WO1996032167A1

WO1996032167A1 - Law enforcement training bag with replaceable insert

Info

Publication number: WO1996032167A1
Application number: PCT/US1995/010268
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kevin L. Parsons
Original assignee: Armament Systems And Procedures, Inc.
Priority date: 1995-04-12
Filing date: 1995-08-10
Publication date: 1996-10-17
Also published as: AU3405495A

Abstract

This invention is a training bag (10) for use in training law enforcement personnel in the use of intermediate force weapons, and methods including a removable insert pad (20). A closable opening (50) is provided in the wall (52) of the bag (10), with a closure for holding the insert (20) in the bag envelope. The closure utilizes a hook and loop fastener system to provide superior lateral holding force. The closure includes a cover flap (54) which moves outwardly from the bag (10) for giving a visual indicator of premature or inadvertent opening of the closure system.

Description

LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING BAG WITH REPLACEABLE INSERT

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION Field of Invention This invention is related to training aids for assisting in the training of law enforcement personnel in the use of intermediate force weapons and is specifically directed to an impact absorbing training bag with a replaceable insert.

Description of the Prior Art

Over the recent past, law enforcement agencies have concentrated more and more on intermediate force methods and weapons for apprehending suspects, crowd control and self defense. Specifically, intermediate weapons refer to instruments carried as official equipment by law enforcement personnel which permit the use of force without requiring the use of a firearm. Such weapons are particularly beneficial because they assist in subduing an individual without permanent injury or death.

The best known of these weapons is the night stick.

More recently, this has been replaced with an expandable baton such as, by way of example, the ASP batons manufactured by Armament Systems and Procedures, Appleton,

Wisconsin, the assignee of the subject patent. Other intermediate force weapons include aerosol irritant sprays, electical shock devices and pain compliance control tools. With the development of such weapons, the need for training law enforcement personnel in proper use of intermediate force weapons has become essential. This training includes the use of such weapons in hand-to-hand combat, crowd control, searching techniques and restraint of individual detainees.

Armament Systems and Procedures has developed a training bag which is specifically designed for use in training exercises utilizing intermediate force weapons. The training bag defines a shield which may be carried in one hand, permitting the second hand to be free for use. The bag is large enough to provide an essential full body shield which protects critical areas of the trainee during an exercise while still giving him the mobility to fully participate in training exercises. The prior art bag is a large, heavy vinyl envelope for housing a resilient foam insert which is capable of withstanding and absorbing severe blows from a swinging baton or the like. The back of the bag includes a vertical flat strap along one edge and a vertical radius strap along the opposite edge, permitting the arm to slide through the flat strap and the hand to engage and grip the radius strap.

The placement of the straps assures proper orientation of the bag. A right handed wearer will wear the bag on his left hand, thereby freeing the right hand for use. Conversely, a left handed wearer will wear the bag on his right hand. Indica is provided on the front of the bag for identifying the orientation of the bag in order to signal to a trainee whether the wearer/assailant is left or right handed. This permits the trainee to prepare for a left or right handed attack.

While the bag provides full body shielding, it is light weight, weighing about 20 pounds, and is relatively small, having an overall vertical height of approximately 30 inches and overall width of 20 inches. The placement of the straps and the manner in which the bag is secured by the arm and hand provide for full body shielding by permitting movement of the bag through natural movement during hand-to-hand combat to protect sensitive areas. In fact, the normal self defense movements of the arm provide full protection when the bag is used during training exercises and the arm movements developed during training using the bag are useful self-defense movements once the bag is removed.

While the success of the training bag of the prior art is unquestioned, there is a significant drawback in that its life expectancy is quite limited. During training exercises, the bag is subjected to rigorous pounding, causing the insert to lose its resiliency in a relatively short period of time. However, heretofore, there has not been a suitable bag design that permits field replacement of the insert.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The subject invention is directed to a training bag of the type used for intermediate force weapon and method training, wherein the insert is removable and replaceable. The bag coverings of the prior art far outlast the insert. Further, the retail value of the bag and insert together is approximately five times the value of the insert, per se. In addition, the bags are uniquely designed and have rigid specifications, and therefore are only available from carefully selected and controlled sources. The inserts, on the other hand, are relatively standard specification foam pads and are readily available from a number of sources. This is particularly useful when the bags are shipped overseas, because shipping the bags without the inserts greatly reduces the bulk and the resulting shipping charges.

In the past, one of the problems with attempts at replaceable inserts was the placement of the insert opening in the bag and the method of closure. The bags are required to withstand such force during training, that typical closures would rupture. It became apparent the placement of the opening and the type of closure were critical elements in developing a bag with replaceable inserts if the bag were to perform to the prior art standards. For example, placement of the opening on the back side of the bag could cause the bag to rip open during use, making it difficult to hold the bag by the two straps at a critical moment. In addition, use of a zipper closure on the back of the bag would not provide sufficient lateral holding power to prevent inadvertent opening. The subject invention is specifically directed to a training bag with a side opening and a closure providing superior lateral holding forces, resulting in a bag having a removable insert and which is capable of withstanding the pounding forces required. Further, the bag is designed such that even inadvertent opening of the closure system does not interfere with the strap elements by which the bag is positioned and held on the arm, permitting uninterrupted use in emergency situations. In the preferred embodiment, the opening is a longitudinal slit extending along the side wall of the bag. A flap is provided to lie over the slit. The flap and the mated part of the side wall are each provided with mated hook-and-loop fastener elements which when pressed together provide a closure system with superior lateral support. The placement of the opening along the side wall, coupled with the hook-and-loop fastener, provides a bag with a removable insert that operates in a manner consistent with the prior art bags with permanent pads. When the bag is struck, the force tends to displace the pad, causing the bag to stretch laterally across all surfaces. The superior lateral holding force of the hook- and-loop fasteners keeps the closure from rupturing during such use. Further, the placement of the opening along the side provides a fail safe feature, whereby inadvertent opening does not interfere with the orientation of the critical straps and also gives a visual indication to both the wearer and the attacker that the bag has opened.

There are, therefore, two independent features which have led to the subject invention. First, the recognition that the opening along the sidewall assures proper orientation of the straps at all times and provides a visual indicator of failure to both participants. Second, the use of a superior lateral holding closure means in recognition of the severe lateral forces the bag is subjected to during use. It is therefore, an object and feature of the invention to provide a training bag with a removable insert.

It is a further object and feature of the subject invention to provide a training bag with an opening providing visual indication of failure to both wearer and attacker in the event of premature or inadvertent failure.

It is an additional object and feature of the subject invention to provide a training bag with a removable insert, wherein the closure means has superior lateral holding capabilities.

Other objects and features of the invention will be readily apparent from the drawings and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment. Brief Description of the Drawings

Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of the bag of the subject invention.

Fig. 2 is a back plan view of the bag of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and showing insert removal in phantom.

Fig. 4 is a partial sectional view, enlarged for clarity, taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a partial sectional view, enlarged for clarity, taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a partial sectional view, enlarged for clarity, taken along line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment

The bag of the subject invention is generally designated by the numeral 10. As shown in the drawings, the bag 10 includes a substantially rectangular front wall

12 and a substantially rectangular back wall 14. The walls

12 and 14 are held together by a peripheral side wall assembly 16, which is of sufficient width to define an envelope 18 within the assembled bag to accommodate a padded insert 20. As best shown in Fig. 1, the assembled bag and insert is slightly concave in shape along the front wall 12. This directs blows toward the center of the bag and away from its edges, further protecting the wearer.

In the preferred embodiment, the overall dimensions of the bag are: vertical height: 30^M, horizontal width: 20^w, and depth: 5^M. The insert is a 1.8 density foam pad with an original thickness of 5.5". The bag walls are constructed of a heavy vinyl, preferably 20 oz weight thick. The bag is stitched together in the final assembly shown. In the prior art embodiments, the pad 20 was permanently stitched into the bag 10.

It will be noted that the back wall 14 of the bag includes a pair of spaced, vertical straps 22 and 24. Strap 22 is flat, whereas strap 24 is radiused. In order to place the bag on the wearer, the hand and forearm is place through the strap 22 and the hand and fingers are placed through and grip strap 24. Typically, strap 24 is a substantially rigid, circular tube 26 wrapped in a flexible, high friction covering such as an open weave canvas 28 or the like, see Fig. 5. Strap 22 is a flat, cushioned pad 30 with a reinforcing strap 32, see Fig. 4. The straps 22 and 24 are secured on the bag by a plurality of pads 34. In the preferred embodiment, the forearm strap 22 includes reinforcing strips 36 extending the length of the back wall 14 of the bag 10. The placement of the indicia on the bag 10 is an important safety feature. It will be noted that the indicia "ASP" 40 on the back wall 14 of the bag is located above and between the straps 22 and 24. The indicia "ASP^H 38 on the front wall 12 of the bag is similarly oriented and positioned. When the bag 10 is worn on the right hand, the indicia 38 and 40 is on the top and is right side up on both the front wall 12 and the back wall 14, respectively. Conversely, when the bag 10 is worn on the left hand, the indicia 38 and 40 is on the bottom and upside down on both the front wall 12 and the back wall 14, respectively. This gives immediate visual indication to the trainee whether the wearer is going to attack with the right or the left hand. When the indicia is right side up, the bag is on the left hand and the right hand is free for use. When the indicia is upside down, the bag is on the right hand and the left hand is free for use. It will be noted that a plurality of through air holes 42 are provided in the side wall assembly 16. These air holes allow the air in the bag 10 to escape, permitting the bag to properly collapse when struck by compressive blows. The placement of the air holes is not critical. However, placement near the top of the side wall, as shown, has proved to be particularly beneficial since this minimizes interference by movement of the insert pad. It will be noted that the air holes are positioned such that certain holes will be at the top, irrespective of right or left hand use.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, a slitted opening 50 is provided along one longitudinal side wall portion 52 of the sidewall assembly 16. An overlying flap 54 is provided to cover the slit 50. A fastener pad 56 is secured to the outside of wall portion 52, adjacent and along the length of the slit 50. A complementary fastener pad 58 is secured to the underside of the flap 54. In the preferred embodiment, a hook-and-loop type fastener system, such as, by way of example, the Velcro brand fastener, is employed. The pad 20 is inserted in the assembled bag 10 through the slit 50, after which the flap 54 is pressed down against the side wall portion 52 to close the slit opening. The hook-and-loop fastener system provides superior lateral strength over other fasteners such as zippers and the like. It will be noted that the flap 54 will separate from the side wall portion 52 in the event of premature or inadvertent opening, providing a visual indicator to both the attacker and the wearer.

A spent insert pad 20 may be removed and replaced simply by lifting the flap 54 from side wall portion 52 to expose the open slit 50. The pad 20 may then be removed and replaced. While certain embodiments and features of the invention have been described in detail herein, it will be readily understood that the invention encompasses all enhancements and modifications within the scope and spirit of the following claims.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A training bag for providing a body shield for protecting the wearer from bodily injury during training exercises involving the use of intermediate weapons and methods, the training bag comprising: a. a front wall; b. a back wall; c. a peripheral side wall between the front wall and the back wall for defining a closed envelope therebetween; d. a padded insert in the envelope; and e. an closable opening in one of said walls for inserting and removing the padded insert from the envelope.

2. The training bag of claim 1, wherein the opening is in the side wall.

3. The training bag of claim 2, wherein the bag has a vertical height and a horizontal width, and wherein the opening extends generally along the vertical height.

4. The training bag of claim 1, wherein the closable opening includes an overlying flap closure which covers the opening when closed and is adapted to be lifted away from the opening when open.

5. The training bag of claim 4, wherein the flap is adapted to lie over a portion of the respective wall when closed.

6. The training bag of claim 5, further including a closure system for selectively and removably securing the flap to said wall.

7. The training bag of claim 6, wherein the closure system further includes a hook-and-loop type fastener with complementary, mated fastener pads on the flap and said wall, respectively.

8. The training bag of claim 1, further including a pair of straps extending along said back wall, in spaced apart, substantially parallel relationship, whereby a wearer can extend the hand and forearm through one strap and extend the hand and fingers into the other strap for gripping the bag.

9. The training bag of claim 8, wherein the one strap is of a flat configuration and the other strap is radiused to accommodate the hand.

10. The training bag of claim 9, wherein the bag is adapted to be used alternatively in a right hand and a left hand mode by turning the bag upside down to reverse the right/left position of the straps.

11. The training bag of claim 10, further including indicia on the bag for readily identifying whether the bag is in a right hand or a left hand mode.

12. The training bag of claim 11, wherein said indicia is provided on both the front wall and the back wall of the bag.

13. The training bag of claim 1, further including air relief holes in one of said walls.

14. The training bag of claim 13, wherein said air relief holes are in said side wall.