Penetration- and fire-resistant fabric materials and structures

Abstract

A ballistic and/or fire barrier for protecting objects in an interior of a vehicle due to projectile penetration and/or fire includes one or more layers of high strength fabric positioned towards an outer shell of the vehicle. The high strength fabric is substantially fixedly or fixedly positioned with respect to the outer shell of the vehicle. In another embodiment, the ballistic and/or fire barrier protects objects in a structure from damage due to projectile penetration. The ballistic and/or fire barrier includes at least one layer of high strength fabric positioned towards an outer housing of the structure. The high strength fabric is substantially fixedly positioned with respect to the structure towards either the inner or outer surface of the outer housing. In another embodiment of the present invention, a ballistic barrier protects a wearer of the ballistic barrier from damage due to projectile penetration. The ballistic barrier comprises first and second portions positioned generally parallel each other. The first portion includes one or more layers of high strength fabric while the second portion is generally impact-resistant. Preferably, the layer of high strength fabric comprise a plurality of plies. One of the plies can comprise woven fibers. Another of the plies can be a felt. Also preferably, the layer of high strength fabric in the ballistic barrier embodiments comprises a polymer material such as one or more of aramid material, polyethylene material, and polybenzoxazole material.

1 - 79 . (canceled)  
   
   
       80 . An aircraft wall assembly comprising: 
 an inner panel;    an outer shell external to the inner panel;    a layer of insulation between the inner panel and the outer shell;    a protective barrier between the inner panel and the outer shell; and    an outer covering, between the inner panel and the outer shell, and configured to impede moisture from reaching the protective barrier.    
   
   
       81 . The assembly of  claim 80  wherein the outer covering contains the layer of insulation and contains the protective barrier.  
   
   
       82 . The assembly of  claim 80  wherein the protective barrier is adjacent to the layer of insulation and external to the layer of insulation relative to the inner panel.  
   
   
       83 . The assembly of  claim 80  further including an inner structure disposed between the outer shell and the inner panel, and coupled to the outer covering so as to provide structural support for the outer covering.  
   
   
       84 . The assembly of  claim 83  wherein the protective barrier and layer of insulation are disposed between the inner structure and the inner panel.  
   
   
       85 . The assembly of  claim 83  wherein the protective barrier is positioned to cover an open area within the inner structure.  
   
   
       86 . The assembly of  claim 80  wherein the protective barrier is configured such that when a projectile impacts the protective barrier, the projectile does not penetrate the protective barrier.  
   
   
       87 . The assembly of  claim 86  wherein the projectile is produced as a result of an uncontained turbine engine failure for an engine included in the aircraft.  
   
   
       88 . The assembly of  claim 80  wherein the protective barrier is configured such that when a projectile impacts the protective barrier, the projectile pulls the protective barrier.  
   
   
       89 . The assembly of  claim 80  wherein the protective barrier produces a larger and blunter leading edge for the projectile relative to the leading edge of the projectile without impact with the protective barrier.  
   
   
       90 . The assembly of  claim 80  wherein the protective barrier includes one of: multiple layers, a woven material, and a felt.  
   
   
       91 . The assembly of  claim 80  wherein the wall assembly is included in a fuselage of the aircraft.  
   
   
       92 . The assembly of  claim 80  wherein the outer shell includes a metal.  
   
   
       93 . A barrier assembly comprising: 
 a layer of insulation;    a protective barrier designed or configured to prevent penetration of a projectile through the protective barrier, wherein the projectile has sufficient energy to penetrate an inner panel or an outer shell for a wall assembly of an aircraft; and    an outer covering and configured to impede moisture from reaching the protective barrier.    
   
   
       94 . The assembly of  claim 93  wherein the outer covering contains the layer of insulation and contains the protective barrier.  
   
   
       95 . The assembly of  claim 93  wherein the projectile is produced as a result of an uncontained turbine engine failure for an engine included in the aircraft.  
   
   
       96 . The assembly of  claim 95  wherein the protective barrier is configured to produce a larger and blunter leading edge for the projectile relative to the leading edge of the projectile without impact with the protective barrier.  
   
   
       97 . The assembly of  claim 93  wherein the protective barrier includes one of: multiple layers, a woven material, and a felt.  
   
   
       98 . An aircraft wall assembly comprising: 
 an inner panel;    an outer shell external to the inner panel;    a layer of insulation between the inner panel and the outer shell;    a fire barrier between the inner panel and the outer shell; and    an outer covering, between the inner panel and the outer shell, that contains the layer of insulation and contains the fire barrier,    wherein the outer covering impedes moisture from reaching the fire barrier.    
   
   
       99 . The assembly of  claim 98  wherein the fire barrier is an aramid polymer or a polybenzoxazole polymer.  
   
   
       100 . The assembly of  claim 98  wherein the fire barrier includes multiple layers.  
   
   
       101 . The assembly of  claim 98  wherein the fire barrier is configured to produce resist burn-through for at least a minute.  
   
   
       102 . The assembly of  claim 98  wherein the fire barrier includes a flame retardant that increases fire resistance of the fire barrier.  
   
   
       103 . The assembly of  claim 98  wherein the protective barrier includes one of: multiple layers, a woven material, and a felt.  
   
   
       104 . A method of protecting objects in the interior of an aircraft from damage due to projectile penetration, the aircraft including an inner panel, an outer shell and a protective barrier disposed between the inner panel and the outer shell, the method comprising: 
 fixedly positioning the protective barrier relative to the inner panel or the outer shell,    wherein fixedly positioning the protective barrier comprises loading the protective barrier such that the protective barrier breaks free of its fixed positioning before a projectile penetrates the protective barrier,    and wherein the projectile has sufficient energy to penetrate the inner panel or the outer shell of an aircraft; and    upon impact of the projectile with the protective barrier, pulling the protective barrier with the projectile such that the mass of the protective barrier or drag resistance of the protective barrier exerts a drag load on the projectile and slows the projectile.    
   
   
       105 . The method of  claim 104  wherein the projectile is produced as a result of an uncontained turbine engine failure for an engine included in the aircraft.  
   
   
       106 . The method of  claim 104  further comprising blunting the projectile with the protective barrier upon impact of the projectile with the protective barrier.  
   
   
       107 . The method of  claim 104  further comprising slowing the projectile with the protective barrier upon impact of the projectile with the protective barrier.  
   
   
       108 . The method of  claim 104  wherein the inner panel or the outer shell are included in a fuselage of the aircraft and fixedly positioning the protective barrier relative to the inner panel or the outer shell includes pinching the protective barrier between two components of the fuselage.  
   
   
       109 . A method of protecting objects in the interior of an aircraft from damage due to projectile penetration, the aircraft including an inner panel, an outer shell and a protective barrier disposed between the inner panel and the outer shell, the method comprising: 
 upon impact of the projectile with the protective barrier, pulling the protective barrier with the projectile such that the mass of the protective barrier or drag resistance of the protective barrier exerts a drag load on the projectile and slows the projectile; and    pulling a portion of the protective barrier through a hole created in the inner panel after the projectile penetrates through the inner panel.    
   
   
       110 . The method of  claim 109  further comprising blunting the projectile with the protective barrier upon impact of the projectile with the protective barrier.  
   
   
       111 . The method of  claim 109  further comprising slowing the projectile with the protective barrier upon impact of the projectile with the protective barrier.