Pre-compressed Ceramic Armor via Thermal Bonding

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current ceramic-based ballistic armor is expensive to manufacture, has weakened connection points, and lacks multi-hit capabilities due to the fragility of individual tiles, which are prone to damage from repeated impacts.

Innovation Solution

A pre-compressed ceramic-based anti-ballistic article is created by bonding a high thermal expansion material with a higher expansion coefficient to the ceramic plate or tile at elevated temperatures, inducing compression stress upon cooling, which enhances the ceramic's ballistic performance and reduces damage from impacts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If separate ceramic tiles are used to create multi-hit capability, then the armor can withstand multiple impacts, but the connection lines and junctions become weakened points and manufacturing becomes expensive

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemulti-hit capabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple ceramic tiles into a single monolithic structure, eliminating the need for separate tiles and their connections. This unified approach removes the weakened junction points while maintaining multi-hit capability through the monolith's inherent durability and stress distribution properties.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the monolithic ceramic into controlled fracture zones that can absorb multiple impacts. The internal structure is designed to allow controlled cracking that doesn't compromise overall integrity, enabling multi-hit capability without requiring separate physical tiles.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If separate ceramic tiles are connected together to form multi-hit armor, then multiple impacts can be withstood, but the connection lines create weakened points from a ballistic point of view

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemulti-hit capabilityVSAvoidballistic strength at connections

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple ceramic elements into a single monolithic structure, eliminating connection lines entirely. This removes the ballistic weak points that would exist at tile junctions, as the monolith presents a continuous, uniform surface without seams or bonding interfaces that could fail under impact.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Weight of moving object

If monolithic ceramic plates are used for ballistic protection, then lightweight protection is achieved, but multi-hit capabilities are lacking due to fragility from repeated impacts

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvearmor weightVSAvoidmulti-hit capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Weight of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies pre-compression stress to the monolithic ceramic structure before it encounters ballistic threats. This pre-stressing puts the ceramic in a state of compression that allows it to better absorb and distribute impact forces from multiple hits, preventing catastrophic failure that would occur in unstressed monoliths.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the stress state parameter of the monolithic ceramic from unstressed to pre-compressed. By modifying the internal stress parameters through pre-compression, the ceramic's mechanical properties are enhanced to withstand repeated impacts while maintaining its lightweight monolithic structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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 results in a lightweight, cost-effective, and multi-hit capable ceramic armor with reduced spall and debris ejection angles, increased durability, and a decreased thickness, allowing for more effective protection against ballistic threats.

Implementation Method 1

bonding a high thermal expansion material having a much higher expansion coefficient than the ceramic material, to the ceramic plate/tile at elevated temperature

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal expansion: Thermal Expansion

Implementation Method 2

Upon cooling, the thermal expansion material contracts, exerting compression stress on the ceramic plate/tile

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal contraction: Thermal Contraction

Data Source

PatentEP2726809B1Antiballistic article and method of producing same

Publication Date: 2017.01.11 IMI SYST LTD

AI summary

An antiballistic article (100A) comprising a ceramic plate/tile (104) bonded to a thermal expansion material (102) with an adhesive (106), characterized, in that: the thermal expansion material has a thermal expansion coefficient higher than the ceramic plate/tile, and the thermal expansion material is bonded to the ceramic plate/tile at elevated temperature of between 50°C and 650°C with adhesive and subsequently cooled, whereby upon cooling, the bonded thermal expansion material contracts to a greater extent than the ceramic plate/tile, exerting compression stress on the ceramic plate/tile.