Multi-threat protection composite
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing protective materials for law enforcement and military personnel fail to provide effective multi-threat protection against spikes, knives, shrapnel, and ballistic threats while being lightweight, flexible, and cost-effective.
Innovation Solution
A multi-threat protection composite comprising textile layers with a non-blocking pressure-sensitive adhesive (NonB-PSA) coating containing a high ratio of inorganic particles, which provides resistance against penetration and maintains flexibility and comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional protective materials are used to provide protection against spikes, knives, and ballistic threats, then protection level is improved, but weight increases and flexibility decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite material structure consisting of multiple textile layers (including aramid and UHMWPE fibers) combined with a particle-reinforced pressure-sensitive adhesive coating. This composite approach achieves multi-threat protection (spike, knife, and ballistic resistance) while maintaining lightweight properties and flexibility, resolving the contradiction between protection level and weight.
2Reliability
If traditional protective materials are used to provide protection against spikes, knives, and ballistic threats, then protection level is improved, but flexibility and comfort decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The composite structure combines flexible textile layers with a particle-reinforced PSA coating that provides protection while maintaining flexibility. The textile layers (aramid, UHMWPE) inherently provide flexibility, and the adhesive coating with controlled particle content (ratio of inorganic particles to PSA greater than 0.5) ensures the material remains flexible and comfortable for prolonged wear, resolving the contradiction between protection level and flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses flexible textile layers and thin film coatings instead of rigid protective materials. The textile layers can bend and conform to body movements, and the PSA coating with particle reinforcement provides protection without significantly compromising flexibility, enabling the armor to maintain ease of operation during physical activities.
3Strength
If adhesive coating is applied to bind textile layers, then layer bonding is improved, but blocking (undesirable adhesion) between layers occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the adhesive coating by changing its composition parameters - specifically incorporating inorganic particles (such as silica, alumina, or titania) at a weight ratio greater than 0.5 relative to the PSA. This parameter change reduces the tackiness of the coating, preventing blocking between layers while maintaining sufficient bonding strength to hold the textile layers together, thus resolving the contradiction between layer bonding and blocking prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The inorganic particles act as an intermediary substance within the adhesive coating, modifying its properties to reduce unwanted adhesion (blocking) between layers. The particles are embedded in the PSA matrix, creating a coating that bonds layers together sufficiently for structural integrity while preventing excessive adhesion that would cause blocking, effectively mediating between bonding strength and blocking prevention.
4Strength
If particle-reinforced adhesive coating is applied to enhance protection, then mechanical properties are improved, but coating amount increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the coating amount by controlling the application rate to be at least 5 g/m² (preferably 10 g/m² or more) and adjusting the particle-to-PSA ratio to be greater than 0.5. This parameter optimization ensures sufficient mechanical reinforcement for multi-threat protection while minimizing the total coating amount, resolving the contradiction between mechanical properties enhancement and coating quantity reduction.
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 composite achieves pass ratings for spike, knife, and ballistic threats according to NIJ standards, offering enhanced protection while maintaining flexibility and comfort, with the NonB-PSA coating preventing undesirable adhesion between layers and enhancing mechanical properties.
Implementation Method 1
a non-blocking pressure-sensitive adhesive (NonB-PSA) composition on at least the upper surface of each layer
Implementation Method 2
The NonB-PSA coating comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive and a plurality of first inorganic particles. The ratio by weight of the first inorganic particles to the pressure sensitive adhesive is greater than about 1
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-threat protection composite containing at least 15 textile layers having an upper and lower surface and a non-blocking pressure sensitive adhesive (NonB-PSA) composition on at least the upper surface of each textile layer. The NonB-PSA coating contains a pressure sensitive adhesive and a plurality of first inorganic particles, wherein the ratio by weight of the first inorganic particles to the pressure sensitive adhesive is greater than about 1.2 and wherein the NonB-PSA coating is in an amount of at least about 10 g/m2 on each surface the NonB-PSA coating is located. The first inorganic particles have a median primary particle size of less than about 5 micrometers.