Composite Armor Panels with Metal Grid and Polymer Layer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional protective armor that is flexible and lightweight often provides less protection than rigid and heavy armor, necessitating a solution that balances weight and protection efficacy.
Innovation Solution
The development of protective armor panels comprising a polymer layer with embedded metal strips, where the metal grid fragments incoming projectiles and the polymer layer absorbs and disperses the energy of the fragments, providing a high degree of protection while maintaining a lightweight structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If rigid and heavy armor is used, then protection level is improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite structure combining a metal grid (providing rigid protection) with a polymer layer (providing energy absorption). This composite material approach allows the armor to achieve high protection levels comparable to heavy rigid armor while maintaining significantly reduced weight, as the polymer layer absorbs projectile energy and the metal grid fragments the projectile, eliminating the need for heavy solid metal construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The armor panel is segmented into distinct functional layers: a metal grid component and a polymer layer component. The metal grid is further segmented into intersecting members forming a pattern. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally - the grid fragments the projectile while the polymer absorbs energy - resulting in high protection with reduced overall weight compared to monolithic heavy armor.
2Weight of moving object
If flexible and lightweight armor is used, then weight is reduced, but protection level deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By combining the flexible polymer layer with the rigid metal grid structure, the patent creates a composite material system that exhibits both lightweight flexibility and high protection capability. The polymer provides flexibility and weight reduction while the metal grid provides the necessary rigid protection, thus achieving both reduced weight and high protection level simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The armor panel applies different material properties to different regions and functions: the polymer layer provides flexibility and energy absorption in areas where projectile impact occurs, while the metal grid provides rigid structural support and projectile fragmentation. This local differentiation of material qualities allows the overall structure to be lightweight yet highly protective.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution offers enhanced protection against projectiles while reducing weight compared to conventional metal sheet armor, allowing for versatile applications in vehicles and body armor without compromising on safety.
Implementation Method 1
the metal grid fragments the incoming bullet or other projectile to be stopped
Implementation Method 2
the polymer layer absorbs and disburses the energy of the resulting fragments so that the fragments do not escape
Data Source
AI summary
Protective armor panels comprising a grid formed of a plurality of strips of material having a front edge, a back edge, and side surfaces and a sheet of material secured to the front surface of the grid are disclosed. The strips of material can be contoured to form an armor panel having virtually any arbitrary shape.