CA2313995A1

CA2313995A1 - Ballistic resistant fabric

Info

Publication number: CA2313995A1
Application number: CA002313995A
Authority: CA
Inventors: David S. Howes; Chung-Lie Ting; Geoff H. Fawcett
Original assignee: LINCOLN FABRICS Ltd
Current assignee: LINCOLN FABRICS Ltd
Priority date: 2000-02-22
Filing date: 2000-07-18
Publication date: 2001-08-22
Also published as: US20020164912A1

Abstract

A ballistic resistant woven fabric which is utilized in the construction of ballistic resistant protective items. The ballistic resistant woven fabric is formed of a weave of high strength fibers of poly(p-phenylene-2,6-benzobisoxazole) material. The woven fabric has a warp of less than thirty poly(p-phenylene-2,6-benzobisoxazole) fibers per inch. The weave of the woven fabric has a weft of less than thirty poly(p-phenylene-2,6-benzobisoxazole) fibers per inch. In an alternative arrangement, the ballistic resistant woven fabric has a warp with two adjacent fibers in which one fiber is constructed of a first material and another adjacent fiber is constructed of a second material. The weft of the woven fabric has a fiber constructed of the first material and another adjacent fiber of the weft is constructed of the second material.
Various weaves for the ballistic resistant woven fabric may be employed such as a plain weave, sateen weave, venetian weave or a corkscrew weave. The weaves may selectively be balanced or unbalanced. Twisted fibers may selectively be utilized in the various weaves with the twists ranging from one-quarter to three twists per linear inch of fiber.

Description

BALLISTIC RESISTANT FABRIC
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a ballistic resistant fabric, and more particularly a ballistic resistant fabric that utilizes poly(p-phenylene-2,6-benzoloisoxazole).
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Numerous ballistic resistant fibers and woven fabrics have been utilized for the construction of ballistic resistant garments. It has been a desire over the years in the ballistic garment industry to strive to improve the reliability and stopping capability of a garment and yet, not compromise wearability. Undesirable wearability may too often lead to early removal of the protective garment or not wearing it at all.
As improved stronger ballistic resistant fibers are developed, less total weight of the fiber is needed in producing the ballistic resistant fabric that will maintain the needed reliability and stopping capability of a garment. Utilization of these improved fibers result in less weight and bulk to the ballistic resistant fabric.
One of these fibers that has been developed in recent years is poly (p-phenylene-2, 6-benzoloisoxazole) (PBO) or commercially known as Zylon~, a trademark of the Toyobo Co., Ltd., of Osaka, Japan. This fiber is known for its high strength characteristics however, by the nature and cost of production of this fiber, the fiber is generally significantly more costly than other ballistic resistant fibers. As a result, the fabrics manufactured with this filer are traditionally more expensive. Thus, in an era of improving ballistic resistant fibers that result in enhancing wearability, increased cost to the user becomes a factor to the wearability of the fabric. Accordingly, a reduction in the cost of producing such desirable fabrics is needed, however, stopping capability must not be compromised.
Doc. No.: 444726 1 CA 02313995 2000-07-18.
The utilization of PBO fiber in the construction of ballistic resistant fabric has been performed and such fabric has been used in the manufacture of ballistic resistant vests. The ballistic resistant vests employ PBO fibers in a thirty by thirty, warp and weft ends per inch in a plain weave. Emphasis has also been placed on increasing the number of weft and warp PBO
fibers beyond thirty per inch, disadvantageously requiring increased amounts of the ballistic resistant material to be used in producing the costly fabric. In addition, PBO
fibers have been used in all of the fibers in either the warp or the weft of a woven fabric and a different type of fiber material for all of the fibers in either the crossing weft or warp is used where the PBO fiber is not located. Disadvantageously, however, this does not provide for a homogeneous mix of the fibers and ballistic stopping capabilities, at times, are not readily improved.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to address the above referenced needs by providing a ballistic resistant woven fabric for use in ballistic resistant protective products which is cost efficient and economically advantageous without compromising wearability or ballistic stopping capabilities.
An advance is made over the prior art in accordance with the principles of the invention wherein a ballistic resistant woven fabric constructed of PBO fibers has a warp of less than thirty PBO fibers per inch and a weft of less than thirty PBO fibers per inch. In different embodiments various weaves of the ballistic resistant woven fabric may be selectively employed such as a plain weave, sateen weave, venetian weave or a corkscrew weave. The weaves of the various embodiments may have balanced or imbalanced numbers of fibers per inch and have twisted warp and/or weft fibers which preferably range from one-quarter to three twists per linear inch of the fiber.
Doc. No.: 444726 2.

' In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a ballistic resistant woven fabric utilized in the construction of ballistic resistant protective items is provided in which the woven fabric has a warp with at least two adjacent fibers in which one fiber is constructed of a first material and the other fiber is constructed of a second material. The woven fabric has a weft having at least two other adjacent fibers with one fiber constructed of the first material and the other adjacent fiber constructed of the second material. The weave may selectively have a balanced or unbalanced number of fibers per inch in the warp and weft directions. Preferably, the fibers in the warp form a pattern with a plurality of the pattern of fibers are positioned consecutively in the warp of the fabric and a plurality of patterns of the fibers of the weft are positioned consecutively in the weft of the fabric.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The foregoing advantageous features of the invention will be explained in greater detail and others will be made apparent from the detailed description of the present invention which is given reference to the several figures of the drawing, in which:
Fig. 1 is a front plan view of a layer of a plain weave of ballistic resistant woven fabric constructed of PBO fibers;
Fig. 2 is a front plan view of a layer of a sateen weave of ballistic resistant woven fabric constructed of PBO fibers;
Fig. 3 is a front plan view of a layer of a venetian weave of ballistic resistant woven fabric constructed of PBO fibers;
Fig. 4 is a front plan view of a layer of a corkscrew weave of ballistic resistant woven fabric constructed of PBO fibers;
Doc. No.: 444726 Fig. 5 is a front plan view of a layer of ballistic resistant woven fabric having adjacent alternating fibers in the warp and the weft which are constructed of different ballistic resistant materials;
Fig. 6 is a front plan view of a layer of ballistic resistant woven fabric having sets of four adjacent consecutive fibers with a first set of two fibers constructed of one material and a second set of two fibers constructed of a second material; and Fig. 7 is a front plan view of a layer of ballistic resistant woven fabric having sets of six adjacent consecutive fibers with a first set of three adjacent fibers constructed of one material and a second set of three adjacent fibers constructed of a second material.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to Fig. 1, a sheet of ballistic resistant woven fabric 110 which is utilized in the construction of ballistic resistant protective items such as ballistic resistant garments, helmets, vehicles and the like is shown having a plain weave. The woven fabric 110 of Fig. 1 is constructed of a plurality of fibers of poly(p-phenylene-2,6-benzobisoxazole) (PBO) material. In the plain weave 112 arrangement as seen in Fig. 1, both the warp fibers 114 and the weft fibers 116 of the weave are formed of PBO material. PBO is a rigid-rod isotropic liquid crystal polymer high performance fiber made by Toyobo Co., Ltd. of Osaka, Japan and is commonly sold under the trademark name Zylon~. As seen in Fig. 1, the plain weave 112 of PBO material preferably is a balanced weave, however an imbalanced weave may selectively be employed.
The balanced plain weave 112 for the woven fabric 110, of Fig. 1, may employ a warp 118 of twenty-seven fibers per inch and a weft 120 of twenty-seven fibers per inch. In accordance with the present invention, the warp 118 of the ballistic resistant woven fabric I 10 of PBO material has less than thirty (30) fibers of PBO material per inch of warp and the weft 120 Doc. No.: 444726 4 of the woven fabric 110 also has less than thirty (30) fibers of PBO material per inch of weft.
Preferably, the warp 118 ranges from 23 to 29 fibers of PBO per inch and the weft 120 also ranges from 23 to 29 fibers of PBO per inch. The fibers 114, 116 in the warp 118 and in the weft 120 may selectively be twisted. The fibers 114 in the warp 118 which are twisted have a number of twists per linear inch which ranges between one-quarter ('/,) and three (3) twists per linear inch. Similarly, in embodiments having twisted weft fibers 116, the number of twists for the weft fibers range from '/< to 3 twists per linear inch. Twisting of the fibers provides added strength to the fabric and can provide greater ease in weaving the fibers together during manufacture.
As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art and as seen in Fig. 1, the plain weave 112 has a warp fiber which passes over a first weft fiber and then passes under the next adjacent weft fiber. The warp fiber continues to thereafter alternate passing over and under consecutive weft fibers. The next adjacent warp fiber passes under the first weft fiber and then passes over the next adjacent weft fiber and, as seen in Fig. 1, continues to alternate passing under and over consecutive weft fibers. The plain weave then continues following this pattern.
V-50 tests of the ballistic resistant fabric of the invention have been performed against a control fabric. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, V-SO
testing is performed on a sample of body armor to determine the velocity at which a specific projectile has a 50%
probability of complete or partial penetration. As set forth in the Informational Brief on V-50 testing by the National Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology Center, V-SO
testing is performed by firing a specific projectile at a sample of body armor at a velocity which has been determined to be near, but below, the velocity at which the projectile is expected to penetrate the armor sample. The velocity at which penetration occurs is experimentally determined by Doc. No.: 444726 s increasing the velocity of successive shots by small increments. A number of shots is fired at the sample, and the velocity is adjusted until half of the shots penetrate, and half do not. The average velocity from the highest three non-penetrating rounds and the lowest three penetrating rounds is the V-50 number for that specific projectile and armor sample.
A control fabric for V-50 testing which was performed was a 30x30 (30 warp fibers and 30 weft fibers per inch) plain weave of 500 denier PBO material. The individual plies of the control fabric had a weight of 3.97 ounces per square yard and had a thickness of 0.0072 inches per ply. The control fabric was arranged in a pad having twenty-nine (29) plies with a total weight for the V-SO testing at 0.69 pounds per square foot (lbs/ft2). Two V-50 tests were performed on separate pads at which 9mm 124 grain full metal jacket rounds were fired. The threshold velocities for the control pads for the two V-50 tests averaged 1611 feet per second.
Additionally, .357 Magnum 158 grain Steel Jacket High Power (SJHP) rounds were also fired in accordance with the V-50 test and had threshold velocities averaging 1582 feet per second.
A fabric 110 having a 27x27 plain weave (27 warp fiber ends and 27 weft fiber ends per inch) of 500 denier PBO was tested against the control fabric. The 27x27 plain weave 112 of PBO had a weight of 3.57 ounces per square yard (for an individual ply) and a thickness of 0.0080 inches per ply. Twenty-eight (28) plies were used for testing the pad.
The plies were 27x27 PBO plain weave fabric with the pad having a weight of 0.69 (lbs/ft2) to match the control pad. Two V-50 tests were conducted using 9mm 124 grain full metal jacket rounds. The V-50 tests using the 27x27 PBO fabric reached threshold velocities averaging 1701 feet per second; a 5.6% improvement over the control fabric. .357 Magnum rounds were fired and reached threshold velocities averaging 1675 feet per second; a 5.8% improvement over the control fabric.
These improved stopping capabilities for the relatively looser weave of PBO
fibers are counter Doc. No.: 444726 6 intuitive to conventional wisdom and provide the advantage of requiring fewer layers and thus, less PBO material to obtain the same stopping capabilities as the control fabric.
Referring now to Fig. 2, ballistic resistant woven fabric 210 is shown having a sateen weave 212 of PBO fibers. A balanced sateen weave 212 of 29 fibers 214 per inch in the warp 218 and 29 fibers 216 per inch in the weft 220 has been constructed and tested. Alternatively, an imbalanced weave of PBO fibers may be utilized. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the sum total of PBO fibers 214 per inch of the warp 218 plus the PBO fibers 216 per inch of the weft 220 in the sateen weave 212 is less than fifty-eight (58) fibers. The warp 218 of the sateen weave 212 has at least 20 PBO fibers per inch and has no greater than 29 PBO fibers per inch. The weft 220 also preferably has at least 20 PBO fibers per inch and has no greater than 29 PBO fibers per inch. The PBO fibers 214, 216 in the warp 218 and in the weft 220 may selectively be twisted. The PBO fibers 214 in the warp 218 as well as the PBO
fibers 216 in the weft 220 which are twisted preferably have a number of twists per linear inch which ranges between '/, and 3 twists per linear inch.
As seen in Fig. 2, the sateen weave 212 begins with a warp fiber passing over a first weft fiber and then passes under the next two adjacent weft fibers. The warp fiber continues to repeat thereafter passing over a weft fiber and passing under the next two weft fibers. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the next adjacent warp fiber then is positioned under the first two weft fibers and then over the following weft fiber and continues to repeat this pattern.
The third consecutive warp fiber passes under the first weft fiber, over the next weft fiber and under the next following weft fiber. The third consecutive warp fiber then repeats this pattern.
The overall weaving pattern then repeats itself as seen in Fig. 2.
Doc. No.: 444726 7 " V-50 experiments were conducted for the ballistic resistant fabric having a sateen weave.
A 29x29 sateen weave (29 warp fibers per inch by 29 weft fibers per inch) of 500 denier PBO
material having a weight of 3.80 ounces per square yard (per ply) and a thickness of 0.0080 inches per ply was tested. The sateen weave of the plies of ballistic resistant fabric had a soft, open structure with warp ends crossing four fill ends, then woven under one pick. These plies or sheets of the 29x29 sateen weave of PBO material (satin fabric) were arranged in a pad such that twenty-six (26) plies were employed in forming the pad which had a total weight of 0.69 (lbs/ft2) to match the control pad. 9mm 124 grain full metal jacket rounds were fired at the pad and a threshold velocity of 1753 feet per second was obtained. V-50 testing using .357 Magnum 158 grain SJHP rounds were fired at the pad having the 29x29 sateen weave of PBO material and a threshold velocity of 1749 feet per second was recorded. The 29x29 warp and fill sateen weave of PBO material showed an 8.8% difference over the control fabric (discussed above) for the 9mm rounds and a 10.6% difference over the control fabric for the .357 Magnum rounds.
Referring to Fig. 3, ballistic resistant woven fabric 310 is shown having a venetian weave 312 of PBO fibers. The venetian weave 312 may selectively be a balanced or unbalanced weave of PBO fibers. The venetian weave 312 of PBO fibers preferably has at least 20 warp fibers 314 per inch and has no greater than 29 warp fibers per inch. The weft 320 of the venetian weave 312 also has at least 20 fibers per inch and preferably has no more than 29 weft fibers per inch.
The sum total of fibers 314 per inch of the warp 318 plus the fibers 316 per inch of the weft 320 in the venetian weave 312 is preferably less than fifty eight (58) fibers. The PBO fibers, in the warp 318, the weft 320, or both, of the venetian weave 312 may selectively be twisted. For the twisted fibers in the warp 318, the number of twists per linear inch ranges between '/4 and 3 Doc. No.: 444726 twists per linear inch. The twisted PBO fibers in the weft 320 also range between '/4 and 3 twists per linear inch.
As seen in Fig. 3, the venetian weave has a first warp fiber passing over three weft fibers and under the next two weft fibers, with the first warp fiber repeating the over three/under two pattern thereafter. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the next or second warp fiber for the venetian weave passes over the first weft fiber, then under the next two weft fibers and over the following two weft fibers and repeats this pattern thereafter.
The third warp fiber begins under the first weft fiber and over the next three weft fibers and under the following weft fiber, repeating thereafter. The fourth warp fiber begins by passing over the first two weft fibers, under the next two weft fibers and over the following weft fiber and thereafter repeating the pattern. Finally, a fifth adjacent warp fiber passes under the first two weft fibers and then over the next three weft fibers, repeating the pattern thereafter. The overall venetian weaving pattern then repeats itself throughout the fabric.
V-SO experiments were conducted for the ballistic resistant fabric having a venetian weave. A 29x29 venetian weave (29 warp fiber ends per inch by 29 weft fiber ends per inch) of 500 denier PBO material having a weight of 3.67 ounces per yard (per ply) and a thickness of 0.0100 inches per ply was tested. The venetian weave of the ballistic resistant fabric tested had a soft, open structure with warp ends moved every other pick alternately. The plies or sheets of the 29x29 venetian weave of PBO material were arranged in a pad for the V-SO
testing. Twenty-seven (27) plies of the 29x29 venetian weave of PBO material were used in forming the test pad such that the test pad had a weight of 0.69 lbs/ft2 to match the weight of the control pad (discussed above). 9mm 124 grain full metal jacket rounds were fired at the pad having the plies of 29x29 venetian weave of PBO material and a threshold velocity of 1728 feet per second was Doc. No.: 444726 9 reco~'ded. V-50 testing for the pad using the venetian plies was performed at which .357 magnum 158 grain SJHP rounds were fired and a threshold velocity of 1792 feet per second was recorded. The 29x29 warp and fill venetian weave showed a 7.3% difference over the control fabric (discussed above) for the 9mm rounds and a 13.3% difference over the control fabric for the .357 Magnum rounds.
Refernng now to Fig. 4, ballistic resistant woven fabric 410 having a corkscrew weave 412 of PBO fibers is shown. The corkscrew weave 412 of Fig. 4 is preferably a balanced weave having 27 PBO fibers 414 per inch in the warp 418 and 27 PBO fibers 416 per inch in the weft 420. An imbalanced weave may alternatively be employed which has less than 30 warp fibers per inch and less than 30 weft fibers per inch in the corkscrew weave. The warp 418 of the corkscrew weave 412 preferably ranges from 23-29 fibers 414 per inch and the weft 420 of the corkscrew weave also preferably ranges from 23-29 fibers 416 per inch. As seen in Fig. 4, the fibers 414, 416 of PBO material are arranged in a five end weft corkscrew weave 412. Other corkscrew weaves which may selectively be employed for the woven ballistic resistant fabric 410 of PBO material include: seven end weft corkscrew weave; seven end warp corkscrew weave; nine end weft corkscrew weave; nine end warp corkscrew weave; and thirteen shaft corkscrew weave. The fibers 414 in the warp direction 418 and the fibers 416 in the weft 420 direction may selectively be twisted. The weft fibers 416 and the warp fibers 414 which are twisted in the corkscrew weave 412 have a range in the number of twists per linear inch which ranges between '/4 and 3 twists per linear inch.
The five end weft corkscrew weave of Fig. 4 begins with a first warp fiber passing over two first weft fibers, under the next weft fiber, over the following weft fiber and then under the fifth weft fiber, thereafter repeating. The second warp fiber passes under the first weft fiber, Doc. No.: 444726 10 over the second, under the third and over the fourth and fifth weft fibers, thereafter repeating.
The third warp fiber passes under the first weft fiber, over the second and third, under the fourth and over the fifth weft fiber, thereafter repeating. The fourth warp fiber passes over the first weft fiber, under the second, over the third under the fourth and over the fifth weft fiber, thereafter repeating. Finally, the fifth warp fiber passes over the first weft fiber, under the second, over the third and fourth weft fibers and under the fifth weft fiber, thereafter repeating. As will be appreciated by those in the art, this overall weaving pattern then repeats itself for the five end weft corkscrew weave.
Referring now to Fig. 5, a ply of ballistic resistant woven fabric 510 for utilization in the construction of ballistic resistant protective items is shown having alternating fibers in the warp 518 and in the weft 520 which are constructed of different materials. The warp 518 of the ballistic resistant woven fabric 510 has two adjacent fibers 514A, 514B in which one fiber 514A
is constructed of a first material (preferably PBO) and another fiber 514B is constructed of a second material. The weft 520 of the ballistic resistant woven fabric 510 has at least two other adjacent fibers 516A, 516B in which one fiber 516A is constructed of the first material (such as (PBO) and the other fiber 516B adjacent to the one fiber 516A in the weft 520 is constructed of the second material. The two different types of fiber materials employed may have different deniers. It is preferred that the denier of one of the types of fibers of one material and the denier of the other type for the other material have a ratio which does not exceed

2.0 with the larger denier positioned in the numerator and the smaller denier positioned in the denominator. A ratio of I .25 or less is highly desirable.
As noted above, preferably the first material which is used in alternating fashion is PBO
having a denier within the range of 200 to 830 denier. The second material may selectively be Doc. No.: 444726 I I

either microfilament poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide) (microfilament PPP-T) which is commonly known under the trademark name Twaron~ sold by AKZO NOBEL, Inc. or poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide) (PPP-T) which is commonly known under the trademark names Kevlar~ or Protera~ which are sold by E.I. duPont de Nemours and Company of Wilmington, Delaware. Microfilament PPP-T (or Twaron~) is a high tensile strength aramid microfilament fiber. The microfilament PPP-T material used in fibers 514B, 516B preferably has a denier which ranges from 200 to 830 denier. The PPP-T (Kevlar~ or Protera~) which may be suitably employed as the material in fibers 514B, 516B also preferably range in denier from 200-830 denier.
As seen in Fig. S, the ballistic resistant woven fabric 510 has a plain weave 512 which is also a balanced weave. Alternatively, an unbalanced plain weave may be employed. The number of fibers 514A, 514B of the warp 518 ranges from 23 to 32 fibers per inch and the number of fibers 516A, S 16B of the weft 520 also ranges from 23 to 32 fibers per inch. One or both of the warp fibers 514A, S 14B may selectively be twisted in which the number of twists in the warp fiber 514A, S 14B range from one-half of a revolution per linear inch to six revolutions per linear inch in the fiber. One or both of the adjacent weft fibers 516A, 516B may also selectively be twisted with the number of twists in the weft fibers) 516A, S
16B ranging from one-half of a revolution per linear inch to six revolutions per linear inch of the fiber.
Still referring to Fig. 5, the two adjacent fibers 514A, S 14B in the warp 518 form a pattern of fibers in which the adjacent fibers are formed of different materials and alternate consecutively. As seen in Fig. 5, the ballistic resistant woven fabric 510 has a plurality of patterns of adjacent pairs of fibers 514A, 514B positioned consecutively in the warp 518 in which one of the warp fibers 514A is formed of one material and the other warp fiber 514B is Doc. No.: 444726 12 formed of another material. The adjacent fibers 516A, 516B in the weft 520 from another pattern comprised of a pair of adjacent fibers formed of different materials.
The plain weave 512 of the ballistic resistant woven fabric 510 has a plurality of other patterns of adjacent weft fibers S 16A, 516B positioned consecutively in the weft in which one of the weft fibers 516A is formed of one material and the other weft 516B is formed of another material. In one approach, one of the alternating warp fibers 514A is constructed of PBO and the other fiber 514B in the adjacent pair of fibers in the warp 518 is constructed of microfilament PPP-T; the one weft fiber 516A is also constructed of PBO and the other adjacent weft fiber 516B is also constructed of microfilament PPP-T. In an alternative approach, the one material used for the one type of warp fibers 514A and the one type of weft fibers 516A is PBO and the other or second material which is used to construct the other type of warp fiber 514B and the other type of weft fiber PPP-T
(Kevlar~/Protera~ material.) A fabric having a 29 x 29 plain weave (29 warp fibers and 29 weft fibers per inch) having alternating warp fibers and weft fibers of PBO material and PPP-T (Protera~ ) material was subjected to V-50 testing. The fabric tested had the consecutive alternating warp fibers and weft fibers as described in the arrangement of Fig. 5 with PBO being the first type of material and PPP-T (Protera~ ) being the second type of material used for the fibers. In this arrangement, because PPP-T material was also used in the weave, the amount of PBO used per ply was reduced by 44% over the control fabric (described above) having a 30 x 30 weave of all PBO
material. An individual ply (also called layer or sheet) of the fabric tested had a weight of 3.42 ounces per square yard and a thickness of 0.0075 inch. Twenty-nine (29) plies were used and layered to form a pad for the V-50 testing. The pad having the twenty-nine 29 x 29 Doc. No.: 444726 13 PBO~/Protera~ alternate fiber weave plies had a thickness of 0.22 inches and a weight of 0.69 lbs/ft2 to match the control pad of 30 x 30 PBO material plies, and described above.
Two V-50 tests were conducted using 9mm 124 grain full metal jacket rounds.
The 29 x 29 plain weave of alternating PBO and Protera~ fibers in the warp and the weft reached threshold velocities averaging 1,553 feet per second; only a 3.6% difference from the control fabric. .357 Magnum rounds were fired at the pad having plies of alternating PBO and PPP-T
(Protera~ ) warp and weft fibers in accordance with V-SO test criteria with threshold velocities being reached which averaged 1,512 feet per second; only a 4.5% difference from the control fabric. Therefore, the V-SO velocity threshold was reduced by only approximately 4%, but the amount of PBO material employed in each ply was significantly reduced by approximately 44%
in the alternate fiber arrangement of Fig. 5 for a 29 x 29 plain weave of PBO
and PPP-T
(Protera~ ).
Although Fig. 5 illustrates a plain weave, other weaves such as sateen weaves, venetian weaves and corkscrew weaves are also selectively employed in the ballistic resistant woven fabric embodiment having warp fibers and weft fibers of two different types of materials which consecutively alternate between fibers of the weave. For the sateen, venetian and corkscrew weave patterns, the PBO fiber material, microfilament PPP-T fiber material, and PPP-T fiber material preferably all are fibers which have deniers which fall within the range of 200 to 830 denier. The sateen, venetian, and corkscrew weave having the alternating fiber material arrangement of Fig. 5 may be balanced or imbalanced weaves. For the sateen and venetian weaves, the number of fibers of the warp ranges from 20-29 warp fiber ends per inch and the number of weft fibers ranges from 20-29 weft fiber ends per inch. For the sateen weave and venetian weave embodiments, the sum total of fiber ends in one inch of the warp plus an inch of Doc. No.: 444726 I 4 the weft is less than fifty-eight (58). For the corkscrew weave, the number of fibers of the warp ranges from 23 to 29 fibers per inch and the number of fibers of the weft also ranges from 23 to 29 fibers per inch. The fibers 514A, S 14B, S 16A, 516B for the sateen, venetian and corkscrew weave arrangements may selectively be twisted with the number of twists ranging from one-half to six revolutions per linear inch for the fibers.
The pattern of consecutively alternating warp and weft fibers of two different material types as seen in Fig. 5 may also be applied to sateen, venetian and corkscrew weave patterns.
Ballistic resistant woven fabric employing sateen, venetian or corkscrew weaves will also have a plurality of patterns of adjacent pairs of fibers 514A, 514B positioned consecutively in the warp 518 in which one of the warp fibers 514A is formed of one fiber material (such as PBO) and the other warp fiber 514B is formed of another fiber material (such as microfilament PPP-T or PPP-T). Adjacent fibers 516A, 516B in the weft for sateen, venetian and corkscrew weaves also form a pattern comprised of a pair of adjacent fibers with each fiber formed of different materials. For instance, weft fiber 516A being constructed of PBO material and adjacent weft fiber S 16B being constructed of microfilament PPP-T (Twaron~) or PPP-T
(Kevlar~/Protera~).
Similar to the plain weave of Fig. S, alternative sateen, venetian and corkscrew weaves of the ballistic resistant woven fabric 510 also employ multiple patterns of adjacent weft fibers 516A, 516B which are positioned consecutively with one of the weft fibers 516A
preferably being formed of PBO and the other weft fiber 516B preferably being formed of microfilament PPP-T
(Twaron~) or PPP-T (Kevlar~/Protera~).
Referring now to Fig. 6, a layer of ballistic resistant woven fabric 610 having sets of four adjacent consecutive fibers in both the warp direction 618 and the weft direction 620 is shown.
A pattern of four adjacent consecutive fibers in the warp 618 is seen in Fig.
6 with a first set of Doc. No.: 444726 1 S

two adjacent warp fibers 614A being constructed of a first type of material and a second set of two adjacent warp fibers 614B being constructed of a second type of material.
Also seen in Fig. 6 is a pattern of four adjacent consecutive fibers in the weft 620 having a first set of two adjacent weft fibers 616A being constructed of the first type of material and the second set of two adjacent weft fibers 616B being constructed of the second type of material. Various types of high strength fiber materials may be employed for the fibers 614A, 614B, 616A, 616B in the plain weave 612 arrangement of Fig. 6. In one approach, the first set (or pair) of two adjacent warp fibers 614A in the pattern in the warp 618 are constructed of PBO and the second set (or pair) of two adjacent warp fibers 614B are constructed of microfilament PPP-T
(Twaron~). The first set of two adjacent weft fibers 616A are also constructed of PBO and the second set of two adjacent weft fibers 616B are also made from microfilament PPP-T (Twaron~) material. PPP-T
(Kevlar~/Protera~) may also selectively be employed as the second type of material such that the first pair of adjacent warp fibers 614A in the pattern in the warp 618 are constructed of PBO
and the second set of two adjacent warp fibers are constructed of PPP-T
(Kevlar~/Protera~) material.
Fig. 6 illustrates a plain weave 612 formed of a plurality pairs of warp fibers 614A, 614B
and weft fibers 616A, 616B in which the pairs of fibers are consecutively alternating between two different types of fiber materials. The ballistic resistant woven fabric 610 having alternating pairs of fibers as seen in Fig. 6 may also selectively employ a sateen weave, venetian weave or corkscrew weave such as those shown and described with reference to Figs. 2, 3 and 4. The PBO fiber material, microfilament PPP-T fiber material, and PPP-T fiber material in the various weave patterns all preferably have deniers which range between 200 and 830 denier. The weave patterns may be balanced or imbalanced. The fibers 614A, 614B, 616A, 616B for the weave Doc. No.: 444726 16 patteg-ns (plain, sateen, venetian, corkscrew) in the embodiment of Fig. 6, may selectively be twisted with the number of twists ranging from one-half to six revolutions per linear inch for the fibers. The arrangement of four adjacent consecutive fibers in both the warp and the weft with one pair of fibers being formed of one type of high strength fiber material and the other pair being formed of another type of high strength fiber material is also employed in sateen, venetian and corkscrew weave patterns. In these alternative arrangements, the first pair of warp fibers in a pattern of four consecutive fibers in the warp for a sateen weave, venetian weave or corkscrew weave are constructed of PBO and the second pair of warp fibers are selectively constructed of microfilament PPP-T material or PPP-T material. The first pair of weft fibers in the sateen, venetian and corkscrew weaves are also constructed of PBO and the second pair of weft fibers are preferably formed of either microfilament PPP-T material or PPP-T
material.
Referring now to Fig. 7, a layer of ballistic resistant woven fabric 710 having sets of six adjacent consecutive fibers with three consecutive fibers being formed of one material and three other consecutive fibers being formed of another material in the weave in both the warp direction 718 and the weft direction 720 is shown. A pattern of six adjacent consecutive fibers in the warp 718 is seen in Fig. 7 with a first set of three adjacent warp fibers 714A
being constructed of a first type of material and a second set of three adjacent warp fibers 714B
being constructed of a second type of material. Also seen in Fig. 7 is a pattern of six adjacent consecutive fibers in the weft 720 having a first set of three adjacent weft fibers 716A being constructed of the first type of material and the second set of three adjacent weft fibers 716B being constructed of the second type of material. Various types of high strength fiber materials may be employed for the fibers 714A, 714B, 716A, 716B in the plain weave 712 arrangement of Fig. 7. In one approach, the first set of three adjacent warp fibers 714A in the pattern in the warp 718 are constructed of PBO
Doc. No.: 444726 17 ' and the second set of three adjacent warp fibers 714B are constructed of microfilament PPP-T
(Twaron~). The first set of three adjacent weft fibers 716A are also constructed of PBO and the second set of three adjacent weft fibers 7168 are also made from microfilament PPP-T
(Twaron~) material. PPP-T (Kevlar~/Protera~) may also selectively be employed as the second type of material such that the first set of three adjacent warp fibers 714A in the pattern in the warp 718 are constructed of PBO and the second set of three adjacent warp fibers are constructed of PPP-T (Kevlar~/Protera~) material.
Fig. 7 illustrates a plain weave 712 formed of a plurality of individual sets of three warp fibers 714A, 7148 and three weft fibers 716A, 7168 in which the sets of three fibers are consecutively alternating between two different types of fiber materials. The ballistic resistant woven fabric 710 having alternating sets of three fibers as seen in Fig. 7 may also selectively employ a sateen weave, venetian weave or corkscrew weave such as those shown and described with reference to Figs. 2, 3 and 4. The PBO fiber material, microfilament PPP-T fiber material, and PPP-T fiber material in the various weave patterns all preferably have deniers which range between 200 and 830 denier. The weave patterns may be balanced or imbalanced.
The fibers 714A, 7148, 716A, 7168 for the weave patterns (plain, sateen, venetian, corkscrew), in the embodiment of Fig. 7, may selectively be twisted with the number of twists ranging from one-half to six revolutions per linear inch for the fibers. The arrangement of six adjacent consecutive fibers in both the warp and the weft with one set of three fibers being formed of one type of high strength fiber material and the other set of three fibers being formed of another type of high strength fiber material is also employed in sateen, venetian and corkscrew weave patterns. In these alternative arrangements, the first set of three consecutive warp fibers in the pattern of six consecutive fibers in the warp for a sateen weave, venetian weave or corkscrew weave are Doc. No.: 444726 1 8 constructed of PBO and the second set of three consecutive warp fibers are selectively constructed of microfilament PPP-T material or PPP-T material. The first set of three consecutive weft fibers in the sateen, venetian and corkscrew weaves are also constructed of PBO and the second set of three consecutive weft fibers are preferably formed of either microfilament PPP-T material or PPP-T material.
While a detailed description of the present invention has been given, it should be appreciated that many variations can be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
Doc. No.: 444726 19

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A ballistic resistant woven fabric utilized in the construction of ballistic resistant protective items, the woven fabric having a plurality of fibers of polyp-phenylene -2,6-benzobisoxazole) (PBO) material, the ballistic resistant woven fabric comprising:
a warp of the woven fabric having less than thirty (30) fibers of PBO material per inch of warp; and a weft of the woven fabric having less than thirty (30) fibers of PBO material per inch of weft.

2. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 1 in which the woven fabric has a plain weave.

3. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 2 in which the plain weave is a balanced weave.

4. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 2 in which the plain weave is an unbalanced weave.

5. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 1 in which a plurality of the fibers in the warp of the woven fabric are twisted.

6. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 5 in which the plurality of fibers in the weft which are twisted have a number of twists per linear inch which ranges between one-quarter and three twists per linear inch.

7. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 1 in which a plurality of the fibers in the weft of the woven fabric are twisted.

8. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 7 in which the plurality of fibers in the weft which are twisted have a number of twists per linear inch which ranges between one-quarter and three twists per linear inch.

9. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 1 in which the warp ranges from 23 to 29 fibers of PBO per inch.

10. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 1 in which the weft ranges from 23 to 29 fibers of PBO per inch.

11. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 1 in which the woven fabric has a sateen weave.

12. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 11 in which the sateen weave is a balanced weave.

13. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 11 in which the sateen weave is an unbalanced weave.

14. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 1 in which a plurality of the fibers in the warp of the woven fabric are twisted.

15. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 14 in which the plurality of fibers in the warp which are twisted have a number of twists per linear inch which ranges between one-quarter and three twists per linear inch.

16. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 1 in which a plurality of the fibers in the weft of the woven fabric are twisted.

17. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 16 in which the plurality of fibers in the weft which are twisted have a number of twists per linear inch which ranges between one-quarter and three twists per linear inch.

18. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 1 in which a sum total of the number of fibers per inch of the warp plus the fibers per inch of the weft is less than 58 fibers.

19. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 18 in which the warp has at least 20 fibers per inch and has no greater than 29 fibers per inch.

20. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 18 in which the weft has at least 20 fibers per inch and has no greater than 29 fibers per inch.

21. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 1 in which the woven fabric has a venetian weave.

22. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 21 in which the venetian weave is a balanced weave.

23. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 21 in which the venetian weave is an imbalanced weave.

24. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 1 in which a plurality of the fibers in the warp of the woven fabric are twisted.

25. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 24 in which the plurality of fibers in the warp which are twisted have a number of twists per linear inch which ranges between one-quarter and three twists per linear inch.

26. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 1 in which a plurality of the fibers in the weft of the woven fabric are twisted.

27. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 26 in which the fibers in the weft which are twisted have a number of twists per linear inch which ranges between one-quarter and three twists per linear inch.

28. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 1 in which a sum total of fibers per inch of the warp plus the fibers per inch of the weft is less than 58 fibers.

29. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 28 in which the warp has at least 20 fibers per inch and has no greater than 29 fibers per inch.

30. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 28 in which the weft has at least 20 fibers per inch and has no greater than 29 fibers per inch.

31. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 1 in which the woven fabric has a corkscrew weave.

32. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 31 in which the corkscrew weave is a balanced weave.

33. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 31 in which the corkscrew weave is an imbalanced weave.

34. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 1 in which a plurality of the fibers in the warp direction of the woven fabric are twisted.

35. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 34 in which the plurality of fibers in the warp which are twisted have a number of twists per linear inch which ranges between one-quarter and three twists per linear inch.

36. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 1 in which a plurality of the fibers in the weft of the woven fabric are twisted.

37. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 36 in which the plurality of fibers in the weft which are twisted have a number of twists per linear inch which ranges between one-quarter and three twists per linear inch.

38. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 1 in which the warp ranges from 23-29 fibers per inch and in which the weft ranges from 23-29 fibers per inch.

39. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 1 in which the corkscrew weave is one of: (a) five end weft corkscrew weave, (b) seven end weft corkscrew weave, (c) seven end warp corkscrew weave, (d) nine end weft corkscrew weave, (e) nine end warp corkscrew weave, and (f) thirteen shaft corkscrew weave.

40. A ballistic resistant woven fabric utilized in the construction of ballistic resistant protective items comprising:
a warp of the ballistic resistant woven fabric which has at least two adjacent fibers in which one fiber is constructed of a first material and another fiber which is constructed of a second material; and a weft of the ballistic resistant woven fabric which has at least two other adjacent fibers in which one fiber in the weft is constructed of the first material and another fiber adjacent to the one fiber in the weft is constructed of the second material.

41. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 40 in which the first material is PBO
having a denier within the range of 200 to 830.

42. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 40 in which the second material is microfilament poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide) having a denier within the range of 200 to 830.

43. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 40 in which the second material is poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide) having a denier within the range of 200 to 830.

44. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 40 in which the woven fabric has a plain weave.

45. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 44 in which the plain weave is a balanced weave.

46. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 44 in which the plain weave is an imbalanced weave.

47. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 44 in which the two adjacent fibers in the warp form a pattern of fibers, said warp includes a plurality of patterns of the two adjacent fibers positioned consecutively in the warp, and in which the other two adjacent fibers in the weft form another pattern of fibers, and said weft includes a plurality of other patterns of the other two adjacent fibers positioned consecutively in the weft.

48. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 47 in which the warp has the one fiber of the two adjacent fibers constructed of PBO and the other fiber of the two adjacent fibers constructed of microfilament poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide), and in which the weft has the one fiber of the other two adjacent fibers constructed of PBO and the other fiber of the other two adjacent fibers constructed of microfilament poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide).

49. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 47 in which the warp has the one fiber of the two adjacent fibers constructed of PBO and the other fiber of the two adjacent fibers constructed of poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide), and in which the weft has the one fiber of the other two adjacent fibers constructed of PBO and the other fiber of the other two adjacent fibers constructed of poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide).

50. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 47 in which four adjacent consecutive fibers form the pattern in the warp with a first set of two adjacent warp fibers being constructed of the first material and a second set of two adjacent warp fibers being constructed of the second material, and four adjacent consecutive fibers form the other pattern in the weft with a first set of two adjacent weft fibers being constructed of the first material and a second set of two adjacent weft fibers being constructed of the second material.

51. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 50 in which the first set of two adjacent warp fibers in the pattern in the warp are constructed of PBO and the second set of two adjacent warp fibers are constructed of microfilament poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide), and in which the first set of two adjacent weft fibers in the pattern in the weft are constructed of PBO and the second set of two adjacent weft fibers are constructed of microfilament poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide).

52. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 50 in which the first set of two adjacent warp fibers in the pattern in the warp are constructed of PBO and the second set of two adjacent warp fibers are constructed of poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide), and in which the first set of two adjacent weft fibers in the pattern in the weft are constructed of PBO and the second set of two adjacent weft fibers are constructed of poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide).

53. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 47 in which six adjacent consecutive fibers form the pattern in the warp with a first set of three adjacent warp fibers being constructed of the first material and a second set of three adjacent warp fibers being constructed of the second material, and six adjacent consecutive fibers form the other pattern in the weft with a first set of three adjacent weft fibers being constructed of the first material and a second three adjacent weft fibers being constructed of the second material.

54. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 53 in which the first set of three adjacent warp fibers in the pattern in the warp are constructed of PBO and the second set of three adjacent warp fibers are constructed of microfilament poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide), and in which the first set of three adjacent weft fibers in the pattern in the weft are constructed of PBO and the second set of three adjacent weft fibers are constructed of microfilament poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide).

55. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 53 in which the first set of three adjacent warp fibers in the pattern in the warp are constructed of PBO and the second set of three adjacent warp fibers are constructed of poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide), and in which the first set of three adjacent weft fibers in the pattern in the weft are constructed of PBO and the second set of three adjacent weft fibers are constructed of poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide).

56. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 44 in which the number of fibers of the warp ranges from 23 to 32 fibers per inch and in which the number of fibers of the weft ranges from 23 to 32 fibers per inch.

57. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 44 in which at least one of the two adjacent fibers of the warp are twisted.

58. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 57 in which the number of twists in the fiber ranges from one-half of a revolution per linear inch of the fiber to six revolutions per linear inch of the fiber.

59. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 44 in which at least one of the two other adjacent fibers of the weft are twisted.

60. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 59 in which the number of twists in the fiber ranges from one-half of a revolution per linear inch of the fiber to six revolutions per linear inch of the fiber.

61. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 40 in which the woven fabric has a sateen weave.

62. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 61 in which the sateen weave is a balanced weave.

63. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 61 in which the sateen weave is an imbalanced weave.

64. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 61 in which the two adjacent fibers in the warp form a pattern of fibers, said warp includes a plurality of patterns of the two adjacent fibers positioned consecutively in the warp, and in which the other two adjacent fibers in the weft form another pattern of fibers, and said weft includes a plurality of the other patterns of the other two adjacent fibers positioned consecutively in the weft.

65. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 64 in which the warp has the one fiber of the two adjacent fibers constructed of PBO and the other fiber of the two adjacent fibers constructed of microfilament poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide), and in which the weft has the one fiber of the other two adjacent fibers constructed of PBO and the other fiber of the other two adjacent fibers constructed of microfilament poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide).

66. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 64 in which the warp has the one fiber of the two adjacent fibers constructed of PBO and the other fiber of the two adjacent fibers constructed of poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide), and in which the weft has the one fiber of the other two adjacent fibers constructed of PBO and the other fiber of the other two adjacent fibers constructed of poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide).

67. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 64 in which four adjacent consecutive fibers form the pattern in the warp with a first set of two adjacent warp fibers being constructed of the first material and a second set of two adjacent warp fibers being constructed of the second material, and four adjacent consecutive fibers form the other pattern in the weft with a first set of two adjacent weft fibers being constructed of the first material and a second set of two adjacent weft fibers being constructed of the second material.

68. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 67 in which the first set of two adjacent warp fibers in the pattern in the warp are constructed of PBO and the second set of two adjacent warp fibers are constructed of microfilament poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide), and in which the first set of two adjacent weft fibers in the pattern in the weft are constructed of PBO and the second set of two adjacent weft fibers are constructed of microfilament poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide).

69. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 67 in which the first set of two adjacent warp fibers in the pattern in the warp are constructed of PBO and the second set of two adjacent warp fibers are constructed of poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide), and in which the first set of two adjacent weft fibers in the pattern in the weft are constructed of PBO and the second set of two adjacent weft fibers are constructed of poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide).

70. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 64 in which six adjacent consecutive fibers form the pattern in the warp with a first set of three adjacent warp fibers being constructed of the first material and the second set of three adjacent warp fibers being constructed of the second material, and six adjacent consecutive fibers form the other pattern in the weft with a first set of three adjacent weft fibers being constructed of the first material and a second set of three adjacent weft fibers being constructed of the second material.

71. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 70 in which the first set of three adjacent warp fibers in the pattern in the warp are constructed of PBO and the second set of three adjacent warp fibers being constructed of microfilament poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide), and in which the first set of three adjacent weft fibers in the pattern in the weft are constructed of PBO and the second set of three adjacent weft fibers are constructed of microfilament poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide).

72. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 70 in which the first set of three adjacent warp fibers in the pattern in the warp are constructed of PBO and the second set of three adjacent warp fibers are constructed of poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide), and in which the first set of three adjacent weft fibers in the pattern in the weft are constructed of PBO and the second set of three adjacent weft fibers are constructed of poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide).

73. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 61 in which the total sum of fibers in an inch of the warp plus an inch of the weft is less than sixty.

74. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 73 in which the number of fibers of the warp ranges from 20 to 30 fibers per inch and in which the number of fibers of the weft ranges from 20 to 30 fibers per inch.

75. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 61 in which at least one of the two adjacent fibers of the warp are twisted.

76. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 75 in which the number of twists in the fiber ranges from one-half of a revolution per linear inch of the fiber to six revolutions per linear inch of the fiber.

77. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 61 in which at least one of the two other adjacent fibers of the weft are twisted.

78. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 61 in which the number of twists in the fiber ranges from one-half of a revolution per linear inch of the fiber to six revolutions per linear inch of the fiber.

79. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 40 in which the woven fabric has a venetian weave.

80. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 79 in which the venetian weave is a balanced weave.

81. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 79 in which the venetian weave is an imbalanced weave.

82. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 79 in which the two adjacent fibers in the warp form a pattern of fibers, said warp includes a plurality of patterns of the two adjacent fibers positioned consecutively in the warp and in which the other two adjacent fibers in the weft form another pattern of fibers, and the weft includes a plurality of the other patterns of the other two adjacent fibers, positioned consecutively in the weft.

83. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 82 in which the warp has the one fiber of the two adjacent fibers constructed of PBO and the other fiber of the two adjacent fibers constructed of microfilament poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide), and in which the weft has the one fiber of the other two adjacent fibers constructed of PBO and has the other fiber of the other two adjacent fibers constructed of microfilament poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide).

84. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 82 in which the warp has the one fiber of the two adjacent fibers constructed of PBO and the other fiber of the two adjacent fibers constructed of poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide), and in which the weft has the one fiber of the other two adjacent fibers constructed of PBO and has the other fiber of the other two adjacent fibers constructed of poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide).

g5. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 82 in which four adjacent consecutive fibers form the pattern in the warp with a first set of two adjacent warp fibers being constructed of the first material and a second set of two adjacent warp fibers being constructed of the second material, and four adjacent consecutive fibers form the other pattern in the weft with a first set of two adjacent weft fibers being constructed of the first material and a second set of two adjacent weft fibers being constructed of the second material.

86. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 85 in which the first set of two adjacent warp fibers in the pattern in the warp are constructed of PBO and the second set of two adjacent warp fibers being constructed of microfilament poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide), and in which the first set of two adjacent weft fibers in the pattern in the weft are constructed of PBO and in which the second set of two adjacent weft fibers are constructed of microfilament poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide).

87. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 85 in which the first set of two adjacent warp fibers in the pattern in the warp are constructed of PBO and the second set of two adjacent warp fibers are constructed of poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide), and in which the first set of two adjacent weft fibers in the pattern in the weft are constructed of PBO and in which the second set of two adjacent weft fibers are constructed of poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide).

88. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 82 in which six adjacent consecutive fibers form the pattern in the warp with a first set of three adjacent warp fibers being constructed of the first material and a second set of three adjacent warp fibers being constructed of the second material, and six adjacent consecutive fibers form the other pattern in the weft with a first set of three adjacent weft fibers being constructed of the first material and a second set of three adjacent weft fibers being constructed of the second material.

89. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 88 in which the first set of three adjacent warp fibers in the pattern in the warp are, constructed of PBO and the second set of three adjacent warp fibers are constructed of microfilament poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide), and in which the first set of three adjacent weft fibers in the pattern in the weft are constructed of PBO and the second set of three adjacent weft fibers are constructed of microfilament poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide).

90. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 88 in which the first set of three adjacent warp fibers in the pattern in the warp are constructed of PBO and the second set of three adjacent warp fibers are constructed of poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide);
and in which the first set of three adjacent weft fibers in the pattern in the weft are constructed of PBO and the second set of three adjacent weft fibers are constructed of poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide).

91. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 79 in which the total sum of fibers in an inch of the warp plus an inch of the weft is less than sixty.

92. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 91 in which the number of fibers of the warp ranges from 20 to 30 fibers per inch and in which the number of fibers of the weft ranges from 20 to 30 fibers per inch.

93. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 79 in which at least one of the two adjacent fibers of the warp are twisted.

94. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 93 in which the number of twists in the fiber ranges from one-half of a revolution per linear inch of the fiber to six revolutions per linear inch of the fiber.

95. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 79 in which at least one of the two other adjacent fibers of the weft are twisted.

96. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 95 in which the number of twists in the fiber ranges from one-half of a revolution per linear inch of the fiber to six revolutions per linear inch of the fiber.

97. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 40 in which the woven fabric is a corkscrew.

98. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 97 in which the corkscrew weave is a balanced weave.

99. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 97 in which the corkscrew weave is an unbalanced weave.

100. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 97 in which the two adjacent fibers in the warp form a pattern of fibers, said warp includes a plurality of patterns of the two adjacent fibers positioned consecutively in the warp, and in which the other two adjacent fibers in the weft form another pattern of fibers, and the weft includes a plurality of the other patterns of the other two adjacent fibers positioned consecutively in the weft.

101. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 100 in which the warp has the one fiber of the two adjacent fibers constructed of PBO and the other fiber of the two adjacent fibers constructed of microfilament poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide), and in which the weft has the one fiber of the other two adjacent fibers constructed of PBO and the other fiber of the other two adjacent fibers constructed of microfilament poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide).

102. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 100 in which the warp has the one fiber of the two adjacent fibers constructed of PBO and the other fiber of the two adjacent fibers constructed of poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide), and in which the weft has the one fiber of the other two adjacent fibers constructed of PBO and the other fiber of the other two adjacent fibers constructed of poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide).

103. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 100 in which four adjacent consecutive fibers form the pattern in the warp with a first set of two adjacent warp fibers being constructed of the first material and a second set of two adjacent warp fibers being constructed of the second material, and four adjacent consecutive fibers form the other pattern in the weft with a first set of two adjacent weft fibers being constructed of the first material and a second set of two adjacent weft fibers being constructed of the second material.

104. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 103 in which the first set of two adjacent warp fibers in the pattern in the warp are constructed of PBO and the second set of two adjacent warp fibers are constructed of microfilament poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide), and in which the first set of two adjacent weft fibers in the pattern in the weft are constructed of PBO and in which the second set of two adjacent weft fibers are constructed of microfilament poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide).

105. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 103 in which the first set of two adjacent warp fibers in the pattern in the warp are constructed of PBO and the second set of two adjacent warp fibers are constructed of poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide), and in which the first set of two adjacent weft fibers in the pattern in the weft are constructed of PBO and in which the second set of two adjacent weft fibers are constructed of poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide).

106. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 100 in which six adjacent consecutive fibers form the pattern in the warp with a first set of three adjacent warp fibers being constructed of the first material and a second set of three adjacent warp fibers being constructed of the second material, and six adjacent consecutive fibers form the other pattern in the weft with a first set of three adjacent weft fibers being constructed of the first material and a second set of three adjacent weft fibers being constructed of the second material.

107. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 106 in which the first set of three adjacent warp fibers in the pattern in the warp are constructed of PBO and the second set of three adjacent warp fibers being constructed of microfilament poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide), and in which the first set of three adjacent weft fibers in the pattern in the weft are constructed of PBO and the second set of three adjacent weft fibers being constructed of microfilament poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide).

108. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 106 in which the first set of three adjacent warp fibers in the pattern in the warp are constructed of PBO and the second set of three adjacent warp fibers being constructed of poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide), and in which the first set of three adjacent weft fibers in the pattern in the weft are constructed of PBO and the second set of three adjacent weft fibers are constructed of poly(paraphenylene-terephthalamide).

109. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 97 in which the number of fibers of the warp ranges from 23 to 29 fibers per inch and in which the number of fibers of the weft ranges from 23 to 29 fibers per inch.

110. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 97 in which at least one of the two adjacent fibers of the warp are twisted.

111. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 110 in which the number of twists in the fiber ranges from one-half of a revolution per linear inch of the fiber to six revolutions per linear inch of the fiber.

112. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 97 in which at least one of the two other adjacent fibers of the weft are twisted.

113. The ballistic resistant woven fabric of claim 112 in which the number of twists in the fiber ranges from one-half of a revolution per linear inch of the fiber to six revolutions per linear inch of the fiber.

114. The ballistic resistant fabric of claim 40 in which the one fiber constructed of the first material and the other fiber constructed of the second material each have deniers in a range between 200 to 830.

115. The ballistic resistant fabric of claim 40 in which the denier of the one fiber and the denier of the other fiber have a ratio which does not exceed 2.0 with the larger denier positioned in the numerator and the smaller denier positioned in the denominator.