The present invention is directed to vehicles and related methods used by the military and Special Weapons And Tactics (“SWAT”) units.
Military and law enforcement officers that are required to deal with emergency scenarios must be prepared for a worst case situation, and having the correct defensive equipment is most critical in dealing with incidents such as a hostage rescue, barricaded suspects, a riot scene or a natural disaster. In U.S. Patent Publication No. 2009/0120273, Eckdahl et al. disclose an armored tactical vehicle designed for use in such situations; the disclosure in the Eckdahl et al. publication is incorporated herein by reference.
Given the foregoing, what is needed are apparatus and methods which enable first responders to safely deal with emergency scenarios, in particular armed conflicts.
The present invention is directed to an improved armored critical incident vehicle and related methods designed to permit military personnel or law enforcement officers to approach a structure or vehicle under the threat of gunfire and to gain entry into either the first story or higher stories of the structure or into the vehicle. Additionally, the present invention is designed to permit the officers to search a structure before entering it, by utilizing a hydraulic breaching ram attachment capable of breaching blocked walls, reinforced steel doors, wood, concrete or windows that might otherwise be protected by metal bars. The ram is equipped with low light video and infrared cameras transmitted to a viewing screen inside the cab of the vehicle to permit remote viewing of the interior.
The armored critical incident vehicle of the present invention is fabricated with interconnected and easily replaceable armor-plated panels, and utilizes a forward hydraulic lift and an armored deployment platform that can be raised and lowered by the lift to permit entry of the structure in either or both the first and second floors of the structure or onto the roof. Preferably, the armored deployment platform contains independent power for flood lights, and gun ports and a video camera with a video feed to the operator of the vehicle. When the object of the investigation is a vehicle, the platform can be slanted downwardly so that officers on the platform may more carefully observe the vehicle from above, and if gunfire from the platform is required, then pedestrians or other passersby are not endangered.
The armored deployment platform is rapidly engagable by the armored critical incident vehicle and is attached to its hydraulic lift. The platform comprises armor plating and at least one door, and may be lifted or otherwise moved or positioned. Multiple first responders and their associated gear may be transported, moved, or positioned on the platform, thereby enabling deployment of the first responders into a dangerous area while being protected by the armor plating of the platform.
The armored critical incident vehicle and the related methods of the present invention also contemplate the use of additional attachments, such as a grapple claw that permits officers to gain access to places where suspects may be attempting to hide, or to remove fortified doors, burglar bars or other obstructions. Further, a vehicle extraction tool is capable of being fitted to the vehicle to immobilize or remove a vehicle in tactical situations.
Other features of the vehicle and method of the present invention contemplate the dispensing of tear gas from the front of the hydraulic breaching ram, integrated night vision or thermal imaging for the cameras, and a tactical breaching tool.
The present disclosure is directed to an improved armored critical incident vehicle, related attachments and accessories and related methods of use.
The present disclosure will now be described with reference to
Machine 100 (
Armored Deployment Platform 200 (
Hydraulic Breaching Ram 300 (
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The platform 200 further includes armored wing walls 220 that extend upwardly and rearwardly from the top of each of the swing doors 201.
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In addition to the features described above, the vehicle may also be provided with a grapple claw and a vehicle extraction tool as additional features to assist officers in an appropriate emergency situation.
While various aspects of the present disclosure have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example and not limitation. It will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) that various changes in form and detail can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. The present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above described aspects, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.
In addition, it should be understood that the figures, which highlight the structure, methodology, functionality and advantages of the present disclosure, are presented as examples only. The present disclosure is sufficiently flexible and configurable, such that it may be implemented in ways other than that shown in the accompanying figures.
Further, the purpose of the foregoing Abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the relevant art(s) who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of this technical disclosure. The Abstract is not intended to be limiting as to the scope of the present invention in any way.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/755,589, filed Jan. 23, 2013, and entitled “Armored Critical Incident Vehicle And Related Methods”, which is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61755589 | Jan 2013 | US |