Bullet proof face shield and method of using same

Abstract

A bullet proof face shield which can be mounted on any weapons equipped vehicle whose placement is adjusted using a track/rail system.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a bullet proof face shield located on a track/rail system that can be universally mounted to weapon equipped vehicles and method of using same.

2. Description of the Prior Art

It is only common sense that when exposed to hostile weapon fire, a shield to deflect incoming ballistic projectiles is desired. There are many examples of such shields in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,524, issued to John Nepper for “Guardsman Shield for Opposably Parrying a Hostile Assailant” and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/0110933, issued to Alfred Baker for “Ballistic Shield and Methods of Use”, both involve a shield that is designed to be hand held. U.S. Pat. No. 2,215,204 issued to G. C. Young for “Firearm Shield” and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2007/0056986 issued to Stephen Berman for Water Gun with Retractable Spring Loaded Shield” both disclose shields that are designed to be mounted to the weapon itself. U.S. Pat. No. 5,293,807 issued to Sandor Hajdu for “Bullet Proof Shield Assembly” and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/0221355 issued to Nicholas Castaldo for “Articulating, Shell Casing Deflection and Collections Apparatus” depict a shield that is either designed to be staked into the ground or clamped to the edge of a table. U.S. Patent Publication 2007/0131103, issued to Dale McClellan for “Protective Ballistic Weapons Stands and Transparent Shields Useable therewith” discloses a shield that is mounted on the weapons swivel plate so as the weapon swivels, the shield swivels as well. What the prior art does not disclose is an apparatus which can be universally mounted to any vehicle wherein the adjustment in the shield placement is accomplished through a rail/track system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a shield that can be mounted to any vehicle. It is a further object to provide that the placement of the shield can be accomplished using a track/rail system. Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when viewed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which set forth certain embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1 depicts the present invention from a frontal orientation showing the shield located on the track/rail system.

FIGS. 2 illustrates a more detailed image of the track/rail system.

FIGS. 3 depicts the present invention from a side view showing the shield located on the track/rail system.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein. It should be understood, however, that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, the details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as the basis for the claims and as a basis for teaching one skilled in the art how to make and/or use the invention.

Shown in FIG. 1 is the face shield [1] of the present invention mounted onto the track/rail system [2]. The objective of the present invention is to allow forward and rearward adjustment of the face shield [1]. This adjustment could be accomplished using any conventional means. For example, the height of a basketball backboards is adjusted by moving a smaller structure, e.g. a round pipe, through a bigger structure, a bigger pipe. This is referred to a telescoping and the two structures do not need to be round as in a pipe but can be of any shape so long as the two shapes are the same and one is just slightly smaller than the other. With the current invention, the face shield [1] could be mounted to one of the structures for instance the bigger pipe and adjusted forward or backward through sliding, telescoping, such pipe over the smaller pipe.

Another perhaps less conventional means for adjustment would be to attach the face shield [1] to the end of an arm made up of many smaller arms attached to each other by hinges. In its most rearward position, the arms would be folded onto each other. The distance forward or rearward of the face shield would be adjusted by unfolding the necessary amount of smaller arms.

In the present invention, the adjustment of the face shield [1] is accomplished by using a track/rail system [2] such as that shown in FIG. 2. It is important to recognize that for the purposes of this invention, the specifics of the track/rail [2] system are not critical. For example, neither the size nor number of the “teeth” [8] are important. What is important is that there is a track [9] in a rail [10] with corresponding teeth [8] in both. To bring the face shield [1] closer to a person's face, the face shield [1] is moved using the adjustment arm [3].

The face shield [1] can be attached to the track/rail system [2] using any conventional means such as by bolting or welding the shield to the track/rail system. Likewise, the face shield [1] could either be rigidly attached to the track/rail system [2] or attached in such a manner as to allow the face shield [1] to rotate around the attachment point. As shown in FIG. 3, in the present invention, the face shield [1] is located perpendicular to the track/rail system [2] using a shield attachment plate [4]. The face shield [1] is then rigidly attached to the shield attachment plate [4] using any conventional means such as through the bolts shown in FIG. 3. The shield attachment plate [4] is then connected to the rail [10] which rides along the track [9]. Teeth [8] in the rail [10] engage corresponding teeth [8] in the track [9]. In the present invention, an adjustment arm [3] which acts like a crank, is rotated moving the rail [10] forward or rearward depending on the direction of the rotation.

The entire face shield apparatus is mounted to a weapons equipped vehicle using any conventional means such as through welding or by bolting such apparatus directly to the vehicle. The face shield [1] can be made of any bullet proof material such as flass or acrylic. The face shield [1] can be made to be completely clear or be made in a way that only the weapon user can se out and that no one can see such user, i.e., one way.

While the preferred embodiments have been shown and described, it will be understood that there is no intent to limit the invention by such disclosure, but rather, is intended to cover all modifications and alternate constructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A bullet proof face shield which can be mounted to any vehicle, and a means for adjusting such shield away from a face or towards such face.

2. The bullet proof face shield of claim 1 wherein the means of adjustment comprises a track/rail system.

3. The bullet proof shield of claim 2 wherein the track/rail system comprises a track with teeth; a rail with teeth; and a means for moving the rail along the track.

4. The bullet proof face shield of claim 3 wherein the means for moving the rail along the track is rotating crank.

5. The bullet proof shield of claim 4 wherein the bullet proof shield is made of material that permits vision in only one direction.

6. The bullet proof shield of claim 5 wherein said shield is pivotally attached to the track/rail system.

7. The bullet proof shield of claim 5 wherein said shield is rotatably attached to the track/rail system.

8. A method of using a bullet proof face shield comprising the steps of attaching said face shield to a track/rail system and adjusting the face shield forward or rearward along the track/rail system.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the bullet proof face shield is made of material that only permits vision in one direction only.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the face shield is pivotally attached to the track/rail system.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the face shield is rotatably attached to the track/rail system.