Polymer Armor Panels with Metal Grid for Weight Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for lightweight and versatile protective armor that provides a high degree of protection against projectiles, as flexible and lightweight armor often offers less protection than rigid and heavy armor.
Innovation Solution
The development of protective armor panels comprising a polymer layer with a metal grid formed by interlocked metal strips, where the metal grid fragments incoming projectiles and the polymer layer absorbs and disperses the energy of the fragments, preventing escape.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If rigid and heavy metal armor is used, then protection level is improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The armor panel is segmented into a metal grid structure with intersecting metal strips forming multiple smaller protective elements rather than a solid metal sheet. This segmentation maintains protection while reducing weight by removing unnecessary material between the strips.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention combines metal strips with polymer material to create a composite armor structure. The metal grid provides ballistic resistance while the polymer matrix reduces weight and adds flexibility, achieving superior protection-to-weight ratio compared to conventional solid metal armor.
2Weight of moving object
If flexible and lightweight armor is used, then weight is reduced, but protection level deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The composite structure integrates lightweight polymer material with strategically positioned metal strips, achieving both weight reduction and maintained protection. The polymer provides flexibility and lightness while the metal grid delivers ballistic resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
Metal strips are positioned at specific locations within the armor panel where they are most needed for protection, rather than using uniform thick metal throughout. This localized reinforcement maintains protection level while minimizing overall weight.
3Weight of moving object
If metal grid structure is used instead of solid metal sheet, then weight is reduced, but structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The armor is segmented into a grid pattern of metal strips that can be manufactured separately and then assembled or embedded in the polymer matrix. This modular approach simplifies manufacturing compared to crafting a solid metal sheet of equivalent protective capability.
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 provides a high degree of protection while maintaining a lighter weight than conventional metal sheet armor, suitable for various applications including vehicles and body armor.
Implementation Method 1
the metal grid of the protective armor panels fragments the incoming bullet or other projectile
Implementation Method 2
the polymer layer absorbs and disburses the energy of the resulting fragments
Data Source
Figure 1A~3
Figure 4~5
Figure 6~7
AI summary
Protective armor panels comprising a polymer layer having upper and lower faces generally forming a sheet and a plurality of metal strips each having an upper edge, a lower edge and side faces, said side faces being oriented generally traverse to the upper face of said polymer layer and positioned at least partially within the polymer layer, are disclosed.