Reactive armor

Abstract

Reactive armour comprises an explosive reactive armour module comprising a first triggering screen and an explosive layer; and at least one explosive module placed in proximity to the reactive armour module and connected to said first triggering screen for detonation. The reactive armour module may have shaped charges to produce a shaped wavefront, and the triggering screen may be divided into at least two triggering parts, each part triggered by a different approach angle of an incoming projectile and each part configured to initiate an explosion in a different part of the reactive armour module or in a different explosive module if provided.

1 . Reactive armour comprising:
 an explosive reactive armour module comprising a protective cover, a first triggering screen behind said protective cover, and an explosive layer; and   at least one explosive module placed in proximity to said reactive armour module and connected to said first triggering screen for detonation.   
     
     
         2 . The reactive armour of  claim 1 , wherein said explosive module comprises a first shaped charge. 
     
     
         3 . The reactive armour of  claim 1  or  claim 2 , wherein the explosive reactive armour module comprises a second shaped charge. 
     
     
         4 . The reactive armour of  claim 2  or  claim 3 , wherein at least one of the first and second shaped charge comprises at least one cavity or at least one groove. 
     
     
         5 . The reactive armour of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a layer of rigid particles, the particles arranged to form a particle cloud for disrupting an incoming jet. 
     
     
         6 . The reactive armour of any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least some of the rigid particles in the particle layer comprise a rigid core surrounded by a relatively less rigid shell. 
     
     
         7 . Reactive armour module comprising an explosive layer triggerable by an incoming projectile, said layer being shaped in order to provide a shear component of a blast against said incoming projectile. 
     
     
         8 . The reactive armour module of  claim 7 , wherein said explosive layer comprises a shaped charge. 
     
     
         9 . The reactive armour module of  claim 8  or  claim 9 , wherein said explosive layer comprises at least one explosive lens. 
     
     
         10 . The reactive armour module of  claim 7 ,  8  or  9 , wherein said explosive layer is unevenly distributed over said module, thereby to form a disruptive wavefront. 
     
     
         11 . The reactive armour module of any one of  claims 7  to  10 , wherein said explosive layer comprises at least one shaped region comprising at least one cavity or at least one groove. 
     
     
         12 . The reactive armour module of any one of  claims 7  to  11 , further comprising a layer of rigid particles, the particles arranged in relation to said explosive layer to form a particle cloud for disrupting an incoming jet following detonation of the explosive layer. 
     
     
         13 . The reactive armour module of  claim 12 , wherein at least some of the rigid particles in the particle layer comprise a rigid core surrounded by a relatively less rigid shell. 
     
     
         14 . Reactive armour module comprising a first extremity and a second extremity, first and second steel layers extending between said first extremity and said second extremity, said first and second steel layers being lined with respective explosive layers, a first explosive charge at said first extremity adjacent said first steel layer and a second explosive charge at said second extremity adjacent said second steel layer, and a trigger screen configured to detonate said first and second explosive charges in a timed manner in response to an incoming projectile in order to create a scissoring explosive effect. 
     
     
         15 . The reactive armour module of  claim 14 , wherein said first and second. explosive charges are shaped charges. 
     
     
         16 . The reactive armour module of  claim 14  or  claim 15 , further comprising a layer of rigid particles, the particles arranged in relation to said explosive layer to form a particle cloud for disrupting an incoming jet following detonation of the explosive layer. 
     
     
         17 . The reactive armour module of  claim 16 , wherein at least some of the rigid particles in the particle layer comprise a rigid core surrounded by a relatively less rigid shell. 
     
     
         18 . Reactive armour module comprising a plurality of explosive layers, each of said explosive layers being triggerable in response to an incoming projectile, each of said explosive layers being constructed from an explosive material having a different rate of detonation. 
     
     
         19 . The reactive armour module of  claim 18 , further comprising at least one layer of rigid particles, the particles arranged in relation to said plurality of explosive layers to form a particle cloud for disrupting an incoming jet following detonation of the explosive layer. 
     
     
         20 . The reactive armour module of  claim 20 , wherein at least some of the rigid particles in the particle layer comprise a rigid core surrounded by a relatively less rigid shell. 
     
     
         21 . The reactive armour module of any one of  claims 18  to  20 , wherein at least one of said explosive layers comprises a shaped charge. 
     
     
         22 . The reactive armour module of any one of  claims 18  to  21 , wherein at least one of said explosive layers comprises at least one explosive lens. 
     
     
         23 . The reactive armour module of any one of  claims 18  to  22 , wherein at least one of said explosive layers is unevenly distributed over said module, thereby to form a disruptive wavefront. 
     
     
         24 . The reactive armour module of any one of  claims 18  to  23 , wherein at least one of said explosive layers comprises at least one shaped region comprising at least one cavity or at least one groove. 
     
     
         25 . Reactive armour module according to any one of  claims 7  to  24 , comprising at least one explosive layer which is shaped into a plurality of explosive lenses, the lenses being triggerable to provide a shear force against an incoming projectile. 
     
     
         26 . Reactive armour module according to any one of  claims 7 , to  25 , further comprising a triggering screen for triggering said explosive layer or at least one of said explosive layers. 
     
     
         27 . Reactive armour module according to  claim 26 , wherein the screen is divided into at least two triggering parts, each part triggered by a different approach angle of an incoming projectile and each part configured to initiate an explosion in a different part of said explosive layer. 
     
     
         28 . Reactive armour module according to any one of  claims 7  to  27 , configured to detonate different explosive layers or different parts of respective explosive layers in a timed sequence. 
     
     
         29 . Reactive armour module according to any one of  claims 7  to  28 , the module having a planar surface and comprising at least one steel plate, the steel plate having at least one layer of high explosive attached thereto, the steel plate being angled with respect to said planar surface. 
     
     
         30 . Reactive armour module according to any one of  claims 7  to  28 , the module having at least one explosive layer sandwiched on either side by steel plates. 
     
     
         31 . Reactive armour module according to  claim 30 , comprising two explosive layers, each sandwiched on either side by steel plates, one of said layers being placed outwardly on said module and one of said layers being placed inwardly on said module, said outer layer comprising an explosive material with a detonation rate that is lower than a corresponding detonation rate of said inner layer. 
     
     
         32 . Reactive armour module of  claim 31 , comprising a third explosive layer sandwiched on either side by steel plates, said third explosive layer being placed outwardly of both of said two explosive layers and having a detonation rate which is faster than both of said two explosive layers. 
     
     
         33 . Reactive armour module comprising an explosive layer, the layer being shaped into a plurality of explosive lenses, the lenses being triggerable to provide a shear force against an incoming projectile. 
     
     
         34 . Reactive armour module comprising an explosive layer and a triggering screen, the screen divided into at least two triggering parts, each part triggered by a different approach angle of an incoming projectile and each part configured to initiate an explosion in a different part of said explosive layer. 
     
     
         35 . An explosive reactive armour module comprising a protective cover, a first triggering screen behind said protective cover, and an explosive layer. 
     
     
         36 . Reactive armour comprising:
 an explosive reactive armour module comprising a protective cover, a first triggering screen behind said protective cover, and an explosive layer; and   at least one explosive module placed in proximity to said reactive armour module.   
     
     
         37 . The reactive armour of  claim 36 , wherein said explosive module comprises a first shaped charge. 
     
     
         38 . The reactive armour of  claim 36  or  claim 37 , wherein the explosive reactive armour module comprises a second shaped charge. 
     
     
         39 . The reactive armour of  claim 37  or  claim 38 , wherein at least one of the first and second shaped charge comprises at least one cavity or at least one groove. 
     
     
         40 . The reactive armour of any one of  claims 36  to  39 , further comprising a layer of rigid particles, the particles arranged to form a particle cloud for disrupting an incoming jet. 
     
     
         41 . The reactive armour of any one of  claims 36  to  40 , wherein at least some of the rigid particles in the particle layer comprise a rigid core surrounded by a relatively less rigid shell.