Contoured Ballistic Composite via Fabric Distortion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current anti-ballistic armor articles, such as ballistic helmets, face challenges in achieving increased resistance to bullets and fragments while minimizing weight, often resulting in discontinuities like cuts and wrinkles that reduce penetrative resistance.
Innovation Solution
A contoured fiber reinforced resin composite is developed using woven fabrics with specific yarn tenacity, modulus, and Russell tightness factors, impregnated with polymeric resin, which are distorted to form seamless, curved shapes without cuts or pleats, optimizing material distribution and ballistic performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If traditional fabric layers are cut and darted to form curved ballistic articles, then the article can take on complex shapes, but cuts and darts create discontinuities that decrease penetrative resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The fabric is divided into multiple plies (first, second, and third plies) with different orientations and functions. The first and second plies provide primary ballistic protection, while the third ply fills gaps and provides additional protection in specific areas, allowing the composite to form complex curved shapes without requiring cuts or darts in individual fabric layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from two-dimensional flat fabric layers to three-dimensional contoured plies by distorting the fabric in controlled regions. This allows the fabric to conform to complex curved surfaces while maintaining continuous fiber paths and avoiding discontinuities that would compromise ballistic performance.
2Reliability
If more fabric layers are added to increase ballistic resistance, then penetrative resistance improves, but the weight of the article increases
Solution Approach 1:
The third ply is strategically positioned only where needed (with surface area no greater than 50% of the first or second ply) to provide localized reinforcement in gap regions, rather than uniformly adding fabric throughout the entire article. This optimizes ballistic protection while minimizing weight increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite structure combining multiple fabric plies with different orientations and a polymeric resin matrix. This composite approach provides enhanced ballistic resistance through synergistic interactions between layers while maintaining weight efficiency through optimized material distribution and resin consolidation.
3Shape
If fabric is distorted to form contoured shapes, then seamless curved articles can be produced, but the fabric structure may wrinkle if insufficient distortion is applied
Solution Approach 1:
The fabric plies are pre-distorted during the molding process by applying tension and using mandrels with the desired contour. This preliminary distortion ensures that the fabric conforms to the curved shape before curing, preventing wrinkles and ensuring a smooth surface finish in the final ballistic article.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention controls the distortion angle of fabric regions (at least 30 degrees from orthogonal) to optimize the balance between achieving the desired contoured shape and maintaining fabric integrity. By controlling distortion parameters, the fabric can form complex curves without excessive wrinkling or stress concentration.
Data Source
AI summary
A fiber reinforced resin composite for ballistic protection comprising a plurality of first and second plies wherein the first and second plies further comprise a woven fabric and a polymeric resin. The fabric has a Russell tightness factor of from 0.2 to 0.7 and a cover factor of at least 0.45, The fabric is impregnated with the resin, the resin comprising from 5 to 30 weight percent of the total weight of fabric plus resin. The fabric of each first and second ply comprises regions wherein the fabric is distorted from an orthogonal woven state by a distortion angle of least 30 degrees. The composite may further comprising a third ply having a surface area no greater than 50% of the surface area of a first and second ply. The ratio of the number of first plus second plies to the number of third plies is from 2:1 to 12:1.