US3871026A - Ceramic reinforced helmet - Google Patents

Ceramic reinforced helmet Download PDF

Info

Publication number
US3871026A
US3871026A US315423A US31542372A US3871026A US 3871026 A US3871026 A US 3871026A US 315423 A US315423 A US 315423A US 31542372 A US31542372 A US 31542372A US 3871026 A US3871026 A US 3871026A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
helmet
steel
set forth
base layer
layer
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US315423A
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Erhard Dorre
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Feldmuehle Anlagen und Produktion GmbH
Original Assignee
Feldmuehle Anlagen und Produktion GmbH
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Feldmuehle Anlagen und Produktion GmbH filed Critical Feldmuehle Anlagen und Produktion GmbH
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3871026A publication Critical patent/US3871026A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

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
    • F41H1/00—Personal protection gear
    • F41H1/04—Protection helmets
    • F41H1/06—Protection helmets of steel; Steel head-shields
    • 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
    • F41H5/0414—Layered armour containing ceramic material
    • F41H5/0421—Ceramic layers in combination with metal layers
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S428/00—Stock material or miscellaneous articles
    • Y10S428/911—Penetration resistant layer

Definitions

  • a steel helmet may be strengthened greatly by coating its outer, generally convex face with a layer of ceramic particles deposited on the steel at a temperature above their sintering temperature, as by flame spraying or plasma spraying, if the ceramic material has a hardness value of at least 8 on the Mohs scale. Chromium sesquioxide when integrally bonded to the steel of the helmet is strongest at light weight, but aluminum oxide and the carbides of boron, titanium, or silicon perform almost as well. The laminar helmet shell resists projectiles that would pass through an equal weight of steel alone.
  • helmets and other devices may be effective for impeding the flight of a projectile, such as a bullet from a heavy police gun at close range, if the device has a laminar shell including a metallic base layer and an outer layer of non-metallic, ceramic material even if the shell is of substantially uniform thickness and of arcuate cross section in three planes perpendicular to each other. To achieve adequate protection under these conditions with a helmet of practical weight.
  • the ceramic layer be located on the outer, substantially convex face of the base layer, and that it essentially consist of crystalline particles having a hardness value of at least 8 on the Mohs scale and integrally bonded to each other and to the metallic base layer by contact at a temperature at least equal to the sintering temperature of the ceramic material.
  • FIG. I shows a helmet of the invention in side elevation, its outer layers being partly removed to show internal structure
  • FIG. 2 illustrates the helmet of FIG. 1 in fragmentary cross section
  • FIG. 3 shows a modification of the helmet of FIG. 1 in the manner of FIG. 2.
  • FIG. 1 there is seen a helmet having a steel base layer 1, almost all portions of which are three-dimensionally curved, that is, three reference planes can be made to intersect each other in any portion of the steel layer 1 in such a manner that the helmet is of arcuate cross section in each of the three planes.
  • the outer face of the steel layer. which solely visible in FIG. 1, is convex over most of its area. and the steel is of practically uniform thickness so that almost the entire inner face of the helmet, mostly obscured in FIG. 1, is concavely arcuate.
  • the outer face of the helmet carries a ceramic layer 2 which normally covers the entire convex steel surface.
  • a plastic liner 3 is fastened in the vacity of the laminar shell of steel and ceramic material conformingly to receive the top of a human head, as is conventional in itself. Rivets 4 pivotally secure a chin strap 5 to the base layer 1 of the helmet, and permit the helemt to be fastened to the head of a wearer.
  • the non-metallic ceramic layer 2 preferably consists of sintered chromium sesquioxide particles which are integrally bonded to each other and to the convex outer face of the steel layer 1 by contact at a temperature above the sintering temperature of the chromium oxide under at least minimal pressure.
  • the ceramic layer 2 is preferably produced by discharging the chromium oxide particles against the carefully cleaned convex steel surface from a flame spraying gun or a plasma gun, which are staple articles of commerce.
  • FIG. 2 The appearance of the two layers after spraying by means of a plasma gun is represented in FIG. 2 which, for the convenience of pictorial representation, shows the surfaces of the layer 1 to be rectilinear in the chosen section.
  • the ceramic layer 2 is firmly and directly bonded to the steel surface.
  • the exposed ceramic surface shows a somewhat irregular contour characteristic of a layer deposited from a plasma above the minimum sintering temperature in the form of individual particles, and other features characteristic of the method of deposition can readily be detected in the sectioned ceramic material under amicroscope.
  • the metal surface adjacent the ceramic material while appearing straight and smooth on the scale of FIG. 1 and in cross section, shows a peening pattern at higher magnification and particularly in plan view after removal of the ceramic layer.
  • the helmet base shown in FIG. 1 is made of alloy steel having a tensile strength of at least 100 kp/mm such as commerically available high-strength steel containing nickel, Zirconium, and molybdenum as principal alloying elements, and of a thickness to give it the weight of a conventional military or police helmet, its bullet resistance is greatly increased by an outer layer of chromium sesquioxide, only 3 millimeters thick, and thus not materially increasing the weight of the helmet. Even if the thickness of the basic steel layer is reduced to make the combined wieght of the steel and ceramic layer 1, 2 equal to the weight of the steel shell in the convventional helmet, the protection afforded by the device of the invention is far superior.
  • the strength of the bond between the metallic and ceramic layers directly affects the bullet resistance of the helmet.
  • the ceramic layer is cracked at the point of impact, and a shock wave is propagated in the ceramic material at the speed which sound has in the same material.
  • the initially formed crack also spreads, but at a lower speed so that the front of the shock wave travels continuously through intact ceramic material, and its energy is dissipated as work done in separating the sintered particles from each other.
  • the amount of work required depends in part on the backing the bonded ceramic particles in the line of crack growth receive from other ceramic particles, and it is apparent that such backing depends to a significant extent on the strength of the bond between the ceramic and metal layers.
  • a conforming shell of ceramic material loosely superimposed on a steel shell is not nearly as effective as the same thickness of ceramic material applied by flame spraying, and a plasma sprayed ceramic coating is again superior to a coating deposited by flame spraying at lower temperature.
  • the ability of a helmet of the invention to protect the wearer against a succession of projectiles can be improved by providing the steel layer 1 with ribs 6 welded or otherwise fixedly fastened to the outer, generally convex surface.
  • the ribs 6 may be flush with the ceramic layer, as illustrated, or project from the latter to divide spacedly juxtaposed portions 7 of the ceramic material from each other.
  • the steel ribs interfere with crack propagation from one ceramic portion to the other in a manner closely correlated to the temperature at which the ceramic material was deposited on the steel. Cermaic coatings deposited from a plasma gun benefit most from ribs of the type illustrated in FIG. 3 which may intersect each other frequently enough so as to bound ceramic layer portions only two inches square.
  • refractory ceramic materials may be employed instead of chromium sesquioxide for coating the metallic base layer of a laminar helmet shell.
  • Aluminum oxide and the carbides of boron, titanium, and silicon are applied in the same manner as chromium sesquioxide and produce similar results depending on their hardness.
  • Zirconium oxide and tungsten carbide also are capable of application by plasma gun and greatly enhance the bullet resistance of a steel helmet. However, their specific gravity is substantially higher than that of the preferred coating materials.
  • Various, very hard, refractory nitrides, borides, and silicides are available and operative, but not practical at this time partly for economical reasons, and partly because of inadequate corrosion resistance for outdoor use.
  • helmets of the invention of much smaller weight whose base layer consists of aluminum alloys, particularly the high-strength aviation alloys containing zinc and magnesium as primary alloying ingredients, such as Type AA 7075 whose tensile strength is better than 40 kp/mm and which are thus superior in strength to an equal weight of the alloy steels mentioned above.
  • a very strong bond is formed by the aluminum alloys with the aforedescribed ceramic particles deposited at or above their sintering temperature from conventional flame spraying equipment or from a plasma gun.
  • a helmet comprising a laminar shell of substantially uniform thickness and of arcuate section in three planes perpendicular to each other, said shell including a metallic base layer having an outer, substantially convex face and an inner, substantially concave face, and an outer layer of ceramic material on said convex face, said outer layer essentially consisting of crystalline, non-metallic particles having a hardness value of at least 8 on the Mohs scale and being integrally thermally bonded to each other and to said base layer.
  • a helmet as set forth in claim 1, wherein the material of said base layer is alloy steel having a tensile strength of at least kp/mm 3.
  • the material of said base layer is an aluminum alloy having a tensile strength of at least 40 kplmm 4.
  • said ceramic material is aluminum oxide, chromium sesquioxide, boron carbide, titanium carbide, or silicon carbide.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Ceramic Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Laminated Bodies (AREA)
  • Aiming, Guidance, Guns With A Light Source, Armor, Camouflage, And Targets (AREA)
US315423A 1971-12-17 1972-12-15 Ceramic reinforced helmet Expired - Lifetime US3871026A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE2162692A DE2162692A1 (de) 1971-12-17 1971-12-17 Flaechenfoermiges schutzgebilde

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3871026A true US3871026A (en) 1975-03-18

Family

ID=5828314

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US315423A Expired - Lifetime US3871026A (en) 1971-12-17 1972-12-15 Ceramic reinforced helmet

Country Status (6)

Country Link
US (1) US3871026A (ref)
BE (1) BE792623A (ref)
CH (1) CH588677A5 (ref)
DE (1) DE2162692A1 (ref)
FR (1) FR2167043A5 (ref)
GB (1) GB1421180A (ref)

Cited By (21)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4739690A (en) * 1984-04-10 1988-04-26 Ceradyne, Inc. Ballistic armor with spall shield containing an outer layer of plasticized resin
US5732414A (en) * 1997-02-12 1998-03-31 Creative Football Concepts, Inc. Helmet having a readily removable and replaceable protective layer
US5996115A (en) * 1992-08-24 1999-12-07 Ara, Inc. Flexible body armor
US6029269A (en) * 1997-12-22 2000-02-29 Boeing North American, Inc. Ballistic-resistant helmet and method for producing the same
US6363539B2 (en) * 1997-12-18 2002-04-02 Sumitomo Bakelite Company Limited Composite helmet
WO2002070982A1 (de) * 2001-03-08 2002-09-12 Deutsche Titan Gmbh Gepanzerter formkörper aus einem mehrschichtigen verbundblech sowie verfahren zu seiner herstellung
WO2002070983A1 (de) * 2001-03-08 2002-09-12 Deutsche Titan Gmbh Verfahren zum herstellen einer gegen beschuss und splitter gepanzerten platte
US20030070200A1 (en) * 2001-09-14 2003-04-17 Crye Caleb Clark Advanced combat helmet system
US20040147191A1 (en) * 2003-01-27 2004-07-29 Wen Sheree H Anti-ballistic fabric or other substrate
US20050198725A1 (en) * 2004-03-10 2005-09-15 Richard Mollo Article with 3-dimensional secondary element
US20060286883A1 (en) * 2005-01-24 2006-12-21 The Brown Idea Group, Llc Ballistics panel, structure, and associated methods
US20060284338A1 (en) * 2005-01-24 2006-12-21 The Brown Idea Group, Llc Ballistics panel, structure, and associated methods
US20070007186A1 (en) * 2005-07-08 2007-01-11 Matthew Luntz Oil reconditioning device and associated methods
US20090313736A1 (en) * 2008-06-18 2009-12-24 Robert William Kocher Varying thickness Helmet for reduced weight and increased protection
GB2490894A (en) * 2011-05-16 2012-11-21 Bae Systems Plc Personal protection equipment
US8887312B2 (en) 2009-10-22 2014-11-18 Honeywell International, Inc. Helmets comprising ceramic for protection against high energy fragments and rifle bullets
US20170138704A1 (en) * 2015-11-16 2017-05-18 Vista Outdoor Operations Llc Projectile trap and shooting range
US20180335282A1 (en) * 2017-05-16 2018-11-22 A. Jacob Ganor Up-armor kit for ballistic helmet
EP3520641A1 (de) * 2018-01-31 2019-08-07 Ulbrichts GmbH Ballistischer schutzhelm
WO2019149661A1 (de) * 2018-01-31 2019-08-08 Ulbrichts Gmbh Ballistischer schutzhelm
CN111595201A (zh) * 2020-05-26 2020-08-28 西安现代控制技术研究所 增强型复合结构防弹插板

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2558249A1 (fr) * 1984-01-12 1985-07-19 Fonderie Alcoa Mg Sa Elements de blindage, et blindages souples constitues a partir de tels elements, notamment gilets pare-balles
GB8701920D0 (en) * 1987-01-28 1987-03-04 Identequip Ltd Marking method
DE102010047020A1 (de) * 2010-09-30 2012-04-05 Obeko Gmbh Verfahren zum Beschichten von Oberflächen
DE102011109660B3 (de) * 2011-08-08 2013-01-17 Benteler Defense Gmbh & Co. Kg Formbauteil zu Panzerungszwecken und dessen Herstellungsverfahren

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2372607A (en) * 1940-11-23 1945-03-27 American Electro Metal Corp Method of making layered armors
US3018210A (en) * 1955-05-09 1962-01-23 Gentex Corp Ballistic helmet and method of making same
US3320619A (en) * 1965-06-30 1967-05-23 Abraham L Lastnik Lightweight ballistic helmet
US3419415A (en) * 1964-09-29 1968-12-31 Metco Inc Composite carbide flame spray material
US3431818A (en) * 1965-04-26 1969-03-11 Aerojet General Co Lightweight protective armor plate
US3559210A (en) * 1969-05-16 1971-02-02 John V E Hansen Composite ceramic body armor or shield
US3616115A (en) * 1968-09-24 1971-10-26 North American Rockwell Lightweight ballistic armor

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2372607A (en) * 1940-11-23 1945-03-27 American Electro Metal Corp Method of making layered armors
US3018210A (en) * 1955-05-09 1962-01-23 Gentex Corp Ballistic helmet and method of making same
US3419415A (en) * 1964-09-29 1968-12-31 Metco Inc Composite carbide flame spray material
US3431818A (en) * 1965-04-26 1969-03-11 Aerojet General Co Lightweight protective armor plate
US3320619A (en) * 1965-06-30 1967-05-23 Abraham L Lastnik Lightweight ballistic helmet
US3616115A (en) * 1968-09-24 1971-10-26 North American Rockwell Lightweight ballistic armor
US3559210A (en) * 1969-05-16 1971-02-02 John V E Hansen Composite ceramic body armor or shield

Cited By (29)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4739690A (en) * 1984-04-10 1988-04-26 Ceradyne, Inc. Ballistic armor with spall shield containing an outer layer of plasticized resin
US5996115A (en) * 1992-08-24 1999-12-07 Ara, Inc. Flexible body armor
US5732414A (en) * 1997-02-12 1998-03-31 Creative Football Concepts, Inc. Helmet having a readily removable and replaceable protective layer
US6363539B2 (en) * 1997-12-18 2002-04-02 Sumitomo Bakelite Company Limited Composite helmet
US6029269A (en) * 1997-12-22 2000-02-29 Boeing North American, Inc. Ballistic-resistant helmet and method for producing the same
US20040115463A1 (en) * 2001-03-08 2004-06-17 Heinz Sibum Armoured shaped body consisting of a multilayer composite sheet metal and method for producing the same
WO2002070983A1 (de) * 2001-03-08 2002-09-12 Deutsche Titan Gmbh Verfahren zum herstellen einer gegen beschuss und splitter gepanzerten platte
WO2002070982A1 (de) * 2001-03-08 2002-09-12 Deutsche Titan Gmbh Gepanzerter formkörper aus einem mehrschichtigen verbundblech sowie verfahren zu seiner herstellung
US20030070200A1 (en) * 2001-09-14 2003-04-17 Crye Caleb Clark Advanced combat helmet system
US6804829B2 (en) * 2001-09-14 2004-10-19 Lineweight Llc Advanced combat helmet system
US20040147191A1 (en) * 2003-01-27 2004-07-29 Wen Sheree H Anti-ballistic fabric or other substrate
US7276458B2 (en) * 2003-01-27 2007-10-02 Sheree H. Wen Anti-ballistic fabric or other substrate
US7398562B2 (en) 2004-03-10 2008-07-15 Easy Rhino Designs, Inc. Article with 3-dimensional secondary element
US20050198725A1 (en) * 2004-03-10 2005-09-15 Richard Mollo Article with 3-dimensional secondary element
US20060286883A1 (en) * 2005-01-24 2006-12-21 The Brown Idea Group, Llc Ballistics panel, structure, and associated methods
US20060284338A1 (en) * 2005-01-24 2006-12-21 The Brown Idea Group, Llc Ballistics panel, structure, and associated methods
US20070007186A1 (en) * 2005-07-08 2007-01-11 Matthew Luntz Oil reconditioning device and associated methods
US20090313736A1 (en) * 2008-06-18 2009-12-24 Robert William Kocher Varying thickness Helmet for reduced weight and increased protection
US8887312B2 (en) 2009-10-22 2014-11-18 Honeywell International, Inc. Helmets comprising ceramic for protection against high energy fragments and rifle bullets
GB2490894A (en) * 2011-05-16 2012-11-21 Bae Systems Plc Personal protection equipment
GB2490894B (en) * 2011-05-16 2015-03-18 Bae Systems Plc Personal protection equipment
US20170138704A1 (en) * 2015-11-16 2017-05-18 Vista Outdoor Operations Llc Projectile trap and shooting range
US20180335282A1 (en) * 2017-05-16 2018-11-22 A. Jacob Ganor Up-armor kit for ballistic helmet
US10775137B2 (en) * 2017-05-16 2020-09-15 A. Jacob Ganor Up-armor kit for ballistic helmet
EP3520641A1 (de) * 2018-01-31 2019-08-07 Ulbrichts GmbH Ballistischer schutzhelm
WO2019149661A1 (de) * 2018-01-31 2019-08-08 Ulbrichts Gmbh Ballistischer schutzhelm
AU2019215711B2 (en) * 2018-01-31 2022-06-16 Ulbrichts Gmbh Ballistic protective helmet
US11815337B2 (en) 2018-01-31 2023-11-14 Ulbrichts Gmbh Ballistic protective helmet
CN111595201A (zh) * 2020-05-26 2020-08-28 西安现代控制技术研究所 增强型复合结构防弹插板

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE2162692A1 (de) 1973-06-28
GB1421180A (en) 1976-01-14
FR2167043A5 (ref) 1973-08-17
CH588677A5 (ref) 1977-06-15
BE792623A (fr) 1973-03-30

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US3871026A (en) Ceramic reinforced helmet
US3793648A (en) Bullet-resisting armor
EP1352207B1 (en) Laminated armor
CA2542025C (en) Ceramic armour and method of construction
US5686689A (en) Lightweight composite armor
US6679157B2 (en) Lightweight armor system and process for producing the same
US4131053A (en) Armor plate
US5905225A (en) Armouring
US7026045B2 (en) Multilayer composite armour
US7077048B1 (en) Multi-layered trap ballistic armor
EP1517111B1 (en) Method and apparatus for defeating high-velocity projectiles
AU2002223998A1 (en) Laminated armor
US20110008598A1 (en) Protective panel
ZA200103789B (en) Method and apparatus for defeating high-velocity projectiles.
GB2149482A (en) Projectile-proof material
US7543523B2 (en) Antiballistic armor
WO2010144159A1 (en) Ballistic armor panel system
US10197363B1 (en) Porous refractory armor substrate
US4869152A (en) Combined active and passive armor system
JPH11108594A (ja) 防弾チョッキ
EP3157367B1 (en) Trauma protecting anti ballistic helmet
GB2191277A (en) Composite armour
RU2060439C1 (ru) Броневая защитная преграда от поражения стрелковым оружием
JPH0435756Y2 (ref)
KR102884674B1 (ko) 고효율 받침판을 갖는 공간계면파쇄장갑 및 그 제조방법