in the cavity 126. After the burst cap 18 and locking nut 16 are secured in place, the powder irritant 42 is inserted into the powder chamber 134 portion of the cavity 126 through the discharge opening 127 of the cavity 126 at the second end 124 of the barrel 14. Finally, the plug 20 is inserted into the discharge opening 127 and is seated in the cavity 126 at the second end of the barrel 14 to retain the powder irritant 42 in place in the barrel 14. In one embodiment the plug 20 is made of a polyurethane foam that is pressure fit into the cavity 126 at the second end of the barrel 14.

[0065] To operate, the user first rotates the sliding safety 24 from the first or safety position to the second or use position. Once the sliding safety 24 is rotated to the use position the trigger 22 can be depressed. Prior to use, however, the spring 84 biases the trigger 22 to non-depressed position where the transverse opening 92 blocks the cartridge 40 from movement toward the puncture tip 28. Upon depressing the trigger 22 the transverse opening 92 in the trigger moves radially inward and no longer blocks the cartridge 40, such that the cartridge 40 can move toward and engage the puncture tip 28 to pierce the seal of the cartridge 40 and allow the high pressure gas within the cartridge 40 to be released through the central bore 78 of the puncture tip 28 and to flow into the cavity 126 behind the burst cap 18. The burst cap 18 is sized such that the burst cap 18 will not burst or otherwise break until a sufficient amount of pressure is built up in the cavity 126 between the burst cap 18 and the puncture tip 28. In a preferred embodiment the amount of pressure required to burst the burst cap 18 is approximately 800 psi. Once the pressure in the cavity 126 between the burst cap 18 and the puncture tip 28 reaches the required pressure, the burst cap 18 will burst and the high pressure gas will act on the powder irritant 42 to propel the powder irritant 42 and the plug 20 out of the discharge opening 127.

[0066] In order to reload the launcher 10, the used barrel assembly 38 is unscrewed from the handle body 12. Then, a new barrel assembly 38 with a new burst cap 18 and new payload 42 and plug 20 is screwed onto the handle body 12. And, the used cartridge 40 is replaced with a new cartridge 40 by removing the end cap 32 and old cartridge 40, inserting a new cartridge 40, and re-installing the end cap 32.

[0067] Referring to FIGS. 20 and 21, one embodiment of a glass breaker 150 accessory for the launcher 10 is shown. In one embodiment, the glass breaker 150 accessory comprises a base 152 and a tip 154. The base 152 is typically made of a rigid material, such as a metal, including aluminum, or plastic. The tip 154 is typically made of a hardened material, such as a tungsten carbide. The base 152 has a receiver 158 for receiving the tip 154 and securing the tip 154 therein, and a mating member 160 that mates with a receiver 162 of the end cap 32. In one embodiment, the receiver 162 of the end cap 32 is a hex shaped female receiver 162, and the mating member 160 of the base 152 is a similarly sized hex shaped male component. The mating member 160 of the base 152 fits within the receiver 162 of the end cap 32. The base 152 also has a bore 164 therethrough for inserting hardware for removing the glass breaker 150 from the end cap 32.

[0068] The embodiments detailed hereinabove may be combined in full or in part, with any alternative embodiments described.

[0069] A reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean one and only one unless specifically stated, but rather one or more. The term some refers to one or more. Underlined and/or italicized headings and subheadings are used for convenience only, do not limit the subject technology, and are not referred to in connection with the interpretation of the description of the subject technology. Relational terms such as first and second and the like may be used to distinguish one entity or action from another without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various configurations described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and intended to be encompassed by the subject technology. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the above description.

[0070] Numerous modifications to the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the foregoing description. Preferred embodiments of this disclosure are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the disclosure. It should be understood that the illustrated embodiments are exemplary only, and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the disclosure.

[0071] Several alternative embodiments and examples have been described and illustrated herein. A person of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate the features of the individual embodiments, and the possible combinations and variations of the components. A person of ordinary skill in the art would further appreciate that any of the embodiments could be provided in any combination with the other embodiments disclosed herein. Additionally, the terms first, second, third, and fourth as used herein are intended for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the embodiments in any way. Further, the term plurality as used herein indicates any number greater than one, cither disjunctively or conjunctively, as necessary, up to an infinite number. Additionally, the term having as used herein in both the disclosure and claims, is utilized in an open-ended manner.

[0072] As used herein, the phrase at least one of preceding a series of items, with the terms and or or to separate any of the items, modifies the list as a whole, rather than each member of the list (i.e., each item). The phrase at least one of does not require selection of at least one item; rather, the phrase allows a meaning that includes at least one of any one of the items, and/or at least one of any combination of the items, and/or at least one of each of the items. By way of example, the phrases at least one of A, B, and C or at least one of A, B, or C each refer to only A, only B, or only C; any combination of A, B, and C; and/or at least one of each of A, B, and C.

[0073] To the extent that the term include, have, or the like is used in the description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term comprise as comprise is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim. Phrases such as an aspect, the aspect, another aspect, some aspects, one or more aspects, an implementation, the implementation, another implementation, some implementations, one or more implementations, an embodiment, the embodiment, another embodiment, some embodiments, one or more embodiments, a configuration, the configuration, another configuration, some configurations, one or more configurations, the subject technology, the disclosure, the present disclosure, other variations thereof and alike are for convenience and do not imply that a disclosure relating to such phrase(s) is essential to the subject technology or that such disclosure applies to all configurations of the subject technology. A disclosure relating to such phrase(s) may apply to all configurations, or one or more configurations. A disclosure relating to such phrase(s) may provide one or more examples. A phrase such as an aspect or some aspects may refer to one or more aspects and vice versa, and this applies similarly to other foregoing phrases.

[0074] A reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean one and only one unless specifically stated, but rather one or more. The term some refers to one or more. Underlined and/or italicized headings and subheadings are used for convenience only, do not limit the subject technology, and are not referred to in connection with the interpretation of the description of the subject technology. Relational terms such as first and second and the like may be used to distinguish one entity or action from another without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various configurations described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and intended to be encompassed by the subject technology. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the above description. No claim element is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase means for or, in the case of a method claim, the element is recited using the phrase step for.

[0075] While this specification contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of particular implementations of the subject matter. Certain features that are described in this specification in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.

[0076] The title, background, brief description of the drawings, abstract, and drawings are hereby incorporated into the disclosure and are provided as illustrative examples of the disclosure, not as restrictive descriptions. It is submitted with the understanding that they will not be used to limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the detailed description, it can be seen that the description provides illustrative examples and the various features are grouped together in various implementations for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. The method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed subject matter requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed configuration or operation. The claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.

[0077] It will be understood that the present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or central characteristics thereof. The present examples and embodiments, therefore, are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the Claims are not to be limited to the details given herein. Accordingly, while the specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications come to mind without significantly departing from the spirit of the disclosure and the scope of protection is only limited by the scope of the accompanying Claims.

[0078] Further, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects described herein, but are to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language claims and to encompass all legal equivalents. Notwithstanding, none of the claims are intended to embrace subject matter that fails to satisfy the requirements of the applicable patent law, nor should they be interpreted in such a way.