Abstract:
A combination protective garment and storage rack comprises a protective garment being operable to resist penetration therethrough of projectiles and having an expanded configuration wherein an inner contour of the garment corresponds to the shape of a human torso. A storage rack has a contoured frame with an external contour that corresponds to the inner contour of the garment.

Description:
Priority is claimed of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/898,950, filed Jan. 31, 2007, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to systems for storing protective garments, such as bulletproof vests, “flak” jackets and vests, and the like. 
     2. Related Art 
     Protective garments, such as “flak jackets” or bulletproof vests, are often worn by those in law enforcement, personnel protection, and military operations for protection from bullets and shrapnel. Generally, such vests are worn close to the wearer&#39;s body and beneath the wearer&#39;s clothes. It will be appreciated that such vests can be heavy and bulky and can add additional layers of covering to the wearer&#39;s body, thereby reducing ventilation and increasing the likelihood of perspiration by the wearer. Thus, when the vest is doffed, it is very often wet with perspiration and should be allowed to dry and/or ventilated so as to maintain the hygiene and cleanliness of the vest. 
     However, such vests are generally not self supporting and so often simply lay flat when rested upon a shelf or in a locker. Because the vests are heavy and bulky, hanging the vest on a standard coat hanger can cause the vest to stretch or deform: hanging the vest in such a manner can even void the manufacturer&#39;s warranty of the vest. Additionally, conventional hangers are not generally strong enough to support the weight of the vest and will collapse or bend when weighted, causing the vest to fold in on itself, thereby reducing or eliminating proper ventilation of internal portions of the vest. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It has been recognized that it would be advantageous to develop a system to allow proper ventilation of a protective garment during storage of the garment. In addition, it has been recognized that it would be advantageous to develop a system for storing protective garments such that the weight and bulk of the garment does not induce damage to the garment while it is stored. 
     The invention provides a protective garment storage rack, including a first contoured frame and a second contoured frame corresponding in size and shape to the first contoured frame. The first contoured frame can be positionable with respect to the second contoured frame in: an orientation opposing the second contoured frame to form a bodice framework contoured to correspond to a shape of a human torso, and forming an internal airflow cavity between the first contoured frame and second contoured frame, the airflow cavity being configured to allow air to flow around an inside of a protective garment placed over the rack; and a nesting orientation within the second contoured frame to allow the frames to be nested relative to each other for shipping and storage. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a combination protective garment and storage rack is provided, including a protective garment being operable to resist penetration therethrough of projectiles and having an expanded configuration wherein an inner contour of the garment corresponds to the shape of a human torso. A storage rack can be used to store the garment and can have a contoured frame with an external contour that corresponds to the inner contour of the garment. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a protective garment storage rack is provided, including a framework contoured to correspond to a human torso. The framework can include series of supports defining therebetween a series of cavities to allow airflow through the series of supports. A combined surface area of the supports can be less than about 20% of a total surface area of the storage rack. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention so that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and so that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. Other features of the present invention will become clearer from the following detailed description of the invention, taken with the accompanying drawings and claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a protective garment storage rack having a protective vest stored thereon in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the vest and storage rack of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the components of the protective garment storage rack of  FIG. 1 , shown in a dissembled condition; 
         FIG. 4  is partial perspective view of two components of the protective garment storage rack of  FIG. 1  coupled to one another by a connector in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 5A  is a partial perspective view of two components of the protective garment storage rack of  FIG. 1 , shown with a hanger engaged therewith in one exemplary orientation; and 
         FIG. 5B  is a partial perspective view of the components of  FIG. 5A , with the hanger engaged therewith in an orientation 90 degrees rotated from that shown in  FIG. 5A ; and 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic view of two exemplary contoured frames shown in a nesting orientation. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings, and specific language will be used herein to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Alterations and further modifications of the inventive features illustrated herein, and additional applications of the principles of the inventions as illustrated herein, which would occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the invention. 
     It must be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a” and “the” include plural referents, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to a “support” can include one or more of such supports. 
     Distances, forces, weights, amounts, and other numerical data may be expressed or presented herein in a range format. It is to be understood that such a range format is used merely for convenience and brevity and thus should be interpreted flexibly to include not only the numerical values explicitly recited as the limits of the range, but also to include all the individual numerical values or sub-ranges encompassed within that range as if each numerical value and sub-range is explicitly recited. 
     As an illustration, a numerical range of “about 1 inch to about 5 inches” should be interpreted to include not only the explicitly recited values of about 1 inch to about 5 inches, but also include individual values and sub-ranges within the indicated range. Thus, included in this numerical range are individual values such as 2, 3, and 4 and sub-ranges such as from 1-3, from 2-4, and from 3-5, etc. 
     This same principle applies to ranges reciting only one numerical value and should apply regardless of the breadth of the range or the characteristics being described. 
     INVENTION 
     The present invention generally provides a storage rack sized and shaped to securely hold a protective garment, such as a bulletproof vest, flak jacket or the like. The storage rack advantageously includes a contoured shape that mimics or corresponds to the human torso. In this manner, the protective garment can be stored while maintained in a shape that corresponds to the shape in which the garment will be held when in use. The present invention can thereby greatly increase the useful life of the protective garment and minimize damage that would otherwise be caused to the garment if it were hung from a hook, a conventional hanger, or simply laid down upon a surface. 
     As shown generally in the attached figures, and with specific reference to  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3 , in one aspect of the invention a protective garment storage rack  10  is provided that can include a first contoured frame  12  and a second contoured frame  14 . The second contoured frame can generally correspond in size and shape to the first contoured frame. The first contoured frame can be positionable with respect to the second contoured frame in at least two primary configurations. In one configuration, shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the first contoured frame can be oriented opposing the second contoured frame in order to form a bodice framework that is contoured to correspond to a shape of a human torso. This configuration is illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , with an exemplary protective vest  16  shown supported by the bodice framework. 
     The second configuration of the first  12  and second  14  contoured frames will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art by review of  FIG. 3 .  FIG. 3  illustrates each of the various components of the system in a disassembled condition, including first frame  12 , second frame  14 , a series of connectors  20 , and a hanger  22 . The second configuration (shown schematically in  FIG. 6 ) is a nesting orientation in which one of the first  12  or second  14  contoured frames is nested within a second of the contoured frames, such that the two frames collectively consume only slightly more space than does any single frame by itself. This aspect of the invention is advantageous in that packaging, shipping, displaying, etc., of the structure can be done in a much more compact and space-efficient manner. 
     As will also be appreciated from  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3  (particularly  FIG. 3 ), each of the first  12  and second frames includes a series of supports  26  that provide structural strength to the frames. The supports define therebetween a series of cavities  30  that allow significant airflow through the frames into and out of an internal airflow cavity ( 34  in  FIG. 2 ) between the first contoured frame and second contoured frame. This relationship provides excellent airflow to and around an inside of the vest  16  stored on the rack  10 . In this manner, the vest can quickly dry when stored after use, and can be retained in the proper shape while drying. 
     The present inventor has previously found a lack of adequate options for storing protective garments such as flak vests or jackets, “bullet-proof” vests, body armor, etc. Such garments very often include straps that extend over the shoulders of the wearer, as well as straps that extend about the torso of the wearer. These straps work in concert to secure the protective garment about the wearer, while also minimizing stress concentrations at any particular strap location. This system has been found to work well when the garment is donned by the wearer. However, when the garment is doffed, storage becomes problematic in that hanging the garment from conventional hangers can add undesirably high stress loads to the shoulder straps of the garment, thus risking damage to the garment (some manufacturers explicitly state that such storage can void the manufacturer&#39;s warranty). 
     The present invention addresses these problems by providing a storage system that replicates the conditions under which the protective garment is intended to be used. In other words, the protective garment is held in substantially the same orientation and configuration during storage as it encounters during use. In this manner, damage to the garment during storage is minimized, while at the same time maximizing the airflow in and around the garment to allow the garment to dry. 
     In one aspect of the invention, the bodice framework includes an upper shoulder support area (shown generally at  40  in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) that can include a depth “d” at least about ¼ of a width (“w” in  FIG. 3 ) of the storage rack. In this manner, the upper shoulder support area provides an expanded support area for straps (or other structure of the garment) that is similar to the support surface of a wearer&#39;s shoulders. As opposed to a substantially “point” load that would applied by a conventional hanger, this expanded support area does not unduly stress the straps of the garment. Depending upon the configuration of the garment being stored on the rack, the upper shoulder support area can include the upper portions of “vertical” supports  26   a  ( FIGS. 2 and 3 ) and “horizontal” supports  26   b  ( FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3 ) and  26   c  ( FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3 ). In addition, further horizontal supports can be added to the system, at the bent areas of supports  26   a , to provide additional support to the upper shoulder support area. 
     In one aspect of the invention, the upper shoulder support area  40  can include a depth “d” at least about ¼ of a height “h” ( FIG. 3 ) of the storage rack. As in the previously discussed embodiment, this aspect of the invention ensures that ample support is provided to the protective garment as it is stored on the rack, including support at the upper should portions, and about the torso portion of the garment. In one aspect of the invention, as illustrated by example in  FIG. 2 , the upper shoulder support area includes a contact profile which supports the vest (in this case, supports  26   b  ( FIG. 1) and 26   a  that supports an upper shoulder portion of the garment at an angle greater than about 45 degrees relative to an upright axis of the rack. This angle at which the shoulder portions of the garment are supported can vary, but will generally be between about 90 degrees relative to the upright axis (e.g., horizontal) and about 30 degrees relative to the upright axis. 
     The present invention advantageously provides a great deal of airflow through the framework of the storage rack. In one aspect of the invention, this advantage is provided by presenting a large degree of cavity  30  surface area relative to the surface area consumed by the supports. In one aspect of the invention, the surface area consumed by the supports is less than about 10%-20% of a total surface area of the area of the frames. In other words, if a frame surface were about 16 inches by 18 inches, the total surface area would be around 288 in 2 , with the supports consuming less than 10%-20% of this total. In one exemplary embodiment, the supports are formed from 4 mm gauge heavy-duty wire, and are spaced from one another such that cavity  30   a  (for example) of  FIG. 3  defines an opening of about 6 inches×6 inches. 
       FIG. 4  provides a more detailed view of one of the plurality of connectors  20  shown in  FIG. 3 . The connector can be used to snap-fit two components of the storage rack to one another (e.g., one upper support  26   b  from each of the frames can be coupled to one another). The connectors generally include a pair of elongate channels that are sized slightly smaller than the supports, such that some degree of force is required engage the supports within the channels. The connectors provide a secure coupling between the components, while also relatively easy disassembly of the entire rack for storage, packaging, shipping, etc. 
       FIGS. 5A and 5B  illustrate further aspects of the invention in which hanger  22  can be removably coupleable to the rack and can also be rotatable with respect to the rack, to enable hanging of the rack in either of two orientations. In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 5A , the hanger is rotated such that “horizontal” supports  26   a  extend between prongs of the hanger, while hooked portions of the hanger circumscribe “horizontal” supports  26   b . In this manner, one component from each of the first  12  and second  14  frames ( FIG. 3 ) is cradled within the hook portions of the hanger. The hanger can advantageously be removed from the orientation shown in  FIG. 5A , however, and quickly and easily be re-engaged with the storage rack in the orientation shown in  FIG. 5B . In this orientation, both “horizontal” supports  26   b  extend between the prongs, while one each of “vertical” supports are cradled within the hook portions of the hanger. 
     The storage rack  10  can be provided in a variety of configurations and sizes. Generally speaking, however, the rack is sized to accommodate the storage of protective garments that fit a wide range of body types. In one aspect of the invention, the storage rack  10  includes a depth “d” of at least about 6 inches, a width “w” of at least about 16 inches, and a height “h” of at least about 18 inches. These dimensions are exemplary only, it being understood that the support rack can be provided in a variety of sizes. Generally, however, it is the case that the depth dimension of the rack will be at least about ¼ of a height or a width of the device, it being generally advantageous to provide a wide support base for the shoulder portion of the protective garment being held. 
     The generally trunk-like shape of the storage rack provides a number of advantages. As discussed above, the upper shoulder support  40  can provide one or more generally planar surfaces to maintain upper should portions of the protective garment in an orientation that mimics the orientation of the garment when donned by a wearer. The central portion of the storage rack (shown generally at  60  in  FIG. 1 ) provides a similar benefit: the straps of the protective garment can be secured about the central portion of the rack to further mimic the support given to the protective garment while in use on a wearer. In this manner, no stresses or strains are applied to the garment when in storage that differ significantly from those stresses or strains it experiences while in use (in other words, the stresses and strains for which the garment has been specifically designed to withstand). 
     It is to be understood that the above-referenced arrangements are only illustrative of the application for the principles of the present invention. Numerous modifications and alternative arrangements can be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. While the present invention has been shown in the drawings and fully described above with particularity and detail in connection with what is presently deemed to be the most practical and preferred embodiment(s) of the invention, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications can be made without departing from the principles and concepts of the invention as set forth herein.