Spaced transparent armor for a motorized vehicle
Transparent armor for a vehicle, featuring a sealed gap or space between two transparent armor components (10a 10ba), the gap or space created by positioning spacer material (12) between the components, and holding the components on the spacer material using a seal adhesive (16) serving as both a structural adhesive (for holding the armor components on the spacer material and so in a constant spaced apart relation) and a seal (for preventing air from entering the gap or space.
Reference is made to and priority claimed from U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/201,457 filed Dec. 11, 2008.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention pertains to the field of armor for motorized vehicles. More particularly, the present invention pertains to the field of spaced transparent armor used on vehicles for military or security force applications.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONVehicles used by the military or other security forces require armor to protect occupants from ballistic impacts, such as impacts by bullets, flying fragments, bomb fragments and bomb shock waves. Such armor may be opaque or transparent, with the latter serving as windows, often called transparent armor and sometimes called bullet-proof windows.
Such vehicular transparent armor is typically formed as a so-called lamination of a stack of layers of ballistic materials separated by so-called inter-layers of a PVC (poly-vinyl chloride) or urethane. The ballistic materials and inter-layers are assembled in a (loose) stack, and put into an autoclave (a chamber in which the temperature and pressure are kept to higher than ambient levels for a period of time), which causes the PVC and/or urethane inter-layers to conform to and adhere to the adjacent surfaces of ballistic materials, resulting in a rigid, transparent stack of the ballistic materials, often called a lamination of ballistic materials.
Such single-lamination vehicular transparent armor is typically much heavier than opaque armor per square foot of the same level of protection. Further, when such transparent armor stops a threat (e.g. stops a bullet), it can crack over so great an area as to no longer be useable as a window.
In the case of opaque armor, it is known that sometimes so-called spaced armor—panels of opaque armor components (each of which may be an assembly of various layers of different ballistic materials) held in spaced apart relation—is more effective, per unit weight, than a single panel of opaque armor. In the case of transparent armor for architectural applications, spaced transparent armor components—each typically a lamination of the same or different transparent ballistic materials separated from adjacent laminations by a gap or space—are used in order to provide insulation, and it is known that such transparent armor can be lighter, for the same protection, than a single-lamination (or single ballistic material, i.e. monolithic) transparent armor. However, the mechanical construction used in providing architectural spaced transparent armor cannot stand up to the forces of vibration and other forces encountered during vehicle operation, and so such constructions cannot be used as vehicular transparent armor. Even if such a transparent armor system could hold together, there is a high risk of moisture-bearing air getting into the gap or space between laminations.
Thus what is needed is spaced transparent armor suitable for use as windows on vehicles, i.e. spaced transparent armor that resists damage caused by forces of vibration and other forces likely to be experienced during vehicular operation.
SUMMARYThe invention provides a spaced transparent armor suitable for use in a vehicle, comprising two or more transparent armor components, each of which may be a different lamination of various ballistic materials or a single ballistic material, with each adjacent pair held in spaced apart relation by spacer material disposed along the periphery of and between the pair of armor components so as to form a gap or space between the pair, with all the armor components and all the spacer material held together by a seal adhesive, thereby keeping each gap or space sealed off from ambient air.
The following is a list of reference labels used in the drawings to label components of different embodiments of the invention, and the names of the indicated components.
- 10a transparent armor component or subassembly
- 10b transparent armor component or subassembly
- 12 spacer material
- 14 secondary seal
- 15 hydrophobic coating
- 16 seal adhesive
- 18 lateral support
- 19 glazing tape
- 20 tube for breather and/or pressure release system
- 22 gasket
- 24 vehicle window frame
- 61 silicone seal
- 62 setting block
- 63 window frame element
- 64 metallic frame element
- 65 fastener
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Either or both of the transparent armor components 10a 10b may comprise a single layer of material or may comprise a laminate of two or more layers of ballistic materials (two or more layers of ballistic materials, such as glass or borosilicate or some kinds of plastic, separated by so-called inter-layers of typically PVC or urethane, and laminated using an autoclave, to produce a single rigid structure). The transparent armor components 10a 10b may be identical in composition or may be of different compositions. For instance, one may be a single layer of glass and the other may be a laminate of multiple layers of glass or other ballistic materials.
The gap or space may be filled with simply air, or instead with one or another gas such as argon, in order to keep moisture out of the gap or space.
The seal adhesive 16 shown in
More specifically, the seal adhesive for the embodiment shown in
A one-part RTV, i.e. a so-called RTV-1 elastomer/silicone, may also be used for the embodiment shown in
Another possible seal adhesive material is any of a number of the urethane products manufactured by 3M™ such as those made available from R. S. Hughes, Inc. (distributors), accessible over the Internet as rshughes.com.
The spacer material 12 can be any material, such as a hard rubber, suitably sized, and may be disposed along the entire periphery of the armor components, or only in some places along the periphery. Another suitable spacer material that is sometimes suitable (depending on the desired gap or space between armor components) is so-called swiggle, used in architectural double-pane windows. Preferably, whatever is used as spacer material should include dessicant. Swiggle typically comes as an oscillating ribbon of aluminum, embedded in dessicant-bearing urethane.
Another type of spacer is a hollow aluminum tube, often of rectangular cross section, with holes through the tube sides, and dessicant inside the tube, and urethane or other sealant/adhesive on one side of the tube. Such a spacer is placed between window panes, or in the present invention, between armor components, with the urethane bearing side outermost, away from the gap or space between the armor components, and so that holes in the side of the tube facing inward toward the gap or space are open, thus exposing the dessicant to the air in the gap or space.
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As stated previously, the transparent armor components 10a 10b may be made of one material or a system of materials designed to be optically transparent, yet like traditional armor, protect from fragmentation or other ballistic impacts. As mentioned, the transparent armor components 10a 10b use layers of material such as glass separated by polymer interlayers, i.e. sheets of polymers (e.g. PVCs), that adhere the layers of glass together during a lamination process in which the layers of glass with the interlayer between them are placed in an autoclave for an autoclave cycle of operation, during which the assembly is exposed to elevated temperature and pressure.
In an illustrative transparent armor comprising two transparent armor components 10a 10b with a gap or space between the armor components, the layup is as follows:
First Transparent Armor Component:Layer 1: glass, 8 mm (0.25 inches) thick, 1.0 lbs.
Layer 2: PVB, 1 mm (0.025 inches) thick, 0.1 lbs.
Layer 3: glass, 8 mm (0.25 inches) thick, 1.0 lbs.
Layer 4: PVB, 1 mm (0.025 inches) thick, 0.1 lbs.
Layer 5: glass, 8 mm (0.25 inches) thick, 1.0 lbs.
Layer 6: plastic, 0.8 mm (0.025 inches) thick, 0.15 lbs. Gap: 10 mm
Second Transparent Armor Component:Layer 1: glass, 8 mm (0.25 inches) thick, 1.0 lbs.
Layer 2: PVB, 1 mm (0.025 inches) thick 0.1 lbs.
Layer 3: glass, 8 mm (0.25 inches) thick, 1.0 lbs.
Layer 4: PVB, 1 mm (0.025 inches) thick, 0.1 lbs.
Layer 5: glass, 8 mm (0.25 inches) thick, 1.0 lbs.
Layer 6: plastic, 0.6 mm (0.025 inches) thick, 0.15 lbs.
The above illustrative armor composition should not be construed to limit transparent armor according to the invention to two transparent armor components and a single gap or space. Transparent armor according to the invention has a minimum of two transparent armor components separated by a gap or space, but may have more transparent armor components, each armor separated from the next by another gap or space. The single gap or space described above is 10 mm, but in some embodiments may be larger or smaller, although it typically at least 5 mm, and in case of more than one gap (because of more than two transparent armor components) the different gaps may be different sizes.
Both the vehicle window frame 24 and, when used, the lateral support 18, are made of rigid materials. The vehicle window frame 24 is made of a metal or a composite, such as fiberglass or other fibers in a resin system. The lateral support 18 can be made of metal, plastic, polymer or composite. Typically, the vehicle window frame and/or the lateral support in any particular embodiment of the invention is made entirely of one material, e.g. the entire vehicle window frame may be made of either metal or composite, and the entire lateral support may be made of either metal, plastic, polymer or composite. When both the vehicle window frame and the lateral support are present in an embodiment of the invention, they do not need to both be made of the same material. Thus, a metal vehicle window frame and a plastic lateral support may be used together.
The vehicle window frame 24 is used to hold the inner materials in place and permits the entire assembly to be mounted on vehicles. The lateral support 18 provides containment and support of the inner materials.
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It is to be understood that the arrangements shown and described above and in the attachments are only illustrative of the application of the principles of the present invention. Numerous modifications and alternative arrangements may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention, and the appended claims are intended to cover such modifications and arrangements.
Claims
1. Transparent armor for use as a window of a vehicle, comprising:
- a vehicle window frame (24);
- a stack of three or more components (10a 10b) disposed within the vehicle window frame (24), each component consisting of three or more layers of transparent materials having nominal thicknesses of 8 mm and separated from each other by inter-layers of PVB or urethane nominally 1 mm thick, each component provided as a rigid laminate using an autoclave operation so as to cause the inter-layers to adhere the layers together, the components (10a 10b) separated from each other by spacer material (12) so that adjacent components are held apart by a respective gap or space of at least 3 mm; and
- a seal adhesive (16) disposed so as to cover the edges of the stack of three or more components (10a 10b) and hold the stack together;
- wherein the seal adhesive (16) is selected from the group consisting of adhesives applied in the form of a liquid and a structural adhesive tape.
2-5. (canceled)
6. Transparent armor as in claim 1, further comprising at least one tube (20) leading from the gap or space through the seal adhesive (16) to a point of exit from the seal adhesive (16) exposed to ambient air.
7. Transparent armor as in claim 1, further comprising hydrophobic coatings (15) on surfaces of the components (10a 10b) forming walls of the gap or space.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 16, 2009
Publication Date: Jul 19, 2012
Inventor: David E. Hubert (Natrona Heights, PA)
Application Number: 12/589,120
International Classification: F41H 7/02 (20060101);