Door seal assembly for armored vehicles

Abstract

A door seal assembly for an armored vehicle includes a first flange extending around the periphery of a door panel and protruding from a cab-facing side thereof. The first flange extends toward the exterior surface of the armored vehicle when the door panel is in a secured-closed condition. A second flange also protrudes from the cab-facing side of the door panel and extends into the opening of the armored vehicle when the door panel is in the secured-closed condition. The second flange being nested within the first flange and spaced-apart therefrom so as to form a channel between the first flange and the second flange and extending around the door panel along the cab-facing side thereof. A third flange protrudes from the exterior surface of the armored vehicle and extends about the opening thereof. The third flange is received within the channel that is defined between the first flange and the second flange when the door panel is in the secured-closed condition. During use, a blast wave resulting from a detonation beside the armored vehicle is redirected plural times as it passes by the first, second and third flanges before entering the cab interior.

1 . A door seal assembly for retaining a door panel of an armored vehicle in a secured-closed condition, the armored vehicle having an opening for providing access to a cab portion thereof and the door panel being hingedly mounted so as to be operable between the secured-closed condition and an unsecured-opened condition, the door panel being sized larger than the opening such that the periphery of the door panel overlaps a portion of the exterior surface of the armored vehicle about the opening when the door panel is in the secured-closed condition, the door seal assembly comprising:
 a first flange extending around the periphery of the door panel and protruding from a cab-facing side thereof, such that the first flange extends toward the exterior surface of the armor vehicle when the door panel is in the secured-closed condition;   a second flange protruding from the cab-facing side of the door panel and extending into the opening of the armored vehicle when the door panel is in the secured-closed condition, the second flange being nested within the first flange and spaced-apart therefrom so as to form a channel between the first flange and the second flange and extending around the door panel along the cab-facing side thereof; and,   a third flange protruding from the exterior surface of the armored vehicle and extending about the opening thereof, the third flange being received within the channel that is defined between the first flange and the second flange when the door panel is in the secured-closed condition.   
     
     
         2 . A door seal assembly according to  claim 1 , comprising a gasket secured within the channel between the first flange and the second flange, such that the gasket is disposed between facing surfaces of the first and third flanges when the door panel is in the secured-closed condition. 
     
     
         3 . A door seal assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the gasket is fabricated from an environmentally resistant material. 
     
     
         4 . A door seal assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the first flange is spaced-apart from the exterior surface of the armored vehicle along a direction normal to the exterior surface of the armor vehicle, when the door panel is in the secured-closed condition. 
     
     
         5 . A door seal assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the third flange is sized to sit flush against the cab-facing side of the door panel when the door panel is in the secured-closed condition. 
     
     
         6 . A door seal assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the second flange protrudes further from the cab-facing side of the door panel than does the first flange. 
     
     
         7 . A door seal assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the third flange defines the periphery of the opening of the armored vehicle, and wherein a surface of the second flange faces a surface of the third flange when the door panel is in the secured-closed condition so as to define a gap therebetween. 
     
     
         8 . A door seal assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the first and second flanges are integrally formed with the door panel. 
     
     
         9 . A door seal assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein each one of the first and second flanges forms a continuous and uninterrupted barrier-structure along the cab-facing side of the door panel. 
     
     
         10 . A door seal assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the spacing between the first flange and the second flange is approximately constant, such that a width of the channel defined therebetween is uniform around the door panel. 
     
     
         11 . A door seal assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein each of the first flange, the second flange and the third flange is fabricated using armor steel. 
     
     
         12 . A door seal assembly for retaining a door panel of an armored vehicle in a secured-closed condition, the armored vehicle having an opening for providing access to a cab portion thereof and the door panel being hingedly mounted so as to be operable between the secured-closed condition and an unsecured-opened condition, the door panel being sized larger than the opening such that the periphery of the door panel overlaps a portion of the exterior surface of the armored vehicle about the opening when the door panel is in the secured-closed condition, the door seal assembly comprising:
 a flange surrounding the opening and protruding from the exterior surface of the armored vehicle along a direction that is toward the door panel when the door panel is in the secured-closed condition, the flange being defined such that the door panel overlaps the flange when in the secured-closed condition; and,   a channel defined on a side of the door panel that faces the cab of the armored vehicle when the door panel is in the secured-closed condition, the channel disposed within a portion of the door panel that overlaps the exterior surface of the armored vehicle such that the flange is received within the channel when the door panel is in the secured-closed condition.   
     
     
         13 . A door seal assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein the channel has a floor and two sidewalls, and wherein a first space is defined between the flange and one of the two sidewalls and a second space is defined between the flange and the other one of the two sidewalls when the door panel is in the secured closed-condition, the first space being wider than the second space. 
     
     
         14 . A door seal assembly according to  claim 13 , wherein the first space is further defined between the exterior surface of the armored vehicle and the side of the door panel that faces the cab of the armored vehicle when the door panel is in the secured-closed condition. 
     
     
         15 . A door seal assembly according to  claim 14 , comprising a gasket secured within the channel, such that the gasket is disposed within the first space when the door panel is in the secured-closed condition. 
     
     
         16 . A door seal assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein the gasket is fabricated from an environmentally resistant material. 
     
     
         17 . A door seal assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein the flange is sized to sit flush against the floor of the channel when the door panel is in the secured-closed condition. 
     
     
         18 . A door seal assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein the channel is defined by a space between two additional flanges that protrude from the side of the door panel that faces the cab of the armored vehicle when the door panel is in the secured closed condition. 
     
     
         19 . A door seal assembly according to  claim 18 , wherein each one of the flange and the two additional flanges is fabricated using armor steel. 
     
     
         20 . A door seal assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein the channel is defined by a recessed groove that is formed within the side of the door panel that faces the cab of the armored vehicle when the door panel is in the secured closed condition. 
     
     
         21 . A door seal assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein the channel surrounds the opening in an uninterrupted fashion when the door panel is in the secured-closed condition. 
     
     
         22 . A door seal assembly according to  claim 13 , wherein the flange is sized to sit flush against the floor of the channel when the door panel is in the secured-closed condition. 
     
     
         23 . A door seal assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein the channel is defined by a space between two additional flanges that protrude from the side of the door panel that faces the cab of the armored vehicle when the door panel is in the secured closed condition. 
     
     
         24 . A door seal assembly according to  claim 23 , wherein each one of the flange and the two additional flanges is fabricated using armor steel. 
     
     
         25 . A door seal assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein the channel is defined by a recessed groove that is formed within the side of the door panel that faces the cab of the armored vehicle when the door panel is in the secured closed condition. 
     
     
         26 . A door seal assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein the channel surrounds the opening in an uninterrupted fashion when the door panel is in the secured-closed condition. 
     
     
         27 . A door seal assembly for retaining a door panel of an armored vehicle in a secured-closed condition, the armored vehicle having an opening for providing access to a cab portion thereof and the door panel being hingedly mounted so as to be operable between the secured-closed condition and an unsecured-opened condition, the door panel being sized larger than the opening such that the periphery of the door panel overlaps a portion of the exterior surface of the armored vehicle about the opening when the door panel is in the secured-closed condition, the door seal assembly comprising:
 a first flange protruding from a cab-facing side of the door panel and extending around the door panel, the first flange spaced away from the periphery of the door panel so as to define a lip between the first flange and the periphery of the door panel, the first flange extending toward the exterior surface of the armored vehicle when the door panel is in the secured-closed condition;   a second flange protruding from the exterior surface of the armored vehicle and extending around the opening, the second flange extending toward the lip of the door panel when the door panel is in the secured-closed condition;   a third flange protruding from the exterior surface of the armored vehicle and extending about the periphery of the opening thereof, the third flange extending toward the cab-facing side of the door panel when the door panel is in the secured-closed condition, the second flange and the third flange cooperating to form a channel extending around the opening; and,   a gasket disposed within the channel that is defined between the second flange and the third flange,   
       wherein the first flange is received between the gasket and the third flange when the door panel is in the secured-closed condition, and wherein the gasket substantially fills a space that is defined between the second flange and the first flange when the door panel is in the secured-closed condition. 
     
     
         28 . A door seal assembly for retaining a door panel of an armored vehicle in a secured-closed condition, the armored vehicle having an opening for providing access to a cab portion thereof and the door panel being hingedly mounted so as to be operable between the secured-closed condition and an unsecured-opened condition, the door panel being sized larger than the opening such that the periphery of the door panel overlaps a portion of the exterior surface of the armored vehicle about the opening when the door panel is in the secured-closed condition, the door seal assembly comprising:
 a first flange protruding from one of a cab-facing side of the door panel and the exterior surface of the armored vehicle, the first flange surrounding the opening when the door panel is in the secured-closed condition;   a second flange protruding from the other one of the cab-facing side of the door panel and the exterior surface of the armored vehicle, the second flange surrounding the opening and being nested within the first flange when the door panel is in the secured-closed condition so as to define a space extending around the opening, the space being bounded by the cab-facing side of the door panel and the by exterior surface of the armored vehicle in a first direction and being bounded by the first flange and by the second flange in a second direction that is normal to the first direction; and,   a gasket disposed within the space, the gasket extending around the opening and substantially filling the space when the door panel is in the secured-closed condition.