Bullet Resistant Panel Member

Abstract

A bullet resistant panel member for protecting an object, for example a vehicle, from a projectile comprises inner and outer skin layers receiving a plurality of intermediate layers of woven aramid fibres therebetween. The inner and outer skin layers comprises rigid sheets of material arranged to conform to a shape of the object to be protected. Fastening members span under tension between the outer skin layer and the inner skin layer such that the intermediate layers are compressed under pressure between the outer skin layer and the inner skin layer.

1 . A bullet resistant panel member for protecting an object from a projectile, the panel member comprising:
 an outer skin layer comprising a rigid sheet of material arranged for facing outwardly away from the object;   an inner skin layer comprising a rigid sheet of material arranged for facing inwardly towards the object;   a plurality of intermediate layers between the outer skin layer and the inner skin layer, each intermediate layer spanning generally in a direction of the outer skin layer and the inner skin layer, and each intermediate layer comprising a woven material of aramid fibers; and   a plurality of fastening members connected under tension between the outer skin layer and the inner skin layer such that the intermediate layers are compressed under pressure between the outer skin layer and the inner skin layer.   
     
     
         2 . The panel member according to  claim 1  wherein each intermediate layer comprises a sheet of Kevlar™ material. 
     
     
         3 . The panel member according to  claim 1  wherein the fastening members maintain the intermediate layers under a pressure of greater than 500 psi. 
     
     
         4 . The panel member according to  claim 1  wherein the fastening members maintain the intermediate layers under a pressure greater than 1000 psi. 
     
     
         5 . The panel member according to  claim 1  wherein the fastening members are arranged to maintain the intermediate layers under a pressure near 2500 psi. 
     
     
         6 . The panel member according to  claim 1  wherein the fastening members are arranged to compress the intermediate layers to a combined thickness which is near half a thickness of the intermediate layers between the inner and outer skin layers before compression. 
     
     
         7 . The panel member according to  claim 1  wherein the compressed intermediate layers have a thickness between the inner and outer skin layers which is generally within a range of one to two inches. 
     
     
         8 . The panel member according to  claim 1  wherein there are provided near 200 or greater intermediate layers. 
     
     
         9 . The panel member according to  claim 1  wherein the inner and outer skin layers comprise a rigid metal. 
     
     
         10 . The panel member according to  claim 9  wherein the outer skin layer is formed of a softer metal than the inner skin layer. 
     
     
         11 . The panel member according to  claim 1  wherein the fastening members comprise threaded mechanical fasteners. 
     
     
         12 . The panel member according to  claim 1  wherein the fastening members are arranged in a spaced apart grid pattern relative to one another. 
     
     
         13 . The panel member according to  claim 1  wherein the fastening members are oriented at various inclinations from an axis extending perpendicularly between the outer and inner skin layers such that some of the fastening members are non-parallel to other ones of the fastening members. 
     
     
         14 . The panel member according to  claim 1  wherein the fastening members are arranged in pairs which extend from the outer skin layer to the inner skin layer angularly offset in diametrically opposed directions from an axis extending perpendicularly between the outer and inner skin layers. 
     
     
         15 . The panel member according to  claim 1  wherein the fastening members are received through preformed apertures formed in the intermediate layers. 
     
     
         16 . The panel member according to  claim 1  in combination with an object to be protected having a non-planar surface wherein the inner and outer skin layers are shaped so as to conform to a shape of the non-planar surface of said object to be protected such that the inner and outer skin Layers are evenly spaced apart from one another along a width and a length thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The panel member according to  claim 16  wherein the object to be protected comprises a vehicle and the non-planar surface is a portion of the body of the vehicle and wherein the inner and outer skin layers are shaped to conform to the non-planar surface forming the portion of the body of the vehicle. 
     
     
         18 . The panel member according to  claim 17  wherein the inner and outer skin layers are arranged to be continuous across a length and a width of the vehicle. 
     
     
         19 . The panel member according to  claim 1  wherein some of the intermediate layers adjacent the inner skin layer have greater dimension in a direction the inner skin layer extends than other ones of the intermediate layers nearer to the outer skin layer. 
     
     
         20 . The panel member according to  claim 1  wherein each intermediate layer is progressively larger in dimension in a direction that the skin layers span than a previous one of the intermediate layers from the outer skin layer to the inner skin layer.