Abstract:
Present invention teaches a foldable multi-pan shielding device consisting of a number of connected rigid planar pieces that can be easily deployed when drawn out and set up in a corner of a room or a classroom; a protrusion mechanism in between two connected straight pieces will create a small angle when clicked into place, providing a bow-like tensioning structure and a “pie” safety zone to be formed when the two side pieces are engaged to the walls.

Description:
FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to a foldable and easy-to-deploy shielding device, for creating a temporary protecting shield or screen, during emergency situations. 
     Particularly, present invention provides for an easily retracted/folded and easily deployed/drawn-out shielding device that takes up little space when put away. When deployed, it can create a screened-off “pie”-shaped safety zone for temporary protection and resistance against incoming projectiles or bullets, benefitting some fifteen adults or twenty-five school children of normal sizes, according to the sample 6-piece 3×5 (foot) disclosure discussed herein. 
     To deploy the shielding device from its retracted state where all straight rigid planar pieces are generally kept in a parallel manner, a person can simply “draw” out the rigid planar pieces, which are slidably connected together in a seriatim manner. 
     Also, the rigid planar pieces are slidably engaged by a track formation that generally maintains these straight pieces in a parallel fashion, both in the “stored” stated and in the “deployed” state. 
     For straight shaped rigid planar pieces, a small angle will be created between every two connected pieces, so as to from an overall arc-shaped “pie” screen. 
     A preferred embodiment would have a pop-out ball structure clicking into a receiving cavity, when all the planar pieces are drawn laterally to a pre-set position relative to the one connected, forming a temporary safe “pie” area when engaged to two side walls, 90-degrees for example. 
     Alternatively, a travel limiter means on the track formation will create a small overlapping segment between two adjacent rigid planar pieces. A small angle will be formed thereto between two straight pieces, which provides the bow-tensioning force for the overall deployed shielding device. 
     For the slightly curved version of the rigid planar pieces, the angles of the overall “bow” shape will be defined by the natural arc angles of all the deployed rigid planar pieces, having a small overlapping segment between any two pieces. 
     OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Present invention teaches to build an easy-to-use and easy-to-store, foldable projectile-resisting multi-pane shield that can be deployed within seconds, to provide for emergency protection from dangerous objects such as bullets discharged from guns, or similar weapons. 
     The invention disclosed herein comprises of a plurality of rigid planar pieces serially connected together. As such, when the rigid planar pieces are folded up (retracted) for storing away, the shield looks a like a travel suit case and is easy to handle or kept/store away. 
     At deployed state, the shield looks like a multiple-pane screen and is generally self-standing, with optional hooking mechanisms on right and left sides for engaging to adjacent structures, such as walls. 
     Between every two serially connected rigid planar pieces, an extended screen area can be formed by moving them laterally, referred to as “drawn out” in the sample disclosure herein. 
     To form a small angle between two adjacent rigid planar pieces, a pop out ball structure on one rigid planar piece clicks into a corresponding receiving cavity on an adjacent rigid planar piece, the lateral (drawn) movement stops and a small segment of overlapping area is formed. This small segment of overlapping area creates a bow-like tensioning force to support the multiple-pane screen structure to withstand oncoming impact force, such as bullets or other dangerous projectiles. 
     The formation of a small angle in the short overlapping segment between two rigid planar pieces can also be done by an inset notch on one end of a rigid planar piece, while the adjacent drawn out piece&#39;s “tail” end will mesh into this angled notch, to form the desired small angle. 
     Alternatively, each of said rigid planar pieces may be of a slight arc-shape, from a top-down orientation view. As such, when these serially-connected rigid planar pieces are drawn out to deploy into a protective screen, a longer arc-shape will be formed, with travel limiter means to maintain a small overlapping segment between every two adjacent rigid planar pieces. This small overlapping segment serves to create the bow-like tensioning force, when the deployed screen is set against two side structures, two walls in the corner of a class room, for example. 
     The rigid planar pieces can be made of metal, hard plastic, or other composite materials suitable for the projectile-resisting purpose or bullet-resisting purpose. The commercially available Kevlar material, or other new and to-be-developed materials can all be used to construct the shield of present invention. 
     Optionally, the rigid planar piece can be made from a rigid frame having a central opening area that is covered by appropriate fabric-like material, which can also be made from similar Kevlar or other suitable composite materials. 
     With the layer(s) of said sturdy fabric-like material fixed to the rigid frame, there is an inherent “wiggle” effect, when a projectile hits, similar to a golf ball hitting a net or a cloth hanging in mid-air, and is conducive to reducing the impact power produced by a fast-traveling projectile. 
     Depending on the desired implementation, two or more layers of said sturdy flexible fabric-materials may be fixed to said rigid frame, for better protective. 
     Optionally, a frame center row can be built to said rigid frame. 
     The pop out ball structure, the receiving cavity and other relevant “clicking” and protrusion mechanism, detailed later, can either set to form on the top, or down portion of said rigid frame, or the center frame row. 
     In a sample 6-piece construction, as further discussed in later paragraphs, each rigid planar piece may have a sample 2-D size of about 3-foot by 5-foot (3-foot wide and 5-foot tall). For an exemplary construction of a sample 6-piece device herein, we can choose a small overlapping segment (between every two connected rigid planar pieces) about six (6) inches. As such, said sample 6-piece shield will have a roughly 15.5 foot long (6 times 3, minus the 5 segments of 0.5 foot overlaps) and 5-foot high protective “wall”, when deployed. 
     If the sample 6-piece shielding device of the present invention is deployed in a room corner, having 90-degree walls flanking on two sides, the “pie” area created by the 15.5-foot shield will have a radius of roughly 9.5 feet, and an area of roughly 70 square feet. This “pie” area will be generally sufficient for some 25 school children or 15 people of normal size to stay down close together (under the proposed 5-foot shield wall) for a short while during an emergency. 
     The actual dimensions or sizes of these rigid planar pieces are not limited by the samples given herein. Other sizes can certainly be chosen for implementation. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate the preferred embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
       A brief description of the drawings is as follows: 
         FIG. 1A  is a top-down view for the shielding device of the present invention, in a folded up state. 
         FIG. 1B  is a top-down view for the shielding device, showing the rigid planar pieces are being drawn out for deployment and the pop out ball structures are clicking into a corresponding receiving cavity of an adjacent rigid planar piece. 
         FIG. 2A  is a top-down view of a rigid planar piece, having its protrusion means implemented by an angle peg and a block piece. 
         FIG. 2B  shows, in the same top-down view manner, the protrusion means of  2 A is in a “pushed out” position, creating a small angle between two adjacent rigid planar pieces. 
         FIG. 3A  is a side (horizontal) view of the protrusion means implemented by a block piece with an angle peg. The dotted arrow shows the direction of the block piece movement, at the time when the pop out ball structure is clicked in. 
         FIG. 3B  shows the block piece  112  is pushed inwards, after the ball structure clicks into the receiving cavity. 
         FIG. 4A  is a top-down view of a portion of a rigid planar piece, having its protrusion means implemented by a pivoting rod. 
         FIG. 4B  shows, in the same top-down manner, the pivoting rod is turned an angle and pushing away the adjacent rigid planar piece, when the ball structure of the rigid planar piece clicks into the corresponding receiving cavity. 
         FIG. 5  shows the hooking mechanisms on the left-most (top) piece and the right-most (bottom) piece. 
         FIG. 6A  shows the shielding device of present invention in a deployed state, viewed in a top-down manner. 
         FIG. 6B  shows an alternative embodiment of the shielding device without the overlapping segment between every two pieces. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a portion of the shielding device; foot piece at the bottom of the rigid planar piece is shown, with detachable wheels. 
         FIGS. 8A and 8B  show the overlapping track formation, in a side horizontal view manner, to allow the adjacent rigid planar pieces to have slidable engagement with each other. 
         FIG. 9  shows, in a side horizontal view manner, the C track formation, to allow the adjacent rigid planar pieces to have slidable engagement with each other. 
         FIG. 10  shows the rigid planar piece may be formed by a rigid frame with sturdy flexible fabric-like material filling in the central opening. X-X denotes a cut line for cross sectional view. 
         FIGS. 11  A/B/C/D show the X-X cross-sectional view of a rigid frame, having sturdy flexible fabric-material in one or multiple layers. 
         FIG. 12  shows the rigid frame having an optional frame center row. 
         FIG. 13A  is a top-down view of the rigid planar pieces in a folded up state, with the inset angled notches shown. 
         FIG. 13B  is a top-down view of the rigid planar pieces in a deployed state, with two adjacent rigid planar pieces joined in the inset angled notches. 
         FIG. 14A  shows the side (lateral) view of a rigid planar piece with track formation on top, taking up a lateral length shorter than the full lateral length of the rigid planar piece. 
         FIG. 14B  is s top-down view of two drawn out adjacent rigid planar pieces, with a small overlapping segment. 
         FIG. 14C  shows the track formation having same lateral length as the rigid planar piece. 
         FIG. 15A  is a top-down view of the slightly arc-shaped rigid planar pieces in a folded up stated. 
         FIG. 15B  is a top-down view of the slightly arc-shaped rigid planar pieces in a deployed stated. 
         FIG. 15C  shows the perspective view of an arc-shaped rigid planar piece. 
         FIGS. 16  A/B show a simplified view of the travel limiter means of a C track formation (without the loop fitting piece, for ease of understanding), using stopper peg and close-end block. 
         FIGS. 16A-2  and  16 B- 2  add back the inter-connection between two adjacent rigid planar pieces with the loop fitting pieces in place. 
         FIGS. 17  A/B/C/D show the travel limiter means of an overlapping track formation. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     As shown herein, the preferred embodiment of present invention includes a projectile-deflecting/resisting shielding device  10  that is generally formed by a plurality of connected rigid planar pieces  100 . 
     The shielding device  10  can be easily folded up into a “travel case” type configuration, making it easy for storing away, or for keeping to the sidewall of a housing structure, such as a classroom wall. 
       FIG. 1A  shows the top-down view of the shielding device when the rigid planar pieces  100  are in a “stored” state. 
     In the disclosure herein as shown in  FIG. 1A , the bottom rigid planar piece  100  will be the right-most piece, and will be drawn to the right when it is being deployed for use. The top rigid planar piece  100  will be the left-most piece, consequently. Persons reasonably skilled in the art would not need any more disclosure, if a left-right reverse construction is needed, as the mechanism and function will be equivalent. 
       FIG. 1B  shows the shielding device  10  is being drawn out to a “deployed” state. 
     In this sample disclosure, the bottom piece  100  in  FIG. 1A  of the shielding device  10  is being drawn out towards the right side. 
     When the rigid planar pieces  100  are drawn out (for deployment), there will be a small overlapping segment between every two adjacent rigid planar pieces, denoted as O.L.S. on  FIG. 1B . 
     The rigid planar pieces  100  of present shielding device  10  are connected in a seriatim fashion. The connection between any two adjacent rigid planar pieces  100  may be made by slidable track formation  350 , such as overlapping track formation  300  in  FIGS. 8A and 8B . 
     Alternatively, the slidable track arrangement can be in the form of a C track formation  400 , as shown in  FIG. 9 , which is a side (lateral) view showing the plurality of rigid planar pieces  100  next to one another. 
     The C-shaped outside loop  406  runs generally along the lateral of the rigid planar piece  100 . On the “back side” of said outside loop  406 , a loop fitting piece  560  extends out towards the “opening” of the next C outside loop and ends with an inside track  405  portion that travels inside the space of said next outside loop  406 . See  FIGS. 9 ,  16 A,  16 A- 2 ,  16 B and  16 B- 2 . 
     The track formation  350  can be made either on top of the rigid planar pieces  100 , or at the bottom, or both locations. 
     To create an arc-shaped overall screen from the constituent straight rigid planar pieces  100 , a small angle must be created by a protrusion means  103  on the small overlapping segment O.L.S. between two adjacent rigid planar pieces  100 , as shown in  FIG. 6A . 
     In a standing position of a deployed shield device  10 , the “protrusion means”  103  and the “clicking” into said cavity  110  happens on a generally horizontal orientation, as the figures show and discussed herein. 
     A first embodiment of said protrusion means  103  is a pop out ball structure  190  on one rigid planar piece  100  that “clicks” into a corresponding receiving cavity  110  of the other rigid planar piece  100 , when drawn to move laterally, with a small O.L.S length, as shown in  FIG. 1B . 
     The “clicking” of said ball structure  190  to said corresponding receiving cavity  110  will stop further lateral movement of the drawn rigid planar piece  100 , and set the two adjacent rigid planar pieces  100  in pre-determined relative angled position. 
     The track formation  350  causes the rigid planar pieces  100  to stay generally in a parallel manner among them. However, the track formation  350  will also have some wiggle or play room, so that any two adjacent rigid planar pieces  100  may be placed at a slight non-parallel angle when drawn out, as effected by the protrusion means  103 . 
     The protrusion means  103  is actuated by the pop out ball structure  190  when clicking into the receiving cavity  110  on the adjacent rigid planar piece  100 . Said protrusion means  103  can be implemented by a pivoting rod  127 , having a pivoting point  129 , as shown in  FIG. 4A , which is a top-down view of a portion of a rigid planar piece  100 . 
     When the pop out ball structure  190  is “clicked” into the receiving cavity  110 , a first end  1271  of said pivoting rod  127  gets pushed in, and a second end  1272  gets pushed out from a side angle hole  102  of the vertical surface of a rigid planar piece  100 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4B , the pivoting rod  127  rotates horizontally on a pivoting point  129 . 
     As such, said protrusion means  130 , as implemented by the pivoting rod  127  will create a small angle in the small overlapping segment O.L.S. between two adjacent rigid planar pieces  100 , at time of deployment, as shown in  FIG. 6A , which is a top-down view of the shielding device  10 . 
     Alternatively, said protrusion means  103  can be implemented by a block piece  112 , which has a front rod  1121  that will enter into the space of the receiving cavity  110 . As the side horizontal view shown in  FIGS. 3A and 3B , a block spring  1126  will provide the resilient force to maintain said block piece  112  in place, until a pop out ball structure  190  “clicks” into a corresponding receiving cavity  110 , and said ball structure  190  then pushes said block piece laterally, so that an angle peg  120  will protrude horizontally through a center hole  1125  of said block piece  112 , and will be able to push against an adjacent rigid planar piece  100 , to create the small angle, as shown in the deployed view of  FIG. 6A . 
     In  FIG. 3A , the angle hole  102  and the angle peg  120  are blocked from view, as the side lateral view presented, by the block piece  112 . The angle hole  102  and the angle peg  120  are shown through the center hole  1125 , in  FIG. 3B . 
       FIGS. 2A and 2B  show, in a top-down manner, the protrusion means  103  implemented by said block piece  112 , where said angle peg  120 , normally retained by peg spring  121 , will push out from an angle hole  102  from the vertical side hole (angle hole  102 ) of a rigid planar piece  100 , when a pop out ball structure  190  clicks into a corresponding receiving cavity  110 , as shown in  FIG. 2B . 
     Said angel peg  120  will travel through the center hole  1125  of the block piece  112 , which is being moved laterally (to the right, as the orientation shown on  FIGS. 2B and 3B ), and will push against an adjacent rigid planar piece  100  on the O.L.S. (overlapping segment) portion, creating a small angle between the two rigid planar pieces  100 . 
     A hooking mechanism  180  can be built to the left-most and right-most rigid planar pieces  100 , as shown in  FIG. 5 , to allow easy engagement with side walls or other ground structure, for creating a “pie” area generally depicted in  FIG. 6A  or  6 B. 
     Said mechanism  180  may be made to have fold-in/fold-out feature, as desired. 
     To facilitate moving the shielding device  10  around, both at time of deployment and storage, foot pieces  130  may be added to the bottom portion of the rigid planar pieces  100 . Additionally, detachable wheels  140  may be added to the foot pieces  130 , to provide the flexibility of having the wheels  140  on for easy maneuvering and the wheels  140  off for somewhat immobile set up when deployed, as users may choose. 
     Another preferred embodiment of present invention is to have the serially connected rigid planar pieces form a small overlapping segment OLS, as limited by a travel limiter means  770  built to the track formation  350 . 
     In the embodiment with travel limiter means  770 , the track formation  350  will have a lateral length that is somewhat shorter than full lateral length of the rigid planar pieces  100 , as shown in  FIG. 14A . 
     Note that in actual implementation, said track formation  350  may have the same lateral length as the rigid planar piece  100  attached to, as shown in  FIG. 14  C. However, the effective travel between two track pieces will be limited to the point where the left track-edge  352  (on one rigid planar piece  100 ) will be engaged to the right track-edge  351  (or a corresponding connected rigid planar piece  100 ), thanks to the use of travel limiter means  770 , consequently, only the portion of the “travelled” length between  351 / 352  would be considered meaningful lateral length of said track formation  350 , for purpose of the disclosure herein. 
     As shown in  FIG. 14A , a left track-edge  352  will be at the same lateral location of the left edge of a rigid planar piece  100 ; a right track-edge  351  will be at a small indent point to the right edge of a rigid planar piece  100 . As such, the travel limiter means  770  will cause the left track-edge  352  on one rigid planar piece  100  to be engaged to the right track-edge  351  of a slidably connected rigid planar piece  100 , and creating a small overlapping segment O.L.S., as shown in the top-down view presented in  FIG. 14B . 
     To form a small angle in the O.L.S area, the left end of a rigid planar piece  100  will fit into an inset angle notch  220  on the right end of a connected rigid planar piece  199 , as shown in  FIGS. 13A and 13B . 
     In the case of an overlapping track formation  300 , the travel limiter means  770  is implemented by matching stopper blocks  310  that are added to the end of said overlapping track formation  300 , so as to stop the lateral movement of two adjacent rigid planar pieces  100  relative to each other, when the right track-edge  351  of one rigid planar piece  100  is connected to the location of the left track-edge  352  of an adjacent rigid planar piece. 
       FIGS. 17  C/D show the addition of the stopper blocks  310  on the two respective overlapping track  300  structures, with the simplified overlapping structure shown in FIGS.  17 A/B. 
     In the case of a C-track formation  400 , the travel limiter means  770  is implemented by a stopper peg  410  added to the end of an inside track  405 , and a close-end block  411  added to the (matching) end of the outside loop  406 . 
     For ease of understanding the function and structure of said stopper peg  410  and close-end block  411 ,  FIGS. 16A and 16B  show the simplified view of travel limiter means  770  in the C-track formation  400 , by not showing the loop fitting piece  560  and the connection between two adjacent rigid planar pieces. 
       FIGS. 16A-2  and  16 B- 2  added the loop fitting piece  560 , as well as the connection between rigid planar pieces by the slidable C-Track formation. 
     Another embodiment of the shielding device  10  would be to have every two adjacent rigid planar pieces  100  connected, by the track formation described herein, at their respective left and right end points when drawn out, without a small overlapping segment, as shown in  FIG. 6B . To the extent the rigid planar pieces  100  are connected via the track formation  350 , either the overlapping track formation  300  or the C track formation  400 , the connecting point on the track formation ( 300 / 400 ) would be the left track edge  351  on one piece  100  the alternative right track edge  351 B of another rigid planar piece  100 ; referencing  FIG. 14C  for such points of connection. 
     Such an end-to-end connection between every two adjacent rigid planar pieces can be achieved by a travel limited means  770  on the track formation  350 , as discussed later. 
     Though this embodiment can also form a “pie” area, there is no bow-like tensioning force to the overall deployed shielding device, due to the lack of the O.L.S. area. 
     With hooking mechanisms  180  and the left-most and right-most rigid planar pieces, when drawn out, engaging to two side structures (two side walls flanking at 90 degrees, for example), such a simplified embodiment can also be chosen to fit the design with reduced cost allocation. 
     In addition to utilizing straight rigid planar pieces to for an “arc” screen by drawing out the connected pieces, the overall “arc” screen can also be formed by having individual slightly arced rigid planar pieces  1000  that are slightly arc-shaped, as shown in  FIG. 15A , which denotes the shielding device  10  in its ‘stored’ state. 
     In such arc-shaped configuration, there will be similar arced track formation  3500  that runs the same lateral length as the lateral length of main rigid planar piece  1000 , as shown in  FIG. 15C . 
     With the same travel limited means  770  built in to such arc-shaped configuration, there will be a small overlapping segment O.L.S. between every two adjacent rigid planar pieces  1000  that are still bound by the generally parallel (albeit a bit arc-shaped) track formation  3500 , to provide a bow-like tensioning force. See  FIG. 15B . 
     As an alternative way of implementing shielding function of present invention, the rigid planar pieces  100  may be formed by a rigid frame  101  conforming to the desired outside shape of said rigid planar piece  100 , as shown in  FIG. 10 . 
     For the center opening area, suitable fabric-like materials  109  that has the desired flexible yet sturdy attribute can be cut and fixed to said rigid frame  101 , achieving the creation of a protective surface that consists of “screen” type material. 
     The optional use of the sturdy fabric-like material  109 , one or more layers, to create rigid planar piece  100  has the advantages of reducing overall weight and also increasing the impact resistance from projectiles/bullets, due to the inherent “wiggle” nature. 
     One or more layers of said sturdy flexible fabric-like material  109  can be fixed to said frame  101 , as shown in FIGS.  11 A/B/C/D. 
     Alternatively, a rigid frame  101  may have a frame center row  105 , so as to accommodate said pop out ball structure  190 , corresponding receiving cavity  110 , protrusion mechanism  130  and engaging said protrusion mechanism  130 , for the purpose of clicking two adjacent rigid planar pieces  100  in place with small overlapping segment and creating a small angle between two adjacent rigid planar pieces  100 . 
     For the slightly arc-shaped rigid planar pieces  1000 , the aforesaid construction of employing sturdy and flexible fabric-like material to fit over a rigid frame  101  is equally applicable and requires no more disclosure, as long as the rigid frame  101  and corresponding structure, such as the frame center row  105 , is made to the intended curvature.