Enhanced light weight armor system with deflective operation

• US 7,546,795 B1
• Filed: 06/15/2005
• Issued: 06/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: FOI Group LLC
• Original Assignee: FOI Group LLC
• Inventors: Munson, David Murray Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): HAYES, BRET C
• Application Number:
  US11/153,301
• Time in Patent Office: 1,462 Days
• Field of Search: 89/360.1, 89/360.2, 89/360.3, 89/360.4, 89/360.7, 89/360.8, 89/360.9, 89/361.2, 89/361.7, 428/188, 428/304.4, 428/313.3, 428/314.2, 428/321.5, 428/457, 428/911
• US Class Current: 89/36.02
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 5/00 Armour; Armour plates processes for manufacturing or treating B21, C21, heat treatment C21D9/42; wall or panel structure for safes E05G1/024
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 5/023 Armour plate, or auxiliary armour plate mounted at a distance of the main armour plate, having cavities at its outer impact surface, or holes, for deflecting the projectile
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 7/04 Armour construction in general F41H5/00

Abstract

A light weight armor system for retrofitting onto a light vehicles or incorporating into a vehicle to protect against HEAT warheads. The armor system comprises an outer armor structure for rotating a HEAT warhead toward a preferred detonation angle to maximize the protection of underlying armor or vehicle structures. This first armor structure will further impart a rotational movement to increase the energy impact footprint, dissipate jet stream energy, and improve the probability that a second protection layer can successfully resist penetration by the jet stream. Coatings on the armor structure materials laterally impact a HEAT jet stream to further disrupt the jet and dissipate its energy.

Claims

1. A light composite armor system for vehicles or buildings comprising:

a plurality of hollow containers arranged in an interlocking matrix so as to each align to deflect a warhead toward a preferred detonation angle relative to the surface of the vehicle or building, said hollow containers rotating said warhead to said preferred detonation angle; and

,

a coating on said plurality of hollow containers that exerts a lateral force on a detonated high explosive warhead jet stream, said coating positioned on a portion of the hollow container and enclosing potassium bicarbonate powder or water so as to exert said lateral force on the jet stream of said warhead.

2. The light composite armor system for vehicles or buildings of claim 1 wherein each container is configured with an outer opening sized to catch a rocket propelled warhead.

3. The light composite armor system for vehicles or buildings of claim 2 wherein each container is sized to not impact a warhead'"'"'s fuse at the vertex of a parabola or a cone structure formed by the hollow container.

4. The light composite armor system for vehicles or buildings of claim 1 wherein the preferred detonation angle is at least sixty degrees relative to the vehicle or building surface.

5. The light composite armor system for vehicles or buildings of claim 1 wherein each container is constructed with a parabolic curving inner lining composed of a thin skin of material sealing a layer of water against an outer structure.

6. The light composite armor system for vehicles or buildings of claim 5 wherein the thin skin consist of at least one of the following:

aluminum;

steel;

plastic;

TEFLON™

;

or

a composite.

7. The light composite armor system for vehicles or buildings of claim 5 wherein each container is aligned within the matrix and sized to deflect a warhead at an oblique angle toward a vertex of the parabolic lining to minimize chances of detonating a fuse.

8. The light composite armor system for vehicles or buildings of claim 5 wherein the area between the lining and the outer surface at the vertex of the parabolic lining includes at least one of the following:

potassium bicarbonate;

plastic foam;

composite foam;

metal film;

metal sheet;

water bubbles;

or

carbon filaments.

9. The light composite armor system for vehicles or buildings of claim 1 further comprising:

a second armor layer attached to the vehicle or building comprised of a composite matrix block embedded with multiple rows of angled vanes, said vanes covered with a matrix of water-filled cells on one side oriented to face outward from the vehicle or building; and

potassium bicarbonate embedded within the composite matrix block.

10. The light composite armor system for vehicles or buildings of claim 9 further comprising a layer of potassium bicarbonate powder and a layer of plastic film on the side of the angled vanes facing toward the vehicle or building.

11. The light composite armor system for vehicles or buildings of claim 9 wherein there are at least three rows of overlapping angled vanes.

12. A method for armoring vehicles or buildings comprising the steps of:

providing a first armor structure composed of a plurality of first armor components that catch and rotate an anti-tank warhead to a preferred angle relative to a second armor structure;

constructing each of said first armor component as a double-walled container with a parabolic curving inner liner and an exterior interlocking container, said double-walled component including a layer of water and potassium bicarbonate powder between the inner liner and the exterior interlocking container;

forming said curving inner liner to form a vertex at the base of the liner, said vertex sized for a fused warhead to fit into without said fuse contacting said base; and

mounting said first armor component at an angle on the first armor structure relative to the second structure.

13. The method for armoring vehicles or buildings of claim 12 further comprising the steps of

attaching the second armor structure to the vehicle or building composed of a composite matrix block embedded with multiple rows of angled vanes, angled with a first side facing outward and a second side facing inward;

covering each of the vanes with a matrix of water-filled cells on the first side facing outward; and

embedding potassium bicarbonate within the composite matrix.

14. The method for armoring vehicles or buildings of claim 13 further comprising the step of:

coating the vanes with a layer of potassium bicarbonate powder and a layer of plastic on the second side facing inward.

15. The method for armoring vehicles or buildings of claim 13 further comprising the step of:

providing at least three rows of overlapping angled vanes.

16. The method for armoring vehicles or buildings of claim 12 wherein the inner liner is made from at least one of the following:

aluminum;

steel;

plastic;

TEFLON™

;

or

a composite.

17. The method for armoring vehicles or buildings of claim 12 wherein the double-wall area at the apex includes a layer of material composed of at least two of the following:

potassium bicarbonate;

plastic foam;

composite foam;

metal film;

metal sheet;

water bubbles;

or

carbon filaments.

18. The method for armoring vehicles or buildings of claim 12 wherein the preferred angle is at least sixty degrees relative to the second armor structure.

19. A method for protecting against a shaped-charged warhead comprising:

rotating the warhead toward a preferred detonation angle relative to a vehicle using a first armor structure;

impacting a jet stream from a detonating warhead laterally with potassium bicarbonate powder originating from an armor component;

impacting a jet stream from an anti-tank warhead laterally with steam originating from an armor component; and

deflecting a jet stream using a second armor structure.

20. The method for protecting against a shaped-charge warhead of claim 19 further comprising the steps of:

constructing the first armor structure of a plurality of first armor components operating to rotate the anti-tank warhead to the preferred detonation angle relative to the second armor structure; and

mounting said first armor component at an angle on the first armor structure relative to the second structure.

21. The method for protecting against a shaped-charge warhead of claim 19 wherein the preferred detonation angle is at least sixty degrees.

22. The method for protecting against a shaped-charge warhead of claim 19 further comprising the step of:

constructing each of said first armor component as a double-walled container with a parabolic curving inner liner and an exterior interlocking container, said double-walled component including a layer of water and potassium bicarbonate powder between the inner liner and the exterior interlocking container.

23. The method for protecting against a shaped-charge warhead of claim 19 further comprising the step of:

constructing a second armor structure of composite matrix embedded with multiple rows of angled vanes having a first side facing outward toward the first armor structure and a second side facing inward.

24. The method for protecting against a shaped-charge warhead of claim 23 further comprising the steps of:

coating each of the vanes with a matrix of water-filled cells on the first side facing outward; and

embedding potassium bicarbonate within the composite matrix.

25. The method for protecting against a shaped-charge warhead of claim 23 further comprising the steps of:

coating each of the vanes with a layer of potassium bicarbonate powder and a layer of plastic on the second side facing inward; and

embedding potassium bicarbonate within the composite matrix.