The technical field of the present invention relates to anti-ballistic armor panels. The technical field may further relate to installation of ballistic armor panels on interior surfaces of vehicles and other mobile or stationary structures.
In the accompanying drawings:
The instant invention is described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings and/or photographs, in which one or more exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be operative, enabling, and complete. Accordingly, the particular arrangements disclosed are meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of the invention. Moreover, many embodiments, such as adaptations, variations, modifications, and equivalent arrangements, will be implicitly disclosed by the embodiments described herein and fall within the scope of the present invention.
Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Unless otherwise expressly defined herein, such terms are intended to be given their broad ordinary and customary meaning not inconsistent with that applicable in the relevant industry and without restriction to any specific embodiment hereinafter described. As used herein, the article “a” is intended to include one or more items. Where only one item is intended, the term “one”, “single”, or similar language is used. When used herein to join a list of items, the term “or” denotes at least one of the items, but does not exclude a plurality of items of the list.
For exemplary methods or processes of the invention, the sequence and/or arrangement of steps described herein are illustrative and not restrictive. Accordingly, it should be understood that, although steps of various processes or methods may be shown and described as being in a sequence or temporal arrangement, the steps of any such processes or methods are not limited to being carried out in any particular sequence or arrangement, absent an indication otherwise. Indeed, the steps in such processes or methods generally may be carried out in various different sequences and arrangements while still falling within the scope of the present invention.
Additionally, any references to advantages, benefits, unexpected results, or operability of the present invention are not intended as an affirmation that the invention has been previously reduced to practice or that any testing has been performed. Likewise, unless stated otherwise, use of verbs in the past tense (present perfect or preterit) is not intended to indicate or imply that the invention has been previously reduced to practice or that any testing has been performed.
Referring initially to drawing
The base 2 may be detachably mounted to the floor of a vehicle or aircraft with any type of semi-permanent or permanent bonding agent, such as for example double sided tape or various adhesives. In one embodiment the base is affixed to the vehicle floor using self adhering patches of a releasable fastener material 6 (see particularly
Referring now also to
To install an armor panel atop a vehicle floor using the detachable armor hold down, a series of holes 23 are cut in an armor panel 25 (see
With the armor panel correctly oriented and seated on each base 2, the twist lock clamps are installed. In particular, the clamp is placed over the hole 23, and rotated until detent pin 19 aligns with the keyhole slot 5 in latch plate 4. By then pushing down on knob 15 with enough force to compress spring 21, the end of shaft portion 13 and detent pin 19 are pushed through keyhole slot 5 and into cavity 7 (as best seen in
It should be appreciated that the armor panel installation steps described above may be performed in various ways besides the recited sequence. For example, in one exemplary installation process, a base 2 and a twist lock clamp 3 are installed and connected together at each mount hole 23 of an armor panel. A bonding agent is applied to the bottom of each base 2. In the case of a two-piece re-closable fastener system, a pair of patches secured to each other is adhered to the bottom of each base 2, and the adhesive is unclamped on the bottom surface of the bottom patch. The armor panel with the installed hold-downs is then lowered into place, thereby bringing the exposed bonding agent under each base into contact with the floor. Additional weight can be applied as needed, such as by walking on the panel, to further secure the adhesive. Alternatively, the panel can be temporarily removed so that each base 2 can be individually pressed down to positively create a secure bond, and the panel re-installed.
In addition, rather than having a separate assembly with a separate base 2 at each hold down location of an armor panel, the base portion could instead be configured as one large plate with multiple attachment points. For example, referring to
For the purposes of describing and defining the present invention it is noted that the use of relative terms, such as “substantially”, “generally”, “approximately”, and the like, are utilized herein to represent an inherent degree of uncertainty that may be attributed to any quantitative comparison, value, measurement, or other representation. These terms are also utilized herein to represent the degree by which a quantitative representation may vary from a stated reference without resulting in a change in the basic function of the subject matter at issue.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described above. No element, act, or instruction used in this description should be construed as important, necessary, critical, or essential to the invention unless explicitly described as such. Although only a few of the exemplary embodiments have been described in detail herein, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in these exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the appended claims.
In the claims, any means-plus-function clauses are intended to clamp the structures described herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents, but also equivalent structures. Thus, although a nail and a screw may not be structural equivalents in that a nail employs a cylindrical surface to secure wooden parts together, whereas a screw employs a helical surface, in the environment of fastening wooden parts, a nail and a screw may be equivalent structures. Unless the exact language “means for” (performing a particular function or step) is recited in the claims, a construction under §112, 6th paragraph is not intended. Additionally, it is not intended that the scope of patent protection afforded the present invention be defined by reading into any claim a limitation found herein that does not explicitly appear in the claim itself.
Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/829,860, to which the present application claims priority, is hereby incorporated by reference.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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61829860 | May 2013 | US |