Reactive personnel protection system and method

• US 6,595,102 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2002
• Issued: 07/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Southwest Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Southwest Research Institute
• Inventors: Stevens, David J., Marchand, Kirk A., Warnagiris, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Stephen M.
• Application Number:
  US10/147,388
• Publication Number:
  US 20020152881A1
• Time in Patent Office: 432 Days
• Field of Search: 89/361.7, 89/360.2, 280/735, 280/736
• US Class Current: 89/36.17
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 5/007 Reactive armour; Dynamic armour

Abstract

A counter-terrorism, reactive personnel protection system which detects the presence of a destructive object as it approaches a designated personnel target along an intersecting path. Before impact, an air bag is rapidly inflated and interposed between the destructive object and the target so as to provide a protective barrier. The air bag is constructed from polyethylene material or other anti-ballistic materials, and serves to halt or redirect the detected destructive force of the object and thereby protect the designated target from attack.

Claims

1. A reactive personnel protective system for directly shielding the body of a person, in which at least one air bag is inflated responsive to detection of a projectile prior to contact between the projectile and a person, said system comprising:

a radar detection system operable to detect the motion of the projectile when the projectile is airborne in space and to generate a sensor output signal and having a fixed location;

at least one rapidly deployable anti-ballistic air bag designed to slow and deflect the projectile; and

a gas-generating system for rapid deployment of said air;

wherein the detection system is further operable to process the sensor output signal and to generate a control signal for deploying the air bag, during a processing time, and wherein the detection system processes the sensor output signal to discriminate between the projectile and other objects; and

wherein the processing time is less than the flight time of the projectile between detection of the projectile and reaching the air bag.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the projectile is a ballistic projectile.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the projectile is a fragment resulting from an explosion.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the detection system has a bi-static configuration.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the detection system processes the sensor output signal to discriminate between the projectile and noise.

6. A method of shielding a person from a ballistic projectile prior to contact between the projectile and the person, comprising the steps of:

positioning at least one rapidly deployable anti-ballistic air bag in an expected flight path of the projectile toward the person, the air bag being designed to slow and deflect the ballistic projectile;

positioning a radar detection system such that the flight path is within range of the detection system, the detection system being operable to detect the motion of the projectile when the projectile is airborne in space, to generate a sensor output signal, to process the sensor output signal, and to generate a control signal for deploying the air bag, during a processing time;

wherein the radar detection system has a fixed location;

detecting the motion of the projectile;

processing the sensor output signal generated by the projectile by discriminating between the projectile and another object;

generating the control signal, and

deploying the air bag.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the detection system processes the sensor output signal to discriminate between the projectile and noise.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the detection system has a bi-static configuration.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the projectile is a bullet.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the projectile is a fragment resulting from an explosion.