Ballistic resistant turret and method of making same

Abstract

A turret is rotatably mounted to the roof of a vehicle such as a HMMWV and provides ballistic protection to an individual inside. The turret wall has one or more layers of ceramic tiles set in a polymer resin reinforced with nanoparticles. A nonwoven material backs the ceramic layers to spread an impact over a larger surface area. A laminated multiply nanofiber textile layer is in back of the ceramic layers to stop fragments form penetrating through the turret wall. The nanofiber textile plies are laminated together with resin reinforced by carbon nanofibers or nanotubes.

1 . A ballistic resistant turret for use on a vehicle, comprising: 
 a) a wall that is structured and arranged to couple to a vehicle mount;    b) the wall comprising a woven material comprising nanofibers, the woven material impregnated with resin;    c) the wall also comprising at least one layer of ceramic material bonded to the woven material.    
   
   
       2 . The turret of  claim 1  wherein the woven material containing nanofibers further comprises plural plies of woven material, with each ply comprising nanofibers, the plies bonded together with a resin that comprises nanofibers.  
   
   
       3 . The turret of  claim 2  wherein the resin bonding the layers together comprises carbon nanofibers and the woven material comprises polymeric nanofibers.  
   
   
       4 . The turret of  claim 1  wherein the layer of ceramic material comprises ceramic tiles embedded in a resin.  
   
   
       5 . The turret of  claim 4  wherein the layer of ceramic material further comprises ceramic tiles embedded in a resin that is reinforced with nanoparticles.  
   
   
       6 . The turret of  claim 4  further comprising a energy absorbing layer interposed between the woven material and the ceramic material.  
   
   
       7 . The turret of  claim 6  wherein the woven material containing nanofibers further comprises plural plies of woven material, with each ply comprising nanofibers, the layers being bonded together with a resin that comprises carbon nanofibers. The woven material comprises polymeric nanofibers.  
   
   
       8 . A vehicle, comprising: 
 a) a roof;    b) a rotatable bearing mounted on the roof;    c) a turret mounted to the bearing, the turret comprising a wall that has a layer of woven material and a layer of ceramic material bonded together, the woven material comprises nanofibers and is impregnated with resin.    
   
   
       9 . The vehicle of  claim 8  wherein the woven material comprises polymeric nanofibers and the resin comprises carbon nanofibers.  
   
   
       10 . The vehicle of  claim 9  wherein the ceramic layer comprises ceramic tiles embedded in resin reinforced with nanoparticles.  
   
   
       11 . A method of making a turret, comprising the steps of: 
 a) providing a mold of the turret;    b) in succession applying a ceramic layer and a fragment capture layer to the mold;    c) applying the fragment capture layer to the mold by applying plural plies of woven nanofiber textile impregnated with a first resin;    d) applying the ceramic layer to the mold by embedding ceramic tiles in a second resin.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the step of applying the fragment capture layer to the mold by applying plural plies of woven nanofiber textile impregnated with a first resin further comprises the step of applying plural plies of woven nanofiber textile impregnated with a first resin reinforced with carbon nanofibers.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the step of applying the ceramic layer to the mold by embedding ceramic tiles in a second resin further comprises the step of embedding ceramic tiles in a nanoparticle reinforced resin.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the step of applying the fragment capture layer to the mold occurs before the step of applying the ceramic layer to the mold occurs.