Vehicular armour
Armour for a vehicle comprises ceramic plates ( 3, 4 ) with a spall covering ( 5 ) on a front surface of the ceramic plate ( 3 ), the ceramic plate ( 4 ) being bonded at a rear surface thereof to a stiff support plate ( 2 ), a plastically deformable layers ( 9, 10 ) arranged behind the support plate ( 2 ), and spacing means ( 7 ) defining a front substantially planar space ( 11 ) between the support plate ( 2 ) and the plastically deformable layer ( 9 ) and a rear substantially planar space ( 14 ) arranged to be located between the plastically deformable layer ( 10 ) and a vehicle hull ( 13 ).
1. Armour for a vehicle, the armour comprising a ceramic plate with a spall covering on a front surface of the ceramic plate, the ceramic plate being bonded at a rear surface thereof to a stiff support plate, a plastically deformable layer arranged behind the support plate, and spacing rods for spacing components of the armour, the spacing rods defining a front substantially planar space between the support plate and the plastically deformable layer and a rear substantially planar space arranged to be located between the plastically deformable layer and a vehicle hull.
2. Armour according to claim 1 , wherein the ceramic plate comprises at least two ceramic layers bonded together.
3. Armour according to claim 2 , wherein the spall covering extends between said ceramic layers.
4. Armour according to claim 1 , wherein the spall covering extends over the edges and/or the rear surface of the ceramic plate.
5. Armour according to claim 1 , wherein the spall covering is of a thermoplastic material.
6. Armour according to claim 5 in which the thermoplastic material comprises polycarbonate.
7. Armour according to claim 1 , wherein the support plate is of a composite material.
8. Armour according to claim 7 , wherein the support plate comprises fibres of carbon or glass.
9. Armour according to claim 1 , wherein the ceramic plate is bonded to the support plate by an elastomeric material.
10. Armour according to claim 9 , wherein said elastomeric material covers all exposed surfaces of the spall covering.
11. Armour according to claim 1 , including a rear plastically deformable layer arranged behind said plastically deformable layer that is arranged behind the support plate, the spacing rods defining an intermediate space between the two plastically deformable layers.
12. Armour according to claim 11 , wherein the intermediate space contains crushable foam.
13. Armour according to claim 12 in which the crushable foam comprises polyethylene.
14. Armour according to claim 11 , wherein each plastically deformable layer is formed from a multiplicity of laminations.
15. Armour according to claim 11 , wherein each plastically deformable layer is formed from polyethylene.
16. Armour according to claim 1 , wherein the plastically deformable layer is formed from a multiplicity of laminations.
17. Armour according to claim 1 , wherein the plastically deformable layer is formed from polyethylene.
18. Armour according to claim 1 , wherein the front and/or rear substantially planar spaces contain(s) crushable foam.
19. Armour according to claim 18 in which the crushable foam comprises polyethylene.