Patent Document

This Non-Provisional application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/122,442 filed on Oct. 22, 2014. 
    
    
     The following is a description of exampled embodiments, which is further described by the included drawings. The embodiments are examples, and are in such detail for clear communication of the specification. However, the amount of detail offered is not intended to limit the anticipated variations of embodiments; on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosures. The descriptions and drawings below are designed to make such embodiments obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Early in the 1990&#39;s the evolution of scalar type armor was reinvented using 1″ diameter 0.032 thick titanium alloy discs in an imbricated pattern applied to an adhesive coated high strength fabric substrate(s). This eliminated rivets, wires, or sewn envelops as was the method of affixing tiles or coins in a scalar armor format using the prior art. Further evolution of this method involved using larger high toughness metallic or high hardness ceramic 2″ diameter disks formed into a discus shape to limit weight and thickness of the redundant overlaps inherent in scalar armor. The problem however with scalar rifle resistant armor systems has always been the excessive thickness and weight caused by the redundant two and three tile overlaps present over the entire system. These overlapped areas when flexed caused weak areas of the system, and a weight penalty that is no longer competitive in the current art of today&#39;s modern ballistic armor systems. Thus there is a need to reduce the weight and thickness while improving flexibility of an armor system meant to defeat rifle rounds in the modern era of armor meant for body protection, vehicles, aircraft, and structures. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1 a    is a perspective view of a tile component used in the flexible tile array of the flexible armor assembly of the invention; 
         FIG. 1 b    is a perspective view of another tile component used in the invention; 
         FIG. 2 a    is a top perspective view showing a tile array for the flexible armor assembly of the invention; 
         FIG. 2 b    is a lateral view showing the flexible armor assembly; 
         FIG. 2 c    is a lateral view showing a retaining strap around the assembly; 
         FIG. 3 a    is a perspective view of a two layer tile array for another embodiment of the flexible armor assembly of the invention; 
         FIG. 3 b    is a lateral view showing another embodiment of the flexible armor assembly; 
         FIG. 4 a    is a lateral view showing another embodiment of the armor assembly of the invention; 
         FIG. 4 b    is a perspective view further showing the embodiment of  FIG. 4   a;    
         FIG. 5 a    is a lateral view showing the individual layers forming a fragmentation layer; 
         FIG. 5 b    is a lateral view showing a completed fragmentation layer for use in the invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a lateral view showing another embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 7  shows an armor assembly of the invention being adhered to a structure; and 
         FIG. 8  shows the flexible armor assembly in use as body armor. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1 a    depicts a shape and configuration of a high hardness and/or high toughness material that comprises the component used as the strike face of the armor system, and is designed to blunt and/or tear apart the bullet for the remainder of the system to catch the resulting fragmentation.  FIG. 2 b    depicts another shape and configuration of a component tile. In typical rigid uniform planular hard plates or scalar armor meant for defeat of rifle projectiles the strike face material is typically comprised of ceramic, and is usually a large tile or monolith; even mosaic tile systems are usually at least 1″ in diameter representing a large width to thickness ratio. In these described typical embodiments of the prior art, the high hardness and/or tough material(s) are usually laminated to a rigid textile substrate to restrict the movement of the strike face components so as to prevent the material from flying apart too quickly during the ballistic event. The energy dispersal pattern with these large width tiles is described as expending and propagating energy horizontally from the bullets impact location, and this phenomenon is referred to as shock wave propagation. The invention herein called Non-Scalar Flexible Rifle Defeating Armor uses a different shape component, such that the thickness is closer in proportion to the width of said component, which can be comprised of a high hardness ceramic materials, cermet&#39;s, nanomaterials, metals, or really any material that has mechanical properties high in hardness, tensile and/or modulus strength. 
     For the purposes of describing this embodiment the component is comprised of silicon carbide as an example. When the shape of the strike face component has a ratio whereby the thickness is closer in proportion to the width the directional shock wave forces tend to move along with the directional path of the projectile through the component tile material, and thus causes less collateral damage and thereby increases repeat hit capability. In testing to the NIJ 0101.03 standard a complete flexible panel inclusive of all the substrates and arrays as shown in  FIGS. 2 a -2 c    was able to defeat 11 M-80 FMJ projectiles in a row on a small 10×12 flex panel. After the post mortem was conducted on the shot panel it was obvious that there was significant room for more shots which is something not achievable with a rigid ceramic textile composite representative of the prior art. The typical ceramic tile used for a rigid armor plate is a 50.8 mm wide square for mosaic designs and the thickness is anywhere from 4.2 mm-5 mm for NIJ threat level 3, and 50.8 mm wide and 9 mm-11 mm thick for NIJ threat level 4. The ratios created are greater than 4.6:1, whereas in the instant invention the ratio of component tile  10  is less than 4.6:1 ratio between the thickness of the component tile and the width of the same tile. In  FIGS. 1 a  and 1 b    respectively, tile  10  and tile  20  illustrate ratios of less than 4.6:1, and this ratio can be further reduced as it is economically viable. Additionally the typical high hardness material like silicon carbide that many rifle resistant systems are comprised of have a method of containing the ceramic tile using a fiber and epoxy induced wrap in order to prevent the ceramic from flying apart on impact maximizing the time the ceramic is involved in the ballistic event in order to create the most damage to the projectile. Tile  10  and tile  20  in  FIGS. 1 a  and 1 b    requires no epoxy and fiber induced wrapping to achieve maximum performance of the strike face component, and can be affixed to a high temperature resistant, high peel strength adhesive coated high tensile strength fabric material as described with respect to  FIGS. 2 a -2 c   , thus eliminating expensive and time consuming autoclave and epoxy prepreg layups. Tile  10  and  20  are shown in  FIGS. 1 a  and 1 b    as a hexagon and square respectively, but any shape that can butt up to a contiguous or adjacent side of a another identical tile and expose no foraminous areas of the array(s) are suitable, for example, a triangular tile is within the spirit and scope of the invention as the shape for the strike face component including partial shaped finish pieces. 
       FIG. 2 a    depicts an angled top view of the strike face component tile  10  along with other identical strike face components fitted butt to butt with each other to create a tile array  30  as shown in  FIG. 2 b   . Additionally, we view the tile array from the side view depicting the thickness of the strike face component  40 . The tile array  30  is achieved by placing the strike face components tile  10  butt to butt including finish pieces  50  to complete the desired final shape of the armor panel, and is adhered to with at least 1 mil thick adhesive coated high tenacity substrate material  60  comprised of at least 1 layers of high strength woven or UD aramid fabric, although any high strength fabric can be used for this purpose. The next substrate  70  is a depressible medium that has a shock absorbing effect, and is designed to allow tile component  10  independent movements within the tile array  30  with respect to the path of the bullet&#39;s impact direction. This causes energy dissipation through the tile as the bullet impacts the tile components  10  enabling a longer amount of time the bullet is in contact with the high hardness and/or high toughness strike face component  10 . This effectively also causes a yaw of the bullet&#39;s direction at impact as components  10  although fitted butt to butt with other identical tiles tend to move independently of other tiles when impacted by a projectile. The next pack of high strength textile material  80  is usually comprised of UD polyethylene, but can use any high strength fabric. This is the area where the bullet fragments are caught after passing through the high hardness facing material  30  and depressible substrate  70 . The final substrate is a surface protector  90  to preserve the integrity of the strike face component  10  and the surface array  30  from damage due to dropping the plate or from low velocity objects impacting the surface. As shown in  FIG. 2 c   , a method of completing armor array  100  at least one retaining strap  110  is used, which is comprised of the same adhesive coated high strength fabric  60 , and wraps around any side of the armor panel to couple substrates  30 ,  60 ,  70 ,  80 , and  90  together. This coupled armor panel array  100  is then housed in a water proof nylon bag ready for use. Depending on how much high tenacity textile layers in pack  80  is used determines whether this finished armor panel array  100  is an “in conjunction with” flexible armor panel or a “stand alone” flexible armor panel. If it is layered to be a “in conjunction with” armor panel then it will have to be fitted in front of a NIJ 0101.06 Level 3-A soft armor panel to function. 
     In summary, the component tiles  10  and  20  are utilized to form tile arrays, i.e., tile array  30 . The tiles may be formed of a ceramic material such as silicon carbide, boron carbide, nano-composites, a ferrous metal alloy or a non-ferrous metal alloy. The depressible shock absorbing substrate  70  may be formed of at least one layer of high density foam having a thickness of at least mm, at least one layer of a shear thickening polymer of at least 1 mm in thickness, or a thermal plastic polyurethane having a honeycomb pattern and a thickness of at least 3 mm. The high strength textile fragmentation catch may be formed of UHMW polyethylene cross plied unidirectional flexible laminates, a combination of aramid fabric and UHIMW polyethylene cross plied unidirectional flexible laminates or a combination of pressed and cured silicon resin impregnated aramid fabrics. 
       FIGS. 3 a -3 b    depict alternative embodiments comprised of two different sizes of the original strike face component tile  25  having the width/thickness ratio greater than 4.6:1 and a second strike face component tile  35  with a width/thickness ratio of less than 4.6:1. Tiles  25  and  35  in the two layer array requires that the overall desired thickness is split into 2 or slightly greater so as not to be excessively heavy, therefore tiles  25  and  35  require a change in the width/thickness to maintain the desired ratio as stated above for this two layer array. The larger than 4.6:1 ratio strike face component tile  25  serves as the strike face of the two layer array, and tile  25  is again fitted with a number of other tile  25  components to create tile array  120 . Then as before tile  25  is affixed to at least one adhesive coated high strength fabric substrate  60 , and then to another substrate  70  comprised of a depressible spaced foam or other suitable shock absorbing spacer material of at least 1 mm in thickness. The second array layer utilizes the strike face component tile  35  which is less than the 4.6:1 width to thickness ratio along with other identical strike face components  35  fitted butt to butt with each other to create a tile array  140 . Additionally, The tile array  140  is achieved by placing the strike face components tile  35  butt to butt to the desired final shape of the armor panel, and then adhered to an adhesive layer  65  usually comprised of at least 1 mil in thickness. The two arrays achieve a complimentary energy transfer by combining horizontal and vertical energy dissipation patterns by combining the energy dissipation tendencies of the two different width/thickness ratio tiles and their respective arrays. The ballistic event begins by the projectile impacting tile array  120  and at this instance the energy is dispersed horizontally from the impact location, while simultaneously blunting the projectile. The next tile array  140  being spaced on the other side of the depressible substrate  70  remains relatively unscathed, and therefore allows the second part of the ballistic event causing vertical energy dissipation in the strike face component  35  and a significant yaw of the bullet. This second tile array  140  energy dissipation is in a complimentary direction as compared to tile array  120 . The tile array  140  simultaneously causes significant damage to the projectile and/or the projectile penetrative core. The two finished tile arrays  120  and  140  with the other cited substrates are stacked and then pressed with a silicon elastomer rubber adhesive to create the shape and final tile array  160  flexible armor panel, or can be used as loose tile arrays coupled by traditional attachment comprised of sewing, adhesive strips etc. and are then ready for placement in front of a suitable high strength package  80  comprised of aramid and/or UDPE, which flexibly catches any resulting fragmentation that pierces the tile arrays  160 . Prior to pressing the two layers together as an option, “tabs”  150  comprised of high strength aramid fabric or other suitable materials can be placed in between the tile array  120  and  140  and the various substrates to be sandwiched permanently affixed during the pressing and curing process, and then used as a sewing medium to apply these resulting flexible coupled arrays to a soft armor backing  80  meant to catch fragmentation. Typically this textile fragment catch  80  would be considered an NIJ level 3-A panel, but it can be comprised of any textile configurations using a variety of materials to enhance fragmentation resistance, and is always placed behind the tile array(s) of any composition defined in the spirit and scope of this invention. 
       FIGS. 4 a  and 4 b    illustrate an example of a high fragmentation resistant armor panel comprised of a variety of the most advanced high strength fabrics on the market. Depending on the application the combination can change, but in every exampled embodiment a high strength fabric meant for ballistics is used. In this example we have a side view, and side view of a square armor panel to illustrate the construction. The first pack  170  is comprised of a KEVLAR® 129-1420 denier fabric impregnated with a silicone elastomer rubber material  175  of at least 0.10 mm thickness and comprises 20% of the overall package; The second pack  180  is comprised of the latest generation UDPE flexible laminates comprising a 60% portion of the overall package. Finally the last pack  190  is comprised of KEVLAR® KM2+600 denier stitched in a diamond square pattern and no resin impregnation. All the packs  170 ,  175 ,  180 , and  190  are combined together making pack  200 . Pack  200  weighs at least 1 Lbs./Sq. Ft, but allows for a 20% increase in fragmentation and small arms (9 mm) ballistics, which exceeds military Mil Spec  662 F specification for the current military offerings, and any and all addendums to this test specification. Typically this package would either have the aforementioned tile array packs tack stitched onto this textile soft armor package  200  described as integrated, or the textile soft armor package  200  would be housed in a protective NYLON® cover and the tile array packs would be used as a separate panels and considered “in conjunction with” to achieve the high threat flexible NIJ level 3 and/or 4 performance with the soft armor pack  200  behind aforementioned tile arrays packages. 
       FIGS. 5 a  and 5 b    illustrate composite side views of an alternate textile backing comprised of 100% aramid fabrics, pre impregnated with silicone elastomer rubber or similar flexible resins or agents that secure the layers together, but do not impede the fabrics from elasting to their full tensile strength. There are many configurations that can work using this method, but the one illustrated is comprised of two of the top aramid fibers for fragmentation, and one of which, possesses high performance ballistic grade capabilities as well. Since this is a soft ballistic flexible textile system, the intension is that it could be used by itself without combining it with any of the aforementioned tile arrays for defeat of pistol rounds and high velocity frags of varying sizes. The first pack is comprised of at least one ply of KEVLAR® 1420 denier fabric  210  impregnated with curable silicon rubber  220  of at least 1 mil on a side or on both sides, and is stacked to make up about 50% of the weight of the soft textile package. The next pack is a comprised of at least one ply of KEVLAR® KM2+600 denier fabric  230  again impregnated with a curable silicon rubber  220  of at least 1 mm on a side or either side. The various silicon elastomer impregnated aramid layers  210  are stacked consistent with achieving the desired threat protection with the KEVLAR® 1420 denier  210  as the intended strike face and the KM2+600 denier  230  as the wearers side into one package, and then all the layers are pressed and heated to cure the silicone rubber and to compress the layers together into a solid flexible composite  240 . Once cured the textile package can be cut to size, and can either be placed behind the aforementioned tile arrays as the fragment catch for the remains of rifle rounds that pass through the tile array(s), or these soft textile packs can be used to make a fragmentation liner for vehicles, aircraft, buildings, or body armor. This embodiment is particularly effective against broken tungsten penetrators and the most likely solution for placement behind the aforementioned tile array panel(s) designed for NIJ level 4 as opposed to level 3 projectiles. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates two examples of how the various parts of the system described above are comprised to complete the rifle defeating system. The first finished tile array  100 , which is the strike face of the system is applied to the finished textile pack  200 , either by stitching tabs  150  extending from inside the finished tile array  200  or by placement of at least one adhesive coated strap(s)  110  in the horizontal and/or vertical direction and wrapping the strap(s)  155  around the body of the armor panel arrays and substrates  100  and  200 . Typically stitching is performed to tack the finished tile array  100  to the finished textile pack  200  when the systems is integrated or standalone meeting the threat as a complete unit, or is strapped with adhesive coated strap(s) as mentioned above and then placed in a separate protective cover and used to upgrade a soft armor system as an “in conjunction with” upgrade creating an scalable modular system that can be upgraded or scaled down as desired by the wearer. Additionally, it is possible to just press the tile arrays and substrates together, and use a pressed and cured unit ready to be housed in a protective cover eliminating tabs, straps, or stitching to complete the finished panel(s). The methods above are examples of typical embodiments and should not limit the contemplations of final use of the inventions described above. 
       FIG. 7  shows the final tile array “strike face” and the final textile package and tile pack array now  240  coupled with an adhesive film against the interior of a structure, as an example an airplane fuselage  250  using an adhesive film and release paper  260 . In this example the release film has been removed prior to adhering the armor panel  240  to the fuselage  250 . There is no need to press to shape as long as the parts are the right two dimensional size, the flexible nature of the panels allows easy install. This method is an instant invention described as “peel and stick” high threat flexible rifle and/or fragmentation armor. 
       FIG. 8  shows a top view of an exampled front panel of body armor with the finished tile array  100  tack stitched through tabs  150 , and also through the finished textile package  200  illustrating an integrated system where the rifle defeating area is smaller than the textile package  200 , and the whole complete composite is housed in one protective cover prior to be inserted into a carrier system for suspension around the body. The “in conjunction with” method would involve placement of the finished tile array  100  into a separate protective cover, and then into a separate pocket as the strike face in front of textile pack  200  which is also inserted into a typical tactical carrier or concealable carrier. The flexible rifle defeating areas only exist within the perimeter of the tile array  100  “in conjunction with” pack  200 . Areas of the textile pack  200  that do not have coverage of the tile array composite  100  are only effective against fragmentation and small arms pistol threats.

Technology Category: 2