Exercise mine and programming and simulation device therefor

• US 5,801,322 A
• Filed: 09/09/1996
• Issued: 09/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GIAT Industries
• Original Assignee: GIAT Industries
• Inventors: Arnaud, Philippe, Laine, Loic
• Primary Examiner(s): Jordan, Charles T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MONTGOMERY, CHRISTOPHER KEITH
• Application Number:
  US08/714,052
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 434/11, 102/401, 102/402, 102/403, 102/407, 102/416, 102/424, 102/427, 89/1.1, 89/1.11, 89/1.13, 324/327
• US Class Current: 102/401
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 8/28 Land or marine mines; Depth charges

Abstract

The invention relates to an exercise mine system for training in mine detection. The invention including a passive oscillating circuit tuned to a certain frequency. This circuit being designed to be detected by another active oscillating circuit carried by an individual or vehicle.

Claims

1. An exercise mine system for training in mine detection, comprising:

at least one passive oscillating circuit tuned to a given frequency and carried by a mine;

at least one active oscillating circuit carried by a target of opportunity; and

at least one fluctuation detector to detect fluctuations in said at least one active oscillating circuit as said at least one active oscillating circuit comes within a predetermined distance of said at least one passive oscillating circuit, wherein the at least one passive oscillating circuit includes at least one fuse or destructible part, and wherein a signal generated by said at least one active oscillating circuit is of a strength to trigger said at least one fuse or destructible part.

2. An exercise mine system for training in mine detection according to claim 1, wherein said at least one active oscillating circuit generates a signal at an adjustable frequency and strength;

and

an active circuit that enables the determination of the given frequency of the at least one passive oscillating circuit carried by the mine and includes a switch controlling the generation of a power signal at the given frequency, wherein the power signal is designed to trigger the fuse or destructible part of the at least one passive oscillating circuit on the mine.

3. An exercise mine system for training in mine detection according to claim 1, wherein said at least one passive oscillating circuit is made of a rigid printed circuit attached to the mine.

4. An exercise mine system for training in mine detection according to claim 1, wherein said at least one passive oscillating circuit is made of a flexible printed circuit attached to the mine.

5. An exercise mine system for training in mine detection according to claim 1, wherein said at least one passive oscillating circuit is made of a serigraph of conductive paint.

6. An exercise mine system for training in mine detection according to claim 5, wherein the serigraph is carried on a label affixed to the mine.

7. An exercise mine system for training in mine detection according to claim 1, further comprising signalling means connected to said at least one fluctuation detector for signalling when said at least one active oscillating circuit comes within said predetermined distance of said at least one passive oscillating circuit.

8. An exercise mine system for training in mine detection according to claim 7, wherein each oscillating circuit of said at least one active oscillating circuit includes a coil attached to a front part of a vehicle and said each active oscillating circuit is insulated from the vehicle by a screen of material having high magnetic permeability and high specific resistance.

9. An exercise mine system for training in mine detection according to claim 8, wherein the at least one active oscillating circuit is carried on a vehicle and said signaling means further comprises circuit breaking means positioned in a power supply circuit of the vehicle whereby the at least one fluctuation detector activates the circuit breaking means to make the vehicle stop.

10. An exercise mine system for training in mine detection according to claim 7, further comprising:

a timer;

at least one memory adapted to receive at least a number representative of an active-life time of at least one passive oscillating circuit; and

a monitor device to prevent activation of said signalling means by the at least one fluctuation detector when the active-life time of said at least one passive oscillating circuit is exhausted as measured by said timer, whereby an exercise mine can have an active life assigned thereto.

11. An exercise mine system for training in mine detection according to claim 7, wherein said at least one passive oscillating circuit comprises at least one inductive resistor whose terminals are connected to at least two circuit arms, each arm being formed of a capacitance and a fuse or destructible part connected in series, and tuned to a given frequency, whereby said at least one passive oscillating circuit can present itself as two passive oscillating circuits and be used to represent more than one type of mine.

12. An exercise mine system for training in mine detection according to claim 11, wherein said at least one active oscillating circuit is at least two active oscillating circuits, each active oscillating circuit being tuned to a different frequency to enable detection and differentiation of either different mines having different passive oscillating circuits or said at least two circuit arms of one passive oscillating circuit carried on one mine.

13. An exercise mine system for training in mine detection of claim 12, further comprising a fluctuation detector for each active oscillating circuit.

14. An exercise mine system for training in mine detection of claim 11, further comprising:

at least one timer;

at least one memory adapted to receive at least a number representative of an active-life time of said at least one passive oscillating circuit; and

a monitor device including means to determine the given frequency of a detected passive oscillating circuit or a given circuit arm of a detected passive oscillating circuit and to associate this frequency to one of the active-life times stored in said at least one memory, whereby said monitor device can determine the active life of either different passive oscillating circuits carried by different mines or the at least two circuit arms of one passive oscillating circuit carried by one mine.

15. An exercise mine system for training in mine detection according to claim 1, wherein the mine is made of an environmentally degradable substance.

16. An exercise mine system for training in mine detection and to simulate the action of at least one mine, said system comprising:

means to detect at least one passive oscillating circuit carried by an exercise mine;

a fuse in the at least one passive oscillating circuit; and

at least one active oscillating circuit means for detecting the at least one passive oscillating circuit, wherein a signal generated by said at least one active oscillating circuit means is of a strength to trigger said fuse.

17. An exercise mine system for training in mine detection of claim 16, wherein said detection means includes at least one receiver coil connected to an amplifying means and a band filter.

18. An exercise mine system for training in mine detection of claim 16, wherein the at least one active oscillating circuit means includes at least two active oscillating circuits, each circuit adapted to be tuned to a different self-resonant frequency to enable the detection and differentiation of at least two passive oscillating circuits identifying different type exercise mines.

19. An exercise mine system for training in mine detection of claim 16, wherein the at least one active oscillating circuit means is adapted to deliver a signal at a wobbled frequency in a given frequency band to enable detection of at least two passive oscillating circuits identifying at least two different types of exercise mines.

20. An exercise mine system for training in mine detection of claim 16, wherein the at least one active oscillating circuit means comprises an active oscillating circuit and the means to detect comprises a receiver and a filter, the filter connected to a fluctuation detector, said fluctuation detector having a sensitivity threshold established to detect said active oscillating circuit at a given distance from the at least one passive oscillating circuit integral with a mine.

21. An exercise mine system for training in mine detection of claim 20, wherein the fluctuation detector controls signalling means for signalling that said at least one active oscillating circuit is within said given distance of said at least one passive oscillating circuit.

22. An exercise mine system for training in mine detection of claim 20, wherein each passive oscillating circuit of the at least one passive oscillating circuit has a fuse therein, the fluctuation detector controls the emission of a power signal by the active oscillating circuit, and said power signal is adapted to trigger the fuse of one of the at least one passive oscillating circuits carried by the mine.

23. A device to simulate a demining operation, comprising:

a remote signal generator for emitting a signal at a predetermined frequency;

a passive oscillating circuit carried by an exercise mine, said passive oscillating circuit having at least one fuse; and

wherein said remote signal emitted by said signal generator is of a strength to melt at least one of the at least one fuse to render the passive oscillating circuit inactive.