Lightweight armored vehicle and method of making same
OwnerRichard C. Medlininventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved lightweight armored vehicle and a cost effective method of retrofitting standard automobiles to make them lightweight armored vehicles. Metal edge channels and edge caps fit about laminated windows to protect the laminated edges for stress, moisture and atmosphere and fit within the standard automobile original window frames. Prefabricated formed lightweight composite armor is molded to closely fit within the standard automobile. Ballistic steel opaque armored elements are cut and sized to fit within the standard automobile. Both transparent and opaque armored elements are designed for cost effective, onsite manufacture of components to cost effective installation procedures to put in affordable lightweight armored vehicle.
Claims18
A commercial vehicle with inner furnishings, having a passenger compartment, a door, a body, a window frame and a curved inner surface of said vehicle body, said vehicle being retrofitted with ballistic improvements to resist penetration into said passenger compartment by projectiles, said improvements comprising:
- at least one armored window, said armored window being thicker than said window frame and held within an edge cap, said edge cap engaging said window frame to hold said armored window within said window frame, an outer surface said armored window not being outside of the plane of an outer surface of an original equipment manufacture window for said window frame;
- Prefabricated, curved, rigid, opaque armor sized and shaped to fit closely adjacent said one curved inner surface of said vehicle body, at least some of said opaque armor being sized and shaped to fit outside of said vehicle's inner furnishings and being positioned between said curved inner surface and said inner furnishings, said opaque armor being substantially hidden from view;
- said armored window and said rigid opaque armor creating a ballistic barrier to penetration of said passenger compartment by projectiles which ballistic barrier is not readily recognizable as a ballistic barrier from outside said vehicle.
A method of armoring a vehicle with inner furnishings to be a lightweight armored vehicle comprised of the following steps:
- installing prefabricated curved rigid opaque armor within said vehicle adjacent to at least one curved opaque surface of said vehicle;
- said opaque armor being shaped to accommodate contours of inner opaque surfaces of said vehicle to permit said opaque armor to fit closely adjacent to at least one of said curved opaque surfaces of said vehicle and outside of at least one of said vehicle's inner furnishings and being positioned between said curved inner surface and said inner furnishings, said opaque armor being substantially hidden from view;
- and
- installing armored windows to create a barrier to penetration by projectiles;
- said armored windows comprising laminated transparent armor thicker than window frames of said vehicle, the outer surface of the armored windshield not being outside the plane of the outer surface of an original equipment manufacturer windshield.
A commercial vehicle having a passenger compartment, a window frame and a curved inner surface, said vehicle being retrofitted with ballistic improvements to resist penetration into said passenger compartment by projectiles, said improvements comprising:
- at least one armored window, said armored window being thicker than said window frame and held within an edge cap, said edge cap engaging said window frame to hold said armored window within said window frame;
- prefabricated, curved, rigid, opaque armor sized and shaped to fit closely adjacent to at least one curved inner surface of said vehicle, at least some of said opaque armor being sized and shaped to fit outside of said vehicle's inner furnishings and being positioned between said curved inner surface and said inner furnishings, said opaque armor being substantially hidden from view;
- said armored window and said rigid opaque armor creating a ballistic barrier to penetration of said passenger compartment by projectiles which ballistic barrier is not readily recognizable as a ballistic barrier from outside said vehicle;
- and
- at least one said window frame having a channel, said edge cap having a protruding lip, said protruding lip fitting within said channel to hold said armored window within said window frame.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.