Automatically deployable vehicle camouflage system

Abstract

A camouflage system for concealing or obscuring a vehicle includes a camouflage cover attached at spaced apart locations to a plurality of inflatable support beams. The support beams can extend from a central hub. Deployment and stowing, of the camouflage cover by inflation and deflation of the support beams can be controlled from within the vehicle. Stowing can include fan-folding of the support beams and retraction of guide cords attached to distal ends of the support beams, or the deflated support beams can be wound around one or more spools when stowed. Embodiments include a plurality of inflatable bladders within each support beam, enabling a plurality of deployed states. The radar signature of the vehicle can be obfuscated by adding metallic layers to the camouflage cover, the support beams, and/or to separate inflatable radar reflection beams. Additional layers of conductive fabric can be included within inflatable beams.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A camouflage system configured to avoid or confuse detection of a mobile asset by automatically deploying and retracting a camouflage cover over and around the mobile asset under control of an operator located within the mobile asset, the camouflage system comprising:
 a plurality of inflatable support beams that, when inflated, radiate outward from the mobile asset in a deployed configuration and, when deflated, can be stowed in or on the mobile asset in a stowed configuration; and   a camouflage cover attached at separated attachment points to tops of the support beams.   
     
     
         2 . The camouflage system of  claim 1 , wherein the inflatable support beams are mounted to the mobile asset as separate units. 
     
     
         3 . The camouflage system of  claim 1 , wherein the inflatable support beams radiate outward from a central hub. 
     
     
         4 . The camouflage system of  claim 3 , wherein during deflation thereof, the support beams are fan-folded so as to compress them near or into the central hub. 
     
     
         5 . The camouflage system of  claim 1 , wherein inflation and deflation of the support beams is controllable from within the mobile asset. 
     
     
         6 . The camouflage system of  claim 1 , wherein a ratio of a deployed area of the camouflage cover to a stowed area of the camouflage cover, as viewed from above, is at least 10:1. 
     
     
         7 . The camouflage system of  claim 1 , wherein retraction of the support beams includes winding of retraction straps or cords around at least one strap spool, the retraction straps or cords being attached to the support beams proximal to distal ends thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The camouflage system of  claim 7 , wherein the retraction cords or straps are directed through guides that extend from the support beams. 
     
     
         9 . The camouflage system of  claim 1 , wherein the support beams include pleats that govern a folding of the support beams as they are retracted. 
     
     
         10 . The camouflage system of  claim 1 , wherein retraction of the support beams includes winding of the support beams, in a deflated state, around at least one beam spool. 
     
     
         11 . The camouflage system of  claim 1 , further comprising a radar absorbing and/or scattering layer applied to the camouflage cover. 
     
     
         12 . The camouflage system of  claim 1 , further comprising an additional layer of fabric that is extended and retracted together with the camouflage cover. 
     
     
         13 . The camouflage system of  claim 12 , wherein the additional layer of fabric is an additional upper layer that is attached beneath the camouflage cover to the tops of the support beams. 
     
     
         14 . The camouflage system of  claim 12 , wherein the additional layer of fabric is attached to bottoms of the support beams. 
     
     
         15 . The camouflage system of  claim 14 , wherein an air-filled gap between the camouflage cover and the additional layer of fabric reduces a transfer of heat from the mobile asset to the camouflage cover. 
     
     
         16 . The camouflage system of  claim 12 , wherein a radar absorbing and/or scattering layer is applied to the additional layer of fabric. 
     
     
         17 . The camouflage system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the support beams includes therein a plurality of inflatable bladders that can be separately inflated so as to transition the camouflage cover between its stowed configuration and a plurality of deployed configurations having different deployed areas as viewed from above. 
     
     
         18 . The camouflage system of  claim 17 , wherein the mobile asset is able to move while the camouflage cover remains deployed in at least one of the deployed configurations. 
     
     
         19 . The camouflage system of  claim 1 , further comprising an inflatable radar reflection arm having at least one of a partial metallized coating, a fully metallized coating, and a separate internal radar reflection fabric layer, inflation of the radar reflection arm causing it to extend outward from the mobile asset so as to distort a radar reflection signature of the mobile asset and camouflage system. 
     
     
         20 . The camouflage system of  claim 19 , wherein a degree of inflation of the inflatable radar reflection arm can be controlled from within the mobile asset, thereby varying the radar reflection signature of the mobile asset and camouflage system.