US5515541A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Flexible armor
Assignee: ARMORSHIELD LLC
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Filing: 1992-11-20
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Granted: 1996-05-14
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Expires: 2012-11-20
Abstract
Abstract Armor resistant to knife attack comprises a flexible sheet having a threat side facing a direction of threat and a protected side adjacent, in use, an area to be protected, and a plurality of armor plates attached to the sides of the sheet, the plates being grouped such that a first group attached to the protected side is in overlapping registration with a second group attached to the threat side, the registration being such that exposed regions of sheet on the threat side register with the first group of plates so preventing penetration of the armor through the exposed regions. By placing the overlapping groups on separate sides of the sheet, the armor is made more flexible than arrangements where the plates are mounted on the same side and are in engagement.
Inventors
- 👤 Michael Sacks
- 👤 Glynn Jones
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 02:12
CPC Classifications
F; F41; F41H; F41H5/00; F41H5/02; F41H5/04; F41H5/0442; F41H5/0457; A; A41; A41D; A41D31/00; A41D31/04; A41D31/24; A41D31/245; F41H5/023; F41H5/0492
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
161 words
Armor, comprising: a flexible sheet having a threat side facing a direction of threat and a protected side facing away from the direction of threat; a first group of disc-shaped armor plates attached at their respective centers to the protected side of said sheet; a second group of disc-shaped armor plates attached at their respective centers, to the threat side of the sheet and defining exposed regions of sheet between the plates of the second group; the plates of the first and second groups arranged such that the plates of the first group on the protected side are in overlapping registration with the plates of the second group attached to the threat side, and such that the centers of the plates of the first group register with the exposed regions between the plates of the second group so that the plates of the first group also register with the exposed regions thereby preventing penetration of the armor through the exposed regions.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
161 words
Armor, comprising: a flexible sheet having a threat side facing a direction of threat and a protected side facing away from the direction of threat; a first group of disc-shaped armor plates attached at their respective centers to the protected side of said sheet; a second group of disc-shaped armor plates attached at their respective centers, to the threat side of the sheet and defining exposed regions of sheet between the plates of the second group; the plates of the first and second groups arranged such that the plates of the first group on the protected side are in overlapping registration with the plates of the second group attached to the threat side, and such that the centers of the plates of the first group register with the exposed regions between the plates of the second group so that the plates of the first group also register with the exposed regions thereby preventing penetration of the armor through the exposed regions.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
Armor as claimed in claim 1 wherein the plates of the first group do not overlap one another, and the plates of the second group do not overlap one another.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
Armor as claimed in claim 1 wherein the plates of said first and second groups are planar.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
Armor as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least the plates of the second group include outer rims projecting out of the major plane of the plates toward the direction of threat.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
Armor as claimed in claim 1 wherein the plates of said first and second groups have a diameter in the range of 20 to 50 m.m.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
Armor as claimed in claim 5 wherein the plates of said first and second groups have a diameter in the range of 32 to 45 m.m.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
Armor as claimed in claim 1 wherein the plates of said first and second groups are attached by rivets passed through centrally located holes.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
Armor as claimed in claim 1 wherein the plates of said first and second groups are formed from at least one of aluminum, titanium, and ceramic.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
Armor as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sheet is a composite of a thermoplastic sandwiched between sheets of ballistic material.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
21 words
Armor as claimed in claim 9 wherein the composite sheet has a thickness in the range of 0.5 to 1 m.m.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
Armor as claimed in claim 10 wherein the sheet has a weight in the range of 150 to 300 grams per square meter.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
52 words
Armor as claimed in claim 11 wherein a third group of plates each of substantially smaller size than those of the first group of plates is arranged on the sheet such that each plate of the third group of plates lies beneath immediately adjacent edges of adjacent plates of the first group.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
15 words
Armor as claimed in claim 12 wherein the third group of plates comprises flat-headed rivets.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
34 words
Armor as claimed in claim 1 including flexible support means arranged adjacent the first group of plates to prevent significant movement of the first group of plates out of the plane of the sheet.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
17 words
Armor as claimed in claim 14 wherein the flexible support means comprises a support sheet of polycarbonate.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
14 words
Armor as claimed in claim 14 wherein the flexible support means comprises ballistic nylon.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
17 words
Armor as claimed in claim 14 wherein the support means comprises polycarbonate and ballistic nylon in combination.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
20 words
Armor as claimed in claim 1 wherein ties are provided connected between adjacent plates to prevent separation of their edges.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
23 words
Armor as claimed in claim 1, in which said plates of said first and second groups are regularly arranged in rows and columns.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
20 words
Armor as claimed in claim 1, in which said plates of the first and second groups are of uniform size.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
155 words
Armor, comprising: a flexible sheet having a threat side facing a direction of threat and a protected side facing away from a direction of threat; a first group of disc-shaped armor plates attached to the protected side of said sheet; a second group of disc-shaped armor plates attached to the threat side of said sheet and defining exposed regions of sheet between the plates of the second group; said plates of said first and second groups arranged such that the plates of said first group on the protected side are in overlapping registration with the plates of said second group attached to the threat side and with the exposed regions between the plates of the second group thereby preventing penetration of the armor through the exposed regions, in which said plates on both sides of said flexible sheet include outer rims projecting out of a major plane of said plates towards the direction of threat.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
155 words
Armor, comprising: a flexible sheet having a threat side facing a direction of threat and a protected side facing away from a direction of threat; a first group of disc-shaped armor plates attached to the protected side of said sheet; a second group of disc-shaped armor plates attached to the threat side of said sheet and defining exposed regions of sheet between the plates of the second group; said plates of said first and second groups arranged such that the plates of said first group on the protected side are in overlapping registration with the plates of said second group attached to the threat side and with the exposed regions between the plates of the second group thereby preventing penetration of the armor through the exposed regions, in which said plates on both sides of said flexible sheet include outer rims projecting out of a major plane of said plates towards the direction of threat.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
28 words
Armor as claimed in claim 21 wherein the plates of said first and second groups are each locally attached at a substantially central region to the flexible sheet.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
28 words
Armor as claimed in claim 21 wherein the plates of the first group are provided with load spreading means to prevent the rim being pressed into the sheet.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
16 words
Armor as claimed in claim 23 wherein the load spreading means comprises a centrally located boss.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1999-05-14 | 1999-11-13 | 2000-05-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2003-05-14 | 2003-11-13 | 2004-05-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2007-05-14 | 2007-11-13 | 2008-05-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |