Priority is claimed from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/865,550 entitled “Bomb Disposal Suit with Back Protector” filed Sep. 25, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,690,450, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
A bomb disposal suit includes a jacket and trousers. The suit is designed to protect the wearer of the suit against overpressure, acceleration, fragmentation, and heat, in the event of an explosion. Because of the heavy protective construction of a bomb disposal suit, the wearer can become quite hot when wearing the suit. Also, the jacket, because it is so heavily configured for protection of the wearer, can place a substantial load on the shoulders of the wearer. In addition, the spinal area of the wearer must be protected with impact resistant material in the event the wearer is thrown backward onto the ground by the force of a blast.
This invention relates to a bomb disposal suit with a back protector. The invention is applicable to bomb disposal suits and back protectors of varying constructions. As representative of the invention,
The suit 10 (
The jacket 12 (
The torso section of the jacket 12 has a multilayered construction including an internal body or layer 28 (
A hook and loop connector patch 34 on the jacket 12 (
A second hook and loop connector patch 35 on the jacket 12 (
The waistband area 40 of the trousers 14 (
The back protector 20, as noted above, includes four major elements: a cover 50, a body of impact resistant material 52, a fan assembly 54, and a back plate 56. The back plate 56 (
The back plate 56 (
Various different materials can be used for the back plate 56, for example, a composite material, for example a thermoplastic composite material. In one embodiment, the back plate is about 8.25 inches wide and 0.125 inches thick. An optional carbon fiber sheet 59, about 0.04 inches thick, may be attached to the outer (convex) surface of the upper portion 57 of the back plate 56. The carbon fiber sheet 59 is inflexible and may help to preserve the needed curvature of the upper portion of the back plate during storage and use, if necessary. This sheet 59 is represented also schematically in
The back plate 56 is able to transmit load vertically along the length of the back protector 20. The back plate 56 is substantially more rigid in this aspect than the body of impact resistant material 52. As a result, and as described below in detail, the back plate 56 can transmit a significant portion of the load (weight) of the jacket 12 vertically downward into the trousers 14, to relieve the burden on the wearer's shoulders.
The body of impact resistant material 52 (
In this regard, bomb disposal suits are manufactured to meet certain NIJ (National Institute of Justice) standards, for protection of the wearer. The relevant NIJ standard is No. 0117 Public Safety Bomb Suit Standard that specifies certain impact resistance requirements for a bomb disposal suit. The current version of this standard contains a spine protection requirement in which the maximum force value transmitted shall not exceed 4 kN (four kilo-Newtons) upon performance of a certain sphere drop test. This Standard is available and described online at the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, website at https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/227357.pdf, and at other locations.
The NIJ standards provide certain specific shapes such as anvils whose energy must be attenuated to below certain levels of transmitted force/energy to the underlying body tissue of the wearer. Thus, the impact protection material is not simply a comfort padding that may provide some minimal level of bump or impact protection. A material such as the ballistic fabric typically found in ballistic vests, although it does provide some impact protection per se, is not really suitable for this application. Foam-like materials are characterized by a steep increase in their stress-strain curve when they reach a certain level of compression, at which point their impact attenuation efficiency decreases significantly.
In the illustrated embodiment, the impact resistant material 52 is a flexible plastic cushioning material that is resilient, and, when configured as described herein, exhibits high enough impact resistance to help the suit 10 to meet the NIJ standard. Such material is available in various different configurations, including the one particular configuration that is illustrated herein as being preferred but not as being limiting.
The body of impact resistant material 52 in the illustrated embodiment is made from two layers 60 and 62 of material that are bonded together. The first or outer layer 60 has a main wall 64, and a series of projections 66 that are in the shape of domes or cones, with air space between the projections. In the illustrated embodiment, the material has a wall thickness of about 0.04 inches. The cones 66 have a height of about 0.5 inches and a diameter at their widest point of about 0.6 inches. The cones 66 may be located, as illustrated, in a regular array of rows and columns, on the main wall 64, at a center to center spacing of about 0.875 inches.
The second or inner layer 62 of impact resistant material is similar in makeup to the first layer 60. The second layer has a main wall 68 and a series of cone shaped projections 70, with air space between the projections.
The two material layers 60 and 62 (
The two material layers 60 and 62 are bonded together along their long side edges 76. A number of air outlet pores 78 are formed in those bonded edges 76, to allow air to flow out of the plenum 74 at the sides of the body of impact resistant material 52. In addition, a large number of air outlet pores 80 are formed in the main wall 68 of the inner layer 62. The pores 80 allow air to flow out of the plenum 74 along the inner side of the body of impact resistant material 52. Together, all the air outlet pores 78 and 80 and in the impact resistant material 52 constitute an air outlet of the impact resistant material 52, which is an air outlet of the back protector 10.
The joining of the two layers of material 60 and 62 in this manner provides a resilient, highly impact resistant structure. Specifically, the cone-shaped projections 66 and 70 on the material layers 60 and 62 deform under force that is applied in a direction normal to the plane of the back protector 10. In addition, the material itself is impact resistant. With the two layers 60 and 62 bonded together as described, and in the event of an impact on the back protector 10, the two layers form a resilient structure that physically absorbs impact force and resists transmission of that force to the opposite side of the body of impact resistant material 52.
The cover 50 (
The cover 50 is shaped as a closed sleeve with an elongate configuration that extends from the wearer's shoulders down to the waist. A main body portion 84 of the cover 50 is generally rectangular in configuration. The main body portion 84 of the cover 50 includes an inner panel 86 (closer to the wearer) and an outer panel 88 (closer to the jacket 12), between which are located the back plate 56 and the body of impact resistant material 52. The inner panel 86 of the cover 50, which faces the torso of the wearer when the suit is being worn, is porous at selected areas to allow ventilating air to flow through.
The cover 50 is open at the bottom to enable removal and/or replacement of the other parts of the back protector 10. A strap 90 extends from the bottom end of the cover 50 to extend over and secure the other parts of the back protector 20 within the cover.
At the upper end of the main body portion 84 of the cover 50, the cover widens out and forms two ears 92 that extend over the wearer's shoulders. The ears 92 may have hook and loop patches as shown to help secure in place the upper end portion of the cover 50 of the back protector 20, inside the jacket 12. A layer of foam padding about one inch thick is preferably located inside the ear portions 92 of the cover 50, which sit on the wearer's shoulders. The cover 50 is sewn shut below the ears, along the bottom edge of the U-shaped opening that is formed between the ears, by means of a stitching section or seam 120 (
The cover 50 include three hook and loop connector patches that engage the two patches 34 and 35 on the jacket 12 and the patch 42 on the trousers 14. The first on of these three patches is a cover portion 94 (
The second connector patch on the cover 50 is a cover portion 95 (
The third connector patch on the cover 50 is a cover portion 100 (
The body of impact resistant material 52 (
The fan assembly 54 (
The dimensions of the several parts of the back protector 20 are selected so that the back plate 56 and the body of impact resistant material 52 are contained within the cover 50 with virtually no movement allowed. Specifically, the length of the back plate 56 and of the body of impact resistant material 52 are selected to fit closely inside the main body portion 84 of the cover 50. The upper end of the main body portion 84 of the cover 50 is sewn shut at the bottom of the U-shaped opening between the ears 92, at the seam 120. The upper end of the back plate 56 abuts this seam 120. At the lower end of the cover 50, the strap 90 is closed tightly over the fan assembly 54, lifting it up into the interior of the cover. The lower end of the back plate 56 also is held up by the strap 90. As a result, the back plate 56 is firmly held in the cover 50 against lengthwise (vertical) movement within the cover. In addition, the width of the back plate 56 and the width of the body of impact resistant material 52 are selected to eliminate any significant lateral movement inside the cover 50.
After the back protector 20 is fully assembled, it is connected with the jacket 12 first, and then with the trousers 14. The back protector 20 is positioned on the inside of the jacket 12 by engaging the upper jacket connector 37. This engagement ensures that the back protector is properly positioned high enough on the jacket 12 to provide the required protection for the cervical and thoracic spine. With the jacket 12 and the back protector in this condition, the lower jacket connector 36 is then engaged. After the trousers 14 are donned, the jacket 12 is donned, together with the back protector 50, and the trousers connector 46 is engaged. As a result, the jacket 12, the back protector 20, and the trousers 14 are fully interconnected.
The back protector 20 is able to transmit vertical load between the jacket 12 and the trousers 14, in the following manner. An upper area of the back protector 20 is secured to the jacket via the lower jacket connector 36, at about the location of the small of the back. A lower area of the back protector 20 is secured to the trousers 14 via the trousers connector 46. The back protector 20 is thereby releasably connected in a force-transmitting relationship between the jacket 12 and the trousers 14. As a result, vertical load (weight) from the jacket 12 is transmitted downward through the back protector 20 into the trousers 14. The back protector 20 thus removes some or substantially all of the load on the shoulders of the wearer, as desired.
When the bomb disposal suit 10 is worn, the back plate 56 and the body of impact resistant material 52 provide the needed impact resistance for the spinal area of the wearer, in the event of a force such as a bomb blast on the front of the wearer that throws the wearer backward onto the wearer's back. The harder material of the back plate 56, more directly engaging the impact, distributes the force to the softer impact resistant material 52, which conforms to the wearer's back and further cushions the impact. The hourglass shapes in the body of impact resistant material 52 are compressed along their length between the harder flat layers of the main walls 64 and 68. As this occurs, any remaining force is dispersed over a wider area.
When the bomb disposal suit 10 is worn, the back protector 20 also provides ventilation and cooling to the wearer of the bomb disposal suit 10. The fan 112, when actuated, pulls air into the fan housing 110 and directs the air out of the housing, through the duct 114, into the plenum 74 that is located between the two panels 60 and 62 of impact resistant material 52. The ventilating air flows through the plenum 74, in a vertically upward direction. The ventilating air exits the body of impact resistant material 52 through the air outlet pores 80 in the inner major side surface of the body, in a direction indicated by the arrows 130 in
A small portion of the forced ventilating air also flows out of the secondary pores 78 in the side edges 76 of the body of impact resistant material 52, in a direction indicated by the arrows 132 in
The presence of the plenum 74, an integral part of the body of impact resistant material 52, means that there is no need for additional tubing specifically for the purpose of ventilation. The presence and availability of the plenum 74 also attest to the high ratio of impact attenuation to weight for the body of impact resistant material 52. Lighter weight in the bomb disposal suit 10 is a strongly desired characteristic. Being able to provide the high levels of impact resistance, and also ventilation, in a light weight structure, is very beneficial.
From the foregoing description, those skilled in the art will perceive improvements, changes, and modifications in the invention. Such improvements, changes, and modifications within the skill of the art are intended to be covered by the appended claims.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
5564124 | Elsherif et al. | Oct 1996 | A |
5970519 | Weber | Oct 1999 | A |
6105382 | Reason | Aug 2000 | A |
8365312 | Herring | Feb 2013 | B2 |
8533872 | Rodriguez | Sep 2013 | B1 |
8572762 | Hebener et al. | Nov 2013 | B2 |
8990971 | Carter | Mar 2015 | B2 |
8997262 | Klein | Apr 2015 | B2 |
20040083525 | Wells, Jr. | May 2004 | A1 |
20050246826 | McCarter et al. | Nov 2005 | A1 |
20070000001 | Tomann et al. | Jan 2007 | A1 |
20080141428 | Kapah et al. | Jun 2008 | A1 |
20100319381 | Hubler et al. | Dec 2010 | A1 |
20110179539 | Dovner et al. | Jul 2011 | A1 |
20120159680 | Howland | Jun 2012 | A1 |
20120180177 | Learmont | Jul 2012 | A1 |
20120185988 | Hebener et al. | Jul 2012 | A1 |
20130042376 | Hexels | Feb 2013 | A1 |
20130319031 | Coats, IV et al. | Dec 2013 | A1 |
20140260939 | Neal | Sep 2014 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
2556951 | Jun 2003 | CN |
101627222 | Jan 2010 | CN |
1994840 | Nov 2008 | EP |
2004084664 | Oct 2004 | WO |
2005118167 | Dec 2005 | WO |
2010035040 | Apr 2010 | WO |
Entry |
---|
Australian Patent Appln. No. 2016231559—Notice of Acceptance dated Jun. 2, 2021. |
European Patent Application No. 16190240.8; Extended European Search Report dated Nov. 9, 2016. |
Chinese Patent App. No. 201610849892.1—First Office Action dated Aug. 2, 2019. |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20200333112 A1 | Oct 2020 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 14865550 | Sep 2015 | US |
Child | 16907702 | US |