Lightweight armor

Abstract

A lightweight armor system senses a shock wave from an explosive and deploys an inflatable barrier before the arrival of shrapnel from the explosion. The sensor is tuned to frequencies associated with shock waves generated by known Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). The shock waves travel at between 25,000 and 30,000 feet per second and arrives at a vehicle before the shrapnel generated by the IED. The sensor generates a signal which is amplified and provided to a plurality of initiators in a plurality of nested pods. The nested pods inflate rapidly and form a barrier over areas requiring protection from the shrapnel.

1 . Lightweight armor comprising:
 a base for mounting the armor;   deployable armor residing in the base before deployment and expanding vertically when deployed;   a deployment circuit comprising:
 a shock wave sensor; and 
 a power amplifier electrically connected to the sensor for amplifying a signal from the sensor; and 
   a motive source for the deployable armor electrically connected to the power amplifier and providing.   
   
   
       2 . The lightweight armor of  claim 1 , wherein the deployable armor comprises a plurality of vertically overlapping deployable pods. 
   
   
       3 . The lightweight armor of  claim 2 , wherein the deployable armor comprises a plurality of nested pods prior to deployment. 
   
   
       4 . The lightweight armor of  claim 3 , wherein the deployable armor comprises a plurality of nested pods and the motive source comprises individual independent gas sources. 
   
   
       5 . The lightweight armor of  claim 3 , wherein the deployable armor comprises a plurality of nested pods comprising a pan with a base and sides and armor plates around the sides. 
   
   
       6 . The lightweight armor of  claim 5 , wherein the nested pods are connected by ballistic grade cloth strips. 
   
   
       7 . The lightweight armor of  claim 6 , wherein the armor plate are aramid fiber plates and the cloth strips are aramid fiber cloth strips. 
   
   
       8 . Lightweight armor comprising:
 a base for mounting the armor;   a plurality of nested pods residing in the base before deployment and expanding vertically when deployed;   aramid fiber armor surrounding each pod aramid fiber cloth connecting and covering consecutive pods and limiting the vertical travel of the pods to provide an overlap of consecutive pods.   a deployment circuit comprising:
 a shock wave sensor; and 
 a power amplifier electrically connected to the sensor for amplifying a signal from the sensor; and 
   a gas source for each pod for inflating the inflatable armor, the gas source electrically connected to the power amplifier.