Optimized bent bar grille
AssigneeBAE Systems Land & Armaments L.P.
InventorsDavid Arthur Schade, Dennis Jenks, Adrienne Bourque, Ron Cabreros, Jaime Alforque, Adonis Kassinos
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An optimized grille design that narrows the louver pitch and narrows the louver construction so as to maintain the air flow through the grille. An aerodynamic shape is applied to the leading edge of the louver thus lowering drag and reducing the pressure drop at the inlet.
Claims17
A ballistic grille which uses a plurality of shaped metal louvers, the metal louvers are shaped to improve air flow and ballistic protection, the ballistic grille comprising;
- a grille frame;
- a grille flange surrounding the grille frame, said grille flange extending from the grille frame for mounting the ballistic grille to a vehicle;
- the plurality of louvers disposed within the grille frame, said louvers mounted in parallel across the length of the grille frame so that a projectile entering the ballistic grille must strike the louvers;
- wherein the louvers are a continuous metal bar with an inlet side arm and an outlet side arm, the inlet side arm corresponding to the direction of a threat and the outlet side arm closer to the vehicle, said inlet side arm and outlet side arm forming the sides of an angle joined at a louver vertex, the inlet side arm having an aerodynamic shape on a leading edge of the louver and
- wherein the inlet side arm and the outlet side arm are made of the same material, said inlet side arm material hardened more than the outlet side arm.
A method for defeating a ballistic threat to an airhandling grille of a vehicle, the method comprising:
- attaching a ballistic grille with a plurality of shaped metal louvers to the vehicle, positioning the plurality of louvers disposed within the grille, said louvers mounted in parallel across the length of the grille frame so that the ballistic threat must strike the louvers, wherein the louvers are a continuous metal bar with an inlet side arm and an outlet side arm, the inlet side arm corresponding to the direction of a threat and the outlet side arm closer to the vehicle, wherein the inlet side arm and the outlet side arm are made of the same material, said inlet side arm material hardened more than the outlet side arm;
- and
- setting a pitch between louvers that is less than the width of the louver, the louver width defined as the perpendicular distance from the louver vertex to a line connecting the tips of the inlet side arm and the outlet side arm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.