WO2006134407A1

WO2006134407A1 - Rocket-propelled grenade protection system

Info

Publication number: WO2006134407A1
Application number: PCT/GR2006/000028
Authority: WO
Inventors: Konstantinos Soukos
Original assignee: Soukos Robots S.A.
Priority date: 2005-06-14
Filing date: 2006-06-07
Publication date: 2006-12-21

Abstract

It comprises of a protective grid (12) of special configuration and hardness. In the interspaces (19) of the grid (12) there exists a polyester foam (13) for its adequate electrical insulation. The grid (12) possesses a serrate conductive entrance (14) on the side of rocket impact (40) and a conductive cathode (15) on its other side. All the electrodes (23) are connected with an electronic control unit (16) in order for the data to be transferred from the impact surfaces to this unit. The unit (16) is programmed to terminate the electric energy produced by the piezoelectric crystal to an ignition head of the Rocket Propelled Grenade RPG when this rocket strikes against the conductive entrance (14) of the protective grid (12). It can be used for the protection against the lethal Rocket propelled grenades RPG.

Description

ROCKET-PROPELLED GRENADE PROTECTION SYSTEM

Background of the Invention: Field of the Invention: The invention lies in the field of armor protection and plating. In particular, the rocket-propelled grenade protection system of the invention provides a silent protection^' shield against self-propelled grenades that utilizes fuses with a piezoelectric head connected to the actual -fuse.

Self-propelled grenades are used 'by extremist organizations (i.e., terrorist groups) worldwide .and are referred to as Rocket-propelled Grenades or RPGs. . ^{' "} ..

The fuse, itself, it is a device capable of igniting the explosive contained in the grenade. The ignition occurs by reaching, in a very short time (milliseconds) , a temperature high enough to trigger the explosive. The fuse, itself, is activated by an electrical signal generated by a transducer that detects a contact with the target. Because of this configuration, the ideal and most widely used transducer is a piezoelectric transducer. Piezoelectric materials, such .as quartz crystals, have the ability to generate an electrical charge when stressed under pressure. One of such transducers generates an electrical charge in the moment of a collision of a projectile against the target, thereby triggering the fuse that ignites the explosive charge . 5

It is estimated that more than 40 million RPGs are produced every year.

The rocket-propelled grenades are extremely lethal

10 because they are constructed such that, _during the impact on the target, they can penetrate armor steel having a thickness of 600mm. Such piercing is achieved _by properly encasing the explosive in a geometrical s_hape that forces the thermal blast in only one _direction —

L5 instead of spreading the energy i_n all directions. Thermal energy carried by the flame of an ignited explosive reaches sufficiently high temperatures and plasma conditions to melt any material in the pat_h of the flame .

20

Such a rocket-propelled grenade costs approximately ten U.S. dollars and can destroy vehicles, materials, and helicopters that are worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Thus, it is important to be able to _design a

^!5 protective shield for such vehicles and buildings that withstands RPGs, is easy to manufacture, and is low on cost. •; ^•

Summary of the Invention:

5 It is- accordingly an object of the invention to provide a rocket-propelled grenade protection system that overcomes the hereinafo.re-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices of this general type and that can protect buildings, materials, tanks, helicopters,

LO airplanes on the ground, and any other conveyance, etc., against self-propelled grenades. The protection device has a sandwich panel configuration. The system of the invention, referred to herein and by the inventors as the "Porcupine". The Porcupine is specifically configured to

L5 protect vehicles and tanks of pacificatory forces.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a protection system against self-propelled grenades includes at least

>0 metal apparatus of high resistance (H-), that includes, at its internal, an appropriate net (12) of especially hardened steel to friction and to impact, that has tooth- shaped edges at its one side. Internally the net (12) is modulated a layer of polyester air leaf (13).. It also

!5 ^' includes at least one tooth shaped conductive entrance ⁽14) at the net's -one side, which is fired, one conductive cathode (15) at the other side of the net (11) , one at least appropriate connection plug (17) and a control unit (16) . Protection system against self- propelled grenades is characterized by the fact that it has the ability, during the impact of the rocket grenade at its first sensitive layer, which is the tooth shaped conductive entrance (14) , to destroy and interrupt the ^■ electric power produced by the piezoelectric crystal that is placed at the firing head of the rocket grenade.

The system is characterized by the fact it protects all types of vehicles, public and private property, helicopters, airplanes in the ground of military use or not, various buildings, human's transportation means, as well as radar units by terrorist and hostile action, where the risk of the launched rocket grenades is huge, for the human lives as well as for the material possessions .

In accordance with another feature of the invention, the layers (13, 14, 15) that it consists of contribute to the ^• high-speed destruction of the rest of the explosive hollow charge and of the rest mechanisms, due to the increased momentum of the rocket grenade during its impact to the mentioned system. In accordance with a further feature of the invention, with its way of operation is prevented the creation of accumulated bulky detonation wave of enormous temperature (plasma) , so as not to procure the catastrophic and deadly results.

In accordance, with an added feature of the invention, il, can be shaped .-in all kind of shapes and dimensions according to the application.

In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, it protects also by armor-piercing shells.

In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, its tooth shaped conductive entrance (14) consists its external side and the side of impact of the rocket grenades .

In accordance with, yet a further feature of the invention, its operation is continuous and cannot be detected or intercepted.

In accordance with a concomitant feature of- the invention, its operation does not need any consumables. Other features that are considered as characteristic for the i-nvention are set forth in the appended claims.

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a rocket-propelled grenade protection system, it is, nevertheless, not intended to be limited to_. the details shown because various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.

The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

_Brief Description of the Drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of an embodiment of the protective system according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the protective system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top elevational view of the protective system

of FIG. 1; FIG- 4 is a plan view of a control system of the protective system of FIG. 1; FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, diagrammatic, perspective view of a grille assembly of the protective system of FIG.-l_; FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, diagrammatic, side elevational ^. view of a first portion of the grille assembly of FIG. 5_; 5 FIG. 7 is a fragmentary, diagrammatic, side elevational - view of a second, portion of the grille assembly of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a plan view photograph of the control system of FIG. 4 in a^' closed state;

LO FIG. 9 -is a plan view photograph of the control system of

FIG. 4 in an opened state;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged, plan view photograph of a portion of the control system of FIG. -1;

FIG. 11 is a photograph^' from above the protective system L5 according to the invention;

FIG. 12 is a photograph from above the protective system of FIG. 11 after impact;

FIG. 13 is a photograph from above a side of the protective system of FIG. 12 after impact_; 20 FIG. 14 is a photograph from above of an enlarged detail of the protective system of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a photograph from above of a further -enlarged detail of the protective system of FIG. 14_;

FIG. 16 is a photograph from above of a further enlarged .5 detail of the protective system of FIG.^' 15_; and FIG. 17 is a photograph from above of a further;enlarged detail of the protective system of FIG. 16.

Description of the Preferred Embodiments: 5 Referring now to the- figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown a protection ^.system l according to _.the invention. A housing or stand Ii _{is U3ed to hold the net or grille 12}

of specially hardened steel therein. The housing^" 11 can

LO be free-standing or can be incorporated in a .fixed or movable structures including, but not limited to, fences, buildings, sheds, walls, and/or in a vehicle or conveyance including, but not limited to, planes, trains, automobiles,^, trucks, and boats. The holes of the grille

L5 12 are filled with filler 13. The grille 12 has protrusions 14. The protrusions 14, preferably, have a triangular shape viewed from a side of the grille 12 as shown in FIG. 2. A control device 15 is connected through a cable 16 to a connection 17 on a side of the

20 grille 12. The control device 15 generates radiofrequency that I₃ distributed in the panel of the grille 12 the cable lς.

^• A fragmentary portion 18 of the grille 12 is shown in -5 FIG. 5. The grille :.2 is assembled by connecting two parts 20, 30 together to form a frame defining spaces 19- therein having a rectangular shape. The parts 20, 30 are illustrated respectively in FIGS. 6 and 7. The rectangles of the spaces 19 have internal distances of approximately 48 to 72 mm to a side when looked from a top thereof. This range will provide successful and ' adequate protection results. In particular, the inside shapes are squares internal distances of approximately 48 to 72 mm. In particular, squares having an internal distance of approximately 60 mm to a side will provide optimal- results;

The preferred material of the grille is high-hardness steel usable for ballistic purposes, for example, a sufficient material is any steel with a hardness superior to 400 Brinell. If the hardness is over 550 Brinell, then brittleness is compensated for by not using the steel by itself and reinforcement is provided. Example steels are commercially availably materials, e.g., Armox 400, 500 (the Brinell hardness), Cressboro, or other similar materials. The preferred specifications for the material of the parts 20, 30 conform to MIL-A-461000 , a U.S. military specification. The materials all share the same compositions with a very ti^nt percentage of difference . A polyester 13 is used to fin _{the spaces 19 formed by}

the grille 12. The preferred polyester used is ^" a foam commercially available and is used mainly as filler. Any filler consistent with foam should satisfy the requirements so ^"long as it i_s an insulator/isolator - i.e., it cannot conduct electricity.

FIGS. 8 to 10 are various views of the control device 15 of the system 1. FIG. 8 shows the control device 15 in a closed state and FIG. 9 shows the control device 15 i-n an ^• open state. FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the bottom half of the control device 15.

FIGS. 11 to 17 are photographs of the grille 12 of the invention. These photographs show various features thereof. FIG. 11 shows a portion of a grille 12 filled with the filler 13. FIG. 12 shows one panel of the system with a substantial portion of the filler 13 after the panel has been destroyed. it is noted that the cables traversing the grille 12 can be seen in FIG. 12.

FIG. 13 is a view from the aide of the panel of FIG. 12 showing an adjacent panel and the cable in the grille 12.

FIG. 14 is an enlarged view _Of the destroyed portion of the filler 13 of the grille 12. FIG. 15 is another enlarged view of a different portion of the destroyed portion of the filler 13 of the grille 12. 5

FIG. 16 is a further enlarged view of another portion of the destroyed portion of the filler 13 of the grille γ^

FIG. 17 is an enlarged view of a corner of the destroyed LO portion-_. ^'of the filler 13 of the grille 12.

The Porcupine protection system works as an intellig_ent shield during the approach of a self-propelled grenade towards the sandwich panel, which destroys and interrup_t „

L5 the electric energy produced by the piezoelectric crys_tal during its approach to the first sensitive layer of ^j₁₆. sandwich (A) , with the help of the subsequent layers _(Ej of the panel (C) , the rest of the explosive hollow char_/iSt is destroyed with a very large velocity due to the

20 momentum of the rocket. As such, creation of an accumulated and bulky detonation wave of enormous temperature (plasma) is prevented. Therefore, the leth results on the target disposed behind the system 1 _are suppressed. 5 According to the results of the experiments , it is possible to reduce human and material casua lties by approximately seventy-five percent ( 75% ) and _{more during} an initial stage of an attack by a terroris t group, for example .

The Porcupine protection system not only pr otects the target against a self-propelled grenade but also against armor piercing ammunition.

The Porcupine protection system is a passive system configured to make detection by the enemy virtually impossible. Also, operation of the protection system cannot be intercepted.

The Porcupine protection system can be used protect vehicles, tanks, ships, helicopters, airplanes on the ground, buildings, radars, and generally all the possible targets of such ammunition.

We claim:

Claims

1. A protection system, comprising:

a metallic apparatus having resistance to project iles, said apparatus having:

a housing defining an interior; and

a protection net of steel hardened to fric tion to impact disposed at said interior of said housing, said net having a front side, a rear side, and tooth-shaped edges at said front side.

2. The protection system according to claim 1, wherein said protection net is of steel sufficiently harceled to protect against self-propelled grenades.

3. The -protection system according to claim 1, wherein said protection net substantially prevents passage of a self-propelled grenade through said front side to said rear side.

4. The protection system according to claim 1, wherein said protection net is of steel sufficiently harceled to protect against armor-piercing shells.

5. The Protection system according to claim 1, wherein said protection net substantially prevents passage of an armor-piercing shell through said front side- to said rear side

6. The protection system according_, to claim 1, wherein said net is configured to prevent the passing of an accumulated detonation plasma wave through said front side to said rear side.

7. The protection system according to claim 1, wherein said housing and said net have an outer shape selectable by a user.

8. The protection system according to claim 1, wherein said net has a tooth-shaped conductive entrance on an external impact side.

9. The protection system according to claim 1, wherein said a protection net continuously protects projectiles from passing trough said front side to said rear side.

10. The protection system according to claim 1, wherein said net is a adulated a layer of polyester air leaf.

11. The protection system according to claim l,_: wherein:

said net has:

at- least one tooth shaped conductive entran said front side;

at least one conductive cathode at said r^ar side- and

at least one connection plug connected to _said cathode; and

a control unit is electrically connected to said connection plug.

12. The protection system according to claim χi_f wherein said control unit is programmed to interrupt eLectric power produced by a piezoelectric crystal when a projectile impacts said net.

13. The protection system according to claim H wherein said control unit is programmed to interrupt electric power produced by a piezoelectric crystal in _a firin_g head of a rocket grenade when the rocket gr<*narje _j__mp_acts said net.

14. The protection system according to claim 13, wherein said control unit is programmed to interru rupt electric power when the rocket grenade impacts hold tooth shaped conductive entrance.