US-20260123731-A1 - PERSONAL DEFENSE TOOL

US20260123731A1US 20260123731 A1US20260123731 A1US 20260123731A1US-20260123731-A1

Abstract

A personal defense tool has a secondary function as a hair styling tool. The personal defense tool includes a handle portion for grasping by a user's hand or fingers, and a plurality of prongs extending from the handle portion. The prongs are configured to puncture a skin surface of an attacker while also being configured to comb or be retained within a user's hair.

Inventors

Susan Monahan
Eric Cotton

Assignees

Susan Monahan

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251124

Claims (20)

1 . A personal defense tool comprising: a plurality of rings for receiving a user's fingers; and a plurality of piercing elements extending from the plurality of rings, each piercing element of the plurality of piercing elements including: a first end extending from the plurality of srings; a second end spaced apart from the first end and configured to pierce a clothing and skin surface of an attacker; an arcuate surface extending between the first and second ends; and the plurality of piercing elements further comprises: a middle piercing element extending perpendicularly from an outer circumference of a middle ring of the plurality of rings; a first outer piercing element positioned adjacent a first side of the middle piercing element: a second outer piercing element positioned adjacent a second side of the middle piercing element, the first and second outer piercing elements being angled inwardly toward the middle piercing element in a direction from the first end to the second end; and the middle piercing element being longer than the first and second outer piercing elements.
2 . (canceled)
3 . (canceled)
4 . The personal defense tool according to claim 1 , wherein the second end of each piercing element of the plurality of piercing elements is configured to retrieve a sample of organic material.
5 . The personal defense tool of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of piercing elements taper in diameter along a length thereof in a direction from the first end toward the second end.
6 . The personal defense tool of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of piercing elements is formed from a composite mesh of woven metal and plastic.
7 . The personal defense tool of claim 1 , further comprising a sheath, the plurality of piercing elements being housed in the sheath.
8 . The personal defense tool of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of piercing elements are fabricated from a metal, and the sheath is fabricated from a plastic.
9 . The personal defense tool of claim 1 , wherein each piercing element of the plurality of piercing elements extends from one ring of the plurality of rings.
10 . The personal defense tool of claim 1 , wherein at least one piercing element of the plurality of piercing elements has a surface depression formed therein configured to retain a sample of organic material.
11 . A personal defense tool, comprising: a gripping structure including a plurality of rings configured for receiving a user's fingers; a plurality of piercing elements extend from the gripping structure, wherein each piercing element of the plurality of metallic-piercing elements includes: a first end extending from the gripping structure; a second end spaced apart from the first end and configured to pierce clothing and a skin surface; a convex top surface extending along a length of the piercing element; and a concave bottom surface extending along the length of the piercing element; and the plurality of piercing elements further comprising a middle piercing element, wherein the middle piercing element is longer than adjacent piercing elements.
12 . The personal defense tool according to claim 11 , wherein the gripping structure has a first peripheral edge portion positioned adjacent a first outer piercing element of the plurality of piercing elements, and a second peripheral edge portion positioned adjacent a second outer piercing element of the plurality of piercing elements, the first peripheral edge portion defining a first indentation therein and the second peripheral edge portion defining a second indentation therein.
13 . The personal defense tool of claim 11 , wherein the gripping structure is integrally formed with the plurality of piercing elements.
14 . The personal defense tool of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of piercing elements further comprises: a first outer piercing element positioned adjacent a side of the middle piercing element; and a second outer piercing element positioned adjacent the middle piercing element opposite the first outer piercing element, the first and second outer piercing elements being angled inwardly toward the middle piercing element in a direction from the first end of the plurality of piercing elements to the second end of the plurality of piercing elements.
15 . (canceled)
16 . The personal defense tool of claim 11 , wherein each piercing element of the plurality of piercing elements tapers in diameter along the length thereof in a direction from the first end toward the second end.
17 . A personal defense tool, comprising: a gripping structure including a plurality of rings configured for receiving a user's fingers; a middle piercing element extending from a central ring of the plurality of rings, the middle piercing element having an oblique end surface; a first outer piercing element positioned adjacent a first side of the middle piercing element and extending from the gripping structure; and a second outer piercing element positioned adjacent a second side of the middle piercing element and extending from the gripping structure, wherein each of the middle piercing element, the first outer piercieng element and the second outer piercing element having a convex top surface extending along a length thereof, and a concave bottom surface extending along the length thereof, and the middle piercing element is longer than the first outer piercing element and the second outer piercing element.
18 . The personal defense tool according to claim 17 , wherein the oblique end surface is at a tip of the middle piercing element.
19 . The personal defense tool according to claim 17 , wherein the middle piercing element has a first lateral side and a second lateral side, the concave bottom surface of the middle piercing element further comprises a concave shape extending between the first lateral side and the second lateral side for at least a portion of the length of concave bottom surface.
20 . (canceled)

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/416,125 filed Oct. 14, 2022, and U.S. Provisional Ser. No. 63/313,877 filed Feb. 25, 2022 as well as U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/174,030 filed Feb. 24, 2023, which is a continuation application of U.S. design Ser. No. 29/868,860 filed Dec. 15, 2022, the entire contents of each of which being incorporated by reference herein. BACKGROUND There has been a steady increase in violence against others. Such violence may include physical or sexual attacks. It is believed that violence against women and children is the most common form of violence in the undeveloped or developed countries, such as the United States. However, there has also been a steady increase in violence against men. For example, violence within the gay male community has been on the rise, as well as violence against straight men by their significant other. Since attackers typically prey on those whom they think have little to no ability to defend themselves, several self-defense tools have been promoted for helping to prevent these attacks and help potential victims and actual victims defend themselves. One such self-defense tool is a firearm; however, many people are reluctant to own or use a firearm even if their own lives are at risk. Firearms may also be accidentally deployed or may be difficult to retrieve from their holster or a safety housing under the threat of an attack. There are also other non-lethal tools for self-defense, such as mace or pepper spray. While a pepper spray canister does not typically require substantial strength or skill, users can sometimes accidentally spray themselves rather than their attacker, thus temporarily blinding and incapacitating themselves. Use of pepper spray in enclosed spaces, such as an automobile or a small room, can also hurt the person seeking to defend themself and/or others from an attack, and not just the attacker. These self-defense tools may suffer from victim hesitancy to use them and may also fail to be a sufficiently powerful deterrent. An assailant will often seek to benefit from the element of surprise and move quickly to a position that is close in front of an intended victim. Under these conditions, the victim must quickly, almost instantaneously, mount an effective defense to avoid being harmed. Accordingly, there is a need for a self-defense tool that can be hidden from potential attackers, while also being easily accessed by the user of the tool. SUMMARY According to aspects of the present disclosure, exemplary embodiments include a personal defense tool including a plurality of rings for receiving a user's fingers, and a plurality of piercing elements extending from the plurality of rings. Each of the piercing elements includes a first end connected to the plurality of piercing elements, a second end spaced apart from the first end and configured to pierce a skin surface, and an arcuate surface extending between the first and second ends. According to further aspects of the present disclosure, exemplary embodiments include a hair styling tool including a gripping structure, a plurality of metallic piercing elements, and a plastic sheath enclosing the plurality of metallic piercing elements therein. The gripping structure includes a plurality of rings configured for receiving a user's fingers. The metallic piercing elements extend from the gripping structure and each metallic piercing element includes a first end extending from the gripping structure, a second end configured to pierce a skin surface, a convex top surface extending along a length of the metallic piercing element, and a concave bottom surface extending along the length of the metallic piercing element. According to further aspects of the present disclosure, exemplary embodiments include a personal defense tool including a gripping structure, a middle piercing element, a first outer piercing element, and a second outer piercing element. The gripping structure includes a plurality of rings configured for receiving a user's fingers. The middle piercing element extends from a central ring of the plurality of rings and has a convex top surface extending along a length thereof, and a concave bottom surface extending along the length thereof. The middle piercing element may have an oblique end surface. The first outer piercing element is positioned adjacent a first side of the middle piercing element and extends from the gripping structure. The first outer piercing element has a convex top surface extending along a length thereof, and a concave bottom surface extending along the length thereof. The second outer piercing element is positioned adjacent a second side of the middle piercing element and extends from the gripping structure. The second outer piercing element has a convex top surface extending along a length thereof, and a concave bottom surface extending along the l