The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 16, 2003
Filed:
May. 16, 2002
Robert B. Frey, Bel Air, MD (US);
Michael J. Zoltoski, Bel Air, MD (US);
Deborah Pilarski, Jarrettsville, MD (US);
Jerry Lee Watson, Darlington, MD (US);
John J. Starkenberg, Owings Mills, MD (US);
The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army, Washington, DC (US);
Abstract
A reactive armor includes an orderly stack of multiple leaves of explosive, interleaved with non-explosive compressible foam. The stack is enclosed between armor plates. The armor plates are moveable between a first position in which the stack is compressed and a second position in which the stack is not compressed. An igniter is in electrical communication with the leaves of explosive. Each of the multiple leaves of explosive has a thickness below the “detonation failure thickness” of the explosive. In the compressed state, the compressible foam is compressed and the explosive leaves are sufficiently close to support detonation. In the uncompressed state the compressible foam is expanded and the explosive leaves are not sufficiently close to support detonation, and the use of highly plasticized explosives prevents other types of explosion. The invention provides for switching the reactive armor between an explosive state and a non-explosive state.