Sensing and responding to an explosion local to a vehicle

• US 10,119,789 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2015
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Blast & Ballistic Systems Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Advanced Blast & Ballistic Systems Ltd.
• Inventors: Sloman, Roger Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Nolan, Peter D
• Application Number:
  US15/115,208
• Publication Number:
  US 20160341525A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,376 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 37/04 by means of movable masses
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 5/007 Reactive armour; Dynamic armour
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 7/042 Floors or base plates for increased land mine protection
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 35/146 operated by plastic deformation or rupture of structurally associated elements

Abstract

A vehicle and a sensor for use in the vehicle is disclosed. The vehicle includes: a sensor array configured to detect an explosion by sensing, at different heights within a base of the vehicle, mechanical deformation of the base of the vehicle caused by the explosion; and control circuitry configured to respond to detection of the explosion by causing a groundwards force to be applied to the vehicle that depends upon inputs, characterizing the explosion, provided by the sensor array. The sensor includes: at least one support; a first frangible electrical connection, for conveying an electrical signal, held by the at least one support at a first height; and a second frangible electrical connection, for conveying an electrical signal, held by the at least one support at a second height different from the first height.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising:

a sensor array configured to detect an explosion by sensing, at different heights within a base of a vehicle, mechanical deformation of the base of the vehicle caused by the explosion; and

control circuitry configured to;

form, using inputs provided by the sensor array, a three-dimensional map of damage which has been caused to the base of the vehicle; and

respond to detection of the explosion by causing a groundwards force to be applied to the vehicle that depends upon the three-dimensional map of damage formed from the inputs provided by the sensor array.

2. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor array comprises a plurality of sensors, wherein each sensor from the plurality of sensors comprises multiple frangible electrical connections, positioned at different heights, for use in detecting mechanical deformation of the base of the vehicle at different heights.

3. The vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein each sensor from the plurality of sensors comprises a cutter for cutting the multiple frangible electrical connections in response to a force from an explosion.

4. The vehicle as claimed in claim 3, wherein the cutter is positioned to cut the multiple frangible electrical connections sequentially.

5. The vehicle as claimed in claim 4, wherein each sensor from the plurality of sensors comprises at least a first support and a second support, the multiple frangible electrical connections comprises at least a first frangible electrical connection and a second frangible electrical connection, wherein the first support is arranged to hold the first frangible electrical connection at a first height and the second support is arranged to hold the second frangible electrical connection at a second height, and the cutter is arranged to cut through the first support prior to cutting the first frangible electrical connection and arranged to cut through the second support prior to cutting the second frangible electrical connection.

6. The vehicle as claimed in claim 5, wherein the second support is configured to be more resistive to being cut than the first support.

7. The vehicle as claimed in claim 5, wherein the second support is made from a denser material than the first support.

8. The vehicle as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first frangible electrical connection is provided by a first printed wiring board, and the second frangible electrical connection is provided by a second printed wiring board that is different from the first printed wiring board.

9. The vehicle as claimed in claim 3, wherein the cutter comprises a pointed end directed towards the multiple frangible electrical connections.

10. The vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the frangible electrical connections are housed by a housing formed from an electrical insulator.

11. The vehicle as claimed in claim 10, wherein the housing is encapsulated by an encapsulant that is configured to prevent the ingress of water into the housing.

12. The vehicle as claimed in claim 11, wherein the housing of each sensor is located in a cavity in energy absorbent crushable material.

13. The vehicle as claimed in claim 12, wherein each sensor and the energy absorbent crushable material are located between a first belly plate and a second belly plate.

14. The vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the multiple frangible electrical connections are provided by electrical traces in one or more printed wiring boards.

15. The vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the control circuitry is configured to monitor a rate at which the multiple frangible electrical connections in each sensor are broken.

16. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor array comprises a plurality of sensors, each sensor from the plurality of sensors being configured to sense mechanical deformation of the base of the vehicle at different heights within the base of the vehicle, wherein the vehicle further comprises a belly plate, and each sensor from the plurality of sensors is located in a cavity in a crushable material situated above the belly plate.

17. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle further comprises a plurality of vehicle stabilizing devices arranged to apply a groundwards force to the vehicle, and the control circuitry is further configured to use the three-dimensional map of damage to determine which vehicle stabilizing device or vehicle stabilizing devices to activate, from the plurality of vehicle stabilizing devices, in order to provide a groundwards force that is appropriated directed and/or of an appropriate magnitude.

18. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle further comprises a plurality of rocket motors arranged to apply a groundwards force to the vehicle, and the control circuitry is further configured to use the three-dimensional map of damage to determine which rocket motor or rocket motors to activate, from the plurality of vehicle stabilizing devices, in order to provide a groundwards force that is appropriated directed and/or of an appropriate magnitude.

19. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor array comprises a plurality of sensors, distributed along a length of the base of the vehicle and distributed across a width of the base of the vehicle, wherein each sensor from the plurality of sensors is configured to sense, at different heights within a base of a vehicle, mechanical deformation of the base of the vehicle caused by the explosion.

20. A method, comprising:

detecting an explosion by using a sensor array to sense, at different heights within a base of a vehicle, mechanical deformation of the base of the vehicle caused by the explosion;

forming, using inputs provided by the sensor array, a three-dimensional map of damage which has been caused to the base of the vehicle by the explosion; and

responding to detection of the explosion by causing a groundwards force to be applied to the vehicle that depends upon the three-dimensional map of damage formed from the inputs provided by the sensor array.

21. A vehicle, comprising:

a sensor array configured to detect an explosion by sensing, at a plurality of positions along a length of a base of the vehicle and across a width of the base of the vehicle, a depth of mechanical deformation of the base of the vehicle caused by the explosion; and

control circuitry configured to;

form, using inputs provided by the sensor array, a three-dimensional map of damage which has been caused to the base of the vehicle; and

respond to detection of the explosion by causing a groundwards force to be applied to the vehicle that depends upon the three dimensional map of damage formed from the inputs provided by the sensor array.

22. The vehicle as claimed in claim 21, wherein the sensor array is configured to sense, at a plurality of positions along a base of the vehicle and across the base of the vehicle, a depth of mechanical deformation of the base of the vehicle by sensing, at a plurality of positions along a base of the vehicle and across the base of the vehicle, mechanical deformation at different heights within the base.