Penetration-resistant security passway and door therefor

• US 5,983,578 A
• Filed: 11/19/1997
• Issued: 11/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Arizona Public Service Company (Pinnacle West Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Arizona Public Service Company (Pinnacle West Capital Corporation)
• Inventors: Huttie, A. David, Black, Maurice A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Friedman, Carl D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yip, Winnie S.
• Application Number:
  US08/974,619
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• Field of Search: 109/1 S, 109/6, 109/8, 109/67-68, 109/42, 109/78, 109/83, 109/49.5, 52/79.1, 52/79.3, 52/125.2, 52/169.6, 52/79.6, 52/143, 52/455, 52/309.7, 52/783.12, 52/656.4, 49/501
• US Class Current: 52/79.1
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 9/06 Structures arranged in or forming part of buildings

Abstract

A penetration-resistant modular security passway (20) includes a concrete vestibule (24), a doorframe (70), and a penetration-reactive security door (32). The vestibule (24) has a plurality of reinforcing members (36), a plurality of lifting lugs (26), and an embedded passive antipersonnel device (56). The doorframe (70) has hinge and strike jambs (108,110) attached to the reinforcing members (36). The hinge jamb (108) has a plurality of studs (124) and the strike jamb (110) a plurality of deadbolts (126) for protrusion into the door (32). The door (32) has a substruction (72), to which are affixed grates (86,92) and cladding (84,90). A girdle (100) is affixed to the cladding (84,90). Within a space (76) within the substruction (72), a metallic cable (78) is woven and a plurality of individually sealed tubes (96) containing a foaming agent (98) under pressure are suspended.

Claims

1. A penetration-resistant modular security passway configured to secure a structure entrance, said passway comprising:

a concrete vestibule coupled to said structure entrance and controlling passage therethrough, said vestibule being fabricated of concrete into which a plurality of reinforcing members has been cast; and

a penetration-reactive security door coupled to said concrete vestibule and controlling access thereto, said door comprising;

a substruction having a first face, a second face, an inside periphery, and a space within said inside periphery,

a plurality of sealed tubes suspended within said space, and a foaming agent contained under pressure within said sealed tubes, and

a metallic grate coupled to said first face;

wherein said door reacts to an explosive penetration thereof so as to inhibit transit of said passway.

2. A penetration-resistant modular security passway as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said concrete vestibule has a wall; and

said concrete vestibule comprises an antipersonnel device embedded within said wall.

3. A penetration-resistant modular security passway as claimed in claim 2 wherein:

said antipersonnel device is a passive antipersonnel device having projectiles; and

said vestibule wall and said antipersonnel device are configured so that an explosive penetration of said passway causes said antipersonnel device to propel said projectiles into an external area proximate to said wall.

4. A penetration-resistant modular security passway as claimed in claim 1 wherein said concrete vestibule comprises a doorframe to which said penetration-reactive security door is coupled, said doorframe comprising:

a hinge jamb rigidly coupled to one of said reinforcing members;

a plurality of studs coupled to said hinge jamb, said studs protruding into said door when said door is in a closed position;

a strike jamb rigidly coupled to one of said reinforcing members;

a plurality of deadbolts coupled to said strike jamb, said deadbolts being extendible to protrude into said door when said door is in said closed position; and

a doorstop formed within said doorframe and against which said door is set when said door is in said closed position.

5. A penetration-resistant modular security passway as claimed in claim 1 wherein said penetration-reactive security door is coupled to said concrete vestibule in a location and a position such that a shock wave from an explosive penetration of said door will not perpendicularly assault said structure entrance.

6. A penetration-resistant modular security passway as claimed in claim 5 wherein said penetration-reactive security door is coupled to said concrete vestibule at substantially a right angle to said structure entrance.

7. A penetration-resistant modular security passway as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said concrete vestibule is an outer concrete vestibule;

said passway additionally comprises an inner concrete vestibule coupled to said structure entrance and said outer concrete vestibule and controlling passage between said structure entrance and said outer concrete vestibule;

said penetration-reactive security door is an outer penetration-reactive security door; and

said passway additionally comprises an inner penetration-reactive security door coupled to one of said outer and inner concrete vestibules to control passage between said outer and inner concrete vestibules.

8. A penetration-resistant modular security passway as claimed in claim 7 wherein:

said outer security door is coupled to said outer concrete vestibule in a location and a position such that a shock wave from an explosive penetration of said outer security door will not perpendicularly assault said inner security door; and

said inner security door is coupled at a location and a position such that a shock wave from an explosive penetration of said inner security door will not perpendicularly assault said structure entrance.

9. A penetration-resistant modular security passway as claimed in claim 8 wherein said outer security door is coupled to said outer concrete vestibule at substantially a right angle to said inner security door.

10. A penetration-resistant modular security passway as claimed in claim 1 wherein said penetration-reactive security door additionally comprises:

a first cladding coupled to said first face through said metallic grate;

a second cladding coupled to said second face; and

a metallic cable woven throughout said space and coupled to said inside periphery at a plurality of locations.

11. A penetration-resistant modular security passway as claimed in claim 10 wherein said door additionally comprises a girdle having:

a first reinforcement plate centrally located along a vertical dimension of said door and coupled to an outside of said first cladding;

a second reinforcement plate centrally located along said vertical dimension and coupled to an outside of said second cladding; and

an inter-plate attachment device coupling said first reinforcement plate to said second reinforcement plate through said door.

12. A penetration-resistant modular security passway as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

an assault upon said door creates a penetration thereof and fractures one of said sealed tubes to release said foaming agent; and

said foaming agent expands into an adhesive foam that protrudes into said penetration.

13. A penetration-resistant modular security passway as claimed in claim 12 wherein:

said assault is an explosive assault causing said penetration to breach said door in a direction from a first side to a second side of said door;

said foam is released to flow from said penetration towards and down said first side; and

said foam accumulates into an adhesive mass at a bottom of said first side to inhibit opening said door.

14. A penetration-resistant modular security passway as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

an explosive assault upon said door creates a breach therein;

said breach renders a portion of said metallic grate within said breach into debris and propels said debris into said concrete vestibule; and

said metallic grate is fabricated of materials configured to produce sharp edges to said breach and throughout said debris.

15. A penetration-resistant modular security passway as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

an explosive assault upon said door causes a breach therein; and

said breach renders a portion of said door into debris, a portion of which occupies said concrete vestibule and inhibits passage therethrough.

16. A penetration-resistant modular security passway as claimed in claim 1 wherein an explosive assault upon said passway spalls said concrete vestibule and renders a portion thereof into debris, a portion of which occupies said vestibule and inhibits passage therethrough.

17. A penetration-resistant modular security passway as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said security door has a surface area;

said concrete vestibule comprises a floor having a surface area; and

said surface area of said door is greater than ten per cent of said surface area of said floor.

18. A penetration-resistant modular security passway as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said security door has a height;

said concrete vestibule comprises a foyer;

said concrete vestibule additionally comprises a strike wall facing said security door and separated from said security door by said foyer; and

a dimension of said foyer between said security door and said strike wall is less than said height of said security door.

19. A penetration-resistant modular security passway as claimed in claim 1 wherein said concrete vestibule includes a means for engagement of a lifting mechanism to facilitate movement of said vestibule.

20. A penetration-resistant modular security passway as claimed in claim 19 wherein said engagement means comprises a plurality of lifting lugs attached to a plurality of said reinforcing members cast within a roof of said concrete vestibule.

21. A penetration-reactive security door for a passway, said door comprising:

a substruction having a first face, a second face, an inside periphery, and a space within said inside periphery,

a metallic grate coupled to said first face,

a first cladding coupled to said metallic grate,

a second cladding coupled to said second face, and

a metallic cable strung throughout said space and coupled to said inside periphery at a plurality of locations;

wherein said door reacts to an explosive penetration thereof so as to inhibit transit of said passway.

22. A penetration-reactive security passway door as claimed in claim 21 wherein said metallic grate is a first metallic grate and said door additionally comprises a second metallic grate coupled between said second face and said second cladding.

23. A penetration-reactive security passway door as claimed in claim 22 wherein said first metallic grate is coupled to said second metallic grate through said space by an inter-grate attachment device.

24. A penetration-reactive security passway door as claimed in claim 21 wherein one of said first and second claddings is fabricated of armor plate.

25. A penetration-reactive security passway door as claimed in claim 21 additionally comprising a girdle including:

a first reinforcement plate coupled to an outside of said first cladding;

a second reinforcement plate coupled to an outside of said second cladding; and

an inter-plate attachment device coupling said first reinforcement plate to said second reinforcement plate through said door.

26. A penetration-reactive security passway door as claimed in claim 21 additionally comprising:

a plurality of sealed tubes suspended within said space; and

a foaming agent contained under pressure within said sealed tubes.

27. A penetration-reactive security passway door as claimed in claim 26 wherein:

an assault upon said door sufficient to create a penetration thereof fractures one of said sealed tubes and releases said foaming agent contained therein; and

said foaming agent expands into an adhesive foam and protrudes into said penetration upon the fracturing of said one of said tubes.

28. A penetration-reactive security passway door as claimed in claim 27 wherein:

said assault is an explosive assault;

said penetration breaches said door in a direction from a first side to a second side thereof;

said foam is released and flows from said penetration towards and down said first side; and

said foam accumulates into an adhesive mass at a bottom of said first side to inhibit opening said door.

29. A penetration-reactive security passway door as claimed in claim 26 wherein each of said sealed tubes is individually sealed.

30. A penetration-reactive security passway door as claimed in claim 26 wherein:

an antipersonnel chemical agent is added to said foaming agent; and

said foaming agent is configured to be substantially inert with respect to said added chemical agent.

31. A penetration-resistant modular security passway comprising:

a concrete vestibule coupled to a structure entrance and controlling passage therethrough, said vestibule having a plurality of reinforcing members cast therein and a plurality of lifting lugs located thereon;

a passive antipersonnel device embedded within a wall of said vestibule;

a penetration-reactive security door controlling access to said vestibule, said door having a substruction with a first face, a second face, an inside periphery, and a space within said inside periphery, said door also having a first grate affixed to said first face, a first cladding affixed to said first grate, a second grate affixed to said second face, and a second cladding affixed to said second grate;

a metallic cable woven throughout said space and coupled to said inside periphery at a plurality of locations;

a plurality of individually sealed tubes suspended within said space, said sealed tubes containing a foaming agent under pressure;

a girdle having a first reinforcement plate affixed upon said first cladding, a second reinforcement plate affixed upon said second cladding, and an inter-plate attachment device affixing said first reinforcement plate to said second reinforcement plate through said door; and

a doorframe having a hinge jamb attached to one of said reinforcing members and a plurality of studs for protrusion into said door, and said doorframe having a strike jamb attached to one of said reinforcing members and a plurality of deadbolts for protrusion into said door.

32. A penetration-resistant modular security passway configured to secure a structure entrance, said passway comprising:

a concrete vestibule coupled to said structure entrance and controlling passage therethrough, said vestibule being fabricated of concrete into which a plurality of reinforcing members has been cast, and said vestibule including a means for engagement of a lifting mechanism to facilitate movement of said vestibule;

said concrete vestibule has a wall;

said concrete vestibule comprises an antipersonnel device embedded within said wall; and

a penetration-reactive security door coupled to said concrete vestibule and controlling access thereto.

33. A penetration-resistant modular security passway as claimed in claim 32 wherein:

said antipersonnel device is a passive antipersonnel device having projectiles; and

said vestibule wall and said antipersonnel device are configured so that an explosive penetration of said passway causes said antipersonnel device to propel said projectiles into an external area proximate to said wall.

34. A penetration-resistant modular security passway configured to secure a structure entrance, said passway comprising:

a plurality of walls coupled together and configured to form a concrete vestibule, said walls being fabricated of concrete into which a plurality of reinforcing members has been cast;

a penetration-reactive security door coupled to one of said walls and configured to control access to said vestibule; and

an antipersonnel device embedded within one of said walls.

35. A penetration-resistant modular security passway as claimed in claim 34 wherein:

said antipersonnel device is a passive antipersonnel device having projectiles; and

said one wall and said antipersonnel device are configured so that an explosive penetration of said security door causes said antipersonnel device to propel said projectiles into an external area proximate to said one wall.