Fake mine

Abstract

Dummy Mine The invention relates to a dummy mine (1) comprising a rigid upper face (2) one form of which corresponds to the form of an upper face of a real mine, characterized in that the dummy mine (1) further comprises: a foldable side wall (3a), integral with the rigid upper face (2); a lower wall (3b), integral with the foldable side wall (3a); and a closable opening (4) leading into a variable-volume interior space jointly defined by the rigid upper face (2), the foldable side wall (3a), and the lower wall (3b); the variable-volume interior space being configured to move the dummy mine (1) from a transport position, in which the interior space has a first volume, to a use position, in which the interior space has a second volume, larger than the first volume, and the dummy mine (1) has the shape of the real mine. Figure to be published: Figure 1

Description

Title of the invention: Dummy mine

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of mining, and more particularly to a dummy mine.

[0002] For the purposes of counter-mobility military strategies, it is common to create obstacles designed to stop, slow down, or divert the advance of enemy troops. It is also common to use mines, anti-vehicle and / or anti-personnel, to create such obstacles.

[0003] Due to their nature, real mines have certain disadvantages, including the complexity of transport and storage, for example related to the risk of accidental explosion, their weight and dimensions.

[0004] The present invention aims to provide a dummy mine, that is to say, a decoy, or deception device. The present invention can advantageously replace a real mine in an obstacle while maintaining the same deterrent effect.

[0005] Dummy mines already exist in the prior art. Documents CN217155173 U and WO2019186394 Al present examples of existing dummy mines. Existing dummy mines are intended, in particular, for mine clearance training or for civilian military simulation activities, for example, of the "airsoft" type.

[0006] However, existing dummy mines do not solve the transport and storage problems associated with real mines. Indeed, they do not save space and their weight remains significant.

[0007] Consequently, the prior art solutions proposed for dummy mines still have drawbacks and improvements are possible.

[0008] Thus, the present invention relates to a dummy mine comprising a rigid upper face, one form of which corresponds to a form of an upper face of a real mine, characterized in that the dummy mine further comprises: a foldable side wall, integral with the rigid upper face; a lower wall, integral with the foldable side wall; and a closable opening leading into an interior space of variable volume defined jointly by the rigid upper face, the foldable side wall and the lower wall; the interior space of variable volume being configured to move the dummy mine from a transport position, in which the interior space has a first volume, to a use position, in which the interior space has a second volume, greater than the first volume, and the dummy mine has the shape of the real mine.

[0009] The shape of the rigid upper face can, for example, correspond to the shape of the upper face of the HPD PM anti-tank mine in service with the French army or of another real mine, of the anti-tank or anti-personnel type, depending on the requirements.

[0010] The foldable side wall can be attached to the rigid upper face by various means, for example by screws, by gluing, by heat sealing, by riveting, by sewing or by complementary shapes, for example by sliding a rigid protrusion of the foldable side wall into a groove of the rigid upper face.

[0011] In the transport position, the folding side panel is folded. In the use position, the folding side panel is extended. Advantageously, the dummy mine is configured such that, in the transport position, folding the side panel allows the lower wall to be positioned against the rigid upper face. This configuration minimizes the volume required for transporting or storing the dummy mine.

[0012] For the purposes of the invention, "the dummy mine has the shape of the real mine" means that the dummy mine reproduces the dimensions, volume and proportions of the real mine chosen, for example the dimensions and proportions of the HPD PM anti-tank mine in the example mentioned above.

[0013] The present invention provides a dummy mine, that is to say a decoy, or deception material, to replace a real mine in an obstacle while retaining the same deterrent effect, without explosive materials making it dangerous to handle.

[0014] Furthermore, a dummy mine according to the invention has, in its transport position, a mass and volume less than that of a real mine. The dummy mine according to the invention therefore facilitates transport, particularly by airdrop, or storage. Moreover, for the same means of transport, i.e., with identical mass and volume, dummy mines according to the invention make it possible to create a larger obstacle, or more obstacles. Dummy mines according to the invention can be used in addition to real mines and / or as a replacement for real mines to create an obstacle.

[0015] According to a particular embodiment, the lower wall is formed by one of: a rigid lower plate; and an extension of the foldable side wall, such that the foldable side wall is in the form of a bag and the lower wall forms a bottom of the bag.

[0016] When the lower wall is formed by an extension of the foldable side wall, the dummy mine is very light and easy to transport or store. In this configuration, the lower wall can be formed as a single piece with the foldable side wall or be attached to the foldable side wall, for example by gluing, sewing, heat sealing, or a combination of these means.

[0017] When the lower wall is formed by a rigid lower plate, the lower wall is reinforced. In this configuration, the foldable side wall can, for example, be attached to the rigid lower plate forming the lower wall by the same means as those mentioned above to secure the foldable side wall to the rigid top face, i.e. by screws, by gluing, by heat sealing, by riveting, by sewing or by complementary shapes, for example by sliding a rigid protrusion of the foldable side wall into a groove of the rigid bottom plate forming the bottom wall.

[0018] According to a particular embodiment, the foldable side wall comprises at least one of a fabric, a polymer membrane, a net, and a plurality of hinged rigid plates.

[0019] When the folding side panel comprises a fabric, the fabric is advantageously impregnated with a polymer, particularly to improve the fabric's waterproofing and durability. The fabric may further comprise accordion pleats configured to facilitate folding the side panel back on itself. When the folding side panel comprises a plurality of rigid, hinged plates, these may, for example, replicate the structure of a collapsible transport case, such as plates hinged together.

[0020] According to a particular embodiment, the rigid upper face includes a lateral skirt extending around the periphery of the rigid upper face towards the lower wall.

[0021] The side skirt makes it possible to more faithfully imitate the upper periphery of the real mine, which makes it possible to improve the deterrent effect of the dummy mine, in particular when the dummy mine is buried in the ground, and makes it possible, in use, to increase the time required to identify the fact that the dummy mine is a decoy, or deception material.

[0022] According to a particular embodiment, the dummy mine further comprises a rigid back plate configured so that, in the position of use, it is attached to the rigid upper face so as to extend towards the lower wall, and so that, in the transport position, it is one of them separated from the rigid upper face and folded against the rigid upper face.

[0023] The rigid back plate preferably has the shape of the back face of the actual mine.

[0024] When the rigid back plate is configured to be separated from the rigid top face, the rigid back plate can be secured to the rigid top face by various means, for example by screws.

[0025] When the rigid back plate is configured to be folded against the rigid top face, the rigid back plate can be secured to the rigid top face by various means, for example by a hinge.

[0026] When the lower wall of the dummy mine is formed by a rigid lower plate, as mentioned in the variant above, the rigid rear plate is preferably also attached to the rigid lower plate forming the lower wall, so as to reinforce the assembly and stiffen the structure of the dummy mine. In In this configuration, the rigid back plate can be attached to the rigid bottom plate forming the lower wall by various means, for example, with screws. In other versions, the rigid back plate can be configured to fold against the rigid bottom plate forming the lower wall in the transport position. In this configuration, the rigid back plate can be attached to the rigid bottom plate forming the lower wall by various means, for example, with a hinge.

[0027] According to a particular embodiment, the rigid back plate carries a dummy arming device in the form of an arming device of the real mine, preferably a dummy arming device comprising a button, more preferably a rotary button configured to be operated by a user.

[0028] It will be understood that the use of a dummy weapon device makes it possible to imitate the real mine more faithfully.

[0029] According to a particular embodiment, the closable opening is formed by at least one of: an association of a through opening arranged in the rigid upper face and a cover configured to close the through opening; and a detachable connection between at least a portion of the foldable side wall and one of the rigid upper face and the lower wall.

[0030] The detachable connection can be obtained by various means, for example and not limited to a zipper, or zip fastener, by a hook and loop fastener, or Velcro® fastener, by snap fasteners, by screws, or by a combination thereof.

[0031] According to a particular embodiment, the closable opening is formed by an association of a through opening, arranged in the foldable side wall, and the rigid rear plate further configured to close the through opening in the position of use.

[0032] In this configuration, a detachable connection is preferably formed between the folding side panel and the rigid back plate. It will be understood that the detachable connection can be achieved by various means, for example by a zipper, a hook and loop fastener, or Velcro® fastener, snap fasteners, screws, complementary shapes for example by sliding a rigid protrusion of the folding side panel into a groove of the rigid back plate, or a combination thereof.

[0033] According to a particular embodiment, the interior space is configured so that, in the position of use, it is filled, through the closable opening, with at least one of earth, sand, mortar and water.

[0034] It will be understood that filling the interior space allows both to maintain the shape of the dummy mine in the position of use and to weight the dummy mine and give it a volume similar to that of the corresponding real mine.

[0035] According to a particular embodiment, the dummy mine is configured so that, once the internal space is filled in the position of use, it has the mass of the real mine.

[0036] According to a particular embodiment, the rigid upper face, where applicable the rigid rear plate, and where applicable the rigid lower plate forming the lower wall, is made of polymer, preferably polylactic acid, PLA.

[0037] The rigid upper face, the rigid back plate, and the rigid lower plate forming the bottom wall can, for example, have a thickness of 5 mm. Manufacturing can be carried out by various means, for example, by molding or 3D printing. According to less preferred variants, the rigid upper face and, where applicable, the rigid back plate and the rigid lower plate forming the bottom wall, can be made of another material, for example, another polymer or metal, for example, steel.

[0038] According to a particular embodiment, a metallic element is integrated into the rigid upper face, optionally the rigid rear plate, and optionally the rigid lower plate forming the lower wall.

[0039] Metallic elements can, for example, be embedded in the polymer during manufacturing or introduced into the internal volume of the dummy mine during its filling. These metallic elements make the dummy mine detectable by mine-clearing metal detectors.

[0040] According to a particular embodiment, the foldable side wall is secured to at least one of the rigid upper face and the lower wall by metallic fasteners, preferably screws or rivets.

[0041] The metallic fastening elements make the dummy mine detectable by demining metal detectors.

[0042] We will now describe a particular embodiment of the present invention, with reference to the attached drawings.

[0043] On these drawings:

[0044] [Fig-1] is a schematic rear perspective view of a dummy mine according to a embodiment of the invention, in the position of use.

[0045] [Fig.2] is a schematic top view of the dummy mine of [Fig.1].

[0046] [Fig.3] is a schematic front perspective view of the dummy mine of [Fig.1], in the position of use.

[0047] [Fig.4] is a schematic rear view of the mine of [Fig.1], in the position of use and buried in the ground.

[0048] [Fig.5] is a schematic side view of the dummy mine of [Fig.1], in an intermediate position between the transport position and the use position, the rigid back plate is separated.

[0049] [Fig.6] is a schematic front perspective view of the dummy mine of [Fig.1], in the transport position, the rigid back plate is separated.

[0050] [Fig.7] is a schematic front perspective view of a dummy mine according to a variant of the dummy mine of [Fig.1], in the position of use.

[0051] If we refer first of all to Figures 1 to 6, we can see that a dummy mine 1 is represented there according to an embodiment of the invention, comprising a rigid upper face 2, a foldable side wall 3a, a lower wall 3b, and a closable opening 4 leading into an interior space with variable volume.

[0052] One shape of the rigid upper face 2 corresponds to the shape of the upper face of an actual mine. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 6, the shape of the rigid upper face 2 corresponds to the shape of the upper face of the HPD PM anti-tank mine in service with the French army. According to variations, the shape of the rigid upper face 2 can correspond to the shape of the upper face of another actual mine, of the anti-tank or anti-personnel type, depending on the requirements.

[0053] According to the invention, the foldable side wall 3a is integral with the rigid upper face 2, and the lower wall 3b is integral with the foldable side wall 3a.

[0054] The closable opening 4 leads into the variable volume interior space, which is jointly defined by the rigid upper face 2, the foldable side wall 3a and the lower wall 3b.

[0055] The variable volume interior space is configured to move the dummy mine 1 from a transport position, in which the interior space has a first volume, to a use position, in which the interior space has a second volume, greater than the first volume, and the dummy mine 1 has the shape of the real mine.

[0056] For the purposes of the invention, "the dummy mine 1 has the shape of the real mine" means that the dummy mine 1 reproduces the dimensions, volume and proportions of the real mine chosen, for example the dimensions and proportions of the HPD PM anti-tank mine in the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 6.

[0057] In the transport position, the folding side panel 3a is folded. In the use position, the folding side panel 3a is extended. The transport position is shown in [Fig. 6], the use position is shown in Figures 1 to 4, and a transitional intermediate position is shown in [Fig. 5]. Advantageously, the dummy mine 1 is configured such that, in the transport position, folding the folding side panel 3a allows the lower panel 3b to be positioned against the rigid upper face 2. This configuration minimizes the volume required for transporting or storing the dummy mine 1.

[0058] In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 6, the rigid upper face 2 includes a lateral skirt 21 extending around the periphery of the rigid upper face 2 towards the lower wall 3b. The lateral skirt 21 makes it possible to more closely imitate the upper periphery of the real mine, which improves the deterrent effect of the dummy mine 1, particularly when the dummy mine is buried in the ground as shown in [Fig. 4], and, in use, increases the time required to identify that the dummy mine 1 is a decoy, or deception material.

[0059] The foldable side wall 3a can be secured to the rigid upper face 2 by various means, for example but not exclusively by screws, by gluing, by heat sealing, by riveting, by sewing or by complementary shapes, for example by sliding a rigid protrusion of the foldable side wall 3a into a groove of the rigid upper face 2.

[0060] In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 6, the foldable side panel 3a comprises a fabric, advantageously impregnated with a polymer, particularly to improve the fabric's impermeability and durability. The fabric may further comprise accordion pleats configured to facilitate folding the foldable side panel 3a upon itself. According to variations not shown, the foldable side panel 3a may be in other forms and may, for example, comprise a polymer membrane, a net, or a plurality of hinged rigid plates. When the foldable side panel 3a comprises a plurality of hinged rigid plates, these may, for example, replicate the structure of a collapsible transport case.

[0061] In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 6, the lower wall 3b is formed by an extension of the foldable side wall 3a, such that the foldable side wall 3a is in the form of a bag and the lower wall 3b forms the bottom of the bag. This configuration makes it possible, in particular, to obtain a very lightweight dummy lead 1 that is easy to transport or store. In this configuration, the lower wall 3b can be formed as a single piece with the foldable side wall 3a or be attached to the foldable side wall 3b, for example by gluing, sewing, heat sealing, or a combination of these means.

[0062] According to a variant shown in [Fig. 7], the lower wall 3b is formed by a rigid lower plate. This configuration makes it possible, in particular, to reinforce the lower wall 3b. In this configuration, the foldable side wall 3a can, for example, be attached to the rigid lower plate forming the lower wall 3b by the same means as those mentioned above for attaching the foldable side wall 3a to the rigid upper face 2, i.e. by screws, by gluing, by heat sealing, by riveting, by sewing or by complementary shapes, for example by sliding a rigid protrusion of the foldable side wall 3a into a groove of the rigid lower plate forming the lower wall 3b.

[0063] In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 6, the dummy mine 1 advantageously comprises a rigid back plate 5 having, preferably, the shape of the rear face of the actual mine, and configured so that, in the operating position, it is attached to the rigid upper face 2 in such a way as to extend towards the lower wall 3b, and so that, in the transport position, it is separated from the rigid upper face 2, in particular to facilitate transport or storage. In this configuration, the rigid back plate 5 can be attached to the rigid upper face 2 by various means. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 6, the rigid back plate 5 is attached to the rigid upper face 2 by means of screws 5a screwed successively into protrusions of the rigid upper face 2 and into the thickness of the rigid back plate 5.Depending on the variant, the rigid back plate 5 can be configured to fold against the rigid top face 2 in the transport position. In this configuration, the rigid back plate 5 can be attached to the rigid top face 2 by various means, for example by a hinge.

[0064] In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 6, the rigid backplate 5 carries a dummy arming device 51 having the shape of an arming device of the corresponding real mine. Preferably, the dummy arming device 51 includes a button, more preferably a rotary button configured to be operated by a user. It will be understood that the use of a dummy arming device 51 makes it possible to more closely imitate the real mine.

[0065] In the variant mentioned above and shown in [Fig. 7], the dummy lead 1 also includes the rigid back plate 5, and the rigid back plate 5 is further secured to the rigid lower plate forming the lower wall 3b so as to reinforce the assembly and stiffen the structure of the dummy lead 1. In this configuration, the rigid back plate 5 can be secured to the rigid lower plate forming the lower wall 3b by various means, for example, by screws. According to some variants, the rigid back plate 5 can be configured to be folded against the rigid lower plate forming the lower wall 3b in the transport position. In this configuration, the rigid back plate 5 can be secured to the rigid lower plate forming the lower wall 3b by various means, for example, by a hinge.

[0066] In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 6, the closable opening 4 is formed by a combination of a through opening arranged in the rigid upper face 2 and a cover 41 configured to close the through opening. According to alternative embodiments, the closable opening 4 can be formed in other ways, for example by a detachable connection between at least a portion of the foldable side wall 3a and one of the rigid upper face 2 and the lower wall 3b. It will be understood that the detachable connection can be obtained by various means, for example by a zipper, or zip fastener, by a hook and loop fastener, or Velcro® fastener, by snap fasteners, by screws, or by a combination of these.

[0067] In the variant shown in [Fig. 7], the closable opening 4 is formed by a combination of a through opening, arranged in the folding side panel 3a, and the rigid back plate 5. The rigid back plate 5 is further configured to close the through opening in the operating position. Advantageously, a detachable connection is also formed between the folding side panel 3a and the rigid back plate 5. It will be understood that the detachable connection can be achieved by various means, for example by a zipper, a hook and loop fastener, or Velcro® closure, snap fasteners, screws, complementary shapes, for example by sliding a rigid protrusion of the folding side panel 3a into a groove in the rigid back plate 5, or a combination thereof. As already mentioned above, in the variant shown in [Fig.[7] The rigid rear plate 5 is further secured to the rigid lower plate forming the lower wall 3b in order to reinforce the assembly, which also ensures that the closable opening 4 closes properly in the operating position.

[0068] Less preferably, in the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 6, the closable opening 4 could also be formed by the combination of a through opening, arranged in the foldable side wall 3a, and the rigid rear plate 5, although in this embodiment the lower wall 3b is not formed by a rigid lower plate.

[0069] In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 6, the interior space is advantageously configured to be filled with earth through the closable opening 4, in the operating position. It will be understood that filling the interior space both maintains the shape of the dummy mine in the operating position and weighs down the dummy mine. It will also be understood that, according to variations and depending on the requirements, the interior space can be configured to be filled with another material, for example sand, mortar, or water, possibly with metallic elements to make the dummy mine detectable by metal detectors.

[0070] Furthermore, in the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 6 and in the variant shown in [Fig.7], the dummy mine 1 is configured to have the mass of the real mine once the interior space is filled, here with earth, in the position of use.

[0071] In order to reduce the mass of the dummy lead 1, the rigid upper face 2 is preferably made of polymer, more preferably polylactic acid, PLA. If applicable, the rigid back plate 5 and the rigid lower plate forming the lower wall 3b are also preferably made of polymer. The upper face Rigid top plate 2, rigid back plate 5, and rigid bottom plate forming the lower wall 3b can, for example, have a thickness of 5 mm. Manufacturing can be carried out by various means, for example, molding or 3D printing. According to less preferred variants, rigid top plate 2 and, where applicable, rigid back plate 5 and rigid bottom plate forming the lower wall 3b, can be made of another material, for example, another polymer or metal, for example, steel.

[0072] In use, real mines can generally be detected using metal detectors. However, in the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 6 and in the variant shown in [Fig. 7], due to the design developed to reduce the mass of the dummy mine 1, the dummy mine 1 may not contain enough metal to be effectively detected by a metal detector.

[0073] Thus, in order to ensure that the dummy mine 1 can be detected by enemy personnel and thereby improve its deterrent effect, a metallic element is preferably integrated into the rigid upper face 2. If necessary, a metallic element is also preferably integrated into the rigid rear plate 5 and the rigid lower plate forming the lower wall 3b. The metallic elements can, for example, be embedded in the polymer during manufacturing or even introduced into the interior space of the dummy mine 1 during its filling.

[0074] In addition to or in place of the metal elements mentioned above, the foldable side wall 3a can be secured to at least one of the rigid upper face 2 and the lower wall 3b by metal fasteners, preferably screws or rivets.

[0075] A dummy mine 1 according to the invention has, in its transport position, a mass and volume less than that of a real mine, without containing any hazardous materials. The dummy mine 1 according to the invention thus facilitates transport, particularly by airdrop, or storage. Moreover, for the same means of transport, i.e., with identical mass and volume, dummy mines 1 according to the invention make it possible to create a larger obstacle, or more obstacles. The dummy mines 1 according to the invention can be used in addition to real mines and / or as a replacement for real mines to create an obstacle. Finally, they have the advantage of being easily filled with any material available at the location where the dummy mine is placed.

[0076] It is understood that the particular embodiment just described has been given by way of example and not limitation, and that modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

Demands

1. - Dummy mine (1) comprising a rigid upper face (2) a shape of which corresponds to a shape of an upper face of a real mine, characterized in that the dummy mine (1) further comprises: - a foldable side wall (3a), integral with the rigid upper face (2); - a lower wall (3b), integral with the foldable side wall (3a); and - a closable opening (4) leading into an interior space of variable volume jointly defined by the rigid upper face (2), the foldable side wall (3a) and the lower wall (3b); the interior space of variable volume being configured to move the dummy mine (1) from a transport position, in which the interior space has a first volume, to a use position, in which the interior space has a second volume, greater than the first volume, and the dummy mine (1) has the shape of the real mine.

2. - Dummy mine (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the lower wall (3b) is formed by one of: - a rigid lower plate; and - an extension of the foldable side wall (3a), such that the foldable side wall (3a) is in the form of a bag and the lower wall (3b) forms a bottom of the bag.

3. - Dummy mine (1) according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the foldable side wall (3a) comprises at least one of a fabric, a polymer membrane, a net, and a plurality of hinged rigid plates.

4. - Dummy mine (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the rigid upper face (2) comprises a lateral skirt (21) extending around the periphery of the rigid upper face (2) towards the lower wall (3b).

5. - Dummy mine (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the dummy mine (1) further comprises a rigid back plate (5) configured to be, in the position of use, attached to the rigid upper face (2) so as to extend towards the lower wall (3b), and to, in the transport position, be one among separate from the rigid upper face (2) and folded against the rigid upper face (2).

6. - Dummy mine (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the rigid back plate (5) carries a dummy arming device (51) having the form of an arming device of the real mine, preferably a dummy arming device (51) comprising a button, more preferably a rotary button configured to be operated by a user.

7. - Dummy mine (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the closable opening (4) is formed by at least one of: - an association of a through opening arranged in the rigid upper face (2) and a cover (41) configured to close the through opening; and - a detachable connection between at least a portion of the foldable side wall (3a) and one of the rigid upper face (2) and the lower wall (3b).

8. - Dummy mine (1) according to claim 5 or claim 6, characterized in that the closable opening (4) is formed by an association of a through opening, arranged in the foldable side wall (3a), and the rigid back plate (5) further configured to close the through opening in the position of use.

9. - Dummy mine (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the interior space is configured to, in the position of use, be filled, through the closable opening (4), with at least one of earth, sand, mortar and water.

10. - Dummy mine (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that the dummy mine (1) is configured so that, once the internal space is filled in the position of use, it has the mass of the real mine.

11. - Dummy mine (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the rigid upper face (2), optionally the rigid back plate (5), and optionally the rigid lower plate forming the lower wall (3b), is made of polymer, preferably polylactic acid, PLA.

12. - Dummy mine (1) according to claim 11, characterized in that a metallic element is integrated into the rigid upper face (2), where applicable the rigid back plate (5), and where applicable the rigid bottom plate forming the bottom wall (3b).

13. - Dummy mine (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the foldable side wall (3a) is secured to at least one of the rigid upper face (2) and the lower wall (3b) by metallic fasteners, preferably screws or rivets.

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