Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F41—WEAPONS
  • F41H—ARMOUR; ARMOURED TURRETS; ARMOURED OR ARMED VEHICLES; MEANS OF ATTACK OR DEFENCE, e.g. CAMOUFLAGE, IN GENERAL
  • F41H5/00—Armour; Armour plates
  • F41H5/02—Plate construction
  • F41H5/04—Plate construction composed of more than one layer
  • F41H5/0407—Transparent bullet-proof laminatesinformative reference: layered products essentially comprising glass in general B32B17/06, e.g. B32B17/10009; manufacture or composition of glass, e.g. joining glass to glass C03; permanent multiple-glazing windows, e.g. with spacing therebetween, E06B3/66
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F41—WEAPONS
  • F41H—ARMOUR; ARMOURED TURRETS; ARMOURED OR ARMED VEHICLES; MEANS OF ATTACK OR DEFENCE, e.g. CAMOUFLAGE, IN GENERAL
  • F41H5/00—Armour; Armour plates
  • F41H5/02—Plate construction
  • F41H5/04—Plate construction composed of more than one layer
  • F41H5/0492—Layered armour containing hard elements, e.g. plates, spheres, rods, separated from each other, the elements being connected to a further flexible layer or being embedded in a plastics or an elastomer matrix

Definitions

• the present invention is generally in the field of ballistic armor panels and in particular it is concerned with a panel for protecting individual, equipment and structures against high energy ballistics, i.e. high speed fire arm projectiles or fragments of explosives.
• the invention also concerns the bodies deployed within such ballistic armor panels.
• Ballistic armor panels are utilized for a variety of protective purposes, in particular for reducing hit-risk of individuals, equipment, vehicles, structures, etc. from small-arms projectiles or from fragments of explosive charges.
• armor panels should be capable of stopping a bullet or a projectile of an explosive charge within an extremely short distance, i.e. the effective thickness of the ballistic armor panel which is used for shielding the individual, vehicle or structure.
• a variety of armor panels are known and are disclosed for example in U.S.
• a ballistic armor panel comprising a carrier member and a plurality of cylindrical bodies made of a high density material, each body formed with two flat end faces having a normal coaxial with a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical body; said cylindrical bodies being of equal diameter and equal length and are attached to the carrier member at their end faces with the longitudinal axis extending normal to the carrier member.
• two neighboring bodies are in contact with one another along their generatrix, i.e. having their longitudinal axes parallel to one another.
• the carrier member is a flat board of material.
• the carrier member may be made of a composite material comprising fiber material.
• the carrier member is essentially pliable.
• the carrier member and the cylindrical bodies are essentially transparent, rendering the armor panel transparency.
• the cylindrical bodies are attached to the carrier member by a transparent bonding material, or by a welding process in which the transparency features remain.
• the arrangement is such that in use, the carrier member faces the object to be protected by the ballistic armor panel and where a free end of the cylindrical bodies constitutes an impact side thereof, to be encountered by the bullet, projectiles or explosive fragments.
• each cylindrical body is significantly greater than its height or equal thereto, rendering the cylindrical bodies the shape of disks.
• the carrier member and plurality of cylindrical bodies may be received within a protective case which preferably is made of a transparent polymeric material.
• the cylindrical bodies are arranged in a compact array of parallel rows.
• a cylindrical body for use in a ballistic armor panel said cylindrical body being made of a high density material and formed with two flat end faces having a normal coaxial with a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical body; said cylindrical body being attachable to a carrier member at either of its end faces.
• the cylindrical bodies are essentially transparent.
• the radii of the cylindrical body is significantly greater than its height, rendering it the shape of a disk.
• Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a ballistic armor panel in accordance with the present invention
• Fig. 2A is a side elevation of a body member used in conjunction with the ballistic armor panel of the present invention
• Fig. 2B is a modification of the cylindrical body seen in Fig. 2A;
• Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a ballistic armor panel in accordance with the present invention.
• Fig. 4 is an isometric view illustrating still another embodiment of a ballistic armor panel in accordance with the present invention
• Fig. 5 illustrates a vehicle fitted with ballistic armor panels in accordance with different embodiment of the present invention
• Fig. 6 is a personal protective garment fitted with a ballistic armor panel according to the invention.
• Fig. 1 of the drawings illustrating a ballistic armor panel in accordance with the present invention generally designated 20 and comprising a carrier member 22 which depending on the application may be made of metal, composite material comprising fibers, e.g. KevlarTM or DynemmaTM etc.
• the carrier member 22 is made of a transparent polymeric material.
• a plurality of cylindrical bodies 24 are made of an essentially hard material e.g. alumina, boron carbide, silicon carbide, glass, etc.
• the cylindrical bodies 24 have two end faces 26 and 28 both of which are parallel to one another and have a normal parallel to a longitudinal axis of the cylinder.
• the cylindrical bodies 24 are attached to carrier member 22 by a suitable attachment, e.g. bonding, heat welding by use of a suitable polymeric material, etc.
• the cylindrical bodies 24 are arranged in a compact array wherein two neighboring cylindrical bodies are in contact with one another along their generatrix which is parallel to a longitudinal axis thereof ensuring a most compact structure.
• a structure of a panel as illustrated in Fig. 1 has an improved multiple hit capability i.e. has improved ballistic characteristics which have proved to be superior to prior art ballistic panels, in particular in obstructing several bullets or fragments of an explosive charge hitting the free end 26 of the cylindrical body.
• At least their free end (referred to at times as an "impact side "), namely the end facing the ballistic threat, are chamfered, as seen in cylindrical member 40 of Fig. 2B wherein its impact side 42 has a chamfer 44.
• the compact structure of the array of cylindrical bodies has an advantage over using polygonal bodies which are in surface contact with neighboring such bodies, since the kinetic energy absorbed at the impact end of the cylindrical bodies is converted into mechanical damage thereof and is not transferred to neighboring bodies, as is the case in using polygonal bodies.
• the structure of the armor panel in accordance with the present invention has a serious advantage in that the cylindrical bodies 24 may be made of a transparent material and owing to the fact that the end faces 26 and 28 are flat and have their normals extending parallel to the longitudinal axes of the cylindric bodies, there is no distortion of light and thus, upon applying the cylindrical body 24 to a transparent carrier member 22, using a transparent adhesive agent, then an essentially transparent ballistic armor panel is obtained. This is useful in particular where it is required to protect windows of vehicles, etc. where vision is required.
• An advantage of the arrangement seen in Fig. 1 is that it is about 10% lighter in weight as compared with armor panels providing similar protection.
• Fig. 3 illustrating another embodiment of the invention generally designated 50 wherein the ballistic armor panel comprises a carrier member 52 as in Fig. 1, a plurality of cylindrical bodies 54 arranged in a compact array, the difference residing in that between three adjacent cylindrical bodies 54 there is deployed a cylindrical filler body 56 which is of equal length as of cylindrical bodies 54, the arrangement being such that each such filler body 56 is in tangential contact with three adjacent cylindrical bodies 54.
• a ballistic armor panel generally designated 60 and comprising a carrier member 62 onto which are attached a plurality of cylindrical bodies 64 which, distinct from the previous embodiments are disk-like shaped, i.e. their radii is essentially larger or similar to their length.
• This arrangement is suitable for using particular with a personal ballistic garment, as it is lighter in weight and slimmer.
• the armor panel is received within a protecting case 56 which is useful on the one hand for improving ballistic resistancy (in case it is made of some reinforced composite material) and, on the other hand, provides some protection from splinters which may be splintered upon impacting of a bullet.
• a protecting case 56 which is useful on the one hand for improving ballistic resistancy (in case it is made of some reinforced composite material) and, on the other hand, provides some protection from splinters which may be splintered upon impacting of a bullet.
• the embodiment of Fig. 5 illustrates the use of ballistic armor panels for protecting a NIP's vehicle.
• armor panels in accordance with the present invention may be used for protecting vehicles of any nature, namely military vehicles, airborne vehicles, etc.
• the vehicle 70 seen in Fig. 5 comprises a plurality of ballistic armor panels of which panels 72 are essentially transparent ballistic armor panels as described hereinabove with reference to Fig. 1.
• a plurality of armor panels 74 are received within protective cases as explained hereinabove e.g. with reference to Fig. 4 and serve for protecting the body of the vehicle.
• a personal protective garment designated 80 which is typically made of a flexible woven composite material with suitable pockets holding one or more ballistic armor panels 82, in accordance with the invention which are typically of the slimmer design, i.e. as disclosed in Fig. 4 of the drawings.
• a single panel 82 there may be provided two or more such panels attached to the garment or received within suitable pockets.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Aiming, Guidance, Guns With A Light Source, Armor, Camouflage, And Targets (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=11072472

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Cited By (1)

Families Citing this family (11)

Citations (7)

Family Cites Families (9)

• 1999
  • 1999-02-09 IL IL12844199A patent/IL128441A0/xx unknown
  • 1999-11-12 WO PCT/IL1999/000609 patent/WO2000047944A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1999-11-12 CA CA002362406A patent/CA2362406A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1999-11-12 EP EP99973686A patent/EP1166031A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1999-11-12 AU AU11752/00A patent/AU1175200A/en not_active Abandoned

Patent Citations (7)

Non-Patent Citations (2)

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