Abstract:
A ballistic vest is formed with an integrated suspension system for supporting the duty belt directly from the ballistic vest. Front and rear support straps can be tunneled into the structure of the ballistic vest and terminate in clip members formed with an interior slot or cavity into which the duty belt can be positioned. The duty belt is loosely contained within the clip members to permit shifting relative to the ballistic vest to the comfort of the officer wearing the apparatus. The clip member can be formed with a latching clevis to engage the strap for positional adjustment of the clip member or with a plurality of horizontal slots for the threading of the strap. The ballistic vest can be manufactured with the appearance of a uniform shirt so that the ballistic vest can be worn as an external garment as part of the officer&#39;s uniform.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims domestic priority on U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/510,287, filed on Jul. 21, 2011, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention generally relates to body armor as worn by police officers and, more particularly, to a ballistic vest incorporating a duty belt suspension system to support the duty belt from the ballistic vest. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    A bulletproof vest is typically formed with a front ballistic panel and a rear ballistic panel, which are secured to one another by detachable straps that pass under the arms of the user along the rib cage, and by a pair of shoulder straps that connect upper portions of the front and rear panels and pass over the shoulders of the user. Ballistic vests are conventionally concealed beneath the officer&#39;s uniform or worn over top of the officer&#39;s uniform, but present a separate article of clothing from the officer&#39;s uniform. 
         [0004]    Police officers also carry duty belts that encircle their waist and are used to carry equipment for convenient access by the officer. Such equipment can include a pistol, ammunition, handcuffs, night stick, defensive spray, etc. This array of equipment can present a heavy load for the officer to carry in addition to the substantial weight of the bulletproof vest. The duty belt, sometimes referred to as a duty belt, is an awkward apparatus to carry around. The duty belt is typically constructed from heavy leather and carries a substantial amount of equipment for use by the officer in the performance of his duties. Thus, the duty rig, including the duty belt and the equipment mounted thereon, presents a cumbersome weight on the officer&#39;s hips that requires an expenditure of a lot of energy by the officer. 
         [0005]    The ballistic vest in U.S. Pat. No. 7,712,148, issued to Richard A. Carlson on May 11, 2010, is zippered at the rear to the duty belt support member, along with hook and loop fasteners, and clipped at the front panel of the ballistic vest by buckles connecting to mating buckles on the duty belt, such that the duty belt support member becomes an integral part of the ballistic vest. The duty belt is then threaded through the belt loops of the support member, which can be integrally formed with the duty belt. In this configuration the duty belt becomes an integral part of the ballistic vest and very little movement between the two components is permitted. As a result, sitting in a vehicle and other related movements of the officer are limited as the duty rig is not capable of freely moving relative to the ballistic vest. 
         [0006]    In U.S. Pat. No. 6,185,738, granted on Feb. 13, 2001, to Betty A. Sidebottom, anchoring straps permanently affixed to the bottom edge of the ballistic vest can be looped around the duty belt to keep the ballistic vest from riding up on the wearer. U.S. Pat. No. 6,766,532, issued to Daniel F. Cabana on Jul. 27, 2004, utilizes a similar concept of using anchoring straps for back support belts. Other anchoring devices for ballistic vests are found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,495,621, granted on Mar. 5, 1996, to Rick E. Kibbee, and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,754,982, granted on May 26, 1998, to C. Morgan Gainer, in which the ballistic vests are anchored through attachment to undergarments. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 6,088,831, issued to Derek L. Jenson on Jul. 18, 2000, discloses the use of hook and loop fastener strips inside the uniform shirt to interact with corresponding hook and loop fastener strips on the ballistic vest, while the duty belt is supported by keepers that are connected to the personal belt. 
         [0007]    Anchoring the ballistic vest is an expressed concern in the known prior art, as is represented by the aforementioned patents; however, none of these prior art patents teach a suspension system in which the duty belt is supported from straps integrally formed within the ballistic vest to permit the shifting of the duty belt relative to the ballistic vest for the comfort of the officer wearing the ballistic vest and the duty belt. 
         [0008]    It would be desirable to provide a ballistic vest that is constructed as a uniform shirt such that the ballistic vest can be worn as the officer&#39;s uniform. It would also be desirable to provide a belt suspension system for a ballistic vest in which front and rear straps integrally threaded through the ballistic vest terminate in connection devices for direct engagement of the duty belt to provide full support of the duty rig from the ballistic vest while allowing a freedom of movement for the duty rig relative to the ballistic vest. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    It is an object of this invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a ballistic vest having the duty belt supported from straps carried by the ballistic vest. 
         [0010]    It is another object of this invention to provide a duty belt suspension system for a ballistic vest in which a pair of integrated front and rear straps on the ballistic vest carry the weight of a duty belt. 
         [0011]    It is a feature of this invention that the front and rear straps carries the weight of the duty belt on the ballistic vest. 
         [0012]    It is an advantage of this invention that the front and rear straps carrying the duty belt in a manner to allow shifting of the duty belt relative to the ballistic vest. 
         [0013]    It is another advantage of this invention that the full weight of the duty belt is carried on the ballistic vest. 
         [0014]    It is another feature of this invention that the ballistic vest can be constructed to appear as a uniform shirt to enable the officer to wear the ballistic vest as an exterior part of the officer&#39;s uniform. 
         [0015]    It is still another object of this invention that the front and rear straps forming the duty belt suspension system are formed with U-shaped clips at the terminal ends thereof to allow the duty belt to be supported in the U-shaped clips. 
         [0016]    It is still another feature of this invention that the U-shaped clips conveniently allow the mounting of the duty belt onto the ballistic vest suspension system. 
         [0017]    It is still another advantage of this invention that the open U-shaped clips allow the vertical movement of the duty belt relative to the ballistic vest. 
         [0018]    It is yet another feature of this invention that the front and rear straps of the duty belt suspension system are threaded through tunnels formed in the ballistic vest. 
         [0019]    It is yet another advantage of this invention that the weight of the duty belt is carried on the shoulders of the officer wearing the ballistic vest due to the integration of the suspension system into the structure of the ballistic vest. 
         [0020]    It is yet another object of this invention to provide an integrated ballistic vest incorporating a duty belt suspension system for supporting a duty belt from the ballistic vest which is durable in construction, inexpensive of manufacture, facile in assemblage, and simple and effective in use. 
         [0021]    These and other objects, features and advantages can be accomplished according to the instant invention by providing a ballistic vest is formed with an integrated suspension system for supporting the duty belt directly from the ballistic vest. Front and rear support straps can be tunneled into the structure of the ballistic vest and terminate in clip members formed with an interior slot or cavity into which the duty belt can be positioned. The duty belt is loosely contained within the clip members to permit shifting relative to the ballistic vest to the comfort of the officer wearing the apparatus. The clip member can be formed with a latching clevis to engage the strap for positional adjustment of the clip member or with a plurality of horizontal slots for the threading of the strap. The ballistic vest can be manufactured with the appearance of a uniform shirt so that the ballistic vest can be worn as an external garment as part of the officer&#39;s uniform. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0022]    The advantages of this invention will be apparent upon consideration of the following detailed disclosure of the invention, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
           [0023]      FIG. 1  is a front elevational view of the exterior of a ballistic vest constructed in accordance with the principles of the instant invention, the ballistic vest being shown in the fastened configuration; 
           [0024]      FIG. 2  is a rear elevational view of the ballistic vest as shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0025]      FIG. 3  is a front elevational view of the exterior of the ballistic vest depicted in  FIG. 1 , but shown in the unfastened configuration; 
           [0026]      FIG. 4  is a rear elevational view of the ballistic vest shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0027]      FIG. 5  is a front elevational view of the interior side of the ballistic vest shown in  FIG. 3 , the interior pocket for holding protective panel inserts being closed; 
           [0028]      FIG. 5A  is a front elevational view of the interior side of an alternative configuration for the ballistic vest shown in  FIG. 5 , but with strap hold down tabs incorporated; 
           [0029]      FIG. 6  is a rear elevational view of the interior side of the ballistic vest shown in  FIG. 3 , the interior pocket configured for holding protective panel inserts for the ballistic vest being depicted as partially opened; 
           [0030]      FIG. 6A  is a rear elevational view of the interior side of the ballistic vest embodiment shown in  FIG. 5A , the interior pocket configured for holding protective panel inserts for the ballistic vest being depicted as partially opened; 
           [0031]      FIG. 7  is a schematic front elevational view of a person wearing a bulletproof vest incorporating a duty belt suspension system supporting a representative duty belt, the suspension system is highlighted to provide an indication as to the location of the suspension system relative to the vest and the duty belt; 
           [0032]      FIG. 8  is a schematic rear elevational view of the bulletproof vest with suspension system worn by a person as shown in  FIG. 7 ; 
           [0033]      FIG. 7A  is a schematic front elevational view of a person wearing a bulletproof vest incorporating an alternative embodiment of the duty belt suspension system incorporating a clip as depicted in  FIG. 14 ; 
           [0034]      FIG. 8A  is a schematic rear elevational view of the bulletproof vest with suspension system worn by a person as shown in  FIG. 7A , the clip being the configuration shown in  FIG. 14C ; 
           [0035]      FIG. 7B  is a schematic front elevational view of a person wearing a bulletproof vest incorporating a second alternative embodiment of the duty belt suspension system incorporating a clip as depicted in  FIG. 15 ; 
           [0036]      FIG. 8B  is a schematic rear elevational view of the bulletproof vest with suspension system worn by a person as shown in  FIG. 7B ; 
           [0037]      FIG. 9  is an interior view of a first embodiment of a bulletproof vest incorporating the principles of the instant invention with the suspension system being retained on the vest by threading the suspension belts through tunnel patches formed on the interior surface of the bulletproof vest; 
           [0038]      FIG. 10  is an interior view of a second embodiment of the bulletproof vest incorporating the principles of the instant invention with the suspension belts being retained by short fabric patches on the interior surface of the bulletproof vest; 
           [0039]      FIG. 11  is an interior view of a third embodiment of the bulletproof vest incorporating the principles of the instant invention with the suspension belts being threaded through button hole openings at the top and bottom portions of the vest; 
           [0040]      FIG. 12  is an interior view of a fourth embodiment of the bulletproof vest incorporating the principles of the instant invention with the suspension belts being threaded through the interior of the bulletproof vest with strap hold down tabs; 
           [0041]      FIG. 13  is a side elevational view of a clip mounted on the ends of the suspension belts to hold and support the duty belt; 
           [0042]      FIG. 13A  is an outside elevational view of the clip shown in  FIG. 13 ; 
           [0043]      FIG. 13B  is an inside elevational view of the clip shown in  FIG. 13 ; 
           [0044]      FIG. 14  is a side elevational view of a clip mounted on the ends of the suspension belts to hold and support the duty belt, the clip incorporating a latching clevis for engagement of the suspension belt and is intended for use on the front of the vest; 
           [0045]      FIG. 14A  is an inside elevational view of the clip shown in  FIG. 14 ; 
           [0046]      FIG. 14B  is an outside elevational view of the clip shown in  FIG. 14 ; 
           [0047]      FIG. 14C  is a side elevational view of a clip mounted on the ends of the suspension belt at the rear of the vest to hold and support the duty belt, as a compliment to the clip shown in  FIG. 14  for use at the front of the vest; 
           [0048]      FIG. 14D  is an outside elevational view of the clip shown in  FIG. 14C ; 
           [0049]      FIG. 14E  is an inside elevational view of the clip shown in  FIG. 14C ; 
           [0050]      FIG. 15  is a side elevational view of an alternative clip configuration for mounting on the ends of the suspension belts to hold and support the duty belt; 
           [0051]      FIG. 15A  is an outside elevational view of the clip shown in  FIG. 15 ; 
           [0052]      FIG. 15B  is an inside elevational view of the clip shown in  FIG. 15 ; 
           [0053]      FIG. 16  is a side elevational view of the clip shown in  FIG. 14  showing the engagement of a suspension belt through the latching clevis; 
           [0054]      FIG. 16A  is an outside elevational view of the clip and suspension belt shown in  FIG. 16 ; 
           [0055]      FIG. 17  is a side elevational view of the clip shown in  FIG. 15  showing the engagement of a suspension belt through the slots formed therein; 
           [0056]      FIG. 17A  is an outside elevational view of the clip and suspension belt shown in  FIG. 17 ; 
           [0057]      FIG. 18  is an outside perspective view of the clip shown in  FIG. 13  supporting a portion of the duty belt, the suspension belt being shown in phantom; 
           [0058]      FIG. 18A  is an inside perspective view of the clip shown in  FIG. 14  supporting a portion of a representative duty belt; and 
           [0059]      FIG. 18B  is an inside perspective view of the clip shown in  FIG. 15  supporting a portion of a representative duty belt. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0060]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-6A , a bulletproof vest, sometime referred to as body armor, flak vest or a ballistic vest, incorporating the principles of the instant invention can best be seen. The ballistic vest  10  is designed with an opening  11  in the center to allow the vest  10  to be slipped over the head of the person wearing the vest  10  such that there is a front panel  12  lying over the chest of the wearer, as depicted in  FIG. 1 , and a back panel  19  overlying the back of the wearer, as depicted in  FIG. 2 . The exterior side of the front panel  12  is configured as an officer&#39;s uniform shirt with a pair of functional buttoned shirt pockets  13  and a non-functional buttoned front  14  to simulate a conventional buttoned uniform shirt, even though the ballistic vest  10  is worn by slipping the vest  10  over the wearer&#39;s head. 
         [0061]    The sides  15  below the sleeve holes  16  are formed with hook and loop fastener material  17  that can be fastened beneath the wearer&#39;s arms once the vest  10  is slipped over the wearer&#39;s head. Preferably, the exterior surfaces of the ballistic vest  10  in both the front panel  12  and the rear panel  19  are constructed from conventional uniform material in the color and style corresponding to the uniform adopted by the organization for which the wearer is employed. The opening  11  is formed in a V-neck configuration for both the comfort of the wearer and to simulate a uniform shirt. The shoulder portions  18  on opposing sides of the opening  11  can be formed with optional shoulder straps (not shown), badge tab (not shown), and simulated stitched military creases  12   a ,  19   a  to provide an authentic uniform appearance. 
         [0062]    The interior surface of the ballistic vest, as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , is provided with a compartment  20  on both the front and rear panels  12 ,  19 , accessed through a horizontal opening  22  equipped with hook and loop fasteners  23  that are operable to selectively close the compartment  20 . Appropriately sized and configured protective panels (not shown) can be inserted into each of the compartments  20  to provide bulletproof protection for the wearer. 
         [0063]    The duty belt  25  is representatively shown in  FIGS. 7 through 8B , but is well known in the industry. The duty belt  25  is adapted to carry a pistol, ammunition, night stick, handcuffs, defense spray and other equipment (not shown) needed by the wearer to safely complete his/her duties. The duty belt  25  is typically coupled together by a releasable buckle  27  at the front of the duty belt  25 , but with all the equipment supported on the duty belt  25 , the duty belt  25  can weigh more than ten pounds and presents an uncomfortable burden to wear for an entire duty or work shift. 
         [0064]    The ballistic vest  10 , according to the principles of the instant invention, is formed with a duty belt suspension system  30  incorporated into the interior of the vest  10  to support the duty belt  25  from the vest  10 , such that the weight of the duty belt  25  will be carried by the shoulder portions  18 . The suspension system  30  is shown in different embodiments in  FIGS. 9-18B  and includes a pair of suspender straps  32  that exits the vest  10  from both the front and rear panels  12 ,  19  and terminates in clip members  40  that are engaged with the duty belt  25 , as will be described in greater detail below. 
         [0065]    In a first embodiment of the suspension system  30  shown in  FIG. 9 , each of the suspender straps  32  is threaded through a corresponding tunnel  33  formed on the interior surface of the vest  10  passing on opposing sides of the central opening  11  and terminating above the front and rear bottom edges to provide adequate room to adjust the length of the suspender straps  32  to accommodate the height of the wearer. In a second embodiment of the suspension system  30  shown in  FIG. 10 , the suspender straps  32  are threaded through a shorter tunnel  34  at the shoulder portions  18  on the interior side of the vest and then retained by loops  36  near the front and rear bottom edges of the vest  10 . The distance between the loops  36  and the tunnel  34  provides ample room for adjustment of the length of the suspender straps  32  to accommodate the height of the wearer. 
         [0066]    A third embodiment of the instant invention shown in  FIG. 11  has the suspender straps  32  simply threaded through four large buttonholes  38  in the front and rear panels  12 ,  19  so that the suspender straps  32  can be located through the interior lining of the ballistic vest  10 , and through the compartments  20 . Yet a fourth embodiment of the instant invention is shown in  FIG. 12  in which the suspender straps  32  are simply located within the interior of the lining of the ballistic vest  10  exiting at the openings  22  of the front and rear compartments  20  and passing through hold down loops  36  that locate the position of the suspender straps  32 . Adjustment of the length of the suspender straps  32  in this fourth embodiment is accommodated within the clips  40 , as will be described in greater detail below. 
         [0067]    Each of the suspender straps  32  can be provided with an adjuster buckle (not shown) that is coupled to the literal end of the suspender strap  32  and engaged with the suspender strap  32  along the length thereof, in a customary manner, to provide for adjustment of the overall length of the suspender strap  32  so that the duty belt  25  can be located relative to the bottom edges of the ballistic vest  10  as desired by the wearer. Alternatively, the adjustment of the length of the suspender strap  32  can be accommodated within the clip member  40 , as will be described in greater detail below. 
         [0068]    Each suspender strap  32  terminates in the front and back at a clip member  40  that engages and supports the duty belt  25 . A first embodiment of the clip member  40  is best seen in  FIGS. 13-13B  and is formed in a U-shaped configuration with the rear portion  42  (i.e. the portion of the clip member on the inside next to the person wearing the ballistic vest  10 ) projecting above the front portion  46  and including an elongated opening  43  that allows the passage of the suspender strap  32 . The rear and front portions  42 ,  46  of the clip member  40  are spaced apart to define an interior slot  45  that is configured to receive the duty belt  25  within the slot  45 . The upper edge  47  of the front portion  46  is located inwardly with respect to the rear portion  42  relative to the bottom of the slot  45  to provide a frictional restriction to the movement of the duty belt  25  within the slot  45 . 
         [0069]    An alternative configuration of the clip member  50  is shown in  FIGS. 14-14E ,  16 ,  16 A and  18 A. In this alternative configuration, the clip member  50  has an oval-shaped configuration defining an interior cavity  51  in which the duty belt  25  can be retained. The clip member  50  includes an inside vertical portion  52  spaced from the outside vertical portion  54  to define the interior cavity  51  therebetween. The outside vertical portion  54  includes a latching clevis  55  on the exterior surface thereof to engage the suspender strap  32  and secure the position of the suspender strap  32  relative to the clip member  50 . By releasing the overcenter latch tongue  56  within the latching clevis  55 , the frictional engagement with the suspender strap  32  is released to permit a positional adjustment thereof to locate the clip member  50  at the location needed for the desired position of the duty belt  25 . The free end of the suspender strap  32  can be retained within the hold down loop  36 . 
         [0070]    The outside vertical portion  54  is preferably formed with an offset bend  57  at the upper portion thereof to form the top boundary of the interior cavity  51 . The vertical terminus of the offset bend  57  is formed with a slot  58  to receive the passage of the suspender strap  32  toward and from the latching clevis  55 , as is best seen in  FIGS. 16 and 16A . The inside vertical portion  52  of the clip member  50  terminates in an upper edge  53  that is curled inward toward the interior cavity and is located under the offset bend  57  to close the interior cavity  51  and capture the duty belt  25  when placed therein. The upper edge  53  can be deflected away from the offset bend  57  to open the interior cavity  51  for the insertion and/or removal of the duty belt  25 . 
         [0071]    The counterpart rear mounting clip  50   a  is shown in  FIGS. 14C-14E . Preferably, in the ballistic vest  10  utilizing the clip members  50 ,  50   a , will utilize a single suspender strap  32  on each respective side of the ballistic vest  10 . The positional adjustment of the clip members  50 ,  50   a , can be accomplished through the latching clevis  55  on the front clip member  50  because the suspender strap  32  is not attached to the ballistic vest  10  and can be moved relative thereto, even removed therefrom. Therefore, the overall length of the suspender strap  32  needed for the desired positioning of the duty belt  25  will accommodate both the front clip member  50  and the rear clip member  50   a . Except for the latching clevis  55 , the rear clip member  50   a  is structurally the same as the front clip member  50  and includes the inside and outside vertical portions  52 ,  54 , the offset bend  57  having a slot  58  formed in the vertical terminus  57   a , and the upper edge  53  closed under the offset bend  57 . 
         [0072]    Another alternative configuration of the clip member  60  can be found in  FIGS. 15-15B ,  17 ,  17 A and  18 B. The overall shape of the clip member  60  is preferably U-shaped, similar to the clip member  40  shown in  FIG. 13 , but more preferably with equal length rear and front portions  62 ,  64  defining the boundaries of an interior slot  65 . Preferably, the front portion  64  is formed with four horizontal slots  66 - 69  for use in threading the suspender strap  32  in a manner to lock the position of the clip member  60  on the suspender strap  32 , and thereby positionally locate the duty belt  25  in a desired position. As depicted in  FIGS. 7B and 8B , this alternative clip member  60  has the same configuration for the front clip member as well as the rear clip member. 
         [0073]    Referring to  FIGS. 17 and 17A , the suspender strap  32  is preferably threaded from the outside of the clip member  60  in through the top slot  66  and then out through the bottom slot  69 . The suspender strap  60  is then threaded back into the second slot  68  from the bottom and back out through the second slot  67  from the top. The resulting threading of the suspender strap  32  creates a frictional lock between the clip member  60  and the suspender strap  32  to fix the position of the duty belt  25 . Re-positioning the clip member  60  requires only that the suspender strap  32  be loosened and positionally adjusted. 
         [0074]    In operation, the wearer first slips the ballistic vest  10 , having the compartments  20  properly filled with protective panels (not shown), over his or her head with the head passing through the opening  11  and the shoulder portions  18  resting on the shoulders of the wearer. The left and right sides  15  are then fastened by engaging the corresponding hook and loop fastener material to make the vest fit snuggly over the torso of the wearer. The configuration of the ballistic vest  10  as described above eliminates the need for the wearer to wear a separate uniform shirt, particularly if an appropriate undershirt is worn beneath the ballistic vest  10 . 
         [0075]    The suspension system  30  is normally installed within the interior of the vest  10 , although for cleaning, maintenance and replacement purposes the suspender straps  32  can be removed from the vest  10 . The clip members  40 ,  50 ,  60  hang down from the ballistic vest  10  with the suspender straps  32  being properly adjusted in length through manipulation of the adjustment buckles (not shown) or the clip members  50 ,  60 . The wearer can then wrap the duty belt  25  around him/her and fasten the duty belt  25  together at the releasable buckle  27 . The belt  25  can be placed into the interior slots or cavities  45 ,  51 ,  65  of all of the clip members  40 ,  50 ,  50   a ,  60  so that the entire weight of the duty belt  25  is supported on the suspension system  30  and borne on the shoulder portions  18  against the wearer&#39;s shoulders. 
         [0076]    The vertical depth of the slots or cavities  45 ,  51 ,  65  is preferably deeper than the vertical height of the belt portion of the duty belt  25  received within the slot  45 . Although the restriction provided by the top edge  47 ,  53  of the clip member  40 ,  50  provides some limitation on the vertical movement of the duty belt  25  within the clip members  40 ,  50 , the clip members  40 ,  50 ,  60  are intended to allow some vertical movement of the duty belt  25  to provide some comfort when the wearer needs to move into a sitting position, such as to enter a vehicle. Furthermore, the suspender straps  32  are preferably manufactured as a web material by weaving elastic fibers into the webbing. As a result, these straps  32  have an inherent elastic stretch of about 3-4% of their length, which enables the wearer to realize the relief of the weight of the duty belt  25  while retaining lateral, as well as horizontal, mobility of the duty belt relative to the ballistic vest  10 . The permitted vertical and horizontal movement of the duty belt  25  relative to the clip members  40 ,  50 ,  50   a ,  60 , as well as the flexibility of the suspender straps  32  between the vest  10  and the clip members  40 ,  50 ,  50   a ,  60 , allows the duty belt  25  to move relative to the ballistic vest  10  in a manner that the natural body movement of the wearer is not inhibited or restricted during the course of the daily activities of the wearer. 
         [0077]    Removal of the duty belt  25  and ballistic vest  10  is easy and convenient for the wearer. The duty belt  25  can be easily unbuckled and lifted out of the U-shaped slots  45 ,  51 ,  65  in the four clip members  40 ,  50 ,  50   a ,  60 . The ballistic vest  10  can then be unfastened at the sides  15  and lifted over the wearer&#39;s head to affect removal thereof. If cleaning of the ballistic vest  10  is desired, the suspension system  30  can be removed simply by pulling the suspender straps  32  from the interior of the ballistic vest  10 , although removal of the clip members  40 ,  50 ,  60  in the front or back of the vest  10  would be necessary before removing the suspender straps  32 . 
         [0078]    It will be understood that changes in the details, materials, steps and arrangements of parts which have been described and illustrated to explain the nature of the invention will occur to and may be made by those skilled in the art upon a reading of this disclosure within the principles and scope of the invention. The foregoing description illustrates the preferred embodiments of the invention; however, concepts, as based upon the description, may be employed in other embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are intended to protect the invention broadly, as well as in the specific form shown.