APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING PROTECTION FROM BALLISTIC ROUNDS, PROJECTILES, FRAGMENTS AND EXPLOSIVES

• US 20120266745A1
• Filed: 10/14/2011
• Published: 10/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Armor Dynamics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Armor Dynamics, Inc.
• Inventors: WARREN, David H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,857,311 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 89/36.02
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 5/007 Reactive armour; Dynamic armour
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 5/0414 Layered armour containing ceramic material
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 5/0428 Ceramic layers in combination with additional layers made of fibres, fabrics or plastics
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 7/02 Land vehicles with enclosing armour, e.g. tanks endless-track vehicles, steering thereof B62D ; vehicles for placing portable or sectional bridges E01D15/127; vehicles carrying floating bridges E01D15/22
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 7/044 Hull or cab construction other than floors or base plates for increased land mine protection mounting of armoured plates F41H5/013

Abstract

An apparatus for providing protection from ballistic rounds, projectiles, fragments and explosives. The apparatus includes a core, grinding layer and bonding layer. The core is shaped and configured as a structural truss of the apparatus, in which the core includes a plurality of parallel, adjacent rows and the core distributes and dissipates force impacting on the apparatus. The grinding layer is positioned on at least one side of the core facing towards potential threats, in which the grinding layer grinds rounds, projectiles, fragments or other materials impacting the apparatus, helping to dissipate the impacting material and its momentum. The bonding layer bonds the grinding layer together and the grinding layer to the core and provides an outer coating to the apparatus on a side of the apparatus facing potential threats and through which rounds, projectiles, fragments or other materials impact and penetrate the apparatus.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing protection from ballistic rounds, projectiles, fragments and explosives, comprising:

a core that is shaped and configured as a structural truss of the apparatus, in which the core includes a plurality of parallel, adjacent rows and the core distributes and dissipates force impacting on the apparatus;

a grinding layer comprising a plurality of ceramic grinding media and positioned on at least one side of the core facing towards potential threats, in which the grinding layer grinds rounds, projectiles, fragments or other materials impacting the apparatus, helping to dissipate the impacting material and its momentum, wherein the ceramic grinding media are positioned side-by-side, at an angle in adjacent rows of the core, and lined up in parallel rows, and wherein adjacent rows of the ceramic grinding media are offset so that intersections formed by adjacent ceramic grinding media in adjacent rows do not align; and

a bonding layer that bonds the grinding layer together and the grinding layer to the core and provides an outer coating to the apparatus on a side of the apparatus facing potential threats and through which rounds, projectiles, fragments or other materials impact and penetrate the apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the ceramic grinding media are ceramic cylinders.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the ceramic grinding media are ceramic spheres.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the ceramic spheres are ceramic beads or ceramic balls.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the ceramic grinding media are ceramic cubes.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the ceramic grinding media are ceramic hexagons.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the rows of the core are tilted so that the ceramic grinding media are oriented at an angle away from perpendicular to the side of the apparatus facing towards potential threats.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the core acts like a tray with a number of adjacent, tilted rows on which the ceramic grinding media are placed.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the impacting material is redirected on impact, decreasing the changes that the impacting material will strike any ceramic grinding media head-on and increasing the changes that the impacting material will impact with multiple ceramic grinding media.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the ceramic grinding media are hollow.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the core includes protrusions on which the hollow ceramic grinding media fit.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the bonding layer is a self-healing polymer.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the core is plastic.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a backing that is attached to the apparatus on a side facing away from potential threats, in which the backing acts to further absorb and dissipate force impacting on the apparatus.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the bonding layer is located on both sides of the core and provides an outer coating to the apparatus on a side facing away from potential threats.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the bonding layer fills in tiny gaps and spaces between the ceramic grinding media, and between the ceramic grinding media and the core.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein after the ceramic grinding media are positioned in the core, the bonding layer is poured or cast onto the grinding layer.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein multiple layers of the core and the grinding layer are stacked one on top of another in an interlocking manner.

19. An apparatus for providing protection from ballistic rounds, projectiles, fragments and explosives, comprising:

a grinding portion comprising a plurality of media and positioned on at least one side of the apparatus facing towards potential threats, in which the grinding portion affects rounds, projectiles, fragments, super-heated jet or other materials impacting the apparatus, helping to dissipate the impacting material and its momentum, wherein the media are positioned side-by-side, at an angle in adjacent rows, and lined up in parallel rows, and wherein adjacent rows of the grinding media are offset so that intersections formed by adjacent media in adjacent rows do not align;

a bonding portion that bonds the grinding portion together and provides an outer coating to the apparatus on a side of the apparatus facing potential threats and through which rounds, projectiles, fragments or other materials impact and penetrate the apparatus; and

an explosive portion that is attached to the apparatus on a side facing potential threats for providing a reactive armor component for the apparatus.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the explosive portion contains explosives that react and explode when a projectile or super-heated jet impacts the explosive portion to disrupt a path of the projectile or super-heated jet, and to enhance deflective affects of the plurality of media in the grinding portion.