The present invention relates to an anti-ballistic plate assembly configured to be worn by a person to provide anti-ballistic protection of a person’s chest portion.
Damage caused by ballistic projectiles to structures within the thorax and abdomen remain the leading cause of death on the battlefield. Ballistic protection in the form of rigid composite plates constructed from a ceramic strike face with a backing of high tenacity fibers is currently the most effective form of protection for the essential anatomical structures, i.e. the heart, the great vessels, the liver and the spleen.
Ballistic protection plates can be constructed in order to function as stand alone (SA), i.e. without additional protection elements in order to obtain the required performance, or in conjunction with (ICW), i.e. in combination with a second protection element providing additional reduction of energy during impact. This second element is generally constructed from a softer composition of high tenacity fibers that covers the desirable anatomical structures, such as lungs, kidneys, intestines and spinal cord and may also be used to protect other parts of the body such as the extremities.
Due to the increasing amount of equipment and consequently weight a soldier is required to carry, the physical and cognitive performance of the soldier is reduced. In addition to the weight, the wearing of protection plates covering the torso leads to reduced thermoregulation. This has led to a demand for lighter protection equipment with less surface covered, essentially leaving only the essential anatomical structures covered by SA ballistic protection plates. These plates are generally carried in a textile cover often referred to as a plate carrier (PC).
The anti-ballistic plates are generally produced in a shape and curvature which admits a proper fit for a generic male chest front. Due to their shape and rigidity they are however ill-fitting for the back.
Existing plate carriers, or anti-ballistic plate assemblies, do not take into account the incompatibility of the plate shape for the back-body shape. Attaching the plate carrier strap (shoulder strap) on the outer face of the plate or at the upper, outer edge portion of the plate, results in a pull of the upper part of the plate towards the body. This creates pressure points at the shoulder blade and the upper part of the chest. It also creates increased pressure at the shoulders due to the reduced contact surface between the carrier straps and the body / shoulders.
Publication US20120132065 discloses a plate carrier carrying a ballistic plate.
According to the present invention, there is provided an anti-ballistic plate assembly configured to be worn by a person, the assembly comprising an anti-ballistic front plate configured to protect the front of a chest of the person and having an inner face and an outer face, and/or an anti-ballistic back plate configured to protect the back of a person and having an inner face and an outer face. The assembly further comprises two carrying straps extending over a shoulder of the person, on respective side of the person’s neck. The carrying straps are attached to the front plate or the back plate, respectively, or to the front plate and the to the back plate, respectively, at respective attachment areas. The attachment areas are located at the inner face. The anti-ballistic front plate or the anti-ballistic back plate, or both the anti-ballistic front plate and the anti-ballistic back plate, have an upper and inner edge portion. According to the invention, the attachment area of the front plate or back plate, or the attachment area of both the front plate and the back plate, respectively, is arranged a respectively first and/or second vertical distance below the upper and inner edge portion.
It shall be appreciated that the carrying straps may in some embodiments be attached directly to the anti-ballistic plates. However, as is common in the art, the carrying straps can connect to a plate carrier (PC) as referred to above, or other type of plate-carrying means.
While common worn anti-ballistic plates have a substantially straight upper and inner edge portion, other designs may be possible. For instance, the upper and inner edge portion may have a curved shape. The said vertical distance would in such embodiments be measured between the uppermost vertical position along such a curved edge portion and the uppermost location of the attachment area.
In some embodiments of the present invention, the assembly comprises an anti-ballistic front plate and an anti-ballistic back plate, wherein the first vertical distance is smaller than the second vertical distance. This applies in particular to embodiments wherein the front plate and the back plate are of identical shape. In such embodiment, having the said difference between the first and second vertical distances contributes in adapting the plates to the different body shape at the front chest and the back of a carrying person.
In preferred embodiments the first vertical distance is between 20 and 50 mm, more preferably between 25 and 35 mm, or between 25 and 30 mm.
Furthermore, advantageously the second vertical distance can be between 30 and 80 mm, more preferably between 40 and 70 mm, or between 55 and 60 mm.
The front plate and/or the back plate can have a width between 200 and 300 mm, and a height between 250 and 350 mm.
While various features of the invention have been discussed in general terms above, a non-limiting example of embodiment will be presented in the following with reference to the drawings, in which
Typically, the anti-ballistic plate 1 is enclosed in a fabric or other type of sheet and is worn by the person by means of a strap arrangement, which is not shown in
In
Reference is now made to
Contrary to the embodiment belonging to prior art and shown in
Advantageously, the portion of the carrying strap 5 that is attached to the front plate 1 extends from the chest, about just below the collar bones, and upwards towards the shoulder. Furthermore, the portion of the carrying strap 5 that is attached to the back plate 2 extends from about the mid height of the scapula, and upwards towards the shoulder.
In
As appears from
On the front plate 1, there is a first vertical distance D1 between the upper and inner edge portion 1d and the strap attachment position A1. Correspondingly, on the back plate 2 there is a second vertical distance D2 between the upper and inner edge portion 2d and the strap attachment point A2.
Moreover, for the embodiment of the anti-ballistic plate assembly 10 shown in
Furthermore, in the shown embodiment, however also possible in other embodiments, the shape and size of the front plate 1 and the back plate 2 are identical. Consequently, when manufacturing the anti-ballistic plate assembly 10 according to the shown embodiment, one will need to produce only one type of anti-ballistic plate 1, 2. However, using different plates for the front plate 1 and the back plate 2 is possible.
Still referring to
A similar illustration can be made for the back plate 2 to illustrate the vertical distance D2 between the upper and inner edge portion 2d and the attachment point A2.
As appears from
Advantageously, for the shown or any other embodiment of the invention, the first vertical distance D1 for the front plate 1 is between 5 and 50 mm, more preferably between 20 and 35 mm, or between 25 and 30 mm.
Advantageously, for the shown or any other embodiment of the invention, the second vertical distance D2 for the back plate 2 is between 5 and 80 mm, more preferably between 40 and 70 mm, or between 55 and 60 mm. By having the attachment point A2 (or the attachment area 7a), where the carrying strap(s) are attached to the back plate 2, at the height of the natural bend of the back, the back plate 2 is better anatomically adjusted to the shape of the carrying person 3. This effect can be appreciated by comparing the prior art solution in
Typical dimensions of an anti-ballistic plate 1, 2 used with an anti-ballistic plate assembly 10 according to the invention can be 250 mm x 300 mm (width x height). However smaller and larger plates may also be used, for instance having widths between 200 and 300 mm, and heights between 250 and 350 mm.
Typically, the anti-ballistic plate 1, 2 can be a multi-curved plate.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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20200047 | Jan 2020 | NO | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2021/050501 | 1/13/2021 | WO |