Patent Application
20190390941
The present disclosure relates to protective shields and more specifically to ballistic shield assemblies.
There is a need for a ballistic cover that can increase the ballistic rating of a shield. More specifically, there is a need for a ballistic cover with a curved profile to fit the curved profile of the ballistic shield.
In various embodiments, a ballistic shield system may comprise a shield, a ballistic cover, and a fastening system. The shield may have a first curved profile and a first ballistic rating. The ballistic cover may have a second curved profile and a second ballistic rating. The fastening system may be configured to attach the ballistic cover to the shield. Moreover, the second curved profile of the ballistic cover may match, compliment and/or otherwise mate with the first curved profile of the shield. The ballistic shield system may further comprise a handle.
In various embodiments, the second ballistic rating of the ballistic cover may be greater than the first ballistic rating of the shield. Further, the ballistic rating of the shield system may be the second ballistic rating, in response to the ballistic cover being attached to the shield.
In various embodiments, the fastening system may be a fastener assembly. The fastening system may be a two-part system. For example, the fastening system may comprise a first portion disposed on the shield and a second portion disposed on the ballistic cover. Moreover, the fastening system may be at least one of a nut and bolt assembly, hook and loop material, a magnet assembly, a clip, and an adhesive. In various embodiments, the fastening system may be configured to retain at least a portion of the ballistic cover on the shield in response to the ballistic cover cracking.
In various embodiments, the second curved profile may be a concave profile.
In various embodiments, the shield may comprise a first portion, a second portion and a transition. The ballistic cover may comprise a third portion that substantially covers the first portion and a fourth portion that substantially covers the second portion. The transition may be configured to support an item being used by a user of the ballistic shield system.
In various embodiments, a shield assembly may comprise a shield, a ballistic cover, and a fastening system. The shield may comprise a first front and a first back. The shield may also have a first ballistic rating. The first front of the shield may have a first concave profile. The ballistic cover may comprise a second front and a second back. The ballistic cover may also have a second ballistic rating. The second back of the ballistic cover may have a second concave profile. The second concave profile of the ballistic cover may be configured to mate with, cover, and/or attached to the first concave profile of the first front of the shield. The fastening system may be configured to attach the ballistic cover to the shield.
In various embodiments, the fastening system may be two-part system, having a first part and a second part. More specifically, the first part of the fastening system may be operatively coupled to the first front of the shield. The second part of the fastening system may be operatively coupled to the second back of the ballistic cover. In various embodiments, the fastening system may be, for example, a nut and bolt assembly, hook and loop material, a magnet assembly, a clip, an adhesive, and/or the like.
In various embodiments, the shield may be made of a first material and the ballistic cover may be made of a second material.
In various embodiments, a ballistic tile may comprise a body having a front surface and a back surface. The back surface may have a curved profile. The body may be configured to mate with a curved shield to increase the ballistic rating of the shield. The body may be sized to cover at least 50 percent of a surface area of the curved shield. The curved profile may be a concave profile.
In various embodiments, the ballistic tile is attachable to the shield with a fastening system. The fastening system may be a two-part system. The fastening system may be, for example, a nut and bolt assembly, hook and loop material, a magnet assembly, a clip, an adhesive, and/or the like.
The subject matter of the present disclosure is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. A more complete understanding of the present disclosure, however, may best be obtained by referring to the detailed description and claims when considered in connection with the drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements.
The detailed description of exemplary embodiments herein refers to the accompanying drawings, which show exemplary embodiments by way of illustration. While these exemplary embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the inventions, other embodiments may be realized, and that logical, chemical and mechanical changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventions. Thus, the detailed description herein is presented for purposes of illustration only and not of limitation. For example, the steps recited in any of the method or process descriptions may be executed in any order and are not necessarily limited to the order presented. Furthermore, any reference to singular includes plural embodiments, and any reference to more than one component or step may include a singular embodiment or step. Also, any reference to attached, fixed, connected or the like may include permanent, removable, temporary, partial, full and/or any other possible attachment option. Additionally, any reference to without contact (or similar phrases) may also include reduced contact or minimal contact.
The present disclosure is directed to a ballistic shield system. The ballistic shield system is generally configured to improve the ballistic capability of a traditional shield by adding a ballistic cover or tile to increase the ballistic capabilities of a traditional ballistic shield. Ballistic shields with generally flat profiles have been used to protect users. However, flat profile shields do not provide the same level of coverage as curved profile shields. Moreover, covers or tiles used to increase the ballistic rating of a shield have not been made with curved profiles, because the materials that are used to make the covers are difficult to process.
In various embodiments and with reference to
In various embodiments, shield 10 may have a curved profile. For example, shield 10 may have a concave profile. Shield 10 may also have a surface that curves inward similar to the interior of a circle or sphere. More specifically, back 11 of shield 10 may have a curved profile such that is surrounds the user. Ballistic cover 110 may have a complementary shape. In this regard, ballistic cover 110 may compliment or mate with shield 10.
In various embodiments and with continued reference to
In various embodiments, front 13 of shield 10 may be configured to operatively engage, fasten to, support, and/or otherwise mate with back 111 of ballistic cover 110. In this regard, the front 13 may have a complimentary profile to back 111 such that they mate and/or contact one another. The complimentary profiles insure that there is uniform contact and/or support between front 13 and back 111. This uniform contact minimizes the occurrence of ballistic voids between shield 10 and ballistic cover 110. A ballistic void is present when there is a gap between the shield and ballistic cover. The gap reduces the ballistic capability of the overall shield system and increases the risk of a penetration of and/or to ballistic shield system 100.
In various embodiments, shield 10 may be made of a first material and ballistic cover 110 may be made of a second material. For example, shield 10 may be made of a bullet resistant steel or a composite material. Shield 10 may have a first ballistic rating based on the material that shield 10 is made from. Ballistic cover 110 may be made from a second material such as, for example, ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE, UHMW) (e.g., DYNEEMA® composite material and/or the like), other pre-impregnated aramid fibers (e.g., KEVLAR®, NOMEX®, TECHNORA®, and/or the like) or heat resistant, high strength composite fibers. Ballistic cover 110 may also be made of and/or from a composite, metal, ceramic and/or of other suitable heat resistant, high strength materials.
In various embodiments, shield 10 may be configured with handle 15 in operation. A user may grab and support shield 10 in front of her body. The curved profile of shield 10 generally provides greater coverage than a shield with a flat profile. Moreover, the user of shield 10 may hold shield 10 with one hand at handle 15 and may hold another device such as, for example, a firearm, camera, and/or the like with the other hand.
In various embodiments and with continued reference to
In various embodiments and with reference to
In various embodiments and with continued reference to
In various embodiments and with reference to
In various embodiments, ballistic shield system 300 may have a hybrid fastening system. In this regard, any of the fastening systems described herein may be employed together in whole or in part with other fastening systems and/or structures of shield 10 or the ballistic covers described herein. For example, the fastening system may include one or more mechanical fasteners (e.g. a nut in a bolt), a structure formed in the ballistic cover 310, and/or a fastening system like hook and loop device disclosed herein.
In various embodiments and with reference to
In various embodiments and with reference to
In various embodiments and with reference to
In various embodiments and with reference to
Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described herein with regard to specific embodiments. Furthermore, the connecting lines shown in the various figures contained herein are intended to represent exemplary functional relationships and/or physical couplings between the various elements. It should be noted that many alternative or additional functional relationships or physical connections may be present in a practical system. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any elements that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as critical, required, or essential features or elements of the disclosure. The scope of the disclosure is accordingly to be limited by nothing other than the appended claims, in which reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless explicitly so stated, but rather “one or more.” Moreover, where a phrase similar to “at least one of A, B, or C” is used in the claims, it is intended that the phrase be interpreted to mean that A alone may be present in an embodiment, B alone may be present in an embodiment, C alone may be present in an embodiment, or that any combination of the elements A, B and C may be present in a single embodiment; for example, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C.
Systems, methods and apparatus are provided herein. In the detailed description herein, references to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “various embodiments,” etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether explicitly described. After reading the description, it will be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art(s) how to implement the disclosure in alternative embodiments.
Furthermore, no element, component, or method step in the present disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element, component, or method step is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element herein is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 112(f) unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for.” As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.
