AU650021B2 - Thermal and visual camouflage - Google Patents

Description

0 OPI DATE 07/01/92 INTER: AOJP DATE 13/02/92 (51) International Patent Classification 5 F41H 3/02" APPLN- ID 80051 91 PCT NUMBER PCT/SE91/00432 ,N TREATY (PCT) Al (11) International Publication Number: WO 91/19950 (43) International Publication Date: 26 December 1991 (26.12.91) (21) International Application Number: (22) International Filing Date: Priority data: 9002115-5 14 June 1 PCT/SE91/00432 14 June 1991 (14.06.91) 990 (14.06.90) (81) Designated States: AT (European patent), AU, BE (European patent), CA, CH (European patent), DE (European patent), DK (European patent), ES (European patent), FI, FR (European patent), GB (European patent), GR (European patent), IT (European patent), JP, KR, LU (European patent), NL (European patent), NO, SE (European patent), US.

Published With international search report.

65002 (71) Applicant (for all designated States except US): BARRACU- DA TECHNOLOGIES AB [SE/SE]; Box 160, S-594 00 Gamleby (SE).

(72) Inventor; and Inventor/Applicant (for US only) WALLIN, Erik [SE/SE]; Ugglevagen 6, S-594 00 Gamleby (SE).

(74) Agents: KIERKEGAARD Lars-Olov et al.; H. Albihns Patentbyra AB, Box 3137, S-103 62 Stockholm (SE).

(54) Title: THERMAL AND VISUAL CAMOUFLAGE (57) Abstract The invention relates to means for providing thermal camouflage of irregular emission pattern as a supplement to camouflage within the visual and near infrared region. According to the invention, this camouflage means comprises a supplementary set of material pieces (12) of desired configuration which are intended to be fastened in a desired pattern onto existing masking material for example a net. The emission coefficient of the material pieces (12) differs .ubstantially from the emission coefficient of the masking material preferably by a difference of at least about 0.3. The invention also r-lates to masking nrr erial on which such -;aterial pieces are. ;ached.

1 (amended) 9. 0S, 92 THERMAL AND VISUAL CAMOUFLAGE The present invention relates to means for creating thermal camouflage of irregular emission pattern as a supplement to camouflage within the visual and near infra-red region of the spectrum.

One object of the invention is to provide simple camouflaging means which in addition to possessing good camouflage properties within the visual and near infra-red region will also provide satisfactory thermal camouflage protection, i.e. will have the ability to hide heatradiating objects from discovery by thermocameras, or at least make such discovery difficult.

129 744 discloses a masking material which consists of a basic net framework and camouflage patches of desired configuration and emission coefficient attached thereto. Thus, this masking material consists of a net structure to which masking garnishing in form of patches are factory-attached, thereby to obtain camouflage within the visual and near infra-red region. This publication does not teach that such a masking material could be completed with further patches of desired configuration which have an emission coefficient which differs substantially, by at least about 0.3, from that of the masking material, and which are adapted to be attached in any desired pattern onto the existing masking material, that is onto the camouflage patches already factoryattached to the net structure.

SE-B-444 979 relates to a thermal camouflage in form of a thermally completely covering cloth having a low emission coefficient of approximately 0.6 to be placed over a warm portion of an object. Then, all this is covered with ZA zN conventional VIS/NIR camouflage net.

SUBSTITUTE

SHEKT

n nc nn la (amended) This object is achieved in accordance with the present invention in that said means consist of a supplementary kit which comprises material pieces of arbitrary configuration intended for attachment in any desired pattern to existing masking material, such as a net, tarpaulin, covers and the like, said material pieces having an emission coefficient which differs from that of the masking material by at least about 0.3. By dividing an existing masking material, which may consist of a net framework having attached thereto so-called garnishing material made, for instance, from leaf-cut, softened PVCfoil or the like having a high emission coefficient of 0.90 or higher for instance, into an irregular emission pattern, by attaching material pieces of low-emissivity over the highly emissive garnishing material, it is possible to achieve with the inventive camouflaging means effective masking of the radiation-emitting object within the visual, near infra-red and thermal region of the i WO 91/19950 PCT/SE91/00432 2 radiation spectrum. This enables an existing camouflage net to be complemented, simply and inexpensively, in a manner to render discovery of the camouflaged object impossible, or to render such disclosure difficult, within the visual, near infra-red and thermal region with the use of thermocameras.

The material pieces are preferably in the form of laminates which comprise at least one internal, lowlyemissive metal layer, for instance an aluminium layer, whose outer surfaces exhibit a pigmented masking layer which is transparent to radiation within the thermal region, for instance polyethylene. The laminates may also include a reinforcing layer, so as to impart the requisite mechanical strength to said laminate.

The material pieces preferably have an irregular con- 2 figuration and an area of about 1-2 m The material pieces are fastened onto existing masking or camouflage material, for instance a net, in a desired irregular pattern, with the aid of appropriate fasteners or by gluing or welding. In a manner conventional with masking-net garnishing material, the material pieces may be provided with so-called leaf-cuts or eyelid cuts, so as to give the material pieces a three dimensional, irregular pattern.

In order to obtain with the masking material an appropriate, thermally irregular pattern, the total area of the material pieces will preferably be about 30-40% of the total area of the masking material.

The invention also relates to masking material for camouflaging objects against detection within the Nvo 91/0950o PCT/SE91/00432 3 visual, near infra-red and thermal reg'o', wherein a material body which includes visual and near infra-red camouflaging garnishing material is augmented with a plurality of material pieces which are attached in a desired pattern on the material body and which have any desired configuration and an emission coefficient which differs by at least about 0.3 from the emission coefficient of the remainder of the masking material. The masking material may comprise a net, a cloth, a tarpaulin, a cover or the like.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates schematically a masking net onto which a plurality of materiF1 pieces have been attached for the purpose of mas.ing objects against thermal radiation.

Shown in the drawing is a masking net 10 which comprises a net framework, not shown in detail, on which conventional masking garnishing is attached to provide camouflage within the visual and near infra-red region.

This garnishing may consist of pieces of fabric, strips or pieces of camouflage-pigmented foil material, for example PVC, having a relatively high emission coefficients E >0.90.

In order to augment such conventional masking nets with camouflage which can also be used to camouflage within the thermal spectral region in order to render difficult or impossible the discovery of heat-emitting objects covered by the net by means of thermovision cameras, it is proposed in accordance with the present invention that the existing masking net 10 is complemented with a set of material pieces 12 whose emission coefficient differs fron the emission coeffi- WO 91/19950 PCT/SE91/00432 4 cient of the net. This difference in emission coefficient could preferably be greater than about 0.3, so as to create an irregular, camouflaging emission pattern.

The material pieces 12 suitably consist of a laminate of one or more metal layers, a stiffening reinforcement and an outermost thermally transparent layer which exhibits a dull camouflage colour. The material pieces will preferably have an emission coefficient e of about 0.4-0.6.

The material pieces 12 have any desired and varying configuration and are attached to the net 10 by means of appropriate fasteners 14, in the pattern desired. In the illustrated embodiment, six material pieces 12 are fastened to the net 10 by means of a plurality of clamps 14, such that the material pieces 12 will cover an area equal to about 30-40% of the net area, so as to provide an appropriate masking effect against thermal radiation. Each material piece will preferably have an 2 area of from 1-2 m.

The material pieces may be leaf-cut and/or eyelid cut in a conventional manner, such as to obtain a three dimensionally irregular pattern of said material pieces.

Claims (5)

1. Means for supplementing camouflage within the visual and near infra-red range with thermal camouflage having an irregular emission pattern, characterized in that said means comprises a supplementary set of material pieces (12) of any configuration which are intended for attachment in patterned arrangement to existing masking material (10) such as a net, cloth, tarpaulin, cover or the like, and in that the material pieces (12) have an emission coefficient which is at least 0.3 lower than that of the masking material.

2. Means according to Claim 1, characterized in tha the material pieces (12) have the form of a laminate which comprises at least one internal lowly-emissive metal layer and an outermost camouflage pigmented layer which is thermally transparent.

3. Means according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the material pieces (12) are provided with so-called leaf-cuts and/or eyelid cuts so as to obtain a three-dimensionally irregular pattern of material pieces.

4. Means according to any one of Claims 1 3, characterized in that the total area of the material pieces (12) is preferably equal to about 30-40% of the area of the masking material

5. Masking material, such as netting, cloth, tarpaulins, covers or the like constructed to camouflage within the visual, near infra-red and thermal region, comprising a material body provided with garnishing material which camouflages within the visual and infra-red region, characterized in that said material is provided with a plurality of material pieces (12) of any configuration which are attached to said material body in a patterned arrangement, said material pieces (12) having an emission coefficient which is at least 0.3 lower than that of the remainder of the masking material, such as to provide an irregular emission pattern and therewith also a masking material which exhibits 6 good thermal masking properties. Dated this 30th day of March, 1994 BARRACUDA TECHNOLOGIES AB WATERMARK PATENT TRADEMARK ATTORNEYS THE ATRIUM, 290 BURWOOD ROAD HAWTHORN VIC 3122 9 0 4 4 4 6 o *ee o 0 o 0 04 0 0