Visual and thermal shield system
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
InventorsJohn G Korpi, Michael J Manceor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
There is disclosed herein a visual and thermal shield system that effectively obscures visual indicators and thermal signatures of wheel assemblies of a military vehicle to thereby address longstanding military concerns for vehicle and crew survivability. Our device is spaced outboard from the wheel and tire to maintain an insulating body of air between said shield and the adjacent axle, hub, wheel, and tire. Expeditiously, this invention also affords substantial eclipse of the complete tire profile. If a plurality of wheels exist on said vehicle, then multiple shields of this invention can be used to hinder vehicle identification and potential designation of its military purpose.
Claims10
A shield system for hindering identification of a vehicle wherein said vehicle has a wheel assembly including an axle, hub, wheel, and tire, said shield system comprising:
- a. holding means on said hub for extension through said wheel and receipt thereon of a plurality of attaching means, said holding means comprising a plurality of threaded studs extending axially outwardly from the hub, said plurality of studs being equally spaced apart about the hub within a circular pattern, said attaching means which are received on said plurality of threaded studs being selected from the group consisting of compatible, internally threaded nuts and a spacing means, said spacing means comprising a plurality of elongate hexagonal fasteners and a mounting bracket, said elongate hexagonal fasteners having internal threaded bores at each end which are compatible with said threaded studs, said mounting bracket comprising a metal bracket having a geometry of an inverted isosceles triangle as mounted against said wheel with blind apertures centered within each angle for receiving threaded bolts which pierce said apertures and the outboard ends of said hexagonal fasteners;
- b. mounting means for mounting a shield carrier means to the wheel assembly through a plurality of fastening means;
- c. bearing means positioned on said mounting means and retained thereon by an outboard retainer means positioned against said shield carrier means having an interior annular bore for radially housing said bearing means;
- d. accepting means on said shield carrier means for receiving thereon an annular ring of a skeletal framework means of said shield system;
- e. connecting means for connection of said skeletal framework means with said annular ring to said shield carrier means;
- f. covering means of a substantially continuous annulus of durable, woven fabric deployed about the structural framework means;
- and
- g. orienting means to hold said skeletal framework in alignment and proper orientation to said vehicle.
A shield system for hindering identification of a vehicle wherein said vehicle has a wheel assembly including an axle, hub, wheel, and tire, said shield system comprising:
- a. holding means on said hub for extension through said wheel and receipt thereon of a plurality of attaching means;
- b. shield carrier means comprising a metal carrier bracket essentially having a geometry of an upright isosceles triangle with a rounded apex, said apex including an interior, annular bore, said bore adapted to receive a bearing means, as said carrier bracket is retained against said metal mounting bracket by an outboard retainer means;
- c. mounting means for mounting said shield carrier means to the wheel assembly through a plurality of fastening means;
- d. bearing means positioned on said mounting means and retained thereon by an outboard retainer means positioned against a shield carrier means having an interior annular bore for radially housing said bearing means;
- e. accepting means on said shield carrier means for receiving thereon an annular ring of a skeletal framework means of said shield;
- f. connecting means for connection of the skeletal framework means with said annular ring to the shield carrier means;
- g. covering means of a substantially continuous annulus of durable, woven fabric deployed about the structural framework means of said shield;
- and
- h. orienting means to hold said skeletal framework in alignment and proper orientation to said vehicle.
A shield system for hindering identification of a vehicle wherein said vehicle has a wheel assembly including an axle, hub, wheel, and tire, said shield system comprising:
- a. holding means on said hub for extension through said wheel and receipt thereon of a plurality of attaching means;
- b. mounting means for mounting a shield carrier means to the wheel assembly through a plurality of fastening means;
- c. bearing means positioned on said mounting means and retained thereon by an outboard retainer means positioned against said shield carrier means, said shield carrier means having an interior annular bore for radially housing said bearing means;
- d. accepting means on said shield carrier means for receiving thereon an annular ring of a skeletal framework means of said shield, said skeletal framework comprising an outer, substantially circular structure having a small portion removed along a chord at the bottom of said structure to prevent ground contact, and an internal “Y”-shaped structure comprised of four annular rings that spatially fit within said outer structure to reinforce and impart resiliency to said skeletal framework means;
- e. connecting means for connection of the skeletal framework means with said annular ring to the shield carrier means;
- f. covering means of a substantially continuous annulus of durable, woven fabric deployed about the structural framework means of said shield;
- and
- g. orienting means to hold said skeletal framework in alignment and proper orientation to said vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.