US20060225180A1

US20060225180A1 - Reactive armor for a trooper - helmet vest and protective plate

Info

Publication number: US20060225180A1
Application number: US11/311,708
Authority: US
Inventors: Haim Ben-Simhon
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-02-24
Filing date: 2005-12-20
Publication date: 2006-10-12

Abstract

Reactive protective armors for diverting hitting bullets, shrapnel and small shells away from a trooper's helmet, vest and/or away from the skin of vehicles, planes, helicopters or marine vessels are described. The protective armor consists of multiplicity of reactive units, which cover the protected object like tiles. Each reactive unit includes tiny explosives on one side and parallel hinges opposite to the explosives. The hitting armament detonates the explosive, which in turn rotate the plate, thus diverting the bullet away from the protected object. Another embodiment of the reactive-protective unit is a pressurized cell full with noninflammable fluid or gel. In this case the protected object is covered with multiple pressurized cells. When a bullet or shrapnel punctures the skin of the cell the fluid or gel bursts and pushes the bullet away from the protected object. It is important to mention that the bullet activate only one unit, living the other units intact and ready to take other hits.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Reactive armors for tanks and military vehicles (APC-Armored Personal Carriers) have been described and produced. However, no reactive armor for a trooper (soldier, policeman) has been described. Thorough review of the literature did not reveal such features. The purpose of this invention is to provide an extra protective-reactive armor against bullets and shrapnel for the trooper's wearing-helmet and protective vest, or for protective plates (for light vehicles, helicopters, planes, ships and boats).

DISCLOSURE

Brief Description of the Drawings of the Invention

FIG. 1; Front view of the reactive armors in the helmet embodiment.
FIG. 2; Side view of the reactive armors in the helmet embodiment.
FIG. 3: Outer view of the protective reactive unit, which includes explosives on one side and hinges opposite to the explosives, for the helmet application.
FIG. 4. Schematic demonstration of the pressurized cells embodiment of the reactive armor in the helmet application.
FIG. 5. Front view of the reactive armors in the vest application.
FIG. 6. The pressurized cells embodiment for the vest application.
FIG. 7. Outer view of the protective reactive unit (explosives and hinges) for the vest application.
The reactive armor consist of multiple squares 1 made of Kevlar®, that cover the conventional Kevlar® helmet or vest or ceramic vest; see squares 1 in all the FIGS. 1-7. The individual square plate is attached by snap-in mechanism 2 and 5 (FIGS. 3 & 5) and 8, 9 (FIGS. 5 & 7) to the basic conventional helmet or vest respectively.
One embodiment of the reactive armor is, in the case of a helmet, under the snap-in mechanism, on the upper side {up) in FIG. 3, tiny explosive charges 3 and 4 are placed between the plate 1 and the helmet. The purpose of these tiny explosives in the upper side is, that when a bullet or shrapnel hits the plate 1 the explosives detonate and cause the plate 1 to rotate downwards (with the help of hinges 2 and 5), thus deflecting the bullet upwards away from the trooper's head and body. In the vest the explosives are placed in the opposite—the explosives are placed in the two down comers 6 and 7 in FIG. 7. The purpose of placing the explosives in the lower corners is, that when a bullet hits the plate 1, the plate rotates upwards (around hinges 8 and 9) and deflects the hitting bullet or shrapnel downwards away from the face, head, neck and chest of the trooper. Another embodiment of the reactive armor is creating multiple cells, that cover the helmet and/or the vest. The cells are filled with nonflammable fluid (water or gel) under high pressure (the cells 9 in FIG. 4 and FIG. 6). One way to produce those cells is to inject the fluid or gel in high pressure (as high as the walls of the cells could handle without bursting). Another way to produce those cells is to produce the whole helmet and/or vest, and/or protective plate in a large pressure cell (like the hyperbaric cell that is used to treat decompression sickness after deep-water diving accident).When the helmet and vest are taken out of the hyperbaric production facility, the fluid in the cells will be automatically in a pressure that is equivalent to the pressure inside the production hyperbaric facility.
The reason for creating multiple cells or square plates in the helmet (FIGS. 1 and 2), and in the vest (FIG. 5) is, that when a bullet hits a cell or a plate it activates only one plate or cell; the other plates or cells remain intact and ready to take hits from other bullets or shrapnel.

MODE OF OPERATION

A.) The Reactive Plate Embodiment:
When a bullet or shrapnel hits the plate, the energy of the impact detonates the tiny explosives 3 and 4 in FIGS. 1 and 3—in the case of the helmet, or the tiny explosives 6 and 7 in FIGS. 5 and 7—in the case of the vest. The tiny explosives could be like the explosive mercury that is found in the “pica” of the conventional bullet. The tiny explosion will cause the plate to rotate (around hinges 2 and 5) downwards—in the case of the helmet—thus diverting the penetrating bullet upwards away from the body of the trooper. In the case of the vest the explosion will cause the plate to rotate upwards around hinges 8 and 9 in FIGS. 7 and 5, thus diverting the penetrating bullet downwards toward the ground and away from the face, head, neck and chest of the trooper.
B.) The Pressurized Cells Embodiment (FIGS. 4 and 6):
When a bullet hits the outer side of a cell in an intensity, which is enough to puncture the outer side 10 in FIGS. 4 and 6, the pressurized fluid inside the cell 9 will burst out and push the tip of the bullet or the shrapnel away from the head (in the case of the helmet), and away from the chest or the back of the trooper (in the case of the vest). This feature actually enhances the total resistance of the armor (helmet, vest or protective plate) to the hit of a bullet or shrapnel.

Claims

1. Reactive armor for a helmet, and/or a vest, and/or protective plate, and/or skin of a vehicle, helicopter, aero plane, ship or boat.

2. Reactive unit with the features of explosives on one side and hinges placed opposite to the explosives to enable rotation of the plate when it is hit by a bullet or shrapnel or small shell.

3. Reactive unit, which consists of a pressurized-cell full of noninflammable fluid and/or gel.

4. Claim 2 and multiplicity of said reactive units to be constructed on and to cover helmet, vest or protective plate.

5. Claim 2 and multiplicity of said reactive units to be built on and to cover the skin of security vehicles, civilian or military aero planes, helicopters and marine vessels.

6. Claim 3 and multiplicity of said reactive units to be built on and to cover helmet, vest and protective plate.

7. Claim 3 and multiplicity of said reactive units to be constructed on and to cover the skin of security vehicles, civilian or military aero planes, helicopters and marine vessels.