Enclosure for shooter

Abstract

The enclosure surrounds the shooter who fires his/her weapon from inside, adjacent the back wall, at a target and/or bullet trap located some distance away from the enclosure. Sole access to the enclosure, and the shooter's station therein, is through the open front end. Air circulation and filtration is supplemented by generating an air curtain across the open front end. Air venting and filtration of inside air is at a rate of 6 times per minute and provides a flow of clean air from back to front of the enclosure through a pressurized plenum in the back wall designed to create a uniform flow through the shooter's station. An auxiliary venting outlet in the top or ceiling of the enclosure provides a negative air pressure inside the enclosure so contaminated air escaping through the open front end is minimized.

1 . An enclosure for use by a shooter at a shooter's station defined therein, the shooter able to fire from said station at a target located outside the enclosure, said enclosure comprising;
 a generally rectangular walled structure having one and another side walls and a top wall, and including front and back ends, the front end being substantially open, said back end defining a pressurized air plenum creating a generally uniform air flow from back to front of said enclosure,   an air circulating and filtration system supplying pressurized air to said plenum, and including at least one air-ventilating unit accessible from inside said enclosure, and   an air curtain creating unit provided oppositely to at least one said air ventilating unit inside said front end of said enclosure to provide a curtain of air between said enclosure side walls adjacent to said open front end thereof.   
     
     
         2 . The enclosure of  claim 1  wherein said pressurized air plenum comprises a grid for receiving air from said air ventilating unit discharging that air so received in a generally uniform flow pattern from said back end toward said open front end, and between said side walls of said enclosure. Said grid including at least one foraminous sheet therein. 
     
     
         3 . The enclosure of  claim 2  further including air flow diverting dams provided on said side walls inside said enclosure to accelerate the airflow downstream of said shooter's station. 
     
     
         4 . The enclosure of  claim 3  further including an auxiliary air ventilating unit in said top wall adjacent said open front end of said enclosure for reducing the ambient air pressure inside said enclosure by exhausting air to a location remote from said enclosure, said auxiliary unit operating independently of said air circulating and filtration system. 
     
     
         5 . The enclosure of  claim 1  wherein said air curtain unit has an inlet side drawing air from inside said enclosure adjacent one of said side walls, opposite said air ventilating unit, and said air curtain unit directing the air curtain laterally and generally normal to said one side wall, said air ventilating unit drawing air from inside said enclosure adjacent the other of said enclosure side walls and generally oppositely from said air curtain discharge direction.