초록 ▼

An armor system for defeating rocket propelled grenade-type missiles and/or high velocity jets created by shaped charges directed at a vehicle includes a grid layer such as a net and/or an array of slats or bars (“RPG”) spaced from an outer surface of the vehicle by support members. The grid layer h

An armor system for defeating rocket propelled grenade-type missiles and/or high velocity jets created by shaped charges directed at a vehicle includes a grid layer such as a net and/or an array of slats or bars (“RPG”) spaced from an outer surface of the vehicle by support members. The grid layer has a characteristic mesh size or bar/slat spacing to disrupt the missile firing mechanism. The system also has a shaped layer having a plurality of tapered members formed from a fiber-reinforced material, the tapered members positioned between the grid layer and the vehicle outer surface and having respective apex ends proximate the distant the grid layer and base ends, the tapered members defining with adjacent tapered members a plurality of depressions opening in a direction to receive an incoming conical portion of an unexploded RPG-type missile, or a jet emanating from an exploded RPG or other anti-armor device, and a layer of fiber-reinforced material abutting the base ends of the tapered members. The system may further include reactive elements disposed on surfaces of the tapered members defining the depressions to deflect impinging jets. The system may still further include one or more metal armor layers and one or more additional fiber-reinforced material layers disposed between the shaped fiber-reinforced material layer and the vehicle surface.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An armor system for defeating missile-borne and stationary shaped charges directing a high velocity jet against a vehicle, the missile having a forward conical component and a tip-mounted electric fuze, the vehicle having a hull with outer and inner surfaces, said system comprising: a grid layer

1. An armor system for defeating missile-borne and stationary shaped charges directing a high velocity jet against a vehicle, the missile having a forward conical component and a tip-mounted electric fuze, the vehicle having a hull with outer and inner surfaces, said system comprising: a grid layer located outside and spaced away from the outer surface of the hull, said grid layer having grid members separated one from the other a distance disposed to disrupt the electrical firing mechanism of the tip-mounted fuze;a shaped layer comprising a plurality of tapered members formed of a fiber-reinforced material between said grid layer and the outer surface of said hull, said tapered members defining depressions configured to receive a forward conical portion of an unexploded missile, and to attenuate said high velocity jet emanating from an exploding missile and/or a stationary shaped charge;where in the armor system further includes a plurality of reactive elements disposed on outer surfaces of the tapered members and configured to deflect the high velocity jet impinged thereon by the exploding missile, andwherein the grid members include a plurality of bar or slat members, a plurality of cord members configured as a net, or combinations thereof. 2. The armor system as in claim 1, wherein the reactive elements are non-explosive bulging-type reactive elements. 3. The armor system of claim 1, wherein the shaped layer includes a sheet-like layer of fiber-reinforced material abutting base ends of the tapered members, and further including one or more sheet-like layers disposed between the shaped layer and the hull outer surface, said one or more layers including a layer of a high strength metal armor having an elongation at fracture of at least 7%. 4. The armor system of claim 3, wherein the tapered fiber-reinforced members, the fiber-reinforced sheet layer, and the high strength metal armor layer are configured as a replaceable armor module. 5. The armor system as in claim 3, wherein the one or more sheet-like layers includes two high strength metal armor layers of a material having an elongation to fracture of a least 7%, wherein the two metal armor layers are spaced apart to provide a dispersion space therebetween. 6. The armor system of claim 1, wherein the fiber-reinforced material comprises a bonded matrix of fiber in a polymer material that consists essentially of a material selected from the group consisting of: phenolic resins, epoxy resins, vinyl ester resins, polyester resins, acrylate resins, and polymethyl (meth)acrylate. 7. The armor system of claim 1, wherein the fiber in the fiber-reinforced material consists essentially of a material selected from the group consisting of: poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide, stretch-oriented high molecular weight polyethylene, stretch-oriented high molecular weight polyester, a polymer based on pyridobisimidazole, and silicate glass. 8. The armor system of claim 1, wherein the fiber-reinforced material comprises a self-bonded polymer comprised of a plurality of polymer fibers, each having an interior core of high melting point, high strength polymer and an exterior sheath of low melting point, low strength polymer. 9. The armor system of claim 8, wherein the fiber in the fiber-reinforced material consists essentially of a material selected from the group consisting of: polypropylene and polyethylene. 10. An armor system for defeating a rocket propelled grenade directed at a vehicle, the vehicle having a hull with outer and inner surfaces, the rocket propelled grenade of the type having a forward conical section and a tip-mounted electric fuze component, the system comprising: a grid including a net layer comprising a plurality of cord members spaced from the outer surface of the vehicle by support members;a shaped layer comprising a plurality of tapered members formed from a fiber-reinforced material, the tapered members positioned between the net layer and the hull outer surface, and having respective apex ends proximate the net layer and opposite base ends, the tapered members defining with adjacent tapered members a plurality of depressions opening in a direction away from the hull outer surface;a plurality of bulging-type reactive elements disposed on surfaces of the tapered members defining the depressions;wherein a mesh size of the net layer is selected to allow passage of the fuze component and to engage and deform the conical section to short-circuit the fuze component; andwherein the shaped layer includes a continuous sheet-like layer of fiber-reinforced material abutting the base ends of the tapered members. 11. The armor system as claim 10, wherein the support members are bars or slats elongated in a direction generally parallel to the hull outer surface, and wherein the apex ends of the tapered members are aligned to be adjacent respective bars or slats and are wedge-shaped. 12. The armor system as in claim 10, wherein the support members are posts oriented generally perpendicular to the vehicle hull outer surface, and wherein the tapered members are pyramid-shaped and surround respective posts. 13. The armor system as in claim 10, further including one or more metal armor layers disposed between the fiber-reinforced layer and the hull outer surface, wherein the metal is selected from aluminum alloys, titanium alloys, and steel, and has an elongation at fracture of greater than or equal to about 7%. 14. The armor system as in claim 13, having two of said metal armor layers and wherein a second fiber-reinforced layer is disposed between the two metal armor layers. 15. The armor system as in claim 13, having two of said metal armor layers and wherein said two metal armor layers are spaced apart to provide a dispersion space. 16. The armor system as in claim 10, wherein at least the tapered members, the attached reactive elements, and the fiber-reinforced layer are configured as a replaceable module. 17. The armor system of claim 10, wherein the fiber-reinforced material of the tapered members and the fiber-reinforced material layer consists essentially of a woven fabric of a high molecular weight stretch—oriented polypropylene in a low molecular weight polypropylene matrix. 18. A method of defeating missile-borne and stationary shaped charges directed at a vehicle, the missile of the type having a conical forward portion, relative to its trajectory, and a tip-mounted electric fuze component, the vehicle having a hull with an outer surface, the method comprising the steps of: interposing a grid layer comprised of a net or spaced bar/slat array in the missile trajectory spaced from the outer surface of the vehicle hull, the grid layer having a grid mesh size to engage the conical section of the missile to short circuit the fuze for a missile not detonating on the grid layer;interposing a shaped layer having a plurality of tapered members formed from a fiber-reinforced material between the grid layer and the hull, the shaped fiber-reinforced layer having depressions therein and bulging armor with metal plates disposed on the surfaces forming the depressions, the depressions configured such that a jet formed by a missile detonating on the grid layer next encounters the bulging armor and/or the shaped layer;moving one or more of the metal plates of the bulging armor obliquely into the path of the jet by a reaction of the jet impinging on the bulging armor;deflecting the jet with the metal plates moved into its path; andattenuating the deflected jet in the fiber-reinforced materials of the shaped layer.