U.S. patent application number 11/787505 was filed with the patent office on 2012-07-12 for body armor strand-structure methodology.
This patent application is currently assigned to MJD Innovations, L.L.C.. Invention is credited to Michael R. Dennis, Thomas S. Ohnstad.
Application Number | 20120174744 11/787505 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37308420 |
Filed Date | 2012-07-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120174744 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ohnstad; Thomas S. ; et
al. |
July 12, 2012 |
BODY ARMOR STRAND-STRUCTURE METHODOLOGY
Abstract
Structure, methodology and performance involving and utilizing
body armor strand material which includes an elongate strand body
possessing elongate brittle ceramic surface structure, elongate
ductile core structure disposed within that surface structure, and
elongate brittle/ductile transition structure operatively
interposed and joining the surface and core structures. Methodology
includes the steps of preparing a defined mass of elongate
ceramic-surfaced, ductile-cored strand elements, each including,
along the outside of its length, elongate, sharp-angular edges, and
placing that mass in the impact path of such a projectile in a
manner whereby edges in the strands face the projectile impact
path. Response performance of the invented strand material includes
using fragmentation of a surface-hardened ceramic therein to
dissipate energy, cutting an impacting projectile into fragments
and deflecting those fragments, and telegraphing fragmentation of
the ceramic material through a brittle/ductile region in the strand
material to a ductile core-region wherein resulting deformation of
this core region further dissipates projectile energy.
Inventors: |
Ohnstad; Thomas S.; (Salem,
OR) ; Dennis; Michael R.; (Scappoose, OR) |
Assignee: |
MJD Innovations, L.L.C.
|
Family ID: |
37308420 |
Appl. No.: |
11/787505 |
Filed: |
April 16, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
11103688 |
Apr 12, 2005 |
7282462 |
|
|
11787505 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
89/36.02 ;
89/903; 89/918 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 428/2973 20150115;
F41H 1/02 20130101; Y10T 442/3065 20150401; F41H 5/0421 20130101;
Y10T 428/2978 20150115 |
Class at
Publication: |
89/36.02 ;
89/918; 89/903 |
International
Class: |
F41H 5/02 20060101
F41H005/02 |
Claims
1. A armoring method for disabling a dangerous projectile, such as
a bullet, comprising preparing a defined mass of elongate
ceramic-surfaced, ductile-cored strand elements, each including,
along the outside of its length, elongate, sharp-angular edges, and
placing that mass in the impact path of such a projectile in a
manner whereby edges in the strands face the projectile impact
path.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said preparing includes creating
a weave of such strand elements.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said preparing includes creating
a chaotic, random jumble of such strand elements.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the elements are sized in such a
fashion that their lengths lie in the range of about 2- to about
8-times their maximum transverse cross-sectional dimensions.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the mentioned edges are formed by
intersecting outside surfaces in the elements which meet at an
angle that is preferably no more than about 90.degree..
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a Division of prior-filed, currently
co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/103,688, filed Apr.
12, 2005, for "Body Armor Strand Structure, Method and
Performance". The entire disclosure content of that prior-filed
application is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention pertains to strand-style body armor (body
armor strand material, or structure), and in particular to the
armoring performance--i.e., the armoring methodology--offered by
such structure.
[0003] There is a pronounced effort currently underway to develop
extremely light-weight body armor which can defeat dangerous
projectiles, such as bullets. The present invention addresses this
issue in a quite effective and non-intuitive manner by proposing
that body armor be formed by extremely light-weight elongate strand
structure, formed by elongate, slender strands which, effectively,
are made of a unique "ductile ceramic" material, preferably based
upon titanium. These strands include brittle ceramic outside
surface structure which joins through a continuous, internal,
brittle/ductile transition region to a central, ductile core
region. Various transverse cross-sectional configurations may be
employed, each of which preferably defines plural elongate,
sharp-angle edges that run the length of each strand. Several of
these configurations are illustrated and described herein.
[0004] As will be seen, the proposed armor strands may be assembled
for "presentation" to the path of an oncoming projectile in various
ways. Two such ways are shown and described herein, one of which
involves a weave of strands, and the other of which involves a
fabric-contained random and chaotic jumble of short, freely mixed
"strandlets".
[0005] The strands of this invention respond to an impacting
projectile: (a) by first cutting the projectile into pieces as a
consequence of projectile engagement with the sharp ceramic edges
extending along the outside lengths of the strands; (b) by then
undergoing ceramic fragmentation to dissipate projectile energy;
and (c) by telegraphing such ceramic fragmentation through the
above-mentioned brittle/ductile transition regions to the ductile
cores of the strands which then deform elastically to produce
further energy dissipation.
[0006] Various other features and advantages of the invention will
become more fully apparent as the detailed description below is
read in conjunction with the drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a fragment of a somewhat
sinuous, square-cross-section armor strand made in accordance with
the invention to perform the invented methodology.
[0008] FIG. 2 is an enlarged, transverse cross section of the
strand shown in FIG. 1, taken generally along the line 2-2 in FIG.
1.
[0009] FIGS. 3-8, inclusive, illustrate strand structures each
having a different cross-sectional configuration which is also
different from the transverse cross section of the strand pictured
in FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0010] FIG. 9 provides a simplified and fragmentary view of a woven
fabric, also called herein a weave, formed by strands like the
strand pictured in FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0011] FIG. 10 is a view of what was referred to above as a
"strandlet" which is somewhat like the strand structure shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0012] FIG. 11 is a simplified view of a fragment of a prepared,
jumbled mass of randomly and chaotically assembled (and
appropriately contained) strandlets like the one illustrated in
FIG. 10.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0013] Turning now to the drawings, and beginning with a look at
FIGS. 1 and 2, indicated generally at 20 is a fragment of an
elongate armor strand, or strand body, which has been made, and
which performs, in accordance with a preferred and best mode
embodiment of, and manner of practicing, the present invention.
Strand 20 has a long axis 20a, and a square-perimeter cross
section, with a transverse side-length dimension D in the range of
about 1/8- to about 1/4-inches.
[0014] Strand 20 has been made by extrusion preferably from a
titanium starter, or precursor, material known as Tiadyne.TM. 3510,
made by ATI Wah Chang in Albany, Oreg. This principally titanium
material is ductile in character, and can be prepared into
different shapes and configurations by various conventional
manufacturing techniques, such as casting, machining, extruding,
etc. In FIG. 1, strand fragment 20 is shown with a curving, sinuous
wave in it to illustrate the fact of its basic flexibility and
ductility.
[0015] In accordance with the invention, however, strand 20 has
been further processed, as by baking in an oven at a temperature of
about 1700.degree. F. and in an oxidizing atmosphere, or
environment, for a time range typically of about 5 minutes to about
1 hour, at user's selection, depending upon the depth of surface
processing desired, to create what is referred to as a brittle,
ceramic surface structure 20b of titanium dioxide. Creation of this
surface structure produces an important internal structure within
the strand, characterized by "blending" non-discontinuously of
surface structure 20b, through an intermediary brittle/ductile
transition region, or structure, 20c, to a central, ductile core
structure 20d which contains axis 20a.
[0016] Important to note in the structure of strand 20 is that its
outside surface includes plural, sharp-angular, elongate edges 20e
defined by the intersection of pairs of faces, or facial expanses,
20f which, in the strand structure illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2,
intersect at angles of about 90.degree.. In all versions, or
modifications, of armor strand structure made in accordance with
the present invention, it is preferable that, though not absolutely
necessary, all such edges be defined by surface-intersection angles
which are no greater that about 90.degree.. Where all strand edges
do not meet this criterion, and one version of the strand structure
of this invention is illustrated and described herein in this
status (see FIG. 6), it is important that some strand edges do meet
this criterion. Such is true for the just briefly mentioned FIG. 6
modification of the invention.
[0017] Turning attention now to FIGS. 3-8, inclusive, here, six
alternative, and similarly performing, embodiments of the armor
strand structure and associated methodology of the present
invention are shown in transverse cross section. All have been
processed to create the same-character internal structure described
above for strand 20.
[0018] FIG. 3 illustrates a strand 22 having a long axis 22a, and a
generally concavely-sided, triangular, transverse cross section
with three sharp edges 22b. Dimension D here lies typically in the
range of about 1/8- to about 1/4-inches.
[0019] FIG. 4 shows a strand, or strand body, 24 having a long axis
24a, two planar sides 24b, and a conversely curved, third side 24c.
This strand includes three sharp edges, including two which are
shown at 24d that are defined by an angle which is somewhat greater
than that which defines the third edge 24e. Dimension D here is
typically the same as that mentioned above for strands 20, 22.
[0020] FIG. 5 pictures a strand 26 which is, essentially, a
"slender" version of strand 24. The reference-number/character
labeling here is like that used in FIG. 4 for strand 24. Dimension
D is the same also.
[0021] FIG. 6 shows a strand 28 which has a diamond-shaped
transverse cross section, and a long axis 28a. The unlabeled four
edges in this strand exhibit two different sharpnesses, as shown,
with the upper and lower edges in the figure being defined each by
an angle which is less than 90.degree., and the two "lateral" edges
being defined by an angle which is slightly greater than
90.degree..
[0022] FIG. 7 shows a strand 30 having a long axis 30a. Strand 30
is, essentially, a concavely-sided version of previously described
strand 20.
[0023] FIG. 8 pictures a strand 32 which has a long axis 32a, and
which is effectively, a planar-sided version of previously
described strand 22.
[0024] With attention now directed to FIG. 9 along with FIGS. 1-8,
inclusive, here there is shown at 34 a fragment of a woven,
protective-armor fabric, or fabric weave, which has been made from
sets 34a, 34b, of angularly "crossing" armor strands, or strand
bodies, drawn from any one (or a mix) of the various armor strand
versions previously described and illustrated herein. Preferably,
the strands employed in fabric 34 are woven in such a fashion that,
predominately, at least one of the broad "faces" of this fabric
(such as the one facing the viewer in FIG. 9) is defined chiefly by
sharp edges in the associated strands. A second consideration for
the construction of fabric 34 is that the open spaces, such as
space 34c in the fabric, be dimensioned (A) so that the sharp edges
in the four armor strands which define this space are close enough
together to be certain to engage the smallest-size impacting
projectile (such as a bullet) which is anticipated may strike the
fabric. Multiple layers of woven fabric may, of course, be used for
protection, if desired.
[0025] With a fabric like fabric 34 properly created to produce
what is referred to herein as a mass of elongate armor strand
elements, and with its broad impact face and the associated sharp
edges of stands 34a, 34b, facing the path of an incoming attack
projectile, upon impact of that projectile the brittle, ceramic,
sharp edges cut the projectile into pieces, with these pieces
engaging and plastically fragmenting the outside surfaces of many
adjacent strands. This ceramic fragmentation acts instantly to
dissipate the energies of the now cut projectile pieces, and
fragmentation events are telegraphed through the associated
brittle/ductile transition regions in the involved strands, where
what next occurs is non-fragmentary ductile yielding, and thus
further energy dissipating furnished by the associated ductile
strand core regions.
[0026] Thus, instead of a projectile being met by a single
(one-time only) fragmentable energy dissipating structure, that
projectile is divided by cutting it into many pieces, whose
individual trajectories aim them for impact to a rich field of yet
unfragmented, and thus available hardened ceramic fragmentation
surfaces, additional cutting edges, and additional ductile yield
responses. This is especially the case where fully assembled
protective armor is formed of plural "stacked" fabric layers.
[0027] FIGS. 10 and 11 collectively illustrate the structure and
use of yet another implementation of the present invention. Shown
at 36 in FIG. 10 is a short-length armor strand which is, other
than for length L, substantially the same as earlier discussed
strand 20. Short strand 36, referred to herein as a strandlet, has
a long axis 36a, and a square-perimeter cross section with a
transverse side length D which resides typically in the same
dimensional range mentioned above for strand 20. Preferably,
dimension L lies in the range of about 2- to 8-times dimension D.
Thus, where D.apprxeq.1/8-inches, L.apprxeq.about 1/4-inches to
about 1-inch. In FIG. 10, D=1/8-inches and L=1-inch.
[0028] Strandlet 36 has been processed as described for strand 20
so that it has a brittle, ceramic, four-cornered outside surface
which joins through a brittle/ductile transition region to a
ductile core region adjacent axis 36a.
[0029] When assembled into a fully ready body armor structure, a
large mass of strandlets 36 are appropriately gathered into what is
referred to herein as a random, chaotic jumble, such as that shown
at 38 in FIG. 11. Preferably, strandlets 36 in mass 38 are
contained in a fabric, or fabric container structure, 40 which is
made to be like above-discussed fabric 34. Specifically, mass 38 is
contained within what is referred to herein as a fillable reception
zone 40a within fabric 40. Such an arrangement produces a
formidable barrier to an attacking projectile. Impacting
projectiles are cut into many pieces instantly upon impact. These
pieces engage a dense thicket of "ready and available" ceramic
fragmentation surfaces, each of which presents additional hardened
cutting edges and fragmentation surfaces, all backed up,
so-to-speak, by ductile response cores in the actively engaged
strandlets.
[0030] Thus, disclosed herein are a novel strand-form body armor
material, and a methodology offered by it to disable an impacting
projectile utilizing a unique style of disabling
response-performance.
[0031] The strand material which implements the methodology of the
invention includes (a) a strand body possessing an elongate brittle
ceramic surface structure, (b) an elongate ductile core structure
disposed within that surface structure, and (c) elongate
brittle/ductile transition structure operatively interposed and
joining the surface and core structures. This strand material may
be employed, for examples, as a random mass of short strandlets
deployed in a suitable container, and as a woven fabric structure
formed from long stretches of the strand material.
[0032] The method of utilizing the strand material for disabling an
impacting projectile according to the invention includes the steps
of preparing a defined mass of elongate ceramic-surfaced,
ductile-cored strand elements, each including, along the outside of
its length, elongate, sharp-angular edges, and placing that mass in
the impact path of such a projectile in a manner whereby edges in
the strands face the projectile impact path.
[0033] The response performance of the strand material includes
using fragmentation of the surface-hardened ceramic material to
dissipate energy, cutting an impacting projectile into fragments
and deflecting those fragments, and telegraphing fragmentation of
the ceramic material through a brittle/ductile region in the strand
material to a ductile core-region wherein resulting deformation of
this core region further dissipates projectile energy
[0034] From the description and illustrations provided herein,
those skilled in the relevant art will recognize that variations
and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of
the invention, and all such variations and modifications are
intended to come within the scopes of the claims herein.
* * * * *