Patent Application
20070006724
The present invention generally relates to automotive vehicles. The present invention more particularly relates to automotive vehicles that are useful for military applications.
There are tanks that skid steer and have a turret internal to their structure for varying the direction of fire while traveling in directions other than the direction of fire, with the tank's armor protecting the vehicle operator or driver. In addition, there are turrets on standard steer vehicles that turn within the structure of the vehicle, with the gunner turret positioned at a distance from the vehicle operator. Furthermore, there are soldier gunner positions on vehicles that allow a soldier gunner to fire in a variety of directions, including firing a gun that is centrally mounted on the vehicle. When a gunner is on such a vehicle, he is generally situated in a fixed position, or within a turret where he is spinning within a structural hole defined within the vehicle, along with a weapons system mounted therein. In some cases, soldier gunner stations are fitted with ballistic shielding that is pivotally mounted to move with the gunner and with the turret for thereby protecting the soldier gunner while he varies the direction of his fire. Still further, there are also vehicles with gun mounts situated on their roofs, generally above a vehicle operator's seated position, which allow a gunner on the roof to fire in the same direction as the vehicle driver is facing, or in the direction the passenger next to the driver may be firing.
On a small compact vehicle with both a vehicle operator (i.e., driver) and a gunner, the gunner's ability to successfully maneuver in order to freely fire to the left side, to the right side, to the rear, and to the front, and to do so while protecting the operator and without distracting the operator, is generally restricted due to lack of onboard space for such maneuvering and positioning relative to the vehicle operator.
In some vehicle configurations, an onboard gunner has a designated position with ballistic shielding surrounding him. In such configurations, however, if an onboard gunner must move so as to fire in an opposite direction, the shielding generally does not move with him, thereby leaving the gunner to fire from an unprotected position and exposed to possible enemy fire. In view of such, it would be desirable and advantageous to develop a vehicle configuration with a designated gunner's position therein that shields a gunner's body from possible enemy fire while at the same time permitting the gunner to selectively situate himself in a variety of possible positions for wide-range firing in various different directions.
There are various vehicles known in the industry that have agile steering capabilities referred to as spin-steer, skid-steer, or zero-turn steering. On a spin-steer vehicle, for example, if the person driving the vehicle is generally not situated or positioned on the vehicle's turning center of rotation, that person will experience an outward-pulling force during any quick turning of the vehicle due to the rotational moment of inertia of their position relative to the vehicle's center of rotation. Therefore, as spin-steer vehicles and the like gain more popularity and use in weapons platforms due to their characteristic turning agility and desirable maneuverability, it would be desirable to have both the vehicle operator (i.e., driver) and the gunner onboard any such vehicle to be situated as close as possible to the vehicle's turning center of rotation for stability and balance. Furthermore, it would also be desirable and advantageous for an onboard soldier gunner and a vehicle operator to both be protected while working in concert with overlapping required roles of gunner positioning and firing independence and also operator driving and gunning independence as well.
In view of the above, there is a present need in the art for a gunner vehicle that (1) accommodates both a soldier gunner and a vehicle operator, (2) enables the gunner and operator to both be situated in close proximity to the vehicle's turning center of rotation during vehicle steering maneuvers, (3) enables the gunner to fire in any desired direction independent from the vehicle's direction of travel, (4) generally provides continuous ballistics protection to both the gunner and operator during vehicle operation, and (5) provides ready access to all gear, weapons, and ammunition onboard the vehicle.
The present invention provides a mobile gunner station. In one practicable embodiment, the mobile gunner station includes an automotive vehicle, a pivot, and a pod. The automotive vehicle has a fore-aft axis and a seat on board for accommodating a driver. The pivot is mounted on board the automotive vehicle. The pod is rotatably mounted on the pivot for accommodating a gunner.
Furthermore, it is believed that various other embodiments of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art when the detailed description of the best mode(s) contemplated for practicing the present invention, as set forth hereinbelow, is reviewed in conjunction with the appended claims and the accompanying drawing figures.
The present invention is described hereinbelow, by way of example, with reference to the following drawing figures.
To facilitate a proper understanding of the present invention, a list of parts and features highlighted with alphanumeric designations in
The present invention generally relates to a military vehicle whereon it is desired to station both a soldier gunner and a soldier driver. Onboard the vehicle, the gunner is preferably able to position himself for firing in various different directions relative to the forward movement of the vehicle while, at the same time, protecting both himself and the driver from enemy fire that may come from directions other than those which the gunner and driver are firing or looking.
Although more conventionally steered automotive vehicles may alternatively be incorporated in a mobile gunner station pursuant to the present invention, the automotive vehicle 12 included in the mobile gunner station 10 of
To help minimize centrifugal forces and thereby facilitate overall balance and stability, both the driver seat 26 and the pod-mounting pivot 18 are preferably located proximate to the turning center of rotation 38 of the automotive vehicle 12, as best shown in
To help protect both the gunner 24 and driver 16 during operation and use of the mobile gunner station 10 during a military conflict, the pod 22 itself preferably includes one or more sections of shielding 28. Such shielding 28 is generally constructed from material that is substantially bulletproof or resistant to ballistics and weapons fire. Constructed as such, the pod 22 is thereby utile as a rotatable and adjustable shield structure that can generally be positioned about the automotive vehicle 12 as desired so as to help protect both the gunner 24 and driver 16 from enemy fire. In addition to protecting the gunner 24 and driver 16, the pod 22 also serves to help protect any weapons, ammunition, reserve gasoline tanks, radios, gear, supplies, water, or food rations that may be retained within a cargo hold in the driver's cockpit 50. To enable the gunner 24 to board the pod 22 and also get off the pod 22, one or more sections of the shielding 28 have means for being selectively pivoted between open and closed positions such as in, for example, the manner of a clamshell. Furthermore, the sections of shielding 28 are also preferably openable and closable while the gunner 24 is onboard the pod 22 so as to permit the gunner 24 to selectively fire in various different directions during conflict.
A rotatably mounted gunner pod pursuant to the present invention is generally able to carry, for example, weapon mounts, soldier gear, communications equipment, water, and ammunition and shield such while at the same time also protecting the gunner from enemy fire that may possibly originate from various different directions about the gunner. The rotatable soldier pod is generally centrally mounted on the automotive vehicle so that the soldier gunner can position himself near the rotational center of the vehicle, generally both above and behind the vehicle operator, and also rotate about the vehicle operator, thereby allowing independent weapons operation by both the soldier gunner and the soldier vehicle operator while both are located on the vehicle. In this way, both the gunner and operator are in positions of minimum rotational moment of inertia relative to the vehicle's spin-steer effects.
Such a configuration provides a pivoting system that carries ballistic shielding for the soldier gunner while also providing shielding effects for the vehicle operator from any enemy fire coming from a direction not faced by either the vehicle operator or the rotationally mounted soldier gunner in the rotatable pod. It is to be understood that activation of the variable positioning of the rotationally mounted soldier pod may be effected by a variety of methods and that such activation and direction of the soldier pod can be independent of the direction of vehicle travel and independent of the vehicle operator's operation of the vehicle. In addition, it is also to be understood that activation of the variable positioning of the rotationally mounted soldier pod may be effected by the soldier gunner so as to engage targets at the soldier gunner's discretion and that operation of the vehicle may be independent of the soldier gunner's direction. Furthermore, it is also to be understood that the soldier gunner may be the vehicle operator, or the vehicle may be operated by a remote operator, with remote weapons systems employed in the place of the normal operator position of the vehicle, and with such weapons being operated either by the soldier gunner from a position in the soldier pod, or by a remote operator.
In an alternative embodiment of a mobile gunner station pursuant to the present invention, the soldier gunner pod may be structurally adapted in order to provide the soldier gunner the opportunity to stand on a lower deck below the pod so that he is not positioned in the highest position within the pod, such a design thereby allowing a progressive step of entry to the pod and partial ballistics shielding when standing in this lower position with the soldier gunner's upper body generally within the pod.
In another possible embodiment, the vehicle carrying the soldier gunner pod might be adapted so as be driven via remote control operation without driving assistance being provided by the soldier gunner onboard the vehicle.
In another possible embodiment, the vehicle carrying the soldier gunner pod might be equipped with a remote weapons system that is installed in the soldier gunner pod and remotely operated.
In another possible embodiment, the vehicle may be structurally adapted so that the soldier gunner may drive the vehicle via controls in the pod and so that other guns on the vehicle may be remotely operated.
In another possible embodiment, the vehicle may be structurally adapted so that the soldier gunner may operate (i.e., drive) the vehicle and also man the primary weapons of the vehicle, generally shifting between prone and standing positions so as to provide enemies with only a small target in a given threat scenario.
In still other possible embodiments, the sections of shielding on the pod may alternatively be hinged together as one unit, hinged as multiple units, or be slidable. Furthermore, one or more sections of the shielding may even be removable so as to provide protective cover for the gunner or vehicle driver should one or both need to abandon the vehicle while under fire during conflict.
In general, a system for providing a shielded pod position for a soldier gunner on a vehicle so that the soldier gunner may vary the direction of his fire while also maintaining a consistent level of protection for the gunner and driver and while also maintaining access to onboard weapons, ammunition, radios, and like gear is provided herein. The soldier gunner pod is rotationally pivoted about an axis generally centrally located on the vehicle, thereby allowing the pod to pivot about the vehicle and the vehicle operator generally via the vehicle's center of balance and rotational center of inertia, and thereby also allowing the soldier gunner to engage fire in various different directions while not impeding the vehicle operator's line of sight or the operator's line of weapons fire. Such a soldier gunner pod also optionally works in concert with remote weapons systems, wherein the soldier gunner in the variably positioned pod may or may not be the driver of the vehicle.
While the present invention has been described in what are presently considered to be its most practical and preferred embodiments or implementations, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed hereinabove. On the contrary, the present invention is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the claims appended hereinbelow, which scope is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures as are permitted under the law.
The present invention claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/684,848, originally entitled “Rotating Rear Gunner Position and Shield on Vehicle,” which was filed on May 20, 2005.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60684848 | May 2005 | US |
