Textile-Elastomer Composite Armor for Ballistic and Stab Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional personal armor systems are ineffective against both ballistic impacts and sharp-edged or sharp-pointed threats, as they are typically designed to protect against either shooting or stabbing, not both, and existing solutions like shear thickening fluids degrade over time and have limited effectiveness across various penetrator velocities.
Innovation Solution
A composite armor system combining a ballistic fabric-based component with a strain-rate-sensitivity-hardening elastomeric material, which provides a lightweight and thin coating that enhances both ballistic and stab resistance without compromising mobility or durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If armor system is designed for specific threat, then protection effectiveness is improved, but versatility against other threats deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a multi-functional armor system that simultaneously protects against multiple threat types including ballistic projectiles, sharp objects, and ice picks. By integrating both ballistic and stab-resistant fabric layers, the armor achieves universal protection capability, making it adaptable to various combat scenarios without requiring separate specialized armor for different threats.
2Strength
If conventional armor materials are used, then protection against specific threats is achieved, but protection against both ballistic and sharp-pointed threats simultaneously deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite material system combining ballistic fabric and stab-resistant fabric in a single integrated armor structure. This composite approach enables the armor to simultaneously protect against both ballistic threats and sharp-pointed threats, overcoming the limitation of conventional single-material armors that could only address one threat type effectively.
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 armor system effectively defeats a broad range of threats, including ballistic projectiles and sharp-pointed instruments, with a lightweight design that maintains mobility and does not require maintenance, offering protection over a wide range of velocities and multiple threat scenarios.
Implementation Method 1
an elastomeric material, which consists essentially of a strain-rate-sensitivity-hardening elastomer
Data Source
AI summary
According to exemplary inventive practice, a personal armor system includes a textile-based layer not exceeding ½-half-inch thickness, and an elastomeric coating not exceeding ⅛-inch thickness. The textile-based layer includes a fiber reinforcement and a resin binder. The combined areal density of the textile-based layer and the elastomeric coating does not exceed 2.5 psf. According to a first mode of inventive practice, the elastomeric coating is essentially a strain-rate-sensitivity-hardening elastomer, and the areal density of the textile-based layer does not exceed 2.3 psf. According to a second mode of inventive practice, the elastomeric coating is essentially a microparticle-filled strain-rate-sensitivity-hardening elastomeric matrix material, and the areal density of the textile-based layer does not exceed 1.7 psf. The microparticles (e.g., spherical glass microparticles) do not exceed, by weight, 30 percent of the strain-rate-sensitivity-hardening elastomeric matrix material. The textile-based layer affords ballistic protection; the elastomeric coating affords protection against sharp/pointed objects.