Ballistic Lightweight ceramic armor with resistant devices based on geometric shapes

Abstract

A method for forming a ballistic-impact armor structure Improved composite armor designs use optimally shaped ceramic cross-pellets and a web system for patterning the cross-pellets, improving manufacturability, and providing additional structural reinforcement. The result is lightweight, composite hybrid structures A dense, hard body having good fracture toughness, hardness and a high capacity to absorb impacts for ballistic protection particularly suited to tactical ground vehicles.

1 . Lightweight, composite ballistic armor, comprising: an array of ceramic cross-pellets, each cross-pellet having good fracture toughness, hardness and a high capacity to dissipating kinetic energy from high-velocity projectiles and absorb impacts, comprising: a front plate; a back plate; a flexible support structure disposed between the front and back plates; and fasteners for joining the front and back plates through the support structure: the front and back surface of each cross-pellet is intentionally convex bound in a plurality of rows and columns. 
     
     
         2 . The armor of  claim 1 , wherein the front plate includes a layer of ceramic cross-pellets The method of ceramic composite wherein said mixture includes (alumina or Al.sub.2O.sub.3), boron carbide (B.sub.4C), boron nitride (BN), silicon carbide (SiC), silicon nitride (Si.sub.3N.sub.4), and zirconium oxide (zirconia or ZrO.sub.2). 
     
     
         3 . A ballistic-impact armor structure which is formed in accordance with the methodology of  claim 1  wherein the front plate includes a layer of ceramic cross-pellets embedded in a matrix. 
     
     
         4 . An armor of  claim 1 , wherein: the front plate includes a layer of ceramic cross-pellets held in position with cross-pellets and net embedded in a matrix which comprises a structure having a thickness sufficient to stop a bullet impacting against a surface of greater dimensions than such thickness and oriented generally perpendicular thereto. 
     
     
         5 . The armor of  claim 1 , wherein the front plate includes a layer of ceramic cross-pellets. 
     
     
         6 . The armor of  claim 1  further comprising a shock absorbing layer disposed between the back plates the front plate includes a layer of ceramic cross-pellets embedded in a matrix. 
     
     
         7 . The armor of  claim 1 , wherein: the front plate includes a layer of ceramic cross-pellets arranged in close-packed matrix. 
     
     
         8 . The armor of  claim 1 , wherein the front plate includes a layer of cylindrical ceramic cross-pellets. 
     
     
         9 . The projectile resistant device of  claim 1  wherein the first component comprises woven carbon fabric adhered to a back surface of the ceramic component or one layer or more of the following: fiberglass, aramid fabric, metallic sheet, carbon or other fibers in hard matrix, wherein the front plate includes a layer of cylindrical ceramic cross-pellets embedded in a matrix. 
     
     
         10 . The fabric of  claim 9 , wherein the high-tensile strength fabric is made of polymeric threads selected from the group comprising aramid threads, polyester threads, synthetic threads, aramid fibers, ultra high resistance polyethylene fibers, thread fibers, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The armor of  claim 1 , wherein: the front plate includes a layer of ceramic cross-pellets arranged in a hexagonal, close-packed matrix. 
     
     
         12 . The armor of  claim 1 , wherein the front plate includes a layer of geometric interlocking ceramic cross-pellets each with a plurality of flat surfaces. 
     
     
         13 . The armor of  claim 1 , wherein the back plate is itself a composite structure including opposing panels filled with a resin impregnated matrix of stuffers. 
     
     
         14 . The armor of  claim 1 , wherein the back plate and front plates are co-extensive. 
     
     
         15 . The armor of  claim 1 , wherein the armor includes a plurality of attached front and back plates, resulting in a hinged sheet that can be draped over a vehicle or other thing to be protected. 
     
     
         16 . The armor of  claim 1 , wherein cross-pellet shape the side arch which connect with adjacent cross pellet as described in  FIG. 12 , to be flat edge which conclude in eliminating said valley space as described in  FIG. 3 . 
     
     
         17 . A composite armor plate according to  claim 1 , characterized in that a channel is provided in a plurality of said cross-pellets to reduce the weight per area thereof.