Patent Application
20190017785
The present invention relates generally to camouflage fabrics and implementations thereof, and particularly to layered fabrics having multi-spectral camouflage capabilities.
The use of camouflage is a known technique for decreasing visibility of a person or object, e.g., in a daytime setting. At the same time, dark or nighttime settings have their own advantage in combat, such as providing stealth capabilities. Accordingly, significant efforts have been devoted to developing technologies that enable or improve visibility in the dark. For example, thermal imaging is a recognized technology for improving visibility in the dark. Thermal imaging systems generally assume that the variation in temperature between observed objects (e.g., both personnel and equipment) and their background will generate a correlated variation in emitted electromagnetic waves, provided that such electromagnetic waves are observed at an appropriate spectral range. Accordingly, such thermal imaging systems have impacted the stealth advantages of dark or nighttime settings.
Known camouflage technologies have not resolved the need for dynamic camouflaging, e.g., in daytime and nighttime conditions. Traditionally, camouflage fabrics have been colored and textured so as to make it difficult to visually distinguish the fabric from its surroundings (visual camouflaging, e.g., for daytime conditions). With the increasing importance of thermal and radar imaging in the battlefield, some camouflage fabrics are now designed to suppress infrared and/or microwave radiation, as well.
For example, U.S. Patent Application Publication 2010/0112316 describes a visual camouflage system that includes a vinyl layer having a camouflage pattern on its front surface with a site-specific camouflage pattern. A laminate layer is secured over the front surface of the vinyl layer, coating the camouflage pattern to provide protection to the camouflage pattern and strengthen the vinyl layer. One or more nanomaterials are disposed on the vinyl layer, the camouflage pattern, or the laminate to provide thermal and/or radar suppression.
As another example, U.S. Pat. 7,148,161 describes a thermal camouflage tarpaulin for hiding heat sources against detection in a thermal image. The tarpaulin comprises a base textile composed of a knitted or woven glass fabric on the side that is remote from the heat source with a compound whose reflectance values are in the region of a visual camouflage and/or in the infrared region. The base textile is provided with a free-standing polyester film to which a vapor-deposited coating that reflects thermal radiation has been applied on the side facing the heat source.
As a further example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,244,684 describes a thermal camouflage sheet for covering heat sources against identification in a thermal image. The sheet has a base textile with a glass filament, with a coating that contains aluminum powder on one side and a coating that contains color pigments on the other side. The remission values of the color pigments are in a range that allows camouflaging in the visual-optical and near infrared.
Prior art solutions for camouflage fabrics have not resolved the need for an approach to perform the above functions with accuracy, efficiency, or that has cross-applicability to many various implementations. Therefore, there is a need for systems and methods that address one or more of the deficiencies described above.
In light of the foregoing background, the following presents a simplified summary of the present disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is not intended to identify key or critical elements of the invention or to delineate the scope of the invention. The following summary merely presents some concepts of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description provided below.
Embodiments of the present invention that are described hereinbelow provide multispectral, multipurpose camouflage materials that can be used in a wide range of different ambient conditions.
There is therefore provided, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a fabric, including a first flexible fabric layer, having fabric emissivity properties in a visible radiation range that are selected so as to mimic ambient emissivity properties of a deployment environment of the fabric. At least one second flexible fabric layer is joined to the first flexible fabric layer, and is configured to scatter long-wave radiation that is incident on the fabric. The first and second flexible fabric layers are perforated by a non-uniform pattern of perforations extending over at least a part of the fabric.
Typically, the long-wave radiation scattered by the at least one second flexible fabric layer includes infrared thermal radiation and/or microwave radiation.
The perforations may have multiple different sizes and shapes, such as triangular or quadrilateral forms.
In disclosed embodiments, the at least one second flexible fabric layer includes microballoons, a metallic coating, and/or a conductive net.
There is also provided, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a camouflage garment, including a fabric in accordance with any of the preceding claims, wherein the fabric is cut and sewn so as to be worn over the body of an ambulatory human subject.
The fabric may be cut and sewn so as to provide a first configuration that camouflages the subject in a daytime environment and, when the garment is turned inside-out, a second configuration that camouflages the subject in a nighttime environment.
There is additionally provided, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a method for producing a fabric, which includes providing a first flexible fabric layer, having fabric emissivity properties in a visible radiation range that are selected so as to mimic ambient emissivity properties of a deployment environment of the fabric. At least one second flexible fabric layer, which is configured to scatter long-wave radiation that is incident on the fabric, is joined to the first flexible fabric layer. The first and second flexible fabric layers are perforated with a non-uniform pattern of perforations extending over at least a part of the fabric.
The present invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of the embodiments thereof, taken together with the drawings.
The present invention is illustrated by way of example and is not limited in the accompanying figures in which like reference numerals indicate similar elements and in which:
Camouflage fabrics are used in producing military uniforms that reduce the daytime visibility of the wearer, but wearable camouflage against detection by long-wave sensors (thermal infrared or microwave radar) has yet to be widely deployed. Thermal and radar camouflage materials that are known in the art tend to be too heavy for use by ambulatory foot soldiers and do not allow sufficient ventilation or heat exchange to maintain a reasonable level of comfort. They are thus not practical for operational use. Moreover keys aspects of thermal imaging systems, as described hereinbelow, present additional challenges for effective thermal camouflaging.
I. Thermal Imaging Considerations
Electromagnetic radiation emitted by objects may be measured by spectral or radiant emittance, per unit surface area, which varies in accordance with the object's temperature and emissivity. Thermal imaging systems may be configured to measure such emittance in order to provide a form of night vision. In particular, assuming that the temperature and emissivity of a target object differs from that of its background, the object will be visible when observed at a particular spectral range based on the contrast between the emittance of the target object and its background. For example, thermal imaging systems may be designed to operate in spectral bandwidths that coincide with “atmospheric windows” in the range of 3-5 micrometers or 8-12 micrometers.
In order to quantify the performance of such thermal imaging systems, an observed target and its background may each be assumed to be an ideal black body, which is an idealized physical body that absorbs all incident electromagnetic radiation, regardless of frequency or angle of incidence. A black body may also be defined as a Lambertian light source (i.e., emitting only diffused light) at a temperature T, with unit emissivity (i.e., ϵ=1). Thus, the spectral radiant emittance for a black body in the wavelength range of [λ, λ+dλ] is expressed by Plank's law of radiation and is given by
dλ, which may be provided in units of
and where c1 and c2 are constants given by
and c2=1.4388·104 [μm·K]. In general, the spectral/radiant emittance of objects with emissivity ϵ≠1 is given by Φλ(λ, T)·dλ=Wλ·ϵ·dλ, which may be provided in units of
is the spectral radiant emittance in the spectral range [λ, λ+dλ] from a Lambertian source at a temperature T, and emissivity ϵ. While black bodies may be defined with emissivity ϵ=1, “gray” bodies may be defined with emissivity 0<ϵ<1, and for colored bodies with spectral emissivity may be defined with emissivity 0<ϵ(λ)<1.
Certain thermal imaging systems may measure the distribution of the spectral emittance in a setting, integrated over the spectral range to which the system is sensitive. The performance of such systems may be quantified by a figure of merit referred to as the “Noise Equivalent Temperature Difference” (NETD). More particularly, NETD is a measure for how well a thermal imaging system is able to distinguish between small differences in thermal radiation in an image, and is sometimes referred to as “thermal contrast.” When the noise is equivalent to the smallest measurable temperature difference, the system has reached its limit of its ability to resolve a useful thermal signal. In other words, the NETD expresses a minimal (or an averaged minimal) temperature difference between a target object and a background under the assumption that the target object and the background are ideal black bodies, and the signal to noise ratio required for detection is 1. As such, the NETD provides a performance measure for thermal imaging systems in terms of the net minimal temperature contrast between the target and the background.
The methodology for extracting the NETD for a given system, both theoretical and experimental, focuses on the parameters of that system (e.g., the spectral response and noise of each single detector in the detector array, f-number and transmissivity of the camera lens, and the integration time per detector in the detector array), and is detached from the emissivity and the deviation from net Lambertian behavior of both the target and its background. In other words, the NETD ignores issues related to differences in emissivity between the target and the background, or differences in the specular reflection from the target and the background. Thus, the NETD provides a general quantitative tool for comparing thermal imaging systems, independent of the settings in which such systems operate.
As the NETD is widely used, there is a need for thermal camouflage fabric that minimizes the probability of detection as quantified by the NETD. However, there is a large variability of the background emissivity between different geographical arenas, and under different weather conditions. Moreover, by nature of the fact that a target may often effectively be a heat engine that differs in temperature from its environment, use of thermal camouflage fabric between the target and its environment may affect the heat exchange, and hence the heat balance, between the target and its environment. This, in turn, affects the thermal spectral signature of the thermal camouflage fabric itself. In addition, as described, the NETD ignores the effect of differences in the specular reflection between the target and its background and affects the probability of detection of the target.
II. The Fabric Structure
Embodiments of the present invention that are described hereinbelow address these problems, for example, by providing a multispectral camouflage fabric that may be sufficiently light and ventilated to be used in suits or other garment pieces for ambulatory human subjects. The fabric may also be suitable, however, for covering animals, vehicles, boats, aircraft and stationary objects. The fabric may comprise one fabric layer having emissivity properties in the visible radiation range that are selected so as to mimic ambient emissivity properties of the deployment environment of the fabric, thus providing visual camouflage. One or more additional flexible fabric layers may be configured to scatter long-wave radiation that is incident on the fabric and thus provide infrared and/or microwave camouflage. These one or more additional fabric layers may be joined to the visual fabric layer.
The fabric layers may be perforated by a non-uniform pattern of perforations extending over part or all of the fabric. These perforations may have multiple different sizes and shapes, such as different triangular or quadrilateral forms. Such non-uniform perforations may provide ventilation to the inside of the fabric, reduce the fabric weight, and/or blur long-wave radiation returned by the fabric to thermal and radar imaging devices. These features may be valuable across many various camouflage applications, and may be particularly useful when the fabric is cut and sewn to be worn over the human body as a camouflage garment, such as a full-body camouflage suit.
In accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure, thermal camouflage fabrics may be designed to minimize the spectral emittance contrast between a target and background in various environments, and therefore to cause the target to effectively blend with the background, rather than block the radiation emitted by the target. Exemplary thermal camouflage fabrics, when covering a target, may reduce the difference in radiant emittance of infrared (IR) radiation measured by a thermal imaging system between the target and the background due to differences in respective temperatures. These thermal camouflage fabrics may also alter the emissivity of the target to be more similar to the emissivity of the background, in both the visible and IR spectral ranges. Providing ventilation in the thermal camouflage fabrics may control the heat exchange between the target and the environment. Specular reflection properties of the thermal camouflage fabric may be adapted to minimize or reduce the difference in the specular reflection between the target and the background. Further modifications to the thermal camouflage technology may be provided to address human engineering factors, such as fabric weight, mobility, and/or flexibility, e.g., in operating various tools, weapons, and electronic equipment. Flexibility of the thermal camouflage fabric may be provided during portions of the fabrication process to enable fine-tuning of the relative performance of the different components of the fabric. Moreover, the fabrication process may be configured for a fast product turn out, and/or for the production of custom products adapted for different terrain and weather scenarios. Such thermal camouflage technology may include a number of elements as described herein to accomplish these functional and operational features.
In accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure, thermal camouflage fabrics may provide the above described features implemented in a multi-component, single layer fabric. The various components of the thermal camouflage fabric may each contribute various properties as described above for improved thermal and visual camouflaging. The process of constructing such fabrics may include a multi-stage process flow. The composition and detail of each of the components, and the control of the parameters of each stage in the fabrication process, may result in the production of a fabric with enhanced or optimal performance for different terrain and weather scenarios.
Now referring to
While
The fabric 10 may then be cut into pieces of predefined shapes and sewed together to form a thermal camouflage suit designed for covering specific objects (e.g., personnel and/or equipment). Moreover, the layering and configuration of fabric 10 may be designed based on a particular use and/or environment for the fabric. For example, fabric 10 may be provided with a printed layer 16 on one side with a suitable pattern for use in a first type of environment, e.g., daytime, and a printed layer 16 on the other side with a suitable pattern for use in a second type of environment, e.g., nighttime. Additionally, while
Now referring to
An underlying layer 34 containing glass microballoons may be laminated to layer 32 using a spun web 40 of polyurethane fibers. The microballoons, whose sizes are in the range of 50-500 μm, scatter radiation, particularly infrared radiation, and thereby are capable of blurring thermal signature of the wearer. Alternatively or additionally, some or all of the microballoons may be coated with metal to improve their microwave-scattering properties and thereby blur the radar signature of the wearer. Although microballoons are typically round, some or all of the microballoons in layer 34 may be prismatic in shape. In alternative embodiments, microballoons may be located between other layers of the fabric or may be coated over the outer fabric surface.
A reflective layer 36 may be fixed to the underside of layer 34, to provide specular scattering of infrared and/or microwave radiation. Layer 36 may comprise, for example, a polyester weave coated with a metallic coating, such as titanium and/or aluminum or aluminum mixed with titanium oxide, gold, nickel and their alloys and/or oxides. The weave may alternatively be made using fibers containing suitable metals, in which case an additional layer of reflective lamination is not needed. The polyester may conveniently be a ripstop, water-repellant material.
For nighttime camouflage, an alternative outer layer 38 may be printed with a suitable pattern (also in low-emissivity pigment) and laminated to layer 36 by another polyurethane spun web 42. Layer 38, may comprise, for example, a 40-denier ripstop nylon, which is water-repellant and air-permeable, produced and coated using a suitable nano-process, which gives superior results to conventional water-repellant treatments using larger particles.
Multiple perforations 44 are cut through the layers of fabric 30. Typically, the perforations are in the range of 2-3 mm wide and are spaced 7-25 mm apart. The perforations may be of different shapes and sizes, as described hereinbelow. The sizes and spacing of the perforations may be selected so as to give sufficient ventilation while maintaining durability and strength of the fabric.
The overall thickness of fabric 30, based on the above sequence of layers, may be approximately 0.20-0.40 mm and the weight may be roughly 150-250 grams/m2. A suit made from this fabric, as will be described herein, for example, may weigh about 800-1250 grams.
Now referring to
As noted, perforations 44 may be useful in providing ventilation and to prevent overheating inside the fabric when being worn, and the non-uniformity of the perforations mat help to blur the thermal and/or radar signature of the wearer. For good ventilation in warm weather conditions, the perforations may be supplemented by vents in the sewn fabric. Typically, an air flow rate of 1-3 cubic feet per minute (CFM) at a pressure of 20-30 Pascal is desirable.
Now referring to
Single strands of coated threads 510 and/or uncoated threads 520 may be combined to form yarns to be woven into the thermal camouflage fabrics described herein.
Now referring to
Ventilation perforations (not shown) may be provided at various portions over the surface area of fabric 600, and may extend partially or completely through the thickness of the fabric 600. More particularly, in certain examples, fabric 600, by its design, may provide built-in perforations via the dimensions of the thread bundling that make up fabric 600. Gaps between the thread bundling may thus act as small perforations through fabric 600. Fabric 600 being designed with such built-in ventilation may significantly reduce the number of regular perforations (e.g., perforations 44 as illustrated in
Processes for constructing such thermal camouflage fabric constructions may be provided in one or more stages of a fabrication process flow as described herein. Performance of heterogeneous solid/air structures such as textiles may be dependent on the micro and macro geometry of the structure as well the chemical characteristics of the material from which they are made. Geometric, mechanical and chemical characteristics of the fabric may be the result of the choice of polymers, fibers and/or the assembly of fibers into yarns and yarns into fabric in the creation of the fabric. In addition, fibers, yarns, and fabrics may undergo many chemical and physical finishing processes which create further variations in their technical performance.
The absorption of chemicals by the fabric may also be dependent on the structure or geometry of the fabric. Capillarity, porosity, surface tension, hydrophilicity, hairiness, fiber mass per unit area, and the like may influence additive uptake rate, saturation, uniformity, durability and distribution. Fabrics may be considered as hierarchical structures that include a range of polymers, fibers, yarns, fabrics, and/or finished products. These are detailed below with respect to performance criteria of various structures.
Regarding polymer/fiber materials, advantageous fiber forming polymer types include polyester, polyamide, man-made cellulosic, polylactic acid, vegetal cellulosics such as cotton and flax, acrylics such as polyacrylonitrile, protein fibers such as wool and silk, polyolefin fibers such as polypropylene and polyethylene, polyurethane fibers such as elastane, and mixtures thereof. A degree of polymerization of such polymers may preferably be above 500. These polymers may have a melting or decomposition temperature from about 80° C. to about 350° C. In some example, a preferred melting or decomposition temperate may be above 120° C.
In certain examples, useful fiber/polymer morphology may be defined by a degree of crystallinity greater than 70% and a degree of orientation greater than 50%. A glass transition temperature (Tg) may preferably be between about 40° C. and about than 130° C. Thermal shrinkage may preferably be below 20%. Fiber specific strength (tenacity) may be above 5 grams per denier (GPD). Elastic elongation may be between about 5% and about 25%. However, in some examples implementing elastomeric fibers such as elastane, elongation may be up to about 400%. Fiber count or fineness may be between about 0.5 decitex and below 50 decitex. A cross-sectional shape of a fiber may be round, oval, multi-lobal, kidney, segmented, hollow, multicomponent or grooved. A length of the fiber about 5 millimeters to continuous filament, and a fiber crimp range may be in a range from 0 to 10 crimps per centimeter. Fibers may contain no delusterant such as titanium dioxide (bright), some delusterant (semi-dull), or a large amount of delusterant (dull).
Regarding yarn-specific parameters, a yarn count (thickness) range may be about 10 to 10,000 decitex. A continuous multifilament yarn may have about 2 to 1000 filaments in the cross section, and may be flat, textured, air entangled or crimped. A twist level or direction range of the yarn may range from about 0.5 to 50 turns per inch (TPI), in an S or Z twist direction. Yarn plying range may be about 0.5 to 50 turns per meter (TPM), with 2 to 9 plies.
Regarding fabric-specific parameters, a fabric structure may be woven knit, warp knit, or nonwoven. Fabrics may be composed of yarns having a per unit length and width range of about 20 to 700 yarns per square inch (YPI). A type and uniformity of the interlacing of the fabric may be knit, composed of non-isotropic, convoluted yarn resulting in a thick, stiff, deformable, non-draping structure, or woven, resulting in a semi isotropic, straight, thin structure with good drape, or nonwoven having an isotropic, fibrous nature. A tightness of the fabric interlacing may affect a fabric cover factor, which may range from about 1 to 50%. Fabric thickness may range from about 0.1 to 10 millimeters. A fabric weight per unit area may range from about 15 to 1,200 grams per square meters (GSM). For pile fabrics, pile heights may range from about 0.1 to 5 millimeters. A fabric tear strength may preferably be above 1 kilogram using a falling pendulum (Elmendorf) apparatus.
Preferably, the construction of the fabric may be comprised of a woven fabric made of at least two types of continuous multifilament yarn woven together to form the fabric. In some examples, each type of multifilament yarn may be made from a different synthetic polymer, e.g., one being a polyester, such as polyethylene terephthalate and the other one being a polyamide, such as nylon 6.6.
The yarns comprising the fabric may be woven together in a 1×2, 1×3, 1×4 or 1×5 double faced twill weave with apertures or covered area of predefined sizes. The apertures may contribute significantly to the ventilation capability of the fabric. The size of the apertures may be determined by setting the picks per inch (PPI) and yarn density of the warp during the weaving and the heat setting step. Fabric loom thread count may range from 80×220 to 220×80. In some examples, polyester multifilament yarns may be interlaced between nylon multifilament yarns, forming an orthogonal superstructure which gives the fabric enhanced strength, endurance, and light weight. The ratio of polyester to nylon yarns may range from 1:1 to 1:10. Fabric weight may range from 100 to 140 GSM.
In some examples, the fabric may be constructed as a stretch woven fabric made of three types of continuous multifilament yarns that are woven together. Each type of multifilament yarns may be made from a different synthetic polymer. For example, one yarn may be polyester, such as polyethylene terephthalate, another yarn may be polyamide, such as nylon 6.6, and the other yarn may be spandex. The various yarns may be woven together in a double weave with apertures or covered areas of predefined sizes as described herein. The apertures may contribute significantly to the ventilation capability of the fabric. The size of the apertures may be determined by setting the picks per inch (PPI) and yarn density of the warp during the weaving and the heat setting step. Fabric loom thread count may range from 100×300 to 300×100. In some examples, polyester multifilament yarns may be interlaced sparsely between nylon multifilament yarns, forming an orthogonal superstructure to give the fabric enhanced strength, endurance and light weight. The ratio of nylon to polyester to spandex yarns may ranges from 1:1:1 to 8:2:0.5. Fabric weight may range from 120 to 150 GSM.
In certain examples, the fabric construction may include a ripstop woven fabric made of nylon 6.6 continuous multifilament yarns that are woven together. The yarns may be woven together in a ripstop weave with apertures or covered areas of predefined sizes in the above-described ranges. The apertures may contribute significantly to the ventilation capability of the fabric. The size of the apertures may be determined by setting the picks per inch (PPI) and yarn density of the warp during the weaving and the heat setting step. Fabric loom thread count may range from 100×100 to 200×200. The fabric weight may range from 30 to 40 GSM.
In other examples, the fabric construction may include a warp knit tricot fabric made of nylon 6.6 yarns that are knit together to form the fabric. The yarns may be knit on a two to four bar tricot warp knitting machine with apertures or covered areas of predefined sizes in the ranges discussed herein. The apertures may contribute significantly to the ventilation capability of the fabric. The size of the apertures may be determined by setting the yarn density in each bar and yarn density of the warp as well as the heat setting conditions. Warp density may range from 800 to 1,200 ends. Each bar may be threaded with 300 to 700 ends. The fabric weight may range from 80 to 120 GSM.
In some examples, the thermal camouflage construction may include a weft knit single jersey fabric made of three types of yarns that are woven together to form the fabric. Each type of multifilament yarn may be made from a different synthetic polymer. For example, one yarn may be modacrylic, one yarn may be viscose, and the other yarn may be an antistatic fiber. These yarns may be woven or knit together to form the fabric. In some examples, the yarns may be knit on a weft knitting machine with apertures or covered areas of predefined sizes as described herein. The apertures may contribute significantly to the ventilation capability of the fabric. The size of the apertures may be determined by setting knitting parameters for course and wale density as well as the heat setting conditions. The fabric weight may range from about 160 to 220.
A variety of other material combinations may be implemented into the thermal camouflage construction without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
Table 1 below lists typical materials that can be used in these structures, while Tables A-J show examples of layer structures that can be composed from these materials.
The above embodiments are shown here only by way of example, and alternative layer structures, which will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this specification, are also considered to be within the scope of the present invention.
III. Fabric Construction Processes
In order to achieve the various thermal camouflaging properties described herein, a multispectral thermal camouflage fabric may be implemented in a single fabric construction in accordance with various processes described herein.
The fabric construction is then coated with a thin metallic coating, e.g., a silver coating, during metallizing step 740. The metallizing step 740 may include an auto-catalytic, electro-less processes, such as those known in the industry. The metallizing step 740 may allow for control of a thickness and a granularity of the metallic coating, which each affect the ratio between specular reflection and the diffusing reflection properties of the fabric. After the metallizing step 740, the fabric construction weight may, in some examples range from 150 to 200 GSM, or in other examples, may range from 160 to 240 GSM. The metallizing process may produce a fabric construction that is able to reduce the difference in radiant emittance of IR radiation, as emitted to a thermal imaging system, between the target and the background due to difference in the respective temperatures of the target and the background.
Next, the fabric constructions goes through printing step 750, in which the metallized fabric construction is printed with a distribution of patterns of varying shapes, sizes, colors, and/or thicknesses. The printing step 750 may be performed using gravure, flexographic, screen, or digital methods. A pattern distribution may be selected based on matching or appearing similar to a specific terrain, or weather or time of day scenario. In certain examples, each side of the fabric construction may be printed with a different distribution of patterns such that the same piece of fabric construction may be used in multiple sets or terrain or weather scenarios. After the printing step 750, the fabric construction weight may, in some examples range from 180 to 260 GSM. Aspects of the printing step 750 may be customized so as to vary print layer thicknesses in conjunction with various fabric types, to vary reflection levels in conjunction with various fabric types and/or thermal background characteristics, and/or to provide visual camouflage to match a particular environmental background. The printing step 750 may be implemented via multiple layers of digitally printed patterns, printed one layer on top of another. Each layer of printing ink may contribute different patterns of color and/or different thicknesses. In some examples, there may be different pattern combinations associated with each fabric type. In some examples, various pattern distributions may be associated with a particular environmental background, e.g., woodland, desert, all weather, and the like. Accordingly, the printing process may produce a fabric construction that is able to adapt the emissivity of a target to be similar to the emissivity of the background. The weaving step 720, the calendering step 730, and/or the printing step 750 may produce a fabric construction that is able to adapt it specular reflection properties in order to minimize or reduce differences between the specular reflection of the target and the specular reflection of the background.
Finally, at cutting/sewing step 760, the fabric construction is cut and sewn into a shape suitable for a particular target object. The finished fabric may be cut and sewn to form a garment. The design of the garment may include ventilation openings, patches, loose panels (wavers), and/or wrinkles, as described herein. These, together with the colored pattern distribution via the printed layer, may give the garment the random emissivity to match the background emissivity in a particular environment.
IV. Implementations of the Fabrics
In certain examples, the fabric construction may be cut and sewn into suits or uniforms designed to be worn by a human being. For example,
In certain examples, the fabric construction may be cut and sewn into various other garment pieces designed to be worn by a human being, including but not limited to combat pants, such as combat pants 900 of
In certain examples, the fabric construction, may be cut and sewn into a multispectral signatory reduction vest cover 1200, as shown in
Still, in certain other examples, the fabric construction may be cut and sewn so as to cover non-living objects, e.g., vehicles, including but not limited to cars, trucks, other utility land vehicles, airplanes, boats, and the like. For example,
System 1300 may include a frame 1320 which supports cover 1310 thereon, when in the inflated position. For example, as shown in
In certain examples, frame 1320 may include retractable wheel spacers (not shown) in order to space the cover 1310 from the wheels of vehicle 1301 and allow full operation of the wheels when cover 1310 is deployed. Ventilation may be provided in the cover 1310, e.g., including ventilation to the engine areas. As described, cover 1310 may be composed the camouflage fabrics described herein, and therefore provide a multispectral visual, thermal, IR, acoustic, and radar signature reductions for the vehicle 1301 when deployed.
In certain examples, the cover 1310 and inflatable frame 1320 may be stored on a roof portion of vehicle 1301, when a camouflage cover is not needed. Inflatable frame 1320 may include a rigid tubular cage structure that, when deployed, encases the vehicle 1301. Frame 1320 may be connected to chassis of vehicle 1301 via straps with quick disconnect connectors. As the frame 1320 is deployed, cover 1310 may be simultaneously, or shortly thereafter, deployed so as to cover the frame 1320 over the vehicle 1301. Inflating or deploying cover 1310 and frame 1320 may be performed in a number of ways, including but not limited to an air tank, an electric blower, and a hand pump.
System 1300 provides a number of benefit in addition to multispectral camouflaging. For instance, cover 1310 may provide a shelter against weather element such as rain, snow, wind, or the sun. Moreover, such sheltering benefits also allow for the cover 1310 to be deployed in a number of environments and weather conditions. Cover 1310 and frame 1320 may also include hydrophobic materials that prevent water absorption and thus providing a waterproof covering. Additionally, the impact of any accumulated precipitation on the weight or aerodynamics of system 1300 will therefore be minimized Cover 1310 may include netted windows to provide operators of vehicle 1301 with a field of view and/or flap door opening to allow operators to exit the vehicle 1301 while cover 1310 is deployed. Because system 1300 does not impede on the interior area of the vehicle 1301, users inside the vehicle may still conduct other tasks while in the vehicle 1301 when cover 1310 is deployed, such as operating guns or other weapons. System 1300 may be configured to be operable independent of vehicle 1301 and there be configured to be easily mounted and dismounted to various vehicles or other suitable structures. System 1300 mat be packed and stored in a rooftop of vehicle 1301, or in a side pack (not pictured) on a side of vehicle. Cover 1310 may be adjustable, flexible, and be designed, when deployed, to have sufficient clearance from the ground and to allow access to equipment in the rear or side portions of vehicle, e.g., to access a spare tire.
Other systems similar to system 1300 may be implanted for various other stationary or non-stationary objects. For example, an inflatable boat cover, e.g., having an inflatable bow part, a robot or drone covering, and an inflatable tent shelter, e.g., to hide one or more persons, may be provided, in accordance with certain aspects of this disclosure.
Now referring to
A multispectral camouflage suit 1420, e.g., including the various component discussed herein, including but not limited to
It will be appreciated that the embodiments described above are cited by way of example, and that the present invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather, the scope of the present invention 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.
Aspects of the invention have been described in terms of illustrative embodiments thereof. Numerous other embodiments, modifications, and variations within the scope and spirit of the appended claims will occur to persons of ordinary skill in the art from a review of this disclosure. For example, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the steps illustrated in the illustrative figures may be performed in other than the recited order, and that one or more steps illustrated may be optional in accordance with aspects of the invention.
While preferred embodiments and example configurations of the invention have been herein illustrated, shown and described, it is to be appreciated that various changes, rearrangements and modifications may be made therein, without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims. It is intended that specific embodiments and configurations disclosed are illustrative of the preferred and best modes for practicing the invention, and should not be interpreted as limitations on the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims and it is to be appreciated that various changes, rearrangements and modifications may be made therein, without departing from the scope of the invention.
While the invention has been described with respect to specific examples including presently preferred modes of carrying out the invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerous variations, combinations, and permutations of the above described systems and methods. Those skilled in the art will understand that various specific features may be omitted and/or modified in without departing from the invention. Thus, the reader should understand that the spirit and scope of the invention should be construed broadly as set forth in the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 215717 | Oct 2011 | IL | national |
| 256666 | Dec 2017 | IL | national |
This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/350,084, filed on Apr. 7, 2014, which claims priority to PCT Application No. PCT/IB12/52142, filed on Apr. 29, 2012, which claims priority to Israeli Patent Application No. 215,707, filed on Oct. 11, 2011, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. This application also claims priority to Israeli Patent of Addition Application Number 256,666, filed on Dec. 31, 2017, which claims priority to Israeli Patent Application No. 215,707, filed on Oct. 11, 2011, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 14350084 | Apr 2014 | US |
| Child | 16025642 | US |
