V-shaped blast shield for protection against IEDs

• US 8,707,848 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2010
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ceradyne, Inc. (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: Ceradyne, Inc. (3M Company)
• Inventors: Allor, Richard L., Husak, Thomas J., Skiotys, Dainius E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Carone, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOMBERG, BENJAMIN S
• Application Number:
  US12/928,061
• Publication Number:
  US 20120255428A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,245 Days
• Field of Search: 89/360.1, 89/360.7, 89/360.8, 89/360.9, 296/187.07, 528/37
• US Class Current: 89/36.08
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 7/042 Floors or base plates for increased land mine protection

Abstract

An armor blast shield for use on the bottom of a vehicle to protect occupants of the vehicle from improvised explosive devices. A preferred embodiment is configured in a V-shaped configuration formed by at least two planar blast resistant panels and an I-beam having channels with inclined walls which receive the panels at an obtuse angle. The panels are adhesively adhered to the I-beam channel walls and at least one bolt is secured through the I-beam and a panel to provide superior blast resistant performance as compared to welded panels.

Claims

1. An armor blast shield for use on the bottom of a vehicle to protect occupants of the vehicle from improvised explosive devices the blast shield comprising:

at least two planar blast resistant panels and an I-beam having inclined interior walls forming a pair of spaced parallel opposing channels that receive said panels in a V-shaped relation;

each said panel being adhesively affixed to a respective channel of said I-beam and being further secured therein by at least one bolt extending partially through said I-beam and entirely through said panel.

2. The armor blast shield recited in claim 1 wherein said at least two planar blast resistant panels form an obtuse angle relative to one another.

3. The armor blast shield recited in claim 1 wherein said channels are wider than the thickness of the panels by a selected margin for being filled by an adhesive.

4. The armor blast shield recited in claim 3 wherein said selected margin is from 0.02 to 0.03 inches.

5. The armor blast shield recited in claim 1 wherein at least one of said planar blast resistant panels is extended in length from said inclined wall I-beam by affixing a second I-beam and an extension panel to an opposed end of said at least one panel;

said second I-beam having non-inclined interior walls.

6. The armor blast shield recited in claim 5 wherein said second I-beam and said extension panel are affixed by adhesive on said non-inclined interior walls and at least one bolt extending through both said second I-beam and said extension panel.

7. A V-shaped armor blast shield for attachment to the hull of a vehicle for resisting damage to the interior of the vehicle from blast energy of an explosion set off below the vehicle;

the blast shield comprising;

at least two planar blast resistant panels and an I-beam having inclined interior walls forming a pair of spaced parallel opposing channels that receive said panels in a V-shaped relation;

each said panel being adhesively affixed to a respective channel of said I-beam and being further secured therein by at least one bolt extending partially through said I-beam and entirely through said panel.

8. The armor blast shield recited in claim 7 wherein said at least two planar blast resistant panels form an obtuse angle relative to one another.

9. The armor blast shield recited in claim 7 wherein said channels are wider than the thickness of the panels by a selected margin for being filled by an adhesive.

10. The armor blast shield recited in claim 9 wherein said selected margin is from 0.02 to 0.03 inches.

11. The armor blast shield recited in claim 7 wherein at least one of said planar blast resistant panels is extended in length from said inclined wall I-beam by affixing a second I-beam and an extension panel to an opposed end of said at least one panel;

said second I-beam having non-inclined interior walls.

12. The armor blast shield recited in claim 11 wherein said second I-beam and said extension panel are affixed by adhesive on said non-inclined interior walls and at least one bolt extending through both said second I-beam and said extension panel.

13. The armor blast shield recited in claim 12 wherein said bolt extends through a blind hole.

14. The armor blast shield recited in claim 12 wherein said bolt extends through said I-beam from the bottom toward the top of said I-beam.