VEHICLE MOUNTED RIOT CONTROL GAS DISPERSAL SYSTEM

Abstract

A gas dispersal system for releasing riot control gas for the temporary incapacitation of rioters includes a motor vehicle with a fluid tank mounted to the vehicle containing a quantity of riot control gas. The riot control gas is releasable by the operation of a valve to release the riot control gas from the fluid tank through a tubing out of a plurality of outlets positioned on a periphery of the vehicle.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

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THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

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INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM

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STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of the Invention

The disclosure relates to gas dispersal system and more particularly pertains to a new gas dispersal system for releasing riot control gas for the temporary incapacitation of rioters.

(2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98

The prior art discloses gas dispersal devices which are mounted to unmanned aerial vehicles for releasing riot control gases into crowds of people. U.S. Pat. Application No. 2006/0144598 generally discloses fitting an emergency response vehicle designed for fighting fires with tanks of tear gas for use during riots. However, the prior art does not describe a wheeled motor vehicle having a gas dispersal assembly mounted to the vehicle with a valve release means to disperse riot control gas. The prior art further fails to address structure allowing for operation of such a device from within a compartment of the vehicle or remotely from the vehicle.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a vehicle including a motor and a plurality of wheels which is mechanically coupled to the motor. A fluid tank is mounted to the vehicle, and a quantity of riot control gas is stored in the fluid tank under pressure. A tubing is fluidly coupled to the fluid tank and has a plurality of outlets for dispersing riot control gas flowing through the tubing from the fluid tank. A valve is in fluid communication with the fluid tank and the tubing. The valve is movable between a closed position and an open position. The valve inhibits the quantity of riot control gas from moving through the tubing when the valve is closed and permits the quantity of riot control gas through the tubing across the valve when the valve is open.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a gas dispersal system according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is an in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 6 thereof, a new gas dispersal system embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 6, the gas dispersal system 10 generally comprises a vehicle 12 including a motor and a plurality of wheels 14 which is mechanically coupled to the motor. The vehicle 12 has an electrical system 16 including an electrical power supply. The vehicle 12 also includes a body 18 and a trunk compartment 20 in the body 18. The trunk compartment 20 is positioned adjacent to a rear end 22 of the body 18. A cabin compartment 24 is positioned in the body 18 of the vehicle 12 for containing an operator of the vehicle 12.

A fluid tank 26 is mounted to the vehicle 12 and is positioned in the trunk compartment 20 of the vehicle 12. A quantity of riot control gas 28 is stored in the fluid tank 26 under pressure relative to ambient pressure. The term “riot control gas” as used in the specification and the claims refers to a gaseous substance containing a compound that is used to temporarily incapacitate people by causing irritation to at least one of the eyes, mouth, throat, lungs, and skin. Some compounds used for riot control gas 28 include chloroacetophenone (CN) and chlorobenzylidenemalononitrile (CS), but other compounds may be used as well as combinations of various compounds.

A tubing 30 is fluidly coupled to the fluid tank 26 and has a plurality of outlets 32 for dispersing riot control gas 28 flowing through the tubing 30 from the fluid tank 26. The tubing 30 extends downwardly from the tank through the body 18 of the vehicle 12 and along an underside 34 of the body 18. The outlets 32 are spaced from each other and are positioned adjacent to a periphery 36 of the vehicle 12. A valve 38 is in fluid communication with the fluid tank 26 and the tubing 30. The valve 38 is movable between a closed position and an open position. The valve 38 inhibits the quantity of riot control gas 28 from moving through the tubing 30 when the valve 38 is closed and permits the quantity of riot control gas 28 through the tubing 30 across the valve 38 when the valve 38 is open.

An actuator 40 is operatively coupled to the valve 38 which is actuatable to move the valve 38 between the closed position and the open position. The actuator 40 may be a solenoid, electric screw, servomotor or the like. A control circuit 42 is electrically coupled to the actuator 40 and the electrical system 16 of the vehicle 12. The control circuit 42 may be coupled to a separate power source. A switch 44 is mounted to the vehicle 12 and positioned in the cabin compartment 24. The switch 44 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 42 and is operable to direct the actuator 40 to move the valve 38 between the closed position and the open position. A remote control 46 is in wireless communication with the control circuit 42 and has a remote switch for directing the actuator 40 to move the valve 38 between the closed position and the open position.

In use, the valve 38 is selectively opened by operating one of the switch 44 and the remote switch to release the quantity of riot control gas 28 from the fluid tank 26 through the tubing 30 and out of the outlets 32 to incapacitate people near the vehicle 12. The riot control gas 28 may be released, for example, by the operator of the vehicle 12 while the operator is contained within the cabin compartment 24.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.

Claims

1. A gas dispersal system comprising:

a vehicle including a motor and a plurality of wheels being mechanically coupled to the motor;

a fluid tank being mounted to the vehicle;

a quantity of riot control gas being stored in the fluid tank under pressure;

a tubing being fluidly coupled to the fluid tank, the tubing having a plurality of outlets for dispersing riot control gas flowing through the tubing from the fluid tank; and

a valve being in fluid communication with the fluid tank and the tubing, the valve being movable between a closed position and an open position, the valve inhibiting the quantity of riot control gas from moving through the tubing when the valve is closed, the valve permitting the quantity of riot control gas through the tubing across the valve when the valve is open.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an actuator being operatively coupled to the valve, the actuator being actuatable to move the valve between the closed position and the open position;

a control circuit being electrically coupled to the actuator; and

a switch being mounted to the vehicle and electrically coupled to the control circuit, the switch being operable to direct the actuator to move the valve between the closed position and the open position.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the vehicle has an electrical system including an electrical power supply, control circuit: and the electrical system of the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the vehicle includes a body and a cabin compartment in the body for containing an operator of the vehicle, the switch being positioned in the cabin compartment.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle includes a body and a trunk compartment in the body, the trunk compartment being positioned adjacent to a rear end of the body, the fluid tank being positioned in the trunk compartment of the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the tubing extends downwardly from the tank through the body of the vehicle and along an underside of the body.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the outlets are spaced from each other and being positioned adjacent to a periphery of the vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an actuator being operatively coupled to the valve, the actuator being actuatable to move the valve between the closed position and the open position;

a control circuit being electrically coupled to the actuator; and

a remote control being in wireless communication with the control circuit, the remote control having a remote switch for directing the actuator to move the valve between the closed position and the open position.

9. A gas dispersal system comprising:

a vehicle including a motor and a plurality of wheels being mechanically coupled to the motor, the vehicle having an electrical system including an electrical power supply, the vehicle including a body and a trunk compartment in the body, the trunk compartment being positioned adjacent to a rear end of the body, the vehicle including a cabin compartment in the body for containing an operator of the vehicle;

a fluid tank being mounted to the vehicle, the fluid tank being positioned in the trunk compartment of the vehicle;

a quantity of riot control gas being stored in the fluid tank under pressure;

a tubing being fluidly coupled to the fluid tank, the tubing having a plurality of outlets for dispersing riot control gas flowing through the tubing from the fluid tank, the tubing extending downwardly from the tank through the body of the vehicle and along an underside of the body, the outlets being spaced from each other and being positioned adjacent to a periphery of the vehicle;

a valve being in fluid communication with the fluid tank and the tubing, the valve being movable between a closed position and an open position, the valve inhibiting the quantity of riot control gas from moving through the tubing when the valve is closed, the valve permitting the quantity of riot control gas through the tubing across the valve when the valve is open;

an actuator being operatively coupled to the valve, the actuator being actuatable to move the valve between the closed position and the open position;

a control circuit being electrically coupled to the actuator and the electrical system of the vehicle;

a switch being mounted to the vehicle and electrically coupled to the control circuit, the switch being operable to direct the actuator to move the valve between the closed position and the open position, the switch being positioned in the cabin compartment; and

a remote control being in wireless communication with the control circuit, the remote control having a remote switch for directing the actuator to move the valve between the closed position and the open position.