GB2147977A

GB2147977A - Ceramic armour

Info

Publication number: GB2147977A
Application number: GB08327120A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James Barron
Original assignee: Rogers Browne & Richards
Current assignee: Rogers Browne & Richards
Priority date: 1983-10-11
Filing date: 1983-10-11
Publication date: 1985-05-22
Also published as: GB2147977B

Abstract

A ceramic armour tile is provided with a filleted area at its edges designed to overcome the weakness the edges of even thickness tiles have. These fillets are incorporated into the tile when it is moulded and may occupy an area around the extremities of one or both of the tile's major surfaces. The tile may be of any shape and its fillet(s) of any moulding (see Fig. 1). The tile mould normally be used in a mosaic arrangement and bonded to a supporting armour. The filleted concave strike face of the tile may be filled with epoxy, polyester or acrylic resin incorporating hollow microspheres or with polyurethane foam, and may also have a high strength fibre fabric covering its strike face to minimise the larger from secondary fragments. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Ceramic armour tile with fillets at edges This invention relates to ceramic armour.

Ceramic armour comprising of tiles fabricated utilising Alumina Oxide and other materials are known for the exceptional resistance they provide against projectiles, particularly steel bullets or fragments moving at high speed. Tough ceramic tiles in a mosaic, multiples or alone are often used as a strike face for composite armour laminates used on vehicle, installations, as armour elements, ow worn on the body in conjunction with a projectile resistant garment.

However these tiles are dificient in so far as the projectile resistance they offer diminishes at the edges or at the seam formed where the tiles abut other tiles if arranged in series or as a mosaic.

According to the present invention there is provided a type of ceramic tile which has at its edges a raised or filleted area. This fillet may be provided at the edge of the tile on one or both of the major surfaces and have many different formal embodiments, in the sense that they may be of any shape; square rectangular, triangular, hexagonal, etc., with straight or curved edges and filleted with any moulding considered appropriate. Fig. 1 shows some non-scaled section forms these filleted tiles may be provided or utilising various combinations of these forms.

It is a further embodiment of this invention that the concave surface of these filleted tiles may be filled with low density filler. The filler may be; Plastic, Plastic foam, Plastic incorporating microspheres or granules.

The tiles may be positioned in an armour so that the filleted surface provides the strike face or face inwards. The tiles may be used in conjunction with armours comprising of metals, plastics, fibres, or composites of these. The tiles may be fabricated from materials that include; Alumina Oxide, Alumina Nitride, Boron Carbide, Boron Nitride, Silicon Carbide, Silicon Nitride, Silicon Oxide and other ceramic materials.

The surface of these tiles may be substantially flat or curved in the non filleted areas.

The fillets may lie in those parts of the tile close to its edges or as may be the case for small tiles extend to the centre of the tile.

The fillets may extend the full length of the tiles edge/s ro only part of the length or as segments along the length. A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: Figure 2 shows in perspective a filleted ceramic tile incorporating one of the forms of fillet shown in Fig. 1, labeled in Fig. 2. as section A.

The tile consists of 98% A12 O3-Alumina Oxide, Mohr hardness 9.2, density 3.6 g/cm3.

Approximate tiles dimensions 60mm X 60mm with a thickness of 11 mm at its edge, with the fillet extending a distance of approximately 15mum towards the centre of the tile.

The tile is positioned so that its filleted surface forms the strike face of the tile. The tile would normally be used in a mosaic arrangement and bonded to a supporting armour by means of a high strength adhesive. A variety of supporting armours may be used including; Aluminium plate, steel plate, Titanium plate, Fibre Reinforced Plastic laminates, and substantially unimpregnated fibre laminates. The filleted concave strike face of the tile may be filled with Epoxy, Polyester or Acrylic resin incorporating hollow microspheres or with polyurethane foam. The tile may also have a high strength fibre fabric covering its strike face to minimise the danger from secondary fragments and to further secure the tile to the armour laminate.

1. A ceramic armour tile in which it is a feature of the tile's form that there is a filleted (raised rim) area at the edge of one of the major surfaces of the tile.

2. A ceramic armour tile in which it is a feature of the tile's form that there is a filleted (raised rim) area at the edge of both of the major surfaces of the tile.

3. A ceramic armour tile in which it is a feature of the tile's form that the filleted area claimed in, claims 1 and 2 extend the full length of the periphery of the major surface(s) of the tile.

4. A ceramic armour tile in which it is a feature of the tile's form that the filleted area claimed in claims 1 and 2 is limited to part of the length of the periphery of the major surfaces of the tile.

5. A ceramic armour tile in which it is a feature of the tile's form that the filleted (raised rim) area claimed in claims 1, 2, 3 and 4, may extend to the centre of the tile.

6. A ceramic armour tile as claimed in claims 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 where the shape of the major planes of the tile is non specific.

7. A ceramic armour tile as claimed in claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 where disregarding the filleted areas the major surfaces of the tile is substantially flat.

8. A ceramic armour as claimed in claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 where desregarding the filleted ares the major surfaces of the tile are curved.

9. A ceramic armour tile as claimed in claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 where the concave filleted surface of the tile may be filled with a low density filler.

10. A ceramic armour tile as claimed in claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 where the

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Ceramic armour tile with fillets at edges This invention relates to ceramic armour. Ceramic armour comprising of tiles fabricated utilising Alumina Oxide and other materials are known for the exceptional resistance they provide against projectiles, particularly steel bullets or fragments moving at high speed. Tough ceramic tiles in a mosaic, multiples or alone are often used as a strike face for composite armour laminates used on vehicle, installations, as armour elements, ow worn on the body in conjunction with a projectile resistant garment. However these tiles are dificient in so far as the projectile resistance they offer diminishes at the edges or at the seam formed where the tiles abut other tiles if arranged in series or as a mosaic. According to the present invention there is provided a type of ceramic tile which has at its edges a raised or filleted area. This fillet may be provided at the edge of the tile on one or both of the major surfaces and have many different formal embodiments, in the sense that they may be of any shape; square rectangular, triangular, hexagonal, etc., with straight or curved edges and filleted with any moulding considered appropriate. Fig. 1 shows some non-scaled section forms these filleted tiles may be provided or utilising various combinations of these forms. It is a further embodiment of this invention that the concave surface of these filleted tiles may be filled with low density filler. The filler may be; Plastic, Plastic foam, Plastic incorporating microspheres or granules. The tiles may be positioned in an armour so that the filleted surface provides the strike face or face inwards. The tiles may be used in conjunction with armours comprising of metals, plastics, fibres, or composites of these. The tiles may be fabricated from materials that include; Alumina Oxide, Alumina Nitride, Boron Carbide, Boron Nitride, Silicon Carbide, Silicon Nitride, Silicon Oxide and other ceramic materials. The surface of these tiles may be substantially flat or curved in the non filleted areas. The fillets may lie in those parts of the tile close to its edges or as may be the case for small tiles extend to the centre of the tile. The fillets may extend the full length of the tiles edge/s ro only part of the length or as segments along the length. A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: Figure 2 shows in perspective a filleted ceramic tile incorporating one of the forms of fillet shown in Fig. 1, labeled in Fig. 2. as section A. The tile consists of 98% A12 O3-Alumina Oxide, Mohr hardness 9.2, density 3.6 g/cm3. Approximate tiles dimensions 60mm X 60mm with a thickness of 11 mm at its edge, with the fillet extending a distance of approximately 15mum towards the centre of the tile. The tile is positioned so that its filleted surface forms the strike face of the tile. The tile would normally be used in a mosaic arrangement and bonded to a supporting armour by means of a high strength adhesive. A variety of supporting armours may be used including; Aluminium plate, steel plate, Titanium plate, Fibre Reinforced Plastic laminates, and substantially unimpregnated fibre laminates. The filleted concave strike face of the tile may be filled with Epoxy, Polyester or Acrylic resin incorporating hollow microspheres or with polyurethane foam. The tile may also have a high strength fibre fabric covering its strike face to minimise the danger from secondary fragments and to further secure the tile to the armour laminate. CLAIMS

10. A ceramic armour tile as claimed in claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 where the sectioned fillet of ceramic may resemble those shown in Fig. 1.