Vessel and insert armor system

Abstract

A vessel-based armor system is disclosed that comprises an outer vessel element and a ballistic protection element enclosed within. The vessel itself does not provide protection from ballistic threats; rather, the protective element within the vessel mitigates the ballistic threat. The vessel provides housing for the internal protective element. The design of the vessel permits the insertion and removal of the protective element and the replacement with a different protective element. In the primary embodiment, the protective element is an armored insert comprising at least one ballistic resistant plate (or panel). A preferred embodiment of the armored insert comprises a series of offset panels or plates thereby forming a spaced armor arrangement within the vessel. The same vessel is capable of accepting fill material, strata of fill material and armor interstitial plates, or a liquid, thereby increasing the flexibility of use, range of cost, weight, and setup time in the deployment of the armor system.

Having thus described the invention, what is desired to be protected by Letters Patent is presented in the subsequently appended claims: 
     
         1 . An armor system, comprising:
 a) at least one vessel element, comprising at least three sidewalls at least partially enclosing a space therewithin, the depth of each sidewall being approximately equal to that of each of the other sidewalls; wherein each of said sidewalls is attached to at least two other sidewalls to form an outer perimeter of at least one closed shape; wherein the sidewalls form at least one compartment; said at least one compartment comprising a partially enclosed internal volume having a top opening, a bottom opening, and a perimeter established by the combined sidewalls;   b) an internal ballistic protective element comprising at least one object, disposed in said partially enclosed internal volume for mitigating a ballistic threat; and   c) a containment system comprising at least one enclosure surface for at least one of the openings created by the combined sidewalls; each enclosure surface comprising a planar surface having the shape and dimensions of the outside perimeter of at least one of the openings formed by the combined vessel sidewalls; said planar surfaces being fastened or formed in place to contain at least one of the openings of the enclosed internal volume of the vessel element.   
     
     
         2 . The armor system of  claim 1 , wherein at least two enclosure surfaces along with the at least one vessel element fully enclose the space created by the vessel element sidewalls; each vessel opening being sealed by at least one enclosure surface; wherein at least one of the enclosure surfaces may be temporarily removed to allow access to the space created by the combined vessel element sidewalls. 
     
     
         3 . The armor system of  claim 2 , wherein each removable enclosure surface of the containment system further comprises containment side-skirting comprising at least one flange attached orthogonally along an outer perimeter of the planer surface of the enclosure surface, wherein said planer surface is dimensioned to permit the side-skirting to at least partially envelop at least one side of the outer sidewalls of the vessel element. 
     
     
         4 . The armor system of  claim 2 , wherein said internal ballistic protection element comprises particle fill comprising at least one of: synthetic granular elements, naturally occurring organic, and mineral elements, wherein the areas of contact between the outer perimeter sidewalls and the containment system form a seal, thereby obstructing leaking of the particle fill from the interior volume of the vessel. 
     
     
         5 . The armor system of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one vessel element comprises at least two sets of parallel sidewalls; each set comprising at least two sidewalls; one set of sidewalls running perpendicular to and intersecting with the other set of parallel sidewalls to form a grid pattern, the number of parallel sidewalls within each sidewall set determining the number and arrangement of compartments within said vessel element. 
     
     
         6 . The armor system of  claim 1 , wherein the internal ballistic protection element comprises at least one plate or blocking element; the face perimeter of each plate or blocking element being the same shape and area of the interior perimeter of the compartment that said plate or blocking element occupies, allowing said at least one plate or blocking element to be contained within the volume of the compartment. 
     
     
         7 . The armor system of  claim 6 , further comprising a spacing system comprising at least one object that at least partially fills the volume of a compartment and aids in the mitigation of a ballistic threat by at least partially absorbing the energy of the ballistic threat through the deformation of said spacing system. 
     
     
         8 . The armor system of  claim 7 , wherein the spacing system comprises particle fill comprising at least one of: synthetic granular elements, naturally occurring organic, and mineral elements. 
     
     
         9 . The armor system of  claim 1 , wherein the internal ballistic protection element comprises at least two plates, offset and parallel from one another, such that a ballistic threat must pass through said plates in series; the face perimeter of each plate being approximately the same shape and area of the interior perimeter that the compartment said plate occupies, allowing said plates to be contained within the volume of the combined sidewalls. 
     
     
         10 . The armor system of  claim 9 , wherein the series of plates are offset by a rod spacing component comprising at least three spacing rods that run orthogonally off of the face of a plate to separate said plate from the next plate in series; the dimensional length of the spacing rods being less than the depth of the sidewalls, allowing the internal ballistic protection element to be contained within the compartment of said vessel element. 
     
     
         11 . The armor system of  claim 9 , wherein the plates are offset by a frame spacing component comprising at least three spacing rods that run orthogonally off of the face of at least one plate; each spacing rod being attached to at least one other spacing rod by at least one lateral framing rod member; the frame spacing component separating said plate from the next plate in series; the overall depth of frame spacing component being less than the depth of the vessel sidewalls, allowing the internal ballistic protection element to be contained within the compartment of said vessel element. 
     
     
         12 . The armor system of  claim 9 , wherein said plates are offset by particle fill comprising at least one of: synthetic granular elements, naturally occurring organic, and mineral elements, the particle fill separating each plate from the next plate in series; the volume of fill not exceeding the volume of the internal volume formed by the vessel sidewalls, thereby allowing the combined particle fill and plates to be contained completely within the compartment of said vessel.