Patent ID: 8155496

Claim:
A composite truss armor comprising: a filler material; and a three-dimensional ordered truss structure comprising: a plurality of first truss elements defined by a plurality of first self-propagating polymer waveguides and extending along a first direction; a plurality of second truss elements defined by a plurality of second self-propagating polymer waveguides and extending along a second direction; and a plurality of third truss elements defined by a plurality of third self-propagating polymer waveguides and extending along a third direction; wherein the first, second and third ordered truss elements are coupled at a plurality of nodes unperturbed by changes in index of refraction caused by photopolymerization of the first, second and third self-propagating polymer waveguides and defined by waveguide intersections of the first, second and third self-propagating polymer waveguides; wherein the first, second, and third ordered truss elements interpenetrate each other at the plurality of nodes to form a continuous material; wherein the first, second, and third truss elements define an open space; wherein the filler material occupies at least a portion of the open space; and wherein the three-dimensional ordered truss structure is self-supporting.