Patent Application
20230204327
Some conventional body armor carriers may be bulky and present one or more challenges to a wearer, such as shifting position during wear or requiring additional clothing or uniform layers under or on top of the conventional body armor carrier. Further, some conventional body armor carriers may leave a wearer's side exposed to possible injury and/or may leave a wearer's upper chest and shoulder areas exposed to potential injury due to loose fit of some conventional body armor carriers.
Some implementations include a body armor carrier garment, comprising a front inner shell, and a front outer shell, where the front inner shell is attached to the front outer shell via front stitching to form a front protective panel pocket, between the front inner shell and the front outer shell, to hold a front protective panel in place in the front protective panel pocket, wherein the front stitching includes a front bottom stitch, a first arm stitch, a second arm stitch, a first shoulder stitch, a second shoulder stitch, and a neck opening stitch, wherein a front opening is formed on the front inner shell to permit the front protective panel to be inserted into the front protective panel pocket, and wherein the opening includes a releasable front closure. The body armor carrier garment also comprises a back inner shell, and a back outer shell, wherein the back inner shell is attached to the back outer shell via back stitching to form a back protective panel pocket, between the back inner shell and the back outer shell, to hold a back protective panel in place in the back protective panel pocket, wherein the back stitching includes a back bottom stitch and a back top stitch, wherein a back opening is formed on the back inner shell to permit the back protective panel to be inserted into the back protective panel pocket, and wherein the back opening includes a releasable back closure.
The body armor carrier garment further comprises a right side zipper attached to the front inner shell and the front outer shell on a first side of the right side zipper and attached to the back inner shell and the back outer shell on a second side of the right side zipper, wherein the right side zipper extends from a bottom hem of the body armor carrier garment to a point on a right side of the body armor carrier garment adjacent the releasable front closure and the releasable back closure. The body armor carrier garment also includes a left side zipper attached to the front inner shell and the front outer shell on a first side of the left side zipper and attached to the back inner shell and the back outer shell on a second side of the left side zipper, wherein the left side zipper extends from the bottom hem of the body armor carrier garment to a point on a left side of the body armor carrier garment adjacent the releasable front closure and the releasable back closure, and wherein the right side zipper and the left side zipper releasably attach a portion of the front inner shell and the front outer shell to the back inner shell and the back outer shell such that an expandable torso opening is formed in the body armor carrier garment.
The body armor carrier can also include a right side arcuate opening formed on the front inner shell and disposed in an area adjacent the releasable front closure and an end of the right side zipper, a left side arcuate opening formed on the front inner shell and disposed in an area adjacent the releasable front closure and an end of the left side zipper, and a neck opening, a right sleeve, and a left sleeve.
In some implementations, the body armor carrier can further include a front plate pocket formed on an exterior of the front outer shell and having an opening at a top of the front plate pocket, wherein the front plate pocket is formed to have a width that is approximately same as a width of the neck opening of the body armor carrier garment. In some implementations, the front inner shell and the front outer shell are stitched together from a point adjacent the front bottom stitch to the bottom hem of the body armor carrier garment, and wherein the back inner shell and the back outer shell are stitched together from a point adjacent the back bottom stitch to the bottom hem of the body armor carrier garment.
In some implementations, the body armor carrier can further include a crew neck collar attached to the neck opening. In some implementations, the body armor carrier can also include a dress shirt style collar attached to the neck opening.
In some implementations, the body armor carrier can further include a badge indicium formed on the front outer shell. In some implementations, the body armor carrier can also include a name plate indicium formed on the front outer shell.
In some implementations, the body armor carrier can further include a front rifle plate pocket formed on an exterior of the front outer shell. In some implementations, the body armor carrier can also include a back rifle plate pocket formed on an exterior of the back outer shell.
In some implementations, the body armor carrier can further include a body camera pocket formed on an exterior of the front outer shell. In some implementations, the body armor carrier can also include a back cooling pocket formed on an exterior of the back outer shell near the bottom hem of the body armor carrier garment, wherein the back cooling pocket has an opening formed at a top of the back cooling pocket, and wherein the opening has a releasable closure.
In some implementations, the body armor carrier can further include a side utility pocket formed on a right side or a left side of the body armor carrier garment. In some implementations, the body armor carrier can also include a side firearm holster formed on an exterior of the body armor carrier garment on a right side or left side and respectively disposed below the right sleeve or the left sleeve.
In some implementations, the front stitching and the back stitching include a reinforced double-lock stitch or flat lock stitch. In some implementations, the right sleeve and the left sleeve are both short sleeves.
In some implementations, the right sleeve and the left sleeve are both long sleeves. In some implementations, the front inner shell, the front outer shell, the back inner shell, and the back outer shell are formed from 80% nylon and 20% elastane, to which one or more of a wicking agent, an anti-microbial agent, or a fabric softener agent is applied.
According to another aspect, a body armor carrier garment can comprise a front protective panel disposed within the front protective panel pocket and a back protective panel disposed within the back protective pocket, wherein the protective panels are ballistic-resistant and/or stab-resistant.
According to yet another aspect, a body armor system can include a body armor carrier garment as described herein, further comprising one or more of: a front protective panel configured to be disposed within the front protective panel pocket, the front protective panel being configured as a stab-resistant or a ballistic-resistant protective panel; a back protective panel configured to be disposed within the back protective panel pocket, the back protective panel being configured as a stab-resistant or a ballistic-resistant protective panel; a body camera device configured to be disposed within the body camera pocket; a front rifle plate configured to be disposed within the front rifle plate pocket; and/or a back rifle plate configured to be disposed within the back rifle plate pocket.
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. In the drawings, similar symbols typically identify similar components, unless context dictates otherwise. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented herein. The aspects of the present disclosure, as generally described herein, and illustrated in the figures, can be arranged, substituted, combined, separated, and designed in a wide variety of different configurations, all of which are implicitly contemplated herein. Dimensions shown in the drawings or described below are for illustration purposes. Other dimensions can be used.
This disclosure is drawn, inter alia, to body armor carrier garments that provide a comfortable compression/stretch fit garment that holds removable ballistic and/or stab-resistant packets or panels. Some implementations can include a garment that houses ballistic panels in a stable and flexible manner. By making the body armor carrier garment more comfortable to the wearer, the wearer may be encouraged to wear body armor more often, thus reducing a risk of projectile or stabbing injury. Some implementations can include a garment fit that is different than the fit of traditional ballistic panel carrier vests.
According to some implementations, one or more of the front stitching 102, front bottom stitch 108, first arm stitch 120, second arm stitch 122, first shoulder stitch 124, second shoulder stitch 126, and neck opening stitch 128 are flat stiches. Flat stitches are stiches that are configured to avoid discomfort by the wearer by reducing or eliminating a feeling of the stitch “digging in” or disturbing the skin of the wearer. Other suitable stitches to increase comfort may also be applicable.
The body armor carrier garment 100 includes a right side zipper 112 attached to the front inner shell and the front outer shell on one side of the right side zipper 112, and attached to a back inner shell and a back outer shell on the other side of the right side zipper 112. In some implementations, the right side zipper 112 extends from a bottom hem 130 of the body armor carrier garment 100 to a point on a right side of the body armor carrier garment 100 adjacent the releasable front closure 118 and a releasable back closure (218 shown in
The body armor carrier garment 100 also includes a left side zipper 110 attached to the front inner shell and the front outer shell on one side of the left side zipper 110, and attached to the back inner shell and the back outer shell on the other side of the left side zipper 110. In some implementations, the left side zipper 110 extends from the bottom hem 130 of the body armor carrier garment 100 to a point on a left side of the body armor carrier garment adjacent the releasable front closure 118 and the releasable back closure (218 shown in
The body armor carrier garment 100 front includes a right side arcuate opening 116 formed on the front inner shell and disposed in an area adjacent the releasable front closure 106 and an end of the right side zipper 112. The body armor carrier garment 100 also includes a left side arcuate opening 114 formed on the front inner shell and disposed in an area adjacent the releasable front closure 106 and an end of the left side zipper 110. The body armor carrier garment 100 also includes a neck opening 132 (with crew neck style collar shown), a right sleeve 134, and a left sleeve 136. The right side arcuate opening 116 and the left side arcuate opening 114 permit sides of protective panels (e.g., ballistic panels) inserted into the body armor carrier garment 100 to extend around the sides of a wearer and provide protection to the sides of the wearer's body.
The body armor carrier garment 100 can also include a front plate pocket 120 formed on an exterior of the front outer shell and having an opening at a top of the front plate pocket, wherein the front plate pocket is formed to have a width that is approximately the same as a width of the neck opening 132 of the body armor carrier garment 100. The front plate pocket 120 can be configured to hold a trauma plate such as a 3″×8″ trauma or rifle plate. Additionally, the front plate pocket 120 can be further configured to hide and/or retain a global positioning system (GPS) device, triangulation device, geo-location device, and/or beacon device such that a physical location of the wearer may be readily determined by any suitable detection device. Furthermore, if packaged as a “kit,” a suitable geo-location device as described above may be packaged with the garment 100 (or any other garment disclosed herein) such that the device is pre-installed, fixedly attached, and/or removeably attached within the front plate pocket 120.
According to some implementations, one or more of the back bottom stitch 208 and the back top stitch 220 are flat stiches. Flat stitches are stiches that are configured to avoid discomfort by the wearer by reducing or eliminating a feeling of the stitch “digging in” or disturbing the skin of the wearer. Other suitable stitches to increase comfort may also be applicable.
The body armor carrier garment 100 back includes a right side arcuate opening 214 formed on the back inner shell and disposed in an area adjacent the releasable back closure 218 and an end of the right side zipper 112. The body armor carrier garment 100 also includes a left side arcuate opening 216 formed on the back inner shell and disposed in an area adjacent the releasable back closure 218 and an end of the left side zipper 110.
In some implementations, the front inner shell and the front outer shell are stitched together from a point adjacent the front bottom stitch 108 to the bottom hem 130 of the body armor carrier garment 100, and the back inner shell and the back outer shell are stitched together from a point adjacent the back bottom stitch 208 to the bottom hem 130 of the body armor carrier garment 100.
By including a collar (e.g., 402 or 502) and/or badges or name plate indicia, a body armor carrier garment such as 400 or 500 can also serve as a service uniform shirt and eliminate the need for a wearer to wear a separate service uniform shirt in addition to a body armor carrier.
In some implementations, the front stitching and the back stitching include reinforced stitching to improve the durability of the garment. The stitching can also include a double-lock or a flat lock stitch around the protective panel pockets for strength and flexibility (stretchability). Furthermore, a flat stich may be used, particularly around a ridge of the shoulder and around arm openings to increase user comfort by eliminating and/or reducing a sensation that stitching is “digging” into a user's skin.
In some implementations, the front inner shell, the front outer shell, the back inner shell and the back outer shell are formed from a stretch material comprised of 80% nylon and 20% Lycra/spandex (elastane), to which wicking, anti-microbial, and/or fabric softener agents have been applied. In additional implementations, a 4-way stretch material is used to form the front inner shell, the front outer shell, the back inner shell and the back outer shell.
The protective panels held by the body armor carrier garment implementations described above can include ballistic packets, ballistic-resistant protective panels, stab-resistant protective panels, and/or stab resistant packets including, but not limited to: NIJ Certified—Level II & Level III, Semforex Alfa Elite AX IIIA MC, Semforex Alfa Elite AX II MC, Semforex Security SP+2LE MC, Semforex Cobra GNX IIIA MC, Semforex Cobra GNX II MC, Semforex Standard CI IIA-2MC, Semforex Standard CII-3 MC, Semforex Alfa Elite AX IIIAF MX4, Semforex Alfa Elite AX IIF MX, Semforex Security SP+2LEF MX4, MC: Male MX4: Female, or other suitable protective panel or packet.
Some implementations can include a body armor carrier garment that is concealable, includes wicking performance, is form-fitting, provides compression fit, includes body-friendly material, is hypo-allergenic, is breathable, is washable, has a tapered structure that is not boxy, is concealed, but smart-looking, provides a solution to issues of uncomfortable fit and wear in conventional body armor carriers, moves easily but firmly with the body, is more pliable than conventional carriers worn today, and/or may be more compatible with the body armor—without compromising safety and security.
Some implementations can include one or more sensors integrated into the garment such as heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, etc. to monitor health parameters of a wearer (e.g., stress level, etc.). The sensors can be connected to a mobile computing and communications device to process the signals, record the signals locally, and transmit one or more signals via wireless (or wired) communication to an external device.
The present disclosure is not to be limited in terms of the particular embodiments or implementations described in this application, which are intended as illustrations of various aspects. Many modifications and embodiments can be made without departing from its spirit and scope. Functionally equivalent methods and apparatuses within the scope of the disclosure, in addition to those enumerated herein, are possible from the foregoing descriptions. Such modifications and embodiments are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims. The present disclosure is to be limited only by the terms of the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. This disclosure is not limited to particular methods, which can, of course, vary. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting.
With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singular terms herein, the terms can be translated from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application. The various singular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity.
In general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.).
If a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to embodiments containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, such recitation should be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations).
Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). Virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase “A or B” will be understood to include the possibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.”
In addition, where features or aspects of the disclosure are described in terms of Markush groups, the disclosure is also thereby described in terms of any individual member or subgroup of members of the Markush group.
For any and all purposes, such as in terms of providing a written description, all ranges disclosed herein also encompass any and all possible subranges and combinations of subranges thereof. Any listed range can be easily recognized as sufficiently describing and enabling the same range being broken down into at least equal halves, thirds, quarters, fifths, tenths, etc. As a non-limiting example, each range discussed herein can be readily broken down into a lower third, middle third and upper third, etc. Language such as “up to,” “at least,” “greater than,” “less than,” and the like include the number recited and refer to ranges which can be subsequently broken down into subranges as discussed above. A range includes each individual member. Thus, for example, a group having 1-3 items refers to groups having 1, 2, or 3 items. Similarly, a group having 1-5 items refers to groups having 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 items, and so forth.
The herein described subject matter sometimes illustrates different components contained within, or connected with, different other components. Such depicted architectures are merely embodiments, and in fact many other architectures can be implemented which achieve the same functionality. In a conceptual sense, any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality is effectively “associated” such that the desired functionality is achieved. Hence, any two components herein combined to achieve a particular functionality can be seen as “associated with” each other such that the desired functionality is achieved, irrespective of architectures or intermediate components. Likewise, any two components so associated can also be viewed as being “operably connected”, or “operably coupled”, to each other to achieve the desired functionality, and any two components capable of being so associated can also be viewed as being “operably couplable”, to each other to achieve the desired functionality. Specific embodiments of operably couplable include but are not limited to physically mateable and/or physically interacting components.
While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments are possible. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting.
This application is a § 371 national stage of PCT International Application No. PCT/US21/31039, entitled “Body Armor Carrier Garment” filed on May 6, 2021, which claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 63/021,543, filed on May 7, 2020, entitled “Body Armor Carrier Garment,” the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US21/31039 | 5/6/2021 | WO |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63021543 | May 2020 | US |
