Deployable Ballistic Barrier Using Flexible Composite Laminates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ballistic protection devices do not effectively absorb the energy from projectiles like bullets or shrapnel, leading to inadequate penetration resistance and potential damage.
Innovation Solution
Deployable barriers made of flexible anti-ballistic materials, such as laminates with multiple layers of non-metallic materials like Kevlar or Lexan, which can flex and absorb kinetic energy upon impact, combined with a deployment mechanism and sensing system to automatically transition from a retracted to a protective state upon threat detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If metal plates are used for ballistic protection, then penetration resistance is improved, but weight increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite materials consisting of multiple layers of non-metallic materials (such as Kevlar, Lexan, or other ballistic-resistant polymers) to achieve ballistic protection without the weight penalty of metal plates. The layered composite structure distributes and absorbs projectile energy through multiple interfaces, providing effective penetration resistance while maintaining a lightweight profile suitable for deployable barriers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs flexible anti-ballistic materials in the form of sheets or laminates that can be deployed and stored. These flexible materials maintain their protective function while allowing the barrier to be retracted when not in use, solving the weight and storage issues associated with rigid metal plate systems.
2Strength
If heavy metal barriers are used, then ballistic protection is improved, but ease of deployment and storage deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a deployable barrier system that transitions from a retracted state (when not needed) to a deployed protective state (when threat is detected). This dynamic configuration allows the barrier to be stored compactly and deployed quickly, eliminating the need for heavy permanent installations while maintaining ballistic protection capability when required.
Solution Approach 2:
The barrier is pre-positioned in a retracted state within a housing or mounting structure, ready for rapid deployment. The sensing system is also pre-configured to detect threats and automatically trigger the deployment mechanism, ensuring the barrier is in place before actual ballistic impact occurs.
3Weight of moving object
If plastic materials are used for ballistic protection, then weight is reduced, but strength and penetration resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses advanced composite plastic materials and multi-layer laminates (such as combinations of aramid fibers, polyethylene, and polycarbonate) that provide ballistic-level penetration resistance comparable to or exceeding metal plates, while maintaining significantly lower weight. The composite structure leverages fiber reinforcement and layered architecture to achieve high strength-to-weight ratios.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs materials with optimized physical and mechanical parameters, including high-tensile-strength synthetic fibers, ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene, and other engineered polymers. These materials have been specifically developed to maximize ballistic resistance per unit weight, transforming plastic materials from weak to exceptionally strong in the context of ballistic protection.
4Ease of operation
If deployable barriers are used, then ease of storage is improved, but reliability of protection deteriorates due to potential deployment failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements an automatic deployment system where the barrier is deployed autonomously upon detection of a ballistic threat by the sensing system. The control system automatically activates the deployment mechanism without requiring human intervention, ensuring rapid response and eliminating delays associated with manual operation. The system also includes automatic retraction after the threat passes, maintaining readiness for the next event.
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 significantly reduces the penetration power of projectiles by converting kinetic energy into kinetic and heat energy across the barrier's surface, enhancing protection while allowing for light transmission and decorative features, and can be manually or automatically deployed.
Implementation Method 1
the barrier being configured to flex and move in response to impact from the ballistic object to absorb energy from the ballistic object
Implementation Method 2
converting kinetic energy into kinetic and heat energy across the barrier's surface
Data Source
AI summary
An anti-ballistic protection system for protecting an interior space in a building. The ballistic barrier includes a laminated material having a plurality of layers of lightweight, flexible, ballistic resistant material such as woven sheets which are secured together into the laminate using a adhesive, heat weld, or stitching. The ballistic barrier is configured to be in a compact retracted state which can be deployed to provide a protective state to protect against kinetic ballistic projectiles. The system may include an automated control system operably configured to change the state of the ballistic barrier from the retracted state to the protective deployed state, such that upon sensing a threatening event or condition triggers a transition from the retracted state to the deployed protective state such that in the protective state. The ballistic barrier in the deployed state is configured to be resistant to penetration by high-speed ballistic projectiles such as a bullet fired from a gun or a shrapnel from a bomb to protect the interior space.