Flexible body armor
View Patent ↗Implementations described and claimed herein provide a ballistic filler for a flexible soft body armor and methods of manufacturing the same. In one implementation, a first portion having a first subpanel is stitched directly to a second subpanel with a stitching pattern. The first subpanel has one or more layers of woven fabric, and the second subpanel has one or more layers of unidirectional fabric. A second portion backs the first portion. The second portion has one or more layers of unstitched unidirectional fabric.
1. A flexible body armor ballistic filler comprising:
a first portion having a first subpanel stitched directly to a second subpanel with a stitching pattern, the first subpanel having one or more layers of woven fabric and the second subpanel having one or more layers of unidirectional fabric; and
a second portion backing the first portion, the second portion having one or more layers of unstitched unidirectional fabric.
2. The flexible body armor ballistic filler of claim 1 , wherein the stitching pattern is at least one of: uniform across a surface of the first region, non-uniform across a surface of the first region a grid pattern, a pattern of co-linear rows, one or more concentric circles, or a spiral.
3. The flexible body armor ballistic filler of claim 1 , wherein the one or more layers of woven fabric include ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene.
4. The flexible body armor ballistic filler of claim 1 , wherein a weight of the first portion is fifty percent or less of an overall weight of the flexible body armor ballistic filler.
5. The flexible body armor ballistic filler of claim 1 , wherein the second subpanel backs the first subpanel.
6. The flexible body armor ballistic filler of claim 1 , wherein the one or more layers of unidirectional fabric include at least one of: resin impregnated woven fabrics, unidirectional laminate, or multi-axial fabric.
7. The flexible body armor ballistic filler of claim 1 , wherein the one or more layers of unidirectional fabric include at least one of: aromatic polyamide, aromatic unsaturated polyester, woven fabric, or ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene.
8. The flexible body armor ballistic filler of claim 1 , wherein the one or more layers of unidirectional fabric has a tenacity of 7 grams/denier or more.
9. The flexible body armor ballistic filler of claim 1 , wherein the first subpanel stitched is directly to the second subpanel using chain stitching or lock stitching.
10. The flexible body armor ballistic filler of claim 1 , wherein the first subpanel is a strike face for a ballistic impact.