1. A method for pressing an object with a main piston placed in a main cylinder by means of applying a prescribed pressure to said main piston with working fluid wherein:
said working fluid is compressed to said prescribed pressure by supplying said working fluid to said main cylinder with driving power of a piezoelectric element,
said prescribed pressure is applied through a piping system that includes said main cylinder, a supply line and a discharge line of said working fluid with respect to said main cylinder, a check valve preventing reverse flow of said working fluid from said main cylinder to said supply line, and a sub-cylinder provided within said supply line,
said method comprises:
a first step of displacing a sub-piston provided within said sub-cylinder from an initial position to press said working fluid such that said working fluid is introduced via said main piston provided within said main cylinder; and
a second step of causing said sub-piston to return to said initial position such that said working fluid is supplied to said sub-cylinder,
said first step and said second step are repeated successively until a pressure of said working fluid in said main cylinder reaches said prescribed pressure,
said first step is performed in a state in which a discharge control valve disposed in said discharge line and a supply control valve disposed in said supply line are closed,
said second step is performed in a state in which said discharge control valve and said check valve are closed and said supply control valve is open,
said supply control valve, said discharge control valve and said sub-piston each respectively have a respective said piezoelectric element attached thereto, and
said piezoelectric elements serve to open and close said supply control valve and said discharge control valve, and to displace said sub-piston from the initial position, respectively.
2. The pressing method according to claim 1, wherein a prescribed voltage is applied to said piezoelectric element attached to said sub-piston repeatedly until the pressure of said working fluid reaches to said prescribed pressure.
3. The pressing method according to claim 1, wherein
a detector provided in said main cylinder detects the pressure of said working fluid, and
when said detector detects said prescribed pressure, the displacement of said sub-piston is terminated.
4. A method of pressing an object using an apparatus including a pressing piston device, a fluid supply line connected to a fluid inlet of said pressing piston device and adapted to supply a working fluid, a piezoelectrically actuated supply control valve interposed in said fluid supply line, a piezoelectrically actuated pump connected to or interposed in said fluid supply line between said supply control valve and said fluid inlet of said pressing piston device, a one-way check valve interposed in said fluid supply line between said pump and said fluid inlet of said pressing piston device, a fluid discharge line connected to a fluid outlet of said pressing piston device and adapted to discharge the working fluid from said pressing piston device, and a piezoelectrically actuated discharge control valve interposed in said fluid discharge line, wherein said method comprises the steps:
a) closing said check valve, electrically controlling said piezoelectrically actuated discharge control valve so as to be in a closed state thereof, and electrically controlling maid piezoelectrically actuated supply control valve so as to be in an open state thereof;
b) with said check valve closed, said discharge control valve in said closed state thereof arid said supply control valve in said open stats thereof, electrically controlling said piezoelectrically actuated pump to draw the working fluid through said supply control valve into said pump;
c) after said step b), electrically controlling said piezoelectrically actuated discharge control valve so as to be in said closed state thereof, and electrically controlling said piezoelectrically actuated supply control valve so as to be in a closed state thereof;
d) with said discharge control valve in said closed state thereof and said supply control valve in said closed state thereof, electrically controlling said piezoelectrically actuated pump so as to pressurize the working fluid in said pump, thereby opening said check valve, and pumping an amount of the working fluid from said pump through said check valve into said pressing piston device; and
e) repeating said steps a), b), c) and d) until a pressure of the working fluid in said pressing piston device reaches a prescribed pressure, thereby advancing a pressing piston of said pressing piston device so as to press the object.
5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said controlling of said pump in said step d) comprises applying a first electrical voltage to a first piezoelectric actuator element of said pump, said controlling of said pump in said step b) comprises disconnecting said first electrical voltage from said first piezoelectric actuator element, said controlling of said supply control valve in said step c) comprises applying a second electrical voltage to a second piezoelectric actuator element of said supply control valve, said controlling of said supply control valve in said step a) comprises disconnecting said second electrical voltage from said second piezoelectric actuator element, and said controlling of said discharge control valve in said step a) and said step c) comprises applying a third electrical voltage to a third piezoelectric actuator element of said discharge control valve.
6. The method according to claim 4, further comprising, after completing said pressing of said object in said step e), a further step of electrically controlling said piezoelectrically actuated discharge control valve so as to be in an open state thereof, and discharging a quantity of the working fluid out of said pressing piston device through said discharge control valve to retract said pressing piston.
7. The method according to claim 4, further comprising sensing the pressure of the working fluid in said pressing piston device with a pressure sensor, and terminating said step d) when maid pressure sensed with said pressure sensor reaches said prescribed pressure.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An armor repair kit comprising:
an armor repair putty comprising a resinous material;
one or more scrims having a plurality of ceramic constituents fixedly attached thereto;
and an elastomeric housing.
2. The armor repair kit of claim 1, wherein the armor repair putty further comprises a plurality of ceramic constituents.
3. The armor repair kit of claim 1, wherein the armor repair putty further comprises a plurality of reinforcement fibers.
4. The armor repair kit of claim 1, wherein the armor repair putty is partially pre-cured.
5. The armor repair kit of claim 1, further comprising a shock-absorbing material layer.
6. The armor repair kit of claim 1, further comprising a repair disk.
7. The armor repair kit of claim 1, further comprising a boundary frame, wherein the boundary frame comprises conformable material.
8. The armor repair kit of claim 1, further comprising a studded sub-frame and slotted sub-frame, wherein portions of the studded sub-frame and portions of the slotted sub-frame are capable of being joined together using a mechanical fastener.
9. The armor repair kit of claim 1, further comprising a handheld tool for mixing the armor repair putty.
10. The armor repair kit of claim 1, further comprising a handheld tool for applying the armor repair putty.
11. The armor repair kit of claim 1, further comprising a handheld tool for curing the armor repair putty.
12. A method for repairing armor comprising:
applying a first amount of an armor repair putty comprising a resinous material to a damaged area of armor;
applying an elastomeric housing containing one or more scrims having a plurality of ceramic constituents attached thereto and a second amount of armor repair putty over top of the first amount of the armor repair putty; and
curing the first and second amounts of the armor repair putty.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the armor repair putty further comprises a plurality of ceramic constituents.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein the armor repair putty further comprises a plurality of reinforcement fibers.
15. The method of claim 12, wherein the armor repair putty is partially pre-cured.
16. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of applying a shock-absorbing material layer to the damaged area of armor.
17. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of applying a repair disk to the damaged area of armor.
18. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of securing a boundary frame to a surface surrounding the damaged area of armor.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the boundary frame comprises a conformable material.
20. The method of claim 12, wherein the elastomeric housing containing the one or more scrims having the plurality of ceramic constituents attached thereto and the second layer of armor repair putty is secured to the boundary frame by a mechanical fastener.
21. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of cleaning the damaged area of annor.
22. A method for enhancing non-damaged armor comprising:
applying a layer of an armor repair putty comprising a resinous material to an area of armor;
applying one or more scrims having a plurality of ceramic constituents attached thereto;
filling the interstitial spaces between the plurality of ceramic constituents with the armor repair putty, and
curing the annor repair putty.
23. The method of claim 22, wherein the armor repair putty further comprises a plurality of ceramic constituents.
24. The method of claim 22, wherein the armor repair putty further comprises a plurality of reinforcement fibers.
25. The method of claim 22, wherein the armor repair putty is partially pre-cured.
26. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of applying a shock-absorbing material layer.
27. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of securing a boundary frame to a surface surrounding the area of armor.
28. The method of claim 27, wherein the boundary frame comprises a conformable material.
29. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of cleaning the area of armor.
30. The method of claim 22, wherein the one or more scrims having the plurality of ceramic constituents attached thereto is contained in an elastomeric housing.