Modularized armor structure with unmanned aerial vehicle loaded and armored vehicle using the same

• US 9,952,022 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2015
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
• Inventors: Ueno, Yoshihiko, Furuya, Shojiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Green, Richard R
• Application Number:
  US14/668,020
• Publication Number:
  US 20150276353A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/12 for anchoring aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/222 for storing aircraft, e.g. in hangars
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/60 Tethered aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/20 for use as communications relays, e.g. high-altitude platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/202 using tethers for connecting to ground station
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/00 Launching, take-off or landing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/93 for use on a land or nautical vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/86 Land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 7/04 Armour construction in general F41H5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target

Abstract

An armored vehicle includes: a basic armored vehicle having a predetermined basic external armor; a modularized armor structure exchangeably attached to the basic external armor; and an unmanned aerial vehicle loaded on the modularized armor structure. The modularized armor structure includes: an unmanned aerial vehicle loading section configured to load the unmanned aerial vehicle; an armoring material structure formed of armoring material; and an attaching section used to exchangeably attach the modularized armor structure to the basic armored vehicle.

Claims

1. A modularized armor structure comprising:

an armoring material structure formed of armoring material;

an unmanned aerial vehicle loading section configured to load an unmanned aerial vehicle outside of said armoring material structure;

an attaching section used to exchangeably attach said modularized armor structure to a predetermined basic external armor provided to an armored vehicle;

a connector electrically connected with said armored vehicle;

an antenna disposed to carry out a radio communication with a radio communication section of said unmanned aerial vehicle to allow exchange of a control signal and data between said armored vehicle and said unmanned aerial vehicle; and

a winding unit configured to wind a cable connected with said connector and said antenna,

wherein said antenna is separated from said modularized armor structure in a flight of said unmanned aerial vehicle.

2. The modularized armor structure according to claim 1, further comprising:

a locking/unlocking mechanism disposed in said unmanned aerial vehicle loading section to lock said unmanned aerial vehicle in response to a lock command supplied from said armored vehicle and to unlock said unmanned aerial vehicle in response to a unlock command supplied from said armored vehicle.

3. The modularized armor structure according to claim 2, wherein said locking/unlocking mechanism comprises an electromagnetic locking/unlocking mechanism.

4. The modularized armor structure according to claim 2, wherein said locking/unlocking mechanism comprises a mechanical locking/unlocking mechanism.

5. The modularized armor structure according to claim 1, wherein said armoring material structure formed of armoring material having a performance withstanding an attack using ammunitions which includes a bullet, a cannonball, a guided missile, an armor piercing ammunition, armor-piercing composite rigid, or an armor-piercing fin stabilized discarding sabot.

6. An armored vehicle comprising:

a predetermined basic external armor;

a modularized armor structure exchangeably attached to the basic external armor; and

an unmanned aerial vehicle loaded on said modularized armor structure,

wherein said modularized armor structure comprises;

an armoring material structure formed of armoring material;

an unmanned aerial vehicle loading section configured to load said unmanned aerial vehicle outside of said armoring material structure;

an attaching section used to exchangeably attach said modularized armor structure to said predetermined basic external armor;

a connector electrically connected with said armored vehicle;

an antenna disposed to carry out a radio communication with a radio communication section of said unmanned aerial vehicle to allow exchange of a control signal and data between said armored vehicle and said unmanned aerial vehicle; and

a winding unit configured to wind a cable connected with said connector and said antenna,

wherein said antenna is separated from said modularized armor structure in a flight of said unmanned aerial vehicle in a connection state with said unmanned aerial vehicle.

7. The armored vehicle according to claim 6, wherein said modularized armor structure further comprises:

a locking/unlocking mechanism disposed in said unmanned aerial vehicle loading section to lock said unmanned aerial vehicle in response to a lock command supplied from said armored vehicle and to unlock said unmanned aerial vehicle in response to a unlock command supplied from said armored vehicle.

8. The armored vehicle according to claim 7, wherein said locking/unlocking mechanism comprises an electromagnetic locking/unlocking mechanism.

9. The armored vehicle according to claim 7, wherein said locking/unlocking mechanism comprises a mechanical locking/unlocking mechanism.

10. The armored vehicle according to claim 6, wherein said armoring material structure formed of armoring material having a performance withstanding an attack using ammunitions which includes a bullet, a cannonball, a guided missile, an armor piercing ammunition, armor-piercing composite rigid, or an armor-piercing fin stabilized discarding sabot.