Method of fabricating an armor panel
First Claim
1. A method of fabricating a composite armor panel, comprising:
- providing an adhesive surface;
placing a template on the adhesive surface, the template having walls defining regular polygonal pockets, the template having an L-shaped frame affixed along two edges of the template, one or more remaining edges of the template comprised of exposed pockets;
fitting tiles closely in the pockets upon the adhesive surface;
removing the template from the tiles so the tiles become free standing tiles having uniform spaces there among;
placing a border on the adhesive surface around the tiles to define a cavity;
placing spacers on the tiles;
pouring resin into the cavity so that the spaces among the tiles are completely filled and the resin'"'"'s level is above the spacers;
placing a plate over the tiles, the plate forming a gap around itself with the border;
passing excess resin through the gap until the plate rests on the spacers;
curing the resin to form an elastomeric matrix embedding the tiles; and
removing the border.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A fabricating method for an armor panel uses a template to position tiles on an adhesive surface. The template includes an L-shaped frame and cells having precise wall thickness. Tiles are fitted in the cells against the surface. The template is repeatedly repositioned so new tiles can be fitted into unoccupied cells to form a desired tile array. A border is placed around the array, forming a cavity. Resin is poured into the cavity. A back plate placed over the array presses against the resin. Excess resin exits the cavity through an interface between the border and the adhesive surface and through a gap between the back plate and border. After the resin cures the border is removed.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A method of fabricating a composite armor panel, comprising:
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providing an adhesive surface; placing a template on the adhesive surface, the template having walls defining regular polygonal pockets, the template having an L-shaped frame affixed along two edges of the template, one or more remaining edges of the template comprised of exposed pockets; fitting tiles closely in the pockets upon the adhesive surface; removing the template from the tiles so the tiles become free standing tiles having uniform spaces there among; placing a border on the adhesive surface around the tiles to define a cavity; placing spacers on the tiles; pouring resin into the cavity so that the spaces among the tiles are completely filled and the resin'"'"'s level is above the spacers; placing a plate over the tiles, the plate forming a gap around itself with the border; passing excess resin through the gap until the plate rests on the spacers; curing the resin to form an elastomeric matrix embedding the tiles; and removing the border. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method of fabricating a composite armor panel having a tiled layer, a back plate and an elastomeric layer, comprising:
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providing an adhesive surface; placing a template on the adhesive surface, the template having walls of uniform thickness defining a compact arrangement of polygonal pockets, the template having an L-shaped frame affixed along two edges of the template, one or more remaining edges of the template being comprised of exposed pockets; fitting first tiles closely in the pockets in contact with the adhesive surface; removing the template from the first tiles so the first tiles become free standing tiles; replacing the template on the adhesive surface so that only some of the free standing tiles closely fit in the pockets; fitting other tiles closely in unoccupied pockets; removing the template so that all the tiles are free standing tiles having uniform spaces there among; repeating the steps of replacing the template, fitting the other tiles and removing the template until a final array of tiles is created; placing a border on the adhesive surface around the final array to form a cavity; placing spacers on the final array; pouring polyurethane resin into the cavity so that the spaces among the tiles of the final array are completely filled and the resin'"'"'s level is above the spacers; placing the back plate over the final array, the back plate forming a gap around itself with the border; passing excess resin through the gap until the back plate rests upon the spacers whereby a layer of resin is disposed between the final array and the back plate; curing the resin to form an elastomeric matrix embedding the final array and bonding to the back plate; and removing the border. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of fabricating a composite armor panel having a tiled layer, a back plate and an elastomeric layer, comprising:
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providing a precisely flat engagement element having an adhesive surface; placing a template on the adhesive surface, the template having thin walls of precise, constant thickness defining regular polygonal pockets, the template having an L-shaped frame affixed only along two edges of the template so that one or more remaining edges of the template are comprised of exposed pockets; fitting first tiles closely in the pockets in contact with the adhesive surface; removing the template from the first tiles so the first tiles are free standing tiles; replacing the template on the adhesive surface so that only some of the free standing tiles closely fit in the pockets; fitting other tiles closely in unoccupied pockets; removing the template from all the tiles so that all the tiles are free standing tiles having precisely wide spaces there among; repeating the steps of replacing the template, fitting the other tiles and removing the template until a final array of tiles is created; providing a border with a different degree of flatness from the engagement element and placing the border on the engagement element so as to form a controlled seepage interface there between, wherein the final array is surrounded by the border and is recessed relative to the border; placing spacers on the final array chemically similar to a polyurethane resin such that the spacers within a body of the resin are indistinguishable from the resin during testing by ultrasonic waves transmitted through the body; pouring the polyurethane resin, which has water-like viscosity in an uncured state, into the cavity so that the spaces among the tiles of the final array are completely filled and the resin'"'"'s level is above the spacers; after pouring the resin, placing a back plate over the final array, the back plate forming a gap around itself with the border, wherein the engagement element, the border and the back plate together form a ductless enclosure; before the resin is completely cured, using the back plate to press upon the resin, passing excess resin through the controlled seepage interface and the gap until the back plate rests upon the spacers whereby a layer of resin is disposed between the final array and the back plate; curing the resin at ambient temperature and pressure to form an elastomeric matrix embedding the final array and bonding to the back plate; and removing the border. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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Specification