Shielded Ventilation Grille with Cavity Blade for Ballistic Protection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing shielded ventilation grilles with chevron blades suffer from reduced cooling performance due to pressure drop, while those with simple rectangular slats offer inadequate ballistic protection as projectile fragments penetrate the enclosure.

Innovation Solution

A shielded ventilation grille with blades inclined relative to the frame, featuring a shielded aluminum block with a cavity closed by a thin sheet, and a steel plate for enhanced protection, designed to retain projectile shards and promote airflow.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If chevron-shaped blades are used to improve ballistic protection, then protection against projectiles is enhanced, but pressure drop increases and cooling performance decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveballistic protectionVSAvoidcooling performance
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The blade is segmented into multiple functional zones: a front face for airflow guidance, a cavity for containing projectile fragments, and a rear face for structural support. This segmentation allows each zone to perform its specific function optimally - the front face minimizes pressure drop while the cavity provides ballistic protection, thus resolving the contradiction between protection and cooling performance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The blade combines aluminum alloy material with a cavity structure to create a composite design that provides both ballistic protection and airflow efficiency. The aluminum alloy front face and rear face are connected by the cavity, creating a structure that stops projectiles while maintaining air passage, thereby resolving the contradiction between reliability and productivity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Productivity

If simple rectangular slats are used to improve airflow, then cooling performance is enhanced, but ballistic protection is reduced as projectile fragments penetrate the enclosure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling performanceVSAvoidballistic protection
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The cavity is positioned in advance within the blade structure to intercept and contain projectile fragments before they can penetrate through to the enclosure. This preliminary containment action prevents fragments from reaching the protected space while maintaining the rectangular blade shape for efficient airflow, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity and reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If blade thickness is increased to improve ballistic protection, then protection against projectiles is enhanced, but pressure drop increases and airflow is restricted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveballistic protectionVSAvoidairflow efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The protective function is moved from the thickness dimension to the cavity dimension. Instead of increasing blade thickness to stop projectiles, the invention uses a cavity within the blade structure to contain fragments. This dimensional shift allows thin blades to provide effective protection while maintaining excellent airflow characteristics, resolving the contradiction between reliability and productivity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution effectively prevents projectile fragments from entering the enclosure while maintaining airflow efficiency by containing shards within the cavity and using the aluminum block and steel sheet to stop projectiles, thus providing reinforced protection and improved cooling performance.

Implementation Method 1

the block has at the level of the upper surface of the blade a cavity extending over the entire length of the blade and which is closed by a sheet whose thickness is less than the thickness of the block

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhysical containment: Physical Containment

Implementation Method 2

These chevron blade grilles have the disadvantage of creating a pressure drop in the air flow. This results in reduced cooling performance

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPressure gradient: Pressure Gradient

Data Source

PatentEP3144628B1Armored louver
Publication Date: 2018.03.14 NEXTER SYST SA
  • EP3144628B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3144628B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a shielded ventilation grille (3) intended to be installed over an opening. This grille (3) comprises at least one blade (5) attached to a frame intended to be fixed to the enclosure. The blade is inclined with respect to a direction (Δ) substantially perpendicular to a plane of the frame. The blade has an upper surface (5b) oriented towards the outer face of the grille and a lower surface (5a) oriented towards the inner face of the grille. The grille is characterized in that the blade comprises a shielded aluminum block (6) having, at the upper surface of the blade, a cavity (7) extending along the entire length of the blade and closed by an aluminum sheet (8) whose thickness is less than the thickness of the block (6).