Swim-arrangement for amphibious tracked vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12202308-B2
Application number	US-202017442366-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 25, 2020
Priority date	Mar 28, 2019
Publication date	Jan 21, 2025
Grant date	Jan 21, 2025

Abstract

The invention relates to a swim arrangement (A) for facilitating amphibious operation of a tracked vehicle (V 1 ). Said tracked vehicle comprises a vehicle body ( 10 ) and a two track assemblies (T 1 , T 2 ) suspendedly connected to the vehicle body for driving the vehicle, each track assembly (T 1 , T 2 ) comprising a drive means driven endless track ( 4 ). The vehicle body comprises under structure portions ( 12, 14 ), each under structure portion ( 12, 14 ) miming over an upper side ( 4 a ) of a track ( 4 ) of a track assembly (T 1 , T 2 ). Each under structure portion ( 12, 14 ) is configured to be arranged at a distance from the upper side ( 4 a ) of the track ( 4 ) during land operation of the vehicle so that a space (S 1 , S 2 ) is provided. The arrangement (A) comprises means ( 20, 30, 100 ) for reducing said space (S 1 , S 2 ) so as to, during swimming operation, reduce the flow of water between the under structure portion ( 12, 14 ) and the upper side ( 4 a ) of the track ( 4 ) caused when the tracks ( 4 ) are driven.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An amphibious tracked vehicle, said tracked vehicle comprising one or more vehicle bodies and at least one track assembly pair per vehicle body, said track assembly pair being suspendedly connected to the vehicle body, the track assembly pair comprising two track assemblies for driving the vehicle, each track assembly comprising a drive means driven endless track arranged to run over a set of wheels of the track assembly, the vehicle body comprising under structure portions, each under structure portion running over an upper side of the track of each track assembly, each under structure portion being configured to be arranged at a distance from the upper side of the track during land operation of the vehicle so that a space is provided between each under structure portion and the upper side of the track of the corresponding track assembly, wherein during a swimming operation of the vehicle, an elongated member extending substantially along a length of the vehicle body is configured to be selectively expanded into the space provided between each under structure portion and the upper side of the track of the corresponding track assembly to variably occupy a portion of the space for reducing said space so as to, in connection to the swimming operation, reduce the flow of water between the under structure portion and the upper side of the track caused when the tracks are driven.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the elongated member introduced within said space is configured to increase the displacement ability of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the elongated member is configured to be lowered towards the upper side of the track of each track assembly so as to reduce said space.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the elongated member comprises an under structure portion of the vehicle body, said under structure portion being configured to be lowered towards the upper side of the track of each track assembly.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the elongated member comprises expansion means configured to expand the elongated member so as to introduce the elongated member within said space.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the elongated member comprises one or more floating blocks and/or one or more bellow devices and/or one or more expandable volumes.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising a control arrangement for controlling reduction of said space.

8. The vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein the control arrangement is configured to control reduction of said space based on one or more of position of the vehicle, level of water surrounding the vehicle, amphibious operation activation by operator.

9. The tracked vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein said tracked vehicle is an articulated tracked vehicle comprising a first vehicle unit and a second vehicle unit pivotably connected to the first vehicle unit via an articulation joint, each of said vehicle units comprising a vehicle body and track assembly pair suspendedly connected to respective vehicle body.

Assignees

• Bae Systems Haegglunds Ab

Inventors

• Sundelin Tom

Classifications

• B60F3/0046

  Water deflectors or screens · CPC title

• B62D55/10

  Bogies; Frames (track-tensioning means B62D55/30) · CPC title

• B60F3/0038 Primary

  Flotation, updrift or stability devices · CPC title

• B63H1/34

  of endless-track type · CPC title

• B60F3/0015 Primary

  comprising tracks specially adapted therefor · CPC title