Layered composite body armor

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Provided is a seamless soft body armor insert capable of withstanding penetration from both blunt missiles, e.
g.
bullets, and cutting implements, e.
g.
knives, which is relatively light weight and flexible.
The seamless design is based upon the discovery that microscopic spaces in seams compromise the armor's effectiveness in reducing penetration by various weapons.
To avoid seams, the body armor is formed from a plurality of layers of metallic material, each of which is formed from 15-333 Ti alloy foil.
A central portion of each layer of metallic material is rigidly attached to a central portion of an adjacent layer of metallic material with adhesive to form a rigid portion disposed between two flexible side regions.
The flexible side regions are provided so that the body armor may conform to a shape of a human torso.
The metallic layers are sandwiched between a pair of spaced apart fiber layers, with the periphery of the fiber layers attached to each other.
The fiber material is described as aramid fibers, such as KEVLAR.
RTM.
or polyethylene fibers, such as SPECTRA SHIELD.
RTM.
.
In addition, the fiber layers may be made from TWARON.
RTM.
or P.
B.
O.
liquid crystal polymer.
The metal layers form two sections of the armor material: the base and the strike face.
The base comprises a sufficient number of layers of 15-333 Ti alloy foil to provide a thickness ranging from 0.
043 to 0.
046 inches.
The strike face is formed from a sufficient number of layers of 15-333 Ti alloy foil to provide a thickness ranging from 0.
008 to 0.
012 inches.
The outer edges of the base extends about the outer edges of the strike surface, terminating two inches therefrom.
The periphery of the fiber layers terminates approximately 0.
5 inch from the outer edge of the base.