Ballistic vest system with ballistic ridge component

Embodiments of a ballistic vest system having a ballistic vest plate carrier with a ballistic plate engaged to a ballistic ridge component disposed therein that provides protection against side spall and back face deformation caused by the impact of ballistic projectiles and shrapnel along the peripheral area of the ballistic plate and methods to manufacture such a ballistic vest systems are generally described herein. Other embodiments of a ballistic vest system may be described and claimed.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to ballistic vest systems having a ballistic plate, and in particular, to ballistic vest systems having a ballistic ridge component located along the peripheral area of the ceramic plate for providing protection against side spall and back face deformation caused by ballistic projectiles and shrapnel impacting along the peripheral area of the ballistic plate.

BACKGROUND

A ballistic vest is an item of personal armor that helps absorb the impact from firearm-fired projectiles and shrapnel from explosions, and is worn on the torso of an individual. Ballistic vests may include soft body armor made from multiple layers of woven or laminated fibers in addition to a metal or ceramic plate that provides additional protection from rifle rounds. Although such ballistic vests are suitable to protect the individual from most ballistic projectile impacts, there are certain impacts that occur when the trajectories of the ballistic projectiles are at an angle and impact the peripheral edge of the ballistic plate, which can cause side spall or back face deformation. Back face deformation occurs when the ballistic projectile impacts the ballistic plate and causes the backside of the ballistic plate to deform or bulge outwardly. Side spall occurs when the ballistic projectile impacts the peripheral area of the ballistic plate such that shrapnel from the ballistic projectile impact and/or debris of material from the impacted portion of the ballistic plate can potentially penetrate the soft body armor and injure the individual. Referring toFIG. 1, a prior art ballistic vest10is shown that illustrates the side spall16that occurs when a ballistic projectile impacts the ballistic plate14along the peripheral area18of the ballistic plate14. As the ballistic projectile impacts the peripheral area18of the ballistic plate14, the side spall16and back face deformation15from the ballistic projectile can cause debris from the ballistic plate14as well as shrapnel from the ballistic projectile to penetrate or deform the backside20of the ballistic plate14, which can potentially injure the individual wearing the prior art ballistic vest10. As such, there is a need for further improvements that enhance the protection provided by a ballistic vest including protection from side spall and back face deformation to the peripheral area of the ballistic plate.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding elements among the various views of the drawings. The headings used in the figures should not be interpreted to limit the scope of the claims.

DESCRIPTION

As described herein, embodiments of a ballistic vest system having a ballistic ridge component positioned adjacent the peripheral area of a ballistic plate for protecting an individual from side spall and decreasing back face deformation caused by ballistic projectiles impacting the peripheral area of the ballistic plate.

Referring to the drawings, embodiments of a ballistic vest system are illustrated and generally indicated as100,200and300inFIGS. 2-17. In one embodiment shown inFIGS. 2-5 and 17, the ballistic vest system100may include a ballistic vest plate carrier108made from a durable, wear resistant composite fabric material, such as a woven fabric material, a nylon material, a hook and loop material such as Kevlar®, and/or a combination thereof. For example, the composite fabric material may have a front layer made from a high performance nylon laminated with a back layer made from high tenacity polymer fibers, such as various aramid fibers and high performance polyethylene fibers and the like. As shown inFIG. 2, the ballistic vest plate carrier108is secured to the front portion of a ballistic soft armor component102, which is configured to be worn around the torso and chest area of an individual. In some embodiments, the ballistic soft armor component102may be configured to be worn substantially or completely around the torso of the individual or in other embodiments the ballistic soft armor component102may have substantially the same configuration as the ballistic vest plate carrier108and cover substantially the chest area of an individual.

In one embodiment the ballistic vest plate carrier108may define a front chest pocket122configured to receive a ballistic ridge component104engaged to a ballistic plate106disposed within the front chest pocket122. As shown inFIGS. 4 and 5, the ballistic ridge component104is configured to engage the peripheral area120of the ballistic plate106. The ballistic ridge component104provides protection against side spall and minimize back face deformation caused when a ballistic projectile impacts the peripheral area of the ballistic plate106covered by the ballistic ridge component104. For example, the ballistic ridge component104is configured to cover both the peripheral edge122and a peripheral area120of the ballistic plate106. In some embodiments, the ballistic ridge component104may be made from a polyethylene material; however, other types of thermoplastic materials may be used to manufacture the ballistic ridge component104. For example, the ballistic ridge component104may be made from a stretchable and elastic spandex material reinforced with a unidirectional and/or aramid material.

Referring toFIG. 17, as noted above the ballistic vest plate carrier108forms an opening124in communication with the front chest pocket122configured to receive the ballistic plate106therein. In addition, the ballistic vest plate carrier108may include a ballistic flap120that covers the opening124to the front chest pocket122and is configured to cover and protect the bottom portion of the ballistic plate102when disposed within the pocket122. In some embodiments, the ballistic flap120may be made from a soft armor material that, in combination with the ballistic ridge component104, assists in preventing side spall and backside deformation along the bottom portion of the ballistic plate106. In some embodiments, the ballistic flap120may include a securing arrangement127, such as hook and loop arrangement, for example VELCRO® or a buckle and strap arrangement (not shown) that allows the ballistic flap120to be attached to the bottom portion of the ballistic vest plate carrier108to close off the opening124and retain the ballistic plate106within the front chest pocket122of the ballistic vest plate carrier108.

As further shown inFIG. 2, in some embodiments the ballistic vest plate carrier108may include a soft armor liner126that extends along the peripheral edge of the pocket122to provide further protection to the ballistic plate106. In particular, the soft armor liner126may be sewn along the peripheral edge of the pocket122such that the soft armor liner126at least substantially covers the peripheral edge of the ballistic ridge component104when the ballistic plate106is disposed within the pocket122. In some embodiments the soft armor liner126may be a strip of soft armor material, while in other embodiments the soft armor liner126may substantially or completely line the interior of the pocket122. In some embodiments, the soft armor liner126may be made from a soft armor material, such as the soft armor material disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/161,322 filed on Jun. 15, 2011 entitled “High Performance Composite Material”, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety; however, in other embodiments other types of soft armor material, such as KEVLAR®, may be used to form the soft armor liner126.

Referring toFIG. 7, one embodiment of the ballistic ridge component104may have a configuration that substantially matches the peripheral edge125defined by the ballistic plate102. Referring toFIG. 6, in some embodiments, the ballistic ridge component104defines an inner surface110and an outer surface114. As further shown, the ballistic ridge component104may define a side portion118and a bottom portion116to form an open-ended slot112configured to receive the ballistic plate106. As shown, the side portion118is oriented along a first axis200, while bottom portion116is oriented along a second axis202such that the first axis200is in a substantially perpendicular orientation relative to the second axis202to form the open-ended slot112that extends along the periphery of the ballistic ridge component104. By virtue of this structural arrangement, the bottom portion116and side portion118provide protection against impacts by ballistic projectiles along the front and side of the ballistic plate106and also prevent debris and/or shrapnel caused by side spall or head-on impacts to the ballistic plate106to penetrate the soft armor component102. In some embodiments, the bottom portion116and side portion118extend along the entire periphery of the ballistic plate106.

Referring toFIG. 8, one method for manufacturing the ballistic vest system100is illustrated. At block300, forming a ballistic ridge component104defining a bottom wall and a side wall that collectively form an open-ended slot112. At block302, engaging the peripheral area of a ballistic plate106within the open-ended slot112of the ballistic ridge component104as illustrated inFIG. 7. In some embodiments, the ballistic plate106may be freely seated within the open-ended slot112or secured to the open-ended slot112by glue or other type of suitable adhesive. At block304, inserting the ballistic ridge component104and the ballistic plate106into a ballistic vest plate carrier108as shown inFIG. 2. In some embodiments, the bottom portion116and the side portion118of the ballistic ridge component104may be integral or separate discrete pieces that are secured to one another during manufacture to form the open-ended slot112. In other embodiments, the ballistic ridge component104may be configured to extend around the entire peripheral areas125of the ballistic plate106.

Referring toFIGS. 9-15, another embodiment of the ballistic vest system, designated200, may include a second embodiment of the ballistic ridge component204. In particular, the ballistic ridge component204is configured to substantially encase the entire peripheral area of the ballistic plate206(FIGS. 15 and 16), in which both the ballistic plate206and the ballistic ridge component204are configured to be disposed within the ballistic vest plate carrier108(FIG. 2) and positioned in front of the soft armor component102(FIG. 3) when the ballistic vest system100is assembled.

In some embodiments, the ballistic ridge component204includes a body210that defines a rear surface212, a front surface214, a side surface216, and an interior surface222. The interior surface222formed on the opposite side of the rear surface212, front surface214and side surface216of the ballistic ridge component204may collectively define a channel218that is configured to substantially cover the entire peripheral area for the ballistic plate206when the ballistic ridge component204is engaged to the ballistic plate206as shown inFIGS. 14 and 15.

Referring back toFIGS. 9-13, in some embodiments the body210of the ballistic ridge component204may further include a middle portion220that is secured to the interior surface222of the body210and extends from an upper portion226of the body210to the lower portion228of the body210. The middle portion220provides further structural support to maintain the ballistic plate206within the confines of the ballistic ridge component204. In some embodiments, the middle portion220may be secured to the interior surface222proximate the rear surface212of the ballistic ridge component204. In other embodiments, the middle portion220may be secured to the interior surface222proximate the front surface of the ballistic ridge component204. In yet other embodiments, the middle portion220may extend in perpendicular fashion relative the upper portion226and the lower portion228as shown inFIGS. 9-13, although in other embodiments the middle portion220may extend in parallel fashion relative to the upper and lower portions226and228.

In some embodiments, the upper portion226of the ballistic ridge component204may be made an aramid/unidirectional material, while the lower portion228of the ballistic ridge component204is made from the same aramid/unidirectional material. In some embodiments, the ballistic ridge component204may be made from a stretchable fabric composite material that allows the ballistic ridge component204to easily engage the peripheral area of the ballistic plate206. In some embodiments, the body210of the ballistic ridge component204may have a generally rectangular-shaped body, although in other embodiments the body210of the ballistic ridge component204may be configured to substantially match the configuration of the ballistic plate206.

In some embodiments, the body210of the ballistic ridge component204may be stitched and sewn together as indicated by the various stitching patterns224shown inFIGS. 9-15. In other embodiments, the ballistic ridge component204may have a unitary construction that does not require sewing or stitching to form the body210.

Referring toFIGS. 16 and 17, another embodiment of the ballistic vest system, designated300, may include a third embodiment of the ballistic ridge component304. Similar to the other embodiments, the ballistic ridge component304is also configured to substantially encase the entire peripheral area of the ballistic plate306.

Referring specifically toFIG. 16, the ballistic ridge component304may define a rear surface312, a front surface314, a side surface316, and an interior surface322. The interior surface322is formed on the opposite side of the rear surface312, front surface314and side surface316of the ballistic ridge component304and collectively defines a channel318that is configured to substantially cover the entire peripheral area for the ballistic plate306when the ballistic ridge component304is engaged to the ballistic plate306as shown inFIG. 17. In addition, the rear and front surfaces212and214collectively define an opening320that exposes the non-peripheral area of the ballistic plate306when the ballistic ridge component304is engaged to the ballistic plate306.

In some embodiments as shown inFIG. 16, the body310of the ballistic ridge component304may have an upper portion226that has a tapered configuration and a lower portion228that has a generally rectangular configuration. In other embodiments, the body210may be configured to substantially match the configuration of the ballistic plate306.