Redundant Missile Protection Elements for Continuous Defense

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing protective equipment for vehicles and other objects against missile attacks is ineffective in intercepting multiple missiles approaching from the same direction, as the interceptor explosive charges are depleted after engaging the first missile.

Innovation Solution

The protective elements are arranged redundantly, with a replacement element automatically taking over the protective function of a triggered element, allowing for continuous protection without manual intervention, and are positioned to minimize collateral damage with a downward direction of action.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If protective elements with interceptor explosive charges are used to combat approaching missiles, then good protection against the first missile is achieved, but protection against a second missile from the same direction is lost because the explosive charges have already been triggered

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprotection effectivenessVSAvoidduration of protective function
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Replacement protective elements are pre-positioned in the protective equipment structure, ready to be activated before a second missile attack occurs. The system maintains a stock of unused explosive charges that can be quickly deployed to restore protective capability after the first missile engagement depletes the initial charges.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

After the first protective element is triggered and depleted, the system recovers protective capability by activating replacement protective elements. The triggered element is effectively discarded while the replacement element is brought into service, ensuring continuous protective function against subsequent missile attacks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #34Discarding and recovering

2Adaptability or versatility

If protective elements are arranged to cover all directions, then comprehensive protection is achieved, but the protective function is depleted after one missile attack from each direction

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemulti-directional protectionVSAvoidsustained protection capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The protective equipment is divided into multiple protective elements arranged in different directions, with each element having its own replacement element. This segmentation allows independent replacement of individual elements without affecting the overall multi-directional protection capability, maintaining both versatility and sustained reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Area of stationary object

If protective elements protrude over the vehicle contour to extend effective radius, then protection against circular effective radius missiles is improved, but collateral damage risk increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveeffective protection radiusVSAvoidcollateral damage
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The protective elements are configured with locally optimized characteristics - protruding only where needed to extend effective radius while directing explosive force downward to minimize collateral damage. The replacement elements maintain these localized quality features, ensuring continued balanced performance of extended protection radius with reduced harmful effects.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This arrangement ensures reliable protection against multiple missile attacks from the same direction by automatically switching to a redundant protective element, maintaining uninterrupted defense and minimizing collateral damage.

Implementation Method 1

the protective element has a large number of intercepting explosive charges, which can be triggered individually or in groups

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectExplosion: Explosion

Data Source

PatentEP2877807B2Protection equipment, vehicle and method for protecting a target
Publication Date: 2019.09.25 KRAUSS MAFFEI WEGMANN GMBH & CO KG
  • EP2877807B2 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2877807B2 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2877807B2 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to protection equipment (10) for protecting a target (1) against attacking missiles, with a plurality of protection elements (11, 12) which are triggerable individually in order to combat a missile, wherein the protection elements (11, 12) are arranged in such a manner that a triggered protection element (11) is replaced by a replacement protection element (12) arranged redundantly in relation to the latter. The invention furthermore relates to a vehicle (1) with protection equipment (10) and to a method for protecting a target (1) against attacking missiles.