Densely woven quasi-unidirectional fabric for ballistic applications

• US 7,820,565 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2006
• Issued: 10/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Barrday Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Barrday Incorporated
• Inventors: Cunningham, David Verlin, Pritchard, Laura E., van Heerden, Jason, Shahkarami, Shekoufeh
• Primary Examiner(s): RUDDOCK, ULA CORINNA
• Application Number:
  US11/545,115
• Publication Number:
  US 20070099526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,482 Days
• Field of Search: 442/134, 442/135, 428/911
• US Class Current: 442/134
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 1/0052 Antiballistic fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/247 Mineral
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/593 Stiff materials, e.g. cane or slat
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 25/005 Three-dimensional woven fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 21/16 incorporating synthetic threads
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2331/021 aromatic polyamides, e.g. aramides
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/063 high strength
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 5/0485 all the layers being only fibre- or fabric-reinforced layers
• 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 428/24132 including grain, strips, or filamentary elements in different layers or components parallel
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24174 including sheet or component perpendicular to plane of web or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2615 Coating or impregnation is resistant to penetration by solid implements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2623 Ballistic resistant
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2762 Coated or impregnated natural fiber fabric [e.g., cotton, wool, silk, linen, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2861 Coated or impregnated synthetic organic fiber fabric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2992 Coated or impregnated glass fiber fabric

Abstract

A fabric including a first layer of high-performance unidirectional yarns and a second layer of high-performance unidirectional yarns disposed transversely to the first layer. The fabric also includes warp and fill encapsulating yarns woven around the unidirectional yarns to substantially stabilize the unidirectional yarns. The encapsulating yarns have tenacities and tensile moduli substantially less than the tenacities and tensile moduli of the unidirectional yarns. The fabric has a cover factor between approximately 0.75 and approximately 1.50.

Claims

1. A woven fabric included in a panel for protecting against a ballistic threat, the fabric comprising:

a first layer of high-performance unidirectional yarns;

a second layer of high-performance unidirectional yarns disposed transversely to the first layer;

warp and fill encapsulating yarns woven around the unidirectional yarns to substantially stabilize the unidirectional yarns, said encapsulating yarns having tenacities and tensile moduli substantially less than the tenacities and tensile moduli of the unidirectional yarns; and

the fabric having a cover factor between approximately 0.75 and approximately 1.50 such that the yarns in the first and second layers, as included in the panel, are substantially crimp-free.

2. A single ply woven fabric included in a panel for protecting against a ballistic threat, the fabric comprising unidirectional ballistic resistant yarns in at least two layers in the single ply, the layers being at 90°

±

5°

with respect to each other, the ballistic resistant yarns being substantially stabilized by being woven with encapsulating yarns having substantially lower tenacity and tensile modulus than the ballistic resistant yarns and the fabric having a cover factor between approximately 0.75 and approximately 1.50 such that the yarns in the first and second layers, as included in the panel, are substantially crimp-free.

3. A woven fabric according to claim 2 in which the cover factor is between approximately 0.75 and approximately 1.25.

4. A woven fabric according to claim 2 in which the ballistic yarn is a high performance ballistic resistant yarn.

5. A woven fabric according to claim 4 in which the high performance ballistic yarn comprises dense glass fibers.

6. A woven fabric according to claim 5 having a cover factor of approximately 0.89.

7. A woven composite material comprising multiple layers of the fabric of claim 5.

8. A composite material according to claim 7 comprising a thermoset resin impregnating the woven fabric.

9. A composite material according to claim 7 in which the encapsulating yarns have substantially deteriorated due to the process of forming the composite material.

10. A woven fabric according to claim 4 in which the high performance ballistic yarn comprises polymeric high performance yarn.

11. A woven fabric according to claim 10 in which the polymeric high performance yarns have a linear density between approximately 400 denier and approximately 3000 denier.

12. A woven fabric according to claim 10 having a cover factor between approximately 0.80 and approximately 1.05.

13. A composite material comprising multiple layers of the woven fabric of claim 10.

14. A woven fabric according to claim 4 in which the encapsulating yarns have a denier between approximately 20 and approximately 1000.

15. A woven fabric according to claim 4 in which the encapsulating yarns are selected from the group consisting of natural fibers and synthetic fibers.

16. A woven fabric according to claim 15 in which said synthetic fibers are elected from the group consisting of regenerated cellulose, rayon, polynosic rayon, cellulose esters, acrylics, modacrylics, polyamides, polyolefins, polyester, synthetic rubber, and saran.

17. A woven fabric according to claim 2 in which the ballistic resistant yarn has a tenacity of at least about 15 grams per denier and a tensile modulus of at least about 400 grams per denier.

18. A woven fabric according to claim 2 in which the ballistic resistant yarn is selected from the group consisting of glass yarn, polymeric high performance yarn, and basalt yarn.

19. A ballistic resistant fabric assembly comprising multiple layers of the woven fabric of claim 2.

20. A composite material comprising the ballistic resistant fabric of claim 2.

21. A method of forming a woven fabric included in a panel for protecting against a ballistic threat, comprising:

(a) creating a single ply fabric comprising unidirectional dense glass ballistic resistant yarns in at least two layers in the single ply, the layers being at 90°

±

5°

with respect to each other, the ballistic resistant yarns being substantially stabilized by being woven with encapsulating yarns having substantially lower tenacity and tensile modulus than the ballistic resistant yarns and the fabric having a cover factor between approximately 0.75 and approximately 1.25;

(b) creating a ballistic resistant fabric assembly comprising multiple layers of the single ply fabric, wherein the yarns in the layers, as included in the panel, are substantially crimp-free;

(c) immersing the ballistic resistant fabric assembly in a thermoset resin in liquid form;

(d) permitting the encapsulating yarns to substantially deteriorate due to the process of forming the composite material; and

(e) curing the thermoset resin.

22. A method of forming a woven fabric included in a panel for protecting against a ballistic threat, comprising:

(a) creating a single ply fabric comprising unidirectional aramid ballistic resistant yarns in at least two layers in the single ply, the layers being at 90°

±

5°

with respect to each other, the ballistic resistant yarns being substantially stabilized by being woven with encapsulating yams having substantially lower tenacity and tensile modulus than the ballistic resistant yarns and the fabric having a cover factor between approximately 0.80 and approximately 1.50;

(b) creating a ballistic resistant fabric assembly comprising multiple layers of the single ply fabric, wherein the yarns in the layers, as included in the panel, are substantially crimp-free;

(c) immersing the ballistic resistant fabric assembly in a liquid thermoset resin; and

(d) curing the thermoset resin.

23. A woven fabric included in a panel for protecting against a ballistic threat, the fabric comprising:

a first layer of high-performance unidirectional yarns;

a second layer of high-performance unidirectional yarns disposed transversely to the first layer;

warp and fill encapsulating yarns woven around the unidirectional yarns to substantially stabilize the unidirectional yarns, said encapsulating yarns having tenacities and tensile moduli substantially less than the tenacities and tensile moduli of the unidirectional yarns; and

the fabric having a cover factor between approximately 0.40 and approximately 0.84 such that the yarns in the first and second layers, as included in the panel, are substantially crimp-free.