MAGNETIC PEPPER SPRAY CASING

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to a pepper spray housing that houses a pepper spray formula canister, where the casing of the pepper spray housing attaches to an accessory, such as a wearable clip, through one or more magnets. In particular, some implementations may relate to a pepper spray housing that secures to a wearable clip through one or more magnets in the housing.

BACKGROUND

Jogging and walking are simple forms of transportation and popular forms of exercise, which can be done outdoor or indoor, whether on roads, walkways, stairs, treadmills, etc. Numerous factors may be considered in determining whether to jog and walk indoor or outdoor, with one such factor being safety. Joggers and walkers often carry pepper spray for safety. A typical pepper spray may be brightly colored, cylindrical in shape, and carried by a user on their keychain that is attached to the user's keys. A problem with the typical design is that it is often bulky and uncomfortable to carry. This is because the weight and also the size of the keychain is increased by attaching the pepper spray to the keys, making the keychain uncomfortable to hold.

Furthermore, users often carry pepper sprays irrespective of the destination or the reason for jogging or walking. As such, carrying a pepper spray, whether separately or attached to keys on a keychain, may pose a challenge with accessibility in situations where the user is preoccupied, such as when traveling or exercising. Carrying a pepper spray may also be problematic during exercise because exercise apparel often have insufficient pocket space for conveniently carrying personal belongings. Accordingly, joggers and walkers often carry a pouch to hold their pepper spray or secure the pepper spray to their body using unconventional means, such as, for example, placing the pepper spray in their pants/shorts, shirt, wrist/arm band, etc., which further impacts user comfort or potentially the user's safety due to inaccessibility. Due to the inconvenience stemming from carrying pepper sprays, one may limit their performance of walking or jogging to indoors, which could be inconvenient, or may even forego exercising, traveling or performing any other outdoor activities altogether for the same reason. As such, a design of a pepper spray holding device is needed that incorporates features to allow users to carry a pepper spray without impacting safety, comfort, convenience or accessibility.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure overcomes the drawbacks of conventional pepper sprays by incorporating a magnetic feature that enables quick attachment and release from a wearable magnetic clip.

In accordance with some implementations, a pepper spray securing system is provided. The system may include: an accessory; a pepper spray housing configured to accept and dissipate pepper spray formula from a pepper spray canister; wherein the pepper spray housing comprises a surface configured to mate to the accessory; and wherein the pepper spray housing and the accessory can be magnetically engaged at the surface.

In some applications, one of either the surface of the pepper spray housing and the accessory comprises a ferromagnetic material and the other comprises one or more magnets configured to magnetically engage with the ferromagnetic material.

In some applications, the accessory further comprises an attachment feature and a clip feature.

In some applications, the attachment feature is configured to match the contour of the surface of the pepper spray housing.

In some applications, the surface and the attachment feature are flat.

In some applications, the surface and the attachment feature are curved.

In some applications, at least 75% of the attachment feature is in physical contact with the surface when the pepper spray housing and accessory are magnetically engaged.

In some applications, the pepper spray housing further comprises a top cover, a bottom cover, a nozzle and a trigger; wherein the top cover encapsulates the trigger and the top cover is secured to the pepper spray housing with a first hinge; wherein the bottom cover is secured to the pepper spray housing with a second hinge encapsulating the pepper spray canister; and compressing the trigger results in opening a valve in the pepper spray canister releasing the pepper spray formula through the nozzle.

In accordance with some implementations, an apparatus of a pepper spray securing device is provided. The apparatus may include: a pepper spray housing configured to accept and dissipate pepper spray formula from a pepper spray canister, wherein the pepper spray housing comprises a surface configured to mate to an accessory and wherein the pepper spray housing and the accessory can be magnetically engaged at the surface.

In some applications, the accessory further comprises an attachment feature and a clip feature.

In some applications, the attachment feature is configured to match the contour of the surface of the pepper spray housing.

In some applications, the surface and the attachment feature are flat.

In some applications, the surface and the attachment feature are curved.

In some applications, at least 75% of the attachment feature is in physical contact with the surface when the pepper spray housing and accessory are magnetically engaged.

In some applications, the pepper spray housing further comprises a top cover, a bottom cover, a nozzle and a trigger; wherein the top cover encapsulates the trigger and the top cover is secured to the pepper spray housing with a first hinge; wherein the bottom cover is secured to the pepper spray housing with a second hinge encapsulating the pepper spray canister; and compressing the trigger results in opening a valve in the pepper spray canister releasing the pepper spray formula through the nozzle.

In accordance with some implementations, a method for securing a pepper spray canister is provided. The method may include: receiving, by a pepper spray housing, the pepper spray canister, wherein the pepper spray housing is configured to accept and dissipate pepper spray formula from the pepper spray canister; and attaching, by the pepper spray housing, to an accessory using a magnet, wherein the pepper spray housing comprises a surface configured to mate to the accessory, and the pepper spray housing comprises the magnet along the surface.

In some applications, the accessory comprises a material attracted to the magnet in the pepper spray housing such that the surface of the pepper spray housing attaches magnetically to the accessory.

In some applications, the accessory further comprises an attachment feature and a clip feature.

In some applications, the attachment feature is configured to match the contour of the surface of the pepper spray housing.

In some applications, the pepper spray housing further comprises a top cover, a bottom cover, a nozzle and a trigger; wherein the top cover encapsulates the trigger and the top cover is secured to the pepper spray housing with a first hinge; wherein the bottom cover is secured to the pepper spray housing with a second hinge encapsulating the pepper spray canister; and compressing the trigger results in opening a valve in the pepper spray canister releasing the pepper spray formula through the nozzle.

Other features and aspects of the disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the features in accordance with various examples. The summary is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined solely by the claims attached hereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The technology disclosed herein, in accordance with one or more various examples, is described in detail with reference to the following figures. The drawings are provided for purposes of illustration only and merely depict typical examples of the disclosed technology. These drawings are provided to facilitate the reader's understanding of the disclosed technology and shall not be considered limiting of the breadth, scope, or applicability thereof. It should be noted that for clarity and ease of illustration these drawings are not necessarily made to scale.

FIG. 1 depicts an illustration of an example perspective view of a pepper spray housing and a wearable clip according to various examples of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 depicts an illustration of an example transparent pepper spray housing displaying the internal components of a pepper spray according to various examples of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 depicts an illustration of a pepper spray that is secured to a keychain mount according to various examples of the present disclosure

FIG. 4 depicts an illustration of a pepper spray with a top cover open exposing a trigger according to various examples of the present disclosure

FIG. 5 is an illustration of an example flow diagram showing a method of using a pepper spray according to various examples of the present disclosure.

The figures are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. It should be understood that the invention can be practiced with modification and alteration, and that the disclosed technology be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The devices described herein enables a user to quickly attach and detach a pepper spray housing, containing a pepper spray canister for use, to an accessory, such as, for example, a wearable clip. The pepper spray housing may be attached, via the accessory, to various objects at various locations on a person, such as, for example, on a belt wrapped around the waist of the person, on a waistband of a pants worn by the person, on a purse strap looped around the body of the person, on a backpack strap hanging over a shoulder of the person, etc. The pepper spray housing with the accessory may allow a person to maintain user comfort, while allowing the user to easily detach and reattach the pepper spray housing between using and storing the pepper spray canister. In this way, a person may feel protected and at ease regarding their safety when walking, jogging, or running outside, without jeopardizing their comfort. As such, a pepper spray housing with an accessory may allow a user to carry a pepper spray without impacting safety, comfort, convenience or accessibility.

The pepper spray housing may securely hold a pepper spray canister and allow full use of the pepper spray canister. The attaching and detaching of the pepper spray housing from an accessory may be enabled through magnetic forces between the pepper spray housing and the accessory. The accessory, such as, for example, a clip, may allow a user to carry the pepper spray housing containing the pepper spray canister on their person (for example by securing the clip onto the user's waistband). The pepper spray housing may include one or more magnets and the accessory may be made from a material (e.g., metal, ferromagnetic, etc.) that is attracted to the magnetic forces emitted by the one or more magnets in the pepper spray housing. Conversely, the accessory may include one or more magnets and the pepper spray housing may be made from a material (e.g., metal, ferromagnetic, etc.) that is attracted to the magnetic forces emitted by the one or more magnets in the accessory. Alternatively, the pepper spray housing and the accessory may each include one or more magnets that are attracted to the magnetic forces of the other. The above examples allow the user to secure the pepper spray onto their person when moving, whether during exercise, traveling, etc., and easily release the pepper spray from their person after exercise or for use.

The pepper spray housing may be secured to the user through other means beyond the accessory. As an example, the pepper spray housing may attach to a surface that further includes an opening, such as, for example, a keychain hole. As another example, the pepper spray housing may attach to a surface that may be attached to a flexible band that can be worn. A primary means of securing the pepper spray housing may be through magnetic attraction between an accessory and the pepper spray housing. However, the disclosure should be read such that it covers all variations and methods in which the pepper spray housing may be secured to the user using various means, such as magnetic forces, clamps, plugs, etc.

Reference will now be made in detail to various implementations, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following detailed description, numerous details may be set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure and the implementations described herein. However, implementations described herein may be practiced without such details. In other instances, some methods, procedures, components, and mechanical apparatuses may not be described in detail, so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the implementations.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a pepper spray housing and an accessory according to various examples of the present disclosure. Pepper spray housing 100 may include components such as, but not limited to, a top cover 102, a bottom cover 104, an attachment side 106, and a nozzle opening 112. Accessory 120 is a separate device that attaches to the pepper spray housing 100. In many examples, accessory 120 is a wearable device. In this example accessory 120 includes a clip feature 122 and an attachment feature 124. Here, the pepper spray housing attaches to the attachment feature 124 of the accessory 120 and the accessory 120 is further secured to the user using the clip feature 122. In some examples, accessory 120 may include a plurality of attachment features. In some examples, accessory 120 may include a plurality of clip features. In other examples, accessory 120 may include feature other than a clip to secure to the user, such as an opening as described below in reference to FIG. 3.

In one example, a magnet or a plurality of magnets may be located internally along the attachment side 106 of the pepper spray housing 100. The attachment feature 124 of accessory 100 may be made from a material that is configured to be attracted to the magnet or plurality of magnets installed along the attachment side 106 of the pepper spray housing 100. The material of the attachment feature 124 may be of a magnetic or non-magnetic material. In another example, the attachment feature 124 of the accessory 120 may include a magnet or a plurality of magnets. The attachment side 106 of the pepper spray housing 100 may be made from a material that is configured to be attracted to the magnet or plurality of magnets installed along the attachment feature 124 of the accessory 120. The material of the attachment side 106 may be of a magnetic or non-magnetic material. Many variations are possible.

In some examples, pepper spray housing 100 may have a plurality of attachment sides, such as attachment side 106. A magnet or plurality of magnets may be installed on each of the plurality of attachment sides of pepper spray housing 100. The accessory 120 may be made of one or more materials configured to be attracted to the magnet or the plurality of magnets on each attachment side of the pepper spray housing 100. In other examples, a magnet or plurality of magnets may be installed on the attachment feature 124 of accessory 120. The plurality of attachment sides, such as attachment side 106, of the pepper spray housing 100 may be made from one or more materials configured to be attracted to the magnet or plurality of magnets on the attachment feature 124 of the accessory 120.

Accessory 120 may be made from a single piece of material that is formed to make the clip feature 122 and attachment feature 124. In some examples, accessory 120 may be made from multiple pieces of one or more materials, that may include a single piece for clip feature 122 and a separate piece for attachment feature 124. The material of the accessory 120 may be of a single type and uniform (such as metal or plastic), or of a plurality of types and uniforms. In some examples, accessory 120 may be made from more than one material (e.g., rubber for attachment feature 124 and plastic for attachment feature 122). In other examples, the material of accessory 120 may be the same material as the pepper spray housing 100. Many variations are possible.

Pepper spray housing 100 and accessory 120 may be coated with paint. In some examples, the color of the paint may match between the accessory 120 and the pepper spray housing 100. In other examples, the paint color of the pepper spray housing 100 may not match the paint color of the accessory 120. In further examples, the pepper spray housing 100 and/or accessory 120 may be coated with one or more paint colors. Many variations are possible.

The attachment side 106 is configured to attach to the attachment feature 124. More specifically, the shape of attachment side 106 and attachment feature 124 enables each component to secure to each other, e.g., via magnets or physical connection. In one example, the attachment side 106 and attachment feature 124 are flat and rectangular. This is unique as compared to most pepper sprays, which are cylindrical in shape. The flat rectangular shape of the attachment side 106 and attachment feature 124 have two obvious advantages.

First, the flat rectangular shape enhances the magnetic forces. In a situation where the attachment side 106 is cylindrical and the attachment feature 124 is flat, such pairing will result in the contact point being a single point along the length of the attachment surface 106 or attachment feature 124, whichever is shorter. In other words, there is some distance between attachment surface 106 and attachment feature 124 that is not along the contact point. Because the magnitude of a magnetic force is a function of distance, these gaps reduce the combined magnetic force acting between attachment surface 106 and attachment feature 124. The flat rectangular shape eliminates these gaps to enhance the combined magnetic force acting between attachment surface 106 and attachment feature 124.

Second, the flat rectangular shape stabilizes the pepper spray housing 100 to the accessory 120. Referring back to the previous scenario where the attachment side 106 is cylindrical and attachment feature 124 is flat, such pairing will allow minor forces, such as bumps and taps, to result in the pepper spray housing 100 to roll off of the accessory 120. Pepper spray housing 100 with a flat attachment side 106 will not roll off as described in the above scenario. This improves the stability of the pepper spray housing 100 while secured to the accessory 120. As shown in FIG. 1, the attachment feature 124 of the accessory 120 may be a flat and rectangular surface to attach to a flat attachment side 106 of the pepper spray housing 100.

The improvements described above are also present for shapes with some radius of curvature. In some examples, attachment side 106 of the pepper spray housing 100 and attachment feature 124 of the accessory 120 may be shaped where the radius of curvature for both the attachment side 106 of the pepper spray housing 100 and the attachment feature 124 of the accessory 120 are similar to that of a body part of a person where the accessory 120 may be configured to be worn (e.g., curvature radius may be similar to a waist of a person and the clip feature 122 of the accessory 120 may be configured to be worn on a user's waist). Many variations are possible as to the shape of the attachment side 106 of the pepper spray housing 100 and the attachment feature 124 of the accessory 120.

The improvements described above are also present for configurations where the attachment feature 124 is shaped to make substantial contact with the attachment side 106. For example, the attachment feature 124 and attachment side 106 may be shaped such as to maximize the amount of surface area that is in contact between the attachment feature 124 and attachment side 106. In the example depicted in FIG. 1, 100% of the surface area of the attachment feature 124 is in contact with the attachment side 106. In another example, the attachment feature and attachment side 106 are shaped such that at least 75% of the surface area of the attachment feature 124 is in contact with the attachment side 106. In yet another example, the attachment feature 124 and attachment side 106 are shaped such that at least 50% of the surface area of the attachment feature 124 is in contact with the attachment side 106.

In some examples, the pepper spray housing 100 is further mechanically secured or restrained to the accessory 120. In on example, in addition to, or in place of, the magnetic forces that join the attachment side 106 to the attachment feature 124, the pepper spray housing and/or the accessory 120 include an additional feature, such as a spring clip, that mechanically secures the pepper spray housing 100 to the accessory 120. Here, in order for the user to release the pepper spray housing 100, the user would have to overcome the forementioned magnetic forces between the attachment side 106 and the attachment feature 124, if present, and also release the pepper spray housing 100 from the spring clip. In other examples, the attachment side 106 or the attachment feature 124 may include restraining mechanisms, such as pins and pin holes, to reduce the risk for unintended release due to torsional force (i.e., twisting) or sheer forces (i.e., sliding). Here, the pepper spray housing 100 is joined to the accessory 120 purely through the magnetic forces described above. Accordingly, the user would only need to overcome the forementioned magnetic forces to release the pepper spray housing 100 from the accessory 120. It should be noted that various combinations of securing or restraining mechanisms can be used in conjunction with the magnetic attachment mechanism described above. It should further be noted that the pin and pin hole restraining mechanism may include any numbers and shapes of pins and pin holes.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a transparent image of a pepper spray housing, displaying the internal components of the pepper spray housing according to various examples of the present disclosure. Here, pepper spray housing 200 (e.g., pepper spray housing 100 of FIG. 1) may include components, such as, but not limited to, a top cover 202 (e.g., top cover 102 of FIG. 1), a bottom cover 204 (e.g., bottom cover 104 of FIG. 1), an attachment side 206 (e.g., attachment side 106 of FIG. 1), a plurality of magnets 208, a trigger 210, a nozzle opening 212 (e.g., nozzle opening 112 of FIG. 1), a pepper spray canister compartment 214 and a pepper spray canister. In some examples, a single piece of magnet may be used instead of a plurality of magnets.

The pepper spray canister compartment 214 may be depicted as a portion of the internal volume of the pepper spray housing 200. In some examples, the pepper spray canister compartment 214 may encompass the entire volume of space available inside the pepper spray housing 200. Many variations are possible.

The top cover 202 and the bottom cover 204 may open using one or more hinges. Here, top cover 202 and bottom cover 204 may each pivot around one or more hinges allowing a user access to trigger 210 and a pepper spray canister within the pepper spray canister compartment 214. In other examples, the top cover 202 and bottom cover 204 may open using other mechanisms. For example, top cover 202 and bottom cover 204 may incorporate a sliding mechanism such that top cover 202 may slide in the direction of nozzle opening 212 to reveal trigger 210. Similarly, bottom cover 204 may slide in the direction away from nozzle opening 212 revealing the pepper spray canister within the pepper spray canister compartment 214. Many variations are possible.

The pepper spray housing 200 may be compatible with commercially available pepper spray canisters containing pepper spray formula. Commercially available pepper spray canisters may slide into the pepper spray canister compartment 214 of the pepper spray housing 200. A pepper spray canister may be secured inside the pepper spray housing 200 at the pepper spray canister compartment 214 when the bottom cover 204 is closed. In some examples, the pepper spray housing 200 and a pepper spray canister may incorporate other mechanisms to secure the pepper spray canister inside the pepper spray housing 200, irrespective of whether the bottom cover 204 is open or closed. For example, a pepper spray canister may slide into pepper spray canister compartment 214, and both the pepper spray canister and the pepper spray housing 200 may each have threads configured to accept the threads on the other, establishing a mating component. Here, a pepper spray canister may be mechanically secured to the pepper spray housing 200 at the pepper spray canister compartment 214 using threading, and may also be secured by the bottom cover 204 being in a closed position. Many variations are possible.

Opening the top cover 202 may reveal the trigger 210. Trigger 210 may be configured to accept a pepper spray canister installed within the pepper spray canister compartment 214 of the pepper spray housing 200 and discharge the pepper spray formula within the pepper spray canister when the trigger 210 is compressed. The pepper spray formula within the pepper spray canister may be discharged out of the nozzle opening 212 of the pepper spray housing 200 when the trigger 210 is compressed. In some examples, trigger 210 may include a locking mechanism to prevent unintended discharge of the pepper spray formula in the pepper spray canister. For example, a safety position (i.e., a position of trigger 210 that will not allow trigger 210 to be compressed) may be offset, such as, by being at an angle away from being parallel with an attachment wall of top cover 202. Here, repositioning trigger 210 to be parallel with an attachment wall of top cover 202 may free the trigger 210 from any mechanical obstruction and enable the trigger 210 to be compressed to release the pepper spray formula in the pepper spray canister installed within the pepper spray canister compartment 214 of the pepper spray housing 200. In other examples, the pepper spray housing 200 may include a button (e.g., a spring loaded button) that obstructs trigger 210 from being compressed when the button is not pressed. Many variations are possible.

A pepper spray canister may be of a spring, valve, and stem type, where compression of a spring of the pepper spray canister opens the valve of the pepper spray canister and releases pepper spray formula within the pepper spray canister through the valve. In this example, compression of a pepper spray canister may release pepper spray formula through the stem of the pepper spray canister and out through a nozzle of the pepper spray canister.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example pepper spray housing that is secured to a surface according to various examples of the present disclosure. In this example, a pepper spray housing 300 (e.g., pepper spray housing 100 and 200 of FIGS. 1 and 2) may comprise a top cover 302 (e.g., top cover 102 and 202 of FIGS. 1 and 2), an attachment side 306 (e.g., attachment side 106 and 206 of FIGS. 1 and 2), one or more magnets 308 (e.g., magnets 208 of FIG. 2) lined against the attachment side 306 and located inside the pepper spray housing 300, and a nozzle opening 312 (e.g., nozzle opening 112 and 212 of FIGS. 1 and 2). As described previously, an accessory can utilize various securing features to secure the accessory to the user. FIG. 3 depicts an accessory in the form of a keychain accessory 320 with an attachment feature 324 and an opening 326, such as, for example, a keychain hole. The attachment feature 324 attaches to the attachment side 306 of the pepper spray housing 300.

Here, the attachment feature 324 may be made from one or more materials configured to be attracted to magnetic forces (e.g., metal, ferromagnetic, etc.). In some examples, pepper spray housing 300 may include one or more magnets 308 and the attachment feature 324 may be made from a magnetic material that may attach to the attachment side 306 from magnetic forces caused by the one or more magnets 308. In other examples, pepper spray housing 300 may not include one or more magnets 308, and the attachment side 306 may be a material that is attracted to the material of the attachment feature 324 such that the attachment feature 324 may attach to the attachment side 306. Here, pepper spray housing 300 may be made from a material that is attracted to a magnetic material of attachment feature 324. As depicted in FIG. 3, the attachment feature 324 may extend along the surface of the accessory 300.

As an example, the pepper spray housing 300 may attach to an accessory 320 that further includes an opening 326, such as, for example, a keychain hole. As another example, the pepper spray housing 300 may attach to an accessory 320 that may be attached to a flexible band that can be worn by a user. A primary means of securing a pepper spray housing 300 containing a pepper spray canister may be through magnetic attraction between the accessory 320 and the pepper spray housing 300.

The accessory 320 may be made in a variety of shapes. The accessory 320, as shown in FIG. 3, may be mostly rectangular shaped and may include a single opening 326, such as, a keychain hole. The opening 326 may be configured such that objects, such as, for example, commercially available keychain loops, can fit through the opening 326 to connect with the accessory 320. In some examples, accessory 320 may further comprise a clip feature (e.g., clip feature 122 of FIG. 1) that may clip onto the user at various locations or objects on the user's person, as previously described above. In this example, opening 326 may be located on an attachment feature (e.g., attachment feature 124 of FIG. 1) or a clip feature (e.g., clip feature 122 of FIG. 1).

The accessory 320 may also be secured to an object, such as a keychain, through other means. For example, accessory 320 may include a loop in lieu of the opening 326. In this example, a material of accessory 320 in a form of a loop may extend away from the edge of the accessory 320. This loop may be configured to accept objects, such as, for example, commercially available keychains, to connect with. Furthermore, the accessory 320 may also include an attachment mechanism of a hook clip to connect with an object, such as a keychain. Many variations are possible.

As described previously, pepper spray housing 300 may be shaped with a curvature that is similar to the radius of curvature of the user (such as the average radius of curvature of a person's waist). Accordingly, accessory 320 may also be curved with a radius that is similar to the curvature of the user.

As shown in FIG. 3, a pepper spray housing may also include a nozzle opening 312 for the pepper spray canister. Because pepper sprays are for defensive use, it may be preferred that the nozzle opening 312 accurately dispenses the pepper spray formula of a peppery spray canister within the pepper spray housing from a distance. Accordingly, nozzle opening 312 may be configured to dispense the pepper spray formula without atomization (i.e., in a solid stream). Such a configuration may be preferred because atomization of the pepper spray formula may increase the possibility of the pepper spray formula lingering around the user, or even worse, be blown back to the user by external influences (e.g., wind), thus exposing the user to the pepper spray formula. In some examples, atomization may be used, but atomization may be limited to prevent a possible blowback of the pepper spray formula. In some examples, the nozzle opening 312 may be of a flat fan spray type to increase coverage width when spraying the pepper spray formula from the pepper spray canister within the pepper spray housing 300.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example image of a pepper spray housing with a top cover open to expose a trigger according to various examples of the present disclosure. As described above in reference to FIG. 2, a pepper spray housing 400 (e.g., pepper spray housing 100, 200, and 300 of FIGS. 1, 2, and 3) may include a top cover 402 (e.g., top cover 102, 202, and 302 of FIGS. 1, 2, and 3) that opens by revolving around a hinge 416. Opening top cover 402 may reveal a trigger 410. Trigger 410 may include an arrow to show a user of the direction in which a pepper spray canister within the pepper spray housing 400 may dispense pepper spray formula. Trigger 410 may be of a compression type, where the user may compress trigger 410, which may compress the valve of the pepper spray canister within the pepper spray housing 400 (as previously described above) and may release the pepper spray formula through a stem of the pepper spray canister, out of the pepper spray canister nozzle, and through the nozzle opening 412 of the pepper spray housing 400. In some examples, trigger 410 may be of a different type, such as a slide and push type, where the user may need to slide and compress trigger 410 simultaneously to dispense the pepper spray formula from the pepper spray canister within the pepper spray housing 400. Many variations are possible.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example flow diagram showing method 500 of securing and using a pepper spray canister within a pepper spray housing according to various examples of the present disclosure.

At operation 501, the bottom cover of the pepper spray housing may be opened to insert a pepper spray canister. The bottom cover may be opened by revolving around one or more hinges on the pepper spray housing. In some examples, the bottom cover may be opened by sliding.

At operation 502, the pepper spray canister may be inserted and secured into the pepper spray housing. The pepper spray canister may be of a commercially available type. The pepper spray canister and pepper spray housing may include features to secure the pepper spray canister into the pepper spray housing, such as threads on the pepper spray canister or the pepper spray housing. In some examples, the pepper spray canister may be secured to the pepper spray housing when the bottom cover is closed.

At operation 503, the bottom cover of the pepper spray housing may be closed. The bottom cover of the pepper spray housing may be revolved to mate with the pepper spray housing. The pepper spray housing may include means to secure the bottom cover to the pepper spray housing to prevent the bottom cover from inadvertently being opened. Such means may include a locking mechanism. The pepper spray canister may be secured to the pepper spray housing when the bottom cover is closed.

At operation 504, the pepper spray housing may be attached and secured to an accessory. The accessory may be attached to the pepper spray housing using magnetic forces. In some example, the pepper spray housing may include one or more magnets to be used to attach and secure the pepper spray housing to the accessory. The accessory may be made of a material, such as metal, that is magnetically attracted to the one or more magnets of the pepper spray housing. In other examples, the accessory may include one or more magnets and the pepper spray housing may be made of a material, such as metal, that is magnetically attracted to the one or more magnets of the accessory. In further examples, both the accessory and the pepper spray housing may each include one or more magnets that are attracted to each other. In other examples, both the accessory and the pepper spray housing may each be made of one or more materials that are attracted to each other such that the accessory may be attached and secured to the pepper spray housing. Many variations are possible.

At operation 505, the pepper spray housing may be released from the accessory. The magnetic forces between the accessory and the pepper spray housing may be of such magnitude to overcome inertial forces that are endured during the performance of movements and actions by the user, such as walking, jogging, running, and exercise. However, the magnitude of the magnetic forces may not prevent a person, such as the user, from quickly and reliably releasing the pepper spray housing from the accessory.

At operation 506, a top cover of the pepper spray housing may be opened to reveal a trigger. The top cover may revolve around a hinge that secures the top cover to the pepper spray housing. The pepper spray housing may include means to secure the top cover to the pepper spray housing to prevent the top cover from inadvertently being opened. Such means may include a locking mechanism. The preventative means, such as a locking mechanism, may need to be overcome to open the top cover of the pepper spray housing.

At operation 507, the trigger may be compressed to release pepper spray formula from the inserted pepper spray canister through a nozzle of the pepper spray housing. The trigger may also include an additional safety mechanism to prevent inadvertent compression.

Aspects herein can be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following claims, rather than to the foregoing specification, as indicating the scope hereof. While various examples of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not of limitation. Likewise, the various diagrams may depict an example architectural or other configuration for the invention, which is done to aid in understanding the features and functionality that can be included in the invention. The invention is not restricted to the illustrated example architectures or configurations, but the desired features that can be implemented by using a variety of alternative architectures and configurations. Indeed, it will be apparent to one of skill in the art how alternative functional, logical or physical partitioning and configurations can be applied to implement the desired features of the present invention. Also, a multitude of different constituent module names other than those depicted herein can be applied to the various partitions. Additionally, with regard to flow diagrams, operational descriptions and method claims, the order in which the steps are presented herein shall not mandate that various examples be implemented to perform the recited functionality in the same order unless the context dictates otherwise.

Although the invention is described above in terms of various exemplary examples and implementations, it should be understood that the various features, aspects and functionality described in one or more of the individual examples are not limited in their applicability to the particular example with which they are described, but instead can be applied, alone or in various combinations, to one or more of the other examples of the invention, whether or not such examples are described and whether or not such features are presented as being a part of a described example. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary examples.

Terms and phrases used in this document, and variations thereof, unless otherwise expressly stated, should be construed as open ended as opposed to limiting. As examples of the foregoing: the term “including” should be read as meaning “including, without limitation” or the like; the term “example” is used to provide exemplary instances of the item in discussion, not an exhaustive or limiting list thereof; the terms “a” or “an” should be read as meaning “at least one,” “one or more” or the like; and adjectives such as “conventional,” “traditional,” “normal,” “standard,” “known” and terms of similar meaning should not be construed as limiting the item described to a given time period or to an item available as of a given time, but instead should be read to encompass conventional, traditional, normal, or standard technologies that may be available or known now or at any time in the future. The term “plurality,” as used herein, is defined as two or more than two. The term “another,” as used herein, is defined as at least a second or more. The terms “including” and “having,” as used herein, are defined as comprising (i.e., open language). The phrase “at least one of . . . and . . . ” as used herein refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As an example, the phrase “at least one of A, B, or C” includes A only, B only, C only, or any combination thereof (e.g., AB, AC, BC or ABC). Likewise, where this document refers to technologies that would be apparent or known to one of ordinary skill in the art, such technologies encompass those apparent or known to the skilled artisan now or at any time in the future.

The presence of broadening words and phrases such as “one or more,” “at least,” “but not limited to” or other like phrases in some instances shall not be read to mean that the narrower case is intended or required in instances where such broadening phrases may be absent. The use of the term “module” does not imply that the components or functionality described or claimed as part of the module are all configured in a common package. Indeed, any or all of the various components of a module, whether control logic or other components, can be combined in a single package or separately maintained and can further be distributed in multiple groupings or packages or across multiple locations.

Additionally, the various examples set forth herein are described in terms of exemplary block diagrams, flow charts and other illustrations. As will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after reading this document, the illustrated examples and their various alternatives can be implemented without confinement to the illustrated examples. For example, block diagrams and their accompanying description should not be construed as mandating a particular architecture or configuration.