MOVABLE AND PREFERABLY DETACHABLE SLAT SHIELD STRUCTURE FOR VEHICLES

STRUCTURE DE PROTECTION A LATTES MOBILES, DE PREFERENCE AMOVIBLES, POUR VTT

English Abstract

It is proposed that a movable and, in addition, also detachable structure of a SLAT shield (2) be provided for areas of a vehicle (1) which should not be damaged, especially during cross-country travel. In particular, these areas are the front and rear areas of the vehicle (1). The SLAT elements (2a, 2b, 2c) forming the SLAT shield (2) are connected to one another with movable connecting elements (3), especially steel spring elements, so that parts of the SLAT shield (2) can turn aside when contacting the ground (5).

French Abstract

Il est proposé quune structure mobile et amovible de protection à lattes (2) soit prévue pour les zones dun véhicule (1) qui ne doivent pas subir de dommages, surtout durant la conduite tout terrain. Ces zones correspondent notamment aux parties avant et arrière du véhicule (1). Les éléments de protection à lattes (2a, 2b, 2c) formant lécran de protection à lattes (2) sont reliés les uns aux autres avec des éléments de raccordement mobiles (3), surtout des éléments à ressort en acier, de manière que des parties de lécran de protection à lattes (2) puissent tourner vers le côté au moment dentrer en contact avec le sol (5).

Claims

5

CLAIMS:
1. SLAT protection for a vehicle for protecting against
approaching threats, consisting of a solid lattice formed by a
plurality of SLAT elements with defined gap spacings,
comprising:
- an upper SLAT element fastened fixedly to the
vehicle, and
- further SLAT elements connected to the upper SLAT
element and to one another via first connecting elements,
wherein the first connecting elements are configured to allow
for articulated motion of the further SLAT elements relative to
the upper SLAT element and relative to one another.
2. SLAT protection according to Claim 1, wherein the
first connecting elements can be formed from steel springs or
steel spring coils, from rubber elements, from chain elements
or from hinges.
3. SLAT protection according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein
the movability or rigidity of the SLAT protection can be
adjusted by varying the design and number of the first
connecting elements.
4. SLAT protection according to any one of Claims 1
to 3, wherein at least one removable SLAT element of the
plurality of SLAT elements is detachably connected to the upper
SLAT element via second connecting elements.
5. SLAT protection according to Claim 4, wherein the at
least one removable SLAT element can be suspended at suitable
points on the vehicle with the second connecting elements.

Description

Mk 02638378 2008-07-30
DESCRIPTION
Movable And Preferably Detachable SLAT Shield
Structure For Vehicles
The invention relates to a movable and, in addition, also
detachable structure of a SLAT shield for areas of vehicles which
should not be damaged, especially during cross-country travel. In
particular, these are the front and rear areas of the vehicle.
Unarmored, lightly armored and heavily armored vehicles are used in
crisis and combat zones. These vehicles are exposed to special
danger by portable antitank weapons (e.g. RPG 7), in particular
with asymmetrical threat in urban areas (e.g. villages and cities).
In this case, the distance of the threat and the direction of the
threat to the vehicles are not foreseeable or determinable.
Therefore, the vehicles, in particular the crew's spaces, are
furnished with extra armoring and/or a SLAT shield.
Extra armoring, in particular, passive armorings, are comparatively
heavy, but have a high degree of protection.
A SLAT shield
consists of a solid grating and a defined gap space which is quite
probably supposed to damage the approaching antitank shells before
the actual target, so that they can not release or only release
uncontrollably. The SLAT shield has been used for some years, in
particular, due to its simple construction, updatability, economic
production and comparatively low weight in a number of vehicles, in
particular in wheeled vehicles.
The SLAT screen is attached at a sufficient distance from the
chassis, so that the antitank shells can not release.
The
unpublished DE 10 2007 002 577.9 discloses a so-called SLAT screen

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which can be pushed together in a folding manner, so that, in
spite of the screen, the crew can get in and out of the vehicle
unhindered through the rear access.
Known SLAT adaptions are designed so as to surround the vehicle
as much as possible and with the least cover height (distance
from ground to the bottom edge of the SLAT). However, the
result of this arrangement is that the SLAT screen can be
damaged during cross-country travel, in particular in the front
and rear area of the vehicle, since the angle of slope is
considerably limited.
The object of the invention is to overcome this disadvantage.
In some embodiments, the invention provides SLAT protection for
a vehicle for protecting against approaching threats,
consisting of a solid lattice formed by a plurality of SLAT
elements with defined gap spacings, comprising: an upper SLAT
element fastened fixedly to the vehicle, and further SLAT
elements connected to the upper SLAT element and to one another
via first connecting elements, wherein the first connecting
elements are configured to allow for articulated motion of the
further SLAT elements relative to the upper SLAT element and
relative to one another.
The idea of the invention is to provide a movable and, in
addition, also detachable design of a SLAT screen for areas of
the vehicle which are not to be damaged, especially during
cross-country travel. In particular, these areas are the front
and rear area of the vehicle.
The SLAT elements are connected to one another with movable

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connecting elements, especially steel spring elements, so that
the SLAT elements or parts of the SLAT screen can turn aside
when touching the ground. The design of the connecting
elements and in combination with the inertias of the SLAT
grating enable a protection against the approaching antitank
shells.
The movable connecting elements can consist of steel springs or
steel spring spirals. Alternatively, constructions of rubber
elements, chain elements, hinges are possible. In addition,
the mobility or rigidity of the SLAT screen can be adjusted by
varying

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the design and number of connecting elements.
The detachable version of the SLAT screen enables the use of towing
equipment which can be used when needed.
The invention will be described in greater detail with reference to
embodiments with drawings, showing:
Fig. 1 a movable, detachable SLAT screen,
Fig. 2 the SLAT screen at the rear of a vehicle,
Fig. 3 the movable SLAT screen when approaching an obstacle,
Fig. 4 the movable SLAT screen when being approached by the
obstacle.
Fig. 1 shows a movable and, in addition, also detachable SLAT
screen 2. It can be fastened to, for example, a vehicle 1 (Fig. 2)
by means of connecting elements or a suitable mounting lb.
The SLAT screen 2 consists of SLAT elements 2a, 2b, 2c which are
connected to or with one another by movable connecting elements 3.
The upper SLAT elements 2a are held relatively rigidly, while the
SLAT elements 2b, 2c are relatively movable to the SLAT elements
2a. The lower part 2b, 2c of the SLAT shield 2 can be separated
from the SLAT 2a by removing further connecting elements 4, e.g.
plugs or a screw connection, and, optionally, laterally affixed to
the vehicle 1. By means of this feature, areas of the vehicle,
e.g. towing couplings, become accessible and usable.
The SLAT shield 2 on a vehicle 1 is shown in Fig. 2. The SLAT
shield 2 is fastened to the vehicle structure la by means of the

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suitable mountings lb, so that it absorbs the loads from the
traction. The upper SLAT element 2a is securely connected with the
vehicle structure lb.
The individual SLAT elements 2b are
interconnected by means of movable connecting elements 3.
Fig. 3 shows the movable SLAT shield 2 when approaching an obstacle
5, such as rough patches or slopes.
If the vehicle 1 travels
against an obstacle 5 of this type, the SLAT elements 2b of the
SLAT shield 2 can quite easily avoid the obstacle 5 due to its
movable connecting elements 3. If the vehicle 1 descends again
from the obstacle 5, the SLAT elements 2b can also turn aside due
to the movable connecting elements 3 (Fig. 4).

Representative Drawing