WO1992016813A1

WO1992016813A1 - Flexible body armour

Info

Publication number: WO1992016813A1
Application number: PCT/GB1992/000444
Authority: WO
Inventors: Lionel Bryant
Original assignee: Protection Products (International) Limited
Priority date: 1991-03-12
Filing date: 1992-03-12
Publication date: 1992-10-01
Also published as: AU1410392A; GB9105233D0

Abstract

Flexible body armour of the kind consisting of overlapping linked plate like elements, the improvement being that the main outer plate like elements incorporate inserts, usually in disc form, which can be readily replaced in the event of damage, and which enable different strengths, weights or other properties to be incorporated in different regions of the armour.

Description

FLEXIBLE BODY ARMOUR

This invention relates to protective cladding and is particularly, but not exclusively, concerned with garments which incorporate such cladding.

It is known to provide flexible body armour which is constructed from a plurality of plates so arranged in layers to afford complete coverage of at least part of the body, whilst retaining sufficient flexibility for the wearer to be able to carry out the normal tasks required whilst wearing the armour.

It is proposed according to the present invention to provide a flexible body armour of known type wherein at least some of the plates are so formed as to receive an insert of material which is preferably more capable of resisting penetration by a projectile.

According to the invention there is provided a flexible protective cladding comprising a plurality of first plate-like elements, a plurality of second elements being flexibly linked to the first elements to provide a substantially continuous armourial surface, at least the first elements being formed with means for retaining additional plate-like elements therein or thereon.

The above and other features of the invention will become . clear from the following description which is given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-

Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of armours according to the invention, with some parts removed for clarity.

Figure 2 is an underside view of the same portion of armour again with some parts removed

Figures 3a, 3b and 3c are perspective views of two of the elements of the armour

Figures 4, 5 and 6 are perspective views of other parts of the armour Figures 7 and 8 are underside plan views of a small portion of the armour seen in Figure 2

Figure 9 is a section view along the line IX-IX of Figure 7

Figure 10 is a section view long the line X-X of Figure 8

Figure 11 is a plan view similar to Figure 1 but of an alternative embodiment

Figures 12 and 13 are views similar to Figures 4 and 5 but of the alternative embodiment

Figures 14, 15 and 16 are views similar to Figures 8, 9 and 10 but of the alternative embodiment

Figure 17 is a view similar to Figure 15 with the assembly in a different position, and

Figures 18 to 25 show perspective views of a further version. In one illustrative embodiment of the invention a body armour comprises a plurality of platelets 2 located closely adjacent one another as seen in Figure 1. Each platelet has a shallow cylindrical head formed with six downwardly depending pins 4, and each of these pins is formed with a part-spherical portion 6 adjacent the underside of the head 3 (see Fig 3a). The head is formed with a recess 8 into which is fitted an insert 10 (see Fig 10). The insert may be formed of a material having a character which is different from the remainder of the armour components or materials. For example, it may be lighter, tougher, more resistant to impact and is by virtue of its location more readily replaceable when damaged by, for example, a shot. One such material available is a ceramic which, has been found to disintegrate to powder form upon impact but absorbs the energy in the shot in so doing.

Whatever the material used for the insert it may be readily replaced between spells of duty. It is recognised that different areas of the body have different risk characteristics. For example the chest and back areas are at greater risk than side areas, and the side areas have greater need for flexibility of the armour due to the convexity of those portions.

With the ability to vary the type of insert, the high-risk areas may be fitted with high resistant inserts by using thicker or higher density or tougher materials, whilst the lower risk areas may be fitted with lighter, thinner inserts. The transition from heavy to light inserts between high-risk and low-risk areas and vice versa may be graduated.

To retain the platelets 2 in assembled position a number of retaining members 12, 14 are provided. Each member 12, seen in perspective view in Figure 4, has a generally circular head 16, and up standing peripheral nibs 18. Each member 14, seen in perspective view in Figure 5, has a generally circular head 19, having three radial legs 20, and also has nibs 18. As seen clearly from Figure 1 radial legs 20 abut with the circular members 12, and thereby provide overlapping coverage of potential chinks.

Depending downwardly from the underside of the head 16 of the member 12 is a generally triangular extension 26 whose concave sides correspond to the spaces between the assembled platelets 2 as indicated by the sectioned portions in Figure 1.

A similar extension 28 depends downwardly from the underside of the head 20, and pins 30, 32 are formed at the lower ends of extensions 26 and 28 respectively.

Each circular head 16 and 19 is capped by a slotted cap 21, which preferably is of the same material as the insert 10, e.g. a ceramic, and is located by the upstanding nibs 18.

The platelets 2 are flexibly interconnected by means of link plates 34, one of which is illustrated in Figure 6. Each link plate is of triangular form and has four holes formed therein, three of which are referenced 36 and are adjacent the corners of the triangles, and one hole 38 is centrally disposed.

As seen clearly from Figures 2, 9 and 10, on assembly of the component elements of the armour the pins 4 of the platelets 2 pass through respective holes 36 of the link plates 34, the part-spherical portions 6 locating within those holes. The pins 30 and 32 of the members 12 and 14 pass through the holes 38 of the respective link plates 34 and spring washers 40 retain the link plates in operative position.

An important feature of the articulated assembly is that pivoting of the members 2 with reference to the members 34 always take place along a so-called gauge line, or line of contact between the two kinds of element, and the part spherical portions 6 assist firm location during such pivoting.

As seen particularly in Figures 6 and 10 the pins 4 of adjacent platelets 2 diverge from each other to give a dovetail effect which makes the accidental removal of the link plates 34 less probable. Referring again to Figure 3, the disc inserts 10 each have a series of six peripheral arcuate cut outs, and the platelets 2 are correspondingly castellated. This enables the adjacent circular members 12 and 14 to overlap and keep the inserts in position without standing proud of the inserts, i.e. they all lie at the same level.

A body armour comprising an assembly as described above is found to afford protection against a shot or knife-like weapons, and when fitted with a backing of woven material of aramid fibres e.g. that available under the registered Trade Mark "KEVLAR" absorbs the energy of the impact without penetration or excessive bruising of the wearer.

When the inserts 10 in the platelets 2 are of ceramic material -it is found, as described earlier, that they tend to crumble into powder upon impact and in so doing absorb the energy of the projectile. Moreover they fly outwards in a direction transverse to the disc. This is beneficial in preventing damage to proud areas such as the front of the face etc. After this has happened any such insert and possible surrounding platelets and/or retaining plates that are also damaged need to be replaced. The construction of the armour is such that replacement of damaged elements is a simple matter of removing the spring washers 40, after which the retaining plates 12 or 14 may be withdrawn and the remnants of the inserts removed and replaced before re-assembling the retaining plates 12 or 14 once more and replacing the spring washers 40. Similarly any damaged platelets 2 or retaining plates 12 or 14 may be readily removed and replaced after the relevant spring washers are extracted from around their pins 30 or 32.

In an alternative embodiment, illustrated in Figures 11-17 inclusive, the pins 30 and 32 of the members 12 and 14 are each provided with two grooves 44, 46, and the circlip 48 is located in an appropriate groove.

Thus, as seen in Figure 15, a platelet 2 may be retained by heads 16 and 20 of members 12 and 14 respectively with a circlip 48 in the upper groove 44 of the pins 30, 32. When it is found advantageous to increase the protection afforded by the armour, an additional plate 2A is placed above the platelet 2 by first removing the circlip 48 from their grooves 44, raising the members 12 and 14 and placing the additional plate 2A on top of the platelet 2, afterwards placing the circlips in the grooves 46 as seen in Figure 17. This embodiment may also benefit from the improvement where the discs 2 are castellated to allow for overlap on the same level rather than as shown in Figure 15.

As an alternative to circlips and grooves in the pins, Belleville washers can be used.

A further embodiment using many of the principles already described is shown in Figure 18 to 25.

In this case a light weight version is provided where magnesium members are used on the outside and polycarbonate on the inside. The reference numerals refer to the same components as in the earlier described examples. The inserts 10 are circular thin discs of magnesium lying on top of the members 2 and held in place by the overlapping of members 12 and 14. The examples described and illustrated refer to a sheet formed from the various elements and it is to be understood that the sheet may be readily constructed to conform to any appropriate peripheral shape according to the size and general shape of the wearer. A body armour may take the form of a jerkin with full front and back portions joined by narrow sections which pass over the shoulders. The sides of the front and back portions may be removably fastened together by suitable straps and buckles, or by loop and hook fastening material, and various thicknesses and penetration resistant capabilities can be utilised.

Although the above describes an armour suitable for wear about the body of the user it is envisaged that a sheet of such armour may be utilised as a protective shield, within a framework, to be held or mounted in front of or behind a user.

Alternatively it may be employed as a curtain within a room or inside a vehicle such as a car or troop carrier.

Claims

1. A flexible protective cladding comprising a plurality of first plate-like elements (2) , a plurality of second elements (34) flexibly linked to the first elements to provide a substantially continuous armourial surface, characterised in that at least the first elements (2) are formed with means for retaining additional plate-like elements (10) therein or thereon.

2. A flexible protective cladding according to claim 1 in which said additional plate-like elements are readily replaceable without disassembly of the whole protective cladding.

3. A flexible protective cladding according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the additional plate-like elements have different properties in different regions of the cladding, for example high resistant inserts in high risk regions and lighter materials in the other regions.

4. A flexible protective cladding according to any preceding claim in which the additional plate-like elements are inserts for insertion in each case into a recess in a first plate-like element.

5. A flexible protective cladding according to claim 4 in which each insert is in the form of a substantially circular disc.

6. A flexible protective cladding according to claim 4 or 5 in which each insert is maintained in position by a plurality of overlapping adjacent clamping members.

7. A flexible protective cladding according to claim 6 in which each clamping member and each insert is formed of a ceramic material.

8. A flexible protective cladding according to claims 4 to 7 in which each insert is constrained so that in the event of impact, fragments will be directed transversely outwards from the first plate-like member carrying that insert.

9. A flexible protective cladding according to any preceding claim in which the first and second plate-like elements are flexibly linked together so that flexing always takes place about a line of contact between the first and second plate-like elements.