Patent Application
20210172712
The instant invention relates generally to protective transparent shields and more specifically it relates to a law enforcement high risk vehicle windshield protective device. Numerous protective transparent shields have been provided in the prior art that are adapted to be utilized on windshields of motor vehicles, so as to withstand gun fire at close range. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,855,898 to McDonald; U.S. Pat. No. 3,866,242 to Slagel and U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,477 to Kovatch all are illustrative of such prior art. While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they would not be as suitable for the purpose of the present invention as hereafter described.
A variety of shield devices have been proposed to protect motor vehicle occupants from gunfire including from frontal, rear and flank attack. Armored limousines, for example, are well known in the art. Many such limousines include expensive heavy-duty side armor and bullet proof glass to block entry into the passenger compartment of bullets or other projectiles fired at the occupants. Other attempted solutions have included, for example, the fixation of bulletproof glass panels adjacent to the factory installed standard glazing.
Lighter duty and less expensive solutions than the utilization of an armored limousine have also been proposed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,477 to Kovatch discloses a sheet of transparent armor that may be removably slid into position behind a standard windshield along rollers captured by tracks mounted to window posts thereby protecting the driver and other occupants of the vehicle. The '477 patent attempts to solve the problems of cleaning the opposed facing transparent surfaces presented by fixed add-on armor of the prior art by disclosing that the removable armor be pivoted about the rollers and away from the windshield.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,703,316 to Madden, Jr., it was proposed that a foldable bullet resistant curtain of material is removably secured to the underside of a trunk lid of an automobile and is deployed when the trunk is opened to resist bullets fired from behind the vehicle. The curtain, however, does not protect the occupants from frontal or side attack. U.S. Pat. No. 1,443,708 (Fenton) discloses an armor system for a vehicle. The armor includes a plurality of holes, with glass elements covering some of the holes. The holes covered by glass elements comprise viewing apertures. Armor plate cover some of the holes from the interior. Some of the interior armor plate may be removed so that firearms may be used from the inside of the vehicle, shooting outwardly through the holes.
Other prior art solutions include U.S. Pat. No. 1,913,554 (Luker) which discloses a bulletproof covering for portions of a vehicle, including the radiator and tires. The bulletproof covering or armor is designed to protect the front end of a vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,363,573 (Costa) discloses what is referred to as an armor shell for a motor vehicle. Virtually the entire vehicle is covered with an armor shell. There are gun ports in the shell and viewing slits for observing outside the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,855,898 (McDonald) discloses sheeting material applied to the interior of a vehicle. The sheeting includes transparent coverings for the windows and panels which extend over the doors. The door panels are pre-formed in a particular configuration and are permanently secured in place.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,316,404 (Medlin) discloses a lightweight armored vehicle and a method of making the lightweight armored vehicle. The disclosed method comprises stripping a vehicle interior, and using different types of bulletproof material for the interior of the vehicle and also for the gasoline tank of the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,352,316 (Medlin) comprises a continuation-in-part patent of the '404 patent. It accordingly contains virtually the same method and apparatus, but with different materials involved.
The patents discussed in the preceding paragraphs all utilize a permanent or semi-permanent installation of bulletproof or bullet resistant material in a prepared vehicle. Accordingly, substantial changes are made in the vehicles to bulletproof them. The substantial changes include substantial costs involvement, as may be understood and expected.
Moreover, the time required for removal of a semi-permanent installation of a bulletproof shield in a law enforcement vehicle may impede the law enforcement officer's actions (e.g., giving chase to a fleeing felon) or placing the law enforcement officer in a life-threatening situation.
Therefore, a portable ballistic shield not permanently or semi-permanently attached to a vehicle is needed for protection of law enforcement officers. What has been absent in the protective arts is a convenient, readily deployable and undeployable, bullet protective shield for protecting vehicle occupants from gunfire.
The apparatus of the present invention comprises a portable ballistic shield (PBS) which includes a transparent bullet resistant shield, a steering column yoke for mounting the PBS atop a vehicle's steering column. The PBS includes quick release attachments such as, for example, top and side D rings, snap hooks, or button snaps for engaging corresponding hooks and buttons attached to the law enforcement vehicle. The PBS also includes a wedge bar for wedging the PBS against a structural element of a vehicle.
The invention is also directed towards a Portable ballistic shield (PBS) comprising a plurality of transparent laminated polycarbonates. The PBS also includes a wedge bar, for mounting the PBS adjacent to a structural element of a vehicle (e.g., windshield frame). The wedge bar may also include an integral mechanical dampener for dissipating kinetic energy. The PBS also includes a quick release side connector connected to the transparent ballistic shield and a quick release top connector connected to the PBS. The PBS also includes a steering column yoke connected to the transparent ballistic shield for mounting the PBS on the vehicle steering column.
The subject matter which is regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
The following brief definition of terms shall apply throughout the application:
The term “comprising” means including but not limited to, and should be interpreted in the manner it is typically used in the patent context;
The phrases “in one embodiment,” “according to one embodiment,” and the like generally mean that the particular feature, structure, or characteristic following the phrase may be included in at least one embodiment of the present invention, and may be included in more than one embodiment of the present invention (importantly, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment);
If the specification describes something as “exemplary” or an “example,” it should be understood that refers to a non-exclusive example; and
If the specification states a component or feature “may,” “can,” “could,” “should,” “preferably,” “possibly,” “typically,” “optionally,” “for example,” or “might” (or other such language) be included or have a characteristic, that particular component or feature is not required to be included or to have the characteristic.
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It should be understood that the foregoing description is only illustrative of the invention. Thus, various alternatives and modifications can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variances that fall within the scope of the appended claims.
