Modular Composite Armor Repair with Hardened Replacement Elements

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing composite armor elements suffer reduced protective effectiveness after being hit, as shattered active bodies require costly and time-consuming replacement, and local availability of replacement panels can be an issue, necessitating a method for on-site restoration of operational readiness.

Innovation Solution

The method involves replacing damaged active bodies with undamaged ones of increased hardness or different materials, and optionally using reinforcement plates, ensuring the composite armor element's protective effect is enhanced by using higher-quality materials and configurations, such as nanomaterials, and incorporating additional protective measures like reinforcement plates.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the entire composite armor element is replaced after damage, then the protective effect is restored, but the cost and time required increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotective effectVSAvoidreplacement time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The armor element is divided into modular components: a base plate with multiple receptacles, each containing an individual active element. This segmentation allows damage isolation to single active elements rather than the entire armor system, enabling selective replacement of only damaged components while maintaining the rest of the armor in service.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a reusable base plate structure that retains intact active elements after damage events. Only the shattered active elements are discarded and replaced, while the base plate and undamaged active elements are recovered and reused, significantly reducing material waste and replacement costs compared to replacing the entire armor element.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

2Ease of manufacture

If identical replacement active elements are used, then the original configuration is maintained, but the protective effect against varied threats may be insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereplacement simplicityVSAvoidprotective effect

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs active elements with variable parameters including different materials (ceramic types, metals, polymers), geometries (spheres, cylinders, irregular shapes), and physical properties (hardness, density, elasticity). This parameter variability allows optimization of protective effect against different threat types while maintaining standardized receptacle interfaces for ease of replacement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The armor system utilizes composite material structures where active elements combine multiple materials with complementary properties (e.g., ceramic hard phases for projectile shattering, metal ductile phases for energy absorption, polymer binders for toughness). This composite approach enhances protective effectiveness against varied threats while maintaining replaceable modular design.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

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

This approach restores and enhances the protective capability of composite armor elements on-site, utilizing higher-quality replacement active bodies and reinforcement plates to improve the kinetic energy absorption and distribution, thus maintaining or increasing the armor's effectiveness without visible external changes.

Implementation Method 1

the replacement element being made of a different material than the defective element. The replacement element has a higher hardness than the defective element... the increase in protective effect consists of the replacement element being made of a different material than the defective element

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectKinetic energy absorption:

Data Source

PatentEP2363682B1Method for repairing a compound armour element and repair set for performing the repairs

Publication Date: 2019.09.04 KRAUSS MAFFEI WEGMANN GMBH & CO KG

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AI summary

Repair method for repairing a composite armor element (30), in particular a composite armor plate, with several active elements (2), wherein a damaged defective active element is removed and an undamaged replacement active element (22) of increased protective effect is inserted at this replacement point, as well as a repair set for carrying out the repair.