AU2008208825A1

AU2008208825A1 - Armor-plated vehicle

Info

Publication number: AU2008208825A1
Application number: AU2008208825A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Wolfgang Krumm; Hubert Schulte
Original assignee: AIRMATIC GES fur UMWELT und TE
Current assignee: AIRMATIC GESELLSCHAFT fur UMWELT und TECHNIK MBH
Priority date: 2007-01-24
Filing date: 2008-01-24
Publication date: 2008-07-31
Anticipated expiration: 2028-01-24
Also published as: AU2008208825B2; WO2008090205A1; EP2111265A1; DE102007003563A1

Description

WO 2008/090205 Al ARMOUR-PLATED VEHICLE The invention relates to an armour-plated vehicle, more preferably an armour-plated fire truck. Armour-plated vehicles, more preferably tracked vehicles (tanks) are militarily employed and are thus designed for that use. When discarded military vehicles are to be employed for civilian applications it is required that the armour-plated outer wall of the vehicle at least in the region of the vehicle driver is broken through and removed over large areas. This is performed before the background that in the event of misuse of such a vehicle then no longer conducted under military supervision, for example during an amok ride, the driver can be killed through a fatal shot as a protective measure. Even if principally breaking-open of the armour for some civilian uses of demilitarised tanks or other armour-plated vehicles does not pose any disadvantages it would be desirable for other usages if an armour-plated vehicle, for example from earlier military utilisation, could be allocated for civilian utilisations without destroying the armour. In DE 299 14831 Ul as well as in DE 10 2004 058357 U1 it has been suggested in this regard to employ discarded military tanks as tracked vehicles for fighting forest fires. Especially during such an operation of armour-plated vehicles it would be particularly desirable if the original armour could be retained unchanged to protect the driver and other occupants of such a fire-fighting vehicle (fire truck) since one could then drive very much closer to a source of a fire with this vehicle and the fire fighting could be conducted more effectively. Starting out from this discussed prior art the invention is therefore based on suggesting an armour-plated vehicle which satisfies the requirements for civilian utilisation, - 2 for example as an armour-plated civilian fire truck and wherein upon possible demilitarisation there is no need to remove the existing armour in the region of the driver. According to the invention this object is solved through an armour-plated vehicle wherein the vehicle has a device by means of which it could be brought to a halt from driving operation through mechanical external influence, which device comprises at least one mechanically actuatable triggering element arranged on the outside of the vehicle and the triggering element upon actuation or destruction of said triggering element directly or indirectly acts on at least one device necessary for driving operation of the vehicle for stopping said vehicle. With this armour-plated vehicle it has been ensured that it can be immediately brought to a halt from driving operation through mechanical external action from outside without the armour having to be removed for this purpose upon a demilitarisation of an originally military vehicle. For this purpose, this vehicle comprises a stopping device with one or a plurality of triggering elements which are arranged outside the armour on the outside of the vehicle. The triggering element or elements are connected or directly or indirectly act on at least one device necessary for the driving operation of the vehicle with the purpose that upon actuation of the triggering element this device necessary for operating the vehicle is no longer functional, is interrupted or influenced in another manner in order to bring the vehicle to a halt (stop). For stopping it can be sufficient to bring the vehicle to a halt without necessarily disabling the drive unit. Obviously it is also possible to disable the drive unit through the stopping device so that the vehicle can merely roll until it stops at best.

- 3 The at least one triggering element arranged outside the armour is designed so that the desired stopping action is triggered when said triggering element is mechanically actuated. To actuate the triggering element it is required that it is moved or destroyed depending on its embodiment in order to bring the vehicle to a halt, wherein a destruction of the triggering element in terms of these embodiments is likewise considered as actuation of said triggering element. A mechanical actuation of the triggering element can also be actuated through manual actuation of said triggering element or at a distance from the vehicle using tools such as poles or the like or even by a shot directed at the triggering element. Since the vehicle itself is armour-plated the triggering element however is located outside the armour, firearms can also be employed for triggering the triggering element without incurring danger to the occupants of the vehicle. For stopping the vehicle the at least one triggering element can act on various devices of the vehicle which are required for its driving operation. This can for example be an interruption of the current supply or the fuel supply. Typically the stopping device will be designed so that actuation of the triggering element would result in immediate stoppage of the vehicle. This can for example be an interruption of the electric energy supply required to operate the drive unit, which typically is an internal combustion engine. At the same time it is possible that actuating the triggering element has an effect not only on a single device for interrupting the driving operation but on a plurality of such devices either simultaneously or in a certain time sequence. Furthermore it is possible through actuation of the triggering element to activate a device located within the armour which upon receipt of the relevant signal from the triggering element activates the actuators associated with this device for stopping the vehicle. The transmission of a triggering actuation of the - 4 triggering element to such an actuation device or directly to the device necessary for operating the vehicle such as the energy supply can take place mechanically, hydraulically or electrically. Wireless transmission channels are likewise possible. If it is provided that the triggering element is designed for interrupting the electrical energy supply of the drive unit the actuation of the triggering element will typically act on an isolation switch through which the electrical current supply for the operation of the vehicle is disconnected. The stopping device is preferentially designed in such a manner that it cannot be easily removed, deactivation or following the actuation of a triggering element be returned to the driving state through manipulation. If such a configuration is aimed at, the triggering element can also be designed as code transmitter or electronic key for the stopping device. A stopping device of this type can be realised for example in that the vehicle has an engine control device adapted in this regard. The motor control device itself is accommodated within the armour - as usual - in the vehicle. The at least one triggering element arranged outside the armour is connected via an electrical line to the engine control unit which it feeds with a certain code. This can be electrical resistance, capacitive coding and/or digital coding. Operation of the engine control unit according to this configuration is only possible if the preset code is present at the triggering element input. This is scanned before or during the start up and during the operation at a certain interval. As soon as the code is no longer present, the engine control unit automatically switches off, stopping the vehicle in this manner. Thus with this configuration the engine control unit is part of the stopping device. For the mechanical actuation of the triggering element it can be provided that it is designed as a switch or that it is destroyed for its actuation. The consequence in both cases is that on the - 5 engine control device side the code necessary for the further operation of the vehicle can no longer be read. The same applies during attempted manipulation. Instead of connecting the triggering elements described above directly to the engine control unit, these can also be connected to a stoppage actuation device arranged within the vehicle. According to a preferred exemplary embodiment at least one triggering element is located on each side of the vehicle. This allows stopping of the vehicle through external effect from each side of the vehicle. In the following, the invention is described by means of an exemplary embodiment making reference to the enclosed figures. It shows: Fig. 1: a schematic lateral view of an armour-plated tracked fire truck, Fig. 2a, 2b: in a schematic view a section through the armour of the tracked fire truck of Fig. 1 showing a triggering element belonging to the tracked fire truck in its position for driving operation of the tracked fire truck (Fig. 2a) as well as in its position stopping the driving operation (Fig. 2b), Fig. 3: in a schematic representation a section through a detail of the armour of a further tracked fire truck representing a triggering element belonging to the tracked fire truck, and Fig. 4: in a schematic representation a section through a detail of the armour of yet another tracked fire truck, representing a - 6 triggering element belonging to this tracked fire truck. A tracked fire truck 1 constitutes the conversion of a tank previously used militarily. As part of the conversion of the tank, it was equipped for its demilitarisation and for its intended use as fire truck with the devices and units required for this purpose. Thus the tracked fire truck 1 comprises a fire-fighting gun 2 which is rotatable and adjustable in its inclination. The original armour of the tracked fire truck 1 is intended for military purposes. This takes place before the background that this armour is provided to protect the person steering the tracked fire truck with the objective that one can drive considerably closer to a fire source than with conventional fire trucks. To support this objective the tracked fire truck 1 can have a self-wetting device in order to cool the armour of the tracked fire truck 1 from the outside. So as to be able to use the former military tank converted into the tracked fire truck 1 for the intended civilian use the vehicle 1 has a device by means of which it can be stopped or brought to a halt from the outside through mechanical external action. Part of this device are a plurality of triggering elements 3 arranged on the outside of the armour of the tracked fire truck 1. With the exemplary embodiment shown, a plurality of triggering elements 3 are provided wherein each triggering element 3 is arranged and connected as part of the stopping device so that actuation of each individual triggering element 3 causes the tracked fire truck 1 to stop. Accordingly, the tracked fire truck 1 is stopped when one of the triggering elements 3 is mechanically actuated from the outside. With the tracked fire truck 1 exemplarily shown in Figure 1 the triggering elements 3, as evident from Figure 2a, are principally designed as pushbuttons. A triggering element 3 comprises a relatively large domed head 4 on to which an - 7 actuation shaft 5 is moulded. The actuation shaft 5 reaches through the armour 6 of the tracked fire truck 1. The actuation shaft 5 is guided in a sliding sleeve 7 preferentially produced from a heat-resistant plastic, for example Teflon. The head 4 has a certain size on the one hand in order to protect the reaching through the armour 6 and the sliding sleeve 7. In addition to this, the size of the head 4 also serves the purpose of allowing easy detection of the triggering element 3 and actuation from the outside. With the exemplary embodiment shown in Figure 1 it is provided that the stopping device is designed for interrupting the current supply if necessary for the internal combustion engine which serves to drive the tracked fire truck 1. Thus each triggering element 3 with its actuation shaft 5 upon its actuation acts on an isolation switch 9. The isolation switches of the individual triggering elements 3 are connected in series. If a triggering element 3, as shown in Figure 2b, is actuated, the isolation switch 9 associated with this triggering element 3 is opened and the current supply 8 interrupted. Once the current has been interrupted, the operation of the internal combustion engine is terminated with the consequence that the tracked fire truck 1 has been stopped immediately. Actuation of the triggering element 3 can for example be effected by striking on its head 4. The triggering element 3 can also be brought into its actuated position shown in Figure 2b from its unactuated position shown in Figure 2a by means of an aimed shot. The tracked fire truck 1 can thus be stopped also with an aimed shot. A simple mechanical realisation of a triggering element in schematic view is shown in Figures 2a and 2b to explain the mode of operation of a stopping device. In a further development of this embodiment it is provided that the triggering elements on the outside are covered by a temperature-resistant protective glass which has to be broken for actuating the triggering element. Such a - 8 protective glass serves the purpose that unintentional actuation of one of the triggering elements during intended usage of the tracked fire truck is avoided. At the same time it can be provided that the actuation movement of the triggering element subject to the intermediate connection of lever arrangements acts on the disconnecting device, for example the isolation switch. The intermediate connecting of levers allows that even with a small actuation travel actuated by the triggering element the stroke required for actuating the isolation device can be provided. Typically the stopping device with a tracked fire truck as the one of Figures 1 and 2 will be designed in such a manner that these cannot be manipulated by the user. For this purpose it can for example be provided that once actuated, a triggering element cannot be easily reset, which can be realised through the effect of mechanical locking elements on the actuation shaft then comprising suitable bolt recesses. Figure 3 shows a stopping device according to a further exemplary embodiment. The stopping device of this exemplary embodiment is designed to operate electronically and associated with the engine control unit 10 of the tracked fire truck otherwise not shown in any more detail. A processor unit 11 is part of the engine control unit 10. For example this is the processor already included in an engine control unit anyhow. A plurality of triggering elements 12 are connected to the engine control unit 10 which, as described for the tracked fire truck 1 of Figure 1, are assigned to various sides of said truck. With the stopping device according to Figure 3 an electrical conductor 14 located in a separate space 13 serves as triggering element, which is designed according to the type of a glow filament of a glow lamp. The electrical conductor 14 is connected via an input 15 to the engine control unit 10 and an evaluation circuit contained therein and not - 9 shown in any more detail. For the and during the operation of the drive unit designed as internal combustion engine of the armour-plated tracked fire truck at a predetermined interval the input 15 is scanned processor-controlled as to whether there is a current flow through the electrical conductor 14 or not. If a current flow is detected, operation of the drive unit through the engine control unit 10 or the processor unit 11 contained therein and thus also driving operation is released. If however no current flow is detected or this current flow during running operation of the tracked fire truck is interrupted, the drive unit is immediately switched off through the processor unit 11 and if applicable additional actuators in the engine control unit 10. Obviously this can be connected with the actuation of further devices necessary for operating the armour plated tracked fire truck. The space 13, in which the electrical conductor 14 is arranged, is enclosed by a glass dome 16. To actuate the triggering element 12 it is only necessary to destroy the glass dome 16 in order to have the electrical conductor 14 burn out with the consequence that on the engine control unit side uninterruption of the current flow through the electrical conductor 14 is detected and the tracked fire truck stopped immediately. Additional lines connected to the engine control unit 10 which lead to additional triggering elements are indicated in Figure 3. According to a further development of this stopping device described for Figure 3 it is provided that on the control unit side it is not only checked in terms of quality whether the current flows through the electrical conductor or not, but its resistance is also sensed. The resistance of the electrical conductor can be employed as encoding in order to detect manipulations on this part of the stopping device. Instead of the triggering element described above, such a triggering element can also be assigned another - 10 electronic component providing a code. Accordingly, the processor unit is programmed for detecting each triggering element. Upon a replacement of a triggering element the processor unit would have to be reprogrammed but which is connected with not inconsiderable expenditure. The armour 17 of a further tracked fire truck otherwise not shown in more detail is shown in a detail in Figure 4. The armour 17 comprises an actuation bow 18 as triggering element of a stopping device associated with this tracked fire truck. The actuation bow 18 is arranged capable of being swivelled about a swivel axis 19 within the depression 20 of the armour 17. The actuation bow 18 with the exemplary embodiment shown is designed as two-armed lever and comprises a handle 21 and on the side located opposite the swivel axis 19 an actuation lever 22. The actuation lever 22 acts on an actuation linkage 23, which is mounted within a sliding sleeve 24 and engages through the armour 17. The actuation linkage 23 serves to actuate an electrical switch 25, specifically for closing said switch. The electrical switch 35 is switched on in a current line 26 for supplying a stoppage actuation device 27. The stoppage actuation device 27 as exemplarily shown by the line outputs 28, 28' is connected to a plurality of devices of the tracked fire truck in order to disable these in a controlled manner if required and thus bring the tracked fire truck to a halt. The actuation bow 18 or its handle 21 acting as triggering element can be easily actuated from the outside in order to bring the vehicle to a halt if required. For this purpose, the actuation bow 18, as indicated by the arrow in Figure 4, is swivelled to the outside as a result of which the actuation linkage for closing the electrical switch 25 is moved. Once the switch 25 is closed the stoppage actuation device 27 is supplied with current and controls, via the line outputs 28, 28' and the devices connected thereto, controlled stopping of the vehicle. Thus actuation of the triggering element 18 - 11 because of the intermediate connection of the stoppage actuation device 27 indirectly acts on the device or devices activated for stopping the vehicle. Depending on the design of the force transmission on to the electrical switch 25 exemplarily shown in Figure 4, wherein the force transmission is transmitted as thrust via the actuation linkage 23, in the event of the design of the actuation bow as one-armed lever a pulling force can likewise be transmitted through which an electrical switch can be closed. Depending on the configuration of the stopping device these can also comprise means in order to return a triggering element once operated into the operating position, wherein such resetting means are designed in such a manner that resetting is not easily and/or only possible after a certain time has lapsed. Part of such a stopping device can also be an independent stoppage actuation device to which the at least one triggering element is connected. Other actuators, especially such for driving the armour-plated vehicle can also be influenced by this, for example the clutch which upon actuation of the triggering element switches to idle or the like. For stopping a tracked fire truck it can also be provided that following the actuation of a triggering element a locking bolt shoots in between the wheels into the chain in order to stop the tracked fire truck in this way. The above descriptions make clear that with such a stopping device not only military vehicle can be allocated for civilian uses as part of their demilitarisation but that armour-plated vehicles with such a device can also be designed for civilian purposes. With the described use of such an armour-plated vehicle as fire truck the existing armour even that of a military vehicle can also be - 12 supplemented with additional heat protection armour without impairing the stopping device described. The tracked fire truck subject of the claim is exemplarily described in the following as part of these embodiments with stopping devices making use of resettable and destructible triggering elements. Without leaving the content of the Claims, the disclosure content of these documents provide a person skilled in the art with numerous additional possibilities to make military vehicles accessible to civilian use while maintaining the armour by way of demilitarisation in that it is ensured that such a vehicle can be rapidly stopped through external effect.

- 13 List of reference symbols 1 Tracked fire truck 2 Fire fighting gun 3 Triggering element 4 Head 5 Actuation shaft 6 Armour 7 Sliding sleeve 8 Current supply 9 Isolation switch 10 Engine control unit 11 Processor unit 12 Triggering element 13 Space 14 Electrical conductor 15 Input 16 Glass dome 17 Armour 18 Actuation bow 19 Swivel axis 20 Depression 21 Handle 22 Actuation lever 23 Actuation linkage 24 Sliding sleeve 25 Switch 26 Current line 27 Actuation stoppage device 28,28' Line output

Claims

1. An armour-plated vehicle, more preferably a fire truck, characterized in that the vehicle (1) has a device by means of which it can be brought to a halt from a driving mode through mechanical external effect from the outside, which device comprises at least one mechanically actuatable triggering element (3, 12, 18) arranged on the outside of the vehicle (1) and the triggering element (3, 12, 18) upon actuation or destruction of said triggering element directly or indirectly acts on at least one device (8) necessary for driving operation of the vehicle (1) for stopping said vehicle.

2. The vehicle according to Claim 1, characterized in that on the outside of the vehicle (1) a plurality of triggering elements (3) are arranged independently of one another which act on one and the same device of the vehicle (1) for stopping said vehicle.

3. The vehicle according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each triggering element simultaneously or staggered in time relative to one another acts on a plurality of devices necessary for operating the vehicle.

4. The vehicle according to any one of the Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the triggering element (3) is designed as mechanical actuator and via an actuation device (5) transmitting an actuation movement of the actuator is connected to the at least one device (8) necessary for operating the vehicle (1) for stopping said vehicle. - 2

5. The vehicle according to any one of the Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the triggering element is part of a device necessary for operating the vehicle.

6. The vehicle according to any one of the Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the triggering element (3) is arranged acting on an electrical switch (9) with which the electrical current supply (8) for operating the drive unit, for example the internal combustion engine of the vehicle (1) is influenced, for example interrupted.

7. The vehicle according to any one of the Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the triggering element is arranged acting on a valve with which the fuel supply for operating the internal combustion engine of the vehicle is interrupted.

8. The vehicle according to any one of the Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the triggering element is arranged in an actuating manner for actuating a stoppage actuation device arranged within the armour, which stoppage actuation device is connected to one or a plurality of devices necessary for operating the vehicle or is arranged acting on these for stopping the vehicle.

9. The vehicle according to Claim 8, characterized in that the triggering element (18) acts on a switch (25) closing an electrical circuit which in the event of an actuation of the triggering element (18) closed electrical circuit activates a stoppage actuation device (27) for example in form of control electronics, through which in turn at least one device necessary for operating the vehicle can be activated for stopping the vehicle. - 3

10. The vehicle according to Claim 5, characterized in that the triggering element (12) is electrically connected to a device necessary for operating the vehicle, for example the engine control unit (10) in such a manner that the triggering element (12) supplies the device with a code necessary for operating the device (10) and upon a destruction of the triggering element (12) and/or an interruption of the electrical connection between the triggering element (12) and the device (10) operation of the vehicle is not possible.

11. The vehicle according to any one of the Claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the vehicle is a tracked fire truck (1).