Vehicle and structure film/hard point shield
A shield includes a film with members intersecting at spaced nodes, a hard point fixed at least at select nodes, and a frame at least partially about the film for spacing the film from a vehicle or structure to be protected.
1. A shield comprising:
a two ply polymer film including members intersecting at spaced sealed nodes, the film configured such that an incoming threat striking the shield breaks the film but is not detonated;
a hard point sandwiched between said two plies at least at select sealed nodes, the hard point designed to dig into and dud the threat; and
a frame at least partially about the film for spacing the film from a vehicle or structure to be protected.
2. The shield of claim 1 in which each node includes opposing cup-shaped portions.
3. The shield of claim 1 in which the plies are welded together.
4. The shield of claim 1 in which said hard points are each unitary members.
5. The shield of claim 4 in which said unitary member is multisided with sharp edges.
6. A shield manufacturing method comprising:
forming a first polymer film ply to include members intersecting at nodes;
placing a hard point at least at select nodes;
placing a second polymer film including members intersecting at nodes over the first polymer film ply and the hard points fixing the hard points at their respective nodes;
sealing the first and second polymer films together sandwiching said hard points between the first and second polymer plies at sealed nodes thereof; and
configuring the first film and the second film such that an incoming threat striking the shield breaks the films but is not detonated.
7. The method of claim 6 in which each node includes opposing cup shaped portions.
8. The method of claim 6 further includes the step of welding the plies together.
9. The shield manufacturing method of claim 6 including constructing each hard point as a unitary member.