Ballistic panel

Abstract

A structural sandwich panel including a structural sheet bonded to two adjacent sheets with a plurality of spaced columnar projections extending perpendicularly from a local face from the sheets. The sectional panel may be interposed in a void of a double-wall ballistic sandwich panel. The panel provides an interconnected interstitial space between layers that may serve as a filler space for the placement of force diffusing material such as ball bearings to deflect and defeat any projectile when used as a ballistic panel in light amour vehicles, water craft, personnel protection and building structure or equipment, but also provides maximized structural rigidity in the length and width direction of a product.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A ballistic panel comprising:
 a sectional sheet having a plurality of spaced projections extending perpendicularly from a local face from said sheet, wherein said projections are configured to provide an interstitial space in said sectional sheet;   an upper layer strike plate and a lower layer backing plate, said upper strike plate and said lower backing plate being connected to said sectional sheet to sandwich said sectional sheet and said projections; and   a force diffusing insert inserted into said interstitial space.   
     
     
         2 . The panel of  claim 1  wherein each of the said projections comprises a columnar wall extending from said sheet and connecting to a base, said base being parallel to said local face, said columnar wall extending from said sheet with an initial radius of 40 mm, said base being connected to said upper strike plate 
     
     
         3 . The panel of  claim 2  wherein said columnar wall extends from said sheet in the form of a dome with a common radius and a flat base. 
     
     
         4 . The panel of  claim 2  wherein said projections are hollow up to said base. 
     
     
         5 . The panel of  claim 1  wherein said projections are regularly spaced along said sheet. 
     
     
         6 . The panel of  claim 5  wherein said regular spacing of the projections in a width of said sheet is 100 mm and said regular spacing of the projections in a length of said sheet is 100 mm. 
     
     
         7 . The panel of  claim 1  wherein said projections are irregularly spaced along said sheet. 
     
     
         8 . The panel of  claim 2  wherein said base is circular in shape. 
     
     
         9 . The panel of  claim 2  wherein said base is a non-infinite polygon in shape. 
     
     
         10 . The panel of  claim 1  wherein said projections are shaped to resemble a dome with a base and an open top at the said sheet. 
     
     
         11 . The panel of  claim 10  wherein said dome shape has a diameter of 55 mm at said open top, a base diameter of 36 mm, a depth of 16 mm from the open top to said base and an inside radius of 40 mm as measured from said center point of the open top to said columnar wall. 
     
     
         12 . The panel of  claim 1  wherein said projections all extend from the same side of said sheet. 
     
     
         13 . The panel of  claim 1  wherein each of said projections comprises a columnar wall extending from said sheet and connecting to a base, said base being parallel to said local face, said columnar wall extending from said sheet in the form of a dome. 
     
     
         14 . The panel of  claim 13  wherein said columnar wall extends from said sheet has a common radius equal to the diameter of the open top. 
     
     
         15 . The panel of  claim 13  wherein said projections are hollow up to said base. 
     
     
         16 . The panel of  claim 13  wherein said projections are regularly spaced along said sheet. 
     
     
         17 . The panel of  claim 13  wherein said regular spacing of the projections in a width of said sheet is 100 mm and said regular spacing of the projections in a length of said sheet is 100 mm. 
     
     
         18 . The panel of  claim 13  wherein said projections are irregularly spaced along said sheet. 
     
     
         19 . The panel of  claim 13  wherein said base is circular in shape. 
     
     
         20 . The panel of  claim 13  wherein said base is a non-infinite polygon in shape. 
     
     
         21 . The panel of  claim 1  wherein said projections are shaped to resemble a muffin cup shape with a base and an open top at the said sheet. 
     
     
         22 . The panel of  claim 21  wherein said dome has a diameter of 55 mm at said open top, a base diameter of 36 mm, a depth of 16 mm from the open top to said base and a radius of 40 mm as measured from said center point of the open top to said columnar wall. 
     
     
         23 . The panel of  claim 21  wherein said projections all extend from the same side of said sheet. 
     
     
         24 . A method of producing a ballistic panel comprising:
 providing a sectional sheet;   forming a plurality of spaced columnar projections extending perpendicularly from a local face from said sheet;   providing an upper layer strike plate and a lower layer backing plate; and   sandwiching said section sheet and said projections between said upper strike plate and said lower backing plate.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24  wherein forming said plurality of spaced columnar projections comprises placing said sheet over a mould. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25  further comprising placing said sheet and mould into a machine press or a rotation molding machine. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26  further comprising the application of conventional fabrication techniques with contact molding, compression molding, vacuum bagging, vacuum infusion process and resin transfer molding. 
     
     
         28 . Use of a sectional sheet for ballistic protection, said sectional sheet comprising a plurality of spaced columnar projections extending perpendicularly from a local face from said sheet.