Visual camouflage with thermal and radar suppression and methods of making the same

• US 8,340,358 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2009
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mike Collins
• Original Assignee: Military Wraps Research and Development, Inc.
• Inventors: Cincotti, K. Dominic, Kracker, Trevor J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tabatabai, Abolfazl
• Application Number:
  US12/386,986
• Publication Number:
  US 20100112316A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• Field of Search: 382/111, 342/3, 342/39, 342/43, 342/59, 342/165, 427/156, 428/143, 428/201, 428/354, 428/919, 462/902, 396/322, 396/433, 977/786, 977/787, 977/833, 977/834
• US Class Current: 382/111
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 3/02 Flexible, e.g. fabric covers, e.g. screens, nets characterised by their material or structuremaking thereof, see the relevant classes, e.g. D04
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24851 Intermediate layer is discontinuous or differential

Abstract

A visual camouflage system that provides at least one of thermal or radar suppression is described. The system includes a vinyl layer having a camouflage pattern on a front surface of the vinyl layer. The camouflage pattern includes a site-specific camouflage pattern. A laminate layer is secured over the front surface of the vinyl layer coating the camouflage pattern to provide protection to the camouflage pattern and strengthen the vinyl layer. One or more nanomaterials are disposed on at least one of the vinyl layer, camouflage pattern, or the laminate to provide at least one of thermal or radar suppression.

Claims

1. A site specific visual camouflage system that provides at least one of thermal or radar suppression, the system comprising:

a vinyl layer having a camouflage pattern on a front surface of the vinyl layer, the camouflage pattern comprising a site-specific camouflage pattern;

a laminate layer secured over the front surface of the vinyl layer coating the camouflage pattern to provide protection to the camouflage pattern and strengthen the vinyl layer; and

one or more nanomaterials disposed on at least one of the vinyl layer, camouflage pattern, or the laminate layer to provide at least one of thermal or radar suppression.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the nanomaterial is disposed on the vinyl layer.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the nanomaterial is disposed onto a surface of the vinyl layer by a sputtering deposition.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the step of adding the one or more nanomaterials includes mixing the nanomaterial into the adhesive before application of the adhesive layer onto the vinyl layer.

5. The system according to claim 2, wherein the nanomaterial is mixed into a vinyl material used to create the vinyl layer before the vinyl layer is formed.

6. The system according to claim 2, wherein the nanomaterial is also disposed on the laminate layer.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the nanomaterial is disposed on the laminate layer.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the nanomaterial is placed onto a surface of the laminate layer by a sputtering deposition.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein the nanomaterial is mixed into a laminate material used to create the laminate layer before the laminate layer is formed.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more nanomaterials comprises a first nanomaterial and a second nanomaterial.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the first nanomaterial is disposed on the vinyl layer.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the second nanomaterial is disposed on laminate layer.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein both the first and second nanomaterials are disposed on the vinyl layer.

14. The system according to claim 10, wherein the first and second nanomaterials are on laminate layer.

15. The system according to claim 10, wherein the first nanomaterial comprises microspheres and the second nanomaterial comprises an aerogel in powder form.

16. The system according to claim 10, wherein the first nanomaterial comprises an aerogel in powder form and the second nanomaterial comprises microspheres.

17. The system according to claim 10, wherein the camouflage pattern comprises ink and the second nanomaterial is mixed into the ink before printing of the camouflage pattern onto the vinyl layer.

18. The system according to claim 10, further comprising an adhesive layer disposed on a surface of the vinyl layer opposite the surface on which the camouflage pattern is disposed and the second nanomaterial is mixed into the adhesive before application of the adhesive layer onto the vinyl layer.

19. The system according to claim 10, further comprising a second laminate layer disposed on a surface of the first laminate layer opposite the surface on which the camouflage pattern and the vinyl layer are disposed and at least one of the first nanomaterial or the second nanomaterial being disposed on the second laminate layer.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the second nanomaterial is disposed on the second laminate layer and on the vinyl layer and the first nanomaterial is disposed on the first laminate layer and on the vinyl layer.

21. The system according to claim 19, wherein the first nanomaterial is disposed on the second laminate layer and the second nanomaterial is disposed on the first laminate layer and on the vinyl layer.

22. The system according to claim 1, wherein the camouflage pattern comprises ink and the nanomaterial is mixed into the ink before printing of the camouflage pattern onto the vinyl layer.

23. The system according to claim 1, further comprising an adhesive layer disposed on a surface of the vinyl layer opposite the surface on which the camouflage pattern is disposed and the nanomaterial is mixed into the adhesive before application of the adhesive layer onto the vinyl layer.

24. The system according to claim 1, wherein the camouflage pattern comprises a site-specific digital photographic image printed on the vinyl layer.

25. The system according to claim 1 wherein the camouflage pattern comprises:

a photographic image; and

a disruptive pattern of at least one color configured on the photographic image, the at least one color being selected from a range of colors from at least one of the photographic image or an operating environment in which the camouflage is intended to be used.

26. The system according to claim 25, wherein the camouflage pattern further comprises additional micropatterns configured on the photographic image, the micropatterns being smaller than the disruptive patterns.

27. The system according to claim 26, wherein the micropatterns include one or more additional colors selected from the range of colors, the one or more additional colors including colors not used in the disruptive pattern.

28. The system according to claim 26, wherein the camouflage pattern further comprises one or more additional disruptive patterns configured on the photographic image, the one or more additional disruptive patterns including one or more additional colors not used in the disruptive pattern and selected from the range of colors.

29. The system according to claim 1 wherein the camouflage pattern comprises:

a base photographic image; and

one or more distorting disruptive patterns including images having different focal lengths configured on the base photographic image.

30. The system according to claim 29, wherein the base photographic image comprises a site-specific photographic image.

31. The system according to claim 29, wherein images having different focal lengths comprise one or more site-specific photographic images or portions of one or more site-specific photographic images.

32. The system according to claim 29, wherein the images having different focal lengths comprise portions of one or more different photographic images than the base photographic image.

33. The system according to claim 29, wherein the images having different focal lengths comprise portions of the base photographic image.

34. The system according to claim 29, wherein the different focal lengths include improper focal lengths that make the image appear to be out of focus.

35. The system according to claim 29, further comprising one or more additional disruptive patterns of at least one color from a range of colors from at least one of the base digital photographic image or an operating environment in which the camouflage is intended to be used.

36. The system according to claim 35, wherein the camouflage pattern further comprises additional micropatterns configured on the digital photographic image, the micropatterns being smaller than the disruptive patterns.

37. The system according to claim 36, wherein the micropatterns include one or more additional colors selected from the range of colors, the one or more additional colors including colors not used in the disruptive pattern.

38. A visual camouflage system providing at least one of thermal or radar suppression, the system comprising:

a vinyl layer having a camouflage pattern on a front surface of the vinyl layer, the camouflage pattern comprising a site-specific camouflage pattern;

a laminate layer secured over the front of the vinyl layer coating the camouflage pattern to provide protection to the camouflage pattern and strengthen the vinyl layer;

a pulverized aerogel disposed on at least one of the vinyl layer, the camouflage pattern, or the laminate layer to provide thermal suppression; and

microspheres disposed on at least one of the vinyl layer, camouflage pattern, or the laminate to provide radar suppression.

39. A method of making a site-specific visual camouflage system that provides at least one of thermal or radar suppression, the method comprising:

providing a vinyl layer;

printing a camouflage pattern on a front surface of the vinyl layer, the camouflage pattern comprising a site-specific camouflage pattern;

securing a laminate layer over the front surface of the vinyl layer, the laminate coating the camouflage pattern to provide protection to the camouflage pattern and strengthen the vinyl layer; and

adding one or more nanomaterials on at least one of the vinyl layer, camouflage pattern, or the laminate to provide at least one of thermal or radar suppression.

40. The method according to claim 39, wherein the one or more nanomaterials comprise at least one of an aerogel in powder form or microspheres.

41. The method according to claim 40, wherein the step of adding the one or more nanomaterials includes sputtering the nanomaterial onto a surface of the vinyl layer.

42. The method according to claim 40, wherein the step of adding the one or more nanomaterials includes sputtering the nanomaterial onto a surface of the laminate layer.

43. The method according to claim 40, wherein the step of adding the one or more nanomaterials includes mixing the nanomaterial into a vinyl material used to create the vinyl layer before formation of the vinyl layer.

44. The method according to claim 40, wherein the step of adding the one or more nanomaterials includes mixing the nanomaterial into a laminate material used to create the laminate layer before formation of the laminate layer.

45. The method according to claim 40, wherein ink is used to print the camouflage pattern and the step of adding the one or more nanomaterials includes mixing the nanomaterial into the ink before printing of the camouflage pattern onto the vinyl layer.

46. The method according to claim 40, further comprising applying an adhesive layer to a surface of the vinyl layer opposite the front surface of the vinyl layer.