Modular armor shield

[0001] 1. Field of Invention

[0002] The present invention relates generally to an armored shield and more particularly to a modular armored shield that can be assembled and re-assembled depending on the circumstances; the shields are easily portable.

[0003] 2. Description of Related Art

[0004] As is well known there is a need for personal protection from small arms ammunition as well as armor piercing ordinance for a person on ground or on ships. Various portable shields are known for providing body protection for the user. Examples of devices generally related to this art include U.S. Pat. No. 5,293,807 issued on Mar. 15, 1994 to Sandor Hajdu (Bullet Proof Shield Assembly); U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,577 issued on Jan. 3, 1995 to Bounkong et al. (Ballistic Shield); U.S. Pat. No. 5,850,052 issued on Dec. 15, 1998 to Wendell Gabriel (Padded Safety Shield); U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,730 issue on Jan. 12, 1999 to Kopri et al. (Low Visibility Armor Structure with Add-On Window Armor Component); U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,889 issued on May 30, 2000 to James C. Brown (Portable Combat Bunker); U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,524 issued on Oct. 17, 2000 to John P. Nepper, Sr. (Guardsman Shield for Opposably Parrying a Hostile Assailant); U.S. Pat. No. 6,367,363 issued on Apr. 9, 2002 to Widmont (Dual Protective Shield).

[0005] However, none of the shields disclosed in this prior art provides adequate personal protection while being easily transported and assembled. In this regard, most prior art shield structures have typically been of a unitary type, providing minor protection to individual body parts, some of the prior art shields require that users be in a prone position.

[0006] Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a modular armor shield that provides enhanced general protection for upright users but is easy to transport and assemble. Further, it is an object of this invention to provide such a shield that can be used as a gun mount.

[0007] It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved bulletproof shield assembly, which may be easily and efficiently manufactures and marketed.

[0008] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved shield assembly of a durable and reliable construction.

[0009] Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved armored shield assembly which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to consuming public, thereby making such armored shield assemblies economically available to the buying public.

[0010] According to principles, one embodiment of this invention, an armored shield includes an armor plate, an elongated spine member and a securing snap member. The modular armored shield is formed of the armor plate placed on two resting surfaces of a backside of the spine member with a hump portion of the elongated spine member extending through an armor plate slot and a securing snap member being mounted to the hump portion of the spine member with the hump portion extending through a securing snap slot.

[0011] In the present embodiment the elongated spine member has a supporting surface for supporting the armor shield from a supporting floor, such as ground or floor of a ship. Further, the supporting surface, in one embodiment has a base plate for improving this support.

[0012] Also, in the present embodiment the elongated spine member defines a pintle mount. The armor shield also includes a pintle plate for supporting a weapon. The pintle mount of the spine member is used to support the pintle plate. Furthermore, in one embodiment the elongated spine member has a pad eye for lifting the armor shield.

[0013] Furthermore, personal safety can best be achieved when the spine member supports the armor plate from the floor at an angle of 80°–60° to the floor with a deflection angle 10°–30° between the armor plate and a vertical line at the floor. Better results are achieved when the spine member supports the armor plate at an angle of 75°–65° with the deflection angle 15°–25° between the armor plate and the vertical line at the floor. However, the best results appear to be achieved when the spine member supports the armor plate from the floor at an angle approximately 70° with the deflection angle approximately 20°.

[0026] With references to the drawings, a modular armored shield 10, formed of a single armor plate unit 10a, of this invention is shown in FIG. 1 to be constructed generally of an armor plate 11, an elongated spine member 12 and a securing snap member 13.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 2, the armor plate 11 has two sides a front side 11A and a backside 11B. The armor plate defines an armor plate slot 21 and has a plurality of connecting studs 22 along opposite longitudinal edges extending from the backside of the plate. The armor plate may be formed from AR500 (Abrasion resistance) material. The armor plate is rectangular or flat plate, which in one embodiment is ½″ thick. In another embodiment longitudinal the armor plate is ⅜″ thick.

[0028] The elongated spine member 12 is basically an upright plate having a top portion 23, a front side 24, a backside 25, and a bottom edge 26. The backside 25 further includes a hump portion 27 that extends longitudinally along the backside, where the backside defines two resting surfaces 28 and 29 adjacent to the hump portion 27. The securing snap member 13 is a plate defines a securing snap slot 13a that approximately corresponds to the shape and size of the armor plate slot 21.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 1, the modular armored shield is formed by placing the armor plate 11 on the two resting surfaces 28 and 29 respectively of the backside of the spine member 12 by extending the hump portion 27 of the elongated spine member through the armor plate slot 21 and mounting the securing snap 13 to the hump potion of the spine member. The armor plate slot and the securing snap slot are laser cut slots for a perfect fit. The securing snap is attached to the hump portion by being welded thereto on a side of the securing snap facing away from the armor plate. Thus, an integrity of the armor plate is not affected by this weld.

[0030] The bottom edge 26 of the elongated spine member 12 forms a supporting surface 34 for supporting the armor shield from a supporting floor 18, such as the ground or the floor of the ship.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 2, the bottom edge 26 of the elongated spine member further has a bottom edge that has two posts 26a and 26b; a base plate 30 that has a plurality of holes two of which 30a and 30b that approximately correspond to the shape and size of the two posts 26a and 26b of the bottom edge 26 of the spine member 12. The base plate 30 is attached to the bottom edge 26 of the spine member 12 by placing the posts 26a and 26b through the holes 30a and 30b respectively, and welding them to the base plate from a bottom of the base plate. Thus, the spine member 12 and the base plate 30 form a spine member assembly.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 2, the elongated spine member further 12 defines a pad eye 31 for lifting the armor shield. The pad eye 31 is placed in such position that the shield could be lifted without breaking. The elongated spine member 12 also defines a pintle mount 33 that has two posts 33a and 33b. The elongated spine member assembly further includes a pintle plate 32 for supporting a weapon 16. The above pintle plate 32 has a plurality of holes two of which 32a and 32b approximately correspond to the shape and size of the two posts 33a and 33b of the pintle mount 33. The pintle mount supports the pintle plate by placing the pintle mount posts 33a and 33b through the holes 32a and 32b respectively.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 1, personal safety can best be achieved when the spine member supports the armor plate from the floor at an angle of 80°–60° to the floor with a deflection angle 10°–30° between the armor plate and a vertical line 17 at the floor. Better results are achieved when the spine member supports the armor plate at an angle of 75°–65° with the deflection angle 15°–25° between the armor plate and the vertical line 17 at the floor. However, the best results appear to be achieved when the spine member supports the armor plate from the floor at an angle approximately 70° with the deflection angle approximately 20°.

[0034] With reference to FIGS. 7–11, an improved modular armored shield assembly 36 is shown in various stages of completion formed of a plurality of armor plate units, at least one of which is identical to that of FIG. 1. The modular armored shield assembly 36 includes a plurality of armor plates units joined at edges of armor plates thereof wherein at least one of two adjacent armor plates unit is like unit 10a depicted in FIGS. 1–6 another armor plate unit of the assembly is an angled armor plate unit 38 in which an angled armor plate 39 forms a 45° angle 39a. Further, a protective cap 46 is placed on a top of angled areas 39b of the angled armor plate 39 for enhancement of ballistic integrity of this plate. Each armor plate 11 and 39 has threaded studs 22 extending from the surface thereof. The shield assembly 36 also included an overlap plate 40 that has edges slots 41 opening to the edge thereof at positions corresponding to positions of connecting studs. The assembly further includes two securing strips 42. These two armor plates 11 and 39 are attached to one another by sliding the threaded studs 22 into the edge slots 41 of the overlap plate 40, placing the securing strips 42 on the threaded studs 22 and screwing nuts 44 onto the threaded studs. Thus the overlap plate 40 is also an armor plate that holds the two adjacent armor plates 11 and 39 of the armor plate units 10a and 38 together.

[0035] It should be noted that the overlap plate 40 is without the elongated spine member and is constructed to have rounded corners 43. The rounded corners improve the strength and enhance ballistic integrity of this member.

[0036] The above assembly provides 100% true overlapping ballistic integrity even if mounted on uneven ground. As to the manner of usage and operation of the instant invention, the same should be apparent from the above disclosure, and accordingly no further discussion relative to the manner of usage and operation of the instant invention shall be provided.

[0037] This invention provides the modular armor shield that provides enhanced general protection for upright users but is easy to transport and to assemble. Further, this invention provides the shield that can be used as a gun mount. The modular armor shield and modular armor shield assembly are constructed in such a way that construction does not adversely affect the armor qualities of the plates. Further, the angle provides additional protection by deflecting bullets. Finally, the angled armor plate allows the shield to be tailored to its location.

[0038] With regard to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

[0039] Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

[0040] For example, although the combined armor plate units shown herein include adjacent non-angled and angled armor plates, it should be understood that two non-angled plates could be adjacent one another, as could two angled plates.