GB2422086A

GB2422086A - Dymanic body armour

Info

Publication number: GB2422086A
Application number: GB0500749A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Terence Halliwell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-01-14
Filing date: 2005-01-14
Publication date: 2006-07-19
Also published as: GB0500749D0

Abstract

Body armour with internal moving parts preventing puncture from a bullet fired at close range. Preferably the armour comprises a plurality of non-shattering balls A which may deform to trap the bullet. Two honeycomb layers B, E bonded together G and sealed within outer skins F, J may form cells to receive the balls A. The second honeycomb layer E may be laterally displaced. Each cell may have a seating cup C to support a ball A and the system may be filled with a viscous cushioning and lubricating gel D which moves laterally through holes H in the seating cups and cells. Preferably the armour is made of low-tech materials. The balls are preferably 22 millimetres in diameter and 1 millimetre thick and the cells are preferably 25 millimetres long and 3.175 millimetres thick with a hexagonal grid of 25.4 millimetres. The sizes and materials may vary.

Description

DYNAMIC BODY ARMOUR

This invention relates to a new type of Body Armour, with internal moving parts.

Conventional Body Armour, consists of layers fabric and or compacted plastic filament material, made from Kevlar', or Protera', which resists puncture, by incoming low velocity bullets, and sharp weapons, through the process of internal friction, and elastic deformation, generated in and between these filaments themselves and the bullet, caused by the motion of the bullet as it penetrates into the armour layer.

Unfortunately, armour of this type is unable to stop a bullet fired from an AK 47.assault rifle, at close range, (say 100 metres), and is therefor of limited value in modern combat.

It is the proposal of this Application, that small, hollow, thin walled balls, forged from high tensile steel, in two halves, welded together round the rims, and then suitably tempered, offer the lightest, and most effective barrier, to the strike of high velocity bullets, since balls constructed in this way, will not shatter. The incoming bullet, (apart from those passing straight through, or being deflected), will be caught by the ball, either by crushing it, and then being trapped behind it, or after distorting, and then puncturing the first impacted outer surface, the bullet then fails to puncture through the second internal surface of the ball, and is again trapped.

By mounting such balls within a suitable cushioning layer, inside a plastic Honeycomb system with hexagonal sectioned cells, which permits penetration, of the ball and its captive bullet into these cells, but resists lateral movement, the high energy and destructive impacts of high velocity bullets, can be absorbed, such that they do not puncture through the armour.

Such an arrangement forms the basis of this Dynamic Body Armour.

The operation of this Armour, is therefore analogous to a hammer (the incoming bullet), driving a nail, (the hollow steel ball), into a piece of wood, (the Honeycomb system).

To prevent puncturing by those bullets, which strike the balls obliquely, pass between them, or puncture straight through, a further layer of balls in a second Honeycomb system is necessary. This second or back Honeycomb layer is set behind the first, but arranged so that it's cells are laterally displaced, from those in the front layer, such that the incoming bullet cannot puncture directly through the front layer of Honeycomb, without striking into the balls located in the back layer. See FIGURE 2.

A set of Seating Cups, are first installed into the front Honeycomb,one per cell.

The function of these is to resist, passage of the Balls through them. These Cups, are of the same hexagonal section as the Honeycomb cells, and have a tapering down circular bore, so as to resist movement of the Ball, into them. The end with the widest bore acts as a seat for the Ball, whilst the other and blind end, with the narrowest bore, is made flush with the back side of the front Honeycomb, before being bonded to its cell walls. Referral to FIGURE 1, and FIGURE 3, indicates detail of the components, and the construction of the Armour.

The Balls are then fitted into the open ends of the Honeycomb cells, (into which they are a push fit), so as to fit tightly against the open ends of the Seating cups, (those with the widest bore), which are set below the front surface, of the front Honeycomb.

The Balls used in both layers are the same, but those in the front layer are installed to have their outer surfaces proud of the front surface of the front Honeycomb, this is to resist incoming blows from sharp weapons, such as axes and swords, to increase the probability of striking a Ball first, before cutting into and splitting the Honeycomb. The front outer surface of the Balls in the back Honeycomb are flush with the front surface of the back Honeycomb, so that the two Honeycombs can be bonded together.

The two Honeycombs are joined together, (after the axes of their cells have been laterally adjusted), back to back, by a sheet of high tensile but flexible plastic material, such as fabric reinforced Butyl rubber, called the Joining Sheet, which resists puncture by those objects, passing from the first, into the second layer.

The front layer of Balls, are held against their seats, in the mouths of the Seating Cups, by a film of high tensile plastic, (the Front Sealing Film), which is bonded onto the shoulders of the open front Honeycomb cells, over the outer surfaces of the Balls. This film must be able to prevent the squeezing out', of the balls in neighbouring Honeycomb cells, by the effect of distortion, by honeycomb and its components, and by hydraulic pressure transients, transmitted by the viscous Gel.

Before being joined together, the front Honeycomb layer is completely filled, with a viscous sterile gel, which acts as a hydraulic fluid, lubricant and coolant, for the movement of the balls.

This Gel is able to move between the cells of the Honeycomb, by means of 6 small corresponding holes, in the bottom of the Seating Cups, (at the end of the narrowest bore), and in the bottom centre of the cell walls of both Honeycomb systems.

The Seating Cups in the back Honeycomb are fitted, and bonded to the Honeycomb Cell walls, such that their widest bore abuts against the Balls, which are then trapped against the Joining Sheet, and the backs of the front Honeycomb cells. The back Honeycomb is then filled with viscous sterile gel, and then sealed, by the Back Sealing Sheet which is of the same material as the Joining Sheet, and is meant to prevent the complete puncturing of the Armour, by the Balls in the back Honeycomb. This Sheet, is bonded in the same way as the Front Sealing Film, but this time onto the open shoulders, of the cells of the back Honeycomb.

The Following Drawings, indicate the detail and construction of the Armour.

fIGURE 1 This gives a cross-section, of the completed Armour. The components are identified according to: A - HOLLOW THIN WALLED STEEL BALLS.

B - FRONT HONEYCOMB CELLS.

C - SEATING CUPS.

D - STERILE VISCOUS GEL.

E - BACK HONEYCOMB CELLS.

F - FRONT SEALING FILM.

G - JOINING SHEET.

H - PASSAGES (HOLES) FOR MOVEMENT OF STERILE GEL.

J - BACK SEALING SHEET.

FIGURE 2 SCHEMATIC PLAN VIEW ( Without Joining Sheet fitted), OF THE TWO

HONEYCOMBS INDICATING THE CELL DISPLACEMENT BETWEEN THE

FRONT AND BACK LAYERS.

FIGURE 3 THIS SHOWS THE ASSEMBLY OF THE MAIN COMPONENTS, BUT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE FRONT SEALING FILM, THE BACK SEALING SHEET, OR THE STERILE GEL..

I HOLLOW STEEL BALL - FRONT HONEYCOMB.

2 SEATING CUP - FRONT HONEYCOMB - (Note 6 Gel transmission holes) 3 FRONT HONEYCOMB - (Note 6 Gel transmission holes in base of cells).

4 JOINING SHEET.

BACK HONEYCOMB - (Note 6 Gel transmission holes).

6 HOLLOW STEEL BALL - BACK HONEYCOMB.

7 SEATING CUP - BACK HONEYCOMB. (Note 6 Gel transmission holes). ii-

Claims

1) A type of Body Armour, with internal moving parts capable of preventing puncture by a bullet fired from an AK 47, assault rifle at a range of 100 metres, weighing approximately 10 lbs. per square foot, and constructed from low-tech materials.

2) The principal components which take strike of the incoming bullet, are small, hollow, thin walled balls, forged in separate halves, from high tensile steel, which are welded together, around the rims., and then suitably tempered.

Balls made in such a way, will not shatter, and will deform before puncture by a high velocity bullet, Ideally the incoming bullet will be trapped, behind a distorted but un-punctured ball, or trapped inside a ball, after puncturing through just one surface, 3) To prevent any lateral movement, these balls sit, one per cell, inside two layers of plastic Honeycomb, mounted back to back, each comprising cells of hexagonal section, one fixed behind the other, but the back layer having its cells laterally displaced, such that the central axes of the cells in the front layer, coincide with the centres of the corners of the adjoining cell walls, in the back layer. This arrangement ensures, that any bullet puncturing through the first layer of Armour, will strike a second ball located in the back honeycomb.

4) Resistance to penetration, by the ball and its captive bullet, down into the Honeycomb cells, of the front layer is achieved, by seating the balls in the open mouths of a short seating cups, which have a tapering down bore, and which are bonded into the bottom of these Honeycomb cells. The front surface of the front layer of balls, stand proud of the front surface of the front Honeycomb., so that the front sealing layer, made from high tensile plastic film, can retain the balls securely.

5) The front surface of the balls in the back Honeycomb are installed into their cells and against the mouths of the seating cups, so as to be flush with the front surface of this Honeycomb, being held against the back surface of the joining sheet, when the two Honeycomb are joined.

6) Both Honeycombs are joined together by this joining sheet, made from a butyl rubber impregnated fabric, or similar material which further resists Puncturing, by the balls, and impact debris into the second layer. A sheet of similar material, finally seals the back, of the back Honeycomb.

7) The entire double honeycomb system, is filled with a viscous sterile gel, which acts as a hydraulic fluid both to cushion penetration and to dissipate the impact shock wave, across each layer of the Armour. This gel also cools, and lubricates the bores of the seating cups, to prevent the balls becoming jammed inside, and so being more susceptible to puncture, by the incoming bullet. The gel, moves internally across the Honeycomb, through a series of small coincident holes, cut into the back ends of the seating cups and the faces of the Honeycomb cells.