EP0044229A1 - Camouflage net and process for its manufacture - Google Patents

Abstract

A camouflage net, the area of which can attain a value of the order of 100 m<2>, consists of a lining sheet (1) reinforced over its entire surface by the actual net (2). The latter is fastened to the lining sheet (1) by means of spaced stitches (4) which have been made continuously by a suitable multi-needle machine and with a nylon yarn. The face and looper yarns for the machine-made stitches (4) are selected as the same colour as the face of the lining sheet (1) to which they are applied. <IMAGE>

Description

In the military field, ground camouflage technicians use camouflage nets with which they cover the objects (cannons, tanks, trucks etc.) that they want to conceal from the enemy by making them confuse with the general color of the environment.

Known camouflage nets consist of a lining sheet reinforced over its entire surface by the net itself.

The commonly used lining sheets are in particular those which are the subject of French patent n ° 1 233 225 (Albert MARKMANN & C °) according to which a fabric panel with a flat surface, made of synthetic fibers only, is provided with cutouts. 'interpenetrating in such a way that the ends of each cut end in zones framed by cut-outs facing each other. In accordance with an embodiment particularly suitable for camouflage purposes, cutouts in the form of arcs or half-circumferences are made in the lining surface, this set of arcuate cutouts giving the sheet, when it is placed on the object to be concealed, a relief giving it the appearance of foliage.

In addition, the lining sheets are made self-extinguishing and are treated so that their presence is not detected by conventional detection devices. Thus, with the infrared telescope, these camouflage nets merge with the surrounding nature.

The actual camouflage net is made up of a large mesh network made of a twisted wire with several strands, giving it great strength.

The fixing of this net to the trim sheet can be done by gluing or by means of clips.

For the fixing by gluing, one uses for example a machine of the type which is the object of the French patent n ° 1.335.945 (FIRMA LICENTIA EKMAN & BRUNDIN), the filling material being presented in this case in the form of a plurality of fragments of sheet material. You can just as easily choose a cutout trim sheet like the one described above.

With such an adhesive bonding, it is compulsory to use a thin, light covering sheet having a low tear resistance. Indeed, if, during its handling, the camouflage net catches an obstacle (branch, etc ...), it is necessary that, in the release operation, it is the lining sheet which yields and not the net , which must imperatively continue to play its role of maintaining the sheet as a whole.

• - Il doit être effectué manuellement point par point et bien que l'on puisse diminuer le nombre des points d'accrochage des clips en ne fixant ces derniers qu'à des intervalles relativement grands, il reste qu'une telle opération, devant être effectuée sur des filets de camouflage dont la surface peut être de l'ordre de 100 m², prend beaucoup de temps et accroît le prix de revient du filet.
• - Quel que soit le serrage des clips, le fil du filet a toujours tendance à glisser sous les clips, ce qui complique l'opération de dégagement d'un filet accroché malencontreusement dans une branche par exemple.

The fixing of the net to the sheet by means of clips obliges the choice of a much more resistant material for the lining sheet. In addition, this method of attachment has several drawbacks:

• - It must be carried out manually point by point and although one can reduce the number of attachment points of the clips by fixing the latter only at relatively large intervals, it remains that such an operation, having to be carried out on camouflage nets, the surface of which can be of the order of 100 m ² , takes a long time and increases the cost price of the net.
• - Whatever the tightening of the clips, the thread of the net always tends to slide under the clips, which complicates the operation of releasing a net hooked inadvertently in a branch for example.

In addition, in use, it forms among other things under the effect of the wind and due to these sliding pockets between 'the lining sheet and the net, which increases the risk of deformation of the assembly and what which harm with good camouflage, the objects to be hidden can remain visible in certain places due to the voids formed in the sheet. Finally, the friction produced by the sliding clips and the pulls to which the lining sheet is subjected, in particular because of the wind, affect the qualities of the lining.

- Machine washing of clip nets is not advised, still due to the possibility of the net itself sliding in the clips, of hanging clips together and also of hanging clips to the net.

The present invention overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks.

For this purpose, the camouflage net which is the subject of it, is essentially characterized in that the net itself is fixed to the filling sheet by stitching.

A relatively large spacing can be provided between these stitching points, as soon as the lining layer is correctly held by the net.

These seams will advantageously be carried out continuously using an appropriate multi-needle sewing machine, for example of the type described in French patent application No. 2,448,591 (MECA SNC). This process is also the subject of the present invention.

In addition, you can choose a sewing thread whose color will match that of the trim sheet both on one side and the other.

The camouflage nets according to the invention, the manufacture of which has proven to be much simpler and faster than that of clip nets and even of glued nets, have the advantages of being able to be handled without particular difficulties in the event of attachment and to be easily machine washable.

A particular embodiment of a camouflage net according to the present invention will be described in more detail below, by way of indication and in no way limitative, with reference to the single figure of the attached drawing which shows part of this net laid flat.

The camouflage net shown consists of a lining sheet 1 on which the net itself 2 is fixed.

In sheet 1, made for example of PVC, with one side of dark green color and the other of brown color, a plurality of rounded cuts 3 was made, so as to be able to form protrusions when the camouflage net is put in place, then giving the appearance of foliage or ground depending on whether the net is turned on one side or the other.

The net proper 2, made of a very strong twisted wire and formed of meshes of about 5 to 10 cm per side, is applied to the sheet 1 in a relatively loose manner in order to form the projections imitating the landscape , and it is sewn there by stitches 4 into a strong nylon or similar thread.

These points 4 have been shown schematically, because their structure will depend on the sewing machine used. They could be spaced apart, for example, by a distance equal to one or two mesh widths, in one direction or the other. In addition they will not necessarily be located at the intersections of the meshes.

The top and bottom threads can be chosen in the same color as the face of sheet 1 on which they will be applied.

In the drawing, the thread connecting the sewing stitches which have been successively formed using the same machine needle has not been shown. Indeed, such threads may be broken if necessary, and they play practically no role in the maintenance of the lining sheet.

It is, of course, moreover that the embodiment of the camouflage net according to the invention which has been described above with reference to the appended drawing has been given for information and is in no way limitative and that modifications can be made without the 'We therefore deviate from the scope of the present invention.

Claims (7)

1. Camouflage net, the surface of which can reach a value of the order of 100 m ² , consisting of a lining sheet reinforced over its entire surface by the net itself, characterized in that the latter is fixed to the trim sheet with spaced stitching. 2. Camouflage net according to claim 1, characterized in that these sewing stitches were made continuously using an appropriate multi-needle sewing machine. 3. Camouflage net according to claim 2, characterized in that this machine is of the type described in French patent application No. 2,448,591 (MECA SNC). 4. Camouflage net according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the sewing stitches are realized using a nylon thread. 5. Camouflage net according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the stitching points are spaced apart by a distance approximately equal to one or two widths of mesh of the net, in one direction or in the other. 6. Camouflage net according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the top and bottom threads for machine seams are chosen to have the same color as the face of the trim sheet on which they will be applied. 7. Method for manufacturing the camouflage net as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the spaced stitching points for fixing the net proper to the lining sheet are carried out continuously using a machine sewing multi-needles.

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