Patent ID: 12259222

The same reference signs are used in all figures for the same components and the corresponding advantages and characteristics listed in relation to one embodiment apply analogously to the components having the same reference sign in different embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG.1schematically shows an armor plate10, which in the design example shown is rectangular and has a constant thickness d.

The thickness d is several millimeters and depends on the desired protective effect. The armor plate preferably has a thickness greater than 3 mm.

The thickness of the armor plate10is always selected such that the plate as such is inherently stable and is destroyed only when receiving fire.

The dimensions of the armor plate10are relatively small. The edge lengths a, b are in the order of 20 mm to 150 mm and preferably in the range 20 to 50 mm.

The armor plate10is a solid part of a material that is largely made of a component selected from the group hard metal, cermet and/or combinations thereof. The usual sintering processes generally known for these materials can be used for production.

FIG.2shows the structure of an armor11containing a plurality of the armor plates10shown inFIG.1.

The armor11shown inFIG.2uses a carrier12onto which the armor plates10are glued adjacent to one another. The armor plates10accordingly form an armor layer13of the armor11.

In the shown embodiment, the carrier12consists of a steel alloy, in particular a high-strength steel alloy as used in the armoring of vehicles, for example armor steel.

In principle, however, a large number of other materials besides high-strength steel are suitable for the carrier12, for example aluminum, aluminum alloys, titanium, titanium alloys, synthetic fiber composite materials and/or combinations thereof.

The armor plates10are glued to the carrier12by means of a first adhesive layer14. The adhesive forming the first adhesive layer14is a silicone-based adhesive.

In principle, it is conceivable to use an adhesive layer with a constant thickness, so that a continuous, flat adhesive layer14is applied to the carrier12.

The embodiment inFIG.2shows an alternative form of the adhesive layer14, in which said adhesive layer has a generally wavy profile when viewed in cross-section. The armor plates10are consequently only in contact with the (flattened) wave crests of the first adhesive layer14. “Channels”16are formed between the individual wave crests, each of which is filled with air.

Such an adhesive layer14is more complex to produce, however, so that this embodiment is primarily suitable for the initial production of armor11. On the other hand, if the armor11only needs to be repaired, or if the manufacturing process is to be further simplified, a flat adhesive layer14can be used as well.

The particular advantage of the armor11shown inFIG.2is that the individual armor plates10can easily be replaced separately if this is necessary. The first adhesive layer14ensures mechanical damping between the armor plates10and the underlying carrier12, which increases the protective effect.

In deviation from the rectangular shape of the armor plates10, in principle any shape can be used that is suitable for completely covering an underlying surface (apart from joints between the adjacent armor plates10) with a plurality of armor plates arranged side by side. Different geometries of the armor plates10are therefore shown inFIGS.3ato3c. For example, the armor plates10can be square or rectangular (FIG.1andFIG.3a), triangular (FIG.3b) and hexagonal (FIG.3c).

The joints between adjacent armor plates10should have a width in the range from 0.01 to a maximum of 0.08 mm so as to ensure a sufficiently good protective effect of the armor11. If necessary, the individual armor plates10can be ground to the desired size after the manufacturing process in order to eliminate manufacturing-related tolerances and ensure sufficiently small joints.

FIG.4shows a further embodiment of the armor11a, which comprises an armor plate composite18.

The armor plate composite18is glued to the carrier12by means of a first adhesive layer14. The first adhesive layer14is carried out with a constant thickness.

The armor plate composite18comprises a plurality of layers20aand20b, which are connected to one another by means of a second adhesive layer22(“sandwich construction”). In this case, the whole armor plate composite18forms the armor layer13of the armor11a.

Each of the layers20aand20bcomprises a plurality of armor plates10aand10b, whereby the material of which the armor plates10aand10bare made can differ between the layers20aand20b.

The armor plates10acan be made of a cermet, for example, while the armor plates10bare made of a hard metal. The armor plates can furthermore also differ within each layer20aand20b, so that different armor plates10aand10a′ or10band10b′ are used, for example.

An optimal compromise between the protective effect, the cost and the weight of the armor11can thus be made via the selection of the materials of the armor plates10aand10b.

In this embodiment, there are overall two layers20aand20bmade of armor plates10aand10b. Even so, the armor plate composite18can also consist of more than two layers. It is, however, advantageous to use as few layers as possible to achieve the desired protective effect, and in particular only one layer as shown inFIG.1, in order to keep the weight of the armor11as low as possible.

The possible maximum usable total weight of the armor11is usually determined by the object that is to be provided with the armor11.

Compared to the embodiment shown inFIG.2, the individual armor plates10aand10bcan have a smaller thickness, so that the armor plate composite18overall has a thickness analogous to the thickness of the armor layer13ofFIG.1.

The first adhesive layer14and the second adhesive layer22can use the same or different adhesives. The second adhesive layer can also have “channels”16like the first adhesive layer14, or a constant thickness as shown inFIG.4. The second adhesive layer22ensures mechanical damping between the armor plates10aand10b.

As is the case with the first adhesive layer14, the layers20aand20bcan also be connected to one another by means of sintering, screwing or soldering, in particular hard soldering, instead of via the second adhesive layer22.

In the embodiment shown inFIG.4, the layers20aand20bof the armor plate composite18are arranged one above the other such that, viewed in cross-section, the armor plates10aand10bof layers20aand20bare arranged one above the other, so that the armor plates10aand10blie congruently one above the other, thus also positioning the joints between the armor plates10aand10bone above the other. If the joint width is sufficiently small, it has been shown that no impairment of the protective effect of the armor11ais to be expected in this case either. With such an arrangement, it is particularly easy to replace individual armor plates10aand10bas well as entire armor plate composites18, for example after damage to the armor11a.

The armor plates10aand10bcan alternatively also be arranged offset to one another, so that the joints between the individual armor plates10aand10bare not positioned exactly one above the other. Even if the protective effect of the armor11can theoretically be further increased in this way, in particular with respect to the event of repeated receiving of fire at the same location of the armor11, the cost of a repair increases in such an embodiment.

Consequently, there has to be a trade-off between manufacturing costs, stability of the armor and the effort in the event of a repair.

FIG.5shows a further embodiment of the armor11b, in which a fragment protection24is applied, in particular glued, to the side of the armor layer13opposite to the adhesive layer14.

The armor layer13can be constructed of individual armor plates10or armor plate composites18as in the embodiments shown above.

The fragment protection24is, for example, made of steel, high-strength steel, titanium, titanium alloys, aluminum, aluminum alloys, composite materials in particular carbon- and/or plastic-based, and/or combinations thereof.

The fragment protection24generally has a smaller thickness than the armor layer13.

If a projectile hits the armor11b, for example, the armor plates10of the armor layer13will fragment as a result of the impact. The fragment protection24ensures that these fragments cannot spall off the surface of the armor11bto any significant degree. It has been shown that this can further increase the stability of the armor layer13as a whole and thus the protective effect of the armor11b.

The armor11bshown inFIG.5further comprises an additional protection26on the side of the carrier12opposite to the adhesive layer14. The additional protection26is in particular glued and/or mechanically attached to the carrier.

In particular foils and/or mats made of in particular carbon- and/or plastic-based composite materials can be used as the additional protection.

The additional protection26serves to absorb smaller fragments of the carrier12and/or the projectile that can occur when the armor receives fire.

FIG.6shows a further embodiment of the armor11c, which comprises the fragment protection24and the additional protection26analogous toFIG.5. In the embodiment shown inFIG.6, however, the carrier12is the outer side28of an object provided with the armor11, so that part of the object itself is also part of the armor11c.

The object is a vehicle or a mobile unit, for example. Mobile unit here refers in particular to temporary infrastructure, for example a container.

An already existing protective effect of the object, for example the armored outer layer of a vehicle, can thus be exploited and its protective effect merely supplemented by the additional components of the armor11c. A retrofitting of already existing objects with the armor11is thus easily possible as well.

The additional protection26is in particular advantageous in an embodiment according toFIG.6, for example when an occupant of an armored vehicle is positioned directly behind the carrier12. Even if the projectile that hits the armor11cwhen receiving fire, for example, cannot penetrate said armor, fragments could spall off the carrier12in the direction of the occupant and injure him. This is effectively prevented by the additional protection26.

Since the armor layer13and the carrier12absorb most of the force of the impact, the parts of the carrier12that spall off in the direction of the occupant hardly have any penetrating power, so that a thin foil and/or mat is sufficient as the additional protection26.

FIG.7shows a further embodiment of the armor11d, wherein the armor11dis attached to the outer side28of an object with the aid of spacers30, in particular on the outer side of a vehicle or a mobile unit.

Such an embodiment is suitable in particular when the carrier12, the armor layer13and/or the adhesive layer14cannot be attached directly to the outer side28or the outer side28itself is not made of a sufficiently stable material, so that an embodiment according toFIG.6cannot be realized.

The spacers30additionally ensure that fragments or spallings of the carrier12, for example, do not strike the outer side28directly when the armor11dreceives fire. Accordingly, no additional protection26is provided in the embodiment according toFIG.7.

The spacers30also make it easy to replace the armor11din the event of damage, because the armor only has to be detached from the spacers30and new armor11dmounted at the damaged location.