Ceramic-Polyolefin Body Armor for Reduced Back Face Deformation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current body armor technologies fail to prevent injuries from behind armor blunt trauma, allowing projectiles to cause deformation and incapacitation despite not penetrating the armor, posing a significant risk in critical situations.
Innovation Solution
A body armor design comprising a ceramic tile bonded to front and back polyolefin layers by pretreated prepreg layers, with a backer of stacked plastic sheets, and a foam layer to absorb additional energy, using a curing process to enhance structural integrity and energy distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If body armor uses ceramic tile to stop projectiles, then penetration resistance is improved, but back face deformation increases causing blunt trauma injury
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite structure combining ceramic tile with multiple polyolefin layers (front and back) bonded by pretreated prepreg layers. This composite design allows the ceramic to stop the projectile while the polyolefin layers absorb and distribute the impact energy, reducing back face deformation. The multi-layer composite construction transforms the harmful concentrated impact into distributed energy absorption across multiple material layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the bonding system by using pretreated prepreg layers with specific thermal and adhesive properties. The prepreg layers are heated to activate adhesion and then cooled to lock in the bond, creating optimal bonding parameters that prevent tile delamination while maintaining flexibility to reduce back face deformation. This parameter optimization resolves the contradiction between rigid protection and flexible energy absorption.
2Stability of the object's composition
If body armor uses strong bonding to prevent tile delamination, then structural integrity is improved, but energy absorption capability decreases increasing blunt trauma risk
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite bonding system using pretreated prepreg layers that provide both strong adhesion and energy absorption. The prepreg layers are specifically designed to bond the ceramic tile to the polyolefin layers while maintaining flexibility. This composite bonding approach ensures structural integrity prevents delamination while the viscoelastic properties of the prepreg and polyolefin materials absorb impact energy, reducing blunt trauma.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes foam layers within the polyolefin structure that provide porous energy absorption mechanisms. These foam materials compress under impact, absorbing energy through cell collapse and deformation, while the prepreg bonding maintains structural integrity. The porous structure allows energy dissipation without compromising the overall structural stability of the armor assembly.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If body armor uses multiple layers to distribute impact energy, then blunt trauma protection is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into integrated layers. The pretreated prepreg layers simultaneously serve as bonding agents, energy absorption media, and structural connectors between ceramic and polyolefin layers. The front and back polyolefin layers are merged with the ceramic tile through the prepreg bonding to create a unified impact distribution system. This merging reduces the number of separate components and simplifies the overall structure while maintaining blunt trauma protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The polyolefin layers serve multiple functions: they provide ballistic protection, distribute impact energy, reduce back face deformation, and work with the prepreg bonding system. The foam layers simultaneously provide energy absorption and structural support. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized components, simplifying the overall device complexity while achieving comprehensive blunt trauma protection.
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 design effectively absorbs and distributes projectile impact energy, preventing tile delamination and allowing continuous protection against multiple impacts, reducing the risk of injury and incapacitation.
Implementation Method 1
a ceramic tile bonded to front and back polyolefin layers by front and back pretreated prepreg layers
Implementation Method 2
The stored cold prepreg sheets may be heated using a heating device having a temperature from 140° F. to 290° F.
Implementation Method 3
The cooled bonded plate may be cured by a curing cycle comprising 260° F. and 120 PSI using an autoclave
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein apparatus and associated methods relate to body armor comprising a plate having a ceramic tile bonded to front and back polyolefin layers by front and back pretreated prepreg layers. The pretreated prepreg layers may comprise epoxy resin sheets precooled for storage at 0° F. The polyolefin layers may comprise 940 and 1880 denier extruded polyolefin sheets. The stored cold prepreg sheets may be heated and the hot prepreg sheets used to join the ceramic tile with the extruded polyolefin sheets. The ceramic tile may be bonded to the extruded polyolefin sheets by cooling the ceramic tile, extruded polyolefin sheets and hot prepreg sheets in a −58° F. freezer, forming a cooled bonded plate. A backer comprising stacked plastic sheets may be connected to the plate. The cooled bonded plate may be cured by a curing cycle comprising 260° F. and 120 PSI using an autoclave.