Vehicle and structure film/hard point shield

• US 8,813,631 B1
• Filed: 02/13/2013
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Foster-Miller Incorporated (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Foster-Miller Incorporated (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Shackelford, Justin Trent, Larouco, John D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, Bret
• Assistant Examiner(s): FREEMAN, JOSHUA E
• Application Number:
  US13/766,031
• Publication Number:
  US 20140224106A1
• Time in Patent Office: 559 Days
• Field of Search: 89/360.2, 89/360.4, 89/360.7, 89/360.8, 89/360.9, 899/20, 899/29, 899/30, 899/39
• US Class Current: 89/36.02
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 19/00 Bolts without screw-thread; Pins, including deformable elements in screwed connections F16B29/00; Rivets means for preventing withdrawal F16B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 5/013 Mounting or securing armour plates
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 5/026 Slat armour; Nets
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 5/0492 Layered armour containing hard elements, e.g. plates, spheres, rods, separated from each other, the elements being connected to a further flexible layer or being embedded in a plastics or an elastomer matrix
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 5/12 for smallarms; for light-rocket launchers shields attached to smallarms F41C27/04
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49833 Punching, piercing or reaming part by surface of second part

Abstract

A shield includes a film with members intersecting at spaced nodes, a hard point fixed at least at select nodes, and a frame at least partially about the film for spacing the film from a vehicle or structure to be protected.

Claims

1. A shield comprising:

a two ply polymer film including members intersecting at spaced sealed nodes, the film configured such that an incoming threat striking the shield breaks the film but is not detonated;

a hard point sandwiched between said two plies at least at select sealed nodes, the hard point designed to dig into and dud the threat; and

a frame at least partially about the film for spacing the film from a vehicle or structure to be protected.

2. The shield of claim 1 in which each node includes opposing cup-shaped portions.

3. The shield of claim 1 in which the plies are welded together.

4. The shield of claim 1 in which said hard points are each unitary members.

5. The shield of claim 4 in which said unitary member is multisided with sharp edges.

6. A shield manufacturing method comprising:

forming a first polymer film ply to include members intersecting at nodes;

placing a hard point at least at select nodes;

placing a second polymer film including members intersecting at nodes over the first polymer film ply and the hard points fixing the hard points at their respective nodes;

sealing the first and second polymer films together sandwiching said hard points between the first and second polymer plies at sealed nodes thereof; and

configuring the first film and the second film such that an incoming threat striking the shield breaks the films but is not detonated.

7. The method of claim 6 in which each node includes opposing cup shaped portions.

8. The method of claim 6 further includes the step of welding the plies together.

9. The shield manufacturing method of claim 6 including constructing each hard point as a unitary member.