Spherical armored mobile platform

• US 7,963,350 B1
• Filed: 04/10/2009
• Issued: 06/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United States Secretary of the Navy
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Thielman, Gerhard W., Thielman, Benjamin-Fausto S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hurley; Kevin
• Application Number:
  US12/386,179
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 180/7.1, 180/10, 280/206, 280/207
• US Class Current: 180/7.1
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 57/00 Vehicles characterised by having other propulsion or other ground- engaging means than wheels or endless track, alone or in addition to wheels or endless track sledges B62B; motor sledges B62M
• 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 7/03 Air-pressurised compartments for crew; Means for preventing admission of noxious substances, e.g. combustion gas from gun barrels, in crew compartments; Sealing arrangements

Abstract

A spherical armored mobile platform (SAMP) is provided for at least one operator to enable protected entry and egress from a militarily hostile environment. The SAMP includes a spherical shell, an armored cockpit and a set of wheels. The spherical shell has inner and outer surfaces and features a plurality of cavities that extend therethrough. The cockpit houses a seat, a guidance controller, a display console, and an electric motor connected to a power supply. The cockpit is contained within said shell. The seat is designed to receive the operator. The wheels are driven by the motor and structurally supported by the cockpit. The wheels engage the inner surface and turn in response to the motor. The cavities are disposed within three-sided boundaries of a geodesic dome. The SAMP can further include a plurality of optical sensors disposed on the cockpit, and a signal integrator to present temporally concatenated visual signals into a mosaic at the display console. The SAMP can also include a projectile-firing gun mounted to the cockpit, and a trigger control to enable actuation of the gun in response to the projectile exiting the sphere at an instance that coincides with a cavity of the plurality of cavities. The SAMP includes a steering mechanism that turns orientation direction of the fore lower and aft upper wheels. The SAMP includes a door on the cockpit that slides between first open and closed positions, and a hatch on the sphere that hinges between second open and closed positions.

Claims

1. A spherical armored mobile platform (SAMP) for at least one operator, said SAMP comprising:

a spherical shell having interior and exterior surfaces, with a plurality of cavities extending therethrough;

an armored cockpit that houses a seat, a guidance controller, a display console, and an electric motor connected to a power supply, said cockpit being contained within said shell, said seat able to receive the operator;

a set of wheels driven by said motor and supported by said cockpit, wherein said wheels engage said interior surface and turn in response to said motor.

2. The SAMP according to claim 1, wherein said cavities are disposed within three-sided boundaries of a geodesic dome.

3. The SAMP according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of optical sensors disposed on said cockpit; and

a signal integrator to present temporally concatenated visual signals into a mosaic at said display console.

4. The SAMP according to claim 1, further comprising:

a gun mounted to said cockpit, said gun capable of firing a projectile; and

a trigger control to enable actuation of said gun in response to said projectile exiting said sphere at an instance that coincides with a cavity of said plurality of cavities.

5. The SAMP according to claim 1, further comprising:

a battery for supplying electrical power to said motor.

6. The SAMP according to claim 1, further comprising:

a steering system for controllably turning said shell, wherein

said set of wheels further include aft lower wheels, fore lower wheels, aft upper wheels and fore upper wheels,

said steering system engages said fore lower wheels and said aft upper wheels.

7. The SAMP according to claim 6, wherein said motor engages said aft lower wheels.

8. The SAMP according to claim 6, wherein

said aft lower wheels further include port and starboard aft lower wheels,

said fore lower wheels further include port and starboard fore lower wheels,

said aft upper wheels further include port and starboard aft upper wheels, and

said fore upper wheels further include port and starboard fore upper wheels.

9. The SAMP according to claim 1, wherein

said cockpit further includes a door that slides between first closed and open positions, and

said shell includes a hatch that hinges between a second closed position and a second open position beyond said exterior surface.

10. The SAMP according to claim 1, further comprising:

shiftable trim ballast; and

a translation mechanism for controllably moving said trim ballast, said mechanism being disposed longitudinally along said cockpit.

11. A Geodesic Rolling Operation Vehicle (GRoOVe) for at least one operator, said GRoOVe comprising:

a geodesic mesh that forms a spherical shell, said mesh having interior and exterior surfaces;

an operation cage that houses a seat to receive the operator, an engine that provides torque, a transmission that transmits said torque, steering and drive controls, said cage being contained within said mesh;

a set of wheels driven by said torque from said transmission and supported by said cage, wherein said wheels engage said interior surface and turn in response to said engine.

12. The GRoOVe according to claim 11, further comprising:

a steering system for controllably turning said mesh, wherein

said set of wheels further include aft lower wheels, fore lower wheels, aft upper wheels and fore upper wheels,

said steering system engages said fore lower wheels and said aft upper wheels.

13. The GRoOVe according to claim 12, wherein said motor engages said aft lower wheels.

14. The GRoOVe according to claim 12, wherein

said aft lower wheels further include port and starboard aft lower wheels,

said fore lower wheels further include port and starboard fore lower wheels,

said aft upper wheels further include port and starboard aft upper wheels, and said fore upper wheels further include port and starboard fore upper wheels.