Optical mine clearance probe and process for identification of a material

Abstract

An optical mine clearance probe comprising a handle that is extended through a rod having a geometrical axis and adapted to be driven into a soil to search through it and including a first tubular part, a second part consisting of a movable rod end part including slots adapted to constitute at least two sectors and a mechanism capable of displacing the movable rod end between two extreme positions. One of the positions being one where a part of the rod end constitutes an extremity of the probe, the at least two sectors being adjacent one another in pairs and defining a conical member ending with a tip, and the other position being one in which extremities of the at least two sectors are spread apart from one another, the rod end then being of tubular shape. The mechanism is capable of displacing at least a part of at least one of the sectors in a direction that is different from that of the geometrical axis of the rod while maintaining the part of rod end at the end of the rod so that it always constitutes the extremity of the probe.

1 . An optical mine clearance probe comprising: a handle that is extended through a rod having a geometrical axis and adapted to be driven into a soil to search through it and including a first tubular part, a second part consisting of a movable rod end part including slots adapted to constitute at least two sectors and a mechanism for displacement of the movable rod end between two extreme positions, one of which being one where a part of the rod end constitutes an extremity of the probe, the at least two sectors being adjacent one another in pairs and defining a conical member ending with a tip, and the other position being one in which extremities of the at least two sectors are spread apart from one another, the rod end then being of tubular shape, wherein the mechanism is capable of displacing at least a part of at least one of the sectors in a direction that is different from that of the geometrical axis of the rod while maintaining the part of rod end at the end of the rod so that it always constitutes the extremity of the probe.  
     
     
         2 . A mine clearance probe according to  claim 1 , wherein the rod end includes, while in its first position, at least one first part of conical shape ending with the tip and a second part of truncated shape widening in the direction of the first part and the mechanism includes a tubular member whose end includes, in an interior part thereof, a bevelled part along its entire circumference so as to constitute a truncated surface capable of following that of the second part of the rod end.  
     
     
         3 . A mine clearance probe according to  claim 2 , wherein the rod includes an exterior hollow tube member and a second hollow tube member disposed between the exterior tube member and the rod end and including at one of its extremities and in an inner part thereof, a bevelled part that extends along its entire circumference so as to form a truncated surface that is capable of engaging with the second part of the rod end.  
     
     
         4 . A mine clearance probe according to  claim 3 , wherein the second tube member is movable in translation along the geometrical axis of the rod.  
     
     
         5 . A mine clearance probe according to  claim 1 , wherein the mechanism includes a first tube member that is unitary, at one of its ends, with the rod end and, at the other end, with a first cylinder whose peripheral surface includes a first thread adapted to cooperate with that of a first threaded ring and to which are associated a first guide member for guiding the first cylinder in translation, the first guide member being adapted to force the first cylinder into a translation displacement when the first threaded ring is set into rotation.  
     
     
         6 . A mine clearance probe according to  claim 5 , wherein the first guide member is a rod.  
     
     
         7 . A mine clearance probe according to  claim 5 , comprising a second tube member, disposed inside the first tube member, that is unitary at one of its ends, with the rod end and at the other end with a second cylinder whose peripheral external surface includes a second thread adapted to cooperate with that of a second threaded ring and to which are also associated a second guide member for guiding the second cylinder in translation, the second guide member being adapted to force this cylinder into a translation displacement when the second threaded ring is set into rotation.  
     
     
         8 . A mine clearance probe according to  claim 7 , wherein the second guide member is a rod.  
     
     
         9 . A mine clearance probe according to  claim 7 , wherein the first and second guide members consist of a single rod.  
     
     
         10 . A mine clearance probe according to  claim 7 , wherein the first and second rings are integral with one another.  
     
     
         11 . A mine clearance probe according to  claim 7 , wherein the pitch of the second thread is larger than that of the first thread.  
     
     
         12 . A mine clearance probe according to  claim 1 , comprising at least one optical fiber that extends at least in part through the rod end.  
     
     
         13 . A mine clearance probe according to  claim 12 , wherein the at least one optical fiber is selected from a group consisting of a multicladding optical fiber, an optical fiber with a capillary disposed, at least in part, around it and an optical fiber with at least one additional optical fiber disposed, at least in part, around it.  
     
     
         14 . A mine clearance probe according to  claim 13 , comprising a generator of at least two pulsed radiations of different wave lengths and different and non harmonic pulse frequencies.  
     
     
         15 . A mine clearance probe according to  claim 13 , wherein the generator includes diodes.  
     
     
         16 . A mine clearance probe according to  claim 14 , comprising an analyzer of a radiation.  
     
     
         17 . A mine clearance probe according to  claim 16 , wherein the analyzer includes a photodiode.  
     
     
         18 . A mine clearance probe according to  claim 1 , comprising display means.  
     
     
         19 . A method for the identification of a material for use with a probe according to  claim 1 , the method comprising: emitting at least two pulsed radiations of different wave lengths and of different and non harmonic pulse frequencies in the direction of the material, in order to irradiate same.  
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 19 , comprising collecting part of the radiation that is reflected or emitted by the material following its irradiation with the at least two radiations and analyzing the reflected or emitted radiation.  
     
     
         21 . A method according to  claim 20 , comprising calculating a ratio between an intensity of the reflected or emitted radiation that is associated with one the at least two radiations and an intensity of the reflected or emitted radiation that is associated with the other of the at least two radiations.  
     
     
         22 . A method according to  claim 21 , comprising associating a name of a material with the value of the ratio.  
     
     
         23 . A method according to  claim 21 , comprising associating a symbol of a material with the value of the ratio.  
     
     
         24 . A method according to  claim 21 , comprising displaying an information that is representative of the ratio.  
     
     
         25 . A method according to  claim 24 , wherein the information is selected from a group consisting of the ratio itself, a name of a material and a symbol of a material.  
     
     
         26 . An optical mine clearance probe comprising: a handle that is extended through a rod having a geometrical axis and adapted to be driven into a soil to search through it and including a first tubular part, a second part consisting of a movable rod end part including slots adapted to constitute at least two sectors and means capable of displacing the movable rod end between two extreme positions, one of which being one where a part of the rod end constitutes the extremity of the probe, the sectors being adjacent one another in pairs and defining a conical member ending with a tip, and the other position being one in which the extremities of the at least two sectors are spread apart from one another, the rod end then being of tubular shape, wherein the means are capable of displacing at least a part of at least one of the sectors in a direction that is different from that of the geometrical axis of the rod while maintaining the part of the rod end at the end of the rod so that it always constitutes the extremity of the probe.