A method of enhancing the security of a vehicle using armour plating

Abstract

Method of enhancing a security of a vehicle comprising the steps of securing an external plate 5 with a fastening feature 6 to the outer side of a door by passing the fastening feature through a perforation 8 in an inner plate. Using a fastener 10 to secure the internal plate to the inner face of a door. Also claimed is an armour plating system where the internal armour plate may be installed in several optionally selectable orientations. The internal armour plate may include limbs to form a V shape and the perforations may be a large number across the majority of the area of the internal armour plate.

Description

Technical field

[0001] , The present invention addresses the security of panel vans, passenger vehicles and possibly box vans. The invention will be described with reference to panel vans, however, the person skilled in the art will recognise that the invention can be adapted to other classes of road vehicle. Panel vans are accessed via doors, these may be mounted to swing on hinges around a vertical or horizontal axis, or may be slidable on an arrangement of guide rails in order to open and close a port in the vehicle body. Conventional mechanisms are available whereby the door can be secured in a closed condition to close the port and prevent access to the interior of the vehicle and when unlatched the door can be swung or slid open to provide access through the port.

[0002] , The door itself is commonly formed from a structural frame formed from pressed metal and a skin of pressed sheet metal which is attached to the exterior side of the frame.

[0003] , Doors are commonly unlatched by means of a handle, which actuates a linkage to disengage a latch, the latch is normally biased to a latched condition. Commonly handles are provided on the exterior and interior of the door. A key or motor actuated lock is commonly provided whereby the linkage is disengaged, at least from an exterior door handle such that the door cannot be opened using the exterior door handle, when locked without some form of key. Accordingly, the linkage must run in the proximity of the door lock, handle and latch.

[0004] , It is common for the lock mechanism to be actuated via an electrically driven servo motor triggered by a controller. The controller is responsive to a key code commonly from a wireless key fob or mobile phone and potentially from a biometric sources such as a camera. In this case the mechanical linkage may be at least partially replaced by electrical wiring linkage. For the sake of conciseness, the term linkage should be understood to mean either mechanical or electrical unless stated otherwise.

[0005] . Accessing the linkage, allows the lock to be defeated. Access is deterred by placing the linkage behind the vehicle bodywork, particularly the external door skin. Vehicle body panels are commonly fabricated from sheet steel or aluminium and are generally quite easily and quickly drilled and cut using readily available and inexpensive cordless drills, saws or angle grinders or even tin snips. It is only necessary for an actor seeking to gain access to the linkage from outside the vehicle to cut an aperture through the panel, near, or around, the latch to gain access to the linkage sufficient to actuate the linkage and open the door. This will be referred to as panel cutting. This causes a lot of expensive damage to the vehicle, at best puts the vehicle out of service for repair and may result in the theft of the vehicle or more commonly its contents. Prior art

[0006] , It is known to deter the panel cutting operation described by securing elements of hardened steel armour plate to the exterior of the panel around the lock and door handle. These plates are carefully shaped to conform closely to the panel of each specific vehicle to prevent levering the panel up using a crowbar or the like, ie crowbarring. The panels are formed with a rear side which presses tightly against and conforms to the shape of the body panel. Fastening formations are provided on the rear of the plate. The fastening formations may be externally threaded projections or internally threaded sockets or a combination of the two. During installation holes corresponding in location to the threaded formations are drilled through the panel possibly using a template. Complementary threaded fasteners, either screws or nuts, are then applied to the threaded formations, usually with the application of penny washers to disperse the load, in order to secure the plate.

[0007] , It is still not difficult to drill and cut around at least a part of the plate, to gain purchase on the plate and then use the plate as a lever to open an aperture sufficient to access the linkage and thereby open the door.

[0008] . It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus to mitigate the vulnerability described above. Summary of the Invention First aspect

[0009] , K method of enhancing the security of a vehicle using armour plating comprising the steps of securing an external armour plate to a door having a door panel with a lock linked via a linkage to a latch mechanism, wherein the armour plate has at least one fastening feature provided on a back, vehicle skin facing surface of the plate; perforating the vehicle skin in the vicinity of the lock; applying the external armour plate to the skin so that the fastening feature penetrates the perforation; applying a cooperable fastener to the fastening feature characterised by the step of; using the cooperable fastener to secure an internal armour plate to the interior surface of the panel wherein the internal plate is profiled and orientated to project beyond the periphery of the external armour plate. [Dow]. Preferably the external armour plate presents at least two fastening features and more preferably three to twenty fastening features. Preferably the fastening features are studs threaded to receive a complementary fastener such as a nut. Preferably the fastening features are spaced around a locus, said locus being spaced substantially uniformly distant from the periphery of the external armour plate. toon]. Preferably the internal armour plate provides two or more elongate limbs. Preferably the limbs join at an angle between 0 degrees and 90 degrees, more preferably 70° to form a fork shape. The internal armour plate is provided with at least one perforation and more preferably an array of a plurality of perforations. Advantageously the perforations are spaced and disposed to facilitate cooperate with two or more fastening features. More advantageously the array of perforations facilitates securing the internal armour plate to any of a selection of the fastenings, by any of a selection of the perforations, to enable disposition at any of a selection of orientations chosen by the installer. The orientation of the internal armour plates is therefore unpredictable. Thus, the invention may comprise the step of installing the internal plate by selectively securing the internal armour plate to at least one of the fastening features, and more preferably to at least two of the fastening features, by selection of at least one and preferably more than one perforation, so that the limbs of the internal plate project from the edges of the external plate at an unpredictable angle and to an unpredictable degree.

[0012] , The reader should appreciate that in a typical embodiment there will usually be around eight fastening features available to the installer implementing the method and twelve perforations. While the door frame, accessibility and auxiliary features such as locks and hinges may limit the number of possible positions of the internal plate available to the installer, the number of options is still very large.

[0013] . Advantageously several (eg two three or four) internal armour plates may be installed in other positions and orientations to further confound anyone trying to cut through the door skin and gain access to the latch. Second Aspect

[0014] , According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided an armour plating system comprising an external armour plate and an internal armour plate; said external armour plate contoured to conform closely to the external skin of a vehicle door and having at least one fastening feature projecting from the interior, skin facing surface to project through a perforation formed in the door skin, whereby a cooperable fastening feature can be applied to the interior side to secure the external armour plate; an internal armour plate having at least one perforation cooperable with the fastening feature to be secured against the interior surface of a door skin, said internal armour plate being profiled to project beyond the periphery of the external armour plate when installed in any of several optionally selectable orientations.

[0015] , The armour plates are preferably formed from a hardened steel resistant to cutting. Preferably the internal armour plate has two or more elongate limbs projecting from a junction. Each limb may be inclined at an angle between 0 and 90 degrees to form a fork or “V” shape.

[0016] , Advantageously the external armour plate is provided with a plurality of fastening features, more preferably the plurality of fastening features are mutually spaced around a locus as substantially constant distance from the edge of the external armour plate. Preferably the internal armour plate is provided with a plurality of perforations. Advantageously the perforations are distributed in an array extending over a majority portion of the internal armour plate. Preferably the perforations are oversized in relation to the fastenings to facilitate cooperation with at least one and preferably two or more fastening features. More preferably the perforations may form a cloverleaf shape having at least two, possibly three and preferably four lobes. This facilitates securing the internal armour plate using fastenings such as threaded studs, nuts and penny washers while minimising the possibility of a washer slipping or deforming through a round hole. Preferably the system provides two or more internal armour plates to secure to a common external armour plate.

[0017] , Each internal armour plate is of similar design, ie profile, number of perforations and arrangement of perforations to minimise the number of system components required.

[0018] , The result of the method and internal armour plate is that the profile of the combination of the external and internal armour plates is unpredictable from the external armour plate and even from a knowledge of the profiles of the armour plates. This makes it difficult for an actor to cut around the external armour plate. Even where the vehicle skin around the external armour plate is cut the internal armour plate will remain as a barrier to access and to prevent crowbarring the external armour plate. The system thus provides an effective deterrent to any attempt to access the door latch mechanism of the vehicle. Brief description of figures [ooi9]. Embodiments of a method of and system for enhancing the security of a vehicle will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying illustrative figures, in which: Figure 1 is an exterior front elevation of a sliding side door of a van; Figure 2 is an exterior front elevation of a sliding side door of a van with an exterior armour plate fitted; Figure 3 is a SE isometric view of an external and internal armour plate system without the vehicle door; Figure 4 is a NE isometric view of an external and internal armour plate system without the vehicle door; and Figure 5 is a NE isometric view of the vehicle door skin and the armour plate system installed without an obscuring door frame. Detailed description of figures

[0020] , The door 1 shown in the figures is a sliding door which normally moves towards the rear of the vehicle (right in the drawings) in order to open. The movement of such doors is usually controlled by a track (not shown) in cooperation with lever mechanisms (not shown) supporting the door which, upon operation of the door handle 2 releases a latch mechanism (not shown) which cooperates between a frame part (not shown) of the door and the body (not shown) of the vehicle. The door is fabricated from the frame, which is structural and a skin 3 supported on the frame. Initially in a first step of the method the location of the latch is identified and holes 4 drilled to locate the external armour plate 5, a template may be used to correctly locate the holes 4. The external armour plate 5 is contoured and profiled to conform, closely to the required location for a particular design of vehicle so that once secured there is no gap between the periphery of the external armour plate 5 and the skin 3.

[0021] , The external armour plate 5 has an array of fastening features provided in its rear, skin facing surface. The fastening features are provided located on a locus spaced 10mm from the edge of the external plate 5 and on the back surface. To provide the fastening features blind holes are drilled into the back surface of the external armour plate 5 located on the locus. The holes are located at the corners of the locus and equispaced from the corners. Threads are provided in the holes either by cutting or by inserts into which threaded studs 6 are screwed to project rearwardly of the external armour plate 5. The studs 6 are received through the holes 4 to project interiorly of the door skin 3.

[0022] , An internal armour plate 7 is provided by a substantially flat plate formed with two inclined limbs 8 and 9 extending from a junction at an angle of 70°. Each limb of the internal plate shown is 170mm long and 45mm wide. Each limb is perforated with an array of holes 8. The holes are centered on lines running parallel to the long edges of each of the limbs 9 and spaced between 10mm and 20mm from the edges. Each hole is spaced 30mm from the adjacent hole on the same line and between 22 and 26 mm from the holes on the adjacent lines. Each hole 8 is cloverleaf shaped, having four lobes with each lobe having a diameter to accommodate a stud 6.

[0023] . Each internal plate 7 is secured by, selecting a subset of the perforations and passing at least one and preferably two studs 6 through the selected subset of holes 8 in the internal plate so that a part of one and preferably two limbs projects beyond the periphery of the external plate in a direction and to a degree chosen by the installer. As can be seen from the example, a plurality of plates can be installed, in this case three. Tubular spacers can be provided between the internal plate and the interior surface of the door skin where the door skin contour requires it.

[0024] . The resulting armour plate installation has a neat and regular appearance on the exterior but an effectively unpredictable periphery on the interior so that efforts to cut around the exterior plate are liable to be foiled by the interior plate. Even if the cutting tool only cuts the door skin, the exterior plate cannot be levered up due to the interaction of the interior plates 7 and the door skin 3.

[0025] , It will be appreciated that although the example described is a sliding door, the method and system is equally applicable to a door which swings on vertical hinges or a tailgate door swinging up or down on horizontal hinges.

[0026] , The description references the application of the armour plates to a door, however there may be situations where it is desirable to obstruct access by cutting and crowbarring through the door skin of other parts of a vehicle, and nothing in the application should be construed as limiting the scope of the invention to use on a door only and the term door skin should be understood to include vehicle body skin.

Claims

A method of enhancing the security of a vehicle using armour plating comprising the steps of securing an external armour plate to a door having a door skin, with a lock linked via a linkage to a latch mechanism, wherein the armour plate has at least one fastening feature provided on a back, door skin facing surface of the plate; perforating the door skin in the vicinity of the lock;applying the external armour plate to the door skin so that the fastening feature penetrates the perforation;applying a cooperable fastener to the fastening feature characterised by the step of; using the fastening feature and the cooperable fastener to secure an internal armour plate to the interior surface of the panel wherein the internal plate is profiled and orientated to project beyond the periphery of the external armour plate.A method according to claim 1 wherein, the internal armour plate provides two or more elongate limbs and the internal plate is secured to the interior of door skin by means of the fastening features so that at least one of the limbs projects beyond the periphery of the external armour plate.A method according to claim 2 wherein the internal armour plate is provided with an array of perforations, any of several subsets of the perforations being selectable to be be engaged with the fastening features to secure the internal armour plate.A method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein two or more internal armour plates are secured to a single external armour plate.An armour plating system comprising an external armour plate and an internal armour plate;said external armour plate contoured to conform closely to the external skin of a vehicle door and having at least one fastening feature projecting from the interior, skin facing surface to project through a perforation formed in the door skin, whereby a cooperable fastening feature can be applied to the interior side to secure the external armour plate; andan internal armour plate having at least one perforation cooperable with the fastening feature to be secured against the interior surface of a door skin, said internal armour plate being profiled to project beyond the periphery of the external armour plate when installed in any of several optionally selectable orientations.6.A system according to claim 5 wherein the internal armour plate comprises two or more elongate limbs projecting from a junction.7.A system according to claim 6 wherein limb is inclined at an angle degrees to form a “V” shape.8.A system according to any one of claims 5 to 7 wherein the external armour plate comprises a plurality of fastening features.9.A system according to any one of claims 5 to 8 wherein the internal armour plate comprises a plurality of perforations.10.A system according to claim 9 wherein the plurality of perforations comprises an array extending over a majority portion of the area of the internal armour plate.11.A system according to claim 10 comprising perforations which are oversized in relation to the fastenings to facilitate cooperation with at least one and preferably two or more fastening features.12.A system according to claim 11 comprising perforations which are cloverleaf shaped.13.A system according to any of claims 5 to 12 comprising internal armour plates which are all of similar design to minimise the number of different system components required.11

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