Mounting system for security shield in police vehicles

• US 4,964,666 A
• Filed: 11/02/1988
• Issued: 10/23/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pro-Gard Products LLC (PG Holding Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Automotive Prototypes & Equipment
• Inventors: Dillon, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Song, Robert R.
• Application Number:
  US07/266,125
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 296/24.1, 296/1.1
• US Class Current: 296/24.46
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/12 which protect the occupants against personal attack from the inside or the outside of the vehicle

Abstract

The present invention is a security shield for vehicles such as police vehicles or taxis. The security shield includes a shield body constructed to extend for substantially the entire width of the vehicle from the roof to a position below the backrest of the front seat a pair of legs mounted on either side of the shield body disposed over a corresponding lateral frame member of the vehicle and an adjustment screw disposed in each leg for raising the shield body from the lateral frame member toward the roof of the vehicle. In the preferred embodiment each leg includes a tapped hole for accommodation of the corresponding adjustment screw and each adjustment screw includes a substantially conical end adapted for high friction contact with the floor of the vehicle. In a further feature of the preferred embodiment, each leg is mounted on the shield body in an overlapping fashion having an overlap extent selectable during installation to control the lateral dimension of the security shield.

Claims

1. A security shield for vehicles having lateral frame members disposed beneath the floor on either side of the vehicle, comprising:

a shield body constructed to extend for substantially the entire width of the vehicle from the roof to a position below the backrest of the front seat preventing access from the rear seat to the front seat; and

a pair of legs, one of said legs mounted on either side of said shield body, each leg having a foot constructed to be disposed over a corresponding lateral frame member of the vehicle and an adjustment screw disposed in said foot, said adjustment screw rotatable for extension from the corresponding leg to raise said shield body from the corresponding lateral frame member toward the roof of the vehicle;

each of said pair of legs mounted on said shield body in an overlapping fashion having an overlap extent selectable during installation to control the lateral dimension of said security shield;

said foot of each of said pair of legs includes a tapped hole for accommodation of said corresponding adjustment screw; and

each of said adjustment screws includes a substantially conical end adapted for high friction contact with the floor of the vehicle and a means for facilitating rotation.

2. The security shield for vehicles as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said shield body includes a set of first bolt holes on either side thereof, each set of bolt holes for mounting the corresponding leg;

said pair of legs each includes a plurality of sets of second bolt holes, each set of second bolt holes disposed to mate with said set of first bolt holes on a corresponding side of said shield body, said sets of second bolt holes disposed at differing lateral positions; and

a pair of sets of bolts, each set of bolts for mounting one of said pair of legs on a corresponding side of the shield body via said corresponding set of first bolt holes and one of said sets of second bolt holes selected during installation thereby controlling the lateral dimension of said security shield.

3. The security shield for vehicles as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle includes lateral roof pillars disposed between front and rear seats thereof, each roof pillar including a shoulder harness pivot bolt holding a shoulder harness guide, said security shield further comprising:

a pair of lateral support members, each having an elongated body attached at a first end thereof to a corresponding leg and attached at a second end thereof to a corresponding shoulder harness pivot bolt.

4. The security shield for vehicles as claimed in claim 3, wherein;

each of said lateral support members has a length adjustable during installation.

5. The security shield for vehicles as claimed in claim 4, wherein:

each of said lateral support members consists of

a rear lateral support member having a rearward end disposed on said corresponding leg and a forward end including a plurality of longitudinally disposed first bolt holes;

a forward lateral support member having a forward end disposed on the shoulder harness pivot bolt and a rearward end including a plurality of longitudinally disposed second bolt holes; and

at least one lateral fastening bolt for securing said forward end of said rear lateral support member to said rearward end of said forward lateral support member via corresponding first and second bolt holes selectable during installation, thereby selecting the length of said lateral support member.

6. The security shield for vehicles as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:

a pair of transparent lateral shield members, each mounted to a corresponding lateral support member via said at least one lateral fastening bolt and having dimensions to extend for substantially the entire width from the corresponding lateral roof pillar to said corresponding leg to prevent access from the rear seat to the front seat between said corresponding leg and the corresponding lateral roof pillar.

7. The security shield for vehicles as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

each of said pair of lateral support members includes

a first pivot bolt hole in said elongated body at the forward end thereof, and

a pivot protector arm having a central member substantially perpendicular to said elongated body and an end member substantially parallel to said elongated body including a second pivot bolt hole,

whereby said lateral support member is attached to the corresponding shoulder harness pivot bolt by threading the shoulder harness pivot bolt through said first and second pivot bolt holes and the shoulder harness guide, said central segment having a length to prevent the shoulder harness pivot bolt from being tightened sufficiently to pinch the shoulder harness guide.

8. The security shield for vehicles as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said shield body includes a top cap on the upper portion thereof constructed of a material to provide resilient, high friction contact with the ceiling of the vehicle.

9. A security shield for vehicles having lateral frame members disposed beneath the floor on either side of the vehicle, comprising:

a shield body constructed to extend for substantially the entire width of the vehicle from the roof to a position below the backrest of the front seat preventing access from the rear seat to the front seat; and

a pair of legs, one of said legs mounted on either side of said shield body, each leg having a foot constructed to be disposed over a corresponding lateral frame member of the vehicle and an adjustment screw disposed in said foot, said adjustment screw rotatable for extension from the corresponding leg to raise said shield body from the corresponding lateral frame member toward the roof of the vehicle;

each of said adjustment screws includes a substantially conical end adapted for high friction engagement with the floor of the vehicle.

10. The security shield for vehicles as claimed in claim 9, wherein:

said foot of each of said pair of legs includes a tapped hole for accommodation of said corresponding adjustment screw.

11. The security shield for vehicles as claimed in claim 9, wherein:

each of said pair of legs is mounted on said shield body in an overlapping fashion having an overlap extent selectable during installation to control the lateral dimension of said security shield.

12. The security shield for vehicles as claimed in claim 11, wherein:

said shield body includes a set of first bolt holes on either side thereof, each set of bolt holes for mounting the corresponding leg;

said pair of legs each includes a plurality of sets of second bolt holes, each set of second bolt holes disposed to mate with said set of first bolt holes on a corresponding side of said shield body, said sets of second bolt holes disposed at differing lateral positions; and

a pair of sets of bolts, each set of bolts for mounting one of said pair of legs on a corresponding side of the shield body via said corresponding set of first bolt holes and one of said sets of second bolt holes selected during installation thereby controlling the lateral dimension of said security shield.

13. The security shield for vehicles as claimed in claim 9, wherein the vehicle includes lateral roof pillars disposed between front and rear seats thereof, each roof pillar including a shoulder harness pivot bolt holding a shoulder harness guide, said security shield further comprising:

a pair of lateral support members, each having an elongated body attached at a first end thereof to a corresponding leg and attached at a second end thereof to a corresponding should harness pivot bolt.

14. A security shield for vehicles having lateral frame members disposed beneath the floor on either side of the vehicle and lateral roof pillars disposed between front and rear seats thereof, each roof pillar including a shoulder harness pivot bolt holding a shoulder harness guide, comprising:

a shield body constructed to extend for substantially the entire width of the vehicle from the roof to a position below the backrest of the front seat preventing access from the rear seat to the front seat; and

a pair of legs, each of said pair legs mounted on said shield body in an overlapping fashion having an overlap extent selectable during installation to control the lateral dimension of said security shield;

a pair of lateral support members, each having an elongated body attached at a first end thereof to a corresponding leg and attached at a second end thereof to a corresponding shoulder harness pivot bolt.

15. The security shield for vehicles as claimed in claim 14, wherein:

said shield body includes a set of first bolt holes on either side thereof, each set of bolt holes for mounting the corresponding leg;

said pair of legs each includes a plurality of sets of second bolt holes, each set of second bolt holes disposed to mate with said set of first bolt holes on a corresponding side of said shield body, said sets of second bolt holes disposed at differing lateral positions; and

a pair of sets of bolts, each set of bolts for mounting one of said pair of legs on a corresponding side of the shield body via said corresponding set of first bolt holes and one of said sets of second bolt holes selected during installation thereby controlling the lateral dimension of said security shield.

16. The security shield for vehicles of claim 14, wherein said pair of legs each have a foot constructed to be disposed over a corresponding lateral frame member of the vehicle and an adjustment screw disposed in said foot, said adjustment screw rotatable for extension from the corresponding leg to raise said shield body from the corresponding lateral frame member toward the roof of the vehicle.

17. The security shield for vehicles as claimed in claim 16, wherein each of said adjustment screws includes a substantially conical end adapted for high friction contact with the floor of the vehicle and a means for facilitating rotation.

18. A security shield for vehicles having lateral frame members disposed beneath the floor on either side of the vehicle, and lateral roof pillars disposed between front and rear seats thereof, each roof pillar including a shoulder harness pivot bolt holding a shoulder harness guide comprising:

a shield body constructed to extend for substantially the entire width of the vehicle from the roof to a position below the backrest of the front seat preventing access from the rear seat to the front seat; and

a pair of legs, one of said legs mounted on either side of said shield body, each leg having a foot constructed to be disposed over a corresponding lateral frame member of the vehicle and an adjustment screw disposed in said foot, said adjustment screw rotatable for extension from the corresponding leg to raise said shield body from the corresponding lateral frame member toward the roof of the vehicle;

each of said pair of legs mounted on said shield body in an overlapping fashion having an overlap extent selectable during installation to control the lateral dimension of said security shield;

said foot of each of said pair of legs includes a tapped hole for accommodation of said corresponding adjustment screw; and

each of said adjustment screws includes a substantially conical end adapted for high friction contact with the floor of the vehicle and a means for facilitating rotation;

a pair of lateral support members, each having an elongated body attached at a first end thereof to a corresponding leg and attached at a second end thereof to a corresponding shoulder harness pivot bolt.

19. The security shield for vehicles as claimed in claim 18 wherein:

each of said pair of lateral support members includes

a first pivot bolt hole in said elongated body at the forward end thereof, and

a pivot protector arm having a central member substantially perpendicular to said elongated body and an end member substantially parallel to said elongated body including a second pivot bolt hole;

whereby said lateral support member is attached to the corresponding shoulder harness pivot bolt by threading the shoulder harness pivot bolt through said first and second pivot bolt holes and the shoulder harness guide, said central segment having a length to prevent the shoulder harness pivot bolt from being tightened sufficiently to pinch the shoulder harness guide.

20. A security shield for vehicles, wherein the vehicle includes lateral roof pillars disposed between front and rear seats thereof, each roof pillar including a shoulder harness pivot bolt holding a shoulder harness guide, said security shield further comprising:

a pair of lateral support members, each having an elongated body attached at a first end thereof to a corresponding leg and attached at a second end thereof to a corresponding shoulder harness pivot bolt;

each of said pair of lateral support members including a first pivot bolt hole in said elongated body at the forward end thereof; and

a pivot protector arm having a central member substantially perpendicular to said elongated body and an end member substantially parallel to said elongated body including a second pivot bolt hole;

whereby said lateral support member is attached to the corresponding shoulder harness pivot bolt by threading the shoulder harness pivot bolt through said first and second pivot bolt holes and the shoulder harness guide, said central segment having a length to prevent the shoulder harness pivot bolt from being tightened sufficiently to pinch the shoulder harness guide.