System and method for dissipating impact momentum and blast wave energy

Abstract

The invented device forms a flexible planar or nonplanar blast surface that is oriented to receive and dissipate energy and restrict penetrations received from objects, projectiles and/or blast waves received from and along a vector path. A flexible assembly forms a blast surface having a multitude of pinned or semi-pinned elongate entangled staples, wherein a multiplicity of the staples extend at least partially along a vector path, wherein the vector path is oriented perpendicularly relative to the blast surface. A flexible particulate assembly comprising a multitude of adjoining pinned, semi-pinned and/or semi-static particles assembled together to present interstitial areas no larger than the diameter of a selected projectile; and a flexible binding medium integrated with the multitude of adjoining particles and adapted to maintain the multitude of adjoining particles in a flexible semi-pinned semi-static array.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A flexible fabric comprising a multitude of elongate entangled staples (“staples”), wherein each staple of a multiplicity of staples of the multitude of staples comprises a partial length that extends in a substantively parallel orientation. 
     
     
         2 . The flexible fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the multitude of staples is present in the flexible fabric at an areal density of greater than 0.50 ounce per square foot. 
     
     
         3 . The flexible fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible fabric is positioned between an entity and a shielding element. 
     
     
         4 . The flexible fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the entity is a human being. 
     
     
         5 . The flexible fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the multiplicity of the staples comprises a fire retardant. 
     
     
         6 . The flexible fabric of  claim 1 , wherein each of the multiplicity of staples present an elongate dimension greater than 0.5 inches. 
     
     
         7 . The flexible fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the multiplicity of the staples comprises a material, in combination or in singularity, selected from the material group of a polymer, a metal, a metal alloy, a ceramic and a basalt component. 
     
     
         8 . The flexible fabric of  claim 7 , wherein the multitude of staples is present in the flexible fabric at an areal density of greater than 0.50 ounce per square foot. 
     
     
         9 . The flexible fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the multitude of staples further comprises a second multiplicity of staples, wherein the second multiplicity of staples is distributed to at least partially extend linearly in a range of orientations, wherein the range extends from parallel to the multiplicity of partial lengths of the first multiplicity of staples to orthogonal to the multiplicity of partial lengths of the multiplicity of staples. 
     
     
         10 . The flexible fabric of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a coupling edge formed within an edge of the flexible fabric; and   a coupling feature attached to the coupling edge, wherein the coupling feature is adapted to enable the flexible fabric to be positioned vertically, whereby the partial lengths of the multiplicity of staples is positioned to be parallel to a horizontal ground plane.   
     
     
         11 . The flexible fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the multiplicity of staples is formed into a semi-pinned state. 
     
     
         12 . A flexible fabric comprising a multitude of entangled staples (“staples”), comprising:
 a first fabric of a first multiplicity of the staples that comprises lengths extending in a substantively parallel orientation; 
 a second fabric of a second multiplicity of the staples that comprise lengths extending in a substantively parallel orientation; 
 an intermediate layer, the intermediate layer disposed between the first fabric and the second fabric; and 
 a stitching, the stitching multiply stitching together and extending through the first fabric, the intermediate layer, and the second fabric. 
 
     
     
         13 . The flexible fabric of  claim 12 , wherein the first multiplicity of staples is formed in a static state. 
     
     
         14 . The flexible fabric of  claim 13 , wherein the second multiplicity of staples is formed in a semi-pinned semi-static state. 
     
     
         16 . The flexible fabric of  claim 12 , wherein the intermediate layer comprises a woven fabric. 
     
     
         17 . The flexible fabric of  claim 16 , wherein the woven fabric comprises a multiplicity of woven sheets. 
     
     
         18 . The flexible fabric of  claim 12 , the first fabric further comprising an additional multiplicity of staples, wherein the additional multiplicity of staples distributed to extend in a range of orientations in reference to the vector path, wherein the range extends from parallel to the multiplicity of parallel lengths of the first multiplicity of staples to orthogonal to the orthogonal to the parallel lengths of the first multiplicity of staples. 
     
     
         19 . The flexible fabric of  claim 12 , the second fabric further comprising an alternate multiplicity of staples, wherein the alternate multiplicity of staples distributed to extend in a range of orientations in reference to the vector path, wherein the range extends from parallel to the multiplicity of parallel lengths of the first multiplicity of staples to orthogonal to the orthogonal to the parallel lengths of the first multiplicity of staples. 
     
     
         20 . A flexible particulate structure comprising:
 a multitude of adjoining particles, the adjoining particles assembled together to present interstitial areas no larger than the diameter of a selected projectile; and   a flexible binding medium, the flexible binding medium integrated with the multitude of adjoining particles and adapted to maintain the multitude of adjoining particles in a flexible semi-pinned semi-static array.   
     
     
         21 . The flexible particulate structure of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 the flexible particulate structure forming an internal surface; and   an energy capturing layer positioned along the internal surface, the energy capturing layer comprising a multitude of elongate entangled staples (“staples”), wherein each staple of a multiplicity of the staples of the multitude of staples each comprise one or more partial lengths that extend in a substantively parallel orientation normal to the adjoining surface.   
     
     
         22 . The flexible particulate structure of  claim 20 , wherein a multiplicity of adjoining particles is substantively spherical. 
     
     
         23 . The flexible particulate structure of  claim 20 , wherein a multiplicity of adjoining particles is substantively semi-spherical. 
     
     
         24 . The flexible particulate structure of  claim 20 , wherein a multitude of adjoining particles is substantively semi-spherical and comprises an outer layer and a filler element, wherein the outer layer is oriented proximally toward a predicted path of travel of the selected projectile. 
     
     
         25 . The flexible particulate structure of  claim 24 , wherein the filler element is highly compressive. 
     
     
         26 . The flexible particulate structure of  claim 20 , wherein the filler element is flame retardant. 
     
     
         32 . The flexible particulate structure of  claim 20 , wherein the flexible semi-pinned semi-static array forms a multiplicity of layers of adjoining particles.