WO2016092250A1

WO2016092250A1 - Vehicle armour comprising armour panelling and mounts

Info

Publication number: WO2016092250A1
Application number: PCT/GB2015/000320
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alan Paul COOPER
Original assignee: The Secretary Of State For Defence
Priority date: 2014-12-09
Filing date: 2015-12-08
Publication date: 2016-06-16
Also published as: GB2533118B; GB201421923D0; GB2533118A

Abstract

There is provided vehicle armour, the vehicle armour comprising a left side armour panelling (50L) and a right side armour panelling (50R). The left side armour panelling arid the right side armour panelling comprise mounts (M1L, M2L, M3L, M4L, 60L, M1R, M2R, M3R, M4R, 60R, AP) configured to mount the armour panelling to a vehicle. The left side armour panelling (50L) is movable between a left upper position where the left side armour panelling is mounted by the mounts (M1L, M2L, M3L, M4L, 60L) to protect a left side of the vehicle, and a first lower position where the left side armour panelling is mounted by the mounts (M4L, 60L, AP) to protect a bottom of the vehicle. The right side armour panelling (50R) is movable between a right upper position where the right side armour panelling is mounted by the mounts (M1R, M2R, M3R, M4R, 60R) to protect a right side of the vehicle, and a second lower position where the right side armour panelling is mounted by the mounts (M4R, 60R, AP) to protect the bottom of the vehicle.

Description

VEHICLE ARMOUR COMPRISING ARMOUR PANELLING AND MOUNTS

Technical Field of the Invention

This invention relates to vehicle armour, in particular to vehicle armour comprising armour panelling. The armour panelling comprises mounts for mounting the armour panelling to the vehicle.

Background to the Invention

Vehicles used in military scenarios are often armoured to protect the occupants of the vehicle from external blasts or fragments or bullets impacting upon the vehicle.

The amount of armour that is added to a vehicle typically has a very large influence on the overall weight of the vehicle. Lighter armoured vehicles can be more manoeuvrable and more easily transportable than heavier armoured vehicles. Furthermore, the weight of the vehicle is particularly relevant if the vehicle is to be transported by air, for example inside a plane.

It is therefore an aim of the invention to minimise the weight of the armour whilst still maintaining adequate levels of protection for the occupant(s).

Summary of the Invention

It has been recognised that vehicles face different types of threats in different scenarios, for example there may be a risk of landmines when the vehicle is travelling on roads or tracks between towns and cities, and there may be a risk of bullets and/or fragments once the vehicle reaches its destination.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided vehicle armour, the vehicle armour comprising a left side armour panelling and a right side armoiir panelling. The left side armour panelling and the right side armour panelling each comprise mounts configured to mount the armour panelling to a vehicle. The left side armour panelling is movable between a left upper position where the left side armour panelling is mounted by the mounts to protect a left side of the vehicle, and a first lower position where the left side armour panelling is mounted by the mounts to protect a bottom of the vehicle. The right side armour panelling is movable between a right upper position where the right side armour panelling is mounted by the mounts to protect a right side of the vehicle, and a second lower position where the right side armour panelling is mounted by the mounts to protect the bottom of the vehicle.

Since the vehicle armour has mounts enabling it to be mounted at both upper and lower positions of a vehicle, the vehicle armour can be moved to the lower positions when travelling between town and cities where protection from landmines is needed but the threat from bullets is lower, and the vehicle armour can be moved to the upper positions once the vehicle reaches its destination where the threat from bullets is higher but the risk from landmines is lower. Therefore, less armour is needed compared to conventional fixed armour that permanently covers both the bottom (belly) and the sides of the vehicle, and so the overall weight of the vehicle is reduced without reducing the effective protection level in a given scenario.

Historically, vehicle side armour has been different to vehicle belly armour, to take account of the different types of threat the armour needs to protect against. However, more modern armour materials are capable of protecting well against both blasts and bullets, making the use of a movable armour panelling more practical. The bottom of the vehicle is typically considered to be the underside of the vehicle, or at least the underside of an occupancy area of the vehicle, and so the vehicle armour may be moved underneath the vehicle and/or occupancy area when moving the vehicle armour to the lower positions.

Advantageously, each armour panelling may comprise a first armour panel that is connected to the mounts, and a second armour panel that is connected to the first armour panel. Then, the first and second armour panels can be set at different angles to one another to partially envelope over the side or the base of the vehicle. For example, the first and second armour panels may be pivotally connected to one another, such as by hinges.

Alternatively, each armour panelling may only comprise one panel.

The armour panel(s) of each armour panelling may each be rigid such that the armour panel holds its own shape without collapsing under its own weight. The first and second armour panels may be first and second armour plates, for example metal or ceramic plates. Preferably, each armour panel provides a protection level in accordance with STANAG 4569 at least Level 2 and preferably Level 3.

Each armour panelling may comprise an anchor point for anchoring the vehicle to a floor when the armour panelling is moved to an intermediate position between the upper and lower positions. The anchor point may for example comprise aperture(s) or protrusion(s) for co-operating with corresponding aperture(s) or protrusion(s) on the floor. The floor surface may for example be a floor of an aircraft cargo bay, the anchor point being used to anchor the vehicle to the floor to prevent the vehicle from moving around inside of the aircraft during flight.

The left side armour panelling and the right side armour panelling may be configured to meet one another at the bottom of the vehicle when the left side armour panelling is in the first lower position and the right side armour panelling is in the second lower position. Then, the left and right side armour panelling can combine to protect over the full width of the bottom of the vehicle. Alternatively, there may be a permanent strip of armour beneath the vehicle, for example protecting a driveshaft running from the front to the back of the v ehicle, and the left and right side armour panellings may be configured to meet opposing sides of the strip of armour when the left side armour panelling is in the first lower position and the right side armour panelling is in the second lower position.

The armour panelling and the further armour panelling may be configured to overlap one another at the bottom of the vehicle when the left side armour panelling is in the first lower position and the right side armour panelling is in the second lower position. Then, the left and right armour panellings combine to provide greater protection at the bottom of the. vehicle, which may be subject to higher level and closer proximity threats than the sides of the vehicle, for example from landmines.

Advantageously, the left side armour panelling and the right side armour panelling may be configured to lie in parallel planes to one another at the bottom of the vehicle when the left side armour panelling is in the first lower position and the right side armour panelling is in the second lower position. The left side armour panelling and the right side armour panelling may each comprise attachments for attaching the left side armour. panelling and the right side armour panelling to one another at the bottom of the vehicle, for example the attachments may be clips, bolts, or fasteners.

Various types of mount may be used to mount the vehicle armour to the vehicle, for example bolts, clips, hinges, guide rails, etc. For example, the mounts of the left side armour panelling may comprise bolts and corresponding apertures through the left side armour panelling, for attaching the left side armour panelling to the vehicle at the left upper position or the first lower position, and the mounts of the right side armour panelling may comprise bolts and corresponding apertures through the right side armour panelling, for attaching the right side armour panelling to the vehicle at the right upper position or the second lower position.

The mounts of the left side armour panelling may also, or alternatively, comprise a left hinge for hinging the left side armour panelling between the left upper and first lower positions, and the mounts of the right side armour panelling may also, or alternatively, comprise a right hinge for hinging the right side armour panelling between the right upper and second lower positions. The hinge mounts may be used in combination with the bolt/aperture mounts to control the position at which the armour panellings are mounted on the vehicle.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is further provided a vehicle fitted with the vehicle armour of the first aspect. The vehicle comprises an occupancy area that is protected by the vehicle armour, the occupancy area having length aligned with a length of the vehicle and a width aligned with a width of the vehicle. The left side armour panelling and the right side armour panelling each have a length and a height.

Preferably, the lengths of the left side armour panelling and the right side armour panelling are each at least as long as the length of the occupancy area, and the heights of the left side armour panelling and the right side armour panelling are each at least half the width of the occupancy area. Then, the armour panellings are sufficiently large to provide effective protection to the vehicle occupants in both upper and lower positions.

The vehicle may comprise mounting points for mounting the left side armour panelling in the left upper position or the first lower position via the mounts of the left side armour panelling, and mounting points for mounting the right side armour panelling in the right upper position or the second lower position via the mounts of the right side armour panelling. The mounting points may allow mounting of mounts such as hinge mounts and/or bolt mounts of the left and right side armour panelling. .

More specifically, the mounting points may comprise left upper mounting points for mounting the left side armour panelling to the left side of the vehicle, left lower mounting points for mounting the left side armour panelling to the bottom of the vehicle, right upper mounting points for mounting the right side armour panelling to the right side of the vehicle, and right lower mounting points for mounting the right side armour panelling to the bottom of the vehicle.

The mounting points may further comprise a left hinge mounting point that is continuously connected to the left hinge of the left side armour panelling as the left side armour panelling is moved between the left upper position and the first lower position, and a right hinge mounting point that is continuously connected to the right hinge of the right side armour panelling as the right side armour panelling is moved between the right upper position and the second lower position. The use of hinges may help support the weight of the armour panellings as the armour panellings are moved between upper and lower positions. The left side amour panelling may be movable from the left upper position to the first lower position by releasing bolt mounts of the left side amour panelling at the left upper mounting points, hinging the left side amour panelling to the first lower position, and engaging those bolt mounts at the left lower mounting points. Similarly, the right side amour panelling may be movable from the right upper position to the second lower position by releasing bolt mounts of the right side armour panelling at the right upper mounting points, hinging the right side amour panelling to the second lower position, and engaging those bolt mounts at the right lower mounting points. Alternatively, if there are no hinge mounts and hinge mounting points, then the left side armour panelling may be moved from the left upper mounting points to the left lower mounting points without any hinging, and the right side armour panelling may be moved from the right upper mounting points to the right lower mounting points without any hinging.

Advantageously, the mounts and mounting points may be configured so that the height dimension of the left side armour panelling is parallel to the width dimension of the occupancy area when the left side armour panelling is in the first lower position, and so that the height dimension of the right side armour panelling is parallel to the width dimension of the occupancy area when the right side armour panelling is in the second lower position. Then, each armour panelling may be rotated about a lengthwise axis in order to move it between the upper and lower positions. The axis of rotation could be set by a hinge mount and corresponding hinge mounting point, the hinge axis defining the axis of rotation of the armour panelling.

The heights of the left side armour panelling and the right side armour panelling may each be at least half the length of the occupancy area, so that the armour panellings can together cover the full length of the occupancy area by rotating them through 90 degrees when moving from the upper to the lower positions. Specifically, the mounts and mounting points may be configured so that the height dimension of the left side armour panelling is parallel to the length dimension of the occupancy area when the left side armour panelling is in the first lower position, and so that the height dimension of the right side armour panelling is parallel to the length dimension of the occupancy area when the right side armour panelling is in the second lower position. Then, the interface between the left and right side panellings in the lower positions extends widthways across the vehicle, rather than lengthways along the vehicle. An interface which extends widthways across the vehicle is typically better supported by vehicle chassis members running lengthways along the vehicle, than an interface which extends lengthways along the vehicle, and this better support helps prevent failure of the armour panelling at the interface when impacted by explosive blasts etc.

The vehicle may comprise a chassis having chassis members running along a length of the vehicle and a floorplate mounted to an upper side of the chassis members, wherein the left side armour panelling is mounted to a lower side of the chassis members when in the first lower position, and wherein the right side armour panelling is mounted to the lower side of the chassis members when in the second lower position. Then, the depth of the chassis members between the floorplate and the armour panellings creates a cavity into which the armour panellings can deform during blasts, helping protect the footplate and therefore the feet of the occupants.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a schematic perspective diagram of a vehicle that is suitable for fitting with vehicle armour according to a first embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 shows a schematic plan diagram of vehicle armour according to the first embodiment of the invention, the vehicle armour comprising a left side armour panelling and a right side armour panelling;

Fig. 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional diagram of the left side armour panelling of Fig. 2, taken along line XX marked on Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 shows a schematic perspective diagram of the vehicle of Fig. 1 fitted with the vehicle armour of Fig. 2, the vehicle armour being in an upper position protecting the sides of the vehicle; Fig. 5 shows a schematic perspective diagram of the vehicle of Fig. 1 fitted with the vehicle armour of Fig. 2, the vehicle armour being in an intermediate position for securing the vehicle in place on a floor;

Fig. 6 shows a schematic diagram of the underside of the vehicle of Fig. 1 when fitted with the vehicle armour of Fig. 2, the vehicle armour being in lower positions protecting the underside of the vehicle;

Fig. 7 shows a schematic cross-sectional diagram through the vehicle of Fig. 1 fitted with the vehicle armour of Fig. 2 when the vehicle armour is in the lower positions, the cross- section taken along line YY marked on Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 shows a schematic perspective diagram of a vehicle that is suitable for fitting with vehicle armour according to a second embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 9 shows a schematic plan diagram of vehicle armour according to the second embodiment of the invention, the vehicle armour comprising a left side armour panelling and a right side armour panelling;

Fig. 10 shows a schematic perspective diagram of the vehicle of Fig. 8 fitted with the vehicle armour of Fig. 9, the vehicle armour being in an upper position protecting the sides of the vehicle;

Fig. 1 1 shows a schematic diagram of the underside of the vehicle of Fig. 8 when fitted with the vehicle armour of Fig. 9, the vehicle armour being in lower positions protecting the underside of the vehicle; and

Fig. 12 shows a schematic cross-sectional diagram through the vehicle of Fig. 8 fitted with the vehicle armour of Fig. 9 when the vehicle armour is in the lower positions, the cross- section taken along line ZZ marked on Fig. 11.

The drawings are purely illustrative and are not to scale. Same or similar reference signs denote same or similar features. Some aspects of the vehicle such as the drivetrain have been omitted from the figures for the sake of clarity.

Detailed Description

A first embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the schematic diagrams of Fig. 1 - Fig. 7, which show a vehicle 1 and vehicle armour 50L & 50R. First referring to Fig. 1 , a vehicle 1 suitable for fitting with vehicle armour according to the first embodiment comprises a body 10 supported by wheels 5. The features of the vehicle shown in Fig. 1 are substantially symmetrical about a vertical central plane along the length of the vehicle, i.e. the left side of the vehicle shown in Fig. 1 looks just the same as the right side of the vehicle (not shown in Figs).

The body 10 has an engine area ENG at the front of the vehicle, a storage area STR at the rear of the vehicle, and an occupancy area OCP in between the engine and storage areas. The occupancy area OCP comprises a floor 32 and a seat 35 upon which vehicle occupants may sit. The occupancy area has a width WO extending across the width of the vehicle, and a length LO extending along the length of the vehicle. The floor has a left edge 30L running lengthwise along the left side of the vehicle, and a right edge (not visible in Fig. 1) running lengthwise along the right side of the vehicle.

The engine area ENG is defined between a front left side panel 20L of the vehicle 1 , and a front right side panel (not visible in Fig. 1) of the vehicle 1. The storage area STR is defined between a rear left side panel 40L of the vehicle 1, and a rear right side panel (not visible in Fig. 1) of the vehicle 1.

The vehicle 1 comprises several mounting points for mounting vehicle armour to the vehicle, and the mounting points include left upper mounting points PIL, P2L, P3L, P4L, and left hinge mounting points PHL. The mounting points also include right upper mounting points and right hinge mounting points, which are similar to the left upper mounting points and left hinge mounting points, and which are on the right side of the vehicle and therefore not visible in Fig. 1.

Two of the left upper mounting points PIL and P2L are provided along a side of the front left side panel 20L adjacent to the occupancy area OCP, and the other two left upper mounting points P3L and P4L are provided along a side of the rear left side panel 40L adjacent to the occupancy area OCP. The left upper mounting points are screw threaded apertures for receiving bolts to secure armour panelling to the vehicle 1. There are four left hinge mounting points PHL arranged in a line along the left edge 30L of the floor 32, and these mounting points are screw threaded apertures for receiving bolts to secure hinges of armour panelling to the vehicle 1.

The vehicle armour according to the first embodiment is shown in the schematic plan diagram of Fig. 2. The vehicle armour comprises a left side armour panelling 50L and a right side armour panelling 50R. The armour panellings each have a height HP and a width WP, and are formed by first and second armour plates. The left side armour panelling 50L has a first armour plate 51L that is connected to a second armour plate 52L by a connecting hinge 55L, whereas the right side armour panelling 50R has a first armour plate 51R that is connected to a second armour plate 52R by a connecting hinge 55R.

Each one of the connecting hinge 55L and 55R comprises ten plates 54. These are alternately attached to either the first armour plate or the second armour plate, and are movable about a hinge pin (shown in Fig. 3) to allow hinging of the first and second armour plates with respect to one another. In this embodiment, the hinge plates 54 are attached to the edges of the first and second armour plates by bolts, although could for example be welded instead. The edges where the hinge plates are attached are edges of the first and second armour plates parallel to the width dimension WP of the armour panelling. Accordingly the hinge axis defined by the hinge pin is also parallel to the width dimension of the armour panelling.

The connecting hinge 55L is shown in solid lines in Fig. 2 since the hinge plates are attached above the first and second armour plates 51L and 52L, whereas the connecting hinge 55R is shown in phantom lines in Fig. 2 since the hinge plates are attached beneath the first and second armour plates 51R and 52R.

The left side armour panelling 50L further comprises a left hinge 60L, and the right side armour panelling 5 OR further comprises a right hinge 60R. The left and right hinges 60L and 60R constitute mounts for mounting the left and right side armour panellings 50L and 50R to a vehicle. The left hinge 60L is attached to an edge of the first armour plate 51 L opposite to the edge of the first armour plate 51L where the hinge 55L is attached, and the right hinge 60R is attached to an edge of the first armour plate 51R opposite to the edge of the first armour plate 51R where the hinge 55R is attached.

Each one of the left and right hinges 60L and 60R comprises five hinge plates 68, and the five hinge plates are attached to the corresponding first armour plate by bolts 69.

Arranged alternately with each set of five hinge plates 68 are four hinge plates 64, and the four hinge plates 64 each comprise an aperture 65 for fixing the hinge plates to a vehicle with bolts.

The armour panellings 50L and 50R also comprise mounts in the form of bolts and apertures for mounting the armour panellings to a vehicle. Each of these mounts is formed by an aperture through one of the armour plates and a bolt for passing through the aperture and screwing into the vehicle. Specifically, the first armour plate 51L comprises mounts MIL and M3L at opposing edges of the first armour plate 51 L, and the second armour plate 52L comprises mounts M2L and M4L at opposing edges of the second armour plate 52L. The first armour plate 51R comprises mounts MIR and M3R at opposing edges of the first armour plate 51 R, and the second armour plate 52R comprises mounts M2R and M4R at opposing edges of the second armour plate 52R. The opposing edges are parallel to the height dimension HP of the first and second armour plates.

The armour panellings 50L.and 50R also each comprise two anchor points AP along an edge of the second armour plate opposite from the edge where the connective hinge is attached. Each anchor point is formed as an aperture through the second armour plate.

The schematic diagram of Fig. 3 shows a cross-section of the left side armour panelling 50L, which is taken along line XX marked on Fig. 2. It can be seen that the connecting hinge 55L between the first and second armour plates 51L and 52L comprises a hinge pin 56 within a barrel 57, the barrel 57 being connected to the hinge plate 54 and being rotatable about the hinge pin 56. Furthermore, it can be seen that the left hinge 60L attached to the second armour plate 52L comprises a hinge pin 66 within a barrel 67, the barrel 67 being connected to the hinge plate 64 and being rotatable about the hinge pin 66. Clearly, the strengths of the hinge pins are important factors in the overall strength of the hinges, and so the hinge pins should be sufficiently thick to provide the required level of strength for the hinges.

Fig. 4 shows a schematic perspective diagram of the vehicle 1 when fitted with the vehicle armour of Figs 2 and 3. The left side armour panelling 50L is fitted to the left side of the vehicle 1, and the right side armour panelling 50R is fitted to the right side of the vehicle 1 in just the same way as the left side armour panelling 50L, and only the left side armour panelling 50L is visible in the view of Fig. 4 and discussed in detail below.

The left side armour panelling 50L is fitted to the vehicle 1 by passing bolts through the four hinge plates 64 of the left hinge 60L, and screwing them upwardly into the four respective screw threaded apertures PFTL of the vehicle. This secures the left side armour panelling 50L to the vehicle, and allows the left side armour panelling 50L to hinge about the left edge 30L of the floor of the vehicle.

Fig. 4 shows the left side armour panelling 50L in an upper position, protecting the occupancy area OCP from any incoming bullets. To secure the left side armour panelling 50L in this upper position shown in Fig. 4, such that it does not move about the left hinge 60L, the bolts of the mounts MIL, M2L, M3L, and M4L are screwed into the four respective screw threaded apertures P1L, P2L, P3L, and P4L of the vehicle 1. Clearly, if desired, then the bolts of the mounts M3L, and M4L could be released to allow the second armour panel 52L to pivot downwardly about the first armour panel 5.1L via the hinge 55L, for example to provide improved visibility for the occupants inside the occupancy area.

During transport of the vehicle 1, it may be desirable to help secure the vehicle on a floor of a carrier such as an aircraft or a ship, by utilising the armour panelling to help restrain the vehicle 1 from moving relative to the floor. The schematic diagram of Fig. 5 shows the armour panelling in an intermediate position, where the mounts MIL, M2L, M3L, M4L, MIR, M2R, M3R, and M4R have been released from the vehicle 1 and the left and right side armour panellings 50L and 50R have been pivoted downwardly via the hinges 60L and 60R towards the floor 80. The floor 80 comprises four anchors for anchoring the vehicle 1 to the ground, and , each anchor is a metal peg with a loop 82 at one end, the metal peg being embedded into the floor 80. The four loops 82 are connected to the four anchor points AP of the left and right . side armour panellings by ties 85 that pass through the loops 82 and the apertures AP.

Accordingly, the vehicle 1 is held in position relative to the floor 80 by the anchor loops 82, ties 85, and anchor points AP.

Only the left side armour panelling 50L is visible in the view of Fig. 5. The right side armour panelling 50R is hidden behind the vehicle 1, but connects to the floor 80 in just the same way as the left side armour panelling 50L.

If the vehicle 1 is to be driven along roads that may have land mines, then the left and right side armour panellings 50L and 50R may be pivoted right underneath the vehicle 1 via the hinges 60L and 60R, and secured to the bottom of the vehicle 1 in first and second lower positions. To help the left and right side armour panellings pivot underneath the vehicle 1 , the first and second armour panels may be pivoted with respect to one another via the connective hinges 55L and 55R so that the second armour panels 52L and 52R do not foul against the floor/ground and prevent the armour panellings pivoting about the hinges 60L and 60R.

The schematic diagram of Fig. 6 shows a view of the vehicle 1 when the left and right side panellings 50L and 50R have been pivoted and secured underneath the vehicle in the first and second lower positions. The left hinge 60L is continuously connected to the left side armour panelling 50L and the left side of the floor 32 as the left side armour panelling is moved between the upper position shown in Fig. 4 and the first lower position shown in Fig. 6, and the right hirige 60R is continuously connected to the right side armour panelling 50R and the right side of the floor 32 as the right side armour panelling is moved between the upper position shown in Fig. 4 and the second position shown in Fig. 6. In the lower positions, the height dimensions HP of the left and right side armour panellings are both parallel to the width dimension WO of the occupancy area, and the width dimensions WP are both parallel to the length dimension LO of the occupancy area. The view of the vehicle 1 in Fig. 6 is taken from directly beneath the vehicle 1 , and so the chassis of the vehicle 1 is visible. The chassis comprises a front member 6 extending between the two front wheels 5, a rear member 7 extending between the two rear wheels 5, and a central member 8 extending between the front and rear members. A cross-sectional view taken along line YY when looking in towards the front of the vehicle 1 is shown in Fig. 7.

As can be seen in Fig. 6, the left and right side armour panellings 50L and 50R have been secured to the central member 8 at the bottom of the vehicle 1 by the mounts M4L and M4R. Specifically, the direction of the bolts through the apertures of the mounts M4L and M4R have been reversed, and the bolts have been screwed into lower left and lower right mounting points (not shown in Figs) of the vehicle. The lower left and lower right mounting points are screw threaded apertures in the central member 8, and are located at the positions of the mounts M4L and M4R.

Furthermore, since the heights HP of the left side armour panelling and the right side armour panelling are each greater than half the width WO of the occupancy area, the second armour plates 52L and 52R of the armour panellings overlap one another at the bottom of the vehicle. The second armour plates 52L and 52R are attached to one another at the bottom of the vehicle by attachments in the form of two bolts APB. In this embodiment, the first lower position may be considered to be a left lower position, and the second lower position may be considered to be a right lower position, since the armour panellings remain at their respective sides of the vehicle when they are moved from the upper to the lower positions.

The two bolts APB pass through the anchor point AP apertures of the second armour plates to attach the second armour plates to one another. The two bolts APB are located just beneath the central member 8 when the second armour plates are attached to one. another, and optionally the central member 8 may be provided with another two lower mounting points in the form of screw threaded apertures for the two bolts APB to screw into and improve the security of the armour panellings at the bottom of the vehicle. As best seen in Fig. 7, the second armour plates 52L and 52R meet and overlap one another in a region OVL beneath the central member 8. The second armour plates 52L and 52R lie in parallel planes to one another at the bottom of the vehicle 1 , helping to stabilise the interface between them. In an alternate embodiment, the second armour plates 52L and 52R may both contact the central member 8 and be attached thereto, and the second armour plates 52L and 52R may or may not meet (contact) one another.

A second embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the schematic diagrams of Fig. 8 - Fig. 12, which show a vehicle 100 and vehicle armour 151L & 151R. The features of the vehicle 100 shown in Fig. 8 are substantially symmetrical about a vertical central plane along the length of the vehicle, i.e. the left side of the vehicle 100 looks just the same as the right side of the vehicle 100 (not shown in Figs).

First referring to Fig. 8, the vehicle 100 is similar to the vehicle 1 of the first embodiment, and has a body 101, and an occupancy area OCPl having a floor 132 and a seat 135 upon which vehicle occupants can sit. The occupancy area OCPl has a width WOl extending across the width of the vehicle, and a length LOl extending along the length of the vehicle. The occupancy area OCPl is similar to the occupancy area OCP of the first embodiment, except for that length LOl is significantly longer than length LO. Specifically, the floor 132 is substantially square with LOl being substantially the same as WOl.

The vehicle 100 comprises several mounting points for mounting vehicle armour to the vehicle, and the mounting points include left upper mounting points P13L, P15L, P14L, and P16L, which are substantially the same as the left upper mounting points P1L, P2L, P3L, P4L of the first embodiment. The left upper mounting points of the vehicle 100 also include left upper mounting points PI 1L and P12L, which are screw threaded apertures spaced along the edge of the floor 132 of the vehicle, and which are in place of the left hinge mounting points of the first embodiment. The mounting points also include right upper mounting points, which are similar to the left upper mounting points, and which are on the right side of the vehicle and therefore not visible in Fig. 8. The vehicle armour according to the second embodiment is shown in the schematic plan diagram of Fig. 9. The vehicle armour comprises a left side armour panelling 150L and a right side armour panelling 150R. The armour panellings each have a height HP and a width WP. The left side armour panelling 150L comprises an armour plate 151L, and the right side armour panelling 150R comprises an armour plate 151R.

The armour panellings 150L and 150R also comprise mounts in the form of bolts and apertures for mounting the armour panellings to a vehicle. Each of these mounts is formed by an aperture through one of the armour plates and a bolt for passing through the aperture and screwing into the vehicle. Specifically, the armour plate 151L comprises mounts M13L and M15L spaced apart along a left edge of the armour plate, mounts Ml 1L and M12L spaced apart along a bottom edge of the armour plate, and mounts M14L and M16L spaced apart along a right edge of the armour plate. The armour plate 151R comprises mounts M13R and M15R spaced apart along a right edge of the armour plate, mounts Ml 1R and M12R spaced apart along a bottom edge of the armour plate, and mounts M14R and M16R spaced apart along a left edge of the armour plate. The left, right, and bottom edges of the armour plates referred to above are with reference to the orientation of the armour plates when the armour plates are mounted to a vehicle.

Fig. 10 shows a schematic perspective diagram of the vehicle 100 when fitted with the vehicle armour of Fig. 9. The left side armour panelling 150L is fitted to the left side of the vehicle 100, and the right side armour panelling 150R is fitted to the right side of the vehicle 100 in just the same way as the left side armour panelling 150L.

Only the left side armour panelling 150L is visible in the view of Fig. 10, and as can be seen the left side armour panelling 150L is in an upper position, protecting the occupancy area OCP1 from any incoming bullets. To secure the left side armour panelling 150L .in this upper position, the bolts of the mounts M11L, M12L, M13L, M14L, Ml 5L and M16L are screwed into the six respective screw threaded apertures P11L, P12L, P13L, P14L, P15L and If the vehicle 100 is to be driven along roads that may have land mines, then the left and right side armour panellings 150L and 150R may be detached from the left upper and right upper mounting points by unscrewing the bolts, and then attached to the bottom of the vehicle 100 to move the left and right side armour panellings from the left and right upper positions to the first and second lower positions.

The schematic diagram of Fig. 11 shows a view of the vehicle 100 when the left and right side panellings 150L and 150R have been moved from the left upper and right upper positions to the first lower and second lower positions. In the lower positions, the height dimensions HP1 of the left and right side armour panellings are both parallel to the length dimension LOl of the occupancy area, and the width dimensions WPl are both parallel to the width dimension WOl of the occupancy area.

The view of the vehicle 100 in Fig. 11 is taken from directly beneath the vehicle 100, and so the chassis of the vehicle 100 is visible. The chassis comprises a front member 106 extending between the two front wheels 105, a rear member 107 extending between the two rear wheels 105, and left and right length members 108L and 108R extending substantially parallel to one another between the front and rear members.

The length members are stabilised with respect to one another by a front width member 109F connected to the left and right length members 108L and 108R, and a rear width member 109R also connected to the left and right length members 108L and 108R. The front and rear width members 109F and 109R are substantially parallel to the front and rear members 106 and 107.

The front and rear width members 109F and 109R each have a left end connected to a left side member 110L and a right end connected to a right side member 110R. The left and right length members 108L and 108R extend in parallel to the left and right side members 110L and 110R, and are both arranged in between the left and right side members 110L and 11 OR. As can be seen in Fig. 11 , the left and right side armour panellings have been attached to the bottom of the vehicle 100 with their bottom edges abutting one another along the interface INT. Specifically, the left side armour panelling 150L has been secured to the left side member 110L by the mounts M14L and M16L, to the left length member 108L by the mount M12L, to the right length member 108R by the mount Ml 1L, and to the right side member 110R by the mounts M13L and M15L. The right side armour panelling 150R has been secured to the left side member 110L by the mounts M14R and M16R, to the left length member 108L by the mount M 12R, to the right length member 108R by the mount M 11 R, and to the right side member 11 OR by the mounts M 13R and M 15R.

The heights HP1 of the left side armour panelling and the right side armour panelling are each just over half the length LOl of the occupancy area, and widths WP1 of the left side armour panelling and the right side armour panelling are each substantially the same as the widths WOl of the occupancy area. Therefore, the left side armour panelling and the right side armour panelling protect substantially the whole of the occupancy area from blasts occurring beneath the vehicle.

The left and right side armour panellings have been attached to the bottom of the vehicle 100 by the bolts of the mounts having been screwed into lower front and lower rear mounting points (not shown in Figs) of the vehicle chassis members. The lower front and lower rear mounting points are in the form of screw threaded apertures in the chassis members.

Since the left and right side armour panellings have been orientated so that their heights HP are aligned with the length of the vehicle, the interface INT extends across the width of the vehicle 100, and is supported by both the left and right length members 108L and 108R, and the left and right side members 110L and 110R. The interface INT requires support, since it constitutes a weak point in the armour protection at the bottom of the vehicle. Clearly, if the interface ΓΝΤ extended along the length of the vehicle, it would only be supported by the front and rear width members 109F and 109R, i.e. only two members rather than the current four. In this embodiment, the first lower position may be considered to be a front lower position, and the second lower position may be considered to be a rear lower position, since the left side armour panelling is placed more towards the front of the vehicle than the right side armour panelling when the armour panelling is in the lower positions. Clearly, the right side armour panelling could be placed more towards the front of the vehicle than the left side armour panelling in an alternate embodiment.

A cross-sectional view of the vehicle 100 is shown in Fig. 12, the cross-section being taken along line ZZ marked on Fig. 11 when looking in towards the front of the vehicle. It can be seen that the floor 132 is mounted to an upper side of the chassis members 110L, 108L, 108R, and 110R, and that the armour plate 151L of the left side armour panelling 150L is mounted to a lower side of the chassis members opposite the upper side of the chassis members. The chassis members therefore space the floor 132 apart from the armour plate 151L by a stand-off distance SOD, and the stand-off distance SOD provides space for the armour plate 151L to deform into if a blast occurs beneath the vehicle, helping to isolate the floor 132 from the blast.

The cross section of Fig. 12 is taken through the mount M14L, so that the bolt of the mount can be seen passing through the aperture of the mount and into the left side chassis member 110L.

As can be seen in Fig. 12, the floor 132 is folded down over the chassis members 110L and 11 OR of the vehicle 100 to form the left and right edges of the floor. The mounting points PI 1L and P12L of the vehicle 100 (refer to Fig. 8) are threaded apertures which extend through the edge portions 133 and into the chassis members 110L and 110R.

Various other embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims will also be apparent to the skilled person.

Claims

1. Vehicle armour, the vehicle armour comprising a left side armour panelling and a right side armour panelling, the left side armour panelling and the right side armour panelling each comprising mounts configured to mount the armour panelling to a vehicle, wherein the left side armour panelling is movable between a left upper position where the left side armour panelling is mounted by the mounts to protect a left side of the vehicle, and a first lower position where the left side armour panelling is mounted by the mounts to protect a bottom of the vehicle, and wherein the right side armour panelling is movable between a right upper position where the right side armour panelling is mounted by the mounts to protect a right side of the vehicle, and a second lower position where the right side armour panelling is mounted by the mounts to protect the bottom of the vehicle.

2. ·< · The vehicle armourof claim 1, wherein the left side armour panelling and the right side armour panelling each comprise a first armour panel that is connected to the mounts and a second armour panel that is pivotally connected to the first armour panel.

3. The vehicle armour of claim 2, wherein the second armour panels each comprise an anchor point, the anchor points for anchoring the vehicle to a floor when the left side armour panelling is moved to a left intermediate position between the left upper and first lower positions and the right side armour panelling is moved to a right intermediate position between the right upper and second lower positions.

4. The vehicle armour of any preceding claim, wherein the left side armour panelling and the right side armour panelling are configured to meet one another at the bottom of the vehicle when the left side armour panelling is in the first lower position and the right side armour panelling is in the second lower position.

5. : The vehicle armour of claim 4, wherein the left side armour panelling and the right side armour panelling are configured to overlap one another at the bottom of the vehicle when the left side armour panelling is in the first lower position and the right side armour panelling is in the second lower position.

6. The vehicle armour of any preceding claim, wherein the left side armour panelling and the right side armour panelling are configured to lie in parallel planes to one another at the bottom of the vehicle when the left side armour panelling is in the first lower position and the right side armour panelling is in the second lower position.

7. The vehicle armour of claim 6, wherein the left side armour panelling and the right side armour panelling comprise attachments for attaching the left side armour panelling and the right side armour panelling to one another at the bottom of the vehicle.

8. The vehicle armour of any preceding claim, wherein the mounts of the left side armour panelling comprise bolts and corresponding apertures through the left side armour panelling, for attaching the left side armour panelling to the vehicle at the left upper position or the first lower position, and wherein the mounts of the right side armour panelling comprise bolts and corresponding apertures through the right side armour panelling, for attaching the right side armour panelling to the vehicle at the right upper position or the second lower position.

9. The vehicle armour of any preceding claim, wherein the mounts of the left side armour panelling comprise a left hinge for hinging the left side armour panelling between the left upper and first lower positions, and wherein the mounts of the right side armour panelling comprise a right hinge for hinging the right side armour panelling between the right upper and second lower positions.

10. A vehicle fitted with the vehicle armour of any preceding claim, wherein the vehicle comprises an occupancy area that is protected by the vehicle armour, the occupancy area having length aligned with a length of the vehicle and a width aligned with a width of the vehicle, and wherein the left side armour panelling and the right side armour panelling each have a length and a height.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the lengths of the left side armour panelling and the right side armour panelling are each at least as long as the length of the occupancy area, and wherein the heights of the left side armour panelling and the right side armour panelling are each at least half the width of the occupancy area.

12. The vehicle of claim 10 or 11 , wherein the vehicle comprises mounting points for mounting the left side armour panelling in the left upper position or the first lower position via the mounts of the left side armour panelling, and mounting points for mounting the right side armour panelling in the right upper position or the second lower position via the mounts of the right side armour panelling.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, when claim 10 is appended to claim 9, wherein the mounting points comprise a left hinge mounting point that is continuously connected to the left hinge of the left side armour panelling as the left side armour panelling is moved between the left upper position and the first lower position, and a right hinge mounting point that is continuously connected to the right hinge of the right side armour panelling as the right side armour panelling is moved between the right upper position and the second lower position.

14. The vehicle of any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the height dimension of the left side armour panelling is parallel to the width dimension of the occupancy area when the left side armour panelling is in the first lower position, and wherein the height dimension of the right side armour panelling is parallel to the width dimension of the occupancy area when the right side armour panelling is in the second lower position.

15. The vehicle of any one of claims 10 to 14, wherein the heights of the left side armour panelling and the right side armour panelling are each at least half the length of the occupancy area.

16. The vehicle of claim 15 when appended to any one of claims 10 to 12, when claim 10 is appended to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the height dimension of the left side armour panelling is parallel to the length dimension of the occupancy area when the left side armour panelling is in the first lower position, and wherein the height dimension of the right side armour panelling is parallel to the length dimension of the occupancy area when the right side armour panelling is in the second lower position. .

17. The vehicle of any one of claims 10 to 16, wherein the vehicle comprises a chassis having chassis members running along a length of the vehicle and a floorplate mounted to an upper side of the chassis members, wherein the left side armour panelling is mounted to a lower side of the chassis members when in the first lower position, and wherein the right side armour panelling is mounted to the lower side of the chassis members when in the second lower position.

18. Vehicle armour substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.