Patent Grant
10962342
The invention relates generally to blast containment systems, and more particularly to a blast containment system for placement in existing trash cans.
Current blast-resistant trash receptacles are heavy-duty steel containment vessels that can be used for the purpose of mitigating the effects of pressure and fragmentation from certain types of threats (pipe bomb, backpack, etc.) by helping to mitigate the blast effects of a detonation via containment. However, in their current form, these receptacles can weigh thousands of pounds, cost thousands of dollars each, and provide no capability for use with flash x-ray or many detonation-prevention procedures while the threat is inside the receptacle. These drawbacks limit the practicality and use of current blast-resistant trash receptacles at special events and/or transportation hubs.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a blast containment system adaptable for use with a variety of existing trash cans.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a blast containment system that may be readily transported to and readily deployed in existing trash cans at special events and/or transportation hubs.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a cost-effective blast containment system that may be deployed in existing trash cans.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more obvious hereinafter in the specification and drawings.
In accordance with the present invention, a blast containment system for trash cans includes a flexible donut-shaped bag adapted for positioning in a rigid trash can. The bag includes a sealed donut-shaped bottom adapted to be positioned at a base of the trash can, and an open donut-shaped top adapted to be positioned and retained at a top periphery of the trash can. An open-ended tubular region extends through the bag between its donut-shaped top and donut-shaped bottom. The bag is impervious to liquid. A rigid container having an open top is disposed in the tubular region of the bag. The container's open top is coupled to the donut-shaped top of the bag. The container's open top is adapted to be approximately aligned with the top periphery of the trash can. The container has side walls which include ballistic materials. A liquid fills the bag.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reference to the following description of the exemplary embodiments and to the drawings, wherein corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings and wherein:
Referring now to the drawings, simultaneous reference will be made to
A blast containment system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes a number of solid elements (referenced generally by numeral 10 in
Additional reference will now be made to
Bag 12 is sized such that sealed end 12A may rest on base 102 of trash can 100 while unsealed/open end 12B extends up to and beyond open top 108 of trash can 100 and the open top 14B of container 14. Accordingly, end 12B may be retained at open top 108 and open top 14B as will be explained further below. In addition to being impervious to liquid, bag 12 may be made from materials that have some blast and/or blast fragment containment properties. For example, bag 12 could be made from a natural or synthetic rubber with the entirety thereof or just its side walls 12C/12D including one or more materials having ballistic-arresting properties (e.g., at least one of Kevlar, Lexan, graphene, carbon fibers, fiber-reinforcement, steel-reinforcement, metal wire-reinforcement, etc.).
Rigid open-top container 14 serves as a refuse container and the first line of a blast containment defense provided by the blast containment system of the present invention. Rigid container 14 includes a closed bottom 14A, and side walls 14C extending up to an open top 14B. Container 14 is sized such that open top 14B is approximately aligned with open top 108 of trash can 100 when container 14 rests therein. At least side walls 14C of container 14 are made from one or more ballistic materials such as at least one of ceramics, steel, titanium, rubber, Kevlar, Lexan, graphene, carbon fibers, fiber-reinforcement, steel-reinforcement, and metal wire-reinforcement. In general, container 14 is sized such that an annular volume is defined between its side walls 14C and side walls 106 of trash can 100 to hold bag 12 filled with liquid 20. The side walls 106 of the trash can also include an interior side wall surface 110 as illustrated in
Retainers 16 and 18 may be a simple hoop (i.e., large O-rings) of an elastic material used to hold unsealed/open end 12B of bag 12 at the periphery of open top 108 of trash can 100 and at the open top 14B of container 14. For example and as illustrated, the interior side walls 12D of the bag 12 can be retained at open top 14B by elastic retainer 16, while the exterior side walls 12C of the bag 12 may be retained at open top 108 by elastic retainer 18. Retainers 16 and 18 can be separate elements (as shown), but could also be integrated into bag 12 in ways well-known in the art and without departing from the scope of the present invention. Retainers 16 and 18 could also be realized by annular clips 26 and 28 as shown in
In use, container 14 is placed in trash can 100 and bag 12 is placed in the annular space between container 14 and trash can 100 such that container 14 is disposed in tubular region 12E of bag 12. Bag 12 is retained place by, for example, retainers 16 and 18 as described above. Bag 12 is then filled with liquid 20. For good blast containment, the radial thickness “T” of liquid 12 may be in a range of 6 to 12 inches. The substantially constant radial thickness of liquid 12 assures that blast fragments (generated in container 14 during a bomb blast therein) are softly caught within the containment system. As a result, blast fragments are generally prevented from propagating horizontally where potential victims would be located.
Liquid 20 provides the second level or stage of ballast containment. Liquid 20 may be fresh or tap water, and can include one or more solutes to provide additional attributes. For example, liquid 20 could be a mixture of water and an antifreeze additive (e.g., salt) for use in cold environments. Additionally or alternatively, liquid 20 could be a mixture of water and a solute offering blast containment attributes such as cornstarch.
The advantages of the present invention are numerous. The blast containment system is relatively inexpensive and readily adaptable for use with a variety of trash can designs. The system is readily transported to a site/venue and can be installed in a matter of minutes.
Although the invention has been described relative to a specific exemplary embodiment thereof, there are numerous variations and modifications that will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the above teachings. For example and in an exemplary embodiment as shown in
Finally, any numerical parameters set forth in the specification and attached claims are approximations (for example, by using the term “about”) that may vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by the present invention. At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims, each numerical parameter should be at least construed in light of the number of significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding.
The invention described herein was made in the performance of official duties by employees of the Department of the Navy and may be manufactured, used, licensed by or for the Government for any governmental purpose without payment of any royalties thereon.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5044173 | Cheng | Sep 1991 | A |
| 7490537 | Vande Brake | Feb 2009 | B1 |
| 10539404 | Lustig | Jan 2020 | B1 |
| 20120305567 | Abbe | Dec 2012 | A1 |
