Abstract:
A lightweight armor system senses a shock wave from an explosive and deploys an inflatable barrier before the arrival of shrapnel from the explosion. The sensor is tuned to frequencies associated with shock waves generated by known Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). The shock waves travel at between 25,000 and 30,000 feet per second and arrives at a vehicle before the shrapnel generated by the IED. The sensor generates a signal which is amplified and provided to a plurality of initiators in a plurality of nested pods. The nested pods inflate rapidly and form a barrier over areas requiring protection from the shrapnel.

Description:
[0001]    The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/816,652 filed Jun. 26, 2006, which application is incorporated in it&#39;s entirely herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to vehicle armor and in particular to lightweight inflatable armor. 
         [0003]    Growing activities by terrorist groups have often included attacks against light vehicles using Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). Such IEDs have inflicted severe casualties and generated a need to increase the armor on vehicles such as the Hummvee widely in use by the military. Unfortunately, the additional armor has added significantly more weight than vehicle suspension was designed for resulting in accidents causing further injuries. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The present invention addresses the above and other needs by providing a lightweight armor system which senses a shock wave from an explosive and deploys an inflatable barrier before the arrival of shrapnel from the explosion. The sensor is tuned to frequencies associated with shock waves generated by known Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). The shock waves travel at between 25,000 and 30,000 feet per second and arrives at a vehicle before the shrapnel generated by the IED. The sensor generates a signal which is amplified and provided to a plurality of initiators in a plurality of nested pods. The nested pods deploy rapidly and form a barrier over areas requiring protection from the shrapnel. 
         [0005]    In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided lightweight armor including a base, inflatable armor pod segments, an inflator circuit, and gas sources. The inflatable armor pod segments reside in the base before inflation. The inflator circuit includes a shock wave sensor and a power amplifier electrically connected to the sensor for amplifying a signal from the sensor. The gas source is electrically connected to the power amplifier and inflates the armor when a shock wave is sensed. 
         [0006]    In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided lightweight armor including a base for mounting the armor, a plurality of nested pods, and a deployment circuit. The plurality of nested pods resides in the base before deployment and expands vertically when deployed. A aramid fiber armor surrounds each pod and aramid fiber cloth connects and covers consecutive pods limiting the vertical travel of the pods to provide an overlap of consecutive pods. The deployment circuit includes a shock wave sensor and a power amplifier electrically connected to the sensor for amplifying a signal from the sensor. A gas source is electrically connected to the power amplifier and provides gas for each pod for inflating the inflatable armor. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         [0007]    The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following more particular description thereof, presented in conjunction with the following drawings wherein: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1A  is a side view of a lightweight vehicle with inflatable armor units according to the present invention residing on the vehicle body. 
           [0009]      FIG. 1B  is a front view of the lightweight vehicle with the inflatable armor units residing on the vehicle body. 
           [0010]      FIG. 1C  is a top view of the lightweight vehicle with the inflatable armor units residing on the vehicle body. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2A  is a side view of the lightweight vehicle with the inflatable armor units according to the present invention residing on the vehicle body, with two of the inflatable armor units on the right side of the vehicle deployed. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2B  is a front view of the lightweight vehicle with the inflatable armor units residing on the vehicle body, with two of the inflatable armor units on the right side of the vehicle deployed. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2C  is a top view of the lightweight vehicle with the inflatable armor units residing on the vehicle body, with two of the inflatable armor units on the right side of the vehicle deployed. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3A  is a detailed side view of the deployed inflatable armor unit. 
           [0015]      FIG. 3B  is a detailed front view of the deployed inflatable armor unit. 
           [0016]      FIG. 3C  is a detailed top view of the deployed inflatable armor unit. 
           [0017]      FIG. 4A  is a cross-sectional view of the deployed inflatable armor unit, taken along line  4 A- 4 A of  FIG. 3B . 
           [0018]      FIG. 4B  is a cross-sectional view of the deployed inflatable armor unit, taken along line  4 B- 4 B of  FIG. 3C . 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a detailed cross-sectional view of the deployed inflatable armor unit taken along line  4 A- 4 A of  FIG. 3B  showing an inflator circuit and inflators. 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a diagram of the inflator circuit. 
           [0021]      FIG. 7A  is a partial cross-sectional view a the pod assembly before activation. 
           [0022]      FIG. 7B  is a partial cross-sectional view of the pod assembly after activation. 
           [0023]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of the bottom two layers before activation. 
           [0024]      FIG. 9  is a pivoting mount for mounting the inflatable armor unit. 
           [0025]      FIG. 10  is an end view of the inflatable armor unit. 
           [0026]      FIG. 10A  is a cross-sectional view of the inflatable armor unit taken along line  10 A- 10 A of  FIG. 10 . 
           [0027]      FIG. 11  is a time-line for deploying the inflatable armor unit. 
       
    
    
       [0028]    Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding components throughout the several views of the drawings. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0029]    The following description is of the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of describing one or more preferred embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the claims. 
         [0030]    A side view of a lightweight vehicle  10  with inflatable armor units  12 , according to the present invention, residing on the right side of the vehicle body is shown in  FIG. 1A , a front view of a lightweight vehicle  10  with the inflatable armor units  12  residing on the vehicle body is shown in  FIG. 1B , and a top view of a lightweight vehicle  10  with the inflatable armor units  12  residing on the vehicle body is shown in  FIG. 1C . The inflatable armor units  12  may be positioned under windows  14  to protect the windows from shrapnel generated by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). The inflatable armor units  12  may also be positioned at other locations, for example, below or above the front grill to protect the radiator, above wheel wells to protect tires, and next to any location requiring protection from shrapnel, for example, to protect otherwise exposed military or civilian personnel. 
         [0031]    A side view of a lightweight vehicle  10  with the inflatable armor units  12  residing on the vehicle  10  body, and the inflatable armor units  12  residing on the right side of the vehicle  10  deployed, is shown in  FIG. 2A , a front view of the lightweight vehicle  10  with the inflatable armor units  12  deployed is shown in  FIG. 2B , and a top view of a lightweight vehicle  10  with the inflatable armor units  12  deployed is shown in  FIG. 2C . The inflatable armor units  12  comprise a base unit  13  and deployable pod segments  16 . The pod segments  16  are shown deployed and covering windows  14  (see  FIG. 1A ) to protect vehicle occupants. 
         [0032]    A detailed side view of the deployable inflatable armor unit  12  comprising pod segments  16  and base  13  are shown in  FIG. 3A , a detailed front view of the deployable pod segments  16  and the base  13  are shown in  FIG. 3B , and a detailed top view of the deployable pod segments  16  and the base  13  are shown in  FIG. 3C . 
         [0033]    A cross-sectional view of the deployable pod segments  16  and the base  13  taken along line  4 A- 4 A of  FIG. 3B  is shown in  FIG. 4A , and a cross-sectional view of the deployable pod segments  16  and the base  13  taken along line  4 B- 4 B of  FIG. 3C  is shown in  FIG. 4B . The pod segments  16  comprise a plurality of nested inflatable pods  16   a ,  16   b ,  16   c ,  16   d , and  16   e . Each pod  16   a - 16   e  has it&#39;s own gas source (comprising an initiator and an inflator)  18   a ,  18   b ,  18   c ,  18   d , and  18   e  respectively. Each gas source  18   a - 18   e  translates away from the base  13  when the inflatable armor unit  12  is deployed, thereby reducing the deployment time. The inflatable armor unit  12  preferably inflates to a height H of approximately three feet. The inflatable armor unit  12  preferably comprises between five pod segments and ten pod segments, and the number of pod segments may be adapted to the present use. The number of pod segments required is based on achieving a minimum inflation time and advanced inflators may also serve to reduce the number of pod segments required. The minimum inflation time is determined based on the shock wave speed, sensor speed, and shrapnel speed. 
         [0034]    A detailed cross-sectional view of the deployed inflatable armor unit  12  taken along line  4 A- 4 A of  FIG. 3B  showing an inflator circuit  30  and the inflators, is shown in  FIG. 5 , and a diagram of the inflator circuit is shown in  FIG. 6 . The inflator circuit  30  comprises a sensor  20 , a battery  22 , a switch M, and a power transistor  24 . The sensor  20  is connected to the transistor  24  by sensor wires  21 . The battery  22  is connected to the transistor  24  by battery wires  23 , with the switch M serially connected between the battery  22  and the transistor  24  in one of the battery wires  23 . Inflator wires  25  connect the transistor  24  to the gas sources  18   a - 18   e.    
         [0035]    A partial cross-sectional view of the pod assembly before activation is shown in  FIG. 7A  and a partial cross-sectional view of the pod assembly after activation is shown in  FIG. 7B . Each pod  16   a - 16   e  in the pod assembly  16  comprises an armor plates  52   a - 52   e  attached to pans  54   a - 54   e  respectively. The armor places  52   a - 52   e  are preferably made of aramid fibers and other ballistic materials. Aramid fibers or ballistic grade cloth strips  50   a - 50   d  connect consecutive and cover armor plates  52   a - 52   e . Prior to activation, the cloth strips  50   a - 50   d  lay relaxed around the pod assembly exterior as seen in  FIG. 7A , and after activation, the kevlar cloth strips are held in tension between the expanded pod layers. The aramid fiber cloth strips  50   a - 50   d  connecting and covering consecutive pods  16   a - 16   e  and limit the vertical travel of the pods  16   a - 16   e  to provide an overlap of consecutive pods  18   a - 16   e . As seen in  FIG. 7B , the pods  16   a - 16   e  deploy vertically and are vertically overlapped when deployed. 
         [0036]    A cross-sectional view of the bottom two layers before activation is shown in  FIG. 8 . Gas generating materials  56   a  and  56   b  reside in the pans  54   a  and  54   b  respectively. Three or more packings of the gas generating material may reside in each pan as needed, depending on the overall size of the pod assembly  16 . The pans  54   a - 54   e  preferably have channeled bottoms for added strength as needed. 
         [0037]    A pivoting mount  40  for mounting the base  13  is shown in  FIG. 9 . The pivoting mount  40  allows the base  13  to be adjusted to provide a maximum coverage for, for example, a window  14 . The base  13  is pivotally connected to the pivoting mount  40  at a pivot  42  and indexed by index points  44 . 
         [0038]    An end view of the inflatable armor unit  12  is shown in  FIG. 10  and a cross-sectional view of the inflatable armor unit  12  taken along line  10 A- 10 A of  FIG. 10  is shown in  FIG. 1A . The inflatable armor unit  12  includes an exterior skin  60  covering the top of the base  12  and reaching down over the sides of the base  13 . A nylon scrim  62  resides under the cover skin  60  and extends down inside the base  60 . A glass mat  64  resides under the scrim  62  and over the pod assembly  16 . The exterior skin  60  may be notched lengthwise to facilitate tearing when the pods are deployed. Foam filling  66  may be provided to fill in a gap between the pods and the base  13 . 
         [0039]    The bags  16   a - 16   e  are preferably made from an aramid fiber, a ballistic grade armor felt, or a ballistic grade fabric such as Kevlar fabric made by Dupont. An example of a suitable sensor  20  is a model 113A22 sensor made by PCB Piezotronics in Depew, N.Y. An example of a suitable inflator is a model DH-6 Infator made by ARC Automotive, Inc. In Knoxville, Tenn. 
         [0040]    A time-line for deploying the inflatable armor  16  is described in  FIG. 11 . The IED is detonated at time 0.0. A shock wave travels away from the IED at between 25,000 and 30,000 feet per second. The shock wave reaches the vehicle  10 , approximately 10 feet from the IED, in approximately 0.4 ms. The sensor  20  senses the shock wave in approximately 0.1 ms after the shock wave has reached the vehicle  10  (total time 0.5 ms). The gas sources  18   a - 18   e  fire in 0.6 ms after receiving the sensor signal (total time 1.1 ms). The pod segments  16   a - 16   e  inflate in approximately 1.3 ms (total time 2.4 ms). The shrapnel travels at approximately 1000 feet per second and thus reaches the vehicle  10  in approximately 10 ms in this example. 
         [0041]    While the present invention is herein described using deployable pods, an alternative embodiment may replace the pods with air bags. 
         [0042]    While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments and applications thereof, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention set forth in the claims.