Green Energy Mine Defeat System

• US 20130014633A1
• Filed: 06/29/2012
• Published: 01/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kevin Mark Diaz
• Original Assignee: Kevin Mark Diaz
• Inventors: Diaz, Kevin Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,677,876 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 89/1.13
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 11/00 Defence installations; Defence devices constructional aspects see Section E, e.g. air-raid shelters E04H9/04; protective arrangements for buildings E04B1/92; extinguishing or preventing the spread of fire from, incendiary bombs A62C3/06; dynamic armour F41H5/007; ballistically deployed systems for restraining persons or animals F41H13/0006; electronic countermeasures G01S
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 11/13 Systems specially adapted for detection of landmines
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 11/16 Self-propelled mine-clearing vehicles; Mine-clearing devices attachable to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 11/18 with ground-impacting means for activating mines by the use of mechanical impulses, e.g. flails or stamping elements
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 11/28 using brushing or sweeping means or dozers to push mines lying on a surface aside; using means for removing mines intact from a surface
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 5/007 Reactive armour; Dynamic armour
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 5/06 Shields in ships B63G9/00; in aircraft B64D7/00 ; blasting mats F42D5/05
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 5/20 Turrets on vehicles F41H7/04
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 7/005 Unmanned ground vehicles, i.e. robotic, remote controlled or autonomous, mobile platforms carrying equipment for performing a military or police role, e.g. weapon systems or reconnaissance sensors F41H11/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 7/042 Floors or base plates for increased land mine protection
• CPC Class Codes: F42D 5/045 Detonation-wave absorbing or damping means

Abstract

A semi-continuous duty, Green Technology, self-charging 14, unmanned electric vehicle providing protection and security from underground mines. A deflector blade 11 follows natural existing contours to maintain straight line paths, while simultaneously carrying a mine detector 10, a vertical reciprocating ram set 30, 32 and 33 that preloads soil while also creating forward motion, followed by an energy dissipation and containment canopy system 22, 24, 26 & 29. The comprehensive system provides protection from mines on existing pathways in desert environments using a self-sufficient energy source. In addition, the total system utilizes only Green Technology for all modes of operation.

Claims

1. An apparatus on a vehicle for containing landmine blasts, comprising:

a plurality of energy dissipating struts coupled to said vehicle and a blast plate, wherein said struts are energy absorbing and connected on one end to said vehicle and on the opposite end to said blast plate;

the blast plate having a blast-resistant expanding billows, with a curtain system and an unfolding canopy mounted thereon, the expanding billows, with the curtain system and unfolding canopy providing three dimensional expansion in the event of a landmine detonation.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a gas ejection system that ejects gas following being triggered by a feedback loop system.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the gas ejection system ejects gas following a break in the feedback loop system to deploy the unfolding canopy and provide downward force.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the feedback loop system is broken by a detonation.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a vertically oriented reciprocating probe, the probe being geometrically controlled by a vehicle-mounted controller that controls the probe with a hinged, articulated bracket; and

at least one preloaded, pressurized strut that provides downward force.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a bottom of a hinged frame may contain a lower control arm with an axial actuator, wherein the lower control arm may have a controlled advance throughout a timed cycle of operation.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of vertically controlled probes.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a robotic, remote controlled vehicle.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a deflector with hinged plates mounted to the vehicle, the deflector pivotably mounted with hinge pins, wherein each hinge pin is bearing mounted to the vehicle to provide a pivot axis segment that overlaps to provide a deflected angle from the vertical adjusting to an existing ground surface;

the deflector further supported by guide rollers for contoured movement on an uneven surface.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the deflector is further counterweighted so as to diminish the force of the deflector on the uneven surface.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising mine detector, wherein the mine detector is self contained and mounted behind a deflector in at least one of integrally attached fashion so as to keep a predetermined minimum distance between the mine detector and the ground.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a turret that houses at least one removable black box, at least one camera and a data processor, wherein the camera is mounted in a protective enclosure and the data processor provides for at least one of data transmission, card checking and motion detection.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a mine marking system comprising the deployment of a marker upon detection of a mine.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a tube that deploys the marker upon detection of a mine and wherein the marker expands to a predetermined size and shape upon deployment.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein a plurality of markers are housed on the vehicle and are deployed individually by a robotic arm mounted on the vehicle and anchored to a desired position.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a path marking system mounted on a rear of the vehicle that provides an indication of a path over which the vehicle has traveled.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a sensor that detects low spots that have not been cleared and a predetermined marking applied to the low spots.

34. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising;

a strut enclosure having two distinct internal control volumes separated by an internal boundary through which a strut piston extends through;

a solenoid valve controlling flow between said control volumes;

a probe assembly having a spherical ball connection having limited range deflection;

a pressure manifold;

a series of relays with communicating activation lines;

a controller for sequencing and timing; and

the manifold having a relay for combining the signals to activate the probe and the strut valve simultaneously together in a cycled manner, controlled by a computer and a controller to synchronize the operation of said components.

36. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising;

one or a plurality of mine detectors mounted, attached or forming an integral part near to the base of said probe assemblies for prestage gas ejection.

37. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the gas ejection system starts following a prestage signal in the feedback loop system providing downward force.

39. the apparatus of claim 1, further comprising;

said canopy;

a prismatic member frame;

a curtain billows;

a series of energy absorbing struts connected within the frame;

one or more blast resistant vents with internal baffle; and

a chute directing exhaust gas downward.

18. A landmine blast containment system comprising:

a vehicle;

a strut dissipating blast plate;

a blast resistant billows;

a blast resistant curtain; and

a probe assembly that is vertically controlled and that is formed with a hinged assembly of linkages, the assembly of linkages comprising a first pin mounted to a rear portion of the vehicle with a spline bracket that controls at least one link in a vertical plane, a second pin connected to an adjacent link with a reciprocating head and a third pin connected to an axial linear actuator that terminates with a ball-type connection at a base of the vehicle;

wherein the probe assembly simultaneously reacts with the strut dissipating blast plate and wherein the strut dissipating blast plate is coupled to the blast resistant and absorbent billows and curtain.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising a foldable canopy-positioned extension that contains fragmentation and further dissipates energy.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

a gas ejection system;

a gas pressure vessel; and

an electrical feedback loop;

wherein the gas ejection system and gas pressure vessel are housed in a protective enclosure and substantially instaneously release gas when the electrical feedback loop is broken.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the electrical feedback loop is broken by an explosion.

22. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

a deflector with hinged plates, wherein the hinged plates individually pivot through the use of hinge pins and which contours to a surface over which the vehicle is moving.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising a plurality of counterweighted rollers that support the deflector and which decrease the weight of the deflector on the surface over which the vehicle is moving.

24. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

a mine detector, the mine detector mounted in one of an integral attached manner proximate a bottom face of the deflector and oriented such that it maintains a predetermined distance from the surface over which the vehicle is moving.

25. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

a marker that marks the ground over which the vehicle is moving, wherein the marker comprises a plurality of flags that are extracted from a holding area of the vehicle by a robotic arm and placed in a desired location.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the ground is marked with one of a plurality of spring-loaded flags in the shape of a pyramid.

27. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

an identification system that scans one of local signal data, card data and biometric data to determine identification of people in areas proximate to the system and wherein the identification system is mounted in a secure, protective housing.

28. The system of claim 18, further comprising a motion detector.

29. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

a path marker, wherein the path marker disperses at least one of a specialized paint marking at predetermined intervals under the vehicle that indicate a path is safe for travel.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the path marker provides markings having a width of about 32 inches.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the path marker further marks low spots that have not been cleared of landmines.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein the marking is coded and can be read to provide any of a plurality of information.

33. The system of claim 30, wherein the vehicle is powered by a green energy source.

35. The apparatus of claim 30, further comprising;

a hinged or sliding mounted mechanism;

having an attachment plate with hinged or sliding mechanism to said spline bracket;

means for raising and lowering the connected strut and probe assembly; and

means for pressure relieving for hinged spline bracket motion during detonations.

38. The apparatus of claim 5 or 18, further comprising;

a flexible blast resistant probe head boot cover which covers the probe shoe, probe, a mine detector and/or the entire reciprocating probe head assembly.

40. A method for dissipating pressure waves and containing fragmentation from land mines by a simultaneous process whereby, the mine blast and corresponding pressure wave are relieved by a system of energy absorbing struts, blast plate, billows curtains and expanding canopy mounted to a vehicle, machine or robot, initiating synergy in said assembly by first being triggered by a mine closer in initial offset distance towards the blast plate of the assembly, being strut coupled to the vehicle, the pressure field being relieved and dissipated by the provided system of pressure relieving struts, blast plate, billows curtains and expanding canopy which resolves the blast wave force in the horizontal and upward directions, dissipating the force by the work-energy spent moving the weight of the vehicle to the rear and upwards having a catchback synergy as the transient blast force initially slams rearward into the blastplate being coupled to the vehicle and canopy, the machine in turn reacting rearward and upward as the pressure is dissipated in the pressure wave directions, by the side flexible billows curtain faces, by the rear blast plate and upwards by the canopy functioning as a 3D dissipating containment system which is further controlled by gas ejection in the upward direction.