Patent Application
20070234895
The present invention relates to fighting vehicles. More particularly, the present invention relates to devices that are added on to the exterior of the vehicle hull.
With the threat of improvised explosive devices and similar explosives encountered in various combat situations throughout the world, combat and tactical vehicles are presently only providing limited protection for the troops using the vehicles. The solution to this problem is add-on armor kits. The add-on armor kits are required to improve the ballistic protection of the vehicle occupants. The known method to increase armor protection is to mount the add-on armor kits directly to the exterior of the vehicle. To effect this, the exterior of the vehicles is modified by welding or installing add-on armor mounting provisions. Mounting the add-on armor kits directly to the vehicle limits the add-on armor packages to the exact configuration of the vehicle mounting devices. Such add-on armor kits are disadvantageously limited to use in a specific location on the specific type of vehicle for which the kit is designed.
The add-on armor kit for U.S. and foreign vehicles is usually mounted to the vehicle with welded studs on the exterior of the armor vehicle. Vehicles such as the U.S. Bradley Fighting Vehicle use slide rails which are mounted to the bolt pattern on the exterior of the vehicle. This add-on armor provides the base vehicle with improved ballistic protection. However, a specific type of add-on armor kit or add-on armor modules must be designed solely to interface with the particular vehicle mounting provision. As noted above, these kits are not interchangeable with other kits which have different mounting provisions. As depicted in prior
Additionally, it is noted that the add-on armor kits for certain vehicles have significant spaces between various armor modules that make up the kit. Such spaces reduce the amount of protection available to the occupants of the vehicle. Further, the prior art add-on armor kits expose the means of mounting the various modules of the armor kit to the vehicle to the blast effect of munitions directed at the vehicle. And, there is no electrical communication provided by the mounting means between adjacent modules.
Accordingly, there is a need for improved add-on armor for today's fighting vehicles.
The present invention is a modular assembly including both a blast plate subassembly and an add-on module subassembly. The blast plate subassembly is mounted directly to the vehicle and functions as an interface or an intermediate plate, providing mountings for the add-on on module subassemblies. The blast plate subassembly mitigates the blast effect from add-on reactive armor subassembly, such that vehicle hull deformation is minimized. Further, the blast plate subassembly provides additional ballistic protection against kinetic energy projectiles such as, small arms, heavy machine gun, and heavy type threats.
The blast plate subassembly may be made of different types of material, such as metallic (steel, aluminum, titanium, etc.) or composite (fiber reinforced plastic or fiber reinforced glass) material. The blast plate subassembly has mounting locations designed to mate to the existing vehicle structure mounting means. Further, the blast plate subassembly provides for additional mounting provisions for non-armor items to be carried on the vehicle such as, Basic Issue Items (BIIs), troop gear (“A” and “B” bags), and vehicle tools.
The module subassemblies of the present invention provide for ergonomic installation of the individual modules with a unique self-locating load bearing pin-tool-bracket connecting devices. Where multiple rows of modular subassemblies are utilized, higher row modular subassemblies interlock with the lower row modular subassemblies to provide weight support during installation and also to provide armor protection over the lower row mounting hardware.
The unique interface of the upper and lower rows of modular subassemblies provides for electrical connection as required for EM modules and other needs. The module subassemblies of the present invention provide for module adjustment to near zero gap conditions between the adjacent module subassemblies in order to maximize protection at module seams. The module subassemblies of the present invention are readily removable and installable, thereby allowing for readily tailoring the module installation formation need, such as installing modules where you need them or installing heavier or lighter modules in accordance with the anticipated threat. Further the standardized module subassemblies may be readily used on a variety of vehicle types.
The present invention is an interface that includes a blast plate having plate structure, the plate structure being formed to substantially conform to a certain portion of an exterior margin of a hull of a certain vehicle and being semi-permanently mounted to the hull by mounting to certain mounting devices present on the exterior margin of the hull and having mounting means for supportively mounting a standardized add-on device, the mounting means being designed to facilitate the add-on device being readily mountable on and demountable from the plate structure, the plate structure having structural characteristics for acting to protect the hull from affects of a blast directed at the hull. The present invention is further a modular assembly having an interface and add-on devices.
a is a side elevational view of the modular assembly mounted to a vehicle hull;
b is a side elevational view of
The modular assembly of the present invention is shown generally at 10 in the figures. The modular assembly 10 includes two subassemblies; the blast plate 12 and the add-on module 14.
A portion of a fighting vehicle 16 is depicted in
A vehicle mounting array 20 is provided for mounting various structures exteriorly to the vehicle 16 in a known pattern on the vehicle hull 18. A typical vehicle interface array 20 includes a base 22 and an outward directed stud 24. A longitudinal blind threaded bore 26 is provided in the end margin of the stud 24. It is understood that the modular assembly 10 of the present invention is made readily compatible with other means of vehicle interfaces such as a rail mounting array 20a. The alternative rail mounting array 20a is depicted in
The subassembly of the modular assembly 10 that comprises the blast plate 12 includes plate structure 30. The blast plate 12 functions as an interface between the vehicle 16 and the modules 14. Plate structure 30 includes a first planar outer plate margin 32 and a second opposed planar inner plate margin 33. The plate structure 30 further includes a top margin 34 and a bottom margin 36. The structure 30 of the blast plate 12 may preferably be about 19.05 mm (0.75 inches) in thickness, as depicted in
A plurality of bores 38 are defined in the plate structure 30. The bores 38 are positioned in a selected pattern to match the known pattern of the array 20 disposed on the vehicle hull 18, such that the blind threaded bores 26 are in registry with the bores 38 when the blast plate 12 is positioned next to a specific known portion of the vehicle hull 18. The bores 38 may also be formed in a pattern conforming to the spaced apart bores 21 defined in parallel rails 20b of the alternative rail mounting array 20a. Accordingly, the pattern of bores 38 is dictated by the pattern of vehicle interfaces 20, 20a that are underlying the specific plate structure 30. The plate structure 30 may be uniquely shaped to mate to a specific portion of the specific vehicle 16 on which the plate structure 30 is to be mounted, while the modules 14 are standardized and may be moved from plate structure 30 to plate structure 30 and from vehicle 16 to vehicle 16, even where the vehicles 16 are of different types. It is understood that while the plate structure 30 is unique, a number of similar plate structures 30 may be employed on a vehicle 16, especially where the pattern vehicle interface array 20 underlying the specific plate structure 30 is the same, as on a planar portion of the hull 18 having repeatable patterns of the vehicle interface array 20.
As illustrated in
Mounting means 49 are fixedly disposed on the outer plate margin 32 and may comprise at least one L-shaped bracket 50. A first bracket 50 is preferably affixed to the outer plate margin 32 of the blast plate 12 proximate the bottom margin 36 of the plate structure 30. As depicted in
The second subassembly of the modular assembly 10 is the module 14. As noted above, the module 14 may be reactive armor, passive armor, EM, or other types of modules. As depicted, the module 14 is a generally block-like module structure 62. The module 14 may preferably be about 272.034 mm (10.71 inches) in thickness, as depicted in
Preferably, a beveled corner 64 is formed by the module structure 62. As depicted in
A pair of spaced apart corner brackets 70 are disposed at the inside upper corner of the module structure 62 when the module structure 62 is mounted to the blast plate 12. Each of the corner brackets 70 has a bore 72 defined therein. Insertable pin 74 may be passed through a mounting bore 60 defined in the bracket 50 and into the bore 72. Alternatively, the insertable pin 74 could be a bolt and the bore 72 could be threaded. As depicted in
In assembly, the blast plate 12 is semi-permanently mounted to the vehicle 16 by the bolts 42 threadably engaging the blind threaded bore 26 of the vehicle interface 20. Once mounted on the vehicle 16, the blast plate 12 would not normally be removed during field operations, although removal is fairly easily accomplished by removing the bolts 42. Once conditions warrant, add-on modules 14 of various size and structure could be readily attached and readily removed from the blast plate 12, the blast plate 12 acting as an interface between the vehicle 16 and the modules 14. Such modules 14 may advantageously be of standard size and utilized on any vehicle or any type of vehicle to which the blast plate 12 has been affixed. The spacing of the brackets 50 mounted on the blast plate 12 is such that the spacing is standardized to accommodate the affixing of standard modules 14 thereto.
Mounting of the modules 14 to the blast plate 12 is depicted in
Mounting of the upper row 78 of modules 14 is depicted in
The above disclosure is not intended as limiting. Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the restrictions of the appended claims.
The U.S. Government has a paid-up license in this invention and the right in limited circumstances to require the patent owner to license others on reasonable terms as provided for by the terms of Contract No. DAAE07-00-M-M051 awarded by the Department of the Army.
