# US 8,783,156 B1 · Vehicle and structure shield with a cable frame > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,783,156 B1 - Document ID: US8783156B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 13/873,839 - Filed: 2013-04-30 - Published: 2014-07-17 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2008-04-16 - Assignees: Foster-Miller, Inc. - Applicants: QinetiQ North America, Inc. - Inventors: Joseph Vincent Malone; Nicole Jean Baird; Scott Robert Albin; Robert G. Holmes, Jr. - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8783156B1 ## CPC - F41H 7/02: Land vehicles with enclosing armour, e.g. tanks (endless-track vehicles, steering thereof B62D {; vehicles for placing portable or sectional bridges E01D15/127; vehicles carrying floating bridges E01D15/22}) - F41H 5/013: Mounting or securing armour plates - F41H 5/023: {Armour plate, or auxiliary armour plate mounted at a distance of the main armour plate, having cavities at its outer impact surface, or holes, for deflecting the projectile} - F41H 5/026: {Slat armour; Nets} - F41H 5/24: for stationary use, e.g. fortifications {; Shelters; Guard Booths (air-raid shelters E04H9/04)} - F41H 7/04: Armour construction (in general F41H5/00) - Y10T 29/49826: Assembling or joining - F41H: ARMOUR; ARMOURED TURRETS; ARMOURED OR ARMED VEHICLES; MEANS OF ATTACK OR DEFENCE, e.g. CAMOUFLAGE, IN GENERAL - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract An ordinance, such as a rocket propelled grenade, shield includes a net with hard points at select nodes of the net and cable guides on the side of the net. Cables under tension extend through the cable guides supporting the net typically in conjunction with a top cross bar, spaced top struts, and spaced bottom struts. This framis design facilitates entering and exiting the vehicle or structure. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A shield comprising: a net including hard points at select nodes of the net; one or more sides of the net including a plurality of cable guides; at least one cable under tension through the cable guides supporting the net; and spaced top struts interconnecting a top cross bar supporting the net with a vehicle or structure, said spaced top struts foldable with respect to the vehicle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The shield of claim 1 in which said cable guides include eyelets. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The shield of claim 2 in which said eyelets include a peripheral groove for receiving net material therein. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The shield of claim 3 in which said hard points include a body portion with a cavity and a plug received in the cavity. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The shield of claim 1 in which said hard points include slots in the body portion for the net material. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The shield of claim 1 in which the top cross bar includes a tensioning mechanism for the cable. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The shield of claim 1 in which the vehicle or structure includes a door and both top struts are connected to the door. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The shield of claim 1 in which the vehicle or structure includes a door and one top strut is connected to the door and one top strut is connected to the vehicle or structure. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The shield of claim 8 in which the top struts are pivotable with respect to the top cross bar and with respect to the door or vehicle structure. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The shield of claim 1 further including spaced bottom struts for opposing sides of the net. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The shield of claim 10 in which the bottom struts are foldable with respect to a vehicle or structure. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The shield of claim 10 in which each bottom strut includes a shock absorbing device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The shield of claim 10 in which each bottom strut is connected to a net cable. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The shield of claim 13 in which the net cable is removable from its bottom strut. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The shield of claim 14 further including a pin removably received in a bottom strut and connected to the net. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The shield of claim 15 in which the net includes a bottom fabric portion. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The shield of claim 1 in which a cable extends through cable guides of a top and bottom on a first side of the net, over to a second side of the net and through cable guides of a bottom and top on said second side, to the top of the net, then through cable guides of a middle on said second side, then to the bottom of the net, over to the first side of the net, through cable guides of a middle of the first side of the net, and then to the top of the net. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The shield of claim 1 further including a member for tensioning sides of the net. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The shield of claim 18 in which the member is disposed between the net and a vehicle or structure. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The shield of claim 1 further including a tray on a vehicle or structure for storing the net. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The shield of claim 1 in which there are cable guides on opposing sides of the net and spaced cables, one on each side of the net. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The shield of claim 21 further including an adjacent net with cable guides and a cable extends through the cable guides of both nets. ### Claim 23 A shield comprising: a net including hard points at select nodes of the net; opposing sides of the net including a plurality of cable guides for supporting the net when a cable is provided under tension through the cable guides on each side of the net; and spaced to struts interconnecting a to cross bar supporting the net with a vehicle or structure, said spaced top struts foldable with respect to the vehicle. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The shield of claim 23 in which said cable guides include eyelets. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The shield of claim 24 in which said eyelets include a peripheral groove for receiving net material therein. ### Claim 26 (depends on 23) The shield of claim 23 in which said hard points include a body portion with a cavity and a plug received in the cavity. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The shield of claim 26 in which said hard points include slots in the body portion for the net material. ### Claim 28 (depends on 23) The shield of claim 23 in which the top cross bar includes a tensioning mechanism for the cable. ### Claim 29 (depends on 23) The shield of claim 23 in which the vehicle or structure includes a door and both top struts are connected to the door. ### Claim 30 (depends on 23) The shield of claim 23 in which the vehicle or structure includes a door and one top strut is connected to the door and one top strut is connected to the vehicle or structure. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The shield of claim 30 in which the top struts are pivotable with respect to the top cross bar and with respect to the door or vehicle structure. ### Claim 32 (depends on 23) The shield of claim 23 further including spaced bottom struts for opposing sides of the net. ### Claim 33 (depends on 32) The shield of claim 32 in which the spaced bottom struts are foldable with respect to a vehicle or structure. ### Claim 34 (depends on 32) The shield of claim 32 in which each spaced bottom strut includes a shock absorbing device. ### Claim 35 (depends on 23) The shield of claim 23 in which the net includes a bottom fabric portion. ### Claim 36 (depends on 23) The shield of claim 23 further including a member for tensioning sides of the net. ### Claim 37 (depends on 36) The shield of claim 36 in which the member is between the net and a vehicle or structure. ### Claim 38 (depends on 23) The shield of claim 23 further including a tray on a vehicle or structure for storing the net. ### Claim 39 A method of manufacturing a shield, the method comprising: securing hard points at select nodes of a net; adding cable guides to one or more sides of the net; providing at least one cable under tension through the cable guides to support the net in a spaced relation with respect to a vehicle or structure; supporting the net by a top cross bar; interconnecting the top cross bar with a vehicle or structure using spaced top struts; and making the spaced top struts foldable with respect to the vehicle or structure. ### Claim 40 (depends on 39) The method of claim 39 in which said cable guides include eyelets. ### Claim 41 (depends on 40) The method of claim 40 in which said eyelets include a peripheral groove for receiving net material therein. ### Claim 42 (depends on 41) The method of claim 41 in which securing said hard points includes placing a net node in a hard point a body portion cavity and driving a plug into the cavity. ### Claim 43 (depends on 39) The method of claim 39 in which said hard points include slots in the body portion for the net material. ### Claim 44 (depends on 39) The method of claim 39 further including tensioning at least one cable. ### Claim 45 (depends on 39) The method of claim 39 further including supporting the net via spaced bottom struts. ### Claim 46 (depends on 45) The method of claim 45 further including making the bottom struts foldable with respect to a vehicle or structure. ### Claim 47 (depends on 45) The method of claim 45 further including equipping each bottom strut with a shock absorbing device. ### Claim 48 (depends on 39) The method of claim 39 further including providing a bottom fabric portion for the net. ### Claim 49 (depends on 39) The method of claim 39 further including providing a member for tensioning sides of the net. ### Claim 50 (depends on 49) The method of claim 49 including placing the member between the net and a vehicle or structure. ### Claim 51 (depends on 39) The method of claim 39 further including providing a tray on a vehicle or structure for storing the net. ### Claim 52 (depends on 39) The method of claim 39 in which there are cable guides on opposing sides of the net and spaced cables, one on each side of the net. ### Claim 53 (depends on 52) The method of claim 52 further including an adjacent net with cable guides and said cable extends through the cable guides of both nets. ### Claim 54 A shield comprising: a net including hard points at select nodes of the net; one or more sides of the net including a plurality of cable guides; at least one cable under tension through the cable guides supporting the net; and spaced bottom struts for opposing sides of the net, said spaced bottom struts foldable with respect to the vehicle or structure. ### Claim 55 A shield comprising: a net including hard points at select nodes of the net; one or more sides of the net including a plurality of cable guides; at least one cable under tension through the cable guides supporting the net; and spaced bottom struts for opposing sides of the net, said spaced bottom struts each including a shock absorbing device. ### Claim 56 A shield comprising: a net including hard points at select nodes of the net; one or more sides of the net including a plurality of cable guides; at least one cable under tension through the cable guides supporting the net, in which the cable extends through cable guides of a top and bottom on a first side of the net, over to a second side of the net and through cable guides of a bottom and top on said second side, to the top of the net, then through cable guides of a middle on said second side, then to the bottom of the net, over to the first side of the net, through cable guides of a middle of the first side of the net, and then to the top of the net. ### Claim 57 A shield comprising: a net including hard points at select nodes of the net; one or more sides of the net including a plurality of cable guides; at least one cable under tension through the cable guides supporting the net; and spaced bottom struts for opposing sides of the net in which each bottom strut is connected to a net cable. ### Claim 58 (depends on 57) The shield of claim 57 in which the net cable is removable from the bottom strut. ### Claim 59 (depends on 58) The shield of claim 58 further including a pin removably received in a bottom strut and connected to the net. ### Claim 60 (depends on 59) The shield of claim 59 in which the net includes a bottom fabric portion. ### Claim 61 A shield comprising: a net including hard points at select nodes of the net; opposing sides of the net including a plurality of cable guides for supporting the net when a cable is provided under tension through the cable guides on each side of the net; and spaced bottom struts for opposing sides of the net, in which the spaced bottom struts are foldable with respect to a vehicle or structure. ### Claim 62 A shield comprising: a net including hard points at select nodes of the net; opposing sides of the net including a plurality of cable guides for supporting the net when a cable is provided under tension through the cable guides on each side of the net; and spaced bottom struts for opposing sides of the net, said spaced bottom struts each including a shock absorbing device. ### Claim 63 A method of manufacturing a shield, the method comprising: securing hard points at select nodes of a net; adding cable guides to one or more sides of the net; providing at least one cable under tension through the cable guides to support the net in a spaced relation with respect to a vehicle or structure; supporting the net via spaced bottom struts; and making the bottom struts foldable with respect to a vehicle or structure. ### Claim 64 A method of manufacturing a shield, the method comprising: securing hard points at select nodes of a net; adding cable guides to one or more sides of the net; providing at least one cable under tension through the cable guides to support the net in a spaced relation with respect to a vehicle or structure; supporting the net via spaced bottom struts; and equipping each bottom strut with a shock absorbing device. ### Claim 65 A method of manufacturing a shield, the method comprising: securing hard points at select nodes of a net; adding cable guides to one or more sides of the net; providing at least one cable under tension through the cable guides to support the net in a spaced relation with respect to a vehicle or structure; and providing a bottom fabric portion for the net. ### Claim 66 A method of manufacturing a shield system for a vehicle or structure, the method comprising: securing hard points at select nodes of a net; adding cable guides to one or more sides of the net; providing at least one cable under tension through the cable guides to support the net in a spaced relation with respect to a vehicle or structure; and providing a tray on the vehicle or structure for storing the net.