Portable Ballistic Shield With Retractable Weapon Bracket
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ballistic-resistant materials with holes or voids for attaching fasteners compromise structural integrity and performance, necessitating a solution that maintains integrity while allowing for easy attachment of weapons brackets.
Innovation Solution
A portable shield design featuring a panel retention system and a retractable weapon support bracket, with a clamshell configuration and modular ballistic panels, ensuring structural integrity and easy weapon integration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If holes or voids are added to ballistic-resistant material for attaching fasteners, then ease of manufacture is improved, but structural integrity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The shield is divided into a ballistic-resistant panel and separate cover members, with the attachment features located on the covers rather than the panel itself. This segmentation allows the panel to maintain its structural integrity while the covers provide the necessary attachment capabilities for brackets and accessories.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover members act as intermediary elements between the ballistic-resistant panel and the attachment fasteners. The covers include recesses and attachment features that enable bracket mounting without requiring holes or voids in the ballistic-resistant panel, thus preserving the panel's structural integrity while achieving ease of manufacture.
2Ease of operation
If a weapon bracket is permanently attached to the shield, then ease of operation is improved, but adaptability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The weapon bracket attachment system is designed to be dynamic rather than static. The covers include attachment features that allow the bracket to be selectively positioned at different locations and orientations, enabling the operator to adjust the bracket configuration based on tactical requirements while maintaining ease of weapon support.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover members are designed with universal attachment capabilities that can accommodate different bracket configurations and weapon types. The attachment features on the covers allow a single shield design to support various weapon brackets in multiple positions, providing both ease of operation and adaptability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the shield structure is made more complex to accommodate weapon attachment, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment features for weapon brackets are merged into the cover members, which are already integral parts of the shield structure. By combining the attachment functionality with the existing cover components rather than adding separate attachment mechanisms, the design achieves weapon integration capability without significantly increasing overall device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
In one example, a portable shield includes a first cover, a second cover, a panel, a panel retention system, and a weapon support bracket. The second cover is configured to couple to the first cover and thereby from a cavity between the first and second covers. The panel is configured to fit within the cavity and to resist penetration of a weapon-fired projectile having a kinetic energy greater than 500 foot-pounds. The panel retention system is coupled to the first or second shield cover and configured to bear the load of the panel and to hold the panel in a fixed place within the cavity. The weapon support bracket is coupled to the panel retention system and has a bracket arm selectively moveable between an extended position and a retracted position. The extended position extends the bracket arm beyond respective edges of the first and second shield covers. The bracket arm provides a surface configured to support the forend portion of a firearm.