Ceramic armour and method of construction

Abstract

An armor for protection against armor piercing and / or high energy projectiles has a ceramic layer with a confinement layer on a front thereof. The ceramic layer is backed by a first metal layer and the first metal layer in turn is backed by a composite layer. A second optional confinement layer may be included between the ceramic and first metal layers. The composite layer is backed by an optional second metal layer, which in turn is backed by an optional anti-trauma layer. The armor is used to protect personnel and objects such as vehicles.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This patent application is a Continuation-In-Part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 960,284 entitled CERAMIC ARMOUR AND METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION filed on Oct. 8, 2004 in the name of the same inventors, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,540,228 on Jun. 2, 2009 which relates to, and claims the priority benefit from, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 514,621 filed on Oct. 8, 2003 entitled CERAMIC ARMOUR AND METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION, all of which are incorporated herein in its entirety.FIELD OF INVENTION[0002]This invention relates to an armor for protection against armor piercing and / or high energy projectiles where the armor has a nonporous ceramic layer which is struck by an incoming projectile, a solid nonporous metal layer backing the ceramic layer, and a ballistic composite layer backing the metal layer, where said composite layer is placed closest to the person or object being protected.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0018]It is an object of the invention to provide an armor that is lightweight and relatively thin, yet provides protection against armor piercing and / or high energy projectiles. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an armor where the armor can be used as a body armor or as protection for vehicles or other objects with reduced deformation and improved penetration resistance when impacted by armor piercing and / or high energy projectiles.

[0019]An embodiment of the invention provides an armor for protection against armor piercing and / or high energy projectiles comprising a nonporous ceramic layer with a first confinement layer bonded to a front surface thereof, said nonporous solid ceramic layer being backed by a first nonporous solid metal layer of high strength and ductility with a front surface of the first nonporous solid metal layer being bonded to a back surface of the nonporous solid ceramic layer for distributing an impact load from a projectile impacting on said first confinement layer and resulting ceramic debris and for confining the ceramic debris in an impact zone within said ceramic layer, said first nonporous solid metal layer being backed by a ballistic composite layer with a front surface of the ballistic composite layer being bonded to a back surface of the first nonporous solid metal layer, the nonporous solid ceramic layer having a thickness in a range from 1 mm to about 40 mm, and the first nonporous solid metal layer having a thickness in a range from about 0.1 mm to about 5 mm.

[0020]An optional second metal layer may be used behind the ballistic composite layer to reduce back face deformation. An optional second confinement layer may be used between the ceramic and metal layers for enhanced performance in some impact scenarios. An optional anti-trauma layer may be placed at the rear surface of the armor to further reduce back face deformation.

Problems solved by technology

However, previous armors are much too heavy or too bulky or too expensive or they do not provide sufficient protection or any protection against armor piercing and / or high-energy projectiles.

When a bullet strikes these armors, the impact produces a bulge which deforms the back surface of the armor.

Since the armor is worn adjacent to the body, this bulge, or deformation, projects into the body of the wearer which can cause injury to the wearer, known as behind armor blunt trauma.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,150,217 issued to Kershaw discloses an armor designed for lower velocity impacts as in protective equipment for sports or as a shoulder rest for a gun butt recoil, which is not capable of withstanding high velocity ballistic threats.

U.S. Patent Publication 2006 / 0065111 to Park et al. describes various combinations of ballistic fabric but does not address the incorporation of metallic or ceramic layers.

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