Lightweight composite armor
US7694621B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 25, 2008 |
| Grant date | Apr 13, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 28, 2028 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF41H5/013
- WIPO fieldOther special machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
Improved composite armor designs uses optimally shaped ceramic pellets, a specific stacking geometry and a web system for patterning the pellets, improving manufacturability, and providing additional structural reinforcement. Lightweight, composite ballistic armor according to the invention may comprise an array of ceramic pellets, each pellet having a front surface, a back surface and a longitudinal centerline, and wherein the front surface of each pellet is intentionally convex. The front surface of each pellet may be hemispherical, in which case the cross-section of the pellet taken perpendicular to the centerline may be oval-shaped. Alternatively, the front surface of each pellet may be elliptical, in which case the cross-section of the pellet taken perpendicular to the centerline may be circular. In the preferred embodiment, the back surface of each pellet is formed at the same angle relative to its centerline, with the pellets being arranged with the flat surfaces lying in a plane. The pellets may be arranged in a square matrix, or may be arranged in a hexagonally close-packed matrix. The array of pellets may be embedded in a hardened matrix material, and/or tied together wit…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.