Protective material

Abstract

A material that is capable of stopping high-speed projectiles but yet is sufficiently flexible for use in various applications, such as to be used in footwear to protect a person's feet, especially the bottoms thereof is achieved by an enhanced ballistic material formed from interleaving layers of a ballistic material and layers of a gel matrix material that remains relatively soft and flexible. The ballistic material layer may be high tensile strength synthetic or polymeric fibers that are arranged in a mesh weave. Preferably the gel matrix material is capable of investing the ballistic material, e.g., by having the gel matrix material fill the interstices of the fibers, which may be achieved through the use of to heat and/or pressure. Furthermore, the combined material, i.e., the enhanced ballistic material, may be shaped, e.g., by molding.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A material adapted to stop high-speed projectiles, said material comprising a plurality of layers of woven high tensile strength fibers interleaved amongst a plurality of gel matrix material layers, said layers of high tensile fibers and gel matrix material being fused together, such that said material is flexible; and
 wherein the stopping power of the resulting fused multilayer structure with respect to high-speed projectiles is greater than the stopping power with respect to high-speed projectiles of the number of layers of high tensile strength fibers in said material alone; and   wherein said interleaved layers of woven high tensile strength fibers and gel matrix material were fused together in a mold such that said material is molded into, and retains, a molded three-dimensional shape.   
     
     
         2 . The invention as defined in  claim 1  wherein said molded three-dimensional shape is nonplanar. 
     
     
         3 . The invention as defined in  claim 1  wherein said high tensile strength fibers are synthetic fibers. 
     
     
         4 . The invention as defined in  claim 1  wherein said high tensile strength fibers are polymeric fibers. 
     
     
         5 . The invention as defined in  claim 1  wherein each layer of said woven high tensile strength fibers includes high tensile strength fibers from at least one of the group of high tensile strength fiber types consisting of: (i) a para-aramid and (ii) an ultra high molecular weight polyethylene. 
     
     
         6 . The invention as defined in  claim 1  wherein said gel matrix impregnates said fibers. 
     
     
         7 . The invention as defined in  claim 1  wherein said fibers are invested by the gel matrix. 
     
     
         8 . The invention as defined in  claim 1  wherein said gel matrix material is a thermoplastic. 
     
     
         9 . The invention as defined in  claim 1  wherein said the gel matrix material is one from the group consisting of: (i) ethylene vinyl acetate, CAS# 24937-78-8, (ii) neoprene, (iii) rubber, (iv) nylon, (v) latex, (vi) silicone rubber, (vii) polyvinylchloride, (viii) polyether, (ix) silicone, and (x) polyurethane. 
     
     
         10 . The invention as defined in  claim 1  wherein said interleaved layers of woven high tensile strength fibers and gel matrix material were fused together using at least one of (i) heat and (ii) pressure. 
     
     
         11 . The invention as defined in  claim 1  wherein said interleaved layers of woven high tensile strength fibers and gel matrix material were fused together so as to form a unitary structure. 
     
     
         12 . The invention as defined in  claim 1  wherein said material alone provides for antiballistic protection against said high-speed projectiles for an article into which said material is incorporated. 
     
     
         13 . A material adapted to stop high-speed projectiles, said material comprising a plurality of layers of woven high tensile strength fibers interleaved with a plurality of gel layers, said interleaved layers forming said material being fused together as a result of the application of at least one of (i) heat and (ii) pressure such that said material is flexible and wherein the stopping power with respect to high-speed projectiles of the resulting multilayer fused structure of said material is greater with respect to high-speed projectiles than the stopping power of the number of layers of high tensile strength fibers in said material alone; and
 wherein said interleaved layers of woven high tensile strength fibers and gel matrix material were fused together in a mold such that said material is molded into, and retains, a molded three-dimensional shape.   
     
     
         14 . The invention as defined in  claim 13  wherein said molded three-dimensional shape is nonplanar. 
     
     
         15 . The invention as defined in  claim 13  wherein each of said gel layers is comprised of at least one gel matrix material. 
     
     
         16 . The invention as defined in  claim 11  wherein said material alone provides for antiballistic protection against said high-speed projectiles for an article into which said material is incorporated. 
     
     
         17 . A material adapted to stop high-speed projectiles, said material comprising a plurality of weave layers each being interleaved by one or more gel layers, said layers being fused together;
 wherein said interleaved layers of woven high tensile strength fibers and gel matrix material were fused together in a mold such that said material is molded into, and retains a molded three-dimensional shape.   
     
     
         18 . The invention as defined in  claim 17  wherein said three-dimensional molded shape is nonplanar. 
     
     
         19 . The invention as defined in  claim 17  wherein said material alone provides for antiballistic protection against said high-speed projectiles for an article into which said material is incorporated.