Animal attacks and threatening behaviors are a ubiquitous problem that present at best an annoyance and at worst injury or death to humans. The problem continues to grow in frequency and severity as traditional urban/rural boundaries become blurred and territories of wild animals overlap with residential developments and parks. There is therefore a need for a self-protection device to mitigate if not prevent animal attacks and threatening behaviors.
Traditional approaches to self-protection devices directed against animals have been difficult to use or transport, of limited value, or have been adapted from other applications thereby limiting their use against animals.
For example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0199884 to Lessing (“Lessing”) published Aug. 13, 2009 discloses an electrically charged stinger contained within a walking stick, staff, cane, or hand stick. The charged stinger is selectively extended to use as a defensive device to shock attackers or wild animals. The charged stinger must directly engage the offending animal to be effective, and thus is of very limited value in most situations involving a nimble animal that may readily evade the tip of the device. Lessing is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,719,534 to Ward (“Ward”) discloses an electric shock safety device. The electric shock safety device has an extending or telescoping probe. However, Ward, like Lessing, requires its device end to directly engage the offending animal to be effective, and thus is of very limited value in most situations involving a nimble animal that may readily evade the tip of the device. Ward is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,986,872 to Chaput (“Chaput”) discloses a stunning umbrella which can be used as a conventional umbrella and for self defense. The stunning umbrella provides a stunning electrical shock when used for self defense and can also be used as a baton or striking implement. The Chaput device also requires its device end to directly engage the offending animal to be effective, and thus is of very limited value in most situations involving a nimble animal that may readily evade the tip of the device. Chaput is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,093,969 to Maynor (“Maynor”) discloses a conventional umbrella provided with a high powered electric shocking device such as used in cattle probes to provide a weapon for use against muggers and other would be attackers. The Maynor device cannot function as a walking stick or cane given ensuing damage to its high-voltage electric probes disposed at the distal tip. Furthermore, the Maynor device fails to provide any protection in the event of an electrical failure, and requires the relatively fragile structure of a conventional umbrella. Maynor is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,603 to Bauer (“Bauer”) discloses a multipurpose hand-held personal protection accessory disguised as a compact umbrella which serves as an umbrella, truncheon, and electronic stunner. The umbrella is housed within tubing which has conductive strips along its outer surface for the discharge of nonlethal shocks produced by a high voltage transformer contained within the tubing. The Bauer device requires its shaft or distal end to directly engage the offending animal to be effective, and thus is of very limited value in most situations involving a nimble animal that may readily evade the tip or shaft of the device. Bauer is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,904 to McCaffrey (“McCaffrey”) discloses a personal protection device of the hand-held type comprising a handle, a shaft and a canister section, which is adapted to receive a gas-charged canister containing a noxious compound or spray. The handle is provided with a movable trigger which, when actuated, causes the contents of the canister to discharge. McCaffrey is limited in practical use and effectiveness given time delays associated with release of its gas charge and directional sensitivities associated therein. McCaffrey is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,477,431 to Curameng (“Curameng”) discloses a personal protective device especially suited for repelling a dog from attacking a pedestrian. The device comprises a tubular holder and an expansible guard stored inside the holder. A spring urges the guard from the holder into the expanded state. When deployed, the guard opens into a generally conical configuration, which the user maneuvers over the snout of the animal. The Curameng device requires capture of an offending animal's snout into the device's distal end, and thus is of very limited value in most situations involving a nimble animal that may readily evade the tip or shaft of the device. Curameng is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,404,613 to Dowling (“Dowling”) discloses an animal stun gun that uses high voltage to stop an attacking dog or animal by touching it with the prongs of the device's staff. The charged prongs must directly engage the offending animal to be effective, and thus is of very limited value in most situations involving a nimble animal that may readily evade the tip of the device. Dowling is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
These devices and technologies do not adequately address an animal defense system and, in particular, to an apparatus and method for safely and effectively deterring an animal which threatens a user. These devices do not function to provide a self-protection device which deploys an electrified deterrent structure that when deployed, deters an offending animal from engaging or threatening a user. Furthermore, existing devices do not provide alternative and complementary deterrent features to deter an offending animal, such as an audio deterrent, an olfactory deterrent and a vibration deterrent.
Therefore, there is a long-felt need for to an apparatus and method for safely and effectively deterring an animal which threatens a user.
The present device and method of operation addresses and solves these needs. The present invention relates to an animal defense system with one or more deterrent elements and to an apparatus and method for safely deterring an animal which threatens a user. Further, the apparatus may be configured to operate in a variety of user-selected modes that increase the effectiveness and reliability in deterring an animal which threatens a user.
By way of providing additional background and context, the following references are incorporated by reference in their entireties for the purpose of explaining the nature of user defense systems and to further describe the various tools and other apparatus commonly associated therewith:
U.S. Pat. No. 7,992,525 to Fisher (“Fisher”) discloses a device for controlling an animal's behavior while on a restraining device such as a leash by using the resistant force between animal and restraint to engage a trigger that activates release of a distracting or deterrent spray or gas, or a sound. The device is attached to the animal's body, with the triggering mechanism against the animal's skin. In its application as a means to train dogs to walk on a loose leash, the trigger may be situated inside a collar, such that triggering occurs when the dog pulls the leash taut. Triggering can also occur if the user pulls back on the leash to administer a correction.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,091,597 to Lin (“Lin”) discloses an electric shock device comprising a handle and a plurality of retractable rod portions. The handle has an interior accommodating therein a high voltage generator and a battery unit. The handle further has a control switch at a lower rim thereof. The retractable rod portions are arranged and assembled in order of size, and equipped with a retractable function by utilizing springs and retaining rods disposed therein. The rod portions are made of insulating materials and respectively provided with parallel positive and negative electrode plates on both sides thereof. The electrode plates nearest to the handle are connected to positive and negative terminals of the high voltage generator so as to supply the rod portions with the required high voltages. The permittivity of dielectrics on the rod portions that have different diameters is caused to be equivalent so that the conductance conditions of the rod portions are the same, and the rod portions can all generate electric arcs.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,154,844 to Brown (“Brown”) discloses a personal defense device that includes a shield member configured to be worn over at least a third of a length of a user's forearm, the forearm being bounded by the user's wrist and elbow, the length being measured from the wrist to the elbow, the shield member conforming closely to the outer surface counters of a forearm, and a portable source of electricity. The shield member includes an electrical shock bar configured to receive an electrical current from the electrical source and to deliver an electrical shock to a human or other animal.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,530,334 to Napolitano (“Napolitano”) discloses a shock absorber device for attachment to a dog leash comprising a shock absorber body made of lightweight flexible resilient tubular polymer material which will not cause injury when struck by it. The body has a stop in each end and two compression springs within the tubular body between the stops. Tension cables are attached to the compression springs and do not pneumatically engage within the tubular polymer body and extend out of the body and respectively carry a snap hook for attachment to a dog collar and a ring for attachment to a dog leash. Pull on the tension members causes compression of the springs to reduce shock-loading on the dog walker. After the springs are pulled solid, the resiliency of the body continues to absorb shock.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,779,490 to Betzen (“Betzen”) discloses a system to deter pest animals, particularly deer, from a protected area. The system comprises a portable, wireless, shock producing, animal repelling and training device having two or more bare electrodes and having an electrode separator which maintains the electrodes in close proximity to each other and insulated from each other, while allowing full exposure of the electrodes to the target animal and while greatly reducing the chances that the device will be discharged by the electrodes contacting each other or by precipitation. The animal control device is deployed such that the target pest animals in the protected area will be attracted to touch the device and so will contact the electrodes, receive an electric shock, and be frightened from the area. Target animals will then continue to avoid the protected area because of a scarecrow effect provided by the presence of the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,125,595 to Showalter (“Showalter”) discloses an electrical shocking device to deter pests, such as squirrels attempting access to birdfeeders. The insulated electrical shock tube comprises a hollow voltage insulating tube with exterior surface criss-crossed with a bare secured electrical circuit insulated at disposed areas, and a power supply connector providing electrical shock stimuli to animals when contact is made to the bare secured electrical circuit surrounding the insulated tube secured to support pole of birdfeeder. Showalter is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0272336 to Cooke (“Cooke I”) and International Patent Application Publication No. WO2009/134341 to Cooke (“Cooke II”) disclose a wound disturbance protection device comprising a small replaceable battery of about three volts, and utilizes a circuit board containing a micro-controller, a sensible voltage output circuit, which may have a direct current or an alternating current output, and an extended tongue or other structure touch circuit having a replaceable flexible adhesive backed electrical circuit. The circuit board may be removable from the flexible adhesive backed electrical touch circuit. The bandage protector includes embodiments which may be attached in a spiral fashion, an adhesively attached fashion or in an overlapping fashion, and in a number of specialized shapes for special service on an animal, including breathing holes and incision openings. The applied shock is only external to the bandage and will thus be localized to the animal's sense organs on touch and will avoid any possibility of current and voltage coursing through other parts of the animal's body.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,174,668 to Locklear (“Locklear”) discloses a control device for marine animals comprising an electrical device that applies an electrical voltage directly to a marine animal in order to shock the marine animal. The device preferably comprises a pole or rod having electrical prongs at one end which may be applied to the marine animal, thereby applying and electrical signal having a voltage, amperage and frequency that stuns and/or shocks the animal. The character of the electrical signal is such that the animal is temporarily paralyzed, so that it may be safely handled by humans for bringing it into a watercraft without otherwise damaging the animal.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,153,009 to Boyle (“Boyle”) discloses an electric shock protective device for animals to protect, for example, a bandage affixed to one of the animal's legs. The device is positioned on or around the bandage, and if the animal attempts to bite or chew on the bandage, or the sore or wound on its leg, its mouth and tongue will come into contact with the protective device causing it to produce a mild electric shock. The device includes a flexible mounting band dimensioned to surround the leg of an animal for which it is intended, a plurality of electrical conductors such as thin copper bus bars mounted thereon in a parallel relationship, an electrical power source such as electrically connected batteries, and a first and second electrical conductor. The electrical conductors face outwardly when the protective device is wrapped around the bandaged leg, whereby the animal's tongue or mouth contacts both the first and second conductors which completes an electrical circuit and produces an electrical shock to the portion of the tongue or mouth in contact with the conductors. More than two conductors may be mounted in parallel spaced apart relationship on the flexible mounting band, in which case they are connected so each adjacent one is of opposite polarity.