Device for protecting a vehicle roof
A roof protection device for an armored combat or security vehicle including a support and at least one protection means for protecting a vehicle including a reception structure for receiving the protection means, the structure being rotatably mounted on the support, the support for being integral with a vehicle roof and for being switched from an active protection position to a passive position.
Latest Giat Industries Patents:
- DRIVE DEVICE FOR PROJECTILE FINS
- Thermal energy management device for a vehicle
- Process to deposit a protective coating on the inner wall of a tube, and notably a gun barrel produced according to this process
- Protection device for military or civilian vehicles against magnetic detection mines
- Method for grooving the bore of a tube and grooving tool-holder
The technical field of the present invention is that of mechanical and electromechanical systems, and more particularly, the application of these systems to armoured combat and security vehicles.
The present invention relates to a ballistic protection device applied to combat and security vehicles. Indeed, in order to counter certain threats (hollow charge bomblets, explosively-formed charges, kinetic projectiles) able to perforate great thicknesses of armouring, the thickness alone of the material constituting the roof (aluminium alloy, steel armour, composites) is not enough. Additional add-on armour is thus required. According to the threat such additional armour may be of a different kind: passive composite armour or reactive armour. It may be in the form of plates or bricks that are fastened to the roof of the vehicle. However, the roof of a combat vehicle, and in particular the roof of its turret, houses a certain quantity of equipment whose very presence makes it impossible or difficult to install such additional protection.
Ballistic protection systems for the roofs of armoured vehicles are known, namely by patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,105,714. This patent proposes a foldable device to protect the crew's access hatches.
A device is also known that is used on a known tank and consists of an armoured hatch sliding on rails.
A first disadvantage in the protection technique currently used remains in the fact that the hatches allowing crew access to the interior of the vehicle are manipulated by the crew's own strength. The increase in mass due to add-on armour may prevent this manipulation and lead to the adoption of costly and complicated opening and closing assistance devices for said hatch.
Another disadvantage of the system proposed by patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,105,714 and of that applied to the known tank lies in the fact that these devices limit the roof's protection to that of the reduced area of the access hatch and do not allow the cover the whole of the crew's station.
Another drawback to the known tank is that the sliding hatch system is very heavy. Opening and closing times are long and hardly compatible with the operational use of a combat tank.
The aim of the present invention is to supply a protection device enabling the afore-mentioned drawbacks to be overcome.
The invention thus relates to a roof protection device for an armoured combat or security vehicle that uses at least one protection means, wherein it incorporates a structure to receive the protection means, said structure being mounted able to rotate on a support integral with the roof so as to occupy an active protection position and a passive position in which it is moved aside.
Advantageously, the reception structure is articulated with respect to the roof by means of a bracket fastened on said roof.
Advantageously again, the height of the bracket is calculated so as to avoid any interference with the operational devices fastened on the vehicle roof.
Advantageously again, the reception structure is rotated manually and/or using motor means.
According to one characteristic, the device incorporates means such as a spring, counter-weight, pressurised gas, battery, capacitance or equivalent system to store part of the energy required for the device to be moved from the passive to the active position.
According to another characteristic, the passage from the active to the passive position is carried out without any energy from outside the system being required, and is obtained using the stored energy.
Advantageously, the protection means are of the ballistic type and are constituted by at least one armour plate and may be in the form of armoured elements fastened to the reception structure.
According to one characteristic, the protection means are constituted by elements that reduce the electromagnetic signature of the vehicle.
According to another characteristic, the device is fastened onto the roof in a removable manner so that it may be separated.
The invention also relates to the application of the device to the protection of the openings of the vehicle, such as access hatches, GMP hoods, or maintenance hatches.
Other characteristics, particulars and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the additional description given hereafter of the different embodiments given by way of illustration in reference to the drawings, in which:
The device according to the invention may be produced incorporating many variants. Thus, the plate may be mounted on the bracket in a removable manner. This arrangement allows the plate to be removed if required for more effective intervention where necessary on the roof. The bracket may, in this case, be fastened permanently onto the vehicle roof. Another variant would consist in providing as many protection devices as surface elements to be protected. This would reduce the size of the plates to a minimum and would provide additional protection where necessary.
Claims
1. A roof protection device for an armored combat or security vehicle comprising:
- a support; and
- at least one protection means for protecting a vehicle, comprising a reception structure for receiving the protection means, said structure being rotatably mounted on said support, said support for being integral with a vehicle roof and for being switched from an active protection position to a passive position.
2. A roof protection device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the reception structure is articulated with respect to said support.
3. A roof protection device for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the support has a height such that the reception structure is for unencumbered movement.
4. A roof protection device for a vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising motor means for rotation, wherein the reception structure is for rotation with respect to said support.
5. A roof protection device for a vehicle according to claim 4, further comprising an energy storage device selected from the group consisting of a spring, a counter-weight, pressurized gas, a battery, capacitance or an equivalent system to for storing part of the energy required for the reception structure to be moved from a passive position to an active position.
6. A roof protection device for a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein said reception structure is for being moved by only the energy stored in the energy storage device from an active protection position to a passive position.
7. A roof protection device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the protection means are ballistic protection means and comprise at least one armour plate.
8. A roof protection device according to claim 7, wherein the armour plate comprises armored elements fastened to the reception structure.
9. A roof protection device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the protection means comprise elements that reduce the electromagnetic signature of a vehicle.
10. A roof protection device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said support comprises an end distal from the rotatable mount, said end having a means for removable attachment.
11. A roof protection device for a vehicle, comprising a reception structure for being switched from an active protection position to a passive position for protecting openings of a vehicle, selected from the group consisting of access hatches, GMP hoods, and maintenance hatches.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 3, 2003
Publication Date: Jun 2, 2005
Applicant: Giat Industries (Versailles)
Inventor: Marc Chassillan (Les Clayes Sous Bois)
Application Number: 10/509,910