Armored vehicle, especially combat tank

[0001] The invention relates to an armored vehicle, especially a combat or military vehicle, having an outer wall in which is disposed an air inlet opening, behind which a radiator is positioned in the interior of the vehicle, whereby the air inlet opening is provided with a ballistic protective device.

[0002] With known armored vehicles, the ballistic protective devices are formed at the air inlet opening in general as so-called gratings, which has the drawback that the ballistic effects are a function of direction, and the radar signatures are conspicuous. It is also known to dispose respective cover plates over the air inlet openings, whereby the air enters from the side below the cover plates, which has the drawback that the vehicle roofs must be raised.

[0003] It is an object of the invention to provide an armored vehicle, especially a combat or military vehicle, having the features described initially in such a way that on the one hand an adequate supply of air is ensured, and on the other hand, however, a high ballistic protection and a low radar and IR signature can be achieved.

[0004] This object is inventively realized in that in the interior of the vehicle, in the region between the radiator and the air inlet opening, there is disposed a base plate that extends essentially parallel to the outer wall, and the outer dimensions of which are equal to or smaller by a prescribed amount than the dimensions of the air inlet opening, and the intermediate spaces between the outer edges of the base plate and the inner edges of the air inlet opening are closed off by cover plates that form a closed ring, and the base plate is provided in the central portion with an air passage, below which the radiator is positioned, and the recessed area formed by the base plate and the cover plates is partially covered by a protective plate, the dimensions of which, at least along partial portions of its outer edges, are smaller than the dimensions of the air inlet opening yet greater than the dimensions of the air passage in the base plate, and which is disposed essentially in the plane of the outer wall. Advantageous further developments of the invention are described subsequently and in the dependent claims.

[0005] The basic concept of the invention is to cover the air inlet opening, with the exception of at least two open air passage slots that permit air to enter, with a protective plate that is embodied as an armored plate and is essentially flush and parallel with the surrounding vehicle contour.

[0006] Disposed below this protective plate is a base plate that is provided in the central portion with an air passage, below which is positioned the radiator. Since the protective plate overlaps the air passage in the base plate, a ballistic seal is ensured at all angles of threat. Furthermore, plates can be disposed in the edge region that extend parallel to the covering protective plate and that at the same time are used for producing a flow distribution that is balanced out over the air inlet opening. The space below the covering protective plate is divided by partitions that are essentially perpendicular to the protective plate in such a way that at least two volumes associated with the aforementioned air passage slots result. The partitions can be connected to the covering protective plate and can be disposed either spaced from or flush with the following air guidance elements. Due to the back venting of the covering protective plate, a low IR signature can be achieved, while a low radar signature results from the planar protective plate that is disposed parallel to the surrounding vehicle structure, and which can be improved still further by radar-absorbing coatings of the air inlet region as well as of the underside of the covering protective plate and of the partitions.

[0017] FIG. 1 shows the starting situation of a roof or top plate of an otherwise not illustrated combat or military vehicle in the region of an air inlet opening. The roof or top plate 1 has a rectangular opening 2, below which is arranged a radiator 3 in the manner indicated. The opening 2 is now to be closed off with a ballistic protective cover.

[0018] For this purpose, as can be seen in FIG. 2, a base plate 5, which extends essentially parallel to the roof plate 1, is disposed in the interior of the vehicle in the region between the radiator 3 and the air inlet opening of the roof plate 1; the outer dimensions of the base plate are slightly less than the dimensions of the air inlet opening 2. Cover plates 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 and 4.4 serve for the mounting of the base plate 5; these cover plates are inserted into the intermediate spaces between the outer edges of the base plate 5 and the inner edges of the air inlet opening 2, and form a closed ring. In this connection, as can be seen in FIG. 2, the cover plates 4.2 and 4.4 drop at a slight angle inwardly toward the central portion of the base plate. In its central portion, the base plate 5 is provided with a rectangular air opening or passage 6, below which is positioned the radiator 3. By means of the cover plates 4.1 to 4.4, the intermediate spaces between base plate 5 and roof plate 1 are completely closed off to the interior of the vehicle.

[0019] As can be seen in FIG. 3, the recessed area in the contour of the vehicle formed by the base plate 5 and the cover plates 4.1 to 4.4 is now partially covered by a rectangular protective plate 7 in such a way that an on the whole annular passage slot results between the outer edges of the protective plate 7 and the inner edges of the air inlet opening 2. In this connection, the protective plate 7 is disposed in the plane of the roof plate 1 and parallel thereto, and is dimensioned in such a way that it completely spans the air passage 6 in the base plate 5, so that at all angles of threat, a ballistic seal is ensured. The air entry can be effected from four sides through the annular channel that is formed.

[0020] Further protective and air-conducting elements can be introduced into the intermediate space between base plate 5 and protective plate 7. This will be explained in greater detail in the following.

[0021] FIG. 4 illustrates how the space between base plate 5 and protective plate 7 can be divided by air-conducting plates 8.1, 8.2 and 8.3 into a plurality of entry regions for the incoming air, with the entry regions being separated from one another. For this purpose, the air-conducting plates 8.1 to 8.3, when viewed in plan upon the air passage 6, are disposed in an H-shaped manner, whereby the cross piece 8.3 of the H is disposed essentially on a center line of the air passage 6, and the two longitudinal members 8.1 and 8.2 of the H extend in the edge regions of the air passage 6. In this connection, the length of the two longitudinal members 8.1 and 8.2 is greater than the width of the air passage 6. As can be seen in FIG. 4, there thus result four air entry regions into which the air flows in the directions of the arrows A, B, C and D, and in particular in such a way that no mixing together of the air streams, which enter from four directions, occurs, and turbulence, and parasitic air currents, below the protective plate 7 are avoided.

[0022] It is, of course, also possible to divide the space between base plate and protective plate by differently arranged air-conducting plates into a plurality of entry regions for the incoming air, which entry regions are separated from one another. Thus, for example, deviating from the position illustrated in FIG. 4, and when viewed in plan upon the air passage, the air-conducting plates can also be arranged in a T-shaped or Y-shaped manner. The important thing is that separated air entry regions result, so that no mixing together of the air streams, which enter from different directions, occurs.

[0023] As can be seen in FIG. 5, an intermediate armor or shielding 9 can furthermore be disposed in the space between the base plate 5 and the protective plate 7 of FIG. 5, with the central region of the intermediate shielding being provided with a further air passage that is disposed over the air passage 6 and that is spaced a certain amount from both the base plate 5 as well as the protective plate 7. The outer dimensions of the intermediate shielding 9 can be the same or greater than the outer dimensions of the protective plate 7, as can be seen from FIG. 6.

[0024] Due to the provision of the intermediate shielding 9, the in-flow paths of the air are further split in the vertical direction, depending upon whether the air stream is moved above or below the intermediate shielding 9. As can be seen from FIG. 5, there thus result four upper air streams A1, B1, C1 and D1, and four lower airstreams A2, B2, C2 and D2. In this connection, the partial airstreams A1 to D1 are guided into the inner regions of the air passage 6 between the covering protective plate 7 and the intermediate shielding 9, while the partial airstreams A2 to D2, which extend in the region between the intermediate shielding 9 and the base plate 5, are guided into the outer regions. The intermediate shielding 9 furthermore has the objective of closing off the ballistically weak locations at the edges below the covering protective plate 7.

[0025] FIG. 6 shows the ballistically tight and aerodynamically optimized air inlet opening 2 in the surrounding vehicle armor 1. The annular gap between roof plate 1 and protective plate 7 can be covered with an air-permeable, radar-effective cover, or the cover plates 4.1 to 4.4, and the undersides of the covering protective plate 7 as well as of the intermediate shielding 9, can be provided with radar-absorbing coatings.

[0026] The specification incorporates by reference the disclosure of German priority document 102 03 021.9 filed Jan. 26, 2002 and PCT/DE03/00056 filed Jan. 10, 2003.

[0027] The present invention is, of course, in no way restricted to the specific disclosure of the specification and drawings, but also encompasses any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.