Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention(s) relate(s) to gun ports useful in defense of armored vehicles and armored buildings, and in particular to gun ports with armored and blast-resistant doors that are weather sealed, and to gun ports with doors that both translate into and out of a closed position over a gun-port opening and roll out of the way of the gun-port opening along one or more guide rails. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Gun ports are well known in the art for both military and non-military application. A gun port permits discharge of a fire arm or other weapon through an opening defined within the gun port whenever the gun port is in an open position. The gun port secures the port against passage of a bullet or other unwanted object whenever the gun port is in a closed position. Typically gun ports include a door as a closure shield secured on either an interior or exterior surface of a support apparatus such as an exterior wall of an armored vehicle or the exterior wall of a building. The door is often actuated by hand by an operator of the gun port standing or sitting next to an interior surface of the support apparatus, such as inside the armored vehicle or building. Examples of the prior art in gun ports are provided by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,771,672; 4,771,673; and 6,425,311. In all three of these examples, the door consists of a single plate of metal. The first example discloses a door (or “closure plate”) that is a single plate that is slid upward to open, and downward to close. The second example discloses a door (or “closure”) that is a single plate that is pivoted inward and downward to open, and upward and outward to close. The third example discloses a door (or “closure shield”) that is a single plate mounted on the outside of the exterior wall and that rotates parallel to the wall in a first rotational direction to open, and in the reverse direction to close. 
     The prior art does not disclose gun ports designed to withstand explosive blasts from military or terrorist threats. The prior art also does not disclose means to seal a gun-port door closure from leaking fluids such as rain water through the seams between the door and its port, and at the same time permit an operator carrying weaponry to quickly open and shut the gun-port door with a nudge of a forearm, upper arm, or heal or back of a hand. What are needed are gun ports that can withstand explosive blasts, and at the same time are constructed of preassembled subassemblies that enable easy installation and replacement, that seal tightly against water leaks, and that can be quickly and easily opened without requiring a firm hand grip on the door or door handle. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A blast and projectile resistant gun port is provided with both a roller-slide mechanism and a lever-actuated, spring-loaded, cam mechanism which a shooter operates to open or close a gun-port door over a gun-port opening in a gun-port frame, as well as to translate the gun-port door out of the way of the gun-port opening. The shooter is able to effect these actions by nudging the lever on the cam mechanism with or without placing one or more hands on the lever and is thus able to keep both hands on weaponry. The gun-port door keys into its closed position, and an elastic weather seal is squeezed firmly between the gun-port door and the gun-port frame when the gun-port door is closed. The squeezing of the weather seal is effected by springs in the cam mechanism. The gun-port door and the components and subassemblies are easily and rapidly replaceable. Multiple plates comprising the door and its carrier on the roller slide mechanism are typically made of steel and provide effective armor against offending explosive blasts and/or ballistic projectiles. 
     The invention(s) is(are) pointed out in the following paragraphs which disclose example implementations and/or aspects. 
     A first implementation is a gun-port door apparatus that comprises a) a gun-port door and b) a mounting plate on which the gun-port door is mounted, and on which wheels or rollers are mounted to translate the mounting plate with the gun-port door along one or more guide rails into or out of position adjacent a gun-port opening in a gun-port frame, wherein the one or more guide rails are mounted to the gun-port frame. This first implementation may further comprise one or more extension arms from the gun-port door that extend movably through respective one or more holes in the mounting plate, wherein the door can be connected to a door-controlling device from the side of the mounting plate that is opposite to that of the gun-port door. This first implementation may further comprise a spring compression mechanism on the mounting plate, wherein the spring compression mechanism has one or more springs that push the gun-port door away from the mounting plate. The spring compression mechanism can be actuated to pull the gun-port door away from the gun-port opening and can be cam-actuated, wherein a cam pushes against the mounting plate. The extension arms can support the cam. The spring compression mechanism can include a lever that is connected to the cam. The lever can be used to push the gun-port door off of the gun-port opening, to push the gun-port against the gun-port opening, and/or to translate the gun-port door along the one or more guide rails. The gun-port door can include a registration plate that seats into the gun-port opening when the gun-port door is in a closed position. A sealing material can be located between the gun-port door and a region of surface on the gun-port frame around the gun-port opening when the gun-port door is in a closed position over the gun-port opening. The door location can be restrained by left and right end plates attached to the one or more guide rails. The gun-port frame can include at least one drip bar located above the gun-port opening. 
     A second implementation is a gun-port assembly comprising: a) a gun-port frame suitable for fitting into a wall to create a gun-port opening, b) a gun-port door suitable for covering the gun-port opening, and c) a gun-port door mount that can be translated along with the gun-port door to a position remote from the gun-port opening; wherein the gun-port door mount is mounted on wheels or rollers to be rolled along one or more co-parallel guide rails whose linear direction is parallel to the wall, and wherein the gun-port door mount includes a lever-actuated cam for moving both opening and closing the gun-port door and for translating the door along the one or more guide rails. This second implementation can further comprise an elastic sealing material where the gun-port door contacts the gun-port frame around the gun-port opening. The cam controls an amount of compression that is applied between the gun-port door and the gun-port door mount. The extension arms extending from the gun-port door extend through guiding holes in the gun-port mount and connect to the cam. 
     A third implementation is a method of operational manipulation of a gun-port door. This method comprises the steps of: a) opening or closing a gun-port opening by using a spring-loaded cam that is coupled to a gun-port door, and b) translating the gun-port door attached to a mounting plate that rolls along one or more guide rails, wherein the direction of travel can be chosen between left or right from alignment adjacent the gun-port opening. In some implementations of the method, both steps can be accomplished hands-free by nudging a lever that is connected to the cam. The method can further comprise a step of pressing an elastic sealant material located between the gun-port door and the gun-port frame. 
     One implementation of the invention(s) includes a gun port comprising a gun-port opening in a gun-port frame, wherein the gun-port frame is coupled to a movable, blast-resistant gun-port door. The door can be rolled or slid in either of two opposite directions along one or more guide rails (or slides or bars) away from a gun-port opening. The gun-port door comprises at least two spaced-apart plates, wherein the at least two spaced-apart plates can be made of steel. A lever attached to a cam that is pivotably attached to the gun-port door functions as a paddle or handle that can be nudged by a user&#39;s left or right arm or hand and used to open, close, and/or translate the door to one side or the other of the gun-port opening. The cam is spring loaded to control a stand-off distance of the gun-port door from the gun-port frame, and to effect pressure of the gun-port door against an elastic weather seal when the gun-port door is closed over the gun-port opening. The extent of the door&#39;s travel along the guide rails can be limited by left and right end caps. 
     OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION 
     Objects and advantages of the present invention(s) are numerous. One object and advantage is a port door that has been tested to withstand ballistic projectiles and explosive blasts from outside the port. The blast testing has shown that a gun port of the present invention(s) can reduce outside blast pressures of 25 psi outside down to pressures inside of less than 0.5 psi. This is accomplished by constructing a gun-port door that is close fitting against a port frame. It is also accomplished with a door that is constructed with not just one steel plate to close the opening of the port, but with a stack of two or more spaced-apart steel plates, wherein the steel can be A36 carbon steel rather than more exotic and expensive steels, and wherein the space between adjacent plates can simply be air space and spacer standoffs. In one such design, an outer plate of 1.5 inch (3.81 cm) thickness is spaced 1.625 inch (4.13 cm) from an inside plate of 1 inch (2.54 cm) thickness. A second object and advantage is a door handle that can be manually moved left or right to open a closed port with either hand of a shooter or other user, and more importantly hands-free with a shoulder, elbow, forearm, or the back of a hand or heal of a hand. A third object and advantage is a door that moves on rollers or slides, wherein the rollers or slides are protected by being located between the spaced apart plates of the door and a door mounting plate. Within this disclosure, “slide” can imply either sliding or rolling. A fourth object and advantage is a door sub-assembly, including movement guides, that can be removed and replaced easily from the inside or safe-side of its port frame. 
     The various features and further advantages of the present invention(s) and their preferred embodiments will become apparent to ones skilled in the art upon examination of the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description. It is intended that any additional advantages be incorporated herein. The contents of the following description and of the drawings are set forth as examples only and should not be understood to represent limitations upon the scope of the present invention(s). 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The foregoing objects and advantages of the present invention(s) of gun ports may be more readily understood by one skilled in the art with reference being had to the following detailed description of several embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Within these drawings, callouts using like reference numerals refer to like elements in the several figures (also called views) where doing so won&#39;t add confusion. Within these drawings: 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view from the inside and left of a gun-port door frame. 
         FIG. 2  shows a perspective view from the outside and right of a gun-port door frame. 
         FIG. 3  shows a cross-sectional side-view of a gun-port door frame installed in a wall opening. 
         FIG. 4  shows a cross-sectional top-view of a gun-port door frame installed in a wall opening. 
         FIG. 5  shows a perspective view from the inside and left of a gun-port door frame with a gun-port door pressed against the gun-port door frame. 
         FIG. 6  shows a cross-sectional side view of a gun-port door pressed against a gun-port frame. 
         FIG. 7  shows a planar view of the outside-face of a gun-port door. 
         FIG. 8  shows a perspective view from the inside and left of a gun-port door frame with upper and lower roller tracks mounted to the frame by way of respective mounting brackets. The roller tracks are tied together at their left ends and at their right ends by respective end caps, however the left end cap is removed to permit visibility of the left end of the roller tracks. 
         FIG. 9  shows a gun-port door mounting plate for translating and opening and closing the door. 
         FIG. 10  shows a side view of a gun-port door with the door mounted to a gun-port door mounting plate that includes V-wheels/rollers to guide translation of the gun-port door along roller tracks that are supported by brackets to a port door frame. The gun-port door is shown in a shut position, and a wall into which the gun-port door frame would be mounted is not shown. 
         FIG. 11  shows a view similar to that of  FIG. 10 , but the door is shown in an open position. 
         FIG. 12  shows a top view of what is shown in  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 13  shows a top view similar to  FIG. 11 . but where the door assembly has been translated to the left to uncover the gun-port opening in the gun-port door frame. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The following is a detailed description of the invention(s) and its preferred embodiments as illustrated in the drawings. While the invention(s) will be described in connection with these drawings, there is no intent to limit it to the embodiment or embodiments disclosed. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents included within the spirit and scope of the invention(s). 
       FIG. 1  shows a perspective view from the inside and left of a gun-port door frame  10  such as would be installed through a wall of a building or vehicle. A flange  16  on the gun-port door frame  10  is shown that would usually be located and referenced against the outside surface of the wall. A gun-port opening  12  is shown through which a weapon could be fired. The inside surface  14  of the gun-port frame would face the safe side of the gun-port opening  12 . Shown also are a top surface  20  and a side surface  18  that would be inside the wall. 
       FIG. 2  shows a perspective view from the outside and right of the gun-port door frame  10  of  FIG. 1 . Visible in this view are three sloped surfaces  22  which taper the gun port opening  12  to a larger size at the flange  16  than at the inside surface  14  (inside surface  14  is shown in  FIG. 1 ). 
       FIG. 3  shows a cross-sectional side-view of the gun-port door frame  10  installed in a wall opening that has been filled with the gun-port door frame  10 . The wall is shown with its outside surface  24  and inside surface  26 . The flange  16  is shown referencing against the outside surface  24  of the gun-port door frame  10 . A drip edge  28  is shown at the bottom of the upper part of the flange  16 , and there is no upper sloped surface to match the sloped surface  22  shown at the bottom of the gun-port opening  12 , in order to prevent rain or other fluids that may impinge on the outside wall surface  24  from easily getting to the inside opening of the gun-port opening  12 . 
       FIG. 4  shows a cross-sectional top-view of a gun-port door frame  10  installed in a wall opening that has been filled with the gun-port door frame  10 . In this view, a sloped surface  22  is shown at each of the left and right of the gun-port opening  12 . And, as in  FIG. 3 , the inside surface  26  and the outside surface  26  of the wall is shown. 
       FIG. 5  shows a perspective view from the inside and left of a gun-port door frame  10  with a gun-port door sub-assembly  40  pressed against the insides surface  14  of the gun-port door frame  10 . Comprising this gun-port door sub-assembly  40  are a main plate  42 , a sealing element  46  around the perimeter of the main plate  42 , and a backing plate  48  to which are removably attached four shoulder bolts  50  and two arm extensions  52  each with a pivot hole  54  for holding an axle with a pivotable cam  98  (the axle with cam  98  are visible in  FIGS. 10-13 ). The four shoulder bolts  50 , and the two extension arms  52 , extend perpendicularly to the plane of the backing plate  48 . The axes of the two pivot holes  54  are aligned co-axially with one another, and are generally oriented vertically and parallel with the surface  14 . 
       FIG. 6  shows a cross-sectional side view of a gun-port door sub-assembly  40  pressed with the sealant  46  against the inside surface  14  of a gun-port frame  10 . The view of the gun-port frame  10  is the same as shown in  FIG. 5 , with the exception of the added gun-port door subassembly  40 . What can be seen additionally in this view that isn&#39;t shown in  FIG. 5  is a guide plate  44  that forms the front of the gun-port door sub-assembly  40 . This guide plate  44  serves as both a) a skid plate that can rub against the surface  14  as the gun-port sub-assembly is translated parallel to that surface  14  when not closed over the gun-port opening  12 , and b) as an alignment registration device to key the gun-port door sub-assembly  40  into the gun-port opening  12  as and when the gun-port door sub-assembly  40  is closed over the gun-port opening  12 . 
       FIG. 7  shows a planar view of the outside-face of a gun-port door sub-assembly  40 . The main plate  42  is shown to be larger than the guide plate  44 . The width and height of the guide plate  44  are slightly smaller than the gun-port opening  12  to permit an easy fit of the former into and out of the latter. The surface of the main plate  42  that extends beyond the surface of the guide plate  44  is that surface area that would be covered by the sealing element  46  (not shown in this view, but called out in  FIGS. 6 , and  10 - 13 ). 
       FIG. 8  shows a perspective view from the inside and left of a gun-port door frame  10 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , but with upper and lower roller tracks  60 , 62  mounted to the frame  10  by way of respective mounting brackets  64 , 66 . The roller tracks  64 , 66  are tied together at their left ends and at their right ends by respective end caps  68 , however the left end cap is removed to permit visibility of the left ends of the roller tracks  60 , 62 . 
       FIG. 9  shows a gun-port door mounting plate  84  for supporting the gun-port sub-assembly  40  along the roller tracks  60 , 62  (shown in FIGS.  8  and  10 - 13 ), and for supporting the gun-port door sub-assembly  40  as it is opened from (or closed upon) the gun-port opening  12 . This gun-port mounting plate includes a set of four outer-most holes  96  used to mount axles of rollers or wheels to engage the roller tracks  60 , 62  that serve as guide rails when this mounting plate  84  carries the gun-port door sub-assembly  40  to translate the gun-port door sub-assembly  40  parallel to the inside surface  14  of the gun-port frame  10  to move the gun-port door sub-assembly  40  out of the way of the gun-port opening  12 . A next inner-set of four holes  86  are clearance holes for the shoulders of the four shoulder bolts  50  which are part of the gun-port door sub-assembly  40 . The inner-most holes, i.e. the two rectangular holes  90 , are clearance holes for the two door arms  52  first shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . 
       FIGS. 10 and 11  show a side view of a gun-port door subassembly  40  mounted to a gun-port door mounting plate  84  that is in turn mounted with upper and lower pairs of V-wheels/rollers  92 , 94  to upper and lower roller tracks  60 , 62  that are in turn supported by upper and lower brackets  64 , 66  to a gun-port door frame  10 . The gun-port door sub-assembly  40  is shown in a shut position  80  in  FIG. 10 , and in an open position  82  in  FIG. 11 . A wall into which the gun-port door frame would be mounted is not shown. Due to the complexity of the drawings in  FIGS. 10 and 11 , the callout (“ 40 ”) for the gun-port door sub-assembly  40  is not shown, but is the same as shown and called out in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , with  FIG. 6  presenting a cross-sectional view. Building on the illustrations in the previous figures,  FIGS. 10 and 11  show in addition the rest of a complete implementation example. What is added in  FIGS. 10 and 11  are compression springs  88  (retained in position by the previously introduced shoulder bolts  50 , and compressed between the gun-port door sub-assembly  40  and the mounting plate  84 ), V-wheels  94  (supported by the mounting plate  84  and engaged on the roller tracks  60 , 62 ), and a cam and axle set  98  (supported by the door arms  52 ) and connected to a lever/handle/paddle  100  used to manipulate the cam (part of  98 ). Manipulation of the lever  100 , and thereby of the cam (part of  98 ), effects a change in the amount of compression force applied to the springs  88  and allows their length to expand when shutting the door, and to shorten with opening the door. 
       FIGS. 12 and 13  show a top view of what is shown in  FIG. 11 , wherein the gun-port door sub-assembly  40  is in an open position, however  FIGS. 12 and 13  show the gun-port door sub-assembly and the other components mounted to the mounting plate  84  in each of two different locations along the roller tracks  60 , 62 . In  FIG. 12 , the gun-port door sub-assembly is positioned over the gun port opening  12  at the centerline of the gun-port frame  10 , but not shut tight onto the surface  14  of the gun-port frame  10 . In  FIG. 13 , the gun-port door sub-assembly is positioned out of the way of the gun-port opening  12 , i.e. toward one end (in this case the left end) of the roller tracks  60 , 62 . 
       FIG. 13  shows a top view similar to  FIG. 11 . but where the door assembly has been translated to the left to uncover the gun-port opening in the gun-port door frame. 
     Embodiments of the invention include methods of opening, of closing, and of translating a gun-port door into position or out of the way with respect to a gun-port opening. One such method comprises the steps of: a) opening or closing a gun-port opening by using a spring-loaded cam that is coupled to a gun-port door, and b) translating the gun-port door attached to a mounting plate that rolls along one or more guide rails, wherein the direction of travel can be chosen between left or right from alignment adjacent the gun-port opening. In some implementations of the method, both steps can be accomplished hands-free by nudging a lever that is connected to the cam. This method can further comprise a step of pressing an elastic sealant material located between the gun-port door and the gun-port frame. 
     Several embodiments are specifically illustrated and/or described herein. However, it will be appreciated that modifications and variations are covered by the above teachings and within the scope of the disclosure without departing from the spirit and intended scope thereof. Method steps described herein may be performed in alternative orders. The examples provided herein are exemplary and are not meant to be exclusive. 
     Although specific embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that any arrangement configured to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown. One such substitution would include the addition of electro-mechanical actuation and actuators to move the gun-port door in response to a nudge or gesture by an operator or shooter. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all adaptations or variations of various embodiments of the invention. It is to be understood that the above description has been made in an illustrative fashion, and not a restrictive one. Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments not specifically described herein will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The scope of various embodiments of the invention includes any other applications in which the above structures and methods are used.

Technology Category: f