Patent Application
20240239445
The invention relates to the production of a marine boat with materials that provide bulletproofing and ballistic protection both at the lower hull and the superstructure, or only at the lower hull or only at the superstructure of the said boat; the boat being manufactured at a length of 3 meters to 15 meters and having an inflatable tube around it, for use for military and civilian purposes.
Today, various sea boats are being manufactured at a length of between 3 meters and 15 meters with an inflatable tube around them, which are known in the international literature as Rigid Inflatable Boats (RIB). These boats are used in the military or in the civilian services and they are manufactured using materials that do not provide bulletproofing and ballistic protection.
In the current practices, the lower hull or upper hull structures of the boat do not provide bulletproofing and ballistic protection against shrapnel and similar threats. Even though partial zones are created on the boat in parts by using steel or similar metals, which provide protection, there are no products that are produced to provide bulletproofing or protection against shrapnel and similar threats in terms ballistics, for boat as a whole.
In other current practices, the load bearing capacity of marine boats with a rigid hull and with inflatable tubes up to 15 meters is limited. Surfaces with ballistic protection and bulletproofing properties made of steel or similar metals cannot be used to protect the entire boat and the user crew or all of the passengers in sea boats of this size due to the load bearing barrier because of their heavy weight.
In the present technique, there is no version of a boat manufactured using UHMWPE (Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene) material.
In similar products, there are no marine boats having inflatable tubes, a rigid hull up to 15 meters that have bulletproofing and shrapnel protection on the hull and a protective shield or protective structure made of these materials for protecting all the passengers and the crew in the structures on the boat.
In the present technique, there are no boats that protect the hull of the boat and the entire area of the onboard users against bullets and ballistic threats.
Therefore, due to the drawbacks described above and the inadequacy of the existing solutions on the subject, it has become necessary to make an improvement in the relevant technical field.
The invention is inspired by current situations and aims to solve the above-mentioned problems.
The main objective of the invention is to manufacture the boat with the techniques described below using UHMWPE fabric, which allows 30-70% lighter surface or hull manufacturing compared to the weight of steel or similar metals.
Another objective of the invention is to provide a higher level of protection by protecting the entire marine boat and all the crew or the passengers.
Another objective of the invention is to provide a boat with a lighter weight.
Another objective of the invention is to manufacture a boat by using UHMWPE (Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene) material for whole of the boat.
Another objective of the invention is to integrate any of the Boron Carbide, Silicon Carbide or Alumina ceramic materials into the boat, in addition to the UHMWPE (Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene) material.
Another objective of the invention is to provide bulletproofing and ballistic protection against shrapnel and similar threats at the lower hull or upper hull structures of the boat.
Another objective of the invention is to provide the use of the boat in the military field, by means of the production of both the lower hull and the upper structures or only the lower hull or only the upper structures of the boat, using materials that provide bulletproofing and ballistic protection, and also in the civilian field due to the robustness added by these features.
The structural and characteristic features of the invention and all its advantages will be understood more clearly by means of the figures provided below and the detailed explanation written with reference to these figures, and therefore the evaluation should be made by taking these figures and detailed explanation into account.
In this detailed description, preferred embodiments of the marine boat (10), which is the subject of the invention, are explained only for the purpose of providing a better understanding of the subject.
The subject of the invention is a boat (10) to be used in the military or civil fields that provides ballistic protection, comprising the hull (11) of the boat (10) is manufactured using UHMWPE (Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene) material to provide a higher level of protection and lightness, as being distinguishing characteristic.
In order to provide higher protection level and lightness, in addition to UHMWPE (Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene) material, it comprises the boat (10) super structure (11) manufactured using any of Boron Carbide, Silicon Carbide or Alumina ceramic.
By means of the boat (10) hull (11) made of reinforced and solid UHMWPE (Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene) material, bulletproofing and shrapnel protection is provided, as well as protection for all passengers or users in the structures on the boat.
The hull (11) of the boat (10) and the entire area where the onboard users are located will be protected against bullets and ballistic threats.
UHMWPE fibers are 15 times stronger than steel; they exhibit high strength, high temperature stability, high resistance to degradation or corrosion. UHMWPE material integrated with high and stable performance gives the boat (10) hull (11) wear resistance and shock absorption feature, high corrosion resistance, resistant performance in low temperature, non-adhesion feature, low density feature and stable ballistic performance feature. The density is 0.97˜0.98 g/cm3, which lowers the density of the water and makes the fiber float on the water. The fiber, equipped with these features, is mainly used in the army's bulletproof vests, ballistic helmets, body armors, etc. to complement such ballistic products.
Threat levels for ballistic protection are determined by the United States NIJ (National Institute of Justice).
Ballistic protection Level III is the first level of protection against rifle bullets. Products at this level are hard plates formed by treating UHMWPE fabrics under heat and pressure.
Ballistic protection Level IV is the most basic level of protection against armor-piercing projectiles. The products used against this threat consist of composite structures that are formed by combining the hard plates formed by the treatment of UHMWPE fabric under heat and pressure, together with a ceramic plate (one of the options of boron carbide, alumina, silicon carbide) and using temperature and pressure as the joining method.
Boat (10) manufacturing is made in this manner; UHMWPE fabric is layered on top of each other, and the process is applied in 200-10000 tons presses under high pressure and 80-180 degrees of heat. The hull is produced using the rigid structure formed and obtained in this manner, and this ensures manufacturing of the level Ill boat (10) hull (11) which is protective against bullets and other ballistic threats. Protective structures resistant to bullets and similar ballistic threats are made by manufacturing a movable shield (which is raised and lowered, can be mounted and disassembled or tilted up and down) or cabin, which will be produced with the same method in the area where the passengers and users are located on the boat (10).
In case a higher protection level is required, a composite structure is formed by combining UHMWPE fabric, which allows 30-70% lighter surface or hull manufacturing compared to the weight of steel or similar metals meeting the same protection level, with a ceramic plate (one of the options of boron carbide, alumina, silicon carbide) in an autoclave machine under a pressure of 10-70 atmospheres and a temperature of 80-180 degrees. Level IV protection is provided by using this material on the hull (11) and superstructure of the boat (10), as mentioned above.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/003187 | Mar 2022 | TR | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/TR2022/050598 | 6/16/2022 | WO |
