A multi-layer body armor plate includes a strike plate; a mesh layer positioned over the strike plate, the mesh layer having a number of open cells; and an outer skin layer positioned over the mesh layer so as to encapsulate the open cells of the mesh layer between the strike plate and the outer skin layer. The open cells of the mesh layer may entrap air or may be filled with expandable, buoyant foam.

Energy distribution structures provide architectural flexibility in various configurations, materials, and scalability, which enables a vast number of applications. An energy distribution structure or array thereof may include a three-dimensional outer component and a three-dimensional inner component within the outer component. The outer component absorbs and redirects initial energy from an applied energy event, and the inner component absorbs and redirects residual energy from the applied energy event. Such an applied energy event may be caused by a ballistic or non-ballistic impact, an instantaneous or prolonged impact such as atmospheric pressure or decompression, explosive overpressure (shockwave), low-velocity contact, and blunt force trauma. Energy distribution structures can increase the strength, resilience or survivability of such events, and reduce the injury or damage to target objects such as people, vehicles, structures, vessels and surfaces by shielding same from such events.

A ballistic-resistant composite includes at least one layer that has a network of ballistic fibers and a resin matrix. The resin matrix includes blocked isocyanate that is composed of isocyanate bonded with a blocking agent. The resin matrix is cross-linkable by heating to a temperature that causes the isocyanate to liberate from the blocking agent and the liberated isocyanate to reactively cause cross-linking of the resin matrix.

Ballistic and athletic personal protective equipment utilizing rigid panel(s) featuring designs for improved cooling employing “stack effect” airflow in combination with optimized wearer contact surface geometry. Improved ballistic and athletic personal protective equipment designs contain rigid panel(s) for protection of wearer from impacts, ballistic threats and the like. The equipment is provided with spacers arranged to provide a stack effect powered airflow between rigid panel(s) and wearer, cooling the same. The spacers are further designed, dimensioned and arranged to provide optimal heat transfer and mass transfer efficiency from wearer to cooling air within the protective equipment system, providing optimal cooling effects. The system is simple, light, and inexpensive, providing improved wearer comfort and safety from hyperthermia for optimal performance at elevated temperatures.

Disclosed herein are engineered composite materials suitable for applications that can benefit from a composite material capable of interacting with or responding to, in a controlled or pre-determined manner, changes in its surrounding environment, such as to attenuate a compression wave. The composite material generally includes a plurality of repeating units, with each repeating unit including a first layer of particles having a first mean diameter, and a second layer of particles having a second mean diameter, and an intermediary material that allows mobility of and contact between the first particles within the first layer and mobility of and contact between the second particles within the second layer; the contact allowing momentum transfer between the particles. The first mean diameter and second mean diameter are different and are less than 500 nm. The first or second particles may be core-shell particles having a core that is partly or completely filled with a liquid, a gas and/or a gel, such as a fire suppressant, a medically active agent or a dye.

A ballistic panel is described including a core layer having a first major surface and a second major surface, the core layer including a ballistic resistant material. A first layer comprising a ballistic gel material is disposed on the first major surface of the core layer. A second layer comprising a ballistic gel material is disposed on the second major surface of the core layer.

A protective garment comprising multi-layered composite structures is conformable to the contours of the body parts for which protection is required. The composite structure contains rigid impact-deflecting outer structures, impact-dissipating gel middle layers, and impact-damping microlattice lower layers. In one embodiment, the structure is designed for impacts associated with contact sports, such as football, hockey and lacrosse. In another embodiment, the structure is designed for military/police applications, in which impacts can be blunt forces, from weapons such as clubs, or penetrative forces, from knives, bullets or shrapnel.

A laminate structure comprises a protective layer and a backing structure. The backing structure comprises a first support layer comprising an aerogel and a second support layer comprising a polymer and is arranged so that the second support layer is provided between the protective layer and the first support layer.

An element using armor plating including a tile and a metal cover bonded to the tile by an adhesive in a manner so that the metal cover is arranged around a central face and a plurality of sides of the tile, and a non-adjacent face of the tile, thereby enclosing and confining the tile.

An armor component that includes a ballistic tile made of, for example, boron carbide or silicon carbide, a plurality of wraps made of ballistic fibers such as carbon fiber, and a metal plate, for example, a steel plate, the metal plate being positioned behind the reverse side of the tile and the wraps being wrapped around the tile and the metal plate.