Composite floor armor for military tanks and the like
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
InventorAnthony S. Miguel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A novel composite armor for armored vehicles which attenuates mine blast loading better than monolithic steel armor plate of equal areal density without structural fracture. The disclosed composite armor, particularly used as vehicle floor armor, is designed so as to greatly enhance not only crew survivability, by markedly reduced compressive shock effect, but also vehicular integrity. The novel composite armor in most preferred embodiments comprises layers of high density steel honeycomb, balsa wood, and ballistic-resistant nylon such as KEVLAR, sandwiched in various arrangements between outer layers of steel armor plate.
Claims17
A novel composite armor assembly adaptable for use in belly hulls and walls of various vehicles to protect its personnel and other vital compartments, said composite armor assembly comprising a plurality of at least two intermediate layers of various kinetic-energy-absorbing media of differing densities contained between innermost and outermost layers of armor steel plate;
- and at least one of said intermediate media layers including a balsa wood layer being cut and disposed so that its grain is essentially perpendicular to major planes of the assembled composite layers and is essentially parallel to the major force direction of a potential explosive shock wave load.
A novel composite armor assembly adaptable for use in belly hulls and walls of various vehicles to protect its personnel and other vital compartments, said composite armor assembly comprising plural intermediate layers of various kinetic-energy-absorbing media of differing densities contained between innermost and outermost layers of armor steel plate;
- said intermediate layers including media layers of balsa wood, steel honeycomb, and an at least semiflexible reinforced ballistic-resistant fabric, and wherein said layer of balsa wood is planar in form and approximately the same thickness as said innermost steel plate, with said balsa wood layer being cut and disposed so that its grain is essentially perpendicular to major planes of the assembled composite layers and is essentially parallel to the major force direction of a potential explosive shock wave load.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.