Ballistic Textile with Silk and UHMWPE Yarns

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing ballistic protection underwear is inadequate against unconventional explosive devices (IEDs) due to insufficient protection of the lower body, shifting protection packets, and poor camouflage capabilities, with UHMWPE materials being limited in color options and susceptible to UV degradation.

Innovation Solution

A textile article of clothing made from a material mix of multiple yarns with different properties, where at least 80% consists of a ballistic component, including silk and ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), providing enhanced protection against fragments and improved comfort through a unified knitted structure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If protection packets are inserted into pockets of underwear, then ballistic protection against frontal gunshot is improved, but protection against explosion fragments is inadequate and packets may shift

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveballistic protectionVSAvoidpacket stability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The invention merges the ballistic protection function directly into the underwear fabric by knitting ballistic yarns (UHMWPE, aramid) together with ordinary yarns to form a unified protective garment. This eliminates separate protection packets and their associated shifting problems, while maintaining ballistic protection against both gunshots and explosion fragments.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention uses composite yarns combining ballistic materials (UHMWPE, aramid) with ordinary textile yarns in a knitted structure. This creates a unified fabric that provides reliable ballistic protection without the instability of separate packets, resolving the contradiction between protection reliability and operational ease.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Strength

If UHMWPE material is used for ballistic protection, then fragment penetration resistance is improved, but color options are limited and UV degradation occurs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefragment penetration resistanceVSAvoidcolor options

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The invention applies ballistic protection properties locally where needed by incorporating ballistic yarns (UHMWPE, aramid) into specific regions of the knitted underwear, while other areas can use ordinary yarns with better color and UV properties. This allows the protective zones to have high strength while the overall garment maintains versatility in color and UV resistance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

By creating composite yarns that combine ballistic materials with ordinary textile fibers, the invention enables zones with both high fragment penetration resistance and improved color fastness and UV stability, resolving the contradiction between strength and adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

3Reliability

If the entire underwear is made from ballistic material, then protection coverage is improved, but weight and comfort are worsened

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection coverageVSAvoidunderwear weight

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The invention implements ballistic protection only in specific zones where it is most needed (torso, groin area) by selectively placing ballistic yarns in those regions during knitting, while other areas use lighter ordinary yarns. This maintains adequate protection coverage while significantly reducing overall weight compared to full-ballistic construction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The underwear is segmented into different functional zones: ballistic protection zones using UHMWPE/aramid yarns where protection is critical, and non-ballistic zones using ordinary yarns where protection is less critical. This segmentation achieves adequate protection coverage with reduced weight.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

4Reliability

If protection packets are added to underwear, then ballistic protection is improved, but device complexity and wearer restriction are increased

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveballistic protectionVSAvoidunderwear structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention merges the ballistic protection function directly into the underwear fabric structure by knitting ballistic yarns together with ordinary yarns to form a unified protective garment. This eliminates separate protection packets and their associated complexity, while maintaining ballistic protection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS20230375310A1Textile article of clothing equipped for ballistic protection

Publication Date: 2023.11.23 HEXONIA

AI summary

The invention relates to a textile article of clothing (1) equipped for ballistic protection, wherein the textile article of clothing (1) is made of a material mix of multiple yarns (3,4) with different properties which are knitted together such that the material mix has a ballistic component and at least one additional component. At least 80 wt. % of the textile article of clothing (1) consists of the ballistic component, wherein at least one of the yarns (3) contains silk in order to form at least one part of the ballistic component such that at least 40 wt. % of the textile article of clothing (1) consists of silk.