# US 11,440,684 B2 · Micrometeoroid and orbital debris shield pillow for protecting flexible thin-walled structures from through-and-through penetration damage > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,440,684 B2 - Document ID: US11440684B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/829,369 - Filed: 2020-03-25 - Published: 2021-09-30 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-25 - Assignees: The Boeing Company - Applicants: The Boeing Company - Inventors: Tristan C. Moody - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11440684B2 ## CPC - B64G 1/56: Protection against meteoroids or space debris - B32B 5/26: another layer {next to it} also being fibrous or filamentary {(relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of different layers B32B5/12)} - B64G: COSMONAUTICS; VEHICLES OR EQUIPMENT THEREFOR - B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM ## Abstract Segmented shields are disclosed comprising material combinations and rolled configurations to impede and mitigate through-and-through penetration damage of a structure incorporating the segmented shields from the damage resulting from the impact of high-velocity micro-meteoroids and orbital debris particulate. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising: a housing, said housing comprising a housing inner surface and a housing outer surface; the housing inner surface comprising: a plurality of shield segments, said plurality of shield segments oriented proximate to the housing inner surface to form a segmented shield, said shield segments comprising: a first material component, said first material component comprising a first fiber material, said first fiber material having a tensile strength of at least about 3620 MPa and a relative density of about 1.44, said first material component having a first material component thickness; and a second material component, said second material component comprising a second fiber material that is different from the first fiber material, said second fiber material comprising a continuous filament ceramic material, said second material component having a second material component thickness, said second fiber material configured to substantially surround the first material component; a third material component, said third material component comprising a third fiber material, said third fiber material comprising a silica fiber cloth material, said third fiber material configured to substantially surround the second fiber material; wherein the first material component is configured into a first material component rolled configuration comprising the first material component thickness, and said first material component rolled configuration further comprising an inner core, said inner core bounded by the first material component; and wherein the second material component is configured into a rolled configuration about the first material component thickness. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a predetermined amount of open cell foam material, said predetermined amount of open cell foam material oriented within the inner core, said predetermined amount of open cell foam material substantially surrounded by the first material component in the rolled configuration. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first fiber material comprises poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second fiber material comprises aluminum oxide. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second fiber material comprises a continuous filament aluminum oxide material. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first material component comprises about 70 layers of first material component. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second material component comprises a predetermined number of second material component layers ranging from about 8 to about 12 layers. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of shield segments are configured to prevent a particle breaching a first section of the housing from subsequently breaching a second section of the housing; wherein said particle has an average diameter ranging from about 1 mm to about 3 mm; and wherein said particle travels at a velocity ranging from about 1 km/sec. to about 70 km/sec. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the third fiber material comprises a silica fiber cloth material. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, where said housing is configured to convert from a planar housing stowed state to a cylindrical housing deployed state. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the silica fiber cloth material comprises polytetrafluoroethylene. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the plurality of shield segments in the planar housing stowed state are configured to form a segmented shield in the cylindrical housing deployed state. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the plurality of shield segments in the housing stowed state are spaced apart a predetermined distance. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A vehicle comprising the apparatus of claim 1. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The vehicle of claim 14, where the vehicle is selected from at least one of: a crewed aircraft; an uncrewed aircraft; a crewed spacecraft; an uncrewed spacecraft; a crewed rotorcraft; an uncrewed rotorcraft; a crewed satellite, an uncrewed satellite; a crewed terrestrial vehicle; an uncrewed terrestrial vehicle; a crewed surface waterborne vehicle; an uncrewed surface waterborne vehicle; a crewed sub-surface waterborne vehicle; an uncrewed sub-surface waterborne vehicle, a hovercraft, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 16 A method for preventing through-and-through penetration of a housing by a high-velocity particle, the method comprising: providing a housing, said housing comprising a housing inner surface and a housing outer surface; orienting a segmented shield proximate to the housing inner surface, said segmented shield comprising: a first material component, said first material component comprising a first fiber material, said first fiber material having a tensile strength of at least about 3620 MPa and a relative density of about 1.44, said first material component having a first material component thickness; and a second material component, said second material component comprising a second fiber material that is different from the first fiber material, said second fiber material comprising a continuous filament ceramic material, said second material component having a second material component thickness, said second material component configured to substantially surround the first material component; a third material component, said third material component comprising a third fiber material, said third fiber material comprising a silica fiber cloth material, said third material component configured to substantially surround the second fiber material; wherein the first material component is configured into a rolled configuration comprising the first material component thickness, and said rolled configuration further comprising an inner core said inner core bounded by the first material component; and wherein the second material component is configured into a rolled configuration about the first material component thickness. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, in the step of orienting a segmented shield proximate to the housing inner surface, said segmented shield comprising further comprising: a predetermined amount of open cell foam material, said predetermined amount of open cell foam material oriented within the inner core, said predetermined amount of open cell foam material substantially surrounded by the first material component in the rolled configuration. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the first fiber material comprises poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the second fiber material comprises aluminum oxide. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the second fiber material comprises a continuous filament aluminum oxide material. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the third fiber material comprises a silica fiber cloth material. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, wherein the silica fiber cloth material comprises polytetrafluoroethylene.