Portable ballistic shelter system and device

Abstract

A portable, lightweight ballistic panel integrated with a shelter is capable of withstanding penetration by ammunition and fragmentation, so that the occupants of the shelter remain safe and unharmed. In one embodiment of the invention, wall segments or panels of ballistic material are provided so as to hang from an interior or exterior frame member of the shelter. In another embodiment, the present invention provides a frame independent of the shelter frame to which the panels can be secured. The panels can be provided such that they fold up into portable and manageable units.

1 . An integrated ballistic tent or shelter, comprising: 
 a portable fabric element;    a primary frame for supporting the portable fabric element such that said fabric element is capable of covering openings in said frame so as to define a shelter interior having outer edges;    receiving means secured to said frame for receiving a tent or shelter wall attachment;    at least one wall attachment of ballistic strength having attachment means secured at one or more edges thereof, capable of mating with said receiving means such that said wall attachment is thereby maintained along or near the outer edges of the shelter interior.    
   
   
       2 . The shelter of  claim 1  wherein the receiving means are secured at or near the top of the frame, and wherein the attachment means are integrally formed with the receiving means.  
   
   
       3 . The shelter of  claim 1  wherein the attachment means comprises grommets and wherein the receiving means comprises hooks.  
   
   
       4 . The shelter of  claim 1  wherein the receiving means comprises hooks provided along a cable which is secured to an upper portion of the tent frame.  
   
   
       5 . The shelter of  claim 4  wherein the hooks are slidable along the cable.  
   
   
       6 . The shelter of  claim 1  wherein the at least one wall attachment is mounted on an outside of the primary frame.  
   
   
       7 . The shelter of  claim 1  wherein the at least one wall attachment is mounted on an inside of the primary frame.  
   
   
       8 . The shelter of  claim 1  wherein the attachment means is taken from the group consisting of: hook and loop fasteners, a zipper, clips, snaps.  
   
   
       9 . The shelter of  claim 1  wherein the attachment means includes a second frame separate from the primary frame, wherein the second frame is erected inside of the primary frame.  
   
   
       10 . The shelter of  claim 1  wherein said frame includes an upper frame member, wherein the receiving means comprises at least one strap having first and second ends, said strap positioned around the upper frame member such that said first and second ends depend downwardly therefrom, and wherein said attachment means includes a pole member cooperatively engaged with the at least one wall attachment and capable of engaging with the first and second strap ends such that said wall attachment can be raised and lowered using said strap.  
   
   
       11 . The shelter of  claim 1  wherein said frame includes an upper frame member, wherein the receiving means comprises at least one strap having first and second ends, said strap secured at a first end to the upper frame member, and wherein said attachment means includes a pole member cooperatively engaged with the at least one wall attachment and capable of engaging the second strap end such that said wall attachment can be raised and lowered using said strap.  
   
   
       12 . A wall attachment for a tent or portable shelter, comprising: 
 a first and second panel, each panel having a length, a top portion, substantially parallel front and back faces, and first and second side walls;    means for adjoining a first side wall of said first panel with a second side wall of said second panel along the length of said panels, such that said first panel front face or back face can be mated with said second panel front face or back face, respectively; and    attachment means for attaching said first and second panels to said tent or shelter such that said panels can be manipulated up and down or sideways.    
   
   
       13 . The wall attachment of  claim 12  wherein said adjoining means includes an overlap panel member secured to each of said first and second side walls, and wherein said attachment means includes a first pole member secured to the top portion of said first panel, a second pole member secured to the top portion of said second panel, at least one strap member securedly connected to the first pole member and at least one strap member securedly connected to the second pole member.  
   
   
       14 . The wall attachment of  claim 12  wherein the attachment means comprises hooks or clasp members provided along a cable which is secured to the tent or shelter, and wherein the hooks or clasp members are slidable along the cable.  
   
   
       15 . The wall attachment of  claim 12  wherein the first and second panels form a first row of panels having a first end and a second end, and further including a second row of panels substantially identical to said first row of panels and securing means for securing said first and second row of panels together such that the first end of said first row of panels cooperatively engages the second end of the second row of panels, thereby permitting expansion and adaptation of said wall structure to different environments.  
   
   
       16 . A reinforcement structure for tent walls, comprising: 
 a frame within or integrated with said tent walls; and    a plurality of individual ballistic panels secured to said frame such that said panels are aligned but not secured together side by side and such that no gaps exist between adjacent panels.    
   
   
       17 . The structure of  claim 16  wherein the frame has receiving means and the panels each have attachment means for mating with the receiving means such that the panels can depend downwardly therefrom alongside said tent walls.  
   
   
       18 . The structure of  claim 16  further including corner panel members secured to one or more of said ballistic panels.  
   
   
       19 . An integrated internal ballistic wall framework for an existing tent or shelter, comprising: 
 a frame for fitting within an existing tent or shelter having walls defining the edges of an interior, said frame dimensioned to approximately align with the edges of the interior;    receiving means secured to said frame for receiving a tent or shelter wall attachment; and    one or more wall attachments of ballistic strength having attachment means secured at or near one or more edges thereof, capable of mating with said receiving means such that said wall attachments are thereby maintained along or near the edges of the interior.    
   
   
       20 . The framework of  claim 19  wherein the receiving means comprises hook or clasp members, and the attachment means comprises grommets integrally formed into said panels such that the grommets can be placed over and around the hook or clasp members and the panels can depend downwardly therefrom.  
   
   
       21 . A method for providing a tent or portable shelter having ballistic strength to withstand projectiles, comprising the steps of: 
 erecting a tent or portable shelter having an external or internal frame;    providing said frame with receiving means for receiving one or more wall attachments; and    providing one or more wall attachments with attachment means for connecting to said receiving means such that said wall attachments extend downwardly from said frame and thereby provide a barrier to projectiles.    
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein said attachment means permit said one or more wall attachments to be manipulated up and down or sideways.