초록 ▼

A flexible body armor which is relatively lightweight and capable of biaxial flexure is disclosed. The flexible body armor employs a novel penetration-resistant hinge for joining adjacent armor plates along one axis and uses sliding overlaps between the same adjacent armor plates along the perpendic

A flexible body armor which is relatively lightweight and capable of biaxial flexure is disclosed. The flexible body armor employs a novel penetration-resistant hinge for joining adjacent armor plates along one axis and uses sliding overlaps between the same adjacent armor plates along the perpendicular axis in order to achieve biaxial flexibility. Also disclosed are several embodiments of the penetration-resistant hinge and the sliding overlap. In a preferred body armor in accordance with the invention the penetration-resistant hinges and sliding overlaps are part of a frame which provides edge confinement to ceramic armor plates used in the body armor.

대표청구항 ▼

[ I claim:] [1.] A penetration-resistant hinge for joining adjacent armor plates which is useful in flexible body armor, said hinge comprising a first part having a first face and a second part having a second face:one of said first and second faces having a central, cylindrical spline, a first mati

[ I claim:] [1.] A penetration-resistant hinge for joining adjacent armor plates which is useful in flexible body armor, said hinge comprising a first part having a first face and a second part having a second face:one of said first and second faces having a central, cylindrical spline, a first mating surface located along one side of said spline, and a second mating surface located along the other side of said spline;the other of said first and second faces including an elongate, central cut-out shaped to receive and closely fit with said cylindrical spline to substantially prevent movement of said first and second faces away from one another, and having edges which extend a sufficient distance around said spline to securely radially retain said spline in said cut-out, a first mating surface located along one side of said cut-out, and a second mating surface located along the other side of said cut-out; andwherein the first mating surface of said first face is inclined away from the corresponding mating surface on the second face relative to the second mating surface of said first face such that when said spline is axially slid into said cut-out, only the first mating surface of said first face mates with the corresponding first mating surface of said second face when the hinge is in a first, closed position and because of said inclination of at least one mating surface of the first face, the second mating surface of said first face is spaced from the second mating surface of the second face by a distance sufficient to permit the desired degree of flexibility of the hinge by rotation of the central cut-out about the central axis of the cylindrical spline between the first, closed position and a second, open position wherein the second mating surface of the first face mates with the second mating surface of said second face and in the open position the first mating surface of the first face is spaced from the first mating surface of the second face.