Interlocking element for protective divide and method

Abstract

A surface-conforming protective divide is formed by mutually adjacent interlocking sculptured elements, which have a first portion different from a second portion. The first portion has a first surface bound by a polygon wherefrom a plurality of lateral surface extend from each side of the polygon. The second portion has many knuckles, each one associated with a first and then alternately with every other lateral surface. Each knuckle has a laterally protruding rotund surface extending radially outward from the first portion. The second portion has a plurality of recesses, each recess being associated with a second and then alternately with every other lateral surface. Each recess receives therein one knuckle pertaining to an immediately adjacent sculptured element in mutual interlocking coupling. Each sculptured elements has a flat base surface terminating the second portion and forming a basis.

1 . A rigid interlocking sculptured element, free of stress concentrators, a plurality of which is used to assemble a surface-conforming protective divide, the sculptured element comprising:
 a first portion supported by a second portion, with an intermediate portion disposed therebetween, and a base surface which terminates the second portion and forms a basis, the sculptured element being characterized in that:   the first portion has a first height and a first surface bound by a polygon wherefrom a plurality of lateral surface extend from each side of the polygon, the intermediate portion has an intermediate height, supports the polygon of the first portion, and extends to end on a common plane parallel to the polygon, and the second portion comprises:   a plurality of knuckles, where each knuckle out of the plurality of knuckles is associated with a first lateral surface and alternately with at least one other lateral surface, and each knuckle has a laterally protruding rotund surface extending radially outward and away from the first portion, and   a plurality of recesses, where each recess out of the plurality of recesses is associated with a second lateral surface and alternately with at least one other lateral surface, and each recess is configured for receiving therein one knuckle pertaining to an immediately adjacent sculptured element in mutual interlocking coupling.   
     
     
         2 . The protective divide according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 an interstice separates apart immediately adjacent lateral surfaces to provide degrees of freedom of displacement to the interlocked sculptured elements, and   each knuckle associated with a recess pertaining to an immediately adjacent sculptured element forms a joint articulation.   
     
     
         3 . The protective divide according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 an interstice separates apart immediately adjacent lateral surfaces, and   a ballistic fragment directed at the protective device and small enough to penetrate into the interstice will impinge on:
 a knuckle when directed onto the first portion, and 
 a recess when directed onto the base surface. 
   
     
     
         4 . The protective divide according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the polygon is a regular hexagon and the sculptured element has three knuckles and three recesses.   
     
     
         5 . The protective divide according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 an interstice separates apart mutually adjacent sculptured elements,   the first portion has a first surface supported by an intermediate portion having lateral surfaces,   the first surface has a first thickness above the intermediate portion, the first thickness being zero when the first portion is a flat plane,   the intermediate portion has an intermediate thickness,   the second portion has a second thickness above the base surface, and   a projectile impinging onto the first portion of the sculptured element meets:
 a maximum thickness which is the sum of the first height, plus the intermediate height, plus the second height, or, when the first surface is a flat plane, a thickness which is the sum of the intermediate height plus the second height, and 
 a minimum thickness equal to the second height, when the projectile penetrates through an interstice. 
   
     
     
         6 . The protective divide according to  claim 1  wherein:
 mutual interlocking is achieved when at least three mutually adjacent sculptured elements are assembled. 
 
     
     
         7 . The protective divide according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the polygon is a regular polygon, and   each sculptured element assembled into a protective divide has a same identical geometrical configuration.   
     
     
         8 . The protective divide according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 each lateral surface of a polygon is associated with more than one knuckle, more than one recess, or a combination of knuckles and recesses.   
     
     
         9 . The protective divide according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the base surface is selected alone and in combination from a group consisting of a flat surface, of a flat and concave surface and of a concave surface.   
     
     
         10 . The protective divide according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the plurality of interlocking sculptured elements includes at least a first type of sculptured elements having a first geometry and at least a second type of sculptured elements having a second geometry, and   the first geometry is different from the second geometry.   
     
     
         11 . The protective divide according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first surface of the plurality of sculptured elements is bound by a polygon selected alone and in combination from a group consisting of regular polygons and irregular polygons.   
     
     
         12 . A method for implementing a rigid interlocking sculptured element, free of stress concentrators, a plurality of which is used to assemble a surface-conforming protective divide, the method comprising:
 providing a sculptured element having a first portion supported by a second portion, with an intermediate portion disposed therebetween, and a base surface which terminates the second portion and forms a basis,   
       the method being characterized by the steps of
 configuring the first portion to have a first height and a first surface bound by a polygon wherefrom a plurality of lateral surface extend from each side of the polygon, configuring the intermediate portion for supporting the polygon of the first portion, to have an intermediate height, and for ending on a common plane parallel to the polygon, and configuring the second portion for:
 supporting the polygon of the common plane, including a plurality of knuckles, associating each knuckle out of the plurality of knuckles with a first lateral surface and alternately with at least one other lateral surface, and configuring each knuckle with a laterally protruding rotund surface extending radially outward and away from the first portion, and 
 providing a plurality of recesses, associating each recess out of the plurality of recesses with a second lateral surface and alternately with at least one other lateral surface, and configuring each recess for receiving therein one knuckle pertaining to an immediately adjacent sculptured element in mutual interlocking coupling. 
 
 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein:
 an interstice separates apart immediately adjacent lateral surfaces to provide degrees of freedom of displacement to the interlocked sculptured elements, and   each knuckle associated with a recess pertaining to an immediately adjacent sculptured element forms a joint articulation.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein:
 an interstice separates apart immediately adjacent lateral surfaces, and   a ballistic fragment directed at the protective device and small enough to penetrate into the interstice will impinge on:
 a knuckle when directed onto the first portion, and 
 a recess when directed onto the base surface. 
   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein:
 the polygon is a regular hexagon and the sculptured element has three knuckles and three recesses.   
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein:
 an interstice separates apart mutually adjacent sculptured elements,   the first portion has a first surface supported by an intermediate portion having lateral surfaces,   the first surface has a first thickness above the intermediate portion, the first thickness being zero when the first portion is a flat plane,   the intermediate portion has an intermediate thickness,   the second portion has a second thickness above the base surface, and   a projectile impinging onto the first portion of the sculptured element meets:
 a maximum thickness which is the sum of the first height, plus the intermediate height, plus the second height, or, when the first surface is a flat plane, a thickness which is the sum of the intermediate height plus the second height, and 
 a minimum thickness equal to the second height, when the projectile penetrates through an interstice. 
   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein:
 mutual interlocking is achieved when at least three mutually adjacent sculptured elements are assembled.   
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein:
 the base surface is selected alone and in combination from a group consisting of a flat surface, of a flat and concave surface and of a concave surface.   
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein:
 the plurality of interlocking sculptured elements includes at least a first type of sculptured elements having a first geometry and at least a second type of sculptured elements having a second geometry, and   the first geometry is different from the second geometry.   
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein:
 the first surface of the plurality of sculptured elements is selected alone and in combination from the group consisting of regular polygons and irregular polygons.