Spaced transparent armor for a motorized vehicle

Abstract

Transparent armor for a vehicle, featuring a sealed gap or space between two transparent armor components ( 10 a 10 ba ), 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.

1 . Transparent armor for use as a window of a vehicle, comprising:
 a vehicle window frame ( 24 );   a stack of three or more components ( 10   a    10   b ) 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 ( 10   a    10   b ) 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 ( 10   a    10   b ) 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 ( 10   a    10   b ) forming walls of the gap or space.