US 7,114,764 B1Granted

Mine and collision protection for passenger vehicle

AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy

InventorsRoshdy George S. Barsoum, Rodney O. Peterson, David P. Owen, Wayne C. Jones, David E. Johnson

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Abstract

Many military land vehicles are not designed to withstand extreme forces concomitant exploding mines. A vehicle's capacity to protect its occupants is inventively enhanced by structurally augmenting the vehicle, in lower structural portions closely related to the vehicle's cabin, with both elastomeric and rigid (non-elastomeric) materials. An elastomeric layer and a rigid layer (typically embodied as a metal or composite sheet or plate) are added to the vehicle in each of seven locations, viz., the four wheel wells (left-front, right-front, left-rear, right-rear), the two floorboards (left and right), and the intervening underside area. At each wheel well and floorboard location, the elastomer is sandwiched between the vehicle's existing rigid structure and the rigid member so as to form a tri-layer material system. At the intervening underside location, an elastomer-coated rigid member is attached with the elastomer face-down. The seven material systems are energy-dissipative and impact-deflective both locally and globally.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A method for augmenting a wheeled vehicle in order to enhance its occupant protection capability, said vehicle including a cabin and an undercarriage, said undercarriage including an undercarriage portion situated beneath said cabin, said undercarriage portion including a pair of floorboard portions and a central portion intermediate said floorboard portions, each said floorboard portion being at least substantially characterized by structural continuity, said central portion being at least substantially characterized by structural discontinuity, said method comprising:

covering each said floorboard portion with a floorboard-location elastomeric layer and a floorboard-location non-elastomeric layer so that said floorboard-location elastomeric layer is interposed between said floorboard portion and said floorboard-location non-elastomeric layer, wherein with respect to each said floorboard portion the combination including said floorboard portion and its associated said floorboard-location elastomeric layer and its associated said floorboard-location non-elastomeric layer essentially represents a floorboard-location three-layer material system, said floorboard portion and said floorboard-location non-elastomeric layer each being more rigid than said floorboard-location elastomeric layer;
and
covering said central portion with a central-location elastomeric layer and a central-location non-elastomeric layer so that said central-location non-elastomeric layer is interposed between said central portion and said central-location elastomeric layer, wherein with respect to said central portion the combination including its associated said central-location elastomeric layer and its associated said central-location non-elastomeric layer essentially represents a central-location two-layer material system, said central-location non-elastomeric layer being more rigid than said central-location elastomeric layer.

A method for rendering a vehicular cabin assembly more occupant-protective, said cabin assembly including a cabin body, four wheel-facing bulkheads and two floorboards separated by a space therebetween, each said bulkhead adjoining a said floorboard, said method comprising providing shielding means for said cabin body, said providing shielding means including:

at each said bulkhead, establishing a first sandwich construction that includes said bulkhead, first elastomeric material, and first non-elastomeric material, wherein said first elastomeric material is sandwiched between said bulkhead and said first non-elastomeric material;
at each said floorboard, establishing a second sandwich construction that includes said floorboard, second elastomeric material, and second non-elastomeric material, wherein said second elastomeric material is sandwiched between said floorboard and said second non-elastomeric material;
and
at least substantially covering said space between said floorboards, said at least substantially covering including attaching to said cabin assembly a double-layer construction that includes third elastomeric material and third non-elastomeric material, wherein said third elastomeric material is underneath said third non-elastomeric material.

1 more element

An occupant-protective understructure suitable for incorporation as part of a wheeled vehicle, said wheeled vehicle having a front vehicle end, a rear vehicle end, a left vehicle side, and a right vehicle side, said understructure comprising:

two separated, at least approximately coplanar floor components, said two floor components being a left floor component and a right floor component, said left floor component having a left floor component front end and a left floor component rear end, said right floor component having a right floor component front end and a right floor component rear end, each said floor component including two rigid layers and an elastomeric layer sandwiched therebetween;
four wheel bulkhead components each for placement proximate a wheel of said vehicle, said four wheel bulkhead components being a left front wheel bulkhead component, a right front wheel bulkhead component, a left rear wheel bulkhead component, and a right rear wheel bulkhead component, each said wheel bulkhead component including two rigid layers and an elastomeric layer sandwiched therebetween, said left front wheel bulkhead component adjoining said left floor component at said left floor component front end, said right front wheel bulkhead component adjoining said right floor component at said right floor component front end, said left rear wheel bulkhead component adjoining said left floor component at said left floor component rear end, said right rear wheel bulkhead component adjoining said right floor component at said right floor component rear end, each said wheel bulkhead component being disposed at an angle with respect to the adjoining said floor component;
and
a middle component including a rigid layer and an elastomeric layer on the underside of said rigid layer, said middle component being interposed between said two floor components so as to be at least nearly coplanar with said two floor components.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.