Ballistic Protection Grid Hatch Concealment Design

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing ballistic protection grids for armored vehicles pose a risk of increased vulnerability at the junctions between access openings and hatches, as these areas present a larger apparent surface to potential threats, increasing the likelihood of impact from shaped charge projectiles.

Innovation Solution

A ballistic protection grid design featuring an access hatch that partially conceals the opening, with each edge of the opening separated from the hatch by a distance equal to the inter-bar distance, and secured using a locking mechanism with tabs and hinges, ensuring a homogeneous protection surface and reduced exposure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a hatch is placed to conceal the opening in the grid, then accessibility to vehicle elements is improved, but the apparent surface exposed to projectile threat increases at the junction between the opening frame and hatch frame

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccessibility to vehicle elementsVSAvoidexposure to shaped charge projectile threat

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention merges the opening frame and hatch frame into a single integrated frame structure. Instead of having separate frames that create a junction with increased apparent surface, the opening is positioned such that its edges are separated from the hatch sides by a distance equal to the inter-bar distance, allowing the frames to be merged or closely aligned. This eliminates the junction region that would otherwise present a larger target area to projectiles.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention applies local quality by positioning the opening edges at a specific distance (equal to inter-bar distance) from the hatch sides. This local geometric arrangement ensures that the frame structure maintains uniform protection characteristics across the entire grid surface, including the region around the hatch, without creating localized weak points or increased exposure zones.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If the bars of the grid are spaced closer together, then protection against projectiles passing between bars is improved, but the probability of projectile fuse directly hitting a bar increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection against projectile penetrationVSAvoidprobability of fuse contact with bar

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention optimizes the inter-bar distance parameter to a specific value that balances two competing requirements. The bars are spaced at a distance that is sufficient to reduce the probability of direct fuse contact with bars, while still being close enough to prevent projectiles from passing between them. This optimal parameter value achieves reliable protection without increasing the risk of triggering the shaped charge.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS8746121B2Ballistic protection grid having an access hatch

Publication Date: 2014.06.10 NEXTER SYST SA

AI summary

The subject-matter of the invention is a ballistic protection grid for a vehicle comprising an access hatch received in an opening of the grid, wherein the grid and the hatch comprise bars separated from each other by an inter-bar distance, the protection grid being characterized in that the access hatch partially conceals the opening of the grid, each edge of the opening of the grid being separated from the sides of the hatch by a distance substantially equal to the inter-bar distance.