FR2827669A1 - Changing the color of vehicles and buildings depending on the surrounding environment, to improve military camouflage or reduce heating/cooling needs of buildings and vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

The device for improving the secrecy from visual observation using the naked eye or with optical means of military terrestrial, aerial and marine vehicles, or for reducing the impact of buildings and all individual or collective transport vehicles using one or more paints with bases which react with different agents to modify the color shade of the base paint. The bases of the paints react to physical, chemical or natural effects to modify the color shade of the base paint. The device has two or four mini-color video cameras to perceive the color of the environment through which the vehicles are passing and an on-board computer with a chip to analyze the main colors of the environment and control the amount and spread of the active agents through distributors. The cameras are placed one on each side of terrestrial and low-flying aerial vehicles, and one at the bottom and one at the top of medium-altitude aerial vehicles to detect the main colors. The colors on the vehicle are adapted on the opposite side to each camera. Another chip analyses temperature differences between the inside and the outside of the vehicle or building and the paint shade is optimized as a function of calories absorbed to darken buildings or vehicles to heat them in cold weather and lighten them to limit absorption in hot weather.

Description

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 The present invention relates to "devices for enabling the modification of colors of a base paint.

The application can be military and civil.

Despite the sophisticated technical means of detection and observation, camouflage paints remain current in the purely visual field, with or without optics.

If not, why would military equipment always be provided with it.

 In the military field, the camouflage of vehicles is necessary, in order to decrease, their visual location during their mobility when they are progressing, or even cancel when they are parked, with paints in colors adapted to the natural environment of land taking advantage of local vegetation etc.

 Currently, land vehicles, helicopters, planes, are covered with stains of camouflage paint representing, the European campaign. This results in the use of spots of green, brown or sand color with a range of nuanced shades, which are different according to the countries of the European community, see NATO.

 Sometimes entirely sand colored for deserts.

Depending on the routes used, by land vehicles, helicopters in tactical flight, planes penetrating at low altitude, the colors of camouflage are not always well suited, see optimum. If we take into account the seasons, where for example winter can be very snowy, white becomes the adapted color of the moment.

The vehicles themselves remain in a completely unsuitable color.

Unless repainted, this would generate cost, loss of time, immobilization of equipment, and this subject to random meteorological variations, operational efficiency would be severely affected.

(we will call these current paintings "passive painting".

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 The following equipment would make it possible to vary the color of a sensitive base paint, which could be called active or dynamic paint.

We will call this painting, "Chameleon painting".

With dynamic paints, operational vehicles will be able to progress towards operational theaters, adapting to the different environments crossed, and depending on the separation distance of the spaces. For different reduced spaces, and where the threat is non-existent, it will not be necessary to operate the system, as a measure of economy of the potential allowing to activate the sensitive paint or paints.

The means of awareness employed may be physical, chemical, natural.

 The system will include the following equipment: - A dynamic base paint covering the vehicle.

 - Two to four mini television cameras.

 - An on-board computer for processing colors of the environment.

 - Software capable of controlling the physical and / or chemical means to adapt the color to the environment.

 - Electrical resistance plates for physical means.

 - A low voltage conductive heating paint for physical means.

 - Cryogenic by lowering the temperature for physical means.

 - Sources of ultraviolet for physical means.

 - Infrared sources for physical means.

 - Sprayers for chemical means.

 - Oozing coating for chemical means.

 - Chemical tanks.

 - Pump for pressurizing the chemical (s).

 The operating principles, to obtain the variations of the colors can be done according to the choices of interventions of physical, chemical, or technical actions.

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naturels, seront activés manuellement, ou automatiquement par les systèmes de détection laser/radar de bord en état de . es sysll veille, pour adapter la teinte de camouflage aux véhicules terrestres ou aériens aux zones traversées.

will be activated manually, or automatically by on-board laser / radar detection systems in working order. es sysll standby, to adapt the camouflage shade to land or air vehicles in the areas crossed.

To adjust the colors with two cameras, each camera will be installed on either side of the sides of the vehicles, to capture the lateral landscapes.

Example: The camera on the right will take the landscape on its right, the color will be adapted on the left side of the vehicle, and conversely for the right side which will be adapted by shooting the camera located on the left.

A computer will process the images, control the technical physical, chemical means, etc., to refine the nuances of the colors on the base paint of the vehicle, sensitive to the means allowing the reaction (s), to activate the base paint (s).

Two other cameras, a high and a low can be arranged to obtain the terrestrial aspect seen from above, or the sky aspect seen from below, for planes flying at medium altitude.

 The principles used may be physical, chemical, or natural.

 Physical: - Electric, by passing current through a paint made conductive, by modifying the current, or the voltage.

 - Thermal, by temperature variation, electric, using resistors, or using the resistance of the conductive paint, for low outside temperatures, in order to maintain the necessary temperature regulation, for the suitable color.

 - Cryogenic to lower the temperatures, taking into account the body temperature, (function of the outside temperature) to stay within the temperature range allowing to maintain the adequate camouflage color.

 - By radiation, infrared, ultra-violet, excitation according to the range of wavelengths.

 - By associations of the three principles above.

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 Chemical: - By spraying, or by seepage of products creating the reaction on the base paint (s).

- By physical and chemical combination
The system will allow the camouflage of highly operational vehicles to be adapted to the nature of their environment.

 In the civilian sector, the system will be less sophisticated than in the military.

 The device will allow the color of buildings or vehicles to be changed uniformly for climatic purposes.

The color of individual or collective transport vehicles may be adapted according to the seasons and daily weather variations.

The device will make it possible in the hot season to lighten the color of the coating on the surface or in the mass of plasters, in order to limit the caloric absorption by walls, conventional roofing materials or in building terraces, or by bodywork vehicles of all means of individual or collective transport.

 In the cold season, the device will darken the shade to absorb the heat from the sun's rays, as well as facilitate heat exchange with the air masses.

 In both cases, the device will take into account the interior temperature of buildings, etc., so that the color does not react only to the radiation of the sun, nor to the heat exchange by air masses if the interior temperatures are between eighteen and twenty two degrees for example.

 The device will allow, in the cold season, to preheat or heat buildings and vehicles.

 The device will be simplified, the motor element allowing the reaction for the change in color should be of a thermal nature. A complementary source, other than natural and non-polluting, may be used to anticipate the activation of sensitivity, while taking into account

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 ccmpte taspect economic compared to current means.

 The device will allow tempering depending on its performance, buildings or all vehicles, without conventional heating, in the medium seasons, transition from Autumn to Winter, and Winter to Spring for example.

 For the summer, this will delay the start-up of the air conditioning and heating systems for the winter.

 The device will promote energy savings and consequently a significant reduction in pollution.

Claims (8)

CLAIMS l) Device for improving stealth at visual observation with the naked eye, or with optical means of military, land, air and sea vehicles, or for tempering buildings, all individual and collective transport vehicles, characterized in that it comprises one or more paints of sensitive bases reactive to different agents.  2) Device according to claim l, characterized in that it comprises one or more sensitive base paints reactive to physical, chemical or natural effects to modify the tint of the color of the base paint or paints.  3) Device according to claim l, characterized in that it comprises two or four color mini video cameras to capture the color of the environment or progress vehicles.  4) Device according to claim l, claim 3, characterized in that it comprises an on-board computer equipped with computer software for analyzing the predominant color or colors of the environment.  5) Device according to claim l, claim 2 and claim 4, characterized in that it includes computer software to control the dosage and distribution of active agents by distributors.  6) Device according to claim l, claim 3, claim 4 and claim 5, characterized in that it comprises the locations of mini-cameras, a camera on the right flank, a camera on the left flank for <Desc / Clms Page number 7>  land or air vehicles allowing to fly at very low altitudes, a ventral camera and a dorsal camera for air vehicles flying at medium altitude, to capture the predominant colors of the environment, the colors will be adapted to the parts of the vehicle opposite of each respective camera.

 7) Device for tempering buildings, individual and collective transport vehicles according to claim 1, claim 2, characterized in that it comprises a computer equipped with software for analyzing the temperature differences between the interior and the exterior of buildings and vehicles.  8) Device according to claim l, claim 2 and claim 7, characterized in that it comprises software for controlling the distribution equipment for dosing the physical, chemical or natural activating agents to adapt the shade of the optimum color, depending on the calories to be absorbed by darkening the exterior color of buildings and vehicles, to warm up in the cold season, by lightening the color to limit the absorption of calories in the hot season.