Patent Publication Number: US-2013232652-A1

Title: Over Garment Protective Shorts

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to protective garments, and in particular, to over garment protective shorts for protecting the pelvic and groin regions of a user. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Military personnel often work in hazardous environments and are frequently exposed to ballistic threats such as bullets and fragments from explosive devices such as bombs and roadside IEDs (improvised explosive devices). Personnel operating in these environments maybe issued with a sleeveless protective jacket for wearing in combination with standard military uniform. The protective jacket comprises front and rear pockets each extending over the front and rear torso regions for receiving a ballistic resistant plate, typically composed of a composite of multiple layers of ballistic resistant fabric such as an aramid material and embedded epoxy resin which are heat pressed together. The front and rear protective plates assist in preventing bullets and fragments from damaging vital organs. An optional ballistic resistant plate is also often worn that extends below the pelvis of a wearer to protect the pelvic and groin regions of the wearer from direct impacts. 
     In more dangerous conditions, typically geared towards explosive device and bomb disposal applications, military personnel may be provided with suits including full body protective armour. These suits typically also include a ballistic resistant plate that extends to cover the pelvic region of a wearer and below the groin region. 
     It has been discovered by the applicant, that while these protective elements, and in particular the ballistic resistant plate that extends below the pelvis and groin region of a wearer, provides protection from direct impacts from bullets and other explosive fragments, when a bullet or fragment impacts the ground surrounding the user, sand or other fragmentary matter has a tendency of deflecting up and underneath the ballistic resistant plate. This has caused serious injury to the pelvic and grown regions of armoured personnel. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a protective garment that can be worn in combination with a ballistic resistant plate, and that provides protection to the pelvic and/or groin regions of a wearer from projectiles, such as sand entering from an area underneath the ballistic resistant plate. 
     While some prior art solutions have extended the ballistic resistant plate lower, this tends to impede movement. Other prior art solutions have provided for protective pants that attach directly to the blast plate or other underlying garments, this creates a barrier for the mobility of the wearer. Accordingly, there is a further need in the art for a protective garment that can be easily donned and doffed in combination with other protective military suits. 
     It is an objective of the invention to provide a solution to the aforementioned, and other problems with the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention there is provided a protective over garment shorts including at least one pocket sized and otherwise dimensioned to removeably receive a ballistic protection panel therein and at least one ballistic protection panel configured to fit within each of the at least one pockets. The shorts are configured to be worn over existing pants and extend from a position covering the pelvic region of a wearer to a position proximate the knee region of the wearer. 
     Other advantages, features and characteristics of the present invention, as well as methods of operation and functions of the related elements of the structure, and the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, the latter of which is briefly described hereinbelow. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the according to the present invention, as to its structure, organization, use and method of operation, together with further objectives and advantages thereof, will be better understood from the following drawings in which a presently preferred embodiment of the invention will now be illustrated by way of example. It is expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only, and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. In the accompanying drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of one embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a plan view showing the interior of the embodiment of  FIGS. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a rear perspective view of a variant of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a front view of another embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a top view of the embodiment of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is a rear view of the embodiment of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 8  shows the interior embodiment of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 9  is a front view of a ballistic panel for use with the embodiment of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 10  is shows the interior of the fly region of the embodiment of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 11  is a front view of a ballistic panel for use at the fly region shown in  FIG. 10 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The invention provides for an over garment protective shorts designed to be used in combination with a protective suit or other tactical personnel protection system for protecting against a variety of threats. The over garment protective shorts according to the invention is designed to be worn on top of standard combat pants, but may also be worn underneath other protective garments as well. In particular, the over garment protective shorts according to the invention are provided to protect a wearer from blast fragments such as sand resulting from an indirect hazardous event occurring in a region surrounding the wearer. These hazardous events include, but are not limited to, explosive hazards, gunfire, fragments from explosions, and other operational hazards that occur during the course of military, police and other emergency service personnel missions. When sand or other fragments are projected off the ground from indirect impacts, the pants according to the invention provides protection from these fragments that may hit the wearer from an angle underneath the blast plate. Unlike prior art systems, the protective garment of the present invention provides an over garment shorts that can be worn on top of, or underneath, other protective garments and further, provides ballistic protection to the groin and pelvic regions of a wearer by providing ballistic panels in direct contact with these regions so that protection may be provided irrespective of the angle at which a harmful fragment approaches the wearer. For clarity, the term over garment shorts as are used throughout the description denotes a garment that may be worn over an underlying base layer and does not preclude the possibility of additional layers of protection being worn on top of the over garment shorts. The over garment shorts of the invention may be used with a an emergency suit, a tactical suit and other protective garments that may or may not incorporate a ballistic resistant plate. 
     Ballistic panels as incorporated into the invention in the manner described are not limited to particular forms of the ballistic panels. Materials for such panels are generally known in the art and the ballistic panels may be formed from any number of materials, including fabrics such as Aramid, ballistic resistant plastics, impact resistant materials and similar materials, such as Kevlar, and any combinations thereof that allow for ballistic resistance. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , there is shown one embodiment of the over garment shorts  50  according to the invention  1 . The shorts generally include a top edge  52  that, when in use, would rest at a position above the pelvic bone of a wearer (not shown). The shorts are thus worn higher than typical pants or protective garments and extend to a lower edge  54  that extends to a position proximate the knee region of the wearer and preferably to a position approximately four inches below the knee of the wearer. In particular, the shorts are preferred to extend to cover the upper tibia below the knee in order to facilitate rehabilitation through modern prosthetics. That is, the use of modern prosthetics requires approximately four inches of bone extending to the upper tibia. Prior art protective shorts do not include this feature. It is preferably that the legs of the shorts taper inwards to create a close fit to the leg of the wearer, or to any underlying garment. At the lower edge  54 , there is preferably provided an elastic cuff  56  to secure the lower edge  54  to the leg, and to prevent any fragmentary materials from being lodged under the shorts  50 . In some embodiments, the outer portion  58  of each leg is formed from an elastic material to accommodate different sizes, and different under garments. This is particularly helpful where the under garments themselves contain some degree of ballistic protection and would be larger than the wearer&#39;s bare leg size. A waistband  60  is provided proximate the top edge  52  of the short. The waistband may be closed by snap connectors  62  or buckles as are known in the art. Optionally, there is provided a drawstring  64  that acts as a waistband, and is provided entirely on an inner surface of the pants, supported by loops  66 , for example. The drawstring  64  may be provided to ensure the shorts  50  rest above the pelvic bone of the wearer. A typical belt or various other forms of securing pants to a wearer may not be effective in this regard. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the rear of the shorts  50  preferably includes an opening  68  extending from a position proximate the top edge  52  to a position above that at which the legs  70  of the shorts begin. The opening  68  provides for greater air flow to the wearer from a region in which the shorts are not intended to protect. Furthermore, this permits the entirety of the front of the shorts  50  to be manufactured from a ballistic resistant fabric. Some prior art protective garments provide for increased airflow by providing a portion of the material to be perforated, however, this precludes the ability of the material itself to provide a degree of ballistic resistance, particularly from small fragments such as sand. In the invention as herein described, the rear portions of the wearer may not be protected in the same manner and accordingly, the entirety of the front portion may be made from a ballistic resistant panel and the opening  68  as described provided in the rear. 
     The shorts according to the invention include at least one pocket, sized and otherwise dimensioned to removeably receive a ballistic protection panel there and at least one ballistic protection panel configured to fit within each of these pockets. Various arrangements of these pockets are contemplated by the invention, and are exemplified in the description that follows. 
       FIG. 3  shows one arrangement of a set of pockets, and corresponding ballistic panels that are designed to provide protection to the pelvic region, the groin region and portions of the leg region of the wearer. The set of pockets preferably includes at least one pocket  302  configured to overlap the sacrum region on the pelvis of the wearer and at least one pocket  304  configured to overlap each of the ilium regions on the pelvis of the wearer. It will be understood that  FIG. 3  illustrates these regions schematically for ease of illustration and understanding of the invention. It will be understood that only some of the pockets in the set may be included. 
     The set of pockets may further include at least one inner thigh pocket  306  configured to overlap an inner thigh region of the wearer, and preferably two inner thigh pockets  306 . There may further be provided at least one, and preferably two, outer thigh pockets  310  configured to overlap a region on the outer thigh of the wearer. Each of these pockets are also configured to receive ballistic plates  312 ,  314 ,  316 ,  318  and  320 , respectively. 
     Generally, the set of pockets, and corresponding ballistic panels, are configured to cover each of the pelvic and groin regions of the wearer as it has been discovered that these regions are the most susceptible to damage from fragmentary impacts, such as from sand. 
     While it is contemplated that the pockets may be provided on either the interior or on the exterior surfaces of the pants, it is preferred that each of the pockets, and the ballistic panels provided therein are provided on the inside of the pants, as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . Providing the pockets and panels on the interior surface of the pants provides a safe and secure way for preventing damage to the pockets themselves, for example at the seams. Providing for removeable panels in the pockets as herein described and illustrated, allows the ballistic panels to be removed for washing, cleaning, and/or mass transportation. The pockets may be enclosed by any means that would be apparent to a person skilled in the art, including but not limited to zippers and hook and loop fasteners. Furthermore, it is contemplated that a fastening means may be provided within each pocket to hold the ballistic panel in place within the pocket, for example to prevent such movement of the ballistic panel that may cause damage to the enclosing means on the pocket. In repeated use, this could result in the ballistic panel being displaced entirely during an incident. For example, one side of a hook and loop fastener may be provided on an interior surface of the pocket and the corresponding side of the hook and loop fastener provided on an underside of the ballistic panel. 
     The level of protection is provided by the ballistic resistant panels used in the shorts of the invention is predetermined by a contracting agency or wearer, and may be based on government guidelines and certification tests for different ballistic materials. 
     The shorts according to the invention may further include a closing means provided on an outer seam of the shorts from a rear upper thing region through a bottom of the shorts to permit the wearer to don and/or doff the shorts while wearing boots; wherein said closing means is selected from the group consisting of a zipper, snap connectors, and hook and loop fasteners. In the embodiment of  FIGS. 1-2 , the closing means is a zipper provided on a rear leg portion of the pant, generally aligned with the hamstring of the wearer. An alternative embodiment is shown in  FIG. 4 , where buckle-type fasteners are used rather than the zippered closing. The provision of the closing means generally aligned with the hamstring portion of the wearer places such closing means in a position that mitigates the possible damage from fragments approaching from the front of the wear, thus limiting damage to the shorts in general. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 5 to 10 , there is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention. The over garment shorts  110  generally include a top edge  152  that, when in use, would rest at a position above the pelvic bone of a wearer (not shown). The shorts are thus worn higher than typical pants or protective garments and extend to a lower edge  154  that extends to a position proximate the knee region of the wearer and preferably to a position approximately four inches below the knee of the wearer. It is preferably that the legs of the shorts taper inwards to create a close fit to the leg of the wearer, or to any underlying garment. At the lower edge  154 , there is preferably provided an elastic cuff  156  to secure the lower edge  154  to the leg, and to prevent any fragmentary materials from being lodged under the shorts  110 . In some embodiments, the outer portion  158  of each leg is formed from an elastic material to accommodate different sizes, and different under garments. This is particularly helpful where the under garments themselves contain some degree of ballistic protection and would be larger than the wearer&#39;s bare leg size. A waistband  116  is provided proximate the top edge  152  of the short. The waistband  116  may be closed by snap connectors  162  or buckles as are known in the art. The rear of the shorts  110 , shown in  FIG. 7  preferably includes an opening  136  extending from a position proximate the top edge  152  to a position above that at which the legs  170  of the shorts begin. The opening  168  provides for greater air flow to the wearer from a region in which the shorts are not intended to protect. 
     Over garment protective shorts  110  according to this embodiment includes a first pocket  112  and a second pocket  114  for receiving ballistic panels therein. First pocket  112  preferably extends from a position below the waistband  116  of the shorts  110  to below the groin region  118 . Second pocket  114  is positioned on an underside  120  of the groin region between the inner thigh portions  122  of the shorts  110 . This is shown clearly in  FIG. 8 , which shows the shorts  110  having been turned inside out. The second pocket  114  is provided on the interior position of the shorts  110  as illustrated, and is preferably closeable via zipper  124 . 
       FIG. 10  is a detail view of the fly portion  126  of the shorts  110 , and in particular, an internal portion of the shorts  110 . There is provided the first pocket  112  attachable to the interior surface of the pant  110  proximate the waistband  116 . First ballistic panel  128  (shown in  FIG. 11 ) is sized and otherwise dimensioned to fit snugly within the first pocket  112 . In on embodiment, both the first pocket  112  and the first ballistic panel  128  are removable from the shorts so that both maybe cleaned, either in combination or on their own. The first ballistic panel  128  is generally shaped to cover the entirety of the wearer&#39;s groin region. 
       FIG. 9  shows a detail view of a second ballistic panel  130  arranged to be positioned within the second pocket  114 . Second pocket  114  is substantially large and may provide access to the entirety of an interior region between and outer panel and an inner panel of the shorts  110 . That is, the second pocket  114  may, in the alternative, be an opening into an interior region of the shorts  110 . Second ballistic panel  130  is shaped and otherwise dimensioned to substantially cover the inner thigh region, groin region, and pelvic region of the wearer. The view in  FIG. 10  is an expanded view of the second ballistic panel  130 . In use, the ballistic panel  130  would be folded to fit within the shorts  110 , in the shape of  FIGS. 6 and 8 , and extends through the inner thigh region, portions of the front and back of the legs and up towards the pelvic region. Corresponding sides of hook and loop fasteners  132  could be provided on the second panel  130  and on the interior of the second pocked  114 , respectively, to hold the second ballistic panel  130  in position within the shorts  110 . 
     In this embodiment, the second ballistic panel  130  may optionally be provided with a profiled, cut-out section  134  that corresponds with the opening  136  in the rear of the shorts (shown in  FIG. 7 ) that provides for ventilation to the wearer. 
     The second ballistic panel  130  may take on variations in shape compared to that as illustrated, but in general, is understood to be a generally flexible ballistic panel that can be position within the interior of the second pocket to cover any one of the inner thigh region, the groin region, the pelvic region, the front leg region, the back leg region or any combination of same. It will also be understood that the second ballistic panel  130  is removeable from the shorts  110  via the second pocket  114 . 
     Other modifications and alterations may be used in the design and manufacture of other embodiments according to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, which is limited only by the accompanying claims. For example, the shorts of the invention may be integrated functionally into other combat pants so that the two be be designed to be complimentary to each other when used in combination.