New Body Armor Passes Tests

Nuke's news and comment ^ | 10/11/06 | nuke gingrich

[grandpa jones]

Experimental testing has demonstrated that the system 100 is effective to defeat an AP bullet fired from a rifle at point-blank range (e.g. at impact V.sub.p.apprxeq.850 meters/second). Applications include, but are not limited to, body armor for infantry soldiers and law enforcement agencies, integral armor or armor appliques for vehicles such as aircraft, helicopters, and cars. Other uses include military applications, such as used in conjunction with ground vehicles or amphibious assault vehicles. Thus, the system 100 for protection against a projectile 105 having a speed, or velocity V.sub.p, comprises an accelerating layer 110, a plug layer 120, and (optionally) an energy absorbing layer 130. Typically, the plug layer 120 is planar to the accelerating layer 110 and the energy absorbing layer 130 is planar to the plug layer 120. The plug layer 120 includes at least one plug 140. These layers may be adjacent with perhaps an air gap between, but the same concepts could be applied to embodiments with intermediate layers. It is also possible to make the layers non-planar, such as for conforming or conformable clothing or other armoring.

[Triggerhippie]

And no trauma plate? That's pretty good.

[Terabitten]

The patent is from 2004. This is the basic idea behind Dragonskin armor. It's a bunch of small metal scales, basically.

[grandpa jones]

updated info from newscientist

"The new vest has three layers: a top ceramic section, a middle layer of aluminium, and bottom layer of woven nylon. The aluminium is pre-scored to define interlocking plugs, like the pieces of a jigsaw. As an armour-piercing bullet hits the top layer, the ceramic strike the aluminium below like a hammer, and frees one of the plugs. When the bullet breaks through the ceramics a split second later it hits the free plug, which wraps round its sharp tip. The bullet then has a wide, soft tip that is easily trapped by the nylon below."

[Atlas Sneezed]

This is what the patent protects:

1. A multi-layered armor for protecting a target against a projectile having a projectile velocity directed at the target, comprising:

an outer accelerating layer;

a plug layer adjacent the accelerating layer, the plug layer having an array of plugs; and

an energy absorbing layer adjacent to the plug layer;

wherein the accelerating layer is operable to initially receive the impact of the projectile, and to accelerate at least one plug of the array of plugs such that the plug thereby accelerated is in motion before the projectile strikes the plug;

wherein the plugs are made from a material different from the accelerating layer and after any plug is impacted by the projectile, that plug is operable to obtain the velocity of the projectile before the projectile perforates the plug;

wherein a projectile-plug combination is formed before the projectile perforates the plug, such that the projectile-plug combination increases the presented area of impact to an area greater than that of the projectile when the projectile-plug combination reaches the energy absorbing layer.

[Dead Corpse]

Interesting. I wonder what 62gr SS109 loaded to a bit over 2900fps would do.

[toddst]

Well, this vest might allow one to survive, but based on experience it's still serious "ouch" time.

[Dan Evans]

"When the bullet breaks through the ceramics a split second later it hits the free plug, which wraps round its sharp tip. The bullet then has a wide, soft tip that is easily trapped by the nylon below."

A catcher's mitt for bullets. Cool.

[archy]

And no trauma plate? That's pretty good.

Sorry, soldiers. You can't wear anything but official issue body armor. [Our buddies in procurement don't get their kickbacks when you buy *better than GI issue.*

The Israelis are getting interested in Pinnacle Armor's *DragonSkin* body armor though.

[Triggerhippie]

But Law Enforcement can...