Ballistic resistant fabric articles

• US 5,677,029 A
• Filed: 12/12/1996
• Issued: 10/14/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alliedsignal Inc. (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Alliedsignal Inc. (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Harpell, Gary A., Wertz, David, Prevorsek, Dusan C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bell, James J.
• Application Number:
  US08/764,033
• Time in Patent Office: 306 Days
• Field of Search: 442/236, 442/394, 428/109, 428/111, 428/113, 428/114, 428/902, 428/911, 428/105
• US Class Current: 428/113
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0253 Polyolefin fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0261 Polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2571/02 defensive, e.g. armour plates or anti-ballistic clothing
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/12 next to a fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/022 Non-woven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/024 Woven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/12 characterised by the relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of different layers, e.g. the fibres or filaments being parallel or perpendicular to each other
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 5/0478 Fibre- or fabric-reinforced layers in combination with plastics layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/902 High modulus filament or fiber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/911 Penetration resistant layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24058 including grain, strips, or filamentary elements in respective layers or components in angular relation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24091 with additional layer[s]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24107 including mechanically interengaged strands, strand-portions or strand-like strips
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24124 Fibers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24132 including grain, strips, or filamentary elements in different layers or components parallel
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3447 Including a preformed synthetic polymeric film or sheet [i.e., film or sheet having structural integrity prior to association with the woven fabric]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/674 Nonwoven fabric with a preformed polymeric film or sheet

Abstract

A flexible article of manufacture especially suitable for use as a ballistic resistant body armor which comprises two or more layers, at least one of said layers being a fibrous layer, and at least one of said layers being a polymeric layer in contact with and bound to all or portion of said fibrous layer.

Claims

1. A flexible penetration resistant composite comprising

a. at least one fibrous layer comprised of a network of fibers, a portion of said fibers having a tenacity equal to or greater than about 10 g/d, a tensile modulus equal to or greater than about 150 g/d and an energy-to-break equal to or greater than about 10 j/g;

and

b. at least one continuous polymeric layer comprised of a thermoplastic resin, a thermosetting resin or a combination thereof, said continuous polymeric layer coextensive with, in contact with and at least partially bound to a surface of one of said fibrous layers.

2. A composite as recited in claim 1 wherein said tenacity is equal to or greater than about 20 g/d, said modulus is equal to or greater than about 500 g/d, and said energy-to-break is equal to or greater than about 15 j/g.

3. A composite as recited in claim 2 wherein said tenacity is equal to or greater than about 25 g/d, said modulus is equal to or greater than about 1000 g/d, and said energy-to-break is equal to or greater than about 20 j/g.

4. A composite as recited in claim 2 wherein said tenacity is equal to or greater than about 30 g/d, said modulus is equal to or greater than about 1300 g/d, and said energy-to-break is equal to or greater than about 30 j/g.

5. A composite as recited in claim 1 wherein said fibers are polyethylene fibers, nylon fibers, aramid fibers or mixtures thereof.

6. A composite as recited in claim 5 wherein said fibers are polyethylene fibers.

7. A composite as recited in claim 5 wherein said fibers are aramid fibers.

8. A composite as recited in claim 1 wherein said fibrous layer comprises at least one sheet-like fiber array in which said fibers are arranged substantially parallel to one another along a common fiber direction.

9. A composite as recited in claim 8 wherein said fibrous layer comprises more than one array, with adjacent arrays aligned at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the parallel fibers contained in said adjacent array.

10. A composite as recited in claim 9 wherein said angle is from about 45°

to about 90°

.

11. A composite as recited in claim 10 wherein said angle is about 90°

.

12. A composite as recited in claim 1 wherein said fibrous layers comprises a non-woven fabric.

13. A composite as recited in claim 1 wherein said fibrous layer comprises a woven fabric.

14. A composite as recited in claim 1 wherein said polymeric layer comprises fibrous network in a polymer matrix.

15. A composite as recited in claim 14 wherein said fibrous network comprises a sheet-like fiber array in which said fibers are arranged substantially parallel to one another along a common fiber direction.

16. A composite as recited in claim 15 wherein said network comprises a plurality of sheet-like fiber arrays in which adjacent arrays are aligned at an angle with respect in the common fiber direction of the parallel fibers contained in said arrays.

17. A composite as recited in claim 16 wherein said angle is from about 45°

to about 90°

.

18. A composite as recited in claim 17 wherein said angle is about 90°

.

19. The composite of claim 1 wherein said continuous polymeric layer comprises a film.

20. The composite of claim 19 wherein said film is laminated to the surface of the fibrous layer.

21. The composite of claim 1 which further comprises a rigid layer comprising a plurality of discontinuous planar bodies laminated, or laminated and sewn, to said fibrous layer, said polymeric layer or a combination thereof.

22. The composite of claim 21 wherein said planar bodies are of a shape and are positioned such that more than one semi-continuous or continuous seam is formed in which seam directions are at an angle, said composite being flexible along each seam direction.

23. The composite of claim 22 where said seams are continuous.

24. The composite of claim 23 wherein said planar bodies are of a shape and are positioned such that at least two seams are formed.

25. The composite of claim 22 wherein said planar bodies are in the shape of equilateral triangles and hexagons.

26. The composite of claim 25 wherein the apexes of said planar bodies are truncated.

27. The composite of claim 26 which further comprises additional curvilinear planar bodies positioned at the truncated apexes of said planar bodies.

28. The composite of claim 24 wherein at least three seams are formed, and in which the direction of each seam is at a 60°

angle with respect to the direction of at least one other seam.

29. The composite of claim 21 wherein said rigid layer is formed from a metal, ceramic, a polymeric composite, multilayered fibrous composite or a combination thereof.

30. The composite of claim 21 wherein said rigid layer comprises a polymeric composite, which comprises a fibrous network of inorganic fibers, organic fibers or a combination thereof in a matrix.

31. The composite of claim 30 wherein said fibrous layer comprises aramid fibers, glass fibers, polyethylene fibers or a combination thereof.

32. The composite of claim 31 wherein said fibrous network comprises one or more sheet-like fiber arrays in which the fibers in each array are arranged substantially parallel to one another along a common fiber direction.

33. The composite of claim 32 wherein said fibrous network comprises more than one fiber array, with adjacent arrays aligned at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the parallel fibers contained in said arrays.

34. The composite of claim 33 wherein said angle is from about 45°

to about 90°

.

35. The composite of claim 33 wherein said angle is about 90°

.

36. The composite of claim 21 wherein said rigid layer is a multilayered fabric composite wherein all or a portion of said fabric layers are secured together.

37. The composite of claim 36 wherein said fabric is formed from aramid fibers, polyethylene fibers or a combination thereof.

38. The composite of claim 21 wherein said planar bodies are substantially of equilateral triangular shape or a combination of planar bodies substantially of hexagonal and equilateral triangular shape.

39. The composite of claim 38 wherein the apexes of said planar bodies are truncated.

40. The composite as recited in claim 39 which further comprises additional curvilinear planar bodies positioned at the truncated apexes of said planar bodies.

41. An article comprising the flexible, penetration resistant composite of claim 1.

42. An article comprising the flexible, penetration resistant composite of claim 19.

43. A flexible penetration resistant composite comprising

a. at least one fibrous layer comprised of a network of fibers, a portion of said fibers having a tenacity equal to or greater than about 10 g/d, a tensile modulus equal to or greater than about 150 g/d and an energy to break equal to or greater than about 10 j/g, and

b. a plurality of discontinuous polymeric layers, each of said discontinuous polymeric layers being comprised of a thermoplastic resin, a thermosetting resin or a combination thereof, each of said discontinuous polymeric layers being in contact with and at least partially bound to a surface of one of said fibrous layers, said discontinuous polymeric layers completely covering a surface area equivalent to the surface of one of said fibrous layers when superimposed.

44. An article comprising the composite of claim 43.

45. The composite of claim 43 wherein said polymeric layer comprises a plurality of regular shaped potions.

46. The composite of claim 45 wherein all or a portion of each of said discontinuous polymeric layers is shaped such that more than one semi-continuous or continuous seams are formed in which seam directions are at an angle.

47. The composite of claim 46 wherein said seams are continuous.

48. The composite of claim 47 wherein each of said polymeric layers is such that three seams are formed wherein seam directions intersect at an angle.

49. The composite of claim 48 wherein at least three seams are formed and in which direction of each is at a 60°

angle with respect to the direction of at least one other seam.

50. The composite of claim 48 wherein said tenacity is equal to or greater than about 20 g/d, said modulus is equal to or greater than about 500 g/d, and said energy-to-break is equal to or greater than about 15 j/g.

51. The composite of claim 43 wherein said tenacity is equal to or greater than about 25 g/d, said modulus is equal to or greater than about 1000 g/d, and said energy-to-break is equal to or greater than about 20 j/g.

52. The composite of claim 43 wherein said tenacity is equal to or greater than about 30 g/d, said modulus is equal to or greater than about 1300 g/d, and said energy-to-break is equal to or greater than about 30 j/g.

53. The composite of claim 43 wherein said fibers are polyethylene fibers, aramid fibers or mixtures thereof.

54. The composite of claim 43 wherein said fibers are polyethylene fibers.

55. The composite of claim 43 wherein said fibers are aramid fibers.

56. The composite of claim 43 wherein said fibrous layer comprises at least one sheet-like fiber array in which said fibers are arranged substantially parallel to one another along a common fiber direction.

57. The composite of claim 56 wherein said fibrous layer comprises more than one array, with adjacent arrays aligned at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the parallel fibers contained in said adjacent array.

58. The composite of claim 57 wherein said angle is from about 45°

to about 90°

.

59. The composite of claim 58 wherein said angle is about 90°

.

60. The composite of claim 43 wherein said fibrous layer comprises a non-woven fabric.

61. The composite of claim 43 wherein said fibrous layer comprises a woven fabric.

62. The composite of claim 43 wherein each of said polymeric layers comprises a fibrous network in a polymer matrix.

63. The composite of claim 43 which further comprises a rigid layer comprising a plurality of discontinuous planar bodies laminated, or laminated and sewn, to said fibrous layer, said polymeric layer or a combination thereof.

64. An article comprising the composite of claim 62.

65. A composite as recited in claim 43 wherein said discontinuous polymeric layers each comprise a plurality of regular shaped portions.

66. A composite as recited in claim 65 wherein said polymeric layer includes two or more seams are formed in which same directions are non-parallel and wherein said article can be flexed along said seams.

67. A composite as recited in claim 66 wherein said seam are continuous.

68. A composite as recited in claim 67 wherein said layer is such that two or three seams are formed wherein seam directions intersect at an angle.

69. A composite as recited in claim 68 wherein said layer is such that three seams are formed wherein seam directions intersect at an angle.

70. A composite as recited in claim 69 wherein at least three seams are formed in which directions of each seam is a 60°

angle with respect to the direction of at least one other seam.