Vehicle protection against the effect of a land mine

• US 7,228,927 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2005
• Issued: 06/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH (Rheinmetall AG)
• Original Assignee: Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH (Rheinmetall AG)
• Inventors: Hass, Frank, Runow, Eitel
• Primary Examiner(s): Bottorff; Christopher
• Application Number:
  US11/055,772
• Publication Number:
  US 20050284682A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.2, 180/14.2, 180/14.4, 180/14.7, 180/14.5, 180/311, 180/313, 89/360.1, 89/360.5, 89/360.8, 89/360.9, 280/33.991, 280/785
• US Class Current: 180/65.25
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/46 Series type
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/26 Military
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 7/02 Land vehicles with enclosing armour, e.g. tanks endless-track vehicles, steering thereof B62D ; vehicles for placing portable or sectional bridges E01D15/127; vehicles carrying floating bridges E01D15/22
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 7/042 Floors or base plates for increased land mine protection
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 7/048 Vehicles having separate armoured compartments, e.g. modular armoured vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/951 Assembly or relative location of components

Abstract

A vehicle with protection against the effects of an exploding land mine is provided, in which a military wheeled vehicle is provided with wheel axels and drives built into front and/or rear building blocks. The vehicle is divided into multiple building blocks, although a three block construction is desirable (i.e., a front building block, a rear building block, and a main building block). A residual mobility of a remaining portion of the vehicle is preserved, even though one of the front building block or the rear building block is separated from the main building block due to the explosive shock wave generated by driving over and detonating a land mine, because each of the front building block and the rear building block has a drive for rotating the wheel axel connected to the block.

Claims

1. An armored wheeled vehicle with protection against effects of a land mine, comprising:

(a) multiple building blocks including;

i. a front building block having at least one wheel axel;

ii. a rear building block having at least one wheel axel; and

iii. a main building block, wherein the front building block is releasably fastened by first means for connecting to a front portion of the main building block and the rear building block is releasably fastened to a rear portion of the main building block by second means for connecting to the main building block, wherein the first means for connecting and the second means for connecting each comprise one or more bolts having target break points;

(b) a combustion motor operatively connected to rotate at least one of the wheel axel of the front building block and the wheel axel of the rear building block, wherein the combustion motor is disposed in either the front building block or the rear building block; and

(c) one or more electric drive motors are disposed in one or both of the rear building block and the front building block, wherein each electric drive motor disposed in the front building block is operatively connected to rotate the wheel axel of the front building block and each electric drive motor disposed in the rear building block is operatively connected to rotate the wheel axel of the rear building block.

2. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein when the main building block runs over a land mine and the land mine explodes at least one of the wheel axel in the front building block or the wheel axel in the rear building block remains in a remaining portion of the vehicle and continues to operate to drive the remaining portion.

3. A vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of wheels connected to each wheel axel, wherein the vehicle is constructed so a free space is maintained at right angles above and over each wheel axel and the wheels connected thereto, and each wheel axel of the vehicle is disposed so as not to be positioned under the main building block.

4. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the main building block has a V-shaped floor or a substantially V-shaped floor.

5. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the main building block comprises a pan housing, and the pan housing comprises a double wall structure and a thin steel plate.

6. A vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the pan housing is constructed to define a hollow profile.

7. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the main building block comprises a first cabin hung into, and vibrationally coupled with, a housing portion by a plurality of elastic hangers.

8. A vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the housing portion has a plastically deformable structure.

9. A vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the first cabin further comprises a thick walled aluminum material.

10. A vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the vehicle is reconfigurable by unhanging the first cabin and hanging in a second cabin in place of the first cabin thereby reconfiguring the vehicle.

11. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a first electric drive motor is disposed in the rear building block and the first electric drive motor is connected to an electric generator by a current line;

and

a second electric drive motor is disposed in the front building block and the second electric drive motor is connected to a battery by a current line.

12. A vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the combustion motor is disposed in the rear building block and the electric generator is also connected to provide current to the combustion motor.

13. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a first electric drive motor is disposed in the front building block and the first electric drive motor is connected to an electric generator by a current line;

and

a second electric drive motor is disposed in the rear building block and the second electric drive motor is connected to a battery by a current line.

14. A vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the combustion motor is disposed in the front building block and the electric generator is also connected to provide current to the combustion motor.

15. A vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the remaining portion of the vehicle includes the main building block connected to the rear building block.

16. A vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the remaining portion of the vehicle includes the main building block connected to the front building block.

17. An armored wheeled vehicle with protection against effects of a land mine, comprising:

(a) multiple building blocks including;

i. a front building block having at least one wheel axel;

ii. a rear building block having at least one wheel axel; and

iii. a main building block, wherein the front building block is releasably fastened by first means for connecting to a front portion of the main building block and the rear building block is releasably fastened to a rear portion of the main building block by second means for connecting to the main building block, wherein the first means for connecting and the second means for connecting comprise one or more exploding bolts, each bolt comprising a built-in charge for igniting and blowing off the bolt;

(b) a combustion motor operatively connected to rotate at least one of the wheel axel of the front building block and the wheel axel of the rear building block, wherein the combustion motor is disposed in either the front building block or the rear building block; and

(c) one or more electric drive motors are disposed in one or both of the rear building block and the front building block, wherein each electric drive motor disposed in the front building block is operatively connected to rotate the wheel axel of the front building block and each electric drive motor disposed in the rear building block is operatively connected to rotate the wheel axel of the rear building block.

18. An armored wheeled vehicle with protection against effects of a land mine, comprising:

(a) multiple building blocks including;

i. a front building block having at least one wheel axel;

ii. a rear building block having at least one wheel axel; and

iii a main building block, wherein the front building block is releasably fastened by first means for connecting to a front portion of the main building block and the rear building block is releasably fastened to a rear portion of the main building block by second means for connecting to the main building block;

(b) a combustion motor operatively connected to rotate at least one of the wheel axel of the front building block and the wheel axel of the rear building block, wherein the combustion motor is disposed in either the front building block or the rear building block; and

(c) one or more electric drive motors are disposed in one or both of the rear building block and the front building block, wherein each electric drive motor disposed in the front building block is operatively connected to rotate the wheel axel of the front building block and each electric drive motor disposed in the rear building block is operatively connected to rotate the wheel axel of the rear building block, and wherein the main building block comprises a first cabin hung into, and vibrationally coupled with, a housing portion by a plurality of elastic hangers and the housing portion has a plastically deformable structure.