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Continous ballistic vestRelated Patent Categories: Apparel, Guard Or Protector, Penetration ResistantContinous ballistic vest description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070169244, Continous ballistic vest. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/565,148, filed Apr. 26, 2004, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein. BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to ballistic garments and, more particularly, to a ballistic vest having improved resistance to successive ballistic impacts. [0003] Ballistic garments, such as vests including multi-layered ballistic or body armor panels are well-known in the art. Moreover, such ballistic vests are typically formed of independent body armor panels that are received within a fabric pouch or carrier. Upon being impacted by ballistic projectiles, the panels function independently deforming within the individual carriers. Such deformation causes the panels to lose their shape and may create openings or gaps in the areas between the panels, resulting in increased vulnerability to secondary projectiles. The independent functioning of the panels increases the thickness and stiffness required to stop projectiles. Depending upon the duty design or anticipated threat, the panels may have various amounts of overlap to compensate for edge deficiencies and to stop ballistic rounds fired at the wearer. In such conventional body armor panels received within carriers, fasteners may extend from the carrier to assist in maintaining an overlapping arrangement. [0004] Conventional body armor panels located in carriers may float or move on the chest and the back of the wearer. Such panels, while usually successful in resisting initial impact from a ballistic projectile, tend to displace inwardly at the point of impact. Moreover, each panel tends to function independently, exhibiting substantial back face deformation (or rearward travel into the body of the wearer) in response to impact. Given successive ballistic impacts, there is gradual shrinkage of the coverage of the panel. As such, successive impacts reduce the protection of the garment by reducing the area of coverage. Consequently, the ability to resist multiple impacts without exposing additional body area has become an increasing concern. [0005] As noted above, one proposed solution has been to provide a substantial overlap between body armor panels on severe duty tactical vests to account for this deficiency. This adds significant extra weight and expense to the vest, and the design is still not optimized to absorb the forces of striking projectiles. While it has also been proposed to place the body armor panels in tension through the use of elastic bands, such a design relies upon securement to an outer carrier. Further, the elastic bands do not provide a given degree of certainty with respect to applying tension within the panels. [0006] According to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention, a ballistic resistant garment for protecting a wearer from penetration by a projectile includes a back panel configured to cover the width of the back and extending from the shoulders to the waist of a wearer. A front panel is configured to cover the width of the chest and extends from the shoulders to the waist of a wearer. A first side panel couples the back panel to the front panel and is configured to cover a first side of the wearer from the axilla to the waist. The back panel, the front panel, and the first side panel are formed from ballistic material configured to resist penetration therethrough by a projectile. The first side panel is directly coupled to the back panel and the front panel, such that the back panel, the front panel, and the first side panel are configured to be in tension around the body of the wearer and return substantially to an original shape after an impact from a projectile. [0007] According to a further illustrative embodiment of the present invention, a ballistic resistant garment for protecting a wearer from penetration by a projectile includes a back panel configured to cover the width of the back and extending from the shoulders to the waist of a wearer. A front panel is configured to cover the width of the chest and extends from the shoulders to the waist of a wearer. A connecting panel couples the back panel and the front panel. The back panel, the front panel, and the connecting panel are formed of multiple layers of ballistic resistant material. The ballistic resistant material of the connecting panel includes an inner layer and an outer layer, wherein the inner layer has a length shorter than the outer layer. [0008] According to yet another illustrative embodiment of the present invention, a ballistic resistant garment for protecting a wearer from penetration by a projectile includes a back panel of ballistic resistant material, the back panel including a front face and a back face. The garment further includes a front panel of ballistic resistant material, the front panel including a front face and a back face. A coupler includes a body having a first end rigidly coupled to move with the back panel and a second end rigidly coupled to move with the front panel. The coupler is configured to tension the back panel and the front panel such that each of the back panel and the front panel resist back face deformation in response to impact from a projectile. [0009] According to a further illustrative embodiment of the present invention, a ballistic resistant garment includes a panel formed of ballistic resistant material, and a coupler connected to the panel and including a body having a first end and an opposing second end. The body includes a resilient portion and a substantially rigid portion wherein the resilient portion is configured to permit the body to stretch, and the rigid portion is configured to prevent the body from stretching more than a predetermined length defined between the first end and the second end. [0010] According to another illustrative embodiment of the present invention, a ballistic resistant garment includes a back panel, a front panel, and a connecting panel coupling the back panel to the front panel. The back panel, the front panel, and the connecting panel are formed from a ballistic material. The back panel, the front panel, and the connecting panel are coupled together through at least one of a continuous sheet of ballistic resistant material, a rigid coupler, and a limited travel coupler such that the back panel, the front panel, and the connecting panel are in tension around the body of the wearer for limiting shrinkage of the impacted panel during initial and subsequent strikes. [0011] Additional features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiment exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0012] The detailed description of the drawings particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which: [0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an illustrative embodiment ballistic garment according to the present invention, with the carrier removed for clarity and a wearer represented in phantom; [0014] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1; [0015] FIG. 2A is a detail view of FIG. 2; [0016] FIG. 3 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 1 of a further illustrative embodiment ballistic garment of the present invention, with the carrier removed for clarity and a wearer represented in phantom; [0017] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3; [0018] FIG. 5 is a top plan view illustrating a conventional "Weaver stance", where the left side of a right-handed wearer is exposed to an incoming ballistic projectile; [0019] FIG. 6 is a top plan view of a further illustrative embodiment ballistic garment, showing couplers at both the left and right sides thereof; [0020] FIG. 7 is a detail view of the coupler at the left side of the ballistic garment of FIG. 4; [0021] FIG. 8 is a detail view of a further illustrative embodiment coupler at the left side of the ballistic garment of FIG. 4; [0022] FIG. 9 is a plan view of an illustrative embodiment coupler of the present invention; Continue reading about Continous ballistic vest... Full patent description for Continous ballistic vest Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Continous ballistic vest patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Continous ballistic vest or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Beverage extractor Next Patent Application: Absorbent eyelid protector and method Industry Class: Apparel ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Continous ballistic vest patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.39073 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Medical: Surgery , Surgery(2) , Surgery(3) , Drug , Drug(2) , Prosthesis , Dentistry 174 |
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