(12) United States Patent (10) Patent N0.: US 8,132,495 B2
Joynt (45) Date of Patent: Mar. 13, 2012 (54) MULTILAYER ARMOR SYSTEM FOR (56) References Cited DEFENDING AGAINST MISSILE-BORNE AND STATIONARY SHAPED CHARGES U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 4,036,104 A 7/1977 Pagano et al. (75) Inventor: Vernon P. Joynt, Pretoria (ZA) 2 fi:I1CSI;II11tI:;It1'a1‘ 5,149,910 A 9/1992 McKee (73) Assignee: Force Protection Technologies, Inc., 2 E:rI1I;;1ItIl' Ladson SC (US) ’ (Cont1nued) _ _ _ _ _ OTHER PUBLICATIONS ( * ) Not1ce: Subject to any d1scla1mer, the term of this _ _ _ _ patent is extended Or adjusted under 35 International Search Report and Written Opinion for PCT/US09/ USC_ 1540:’) by 435 dayS_ 31659 ma1led Oct. 30, 2009 (11 pages). (Continued) (21) APP1~ NO-3 12/320,277 Primary Examiner * Michael Carone Assistant Examiner * Daniel Troy 22 F1 d: J _ 22 2009 (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm * Finnegan, Henderson, ( ) 1 I an I Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP (65) Prior Publication Data (57) ABSTRACT An armor system for defeat1ng rocket propelled grenade-type Us 2011/0067561 A1 Man 24, 2011 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 Related UISIAPPIIIIIIIOII Data of the vehicle by support members. The grid layer has a (60) Provisional application NO_ 61/006,600’ filed on Jan_ characteristic mesh size or bar/slat spacing to disrupt the 23’ 2008, Provisional application NO_ 61/006,601’ m1ss1le fir1ng mechanism. The system also has a shaped layer filed on Jan. 23 2008 provisional application No. ha.V1%1g a(1;1ura11‘.Y1°f1IaPered Iélembegs fOrm8(1frO(I1nba fibep ’ ’ - - re1n orce matena ,t etapere mem ers pos1t1one etween :1/(1)i()C6a’g:Z’NI31eg1/(0)156 d 2O(I)10§;mpr2O5V1S21(O)3§1 the grid layer and the vehicle outer surface and having respecpp . . 1 '1. t. i\I ’61/064 23 4 d ’ F b’ tive apex ends proximate the distant the grid layer and base I2)gO\;(S)1)O8na app lea Ion 0' ’ ’ e on e ' ends, the tapered‘ members defining with adjacent tapered ’ ' members a plurality of depress1ons opemng1n a direction to receive an incoming conical portion of an unexploded RPGtype missile, or a jet emanating from an exploded RPG or (51) Int‘ Cl‘ other anti armor device and a la ' - , yer of fiber-re1nforced mateF 41H 7/02 (200601) rial abutting the base ends of the tapered members. The sys(52) U.S. Cl. ................... .. 89/36.08; 89/36.07; 89/36.09; tem may further include reactive elements disposed on sur89/36.17; 89/902; 89/915; 89/929; 89/930; faces of the tapered members defining the depressions to 89/912 deflect impinging jets. The system may still further include (58) Field of Classification Search 89/36 02 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.
18 Claims, 9 Drawing Sheets
