Ballistic protection textile construction and method therefor using a tetra axial weave

Abstract

A novel multiple orientation construction for the ballistic protection, the process for making it and the main ballistic results obtained thereby. Said construction comprises at least a textile element and one or more thermoplastic or thermosetting based elements. The first textile element (1) comprises textile fibers. The second element (2) may comprise thermoplastic, thermosetting, rubber or polymeric elastomer based matrix arrangements or thermoplastic films for adjusting the textile construction characteristics according to the intended applications and for assisting in reducing bullet impact damages. The above elements jointly cooperate in absorbing and spreading a bullet impact stress.

Claims

1. A method for making a ballistic protection textile construction, wherein said method comprises providing a tetra-axial loom for simultaneously weaving according to four directrix lines and weaving on said loom a textile support element (1) wherein the weft and warp fibers are further interwoven with fibers fed from two axes having opposite orientation angles from 10 to 80, thereby said ballistic protection textile construction is similar to that of a conventional fabric including a mutually alternating weft and warp yarns or fibers thereon a cross arrangement of differently angled additional yarns or fibers is arranged.

2. A method, according to claim 1, wherein said method further comprises a step of providing a second non-textile element (2), including thermoplastic, rubber or elastomeric polymer based matrix arrangements for stabilizing the textile construction and reducing damages due to a bullet impact.

3. A method, according to claim 1, wherein said method further comprises a stabilizing process consisting of a partial melting of a thermoplastic matrix by calendering or hot laminating, or by IR lamps having operating parameters depending on a thermoplastic material used.

4. A method, according to claim 1, wherein said method comprises a step of impregnating said textile construction by a thermoplastic, rubber or elastomeric polymer based matrix or a combination thereof, or laminated with thermoplastic films, selected from PE, PU, PP, PA, EVA or any thermoplastic materials adapted to be extruded to a film form.

5. A method, according to claim 1, wherein said method further comprises the step of compacting by molding one or more layers of said textile support, said layers being constituted by said first and second elements (1, 2).

6. A ballistic protection textile construction made by a method according to claim 1 wherein said textile construction comprises a support element (1) including weft and warp fibers which are further interwoven with interweaving fibers fed from two axes having different orientation angles from 10 to 80.

7. A textile construction, according to claim 6, wherein said textile construction comprises a second non-textile element (2) including thermoplastic, rubber or elastomeric polymer based matrix arrangements, for stabilizing said construction and reducing bullet impact damages.

8. A construction, according to claim 6, wherein said textile element comprises either para-aramide matrix yarns selected from the group of aromatic polyamides, para-aramids, or UHMWPE matrix yarns.

9. A construction, according to claim 7, wherein said second non-textile element comprises a thermoplastic, thermosetting, rubber or elastomeric polymer based matrix arrangement or a combination thereof, or laminated with different thermoplastic films selected from PE, PU, PP, PA, EVA or any thermoplastic material adapted to be extruded to a film form.

10. A construction, according to claim 6, wherein said elements (1, 2) are at least partially impregnated or laminated.

11. A protective ballistic article, wherein said article comprises a ballistic protection textile construction according to claim 6.

12. A protective ballistic article, according to claim 11, wherein said article comprises at least a ballistic protection textile construction according to claim 6 combined with other constructions.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent hereinafter from the following detailed disclosure of a preferred, though not exclusive, embodiment of the invention, which is illustrated, by way of an indicative but not limitative example, in the accompanying drawings, where:

(2) FIG. 1 is a partially cross-sectioned perspective view of a front portion of the ballistic protection textile construction according to the invention; and

(3) FIG. 2 is a partially cross-sectioned perspective view of a rear portion of the inventive ballistic protection textile construction.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(4) The ballistic protection textile construction according to the present invention is made by a novel and inventive weaving process, performed on a tetra-axial loom, wherein a first element, that is the fibers arranged in beams, are at first so interwoven as to provide a longitudinal fiber plane or layer (the warp fibers), a cross fiber plane or layer (the weft fibers) and two further fiber planes or layers with opposite angular arrangements, the orientation of which may theoretically change from 10 to 80.

(5) Differently from a standard multi-axial weaving process, the inventive method provides a ballistic protection article with an article structure or construction similar to that of a conventional fabric including mutually alternating weft and warp yarns or threads, thereon a cross arrangement of differently angled additional fibers is nested.

(6) In particular, the inventive method provides a step of alternately arranging diagonal fibers with a set fiber pitch to define a position at which, with respect to the weft and warp yarns, the cross arrangement is formed, with a preset fiber binding angle.

(7) The fabric warp may comprise yarns or threads of a para-aramide matrix, such as Kevlar, Twaron, or the like commercially available materials, or UHMWPE yarns, such as Spectra, Dyneema, Tensylon, or the like commercially available materials, or other high toughness material fibers.

(8) In this connection it should be apparent that the linear density of said yarns may be any suitable density as required.

(9) The fabric weft, in turn, may comprise para-aramide matrix yarns or threads, such as Kevlar, Twaron, or other commercially available materials, or fibers having a UHMWPE matrix, such as Spectra, Dyneema, Tensylon, or other high toughness fibers.

(10) The linear density of said weft yarns may be likewise any suitable density as required.

(11) The opposite angled planes may also comprise the same above yarn types.

(12) The above article may further comprise additional processing elements, indicated by the reference number 2, such as thermoplastic, rubber or elastomeric polymer based matrixes or a combination thereof, or laminated with different thermoplastic films such as PE, PU, PP, PA, EVA, or any desired thermoplastic materials adapted to be extruded to a film form.

(13) The above additional elements will facilitate a spreading of the bullet impact energy through the underlying support, due to a viscoelastic deformation, fiber breaking or fibrillation.

(14) The above impregnation, in particular, allows one or more support layers, comprising the above mentioned elements 1 and 2, to be compacted by pressing or molding.

(15) Ballistic data clearly show that a construction thus made does not provide results comparable with those achieved by using non-processed individual layers.

(16) In fact, it has been found that said polymeric matrix tends to depress the impact energy absorbing capability.

(17) The following illustrative and non limitative Examples relate to experimental tests carried out by the Applicant.

(18) The disclosed tests being related to packets having a weight from 5.10 kg/m.sup.2 to 5.2 kg/m.sup.2, depending on the individual layer weights.

(19) Said packets have been applied to a plasticine block for evaluating the trauma of bullets fired with a firing speed as defined by the NIJ 0101.06 standard, by using bullets of Cal. 9 mm FMJ RN type and 44 Mag. JHC type.

(20) In particular, end values achieved by the two calibers for different solutions are hereinbelow shown.

Example 1

(21) 38 layers of a homogeneous tetra-axial fabric constituted by a 440 dtex yarn, both in the weft and warp direction, and in the axes angled with a 5/1 binding, a weft of 12 threads/cm and a warp of 12 threads/cm.

(22) The trauma data and number of perforated layers are shown in the following Table:

(23) TABLE-US-00001 Panel Trauma at Trauma at Perforated % perforated weight Kg/m.sup.2 0 (mm) 30 (mm) layers (No) layers (%) Cal 9 mm FMJ RN 5.1 37 29 14 37 Cal44 mag JHC 5.1 60 43 16 42

Example 2

(24) 35 layers of a homogeneous tetra-axial fabric constituted by a 440 dtex yarn, both in the weft and warp direction, and in the axes angled with a 5/1 binding, a weft of 14 threads/cm and a warp of 12 threads/cm.

(25) The trauma data and number of perforated layers are shown in the following Table:

(26) TABLE-US-00002 Panel Trauma at Trauma at Perforated % perforated weight Kg/m.sup.2 0 (mm) 30 (mm) layers (No) layers (%) Cal 9 mm FMJ RN 5.1 37 27 15 43 Cal44 mag JHC 5.1 68 35 15 43

Example 3

(27) 35 layers of a tetra-axial fabric constituted by a 440 dtex yarn, both in the weft and warp direction, the angled axes comprising a 670 dtex yarn with a 5/1 binding, a weft of 12 threads/cm and a warp of 12 threads/cm.

(28) The trauma data and number of perforated layers are shown in the following Table:

(29) TABLE-US-00003 Panel Trauma at Trauma at Perforated % perforated weight Kg/m.sup.2 0 (mm) 30 (mm) layers (No) layers (%) Cal 9 mm FMJ RN 5.2 39 27 14 40 Cal44 mag JHC 5.2 63 42 10 29

Example 4

(30) 29 layers of a tetra-axial fabric constituted by a 440 dtex yarn, both in the weft and warp direction, with angled axes comprising a 930 dtex yarn with a 5/1 binding, a weft of 12 threads/cm and a warp of 12 threads/cm.

(31) The trauma data and number of perforated layers are shown in the following Table:

(32) TABLE-US-00004 Panel Trauma at Trauma at Perforated % perforated weight Kg/m.sup.2 0 (mm) 30 (mm) layers (No) layers (%) Cal 9 mm FMJ RN 5.2 38 28 17 59 Cal44 mag JHC 5.2 69 38 19 66

Example 5

(33) A system comprising 10 layers of Style 390+4 UD UHMWPE layers+4 tetra-axial fabric layers constituted by a 440 dtex yarn, both in the weft and warp direction, the angled axes comprising a 930 dtex yarn with a 5/1 binding, a weft of 12 threads/cm and a warp of 12 threads/cm+4 UD UHMWPE layers+7 AS400S layers.

(34) The trauma data and number of perforated layers are shown in the following Table:

(35) TABLE-US-00005 Cal44 mag JHC Panel Trauma at Trauma at Perforated % perforated weight Kg/m.sup.2 0 (mm) 30 (mm) layers (No) layers (%) 5.2 41 37 10 35

Example 6

(36) A system comprising 3 UD UHMWPE layers+10 Style 390 layers+1 UD UHMWPE layer+8 tetra-axial fabric layers constituted by a 440 dtex yarn, both in the weft and warp direction, with angled axes comprising a 930 dtex yarn with a 5/1 binding, a weft of 12 threads/cm and a warp of 12 threads/cm+6 UD UHMWPE layers+4 AS400S layers.

(37) The trauma data and number of perforated layers are shown in the following Table:

(38) TABLE-US-00006 Cal44 mag JHC Panel Trauma at Trauma at Perforated % perforated weight Kg/m.sup.2 0 (mm) 30 (mm) layers (No) layers (%) 5.2 42 36 5 15

(39) In practicing the invention, the specific details may be different both with respect to the single packet forming layer, and with respect to the nature of the elements constituting a single packet.