Rotatable Armor Plates for Turret Elevation Angles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing protected turrets for armed fighting vehicles are inadequately protected against enemy ammunition, particularly at high and negative elevation angles, exposing critical components and crew to risk due to limitations in existing armor plating designs.
Innovation Solution
A protected turret design featuring multiple adjustable protection plates that rotate with the firearm, providing comprehensive coverage by orienting their outer faces parallel to the firearm's axis and incorporating a cavity to house the barrel at low angles, ensuring protection from both above and below, while allowing for high and negative elevation angles without mechanical-structural constraints.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If fixed protection plates are arranged immediately in front of the turret to surround the barrel, then protection against enemy ammunition is improved, but mechanical-structural constraints occur when laying downwards with negative elevation angles and the turret cannot be mounted high enough with respect to the hull
Solution Approach 1:
The protection plates are made rotatable about the rotation axis X instead of being fixed, allowing them to dynamically adjust their position according to the firearm's elevation angle. This enables the plates to maintain effective protection coverage while accommodating the full range of elevation angles including negative angles and high angles without mechanical-structural constraints
Solution Approach 2:
The protection plates are integrated with the carriage structure, with the first protection plate mounted on the carriage and the second protection plate mounted on the first protection plate. This merging of protective elements with the mounting mechanism allows coordinated movement and rotation, enabling comprehensive protection across all elevation angles while maintaining structural integrity
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the turret is mounted high enough to accommodate fixed protection plates, then protection is improved, but the turret cannot lay at targets with sufficient negative elevation angle
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable protection plates can adjust their angular position to maintain protection coverage regardless of the turret's height position. This eliminates the need to mount the turret at a specific height, allowing the system to achieve both protection and full elevation range including negative angles
3Adaptability or versatility
If the turret is positioned low to allow negative elevation angles, then adaptability is improved, but fixed protection plates cannot provide adequate protection
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable protection plates can dynamically adjust their position to maintain effective coverage even when the turret is positioned low. This allows the system to achieve both negative elevation angle capability and adequate protection, as the plates can rotate to cover the barrel and sensitive areas regardless of the turret's height position
Data Source
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AI summary
A protected embrasure (1) comprising a firearm (10) having a bar rel or cradle (11); said protected embrasure (1) comprising a body (20) and zenithal angle varying means or elevation angle varying means (21) of said firearm (10), which cause said firearm (10) to rotate around a rotation axis X, which is orthogonal to a firearm axis Y, which is defined by the length of said barrel or cradle (11); said elevation angle varying means (21) causing said firearm (10) to rotate by an elevation angle phi with respect a horizontal direction; said embrasure comprises: a pair of protection plates (30, 50) mounted above said firearm (10); and a third protection plate (31) mounted under said firearm (10); said plates being oriented with respective faces lying on a plane having an axis that is parallel to said rotation axis X and orthogonal to said firearm axis Y.