Collapsible Ballistic Barrier Structure for Uniform Fill Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing collapsible ballistic protection modules suffer from uneven protection distribution, instability, complexity, and high cost, making them difficult to transport, stack, and secure to structures.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible ballistic protection module comprising a canvas structure with interlocking rods and fastening means that allows for uniform mass distribution, easy stacking, and secure attachment to adjacent structures, using local materials like gravel or sand.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If sandbags are used for ballistic protection, then local mass is readily available and easy to transport, but the protection is uneven (wide at bottom, narrow at top) and walls are unstable
Solution Approach 1:
The ballistic protection module is divided into multiple collapsible cells formed from fabric panels that can be interconnected. Each cell can be independently filled and stacked, creating a modular system that maintains stability while being easy to transport and deploy.
Solution Approach 2:
The module uses a three-dimensional box-like structure with vertical and horizontal reinforcement elements, transitioning from the traditional two-dimensional sandbag approach. This adds structural rigidity and stability in multiple directions while maintaining collapsibility for transport.
2Ease of operation
If sandbags are used for ballistic protection, then local mass is readily available, but a lot of bags must be filled and emptied to make up a large ballistic area
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple small fabric panels are merged to form a large interconnected cell structure that can be filled as a single unit or in large sections. This eliminates the need to individually fill numerous separate bags to achieve large coverage areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The module creates large three-dimensional protective structures in a single filling operation, rather than requiring many separate two-dimensional sandbags to be stacked and filled individually, significantly improving coverage efficiency.
3Productivity
If collapsible ballistic protection modules are made larger for better coverage, then fewer modules are needed, but they become difficult to handle and transport
Solution Approach 1:
The large protective structure is segmented into multiple interconnected fabric panels that can be collapsed flat for transport. When deployed, these panels form a large coverage area, but during transport they fold into compact, manageable sections that are easy to handle.
Solution Approach 2:
The fabric structure transitions dynamically between a compact collapsed state for transport and a large expanded state for protection. This allows the module to provide large coverage when needed while remaining easy to transport when not in use.
4Strength
If specialized equipment is used for collapsible ballistic protection, then structural integrity is improved, but cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The module uses flexible fabric panels instead of rigid specialized structures. The fabric is reinforced with simple rod elements and connection points, providing structural integrity while maintaining simplicity and avoiding complex specialized equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The module combines fabric material with simple rod reinforcements and connection elements to create a composite structure that achieves structural integrity through material combination rather than complex design, reducing overall system complexity.
5Reliability
If more local mass is added to increase protection, then ballistic damping improves, but the module becomes heavier and harder to transport
Solution Approach 1:
The ballistic protection function is extracted from the structure itself and achieved through separate local mass filling. The fabric structure provides the containment and shape, while the local mass (sand, gravel, water) provides the ballistic protection, allowing the structure to remain lightweight and portable.
Data Source
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AI summary
A collapsible ballistic protection module (1; 1') for protection of structures and personnel, comprising a canvas structure (2; 2') comprising outer wall segments (8; 8'). The outer wall segments (8; 8') defining an inside (9; 9') configured for filling with local mass. The collapsible ballistic protection module (1; 1') comprises vertical rods (3; 3') configured for supporting the outer wall segments (8; 8'), and longitudinal rods (4,5; 4',5') and transversal rods (6,7; 6',7') configured for releasably interlocking with the vertical rods (3; 3') for supporting the canvas structure (2; 2').