Modular Camouflage System and Uses Thereof

Abstract

Multispectral camouflage systems, apparatuses, and methods describes herein may include an assembled array of one or more discrete camouflage units, wherein each of the one or more discrete camouflage units includes a composite material having at least one predetermined structurally related property and at least one predetermined camouflage-related property, and wherein each of the one or more discrete camouflage units is joined to one or more neighboring unit to provide a laterally positioned camouflage cover configured to conceal an object from visible detection, infrared detection, thermal imaging, and radar detection.

Claims

1. A multispectral camouflage system comprising an assembled array of one or more discrete camouflage units, wherein each of the one or more discrete camouflage units includes a composite material having at least one predetermined structurally related property and at least one predetermined camouflage-related property, and wherein each of the one or more discrete camouflage units is joined to one or more neighboring unit to provide a laterally positioned camouflage cover configured to conceal an object from visible detection, infrared detection, thermal imaging, and radar detection.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising the object having at least a region of an external surface covered with the laterally positioned camouflage cover.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one predetermined structurally related property comprises a shape and a size, and wherein the shape and the size are each being selected to intimately fit a surface section or detail of an external surface of the object.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one predetermined camouflage-related property includes one or more of: (a) emissivity at visual and infrared (IR) wavelengths, (b) IR blocking for adjusting the IR emitted by the object, (c) a ratio between scattering and specular reflection of light incident on an external surface of the object, and (d) a stealth-related property associated with absorption of radar beams incident on the object, and diversion from being reflected back towards a source of the radar beams.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more discrete camouflage units includes a segment having an inner surface fitting a shape or a size of an external surface section of the object.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more discrete camouflage units includes a tile of a random shape and size.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein each tile is structured of a composite of at least one base layer and at least one functional layer.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the at least one base layer and the at least one functional layer are each independently formed of stacked material layers.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein the at least one functional layer comprises one or more of: a water-repellent layer, an anti-corrosion layer, a visual and IR emissivity layer, and an IR blocking layer.

10. The system according to claim 9, further comprising an insulation layer.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the insulation layer is provided between two layers of fabric and resin.

12. A method of manufacturing a camouflage system for an object comprising an assembled array of one or more discrete camouflage units, the method comprising assembling a plurality of discrete units onto a region of an external surface of the object, wherein each of the plurality of the discrete units has at least one structural property suited to intimately fit a surface locality or detail and is laterally positioned to endow the surface locality with at least one camouflage-related or stealth-related property; and joining the plurality of discrete units to other units to provide a laterally extending camouflage system.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising, prior to assembling the plurality of discrete units, shaping and sizing the plurality of discrete units based on the surface locality or detail.

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising forming the plurality of discrete units as flexible tiles.

15. The method according to claim 12, further comprising constructing each of the plurality of discrete units of at least one base layer and at least one functional layer.

16. A method for manufacturing a composite segment having a predetermined camouflage property, the method comprising: layering one or more material components in a mold structure having an inner cavity shaped and sized to correspond to a shape and size of a section of an external surface of an object the composite segment is designed to cover or replace, wherein a selection of the one or more material components and a sequence of layering determines a segment camouflage property; and applying conditions to the layered one or more material components in the mold structure to form the composite segment having the shape and size corresponding to the section of the external surface of the object or the object to be replaced.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising coating or associating the external surface of the object with the composite segment.

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising manufacturing the mold structure based on a contour map of the object.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein applying conditions to the layered one or more material components in the mold structure to form the composite segment include elevating a temperature and/or applying a compression force to the one or more material components in the mold structure.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein applying the compression force include applying a compression force in the range of 30 kg to 50 tons per square inch or wherein elevating the temperature include elevating a temperature to between ambient temperature and 180° C.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0097] In order to better understand the subject matter that is disclosed herein and to exemplify how it may be carried out in practice, embodiments will now be described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0098] FIGS. 1A-B provide schematic illustrations of (FIG. 1A) an exoskeleton assembly comprising two camouflage segments that are structured to fit an external surface region of an object, and together to assemble into the camouflage system; and (FIG. 1B) the assembled exoskeleton.

[0099] FIG. 2 provides a schematic illustration of a mosaic assembly comprising a plurality of tile units laterally assembled to provide the camouflage system.

[0100] FIG. 3 depicts layering of the base and functional layers within a mold structure according to an exoskeleton configuration.

[0101] FIGS. 4A-B provide a depiction of two different layer combinations of structural and functional layers within a mold structure according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0102] In the exoskeleton configuration, the camouflage system may be constructed of a set of segments that are assembled together to form the complete camouflage system or cover. A schematic illustration of a system divided into two segments is illustrated in FIGS. 1A and B. As illustrated, each of the two segments is structured to fit external surface features of the object to be camouflaged. The structure and shape, as well as the material composition making each of the two segments may be different. While 2 segments are depicted in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, other implementations of the exoskeleton structure may include any number of segments.

[0103] Independent of the number of segments, each segment may be built to fit the contour map of the respective section of the object it is intended to cover. Each of the segments may be constructed of two components-the base component and the functional component. These two components may be joined together by a layer of a resin. Each of the segments may be distinct in its predetermined structurally related properties, e.g., composition, shape and size, such that the assembly of the segments provides a continuous camouflage cover.

[0104] Each of the segments may also be appended with at least one predetermined camouflage-related property that results from the stacking of selected layers making up the segments. When the segments are placed on top of the object and joined together to provide the camouflage cover (e.g., as shown in FIG. 1B for the exoskeleton configuration and in FIG. 2 for the mosaic configuration), their functional components may together constitute one functional layer that covers the entire surface of the object, or at least a portion of the surface of the object. The base components of the segments may serve as a physical chassis for the functional layer and may also provide thermal insulation for the functional layers from the heat that flows from the object. The base components may be locally adapted to the sections of the object they are built to cover.

[0105] Typically, the segments may be formed in a mold or a template, as shown in FIG. 3. The exoskeleton components may be constructed of a series of fabric sheets that may be fused together by a mixture of resin or epoxy with special ingredients. The mixture is pasted between the fabric sheets. The fabric sheets may serve as scaffolding for a mixture of a resin/epoxy with special ingredients that is sandwiched between them, and through a hot-pressing process combine them into one entity. Selecting the kinds of sheets from which each segment of the exoskeleton is made and choosing the composition of the mixture of the resins with the different ingredients that is sandwiched between the sheets, enables different segments of the exoskeleton to be imparted with a different set of attributes as needed for the specific section of the object where it is planned to be used.

[0106] The functional components of the segments may constitute an interface between the system and the environment in which it operates. The camouflage performance of the system may be determined by the camouflage and stealth related features of the functional layer, as disclosed herein. These features may be implemented by a set of strata or layers that are deposited one on top of the other and constitute together the functional layer, as depicted in FIGS. 4A-B.

[0107] Note that the functional component may also exhibit features that are not camouflage or stealth related, such as by including an anticorrosive layer that shields the system from corrosive interaction with the environment in which it operates. The anticorrosive layer may allow for extending operability lifetime of the system. When the different segments of the system are assembled to form the system, the functional components of the various segments may form together one functional layer that covers the entire surface of the object.

[0108] The exoskeleton component may provide both the structural chassis for the functional component, and thermal insulation that prevents the functional component from being heated by the heat that flows by conduction from the camouflaged object towards the external surface of the camouflage system. of the exoskeleton component may include a series of fabric sheets that are spread with resin/epoxy that is mixed with special ingredients. The sheets may be of different kinds in order to enhance specific attributes to the section of the system for which the segment is built. One example is to use Kevlar sheets that attribute bullet-proof capabilities. As pointed out above, each sheet may be spread with a mixture of resin or epoxy mixed with ingredients such as pieces of fiberglass, and/or fiber chops, and/or micro-balloons to enhance their strength and attribute the sheets with heat resistance. The first sheet may be placed on top of the interface stratum of the functional layer and may then be spread with a resin/epoxy paste mixed with special ingredients which include fiberglass pieces, and/or fiber chops, and/or glass micro-balloons, and/or flakes of carbon nanotube fabric. The next sheets may then be placed one by one on top of each other with the mixture of resin/epoxy with the additional ingredients sandwiched between them. In the process of pressing the sheets to become one fused component, the resin mixture may penetrate and soak adjacent sheets between which it is spread, such that excess resin mixture may remain sandwiched between.

[0109] In the exoskeleton configuration the system may be constructed of a set of discrete segments. Each segment may be fabricated individually with a specific set of features (both functional and structural) that are tailor-made for making the segment performance optimal for the section of the object for which it is built. Upon their completion, each segment may be attached to its respective section in the object, and fused with its adjacent system segments, forming together the complete system.

[0110] General Description of the Fabrication Process of Segments in the Exoskeleton Configuration:

[0111] Each segment may be made using a metallic template with internal contour map that fits the section of the object for which the segment is built. The template may serve as a mold into which the segment is fabricated.

[0112] Prior to the commencement of the fabrication process, the template may be pasted with a thin layer of wax in order to facilitate the lift-off the segment from the mold at the end of the process. The segment fabrication process may constitute a series of consecutive steps in which it is built layer by layer, one on top of the other. The inner surface of the template may be imparted with roughness that is transported to the external surface of the segment (i.e. to the external surface of the functional component of the segment). The texture and level of roughness may be set individually to each segment, in order to determine the required balance between the diffusive scattering and the specular reflection of the light that is incident on the segment.

[0113] The first phase of the process may include deposition of the strata that constitute the functional component of the segment that is being built. The strata may be deposited on the inner face of the metallic template in reverse order (i.e. the deposition of the outer-most stratum first, etc.). Once these strata are deposited, they may be pasted with an additional stratum made of resin mixed with the said special ingredients that serves as the interface between the functional component and the exoskeleton component of the segment.

[0114] The second phase of the segment fabrication process may constitute construction of the exoskeleton component of the segment. This may be achieved by laying layers of fabric sheets that are pasted with resin mixed with special ingredients, so that the end result is a structure built of an alternating series of fabric sheets with mixtures of resin and the special ingredients sandwiched between them.

[0115] Following the fabrication of the functional layer and laying the fabric sheets and resin/epoxy spreads that are sandwiched between them, the entire segment and template may undergo a hardening process by the application of pressure at a high temperature. This stage may be achieved under vacuum conditions that cause the cleansing of extra vapors and volatile substances that reside in the resin/epoxy, or fluids used for introducing the additional ingredients to the mixture.

[0116] In an alternative realization of the exoskeleton configuration, the exoskeleton may be constructed of a single thick layer made of a mixture of the resin/epoxy with pieces of fiberglass, chopped fiber and/or glass micro balloons. The typical thickness of the single layer exoskeleton is 1 cm.

[0117] The camouflage system in the exoskeleton configuration may be assembled segment by segment by attaching each individual segment to its location on the respective section of the system. The segments may be attached to their locations by employing one of three techniques: (i) the segments may be permanently glued to their location on the surface of the section for which they are built; (ii) the segments may be attached to the respective system section by Hook and Loop fasteners (Velcro® fasteners) which may be pre-glued or pre attached or pre associated to the segment inner surface and the matching (opposing) external surface of the section; or (iii) the segments may be attached to the respective system section by magnetic flexible surfaces that were pre-glued to the segment inner surface and the matching external surface of the section.

[0118] Special care may be given to the design of the segment perimeter, so that the outlines of adjacent segments match accurately. In some cases, the edges of adjacent segments may overlap to blur the visibility of the outlines.

[0119] In the mosaic configuration the system may be constructed of tiles which are assembled together as a 3D mosaic attached to the external surface of the camouflaged object, roughly in the shape of the contour map of the latter. Each tile may be constructed of two components, the base component and the functional component. The base component may provide the physical chassis to the functional component, and additionally may insulate the functional component from the heat generated by the object and flows by conduction and convection to the external surface of the functional unit. Both components may be joined together to form one unit which is the tile. The tiles may serve as mosaic pieces that are attached on top of the external surface of the object. Their structure and fabrication options may be similar to that of the segments in the exoskeleton configuration. The tiles may be cut in different shapes and sizes from large planar sheets manufactured on top of aluminum support boards. The sheets may be fabricated by a process that resembles the fabrication process of the segments of the exoskeleton assembly described above.

[0120] It will be appreciated that the embodiments described above are cited by way of example, and that the present disclosure is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather, the scope of the present disclosure includes both combinations and subcombinations of the various features described hereinabove, as well as variations and modifications thereof which would occur to persons skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description and which are not disclosed in the prior art.