ARMOURED OVER-TROUSERS

Abstract

Armoured over-trousers (10) are formed as “chinks” having an open lateral external flank (13). Protective anti-ballistic armour plate (42), integral with fabric material (22) used for the over-trousers or otherwise incorporated within correspondingly sized, shaped and strategically located pockets (40), protects lower abdominal regions, including the buttocks, upper thigh regions and genitals, of the wearer. The open flank (13) provides mobility whilst ensuring a low thermal burden and access to storage pockets in conventional trousers (14). The over-trousers are secured around the legs by strapping (16, 18) to reduce the possibility of a blast wave (36) funneling effect that might otherwise be experienced should the over-trousers (10) only fit loosely around the legs of a soldier.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority to United Kingdom Patent Application Serial No. 1114098.5, which was filed on Aug. 16, 2011, and is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates, in general, to armoured over-garments and is particularly, but not exclusively, applicable to flexible reinforced abdominal body armour which includes protective areas for the groin, buttocks, crotch and upper thighs.

SUMMARY OF THE PRIOR ART

With great regret, a rise in worldwide terrorism has seen an increased use of improvised explosive devices (“IEDs”); these are also known as roadside bombs due to their deployment. Such IEDs essentially contain an explosive attached to a detonating mechanism, and cause severe external and internal body traumas from several effects, principally: the blast pressure wave and the fragmentation effect. The fragmentation effect leads to penetrating ballistic or blunt force injuries that arise from impacts with projectiles included in the container, projectiles produced from the destruction of the container and from objects surrounding the detonator and target.

IEDs are therefore of considerable concern and present a real threat to both civilians and, more particularly, military or police personnel.

With respect to likely injuries sustained in an explosion, primary blast injury is a direct result of the over-pressurization waves' impact on the body. These injuries occur mainly to the gas-filled organs, including the gastrointestinal systems and colonic track, and arise (for example) from the blast wave being channeled into the body. Particularly, injuries result from spalling, implosion, inertia and the extreme pressure differentials at the body surfaces causing a stress wave that is produced in the underlying tissues. Also, IEDs can cause traumatic amputation (of a leg or genitalia) and potential bleed-out when a body-part is severed following an explosion. Indeed, with respect to leg injuries, the location of the femoral artery in the upper leg and the overall circumference of the thigh often inhibit the application of a tourniquet used conventionally and initially to stem the flow of traumatic bleeding in advance of surgery.

Protection of the groin, crotch region, buttocks and upper thigh are therefore equally important, but conventional plate-armour, besides being heavy, is generally considered restrictive of movement to the extent that a soldier's effectiveness may be compromised in that they are unable to run or crouch easily (when wearing such plate-based armour).

The U.S. Navy's BUAER (Bureau of Aeronautics) “Flak Shorts” were made from ballistic nylon and protected the groin and lower abdomen from low velocity fragments (see: http://www.vietnamgear.com/kit.aspx?kit=659). They had a front zip closure protected by a snap fastener cover and featured an adjustable crotch strap. The BUAER shorts were worn with a matching vest by Navy and Marine Corps aircrews early in the Vietnam War. Often referred to as “Flak Diapers”, the weight (approximately 3 lbs or about 1.3 kg) and overall size of these flak diapers meant that they were rarely worn and, more often than not, were instead used as a cushion to protect air-crewmen against ground fire.

Imperial Armour SA has also marketed “ballistic underwear” (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipDrFc7Zqnk). Four-ply unidirectional fibre is cross-plied and sandwiched into a flexible film that is cut into a specific pattern. The resulting “ballistic panel” is combined with a trauma sheet that is worn next to the body. The trauma sheet therefore defines a tailored article of clothing having a pocket into which the ballistic panel is inserted. The cumulative weight of the product is in the region of 1.6 kg. The multiple layers are heat retaining, especially since trapped air acts as a thermal insulator.

In terms of leg wear design, cycling shorts are skin-tight leg wear designed to improve comfort and efficiency while cycling. Particularly, they: i) reduce wind resistance and thereby increase aerodynamic efficiency; ii) protect the skin against the repetitive friction of the legs against the bicycle seat or frame; iii) draw sweat away from the skin to prevent chafing and rashes, and to cool the rider down through the process of evaporation; iv) compress the legs, which can help combat muscular fatigue. The traditional chamois leather patch inside the shorts in the crotch area (which corresponds to the saddle region on the bike) remains popular, although synthetic chamois linings are now produced in a variety of shapes and styles to suit the needs of different rider. However, patch designs are minimized to reduce overall weight and to provide a smooth surface that is aerodynamically optimized. Modern cycling shorts are often made of stretchable spandex (Lycra® fibre), with the hem of each leg usually lined with elastic and/or elastic gel that clings to the skin keeping it in a fixed position.

By way of example, the Black Pearl Bike short (by Aero Tech Designs) is made from tricot fabric that is highly aerodynamic and hydrodynamic. The microfiber nylon is 87% micro-denier nylon and 13% spandex, with the compression supporting muscles and movement to reduce muscle fatigue and lactic acid buildup. The material blend of nylon fibers allows for a soft feel that dries quickly. A shock absorbing cellular urethane (“open-cell” structure) pad is designed to absorb shock while allowing water vapor and perspiration to move through the open cells and thus away from the body. Pads in cycling shorts can be both anti-bacterial and hypoallergenic, thereby resisting odors and reducing germ growth.

However, cycling shorts provide no protection against trauma and merely prevent chaffing and localized soreness arising from friction rubbing and related friction burns.

In Australian patent 2010101434 and corresponding U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/948,183 (also belonging to the present assignee and incorporated herein for all purposes), a highly effective pair of multi-paneled protective undergarments (termed “BlastBoxers™”) are configured from a ballistic resistant protective panel forming one panel of the undergarment and a low thermal burden material stitched to the ballistic resistant resistive panel. The low thermal burden material forming complementary fabric panels of the undergarment; wherein the ballistic resistant panel and the low thermal burden material in combination structurally assemble into the undergarment. The configuration provides a fully-flexible undergarment that exhibits anti-ballistic properties whilst being lightweight and allowing good leg mobility. The improved integral design of the protective undergarment ensures that a blast-protective, slash-proof (or “ballistic resistant”) patch remains in place to protect the lower abdomen and especially the crotch, groin, inside regions along the upper thigh and significant areas around/of the buttocks. The undergarment therefore offers increased protection to the common iliac artery, the external and internal iliac, and the femoral artery (as well as the profunda femorus and superficial femoral artery).

Protective (in the sense of anti-rub or anti-abrasion) over-trousers called “chaps” or “chinks” are known in cowboy culture. Chaps are sturdy coverings for the legs consisting of leggings and a belt. They are buckled on over-trousers with the chaps' integrated belt, but unlike trousers they have no seat and are not joined at the crotch. They are designed to provide protection for the legs and are usually made of leather or a leather-like material, thereby providing a leather-on-leather barrier interface between the cloth trouser leg of a rider and a saddle on which the rider is seated. Typically, chaps have full-length zippers running along the outside of the leg from the thigh to just above the ankle Chinks (or half-chaps) are shorter and have a leg-pipe that is usually defined by only two fasteners positioned high on the thigh. Chinks are therefore cooler to wear than full-length chaps and are hence more appropriate for warmer climates.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided armoured over-trousers comprising: a fabric material forming a pair of chinks having an open lateral external flank along outer regions of the over-trousers, covered inner thigh regions opposite the outer regions and an upper pant cooperating with the inner thigh regions to define the over-trousers; and at least one piece of armour plate included in the over-trousers, the at least one piece of armour plate sized, shaped and located in the over-trousers to protect, in use, at least one lower abdominal region of a person against which the armour plate is held by the fabric material.

The armoured over-trousers may comprise a plurality of armour plate covering, in use, at least some of the body regions selected from the group consisting of: the lower abdomen; the crotch; the upper groin; the genitalia; the lower belly; inside regions of the upper thighs; and the buttocks.

Preferably, an interface between proximately located armour plates is covered by an armour pad and wherein the armour pad is permitted to move independently of the armour plates.

The open lateral external flank provides hand-access to the interior of the over-trousers, with a thigh strap extending across each open lateral external flank.

The armoured over-trousers may also include a tether affixed to and extending along at least a portion of an inner seam of both covered inner thigh regions, the tether having its ends firmly anchored in the over-trouser such that, upon rupture of the inner seam, splaying of the inner thigh regions is constrained.

In one embodiment, a protective collar extending upwardly and fanning outwardly from a waistband of the over-trousers. The collar is reinforced to as to deflect an incident blast wave outwardly from the waist of the over-trousers.

In another aspect of the invention there is provided a protective armour system comprising: a) the over-trouser of the first aspect in combination with b) a multi-paneled protective undergarment comprising: a ballistic resistant protective panel forming one panel of the undergarment; and a low thermal burden material coupled, e.g. stitched or welded, to the ballistic resistant panel, the low thermal burden material forming complementary fabric panels in the undergarment; wherein the ballistic resistant panel and the low thermal burden material in combination structurally assemble into the undergarment.

Advantageously, the various embodiments of the present invention (alone or in complementary combination) provide increased protection of the legs and lower abdomen (both front and back) of the wearer. The releasable, but open-flanked nature of the over-trouser ensures that the over-trouser can be quickly positioned, whilst the overall thermal burden is lowered (and ventilation improved) by air is allowed to impinge along an outer region. Indeed, by providing a releasable over-trouser in the form of an attachable apron or chap, movement of the wearer is maintained because there is no constraining outer seam (that would otherwise produce a semi-inflexible pipe). The use of clasps, buckles or Velcro® in the formation and securing of the protective-armour-based chap further means that a pair of such over-trousers can often fit many different leg shapes and sizes and does not need to be a custom fit (unless specifically desired).

The configuration of the over-trouser and particularly the overlay of protective armour panels means that movement of the wearer is not significantly compromised and that blast waves are directed around the armour plate and do not directly impinge on body tissue. Further, the overlap of panels means that a blast wave is not generally channeled within the over-trouser, but rather dispersed in all directions externally about the over-trouser.

Indeed, configuration of the over-trouser as a “chink” means that it can be both removed and applied quickly to take into account prevailing operational circumstances in which the wearer is participating.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front schematic view of an armoured over-trouser according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is an assembly of parts of the armoured over-trouser of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a partial overlay of components with in a right leg of the over-trousers of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 shows a sectional side view through the armour components along the cut-line A-A of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a rear schematic view of armoured protection within over-trouser according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a photograph (in plan view) of a physical realization of the assembly and partial overlay of components shown respectively in FIGS. 2 and 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Turning to FIG. 1 in which there is shown a front schematic view of armoured over-trousers 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a cloth material 22 (such as cotton or an anti-slash material compliant with at least British Standard (BS) EN 388-6.2 blade cut level 2) is shaped into a open-flanked pair of chaps that can be outwardly secured about a leg 12 of a wearer, e.g. a soldier. Preferably, the cloth material may be lightweight, but generally has properties that present a low thermal burden material and sufficient structural strength to maintain its shape under load.

The open-flanked nature of the over-trousers 10 is accentuated in FIG. 1 for illustrative purposes only and to demonstrate the nature of the open lateral external flank 13, with FIG. 1 showing a camouflaged trouser 14 visible along the outer open flank of the chaps. Each leg of the chaps is fastened about the leg of the wearer by strapping 16, which strapping may take the form of a Velcro® strap or a webbing-based buckle arrangement readily appreciated by a skilled addressee. The open flank 13 allows a wearer to access pockets formed in conventional trousers (over which the over-shorts/over-chinks are worn).

The term “trouser” should therefore be considered to include a pair of shorts or chaps or any equivalent, especially since the over-trousers are essentially only formed in situ about the leg of the wearer.

In a preferred embodiment, the chaps (perhaps more aptly described as “chinks” in view of their length) extend to a position just below the knee of the wearer and are securely tightened about the calf muscles, i.e. the gastrocnemius and the soleus by end strapping 18 (or the like). Of course, in an alternative embodiment, the over-trousers 10 can be shortened such that the overall length finishes above the knee of the wearer. In the event that the over-trousers are cut above the knee, then the strapping 16 secures generally around the quadriceps of the wearer. The strapping 16 is tightened, in use, to prevent a blast wave from travelling inwardly within a pipe formed by the soft armour plate and over-trousers 10, i.e. inside of the over-trouser and immediately adjacent (and generally in a laminar pattern relative) to the legs of the wearer.

A preferred embodiment where the chaps are relatively long, a molded knee pad 20 can be secured to the cloth material 22 of the over-trouser 10.

The over-trouser 10 is cut and formed to provide a wrap-around waist 24, with the waste 24 incorporating an adjustable waistband 26 permitting secure fitment of the over-trousers 10 to the wearer. Prior to fastening the open-flank seen, the over-trousers 10 thus resemble an apron that can be tied in place about the waste of the wearer.

In a preferred embodiment, the waist region is extended upwardly to form a collar 28, which collar permits a lower edge 30 of conventional upper-body armour 32 to sit beneath an upper edge 34 of collar 28. Functionally, the upwardly extending collar or lip (with its fanning outward nature) permits a boundary between conventional upper-body (30) and the waistband to be overlapped such that an upwardly rising blast wave (36) is deflected along the upper body armour and does not impinge on at the boundary. The collar 28 may be ribbed or otherwise reinforced so as to withstand and direct the blast wave. The interaction between the collar 28 and the upper-body armour 32 means that the over-trousers 10 provide a contiguous protective surface or region and avoid channeling of the shockwave 36 between the upper-body armour 32 and the wearer.

Preferably, pockets 40 are formed within the fabric 22, which pockets may be interior to or exterior to the surface of fabric. Within each pocket (or pouch) is located a correspondingly-shaped soft armour element 42 having a selected thickness corresponding to a particular degree of ballistic protection. In fact, the pockets 40 can include multiple soft armour plate elements that may be layered on top of each other. A first pocket 40a is strategically positioned in front of the crotch region of the wearer to protect the wearer's genitalia, with additional pockets 40b extending along and about an inner seam 46 of the over-trousers 10 to provide inside thigh protection. Padding (not shown) may be provided between an inners surface of the pocket and the skin of the wearer to augment the fabric 22, although padding is generally limited so as not to trap heat and not to unnecessarily bulk-out the over-trousers (that could compromise movement). The protective soft armour elements 42 therefore provide blast protect to the lower abdomen and especially the crotch, groin, inside regions of the upper thighs and significant areas of or around the buttocks. The protective armour elements of the preferred embodiments extend at least under the crotch and around the front and rear areas of the lower abdomen (i.e. groin and buttocks) and thus provide protection against blasts (e.g. from IEDs) occurring at ground level.

Referring briefly to FIG. 5, a rear view of the over-trousers 10 is shown. Essentially, the pocket (in which the protective armour plate is located) may be differently shaped to extend across the buttocks and anal region. The front and back of the over-trousers is therefore not necessarily symmetrical in appearance.

Although FIGS. 1 to 5 show the front adnominal protective armour elements 42a and rear buttock protective armour elements 42c as being generally U-shaped, cup-shaped or chalice-shaped, their exact shape is determined from the degree of protection that is desired for the underlying body parts and, indeed, the shape of the body part to be protected. That said, to maintain flexibility of movement, the protective armour elements 42 generally only cover the vital arteries and organs in the lower belly/upper groin and also the genitalia. For example, the preferred arrangement for inside thigh protective armour elements 42b offers increased protection to the common iliac artery, the external and internal iliac and the femoral artery (as well as the profunda femorus and superficial femoral artery). Typically, therefore, the inside thigh protective armour elements 42b will be strip-shaped and surround about one-third of the circumference of the leg. The rear buttock protective armour elements, in contrast, extends across the buttock regions to inhibit the effects of explosion shockwaves that otherwise might enter the anal passage and which might cause significant damage to the colon.

Returning to FIG. 1, an inner seam of the over-trousers is formed to include a tether 50. The tether 50 is generally tacked/lightly stitched in place along its length, but securely affixed to the cloth 22 at both of its ends. The function of the tether is to prevent the user's legs from being splayed beyond a certain critical point (typically beyond the splits position) where limb damage or trauma would occur. The tether 50 will therefore detach from the over-trousers along its length, whilst its overall length sees it act as a restraining cord. The tether is therefore generally made from a multi-filamented, resistive material that is designed not to snap but which offers some positive/elasticated resistance to stretching. For example, the tether 50 may be webbing material or Dyneema®.

With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the open-flanked nature of the chinks is again shown. Whilst front and rear sections of an abdominal region (i.e. the undershort or pant region) may be formed as separate components, they may also be formed as a unitary piece. However, the nature of anti-ballistic woven materials means that they are difficult to bend and, consequently, multiple protective elements 42 may need to be located in abutting engagement, with one or more additional pads provided across the abutting joint to accommodate curvature in two planes and to ensure that any joint is not an area of weakness/limited ballistic protection.

Referring initially to FIGS. 3 and 6, curved left leg portion 60 and curved right leg portion 62 include thigh strapping 16 and, in this instance, a tubed end portion 64 through which a low leg is slipped. The tubed end portion either replaces the end strapping 18 or incorporates the tubed end strapping to ensure that positive engagement of the end of the each leg chap occurs around the leg of the wearer. A leg of the wearer, such as a soldier, would therefore obscure the majority of the inner leg portion as shown, with the strapping 16 illustrative of the column that is formed for each leg of the wearer.

The thigh strapping 16 is artificially illustrated in that (in the image) it is shown as extending laterally and seemingly rigid, but this assists in showing how the curved leg portions 60, 62 pipe a “half-pipe” along the inner thigh region. For the sake of clarity, the pockets (and also the armour elements) have been omitted, although the skilled addressee will appreciate that such protective armour elements are strategically housed along and in the half-pipe leg portions. An upper pant or saddle portion 66 is shaped to fit around the buttocks and genitalia in a fashion similar to conventional briefs or jockey shorts. The upper pant portion is preferably made from an essentially T-shaped or Y-shaped front portion and an essentially T-shaped or Y-shaped rear portion that abut against each other and are joined together, e.g. by stitching, to form a bridge 74.

The curved leg portions 60, 62 attach to the upper pant portion 66 using a releasable attachment 70, such as Velcro®, although stitching could also be employed; this is illustrated in FIG. 6. The curved leg portions 60, 62 are also preferably stitched 72 to the bridge 74 that permits front and rear portions of the upper pant 66 to be connected together. However, to ensure mobility, a vent 76 may be left between the curved left leg portion 60, 62 and the stitching 72 on the bridge.

With reference to FIGS. 3 and 6, the curved nature of the curved left leg portions 60, 62 is shown in three-dimensional perspective. Again, pockets and protective armour have been omitted and, furthermore, only the curved right leg portion 62 is shown. In view of the existence of the stitched joint in the bridge 74, an armour protective pad 80 is preferably positioned across the joint and thus at least partially across the bridge 74. The position of the pad 80 can be internal to external to the upper pant 66, with FIGS. 3 and 4 showing the pad interior to the leg portions 60, 62. The vent 74 that supports some independent movement of the legs portions 60, 62 relative to the upper pant 66 is shown in FIG. 3.

Indeed, with reference to FIG. 4, position and relative movement of the bridge 80 relative to the front and rear pant portions is illustrated by arrows 82. Integral pocketing detail used to retain the protective armour within the material structure of the under-trouser 10 is omitted for the sake of clarity, although the skilled person will now be aware about the positioning and construction of suitable pockets 40 (such as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5).

It will, of course, be appreciated that the above description has been given by way of example only and that modifications in detail may be made within the scope of the present invention. The wrap-around over-trousers may be worn as a part of a complementary system in that body armour panels in the over-trousers can overlay undergarment body armour, such as the aforementioned BlastBoxer™ undergarments in which a multi-paneled protective undergarment comprises: a ballistic resistant protective panel forming one panel of the undergarment; and a low thermal burden material snitched to the ballistic resistant panel, the low thermal burden material forming complementary fabric panels in the undergarment and wherein the ballistic resistant panel and the low thermal burden material in combination structurally assemble into the undergarment.

For reasons of clarification, “soft armour” is generally understood as being a protective element composed of assemblies of ballistic fibres, such as those formed from Kevlar® from the DuPont company. Typically, soft armour will employ fifteen to thirty layers of thin, flexible and tightly-woven ballistic fabrics that are generally lightweight and effective and stopping handgun rounds. In building up the layers, the resultant garment tends to be very stiff and restrictive of free movement. In normal use, soft armour generally protects against blunt trauma. In contrast, to provide protection against more serious threats, such as high velocity rifle rounds, soft-armour may be augmented or otherwise substituted by the use of “hard armour”. Hard armour can be considered to be equivalent to an exoskeleton in that it is fabricated from rigid plates made from ceramic, polymers or metal sheets. These plates are usually molded or generally formed to conform to the physique of a standard wearer. Clearly, greater protection is achieved through the use of large plates of hard armour, although this has a drawback in that the plates are both relatively heavy and cumbersome and thus increase fatigue and interfere with a wearer's mobility (even more so than that of soft armour).

While a preferred embodiment makes use of pockets to support the insertion of (preferably) soft-armour, it will be understood that the over-trousers may include one or more pockets that include hard armour. Indeed, the provision of pockets permits the user to vary the amount of protection dependant upon the perceived threat.

It is also contemplated that, in one embodiment, certain pockets may, in fact, be integral to the over-trouser in that the soft-armour is non-removable and thus permanent to and integral with part of the over-trousers. The pocket is therefore redundant to the extent that woven material (having armour-plate properties) can be directly fixed (e.g. glued, stapled, welded or stitched) to abutting fabric material providing the underlying shape and substrate of the trouser garment. Indeed, in this respect, the soft-armour may be realized by layer-up-layer of knitted silk or Kevlar® fibres. For example, protective panels may be made from knitted Kevlar® having a thickness of between about 2 mm and 3 mm. Different protective panels can have different thicknesses of this slash-proof material, e.g. front adnominal region typically will have a higher anti-ballistic/shock rating than that for the thigh regions.

In terms of slash-proof materials, the fabric “Quality K2815” by Dale Techniche with a weight of 360/380 grams per square metre (gsm) is one suitable material, with Quality K2815 being a heavier modified interlock knit fabric that is flame retardant and made from 100% Kevlar® fibre. In other embodiments, alternative anti-slash/anti-ballistic materials may be used, including Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMwPE). Multiple stacked layers (typically at least three) of silk twill or knitted silk having a weave weight of 100 gsm have also been found to perform, with natural silk fibres having an inherent advantage of a generally inert nature.

It will be understood that unless features in the particular preferred embodiments are expressly identified as incompatible with one another or the surrounding context implies that they are mutually exclusive and not readily combinable in a complementary and/or supportive sense, the totality of this disclosure contemplates and envisions that specific features of those complementary embodiments can be selectively combined to provide one or more comprehensive, but slightly different, technical solutions.

The terms “anti-ballistic” or “ballistic resistant” should be construed in the sense of a strengthened material knit or weave that deflects or impedes ballistic fragment penetration, with the term “slash-proof” representing one type of material that is suitable for application in this context. The terms therefore commonly imply some form of armoured protection, with the degree of armoured protection determined by the composition of the material and/or the physical parameters used in its construction.

Claims

1. Armoured over-trousers comprising: a fabric material forming a pair of chinks having an open lateral external flank along outer regions of the over-trousers, covered inner thigh regions opposite the outer regions and an upper pant cooperating with the inner thigh regions to define the over-trousers; andat least one piece of armour plate included in the over-trousers, the at least one piece of armour plate sized, shaped and located in the over-trousers to protect, in use, at least one lower abdominal region of a person against which the armour plate is held by the fabric material.

2. The armoured over-trousers according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of armour plate covering, in use, at least some of the body regions selected from the group consisting of: the lower abdomen;the crotch;the upper groin;the genitalia;the lower belly;inside regions of the upper thighs; andthe buttocks.

3. The armoured over-trousers according to claim 2, wherein an interface between proximately located armour plates is covered by an armour pad and wherein the armour pad is permitted to move independently of the armour plates.

4. The armoured over-trousers according to claim 1, wherein the armour plate is located within a pocket formed in the fabric material.

5. The armoured over-trousers according to claim 2, wherein the armour plate is a panel integrated with the fabric material, the panel forming an integral part of the armoured over-trousers in combination with the fabric material.

6. The armoured over-trousers according to claim 5, wherein the open lateral external flank provides hand-access to the interior of the over-trousers.

7. The armoured over-trousers according to claim 1, further including end strapping at each remote lower end of the covered inner thigh regions, the end strapping securing, in use, each remote lower end about a leg of the wearer.

8. The armoured over-trousers according to claim 7, wherein each remote lower end includes a molded knee-protector.

9. The armoured over-trousers according to claim 7, further including a thigh strap (16) extending across each open lateral external flank.

10. The armoured over-trousers according to claim 1, further including a tether affixed to and extending along at least a portion of an inner seam of both covered inner thigh regions, the tether having its ends firmly anchored in the over-trouser such that, upon rupture of the inner seam, splaying of the inner thigh regions is constrained.

11. The armoured over-trousers according to claim 1, further comprising a protective collar extending upwardly and fanning outwardly from a waistband of the over-trousers.

12. The armoured over-trousers according to claim 11, wherein the collar is reinforced to as to deflect an incident blast wave outwardly from the waist of the over-trousers.

13. The armoured over-trousers according to claim 3, further comprising a protective collar extending upwardly and fanning outwardly from a waistband of the over-trousers.

14. A protective armour system comprising: a) the over-trouser of any preceding claim in combination withb) a multi-paneled protective undergarment comprising: a ballistic resistant protective panel forming one panel of the undergarment; anda low thermal burden material coupled to the ballistic resistant panel, the low thermal burden material forming complementary fabric panels in the undergarment;wherein the ballistic resistant panel and the low thermal burden material in combination structurally assemble into the undergarment.

15. The protective armour system of claim 14, wherein the ballistic resistant protective panel is located in a complementary position relative to the armour plate.