Patent Abstract:
The method is for receiving a bullet in a bullet proof vest. A plate structure is provided that has an airtight enclosure enclosing high performance fiber layers, a hard layer, a textile layer having openings defined therein and a semi-solid layer such as bitumen. A bullet penetrates through the airtight enclosure. The pressure inside the airtight enclosure is increased. The increased pressure separates the layers from the hard layer and the textile layer from the hard layer. The hard layer deforms the bullet. The textile layer attaches to the bullet to follow the bullet. The layer sticks to the bullet as the bullet penetrates through the plate structure.

Full Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a bullet proof vest. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Bullet proof vests have been used for a long time. However, many of such vests are heavy and uncomfortable to use. Conventional vests are often not as reliable when many shots are fired into them and the risk of injury to the wearer of the bullet proof vest increases. There is a need for a vest that protects against multiple bullets without overheating that reduces the protection. There is a need for a bullet proof vest that is comfortable and can handle a plurality of bullets without reduced protection provided by the vest. There is also a need for a vest that can easily be adjusted to the specific needs of the user so that more protection is provided in certain dangerous situations and less protection when there is less risk of being shot at with a heavy duty weapon. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The bullet proof vest of the present invention provides a solution to the above-mentioned problems. The method of the present invention is for safely receiving a bullet in a bullet proof vest. A plate structure is provided that has an airtight enclosure enclosing high performance fiber layers, a hard layer, a textile layer having openings defined therein and a semi-solid and sticky layer such as bitumen or rubber. A bullet may penetrate through the airtight enclosure. The pressure inside the airtight enclosure is increased as a result of the energy and heat of the bullet. The increased pressure increases the volume of the enclosure and separates the layers from the hard layer and the textile layer from the hard layer. The hard layer may be used to deform the bullet. The textile layer attaches to the bullet to follow the bullet as the bullet moves into the rubber layer. The semi-solid sticky layer sticks to the bullet as the bullet penetrates through the plate structure to further slow down the bullet. An air-bubble layer may transversely distribute the bullet impact. The vest of the present invention has convenient snap-on fasteners that make it easy to take on and take off the vest and to remove and insert the removable plates. More particularly, the vest has pockets defined therein so that the user may remove the plates and replace the plates with different plates by inserting the different plates into the pockets. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         [0004]      FIG. 1  is a perspective front view of the vest of the present invention; 
           [0005]      FIG. 2  is a perspective back view of the vest of the present invention; 
           [0006]      FIG. 3  is a detailed cross-sectional view of a portion of an armor plate of the present invention; and 
           [0007]      FIG. 4  is a detailed cross-sectional view of a portion of an armor plate of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0008]      FIGS. 1-2  show a bullet proof vest  10  of the present invention that has a front body armor section  12  with shoulder straps  14  that have snap fasteners  16  for easy take off and fastening of the vest  10 . The front section  12  has an openable inside pocket  18  defined therein that extends across the entire front section  12 . The pocket  18  has an armor plate  20  disposed therein to provide bullet protection for the entire front page of the body of the wearer. The section  12  has an openable outside pocket  22  defined therein for holding an additional armor plate  24 . 
         [0009]    Straps  26 ,  28  enclose the vest  10 . The straps  26 ,  28  have snap fasteners  30 ,  32  for easy take-on and take-off of the vest. Extra side plates  34 ,  36  may be disposed at the lower end of the vest in pockets  35 ,  37  to provide extra protection for the kidney and other vital organs of the wearer. Snap-on double side plates  38 ,  40  may extend downwardly or hang from a lower edge  42  of the vest to protect the hip area. The plates may be attached by a snap fastener  41 . 
         [0010]    As best shown in  FIG. 2 , the vest  10  also has a back body armor section  44  that are attached to the shoulder straps  14  with suitable fasteners  46 ,  48  such a Velcro. The section  44  has an openable inside pocket  50  defined therein that extends across the entire back section  44 . The pocket  50  has an armor plate  52  disposed therein so that the armor plate is removable from and insertable into the pocket  50 . 
         [0011]    The back section  44  may have a gas-mask bag  54  removably attached thereto by fasteners  56  such as Velcro so that it is easy to remove and attach the bag  54 . By placing the bag  54  on the back section  44  it is not in the way when the wearer must move quickly in dangerous situations. The back section  44  also has an openable pocket  58  defined therein for holding an extra armor plate  60  so that the plate  60  may easily be removed from and inserted into the pocket  58 . 
         [0012]      FIG. 3  shows a detailed cross-sectional view of an armor plate  62  which could be identical to and used as the armor plates mentioned above. The plate  62  has an outside airtight elastic enclosure  64  that may be made of a suitable elastic polymer such as nylon that has glue on one side. A plurality of textile layers  66 , disposed inside and glued to the enclosure  64 , made of a high strength fiber such as aramid may be used. For example, the plate  62  could use about seven textile layers or any other suitable number of layers. A steel or polymer layer  68  may be disposed inside the textile layers  66 . Behind the layer  68  there is a polymeric net or woven layer  70  that may be a woven fiberglass or any other suitable material. A sticky and relatively soft rubber or bitumen material  72  is disposed behind the layer  70 . Any suitable semisolid and sticky material may be used as the material  72 . Another layer  74 , similar to the layer  70 , may be disposed behind the rubber material  72  followed by another sticky semi-solid material  76  similar to the material  72 . Another layer  78 , similar to the layers  70 ,  74 , may be disposed behind the material  76  followed by a polymeric layer  80  that has air-bubbles  82  distributed across the layer  80 . The air-bubbles not only absorb and spread the penetration and impact forces over a bigger area but also provide insulation against over heating when the vest is hit by many bullets in a short period of time. High strength fiber layers  84  such as aramid may be disposed behind the layer  80 . 
         [0013]      FIG. 4  shows an extra combination plate or trauma plate  86  that may be disposed behind the layers  84  or behind the entire plate  62  to provide extra protection and to make sure no bullet penetrates through the vest. The plate may have a plurality of high impact strength fiber textile layers  88 , such as aramid, and a polymeric layer  90  with air-bubbles  92  followed by layers  94  of high strength fiber textile, such as aramid. 
         [0014]    In operation, a bullet hits the vest  10  and penetrates through the airtight enclosure  64 . The energy from the bullet generates hot gases that blow up the enclosure  64  somewhat to expand its volume and so that air gets in between the various layers of the plate  62 . Because the enclosure  64  is airtight, most of the gases remain inside the enclosure  64  and increases the pressure inside and the volume of the enclosure so that there is more room for the various layers to move relative to one another. The bullet may penetrate through the layers  66  that slow down the bullet and hits the steel layer  68 . The hard layer  68  further slows down and also deforms the bullet. The layers  66  may catch any ricocheting debris and other scrap parts from the bullet as the bullet is deformed against the steel plate  68 . This protects the environment and the wearer from being injured from any ricocheting debris. If the bullet has enough energy to penetrate through the plate  68 , the deformed bullet encounters the woven fabric or layer  70 . The woven layer  70  has holes defined therein and fibers of the layer  70  attaches to and follows the bullet as the bullet penetrates into the elastic, sticky and relatively soft rubber material  72 . A portion of the material  72  sticks to the outer surface of the bullet and the fibers from the layer  70  to further slow down the velocity of the bullet. The rubber material is deformable and allows a plurality of bullets to penetrate therein without losing the effectiveness of the sticky rubber material attaching to the bullets to slow down the bullets. The fact that the bullets have been deformed by the plate  68  and the attached woven layer  70  make it easier for the rubber material to stick to the bullet. As the bullet penetrates the rubber material  72 , the rubber material  72  is also heated by the heat of the bullet and the rubber material becomes stickier to further reduce the velocity of the bullet. The additional layers of the sticky rubber materials also stick to the already sticky outer surface of the bullet including the fibers from the layer  70  that are also stuck to the outer surface and rubber material on the bullet. The combination of the sticky rubber layers and the woven textile layer makes a substance that dramatically slows down the velocity of the bullet. Should the bullet penetrate through the layer  78 , the air bubbles  82  of the layer  80  transversely or sideways distribute and spread out the energy and penetration forces of the bullet to further reduce the impact of the bullet into the layers  84 . The burst air bubbles  82  create a layer of air that spreads the penetration forces and thus minimizes the trauma effect since the penetration is spread out over a much large areas. In this way, the penetration forces are further weakened and the bullet is not permitted to focus the penetration energy to a small area. The layers  84  are then enclosed by the airtight enclosure  64 . 
         [0015]    An important feature of the present invention is that the various layers, except the enclosure  64 , are not glued to one another to permit air to be disposed between the layers as the enclosure  64  is gas filled by the energy of the penetrating bullet. 
         [0016]    While the present invention has been described in accordance with preferred compositions and embodiments, it is to be understood that certain substitutions and alterations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the following claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 5