U.S. patent application number 13/766031 was filed with the patent office on 2014-08-14 for vehicle and structure film/hard point shield.
This patent application is currently assigned to QINETIQ NORTH AMERICA, INC.. The applicant listed for this patent is QINETIQ NORTH AMERICA, INC.. Invention is credited to John D. Larouco, Justin Trent Shackelford.
Application Number | 20140224106 13/766031 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51296516 |
Filed Date | 2014-08-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140224106 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Shackelford; Justin Trent ;
et al. |
August 14, 2014 |
VEHICLE AND STRUCTURE FILM/HARD POINT SHIELD
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.
Inventors: |
Shackelford; Justin Trent;
(Milford, MA) ; Larouco; John D.; (Milford,
MA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
QINETIQ NORTH AMERICA, INC. |
McLean |
VA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
QINETIQ NORTH AMERICA, INC.
McLean
VA
|
Family ID: |
51296516 |
Appl. No.: |
13/766031 |
Filed: |
February 13, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
89/36.02 ;
29/428; 29/432 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 29/49826 20150115;
F16B 19/00 20130101; Y10T 29/49833 20150115; F41H 5/12 20130101;
F41H 5/013 20130101; F41H 5/026 20130101; F41H 5/0492 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
89/36.02 ;
29/428; 29/432 |
International
Class: |
F41H 5/013 20060101
F41H005/013 |
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. (canceled)
3. The shield of claim 1 in which each node includes opposing
cup-shaped portions.
4. The shield of claim 1 in which the plies are welded
together.
5. The shield of claim 1 in which said hard points are each unitary
members.
6. The shield of claim 5 in which said unitary member is multisided
with sharp edges.
7. The shield of claim 1 in which said hard point includes two
halves joined together on opposite sides of a film node.
8. The shield of claim 7 in which said halves have the same
configuration.
9. The shield of claim 7 further including a pin extending through
a film node and secured on each end to a hard point half.
10. 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.
11. The method of claim 10 in which each node includes opposing cup
shaped portions.
12. The method of claim 10 further includes the step of welding the
plies together.
13. A shield manufacturing method comprising: forming a film to
include members intersecting at nodes; fabricating hard points each
including two halves joinable together; and joining together the
hard point halves at least at select nodes of the film to fix the
hard points at their respective nodes.
14. The method of claim 13 in which said halves have the same
configuration.
15. The shield of claim 13 further including placing a pin in one
hard point half, piercing a film node with the pin, and driving the
pin into the other hard point half.
16. The shield manufacturing method of claim 10 including
constructing each hard point as a unitary member.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] Related applications include U.S. patent application Ser.
No. 12/807,532 filed Sep. 8, 2010; U.S. patent application Ser. No.
12/386,114 filed Apr. 14, 2009; U.S. Provisional Application Ser.
No. 61/124,428 filed Apr. 16, 2008; and U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 13/200,296 filed Sep. 22, 2011.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The subject invention relates to ordnance shielding.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Rocket propelled grenades (RPGs) and other ordnance are used
by terrorist groups to target military vehicles and structures. See
WO 2006/134407 incorporated herein by this reference.
[0004] Others skilled in the art have designed intercept vehicles
which deploy a net or a structure in the path of an RPG in an
attempt to change its trajectory. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,190,304;
6,957,602; 5,578,784; and 7,328,644 all incorporated herein by this
reference. Related prior art discloses the idea of deploying an
airbag (U.S. Pat. No. 6,029,558) or a barrier (U.S. Pat. No.
6,279,499) in the trajectory path of a munition to deflect it.
These references are also included herein by this reference.
[0005] Many such systems require detection of the RPG and
deployment of the intercept vehicle quickly and correctly into the
trajectory path of the RPG.
[0006] Static armor such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,170,690;
5,191,166; 5,333,532; 4,928,575; and WO 2006/134,407 is often heavy
and time consuming to install. When a significant amount of weight
is added to a HMMWV, for example, it can become difficult to
maneuver and top heavy. Such an armor equipped vehicle also bums an
excessive amount of fuel.
[0007] Moreover, known static systems do not prevent detonation of
the RPG. One exception is the steel grille armor of WO 2006/134,407
which is said to destroy and interrupt the electrical energy
produced by the piezoelectric crystal in the firing head of the
RPG. Bar/slat armor is also designed to dud an RPG. But, bar/slat
armor is also very heavy. Often, a vehicle designed to be carried
by a specific class of aircraft cannot be carried when outfitted
with bar/slat armor. Also, if the bar/slat armor is hit with a
strike, the RPG still detonates. Bar/slat armor, if damaged, can
block doors, windows, and access hatches of a vehicle.
[0008] Chain link fence type shields have also been added to
vehicles. The chain link fencing, however, is not sufficiently
compliant to prevent detonation of an RPG if it strikes the fencing
material. Chain like fencing, although lighter than bar/slat armor,
is still fairly heavy. Neither bar/slat armor nor the chain link
fence type shield is easy to install and remove.
[0009] Despite the technology described in the above prior art,
Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs) and other threats used by enemy
forces and insurgents remain a serious threat to troops on the
battlefield, on city streets, and on country roads. RPG weapons are
relatively inexpensive and widely available throughout the world.
There are varieties of RPG warhead types, but the most prolific are
the PG-7 and PG-7M which employ a focus blast or shaped charge
warhead capable of penetrating considerable armor even if the
warhead is detonated at standoffs up to 10 meters from a vehicle. A
perfect hit with a shaped charge can penetrate a 12 inch thick
steel plate. RPGs pose a persistent deadly threat to moving ground
vehicles and stationary structures such as security check
points.
[0010] Heavily armored, lightly armored, and unarmored vehicles
have been proven vulnerable to the RPG shaped charge. Pick-up
trucks, HMMWV's, 21/2 ton trucks, 5 ton trucks, light armor
vehicles, and M118 armored personnel carriers are frequently
defeated by a single RPG shot. Even heavily armored vehicles such
as the M1 Abrams Tank have been felled by a single RPG shot. The
PG-7 and PG-7M are the most prolific class of warheads, accounting
for a reported 90% of the engagements. RPG-18s, RPG-69s, and
RPG-7Ls have been reported as well, accounting for a significant
remainder of the threat encounters. Close engagements 30 meters
away occur in less than 0.25 seconds and an impact speed ranging
from 120-180 m/s. Engagements at 100 meters will reach a target in
approximately 1.0 second and at impact speeds approaching 300
m/s.
[0011] The RPG-7 is in general use in Africa, Asia, and the Middle
East and weapon caches are found in random locations making them
available to the inexperienced insurgent. Today, the RPG threat is
present at every turn and caches have been found under bridges, in
pickup trucks, buried by the road sides, and even in churches.
[0012] Armor plating on a vehicle does not always protect the
occupants in the case of an RPG impact and no known countermeasure
has proven effective. Systems designed to intercept and destroy an
incoming threat are ineffective and/or expensive, complex, and
unreliable.
[0013] Chain link fencing has been used in an attempt to dud RPGs
by destroying the RPG nose cone. See, for example, DE 691,067. See
also published U.S. Patent Application No. 2008/0164379. Others
have proposed using netting to strangulate the RPG nose cone. See
published U.S. Application No. 2009/0217811 and WO 2006/135432.
[0014] WO 2006/134407, insofar as it can be understood, discloses a
protective grid with tooth shaped members. U.S. Pat. No. 6,311,605
discloses disruptive bodies secured to armor. The disruptive bodies
are designed to penetrate into an interior region of a shaped
charge to disrupt the formation of the jet. The shaped charge
disclosed has a fuse/detonator mechanism in its tail end.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0015] Applicant's pending U.S. Patent Application Publication No.
2009/0266227, incorporated herein by this reference, discloses a
novel vehicle protection system. The following reflects an
enhancement to such a system.
[0016] A film supports a spaced array of hard points at a set off
distance from a vehicle or a structure and the hard points are
designed to dig or tear into the nose cone of an RPG and dud
it.
[0017] Featured is a shield comprising a film including 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.
[0018] The film may include at least two plies and then the hard
points may be located at select nodes between two plies of the
film. In one example, each node includes opposing cup-shaped
portions. The plies can be welded together. One benefit of this
design is the hard points can be unitary members.
[0019] In another version, each hard point includes two halves
joined together on opposite sides of a film node. Preferably, the
halves have the same configuration. In one version, a pin extends
through a film node and is secured on each end to a hard point
half.
[0020] One shield manufacturing method includes forming a first
film ply to include, members intersecting at nodes, placing a hard
point at least at select nodes, and placing a second film including
members intersecting at nodes over the first film ply and the hard
points fixing the hard points at their respective nodes.
[0021] Another shield manufacturing method comprises forming a film
to include members intersecting at nodes, fabricating hard points
each including two halves joinable together, and joining together
the hard point halves at least at select nodes of the film to fix
the hard points at their respective nodes.
[0022] The subject invention, however, in other embodiments, need
not achieve all these objectives and the claims hereof should not
be limited to structures or methods capable of achieving these
objectives.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] Other objects, features and advantages will occur to those
skilled in the art from the following description of a preferred
embodiment and the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0024] FIG. 1 is a schematic top view showing an example of a
vehicle or structure shield in accordance with the invention;
[0025] FIG. 2 is a schematic exploded top view showing a node of
the shield of FIG. 1;
[0026] FIG. 3 is a schematic three-dimensional top view showing an
example of another shield in accordance with the invention;
[0027] FIG. 4 is an exploded three dimensional schematic view
showing a node of the shield of FIG. 3;
[0028] FIG. 5 is a schematic cross sectional side view of a node of
the shield shown in FIG. 3;
[0029] FIG. 6 is a schematic cross sectional view showing another
example of a hard point configuration in accordance with the
invention; and
[0030] FIG. 7 is a schematic three-dimensional front view showing a
vehicle equipped with a shield in accordance with the example of
FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0031] In a state of the art hard point shield developed by the
applicant, each hard point secures within it a net node.
[0032] There may be other desirable ways of fashioning hard points
and spacing them from a vehicle or structure which can be
implemented in certain circumstances.
[0033] FIG. 1, for example, shows two plies 5a, 5b of film defining
spaced members 10a-10c intersecting spaced members 10d-10f at nodes
n in a grid like fashion. At the nodes, sandwiched between the two
plies, is a hard point 12. Here, each node n includes opposing
cupped shaped portions as shown at 20 in FIG. 2 for ply 22. Hard
points are placed in the cups of one ply, the other ply is placed
on the first ply, and they are sealed, laminated, welded, and/or
glued together. In one example, the first ply is vacuum formed to
define the cupped shaped nodes, the hard points are positioned in
their respective cup shaped nodes, and the top ply is then vacuum
formed over the hard points and ultrasonically welded to the first
ply. Now, the hard points can be unitary in construction, e.g.,
sharp edged and corned members as at 30 in FIG. 2.
[0034] In FIG. 3, film 40 is single ply in construction and
includes members intersecting at nodes as shown. Again, a hard
point is fixed at each node. The film could be manufactured as
shown in FIG. 3 or could be produced as a solid sheet of material
and then be processed by cutting out the portions shown at 42.
[0035] In this example, each hard point may have two halves joined
together on opposite sides of each node. FIG. 4 shows an example
where node n is defined by intersecting film members 44a and 44b.
Hard point half 50a includes face 52a with opening 54a therein.
Face 52a also includes pointed teeth 56a thereon. Hard point half
50b is similarly constructed and has the same configuration. Pin
60, FIGS. 4-5 locks the two hard points halves at the node on
opposite sides of the film ply as shown in FIG. 5 where pin 60
pierces the film at the node and is press fit into both hard point
halves 50a and 50b. The pointed teeth on each hard point also serve
to lock each hard point to the film material. Pin 60 can first be
driven into hard point half 50a. Pin 60 then pierces the film and
is driven into hard point half 50b.
[0036] FIG. 6 shows another hard point design where each hard point
half 70a, 70b, includes a pin 72, pin receiving cavity 74, and
teeth 76. In this way, the hard point halves mate together about a
film node.
[0037] In FIG. 7, the film/hard point shield 81 is secured in frame
80 attached to vehicle 82 in such a fashion that the shield is
spaced between 100 mm and 600 mm from the vehicle. The film could
include a plastic or fabric border and hook and loop touch fastener
can be used to secure the border to the metal frame, or similar
methods may be used.
[0038] The film used may include polymer material such as
polyethylene, 0.4 mm thick. The film members in these examples were
7 mm wide and spaced 80 mm apart.
[0039] One goal is to make the film members strong enough so that,
in the field, the hard points are configured in space adjacent the
vehicle to be protected and stay that way as the vehicle maneuvers,
is transported, and the like. At the same time, the film members
should be weak enough so that an incoming RPG, if it strikes a film
member, does not detonate and instead breaks the plastic member. In
one example, the breaking strength of each film member is around
330N.
[0040] The hard points, when assembled (if assembly is necessary)
may be made of steel or tungsten. In one example, each hard point
weighed between 10-80 grams, was 12.7 mm-19 mm across and between
12.7 mm-25 mm tall. Preferably, each hard point was between 80
mm-130 mm apart from an adjacent hard point.
[0041] The benefits of the design set forth herein may include
easier manufacturability and lower cost. The film material supports
the spaced array of hard points at a set of distance from a vehicle
or structure and the hard points are designed to dig or tear into
the nose cone of an RPG and dud it. Such a shield can be
manufactured by forming a first film ply to include members
interfacing at nodes and placing a hard point at least at select
nodes. Then, a second film ply including members intersecting at
nodes is placed over the first film ply and the hard points are
fixed at their respective nodes. In another example, a film made of
one or more plies includes members intersecting at nodes and the
hard points each include two halves joinable together at least at
select nodes of the film.
[0042] Although specific features of the invention are shown in
some drawings and not in others, this is for convenience only as
each feature may be combined with any or all of the other features
in accordance with the invention. The words "including",
"comprising", "having", and "with" as used herein are to be
interpreted broadly and comprehensively and are not limited to any
physical interconnection. Moreover, any embodiments disclosed in
the subject application are not to be taken as the only possible
embodiments.
[0043] In addition, any amendment presented during the prosecution
of the patent application for this patent is not a disclaimer of
any claim element presented in the application as filed: those
skilled in the art cannot reasonably be expected to draft a claim
that would literally encompass all possible equivalents, many
equivalents will be unforeseeable at the time of the amendment and
are beyond a fair interpretation of what is to be surrendered (if
anything), the rationale underlying the amendment may bear no more
than a tangential relation to many equivalents, and/or there are
many other reasons the applicant can not be expected to describe
certain insubstantial substitutes for any claim element
amended.
[0044] Other embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art and
are within the following claims.
* * * * *