Multi-purpose, articulated, segmented field panel kit and fabrication process
AssigneeMJD Innovations, L.L.C.
InventorsRussell A. Monk, Michael R. Dennis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A plural-panel articulated (segmented) foldable/unfoldable (in a zigzag fashion) structure which can be unfolded and deployed in the form of a rectangular mat, and which can be folded to form plural other shapes, including a fully-folded shape which takes the form of a stack-cube of panels which is very compact in overall size. Each panel includes a central, anti-projectile barrier structure, and a cushioning foam structure, which offers features and advantages relating to fluid buoyancy, thermal insulation, and cushioning.
Claims18
A multi-purpose, articulated, segmented, foldable/unfoldable, field panel kit comprising
- plural, generally planar panel segments, each having a nominal plane and formed as a plural-layer structure including a ballistic, barrier-layer structure, with each segment having opposite edges, and with the collection of segments organized generally into edge-to-edge, confronting adjacency, and
- plural hinge structures each operatively interposed and interconnecting adjacent, confronting edges in adjacent panel segments, said hinge structures accommodating swinging of different pairs of edge-connected segments about different common hinge axes each of which lies generally to one side adjacent, and substantially parallel to, the nominal plane of an edge-connected segment, with next-adjacent hinge structures for said collection of segments defining respective hinge axes which lie on opposite sides of the nominal plane of the panel segment bracketed by said next-adjacent structures.
The kit of claim of 1, wherein said panel segments are formed, at least partially, of a thermally insulating material.
The kit of claim of 12, wherein said insulating material takes the form of a polyethylene foam.
The kit of claim of 1, wherein said panel segments are formed, at least partially, of a fluid-buoyancy material.
A multi-purpose, stowable/deployable, field panel kit comprising
- plural, interconnected, generally planar panel segments, each including a generally planar, ballistic barrier expanse, and
- stow-enabling structure operatively interconnecting said segments in relative-motion-allowing adjacency with respect to one another, and accommodating, with stowing of the panel structures in the kit, spaced generally planar-expanse adjacency of plural ones of said barrier expanses, thus to define a plural-expanse, ballistic barrier axis which intersects the planes of said barrier expanses.
A method of making a multi-purpose, stowable-deployable articulated and segmented field panel kit comprising
- creating first and second outer layer subassemblies, each including a cushioning foam layer, and a fabric overlayer on one side only of each such foam layer,
- placing the first and second subassemblies with their foam-layer constituents disposed on opposite sides of a ballistic barrier-layer structure,
- at appropriate times, during the two first above-mentioned steps, performing appropriate bonding lamination between adjacent confronting layers and the barrier-layer structure, and
- thereafter, in the overall structure resulting from lamination, producing incisions along plural, spaced, substantially parallel lines, with adjacent incisions extending downwardly into and from opposite sides of the overall laminated structure so-as-to produce incisions each having a depth which is just short of the full thickness of the laminated layer structure, thus to form plural, spaced, generally parallel, elongate living hinges which effectively lie, in an alternating way, on opposite broad sides of the overall assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.