Plate carriers may be utilized in many contexts. Often, plate carriers have a form factor of a vest, for example, including shoulder yokes that rest on a wearer's shoulders and support respective front and back panels that each include pockets for receiving plates. Such a plate is typically a generally rigid body (e.g., with an overall shape that is flat or at least partially curved) and may include ballistic material or non-ballistic material, depending on the context of use for the plate carrier.
For example, for military, law enforcement, or other tactical contexts, a ballistic plate may be inserted and retained within a pocket in a plate carrier to provide protection for the wearer against injury from bullets or other projectiles. The pocket may allow for different sizes of plates, for example. Many plate carriers feature length-adjustable straps to secure different size plates such as large, medium, or small. This may allow for flexibility for a user to select between different plate sizes (e.g., among different footprints and/or thicknesses), such as to customize the plate used for a particular situation and trade-off between weight and level of ballistic protection.
Plate carriers are often also used for athletic training purposes. For example, plate carriers have become increasingly common for people participating in cross-training, weightlifting, or other physical exertion exercises. In such contexts, users will often substitute different weights of non-ballistic weighted plates within the plate carrier for customizing a difficulty or intensity of a work-out.
The following presents a simplified summary of some embodiments of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is not intended to identify key/critical elements of the invention or to delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some embodiments of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
Embodiments herein are directed to plate retention systems in a plate carrier. The plate retention systems can include suitable support features for shock absorption against plate movement caused by movement of the wearer. For example, in use, a wearer of a plate carrier may undergo significant amounts of physical exertion, such as during tactical scenarios or in athletic settings. Movement of the wearer of the plate carrier can result in jostling or movement of the plate within the pocket of the plate carrier. In some situations, movement of the plate may exert uncomfortable forces or effects on the wearer, such as from the plate bouncing against the wearer or exerting momentum against the wearer, which may affect balance or otherwise negatively affect the wearer. Generally, support features disclosed herein provide secure support for a plate in a plate carrier, yet the support system is flexibly resilient to provide shock absorption for the plate and reduce impact or other forces exerted by the plate on the wearer of the plate carrier.
In various examples, the plate carrier includes a cradle with straps that wrap underneath an underside or lowermost edge of a plate within the pocket. Some part of the cradle (such as a part of a strap or of an anchor point) may include material that is more stretchable than other material of surrounding elements in the plate carrier, such as a pocket wall, a different part of the strap, or a separate strap. The difference in stretch capacity of different parts of the plate carrier can enable some parts to readily stretch under load to facilitate shock-absorption while other parts remain relatively stable under load to provide complementary appropriate bounds to the shock-absorption to ensure suitable overall securing of the plate within the plate carrier.
In some examples, the cradle includes a set of support straps that includes a limit strap and a shock-absorption strap. The shock-absorption strap can hang down in a loop spaced over another loop formed by the limit strap. In use, the bottom edge of the plate can rest against the shock-absorption strap. The movement of the wearer may cause movement of the plate that causes the shock-absorption strap to stretch and then return based on the resilience of the shock-absorption strap. In effect, this may absorb energy that the plate is transferring due to movement. The limit strap beneath the shock-absorption strap may provide a lowermost limit for the plate to ensure that the plate does not reach a position or a level of deflection of the shock-absorption strap that may cause damage or failure of the shock-absorption strap.
The cradle may include other arrangements of combinations of materials having differing levels of stretch, elongation, and/or recovery. As one example, the cradle may include stretchable material at an anchor point of a support strap to allow the support strap to move and provide shock absorption. The support strap and/or pocket wall may include a relatively less stretchable material that may retain the plate in place when the wearer is not causing movement of the plate carrier.
Different parts of the cradle may be detachable within the pocket to allow for adjustability. In some examples, the limit strap may be movable to anchor at different points in the pocket to change a position of the lower limit of the limit strap. In some examples, the shock-absorption strap may be capable of re-anchoring differently in the pocket to adjust an amount of tension or otherwise change a level of shock absorption provided by the shock-absorption strap. In some examples, the shock-absorption strap may be attached at least in part to a portion of the limit strap, e.g., such that adjustment of an anchoring location of the limit strap may change an amount of tension of the shock-absorption strap as the shock-absorption strap is wrapped around the underside of the plate. In some examples, the shock-absorption strap may be separated at one end from the limit strap, for example, such that the shock-absorption strap can be attached to the wall in the pocket to adjust the level of shock absorption separately or independently from repositioning of the limit strap to adjust a lower limit of the plate within the pocket.
For a fuller understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention, reference should be made to the ensuing detailed description and accompanying drawings.
Various embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.
In the following description, various embodiments will be described. For purposes of explanation, specific configurations and details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will also be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without the specific details. Furthermore, well-known features may be omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the embodiment being described.
Referring now to the figures in which features identified with like numbers may refer to like elements across the various figures,
The plate carrier 101 shown in
The plate carrier 101 can include suitable features for the attachment of gear to the plate carrier 101. For example, the plate carrier 101 shown in
The plate carrier 101 depicted in
The plate carrier 101, although depicted in
The plate carrier 101 depicted in
In some aspects, an amount or degree of shock absorption may be characterized or quantified in terms of a corresponding amount of displacement of a lower or bottom edge 143 of the plate 117. For example, in
The plate carrier 101 can include suitable materials for facilitating uses and functions of the plate carrier 101 disclosed herein. For example, on one hand, shock-absorbing properties of the plate carrier 101 can be achieved by including suitable stretchable or elastic material capable of elongation and recovery (e.g., exhibiting a memory to return toward its initial shape after stretching). Non-limiting examples of the stretchable material may include rubber, an imitative rubber synthetic, elastane, knits, or blends (such as polyester-elastane) The stretchable material can be incorporated, for example, among various parts of the cradle, including, but not limited to a strap or an anchor, e.g., as discussed in greater detail below. On the other hand, stability properties of the plate carrier 101 can be achieved by including suitable load-bearing material. Non-limiting examples may include compositions such as polyester, polypropylene, or nylon, and these or other suitable materials may be incorporated into suitable form factors such as, but not limited to, fabrics or webbing. The load-bearing material can be incorporated, for example, in pocket walls and/or parts of the cradle 119 that supplement the stretchable material, e.g., as discussed in greater detail below. Generally, different parts of the plate carrier 101 can include different types of material to achieve a balance between providing shock absorption in response to a wearer's movement and providing adequate support of the plate 117 upon cessation of—or in other absence of—movement by the wearer.
The pocket 223 may be formed by a first wall 229 and a second wall 231. The first wall 229 and the second wall 231 can be stitched together or otherwise joined together at multiple edges and open along at least one edge. For example, the pocket 223 may include or define an open end or opening 233 that provides access into the inside of the pocket 223. Although
The strap assembly 237 can support the plate 217 from underneath in the vertical direction of the pocket 223 (illustrated by the arrow V). The vertical direction V may be aligned with the direction of gravity when the carrier is worn by the wearer and when the wearer is in an upright position.
The strap assembly 237 in
The strap assembly 237 shown in
The strap assembly 237 can be at least partially releasable to allow placement of the plate 217 in the pocket 223 and/or facilitate adjustment of the strap assembly 237. For example, in
The arrangement in
Referring to
In operation, in response to movement of the wearer, the plate 217 may move within the pocket 223. For example, the plate 217 may be move downward as depicted by the arrow 249. Downward motion may cause the plate 217 to act on the shock-absorption strap 241 and cause stretching (e.g., elongation or deflection) of the shock-absorption strap 241. Engagement with the shock-absorption strap 241 may expend or absorb energy from the movement of the plate. The plate 217 may also be urged back up in a direction opposite the arrow 249 by a resilience exhibited by the shock-absorption strap 241. In some examples, the shock-absorption strap 241 may stretch in response to movement of the plate 217 by a sufficient amount to elongate into contact with the limit strap 239. In this manner, the limit strap 239 may provide a lower limit of displacement of the plate 217. A lower limit may provide a safeguard against the shock-absorption strap 241 from stretching beyond a limit at which the shock-absorption strap 241 may break or otherwise undergo damage.
To facilitate described functions, the shock-absorption strap 241 may be constructed of a different material than the limit strap 239. The respective straps of the strap assembly 237 may exhibit different elongation and recovery characteristics. As an illustrative example, the shock-absorption strap 241 may be a band of elastic or other material that is more readily stretchable than a band of load-bearing webbing that may form the limit strap 239. More generally, the respective straps of the strap assembly 237 may exhibit respective levels of force-responsive extension that differ by an amount that facilitate the respective functions of the straps, such as shock absorption or providing a lower limit for deflection of the plate 217.
The strap assembly 237 may also permit adjustability of a degree of shock absorption provided in use. For example, a user may detach the strap assembly 237 from the first anchor point 251 and re-attach the strap assembly 237 at a different elevation in the pocket 228 (e.g., at a higher or lower portion of the first anchor point 251 or other part of the first wall 229, such as at an alternate anchor point 250 depicted in
Other arrangements are also possible and may provide shock-absorbing effects. For example, where the arrangement in
In particular,
The limit strap 549 being independently attachable, detachable, and re-attachable along a part of the first wall 5291 may allow the limit strap 539 to be adjusted in terms of a position of a lower limit for the plate 217. Adjustability of either or both of the respective parts of the strap assembly 537 may also permit adjustability relative to different sizes of plates 517 that may be introduced into the pocket 523. Moreover, although
In some embodiments, shock absorption may be provided by other arrangements or combinations of materials. One example is shown in
In particular, in
In some embodiments, the plate may be secured by an arrangement that varies from the previously discussed arrangements in which the cradle is attached to opposite walls within the pocket. The arrangements herein are not limited to arrangements in which the cradle attaches to opposite walls of the pocket. One example is shown in
In particular,
In some embodiments, elements of the cradle may be fixedly attached rather than removably attached to respective walls of the pocket. On example is depicted in
In particular,
Other variations are within the spirit of the present invention. Thus, while the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, certain illustrated embodiments thereof are shown in the drawings and have been described above in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific form or forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.
The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. The term “connected” is to be construed as partly or wholly contained within, attached to, or joined together, even if there is something intervening. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate embodiments of the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.
Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.
All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein, including cited in any contemporaneously filed Information Disclosure Statement, are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.
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