TRACKED VEHICLE WITH MULTIPLE SELF-CONTAINED TRACKED DRIVES AND REMOTE TRACKED DRIVE JETTISONING CAPABILITY
First Claim
1. A tracked vehicle including a hull and a plurality of self contained tracked drive units connected to said hull, said hull containing an electrical power plant, a driving control system, and a motor cooling system,each of said plurality of self contained tracked drive units including a frame to contain an electric motor, a drive wheel to propel a track belt, said drive wheel being powered by said electric motor, a plurality of road wheels to support said tracked vehicle, and a plurality of tensioning wheels to maintain said track belt in constant tension about said drive wheel and said road wheels,each of said self contained tracked drive units being connected to said hull by affixing devices to affix said frame to corresponding mounting devices on said hull;
- by an electrical cable to transmit electrical power from said power plant to said electric motor;
by a coolant fluid line to convey coolant fluid from said cooling system to said electric motor, and by a control and data cable to convey electronic signals between said driving control system and said self contained tracked drive unit,said tracked vehicle being separable from each of said self contained tracked drive units by the detachment of said affixing devices from said mounting devices on said hull, the disconnection of said electrical cable from said electric motor, the disconnection of said coolant fluid line from said electric motor, and the disconnection of said control and data cable from said self contained tracked drive unit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A tracked vehicle having a plurality of self contained tracked drive units, each unit including an electric motor to propel a track belt, and a plurality of road wheels and tensioning wheels. Each tracked drive unit is connected to the vehicle by affixing devices and by electrical, data, and fluid lines, and is separable from the vehicle by detachment of the affixing devices and disconnection of the electrical, data, and fluid lines. The tracked vehicle can locomote upon the tracked drive units remaining after the separation a tracked drive unit. A tracked vehicle with remote tracked drive jettisoning capability, wherein a tracked drive unit is affixed to the hull of the tracked vehicle by explosive bolts; the electrical, fluid, and data lines are severable by severing charges; and the tracked drive is jettisonable by remote commands to detonate the explosive bolts and sever the electrical, data, and fluid lines.
12 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A tracked vehicle including a hull and a plurality of self contained tracked drive units connected to said hull, said hull containing an electrical power plant, a driving control system, and a motor cooling system,
each of said plurality of self contained tracked drive units including a frame to contain an electric motor, a drive wheel to propel a track belt, said drive wheel being powered by said electric motor, a plurality of road wheels to support said tracked vehicle, and a plurality of tensioning wheels to maintain said track belt in constant tension about said drive wheel and said road wheels, each of said self contained tracked drive units being connected to said hull by affixing devices to affix said frame to corresponding mounting devices on said hull; - by an electrical cable to transmit electrical power from said power plant to said electric motor;
by a coolant fluid line to convey coolant fluid from said cooling system to said electric motor, and by a control and data cable to convey electronic signals between said driving control system and said self contained tracked drive unit,said tracked vehicle being separable from each of said self contained tracked drive units by the detachment of said affixing devices from said mounting devices on said hull, the disconnection of said electrical cable from said electric motor, the disconnection of said coolant fluid line from said electric motor, and the disconnection of said control and data cable from said self contained tracked drive unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
- by an electrical cable to transmit electrical power from said power plant to said electric motor;
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11. A tracked vehicle with remote tracked drive jettisoning capability, said tracked vehicle including a hull and a plurality of self contained tracked drive units connected to said hull, said hull containing an electrical power plant, a driving control system, and a motor cooling system,
each of said plurality of self contained tracked drive units including a frame to contain an electric motor, a drive wheel to propel a track belt, said drive wheel being powered by said electric motor, a drive wheel powered by said electric motor, to propel a track belt, a plurality of road wheels to support said tracked vehicle, and a plurality of tensioning wheels to maintain said track belt in constant tension about said drive wheel and said road wheels, each of said self contained tracked drive units being connected to said hull by explosive affixing devices to affix said frame of said tracked drive unit to corresponding mounting devices on said hull, said explosive affixing devices being destructible by detonation of said explosive affixing devices: - by an electrical cable to transmit electrical power from said power plant to said electric motor;
by a coolant fluid line to convey coolant fluid from said cooling system to said electric motor; and
by a control and data cable to convey electronic signals between said driving control system and said self contained tracked drive unit;said electrical cable, said control and data cable, and said coolant fluid line each being severable by an explosive severing charge situated about said electrical cable, said coolant fluid line, and said control and data cable, said electrical cable including an electrical shut-off switch situated between said severing charge and said power plant, said control and data cable including a data shut-off switch situated between said severing charge and said driving control system, said coolant fluid line including coolant fluid shut-off valve situated between said motor cooling system and said tracked drive units, each of said self contained tracked drive units being separable from said tracked vehicle upon destruction of said explosive affixing devices, the severance of said electrical cable, the severance of said control and data cable, and the severance of said coolant fluid line, said tracked vehicle including a remote jettisoning system including a shut-off circuit activatable to actuate said electrical shut-off switch, said data shut-off switch, and said coolant fluid shut-off valve;
a detonation circuit activatable to detonate said explosive affixing devices and said severing charges; and
a remote jettisoning control operable to activate said shut-off circuit and said detonation circuit,said tracked vehicle retaining a plurality of remaining self contained tracked drive units after the separation of at least one self contained tracked drive unit, said tracked drive vehicle having the ability to locomote by means of said plurality of remaining self contained tracked drive units. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
- by an electrical cable to transmit electrical power from said power plant to said electric motor;
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20. A self contained tracked drive unit for use with a tracked drive vehicle having a hull containing an electrical power plant, a driving control system, and a motor cooling system, said self-contained track drive unit including:
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a frame to contain an electric motor, a drive wheel to propel a track belt, said drive wheel being powered by said electric motor, a plurality of road wheels to support said tracked vehicle, and a plurality of tensioning wheels to maintain said track belt in constant tension about said drive wheel and said road wheels, each of said self contained tracked drive units being connected to said hull by affixing devices to affix said frame to corresponding mounting devices on said hull;
by an electrical cable to transmit electrical power from said power plant to said electric motor;
by a coolant fluid line to convey coolant fluid from said cooling system to said electric motor, and by a control and data cable to convey electronic signals between said driving control system and said self contained tracked drive unit,each of said self-contained tracked drive being separable from said hull upon the detachment of said affixing devices from said mounting devices on said hull, the disconnection of said electrical cable from said electric motor, the disconnection of said pressurized fluid line from said electric motor, and the disconnection of said control and data cable from said driving control system. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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24. A method for remotely jettisoning a self contained tracked drive unit from a tracked vehicle having multiple self contained tracked drive units, each tracked drive unit being contained in a frame, including the steps of:
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actuating a remote jettisoning control, activating a detonation circuit, detonating a severing charge situated about an electrical cable connecting an electrical distributor to a motor of each self contained tracked drive unit; severing the electrical cable, detonating a severing charge situated about a data and control cable connecting a driving control processor to a motor controller and to a track speed sensor of the tracked drive unit, severing the data and control cable, detonating a severing charge situated about a coolant fluid line connecting a motor cooling system to the electric motor of the tracked drive unit; severing the coolant fluid line, detonating a plurality of explosive affixing devices attaching the frame of the tracked drive unit to a plurality of mounting devices on a hull of the tracked drive vehicle, detaching the frame of the tracked drive unit from the plurality of mounting devices; and remotely jettisoning the tracked drive unit from the tracked vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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26. A method for controlling the locomotion of a tracked vehicle including a plurality of self contained tracked drive units, including the steps of:
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receiving at a driving control processor a driving instruction regarding the course and speed of the tracked vehicle from an operator of the tracked vehicle; comparing the driving instruction with the actual course and speed of the tracked vehicle; detecting a discrepancy between the driving instruction and the actual course and speed of the tracked vehicle; issuing a command to correct the discrepancy between the driving instruction and the actual course and speed of the tracked vehicle; receiving the command at an electrical distributor electrically connected to the electric motor of each self contained tracked drive unit; regulating the electrical current delivered to the electric motor of each self contained tracked drive unit; modifying the speed or direction of movement of each self contained tracked drive unit; bringing the course and speed of the tracked vehicle into conformance with the instruction issued by an operator; and controlling the locomotion of the tracked drive vehicle.
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Specification