WO2010130453A1

WO2010130453A1 - Ballistic protection apparatus for vehicle occupants

Info

Publication number: WO2010130453A1
Application number: PCT/EP2010/002957
Authority: WO
Inventors: Andrew Mawhinney
Original assignee: Intelligent Protection Systems
Priority date: 2009-05-13
Filing date: 2010-05-13
Publication date: 2010-11-18
Also published as: GB0908202D0; GB0914778D0

Abstract

A ballistic protection apparatus for a land, sea or air vehicle (2) comprising one or more fragmentation resistant mats (16,18,20,22) or curtains adapted to overlie at least a portion of the floor and/or a portion of a wall of the vehicle (2) and at least one bullet resistant panel (10,12,14) adapted to be located against at least a portion of a rear face of at least one seat of the vehicle (2) to protect the back and head of the occupant of said at least one seat from weapons fire.

Description

Ballistic Protection Apparatus for vehicle occupants

This invention relates to a ballistic protection apparatus for protecting vehicle occupants from small weapons fire and explosions and in particular to a ballistic protection apparatus that can be readily, covertly and removably fitted to a vehicle, such as a car, aircraft or watercraft, without requiring significant or permanent modifications to the vehicle to protect at least the driver/pilot of the vehicle from weapons fire and/or fragmentation

It is known to provide specially modified armoured vehicles to protect the occupants of the vehicle from attack by weapons fire and/or to protect the occupants from fragmentation caused by explosions Such vehicles are typically required by police forces and also other emergency services, such as fire and ambulance, who increasingly come under attack at incidents, by military and peace keeping forces, and by those involved in security operations and charity work in more volatile areas of the world Such vehicles are also used by diplomats and politicians worldwide to protect against kidnap and/or assassination attempts

Such vehicles are usually heavily modified from standard vehicles or are custom built, with substantial armour plating, thick bullet proof glass and other significant modifications which make the vehicle very expensive and very heavy It is a very costly and time consuming process to convert a normal production vehicle, such as a passenger car, into an armoured vehicle Moreover, such known armoured vehicles tend to stand out visually, drawing attention to themselves and presenting an aggressive and confrontational image to the public or drawing attention to the fact that the vehicle occupants may be considered a target of attack

It is desirable to provide a discreet and cost effective way of providing ballistic protection in a vehicle in a covert and removable manner, for example for temporary use, such as in a hire car, or for application where it is desirable not to draw attention to the fact that ballistic protection is installed in the vehicle In Northern Ireland, the police force has typically used large armoured Land Rover vehicles, particularly when travelling in high risk areas These vehicles are being replaced in favour of normal looking production saloon cars due to a wish to avoid the confrontational and aggressive appearance of the armoured Land Rovers However, there is still a substantial risk to security and police personnel and thus a desire to protect the occupants of such vehicles in a covert and discreet manner

In a passenger car, a particular threat comes from the blind area of the car, to the rear of the driver, where the driver has limited visibility It is therefore particularly desirable to provide protection to the driver from weapons fire and other threats originating from this blind side of the vehicle In a known solution, a large steel plate has been placed behind the front seats of the car to protect the driver and front seat passenger from weapons fire However, this modification prevents use of the back seats of the car and makes it obvious that the car has been modified Also the heavy steel armour is not readily transportable between vehicles and requires substantial and time consuming modification of the vehicle for installation It is also desirable to provide ballistic protection for the pilots of commercial aircraft to protect them from weapons fire or fragmentation explosives and for the passengers and/or crew of watercraft

According a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a ballistic protection apparatus for a land, sea or air vehicle comprising at least one bullet resistant panel shaped to be locatable against at least a portion of a rear face of at least one seat of the vehicle to protect the back and/or head of the occupant of said at least one seat from weapons fire

Preferably said at least one panel comprises a substantially rigid bullet resistant material shaped to conform to the shaped of the back of the seat to which it is to be fitted In one embodiment, the at least one panel comprises a fibre reinforced resin panel, preferably comprises a resin matrix reinforced with high tensile fibres, such as aramid or polyethylene fibres The fibres may comprise high density polyethylene, in particular Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibres, such as those manufactured by DSM Dyneema and sold under the Registered Trade Mark "Dyneema" Such materials are commonly used to provide ballistic protection equipment and clothing, such as bullet-proof vests and shields

The panel is preferably moulded or otherwise shaped to conform to the shape of the rear face of the seat and headrest and may be located within a pocket within the seat cover Suitable attachment means, such as hook and loop fasteners or adjustable and/or elasticated straps, may be provided for securing the first panel to the rear face of the seat

Preferably said seat cover further comprises at least one further panel arranged to overlie the seat cushion and/or seat backrest, said at least one further panel being adapted to provide fragmentation protection from explosions

The at least one further panel may comprise a woven fabric fragmentation resistant material formed from high tensile fibres, for example aramid or polyethylene, in particular UHMWPE fibres The woven fragmentation resistant fabric may be located within a suitable pocket or other fixing means within the seat cover to overlie the seat cushion of the seat base and/or the front face of the seat backrest

The ballistic protection apparatus may further comprise one or more ballistic mats adapted to cover a portion of the floor and/or a portion of one or more walls of the vehicle, said mats having fragmentation resistant and/or bullet resistant properties to provide protection for the passenger compartment or cabin of the vehicle, for example to protect against land mines or explosives The mats may comprise a woven fabric formed from suitable high tensile fibres, such as aramid or high density polyethylene, in particular UHMWPE, fibres woven into a mat of a suitable thickness to provide the desired degree of protection The mats may be attachable to existing vehicle floor mats by attachment means, such as hook and loop fasteners or may comprise at least a portion of the floor and/or wall coverings of at least a portion of the vehicle The mats may be adapted to be joined together to enable them to be used as a ballistic blanket to be draped over the door of the vehicle In one embodiment, the mats may comprise at least one curtain between a cabin or flight deck and the remainder of an aircraft or watercraft The curtain may be adapted to lie against at least a portion of a dividing wall between the cabin/flight deck and the remainder of the vehicle Said at least one curtain may be deployable from a raised or retracted position and a lowered or deployed position The curtain may be rolled upon a spool or reel when in its raised or retracted position First and second curtains may be provided on either side of a cabin door providing access to the cabin/flight deck

The seat covers and mats are preferably formed from lightweight materials to allow the ballistic protection apparatus to be easily carried and transferred between vehicles

For use with multiple occupancy vehicles, a respective panel may be provided for location against a rear face of each of the seats of the vehicle For example, for use in a typical four saloon or estate car, first and second panels may be provided for location against the rear faces of respective front seats of the car while a third panel may be provided for location against the rear face of the rear seat of the car The third panel may extend across the full width of the car, providing an effective barrier between the rear of the car and the occupants

The at least one panel defines a ballistic shield between vehicle occupant or occupants and rear of vehicle, thus protecting the vehicle occupant(s) from weapons fire originating from the blind area typically located to the rear of the driver

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a ballistic protection apparatus for a land, sea or air vehicle comprising one or more fragmentation resistant mats or curtains adapted to overlie at least a portion of the floor and/or a portion of a wall of at least a portion of the vehicle, such as the cabin, cockpit or flight deck of the vehicle, to protect the occupants thereof from weapons fire and/or fragmentation

Preferably said apparatus comprises at least one curtain adapted to be located between said portion of the vehicle and the remainder of the vehicle The curtain may be adapted to he against at least a portion of a dividing wall between said portion of the vehicle and the remainder of the vehicle Said at least one curtain may be deployable from a raised or retracted position and a lowered or deployed position The curtain may be rolled upon a spool or reel when in its raised or retracted position First and second curtains may be provided to each side of a door providing access to said portion of the vehicle

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which - Figure 1 is a side view of a passenger car showing the seats and passenger compartment in dotted lines,

Figure 2 shows a ballistic protection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention fitted to the car and showing the areas where protection is provided, Figure 3 is a plan view of the passenger compartment showing the location of fragmentation protection mats,

Figure 4 is a plan view of the passenger compartment showing fragmentation protection provided over the seat cushions,

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the front of the passenger compartment showing the location of the front fragmentation protection mats,

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the rear of the passenger compartment showing the location of the rear fragmentation protection mats,

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the front of the passenger compartment showing the location of the fragmentation protection portions of the front seat covers, Figure 8 is a perspective view of the rear of the passenger compartment showing the location of the fragmentation protection of the rear seat cover,

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the rear of the passenger compartment showing the location of the hard ballistic armour incorporated into the front seat covers for protecting the back and head of the front seat occupants from weapons fire, Figure 10 is a rear view of the passenger compartment showing the location of the hard ballistic armour incorporated into the rear seat cover for protecting the back and head of the rear seat and front seat occupants from weapons fire,

Figure 11 is a perspective view of a pilot's chair showing the location of the hard ballistic armour incorporated into a seat cover for protecting the back and head of the occupant of the seat from weapons fire and ballistic fragmentation in accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention,

Figure 12 is a plan view of the chair of Figure 11 ,

Figure 13 is a side view of the chair of Figure 11 ,

Figure 14 is a perspective view of the chair of Figure 11 showing the location of ballistic protection matting covering the front face of the seat back of the chair,

Figure 15 is a plan view of the chair of Figure 14,

Figure 16 is a side view of the chair of Figure 14,

Figure 17 is a plan view of the flight deck of an aircraft showing the location of ballistic fragmentation protection matting, Figure 18 is a front view of the rear wall of the flight deck showing the location of ballistic fragmentation protection curtains, and

Figure 19 is a side view of the wall of Figure 18

Figure 1 shows a side view of a typical saloon car 2 of the type commonly used by police forces

The car has two separate front seats and a rear bench seat Figure 2 shows a side view of the same car with a ballistic protection apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the invention installed therein A ballistic protection apparatus in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention is adapted to provide ballistic armouring on the rear faces of the seat backs of the chairs of a vehicle, such as a car or van (as best shown in Figures 9 and 10), to protect the occupants of the vehicle from weapons fire originating from the "blind" area to the rear of the vehicle, and ballistic armouring on the floor and seat cushions (as shown in Figures 3 to 8) to protect the occupants of the vehicle from fragmentation due to explosions beneath the vehicle, for example due to a car bomb in the road or a land mine

The ballistic protection apparatus is designed to give covert modular protection to land sea or air vehicles

This entails providing various protection levels to different parts of the vehicle In the example applicable to a car, such apparatus comprises the following components

1 Ballistic protection in the form of bullet resistant rigid plates 10,12,14 located on the back of the car seats, including the headrests, (see Figures 9 and 10) to provide covert protection against weapons fire Such plates may comprise composite panels comprising a resin matrix reinforced with aramid or High Density Polyethylene fibres, in particular UHMWPE (ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene) fibres, in the form of hard armour moulded to the conform to the shape of the backs rests and headrests of the front and rear seats The plates 10,12,14 are designed to provide protection against small weapons fire threats up to 7 62 x 51mm and 7 62 x 39mm The moulded hard armour plates 10,12, 14 are held in place by means of hook and look fasteners and also by lipped covered pockets within specialised fitted car seat covers adapted to fit over the seats of the vehicle The plates 10, 12,14 are each thus totally covered by means of a respective fitted car seat cover to achieve a totally covert finish

The hard armour plates 10,12, 14 utilised in the backing of the car seats, front and back, can be removed and employed as ballistic shields

2 Ballistic- and fragmentation mats 16,18,20,22 to be located on the floor of the vehicle (see Figures 3,5 and 6) The ballistic mats 16,18,20,22 are designed to work in conjunction with existing vehicle car mats and to provide covert protection against both ballistic and fragmentation threats, utilising aramid or High Density Polyethylene armour The armour is then encased in a high frequency welded protective Nylon panel and then slotted into floor mat sleeves The resulting ballistic mats 16,18,20,22 may be attached to the existing vehicle manufacturers floor mats by means of suitable fastening means, such as hook and loop fasteners

The ballistic and fragmentation mats 16,18,20,22 may be removed from the existing car mats and utilised as personal protection in the event of an attack from a ballistic threat The front and back mats can be joined together and used as a ballistic blanket to be draped over the vehicle or car door 3 Seat base fragmentation protection Further ballistic and fragmentation armour 24,26,28 is provided within the respective seat covers to overlie the seat cushions of the seats to provide covert fragmentation protection to the seat bases Such armour 24,26,28 is provided in the seat covers of both the front and back seats and comprises aramid or High Density Polyethylene material The armour 24,26,28 is then encased in a high frequency welded protective panel and may then slotted into a suitable receiving pocket in the respective seat cover

The ballistic protection apparatus, comprising the seat covers and ballistic floor mats, can be readily removed from the vehicle as desired and can be moved between vehicles without causing any damage to or requiring any modification of the vehicle The apparatus is formed from light weight materials and thus can be easily carried and transported, enabling the apparatus to be installed in hire cars or other temporarily required vehicles The seat covers and rigid plates 10,12, 14 may be tailored to suit different car models

In an alternative embodiment, the rear plate 14 may extend to the roof of the vehicle rather than fitting against the seat back of the rear seat, providing greater protection against weapons fire from the rear However, such may detract from the covert appearance of the apparatus

While such ballistic protection apparatus has been described in relation to its use in a car, a ballistic protection apparatus in accordance with the present invention may be used in any land, sea or air vehicle, including road vehicles, aircraft and watercraft, such as boats

A ballistic protection apparatus in accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention for protecting a pilot and co-pilot of an aircraft is illustrated in Figures 11 to 19

In a similar manner to the first embodiment for cars, the apparatus comprises hard ballistic armouring 100 on the rear faces of the seats 102,104 of the pilot and co-pilot of an aircraft (as best shown in Figures 11 to 13), to protect the occupants of the aircraft from weapons fire originating from the rear of the aircraft, for example from the passenger compartment of the aircraft and flexible ballistic armouring 110 on the front of the seats (as shown in Figures 14 to 16), typically underneath a sheepskin seat cover as commonly used by pilots The apparatus further comprises flexible ballistic matting 120 on the floor of the flight deck and in flexible ballistic matting the form of curtains or blinds 122,124 on the flight deck rear wall 130 on either side of the flight deck access door 132 (as shown in Figures 3 to 8) to protect the occupants of the flight deck from fragmentation due to explosions, for example due to a bomb or other explosion within the aircraft

The ballistic protection apparatus provides various protection levels to different parts of the flight deck of an aircraft as follows 1. Ballistic protection in the form of bullet resistant rigid plates 100 located on the back of the pilots and co-pilots seats 102,104, including the headrests, (see Figures 11 to 13) provide covert protection against weapons fire. As with the first embodiment, such plates comprise composite panels comprising a resin matrix reinforced with aramid or High Density Polyethylene fibres, in particular UHMWPE fibres, in the form of hard armour moulded to the conform to the shape of the backs rests of the seats 102,014. The plates 100 may be designed to provide protection against weapons fire threats up to 7.62 x 51 mm and 7.62 x 39mm.

2. Seat fragmentation protection. Flexible ballistic and fragmentation matting 110 is provided underneath the pilot's and co-pilot's seat covers to overlie the front face of the seat cushions and/or the seat base to provide covert fragmentation protection to the seats. Such flexible armour 110 may be is provided in the seat covers of both the front and back seats and may comprise aramid or High Density Polyethylene material. The armour 110 may be encased in a high frequency welded protective panel and then slotted into a suitable receiving pocket in the respective seat cover or covering.

3. Ballistic and fragmentation mats 120 located on the floor of the flight deck (see Figures 17 to 19) to provide covert protection against both ballistic and fragmentation threats, utilising aramid or High Density Polyethylene armour.

To protect the flight deck from fragmentation and weapons fire originating from the passenger compartment or load bay behind the flight deck, curtains 122,124 of flexible ballistic and fragmentation matting may be provided on either side of the flight deck access door. The curtains 122,124 may be provided on reels or rollers mounted on an upper region of the wall to allow the curtains 122,124 to be stored in a retracted position rolled up on the reel. When required, the curtains 122,124 may be unrolled to a deployed position to cover the partition wall between the flight deck on either side of the flight deck access door. A further, fixed or retractable, section of matting may be provided to cover the portion of the partition wall above the access door 132 and/or curtains 122,124.

The flight deck access door is typically armoured as standard and therefore will not normally require protection. However, similar rigid and/or flexible ballistic and fragmentation material may be provided on or in the access door if required.

Similar ballistic and fragmentation mats and curtains may be utilised to protect the occupants of a cabin or other region of a boat or other watercraft.

Similar sections of flexible ballistic and fragmentation matting may be provided to protect other critical parts of a vehicle, such as the fuel tanks and the main wiring system of an aircraft or boat. The invention is not limited to the embodiment(s) described herein but can be amended or modified without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1 A ballistic protection apparatus for a land, sea or air vehicle comprising at least one bullet resistant panel shaped to be locatable against at least a portion of a rear face of at least one seat of the vehicle to protect the back and/or head of the occupant of said at least one seat from weapons fire

2 An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one panel is formed from a composite material comprising a resin matrix reinforced with high tensile fibres

3 An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said high tensile fibres comprise one or more of aramid, high density polyethylene and UHMWPE fibres

4 An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a respective panel is provided for location against a respective rear face of a plurality of seats of the vehicle

5 An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said at least one panel comprises substantially rigid panel shaped to conform to the shape of the rear face of the seat to which it is to be fitted

6 An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said at least one panel forms part of, or is attachable to, a seat cover adapted to fit over said at least one seat

7 An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said at least one panel is adapted to overlie the rear of a headrest of the seat to which it is to be fitted as well as the back of the seat

8 An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising at least one further panel arranged to overlie a cushion and/or backrest of a seat of the vehicle, said at least one further panel being adapted to provide fragmentation protection from explosions

9 An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein said at least one further panel comprises a woven fabric fragmentation resistant material formed from high tensile fibres

10 An apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said high tensile fibres comprises one or more of aramid and polyethylene, in particular UHMWPE fibres

11 An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 8 to 9, wherein said at least one further panel is integrally formed with a seat cover, or is located within a suitable pocket or other fixing means provided on a seat cover, such that the at least one further panel overlies the seat cushion of the seat base and/or the front face of the seat backrest of a seat to which the seat cover is fitted

12. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising one or more fragmentation resistant mats or curtains adapted to overlie at least a portion of the floor and/or a portion of a wall of the vehicle.

5 13. A ballistic protection apparatus for a land, sea or air vehicle comprising one or more fragmentation resistant mats or curtains adapted to overlie at least a portion of the floor and/or a portion of a wall of at least a portion of the vehicle to protect the occupants thereof from weapons fire and/or fragmentation.

10 14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein said apparatus comprises at least one curtain adapted to be located between said portion of the vehicle and the remainder of the vehicle.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the curtain is adapted to lie against at least a portion of a dividing wall between said portion of the vehicle and the remainder of the vehicle.

15

16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 14 or claim 15, wherein said at least one curtain is deployable from a raised or retracted position and a lowered or deployed position.

17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the curtain is rolled upon a spool or reel when 0 in its raised or retracted position.

18. An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 13 to 17, wherein first and second curtains are provided to each side of a door providing access to said portion of the vehicle. 5 19. An apparatus as claimed in any claims 13 to 18, wherein said one or more mats or curtains are formed from woven high tensile fibres, such as aramid or high density polyethylene or UHMWPE.