초록 ▼

Personal body armor has hard armor plates on the front and back of the wearer which extend between a left vest section and a right vest section formed of soft armor. Foam pads are affixed to the interior of the vest sections which space the soft armor and the hard armor plates from the wearer's body

Personal body armor has hard armor plates on the front and back of the wearer which extend between a left vest section and a right vest section formed of soft armor. Foam pads are affixed to the interior of the vest sections which space the soft armor and the hard armor plates from the wearer's body and define multiple vertically extending air channels between the wearer and the hard armor plates and the interior of the soft armor The air channels promote ventilation of the armor and cooling of the wearer. For additional comfort, the soft armor is formed of multiple conventional layers of ballistic material and a {fraction (1/16)} inch molded plastic layer. The hard armor plates are configured to avoid interference with the usual range of motion of the wearer.

대표청구항 ▼

1. Body armor comprising:a vest having a right vest section and a left vest section, the vest being fabricated of soft armor, each vest section having portions defining an arm hole and a back panel positioned rearwardly of the arm hole and at least one front panel extending frontwardly of the arm ho

1. Body armor comprising:a vest having a right vest section and a left vest section, the vest being fabricated of soft armor, each vest section having portions defining an arm hole and a back panel positioned rearwardly of the arm hole and at least one front panel extending frontwardly of the arm hole; at least one pad extending inwardly from the back panel of each vest section, and at least one pad extending inwardly from the at least one front panel of each vest section, wherein the pads when engaged against a wearer serve to space the vest soft armor from contact with the wearer to define at least one air channel extending upwardly through the vest; and at least one rigid front plate connected to the vest, the front plate extending between the at least one front panel of each vest section, and connecting the right vest section to the left vest section such that portions of the of least one front plate do not overlie the soft armor of the left or right vest sections and are spaced from the wearer with a front air channel defined between the at least one front plate and the wearer. 2. The body armor of claim 1 wherein the at least one rigid front plate comprises:a rigid breast plate mounted between the at least one front panel of the right vest section and the at least one front panel of the left vest section; and a rigid abdomen plate having upper portions which are positioned rearwardly of the breast plate, the abdomen plate being mounted between the at least one front panel of the right vest section and the at least one front panel of the left vest section, the front air channel being defined rearwardly of the breast plate and abdomen plate. 3. The body armor of claim 2 wherein the at least one front panel of the right vest section comprises a right upper breast flap connected to the right vest section back panel by a right shoulder section, and right waist section connected to the right vest section back panel by a right side section, and wherein the at least one front panel of the left vest section comprises a left upper breast flap connected to the left vest section back panel by a left shoulder section, and a left waist section connected to the left vest section back panel by a left side section, and wherein each upper breast flap overlies the waist section of its respective vest section and is connected thereto, and wherein the breast plate is connected between the upper breast flaps, and the abdomen plate is connected between the waist sections.4. The body armor of claim 1 wherein the vest soft armor comprises:a plurality of layers formed of ballistic material; and at least one layer of stiffening material connected with the plurality of layers of ballistic material. 5. The body armor of claim 1 further comprising at least one hard armor back plate which extends between the right vest section and the left vest section.6. The body armor of claim 5 wherein one of the plurality of pads is mounted to each of the right vest section and the left vest section to space the back plate from the wearer and to define a rear air channel between the back plate and the wearer.7. The body armor of claim 1 wherein the pads when engaged against a wearer serve to space the vest soft armor from contact with the wearer to define a plurality of air channels between the soft armor and the wearer for ventilation of the wearer.8. The body armor of claim 1 wherein the rigid front plate comprises hard armor, and wherein more than 50 percent of the hard armor is not backed by soft armor.9. An armored vest comprising a garment forming a vest constructed of ballistic armor, the vest having an interior surface, to which are mounted a plurality of inwardly extending pads which space the vest interior surface from a wearer, the pads defining at least two upwardly extending air channels, which extend from a lowermost extremity of the vest to an uppermost extremity, said channels extending through the vest, the pads covering less than all of the interior surface of the vest.10. The armored vest of claim 9 further comprising a layer of semi-rigid plastic which is coextensive with portions of the ballistic soft armor.11. The armored vest of claim 10 wherein the layer of semi-rigid plastic is coextensive with at least 50 percent of the ballistic soft armor.12. The armored vest of claim 9 wherein the vest ballistic armor comprises soft armor and hard armor, the hard armor including a front plate which extends frontwardly of one of the two upwardly extending air channels.13. The body armor of claim 12 wherein the vest ballistic armor further comprises at least one hard armor back plate which extends rearwardly of one of the two upwardly extending air channels.14. The body armor of claim 13 wherein the vest has a right vest section and a left vest section which are spaced from one another, and wherein one of the plurality of pads is mounted to each of the right vest section and the left vest section to space the back plate from the wearer and to define a rear air channel between the back plate and the wearer.15. The body armor of claim 9 wherein the vest has a right vest section and a left vest section formed of soft armor, and a front plate formed of hard armor is connected between the right vest section and the left vest section.16. The body armor of claim 9 wherein the vest has a molded plastic stiffening layer which provides three-dimensional shape which reduces the tendency of the ballistic armor to form folds.17. An armored vest comprising a garment forming a vest constructed of ballistic armor, the vest having an interior surface to which are mounted a plurality of pads, the pads defining at least two upwardly extending air channels, which extend from a lowermost extremity of the vest to an uppermost extremity, the pads covering less than all of the interior surface of the vest, wherein the vest is constructed of soft ballistic armor and hard armor of metal or ceramic construction, and wherein more than 50 percent of the hard armor is not backed by soft ballistic armor.18. The armor vest of claim 17 wherein the hard armor has at least two portions which are positioned so that when the vest is worn a wearer's vital organs are positioned between said at least two portions.19. The armored vest of claim 18 wherein the at least two upwardly extending air channels extend one along each of the hard armor at least two portions.20. Body armor comprising:a right vest section fabricated of soft armor and having a right arm hole; a left vest section fabricated of soft armor and having a left arm hole, wherein each vest section has an interior surface facing a wearer; a plurality of pads mounted to the interior surface of each vest section and extending inwardly to space the soft armor from engagement with the wearer, the pads covering substantially less than all of the vest section interior surfaces, wherein the pads when engaged against a wearer define at least one air channel; and at least one hard armor front plate connected between the right vest section and the left vest section, such that portions of the at least one front plate do not overlie the soft armor of the vest sections and said pads space the hard armor front plate from the wearer with a front air channel extending upwardly through the vest defined between the at least one front plate and the wearer. 21. The body armor of claim 20 further comprising at least one hard armor back plate which extends between and is connected between the right vest section and the left vest section.22. The body armor of claim 21 wherein one of the plurality of pads is mounted to each of the right vest section and the left vest section to space the back plate from the wearer and to define a rear air channel between the back plate and the wearer.23. The body armor of claim 20 wherein the right vest section and the left vest section each has a molded plastic stiffening layer which provides three-dimensional shape which reduces the tendency of the ballistic armor to form folds.24. The body armor of claim 20 wherein more than 50 percent of the hard armor front plate is not backed by soft armor.25. An armored vest comprising a garment forming a vest constructed of ballistic armor, the vest having an interior surface, to which a pad system is mounted, the pad system extending inwardly from the vest interior surface to space the vest interior surface from a wearer, the pad system defining at least two upwardly extending air channels, which extend from a lowermost extremity of the vest to an uppermost extremity, said channels extending upwardly through the vest.26. The armored vest of claim 25 wherein the vest ballistic armor further comprises a hard armor front plate which extends frontwardly of at least one of the upwardly extending air channels.27. An armored vest comprising:a garment forming a vest, constructed of ballistic armor, the vest having an interior surface, a lowermost extremity and an uppermost extremity; and means for spacing the interior surface of the vest from a wearer, the means for spacing being connected to the vest and extending towards the wearer and defining at least two upwardly extending air channels, which extend from the lowermost extremity of the vest to the uppermost extremity, said channels extending upwardly through the vest.