Mine sweeping and clearing system for land mines

#This application claims the priority of German Patent Application DE 102 15 220.9, filed Apr. 6, 2002, which is incorporated herein by reference.

#The invention relates to a mine sweeping and clearing system for land mines.

#In many countries, land mines pose a permanent threat to civilians and military personnel. The mines used are antipersonnel mines and anti-tank mines that are positioned on the ground surface, at the surface, and buried, typically up to 30 cm deep. The mines employ a wide variety of ignition and detonation mechanisms. The majority of the mines used worldwide have mechanical igniters, which detonate the mine on contact, or are activated by a trip wire. To eliminate the threat that mines pose to people, the mines must at least be cleared from areas inhabited by people. For this purpose, mechanical and pyrotechnical clearing systems are used to augment manual clearing means.

#The invention is described in detail by way of an exemplary embodiment shown in the drawing, in which:

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a mine sweeping and clearing system having a carrier vehicle for searching for and clearing mines;

#FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a mine sweeping and clearing system comprising two carrier vehicles; and

#FIG. 1 illustrates a mine sweeping and clearing system 100 having a carrier vehicle 1 with a mechanical advance-detonation device 2 having flail elements 2.1, a mine-sweeping sensor assembly 3, also called a sensor assembly, and a sensor and evaluation circuit 4. The carrier vehicle 1 preferably has low-pressure tires 5 and a protective shield 6 that is mounted behind the advance-detonation device 2 for protecting the sensor assembly 3. If the advance-detonation device 2 and the sensor assembly 3 are integrated into a single vehicle 1, at least the chassis (including wheel operating equipment and the chain operating equipment) is configured such that the mines that have not been detonated by the advance-detonation device 2 also cannot be detonated by the chassis. The sensor assembly 3 is preferably mounted in the rear region of the vehicle 1.

#In a preferred embodiment, it has proven advantageous to mount additional flails 7 to the right and/or left of the drive shaft of the advance-detonation device 2. These additional flails 7 allow a mine that has been detected to be purposefully detonated and destroyed, as will be explained hereinafter.

#FIG. 2 illustrates the separate mounting of the individual components on two carrier vehicles 10, 11. The advance-detonation device 2 is mounted on the first carrier vehicle 10, which travels in the direction 9. Here, the chassis of the carrier vehicle 10 is configured such that the chassis cannot detonate mines that have not been detonated by the advance-detonation device 2.