Modular armored vehicle system

Abstract

The invention provides a modular armored vehicle system comprising an armored combat vehicle chassis having a plurality of areas substantially free of metallic ballistic armor and a plurality of composite armor plates for absorbing and dissipating kinetic energy from high velocity, armor-piercing projectiles, each of the plates being adapted for attachment to the chassis and sized to cover at least one of the plurality of areas, wherein each of the plates comprises a single layer of bodies which are directly bound and retained in plate form by a solidified material wherein a majority of each of the bodies is in direct contact with at least four adjacent bodies, wherein the solidified material and the plate are elastic and wherein the bodies have a specific gravity of at least 2.4 and are made of a ceramic material.

1 . A modular armored vehicle system comprising an armored combat vehicle chassis having a plurality of areas substantially free of metallic ballistic armor and a plurality of composite armor plates for absorbing and dissipating kinetic energy from high velocity, armor-piercing projectiles, each of said plates being adapted for attachment to said chassis and sized to cover at least one of said plurality of areas, wherein each of said plates comprises a single layer of bodies which are directly bound and retained in plate form by a solidified material wherein a majority of each of said bodies is in direct contact with at least four adjacent bodies, wherein the solidified material and the plate are elastic and wherein said bodies have a specific gravity of at least 2.4 and are made of a ceramic material.  
   
   
       2 . A modular armored vehicle system according to  claim 1  wherein said plate comprises an outer, impact receiving panel of a multilayered armor panel further comprising an inner layer adjacent to said outer plate, comprising a second ballistic panel, wherein said outer plate serves to deform and shatter an impacting high velocity armor-piercing projectile and said second ballistic panel is adapted to retain any remaining fragments from said projectile and from said bodies and to absorb remaining energy from said fragments.  
   
   
       3 . A modular armored vehicle system according to  claim 1  wherein said bodies are in the form of pellets.  
   
   
       4 . A modular armored vehicle system according to  claim 1  wherein said composite panel is multi-layered, wherein a first outer layer is made of a material having a Rockwell hardness of at least 30 RC, a second intermediate layer is made of a material having a Rockwell hardness of less than 30 RC, and a third inner layer is made from a backing material which will absorb fragments and particles left from and generated by the impact with said first two layers.  
   
   
       5 . A modular armored vehicle system according to  claim 1  comprising a plurality of interchangeable plates, a first plurality of said plates having pellets sized to absorb and dissipate kinetic energy from high velocity armor-piercing 12.7 mm-14.5 mm projectiles, a second plurality of said plates having pellets sized to absorb and dissipate kinetic energy from high velocity armor-piercing 14.5 mm-30 mm projectiles, and a third plurality of said plates having pellets sized to absorb and dissipate kinetic energy from high velocity armor-piercing projectiles of over 30 mm.  
   
   
       6 . A modular armored vehicle system according to claim I wherein the bodies in said plates have a regular geometric cross-sectional area.  
   
   
       7 . A modular armored vehicle system according to  claim 1  wherein the bodies in said plates are in the form of pellets having at least one convexly curved outwardly facing end face.  
   
   
       8 . A modular armored vehicle system according to  claim 1  wherein the bodies in said plates have at least one circular cross-section.  
   
   
       9 . A modular armored vehicle system according to  claim 1  wherein the bodies in said plates are in the form of pellets, each having at least one axis of at least 9 mm length and each of a majority of said pellets is in direct contact with at least four adjacent pellets in the same layer to provide mutual lateral confinement therebetween and said at least one axis is substantially perpendicular to the outer, impact-receiving face of said plate.  
   
   
       10 . A modular armored vehicle system according to  claim 2  comprising a third backing layer for absorbing trauma.  
   
   
       11 . A modular armored vehicle system according to  claim 10  wherein said third layer is formed of a polymeric matrix composite with reinforcing fibers.  
   
   
       12 . A modular armored vehicle system according to  claim 11  wherein said reinforcing fibers are selected from the group consisting of carbon fibers, aramid fibers and glass fibers.  
   
   
       13 . A modular armored vehicle system according to  claim 10  wherein said third backing layer is made of a metal material.  
   
   
       14 . A modular armored vehicle system comprising an armored combat vehicle chassis having a plurality of areas substantially free of metallic ballistic armor and a plurality of composite armor plates for absorbing and dissipating kinetic energy from high velocity, armor-piercing projectiles, each of said plates being adapted for attachment to said chassis and sized to cover at least one of said plurality of areas wherein each of said plates comprises a single layer of bodies which are directly bound and retained in plate form by a solidified material wherein a majority of each of said bodies is in direct contact with at least four adjacent bodies, wherein the solidified material and the plate are elastic and wherein said bodies have a specific gravity of at least 2.4 and are made of a ceramic material, wherein said plate constitutes an outer, impact receiving panel of a multilayered armor panel further comprising an intermediate layer adjacent to said outer plate, comprising a second ballistic panel, wherein said outer plate serves to deform and shatter an impacting high velocity armor-piercing projectile and said second ballistic panel is adapted to retain any remaining fragments from said projectile and from said bodies and to absorb remaining energy from said fragments and further comprising a third innermost backing layer for absorbing trauma.  
   
   
       15 . A modular armored vehicle system according to claim I wherein said armored combat vehicle chassis includes a lower area having wheels, tracks, or combinations thereof, and wherein said system further comprises a plurality of armor plates adapted for attachment to said chassis and sized to cover at least a portion of said lower area.