Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE OF THE INVENTION
Concealable Ballistic Vest and Method of Manufacture
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to soft ballistic armor generally, and more
particularly to
soft ballistic vests which are formed to better conform to the human body.
Soft ballistic armor is used to protect individuals against lower energy
projectiles
particularly pistol bullets and shrapnel. Soft armor is generally composed of
multiple
layers of ballistic fabric or a felt made of ballistic fibers such as
ballistic nylon, aramid,
para-aramid synthetic fiber, Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene
(UHMWPE), or
carbon fibers. In order for ballistic protection to be wearable the ballistic
panels are
fitted inside a carrier. The carrier is the visible part of a ballistic vest.
There are at least
two types of carriers, tactical military carriers that are worn as an outer
garment, and
covert law type carriers that are worn under the shirt.
A military type of carrier often has a series of webbing, hook and loop, and
snap type
connectors on the front and back faces. This permits the wearer to mount gear
to the
carrier in an array of configurations.
Law enforcement carriers are often concealable. The carrier holds the
ballistic panels
close to the wearer's body and a uniform shirt is worn over the carrier.
Another textile
layer is often found between the carrier and the ballistic components. The
ballistic
panels are enclosed within a coated pouch or slip which provides the
encapsulation of
the ballistic materials. Slips are manufactured in two types: heat sealed
hermetic slips
and simple sewn slips. For some ballistic fibers e.g., Kevlar, the slip is a
critical part of
the system, preventing moisture from the user's body from saturating the
ballistic
materials. For these fibers protection from moisture cycling increases the
useful life of
the armor as well as preventing the degradation of ballistic performance.
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A conventional ballistic vest manufacturing process is described at Wikipedia,
including first making the cloth of the ballistic panel, describing making
Kevlar 0 cloth
in a process in which "the Kevlar yarns are woven in the simplest pattern,
plain or tabby
weave.., which is merely the over & under pattern of threads ... [that]
interlace
alternatively." For Spectra fibers weaving is not usually used for ballistic
vests,
"instead the strong polyethylene polymer filaments are spun into fibers that
are then laid
parallel to each other and resin is used to coat the fibers, sealing them
together to form a
sheet of Spectra cloth. Two sheets of cloth are then placed at right angles to
one another
and again bonded, forming a nonwoven fabric that is next sandwiched between
two
sheets of polyethylene film. The vest shape can then be cut from the
material." After the
panels are cut from the cloth and sewn, the vest is finished by sewing the
shells for the
panels "together in the same standard industrial sewing machines and [using]
standard
sewing practices. The panels are then slipped inside the shells and the
accessories such
as the straps are sewn on." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulletproof_vest.
Bulletproof vests assembled in this method have common drawbacks that hurt
concealability and durability. Since the armor is allowed to sit freely within
the outer
carrier it can shift during use. This shifting leads to fold lines, which will
become more
pronounced over time. The repeated folding will then cause the armor to roll
and
become thicker at the lower edges, creating a lumpy and bulged appearance.
This is
both a detractor for concealment and user comfort, as the resulting shape is
no longer
analogous to the human form. Various attempts have been made to better support
the
armor through suspending it at each shoulder area, however, the armor is still
free to
move in relation to the outer carrier. The user is only able to adjust the
tension on the
shoulder and waist straps. However, this tension is applied to the carrier
alone, only
affecting the inner ballistic panel indirectly. This compromise is made
because it is
generally accepted that stitching through the whole armor insert has two major
drawbacks. 1. Any stitch will be a weak point since the needle will either
sever ballistic
fibers or create gaps during the stitching operation. 2. Stitches through the
armor insert
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have the potential to allow moisture inside, which is known to both degrade
the armor's
performance and also its usable life.
Another aspect of body armor coneealability is conforming the ballistic panel
to match
the wearer's body shape. Conventional vests utilize fairly flexible armor that
can more
easily conform, the tradeoff being increased likelihood of wrinkling and
bunching as
mentioned above. Others attempt to create a compound curved shape by either
including pleats and folds or by pressing the armor, thereby stretching and
pulling the
fibers to result in a compound curved shape. Compound curvature tends to make
the
armor insert more rigid and less fabric like. The rigid armor, when inserted
into a
carrier, will do a better job of matching the wearer's body shape, but will be
more likely
to shift around since the outer carrier strap tension only indirectly affects
the armor
panel. Any forces on the armor are more likely to translate through and shift
it as a
whole in relation to the carrier, requiring readjustment by the wearer.
What is needed is a process for making concealable body armor which joins the
ballistic
panel securely to the outer shell without stitching through the armor, and
allows the
armor to be formed to fit the wearer, to thereby produce a thin, form fitting
armored
vest that can be held in position to the wearer's body with minimal shifting.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a ballistic vest and a method of making a
ballistic vest
and smaller components of ballistic armor. The ballistic armor of the vest,
especially
soft ballistic armor used to stop shrapnel and handgun bullets, is constructed
of ballistic
fibers formed into a ballistic fabric. The ballistic fiber fabric layers,
usually in the form
of sheets, are combined to form a multilayered ballistic panel by bonding or
sewing the
multiple layers of fabric together. The ballistic panel fabric layers may
incorporate a
thermoplastic which serves to adhere the layers together. The ballistic panel
is 3-10
mm, typically 4-7 mm, in thickness. The ballistic panel is enclosed in a heat
weldable
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thermoplastic inner bag which surrounds the panel and which is heat welded to
form a
waterproof seal around the entire ballistic panel. An outer cover is assembled
from inner
and outer sheets of fabric which are stitched together to define an open ended
fabric
bag. Most of the interior surface of the cover's fabric sheets has a
thermoplastic coating
which faces the inner bag containing the ballistic panel in the assembled
vest.
Preferably the fraction of the interior surface of the cover's fabric sheets
which has a
thermoplastic coating is greater than 70%, more preferably greater than 80% to
90% or
95%. The ballistic panel sealed within the inner bag is inserted within the
outer cover
and positioned between the inner and outer fabric sheets and the cover is
stitched
closed.
The enclosed ballistic panel assembly is then heated to the bonding
temperature of the
thermoplastic inner bag and the interior thermoplastic coating on the outer
cover fabric
layers. Preferably the outer cover is then bonded to the ballistic panel in a
flat planar
press to avoid wrinkling the outer cover. The assembled outer cover and
ballistic panel
are then placed in a bladder press and formed to a three-dimensional shape
normally
conforming at least in part to the human body. The final ballistic vest or
ballistic
component forms a thin form-fitting ballistic armor part which is waterproof
without
stitching through the thermoplastic inner bag or the ballistic panel. The
outer cover
assembly may include sections of stretchable fabric which either stretch in
one direction
(2-way stretch) or in two or more directions (4-way stretch) which may not
have an
inner coating of thermoplastic. Typical materials include knitted fabrics,
elastane
(Spandex and Lycra ) formed of a polyester-polyurethane copolymer. Elastane
fabrics
typically stretch 4-7 times their length, but stretchable fabrics as used in
the ballistic
assembly may require only 30-100% stretch.
The sections of stretchable fabric may be coated with an interior
thermoplastic coating
which bonds the stretchable fabric to the ballistic panel. This approach is
generally
preferred in keeping with the overall design goal of having the outer cover
integral with
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the ballistic panel. However, advantages can be gained by having portions of
the
stretchable fabric not coated with an interior thermoplastic coating. In
particular,
portions of the vest with high curvature developed during the final step of
molding,
where the compound curvatures are formed, can develop wrinkles in the
underlying
ballistic panel. These wrinkles transmit through to the outer cover of the
armor, making
it harder to conceal, and causing the overall product to look unsightly. By
adding areas
of high-stretch fabric without a bonding thermoplastic coating in the areas of
the
ballistic panel prone to wrinkling, the high-stretch fabric bounces back after
molding,
hiding the wrinkles below and improving concealability. Since these areas do
not have
a bonding coating on them, they are utilized sparingly, only being applied in
high
curvature areas prone to wrinkling such as the middle of the inside surface of
the back
or the front torso component.
It is a feature of the present invention to provide a ballistic vest or
component with an
outer cover which is bonded to an armor panel, wherein the outer component and
the
ballistic panel conform to portions of the human body and are retained in a
secure
manner.
It is a feature of the present invention to provide a form-fitting ballistic
vest or
component which is highly resistant to moisture or water contacting the
ballistic panel.
It is another feature of the present invention to provide a ballistic vest or
component
where an outer cover is bonded to a ballistic panel to form a water and water
vapor seal
around the ballistic panel.
It is yet another feature of the present invention to provide a ballistic vest
or component
with an outer cover which is bonded to an armor panel and to form a water and
water
vapor impervious layer surrounding the ballistic panel, wherein the outer
component
and the ballistic panel conform to portions of the human body.
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It is a further feature of the present invention to provide a method for
avoiding printing
i.e., showing through of components or parts of the vest, on the outer shape
of the vest
which reduces the concealability of the vest.
It is a yet further feature of the present invention to provide a method for
forming an
assembly of an outer cover and a bonded inner armor panel into a three-
dimensional
shape which conforms in part to portions of the human body.
Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent
from the
following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an exploded assembly drawing of the front part of the ballistic vest
of this
invention, wherein an outer cover of the front part of the ballistic vest is
shown partly
cutaway.
FIG. 2 is a rear isometric view of the front part of the ballistic vest of
FIG. 1 after
assembly and formation in a bladder press.
FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the front part of the ballistic vest
assembled with
the similarly formed back part, showing hook and loop fastener straps which
join the
front and back parts of the ballistic vest.
FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional perspective view of the ballistic vest assembly
of FIG. 3
taken along section line 3A-3A.
FIG. 4B is an exploded view of the ballistic vest assembly of FIG. 3.
FIG. 5A is a schematic view of a first step of forming a ballistic vest using
a bladder
press showing bonding of the vest parts in the press.
FIG. 5B is a schematic view of a second step of placing the bonded ballistic
vest parts
in a press with a mold having a desired three-dimensional shape.
FIG. 5C is a schematic view of a third step of forming the ballistic vest to a
shape in the
press of FIG. 5B.
FIG. 5D is a schematic view of a forth step of removing the finished formed
ballistic
vest element from the press of FIG. 5C.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring more particularly to FIGS. 1-5D wherein like numbers refer to
similar parts,
a ballistic vest 20 is shown in FIG. 3. The vest 20 is composed of two
components: a
front torso component 22 and a back torso component 24 which are of generally
similar
construction.
As shown in FIG. 1, the front torso component 22 has three basic parts: a soft
ballistic
panel 26 which is received within a thermoplastic inner bag 36 which is
received within
an outer cover 40. The soft ballistic panel 26 is constructed of assemblies of
ballistic
fabric such as those formed from DuPont Kevtar fibers, fibers of ultra high
molecular
weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) such as Spectra fibers from Honeywell,
ballistic
nylon, aramid, para-aramid synthetic fiber, carbon fibers, or other ballistic
fabric. These
ballistic fibers are formed into layers which may be woven or non-woven and
cut to the
desired shape of the panel 26. The panel may be stitched through with a
stitching
pattern 34 to define various regions, such as a breast region 30 and two side
regions 32.
The thermoplastic inner bag 36 may be assembled from two parts cut from a thin
film of
thermoplastic by welding along the peripheral edges 58 by any suitable means,
preferably by radio-frequency (RF) e.g., 20 to 40 kHz, welding. The inner bag
36 so
formed will have a bottom opening 38 through which the panel may be inserted
within
the bag. The thermoplastic used to form the inner bag 36 is preferably
thermoplastic
polyurethane (TPU), an aromatic TPU based on isocyanates, or a polyether
(PTU).
Polyether TPUs have low temperature flexibility and good abrasion and tear
resilience.
Polyether TPUs also resist microbial attack and provide excellent hydrolysis
resistance
making them resistant to water and water vapor. The thickness of the
thermoplastic is
preferably less than about a millimeter or in the range of 10 to 80
thousandths of an
inch. After the inner bag 36 is welded, as shown in FIG. 1, it is preferably
but not
necessarily inverted so that the outer edges 58 do not extend beyond the
welded seam.
The soft ballistic panel 26 is slipped into the inner bag 36 through the open
bottom 38
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and the bottom opening 38 is welded shut forming a hermetically sealed outer
layer of
thermoplastic completely enclosing the ballistic panel 26.
The outer cover 40 is comprised of an inner element 42 which is positioned
next to the
body of the wearer as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and an outer element 44 shown in
FIG. 3.
The inner and outer elements 42, 44 are stitched together at seams 53 which
extend
around the periphery to produce a cloth bag with an open bottom 48. The bag of
the
outer cover 40 is then preferably but optionally inverted to hide the
stitching. Other
parts making up the ballistic vest, including side straps 55, hook and loop
fasteners
(e.g., Velcro fasteners), and fastening surfaces 57 formed by flaps 59 as
shown in FIG.
3 are then attached e.g., by stitching, to the outer cover 40 after inverting
(if that is
done), and prior to the assembly and pressing. The flaps 59 cover any overlap
of the
front side panels 54 of the front torso component 22, and the back side panels
49 of the
back torso component 24, which may occur when the vest 22 is worn by a thinner
person. In FIG. 1 the outer cover 40 is partly cut away to show the outer
cloth element
44, which is preferably of a wear resistant material such as used in jackets
or packs. The
inner element 42 is preferably assembled from multiple types of cloth
generally
comprised of a soft fabric 50 which when worn engages the skin or undergarment
of the
person wearing the vest, and optionally bands 52 of stretchable cloth, shown
in FIGS. 1
and 2. The bands 52 of cloth which are stretchable are made of materials such
as
elastane or spandex polyester-polyurethane copolymer which facilitates the
flexure of
two sidewardly extending side panels 54 and two shoulder straps 56. The cloth
used to
fabricate the outer cover 40 is coated on at least one side with a
thermoplastic which is
compatible with the thermoplastic used to form the inner bag 36. The
thermoplastic
coated surfaces are arranged so that in the assembled outer cover 40 they are
on the
inside. The cloth can be specified to have a thermoplastic coating on one side
of the
required type or the coating can be applied to the cloth before fabrication by
any of the
conventional means such as hot melt extrusion, calendar coating, or rotary
screen
coating. The coating only need be as thick as necessary to form a secure bond
to the
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thermoplastic inner bag 36 and will be typically thinner than the thickness of
the film
used to form the thermoplastic inner bag 36.
In a similar way, after the ballistic panel 26 has been sealed within the
thermoplastic
inner bag 36, the sealed inner bag 36 with the ballistic panel within is
slipped between
the inner element 42 and the outer element 44 of the outer cover 40 through
the bottom
opening 48 and the bottom opening is sewn shut. At this point in the process,
the
ballistic panel is sealed within the thermoplastic inner bag 26 and sewn
within the outer
cover 40, and at least the less stretchable portions of the interior surface
of the cloth
outer element 44 have a coating of thermoplastic (i.e. the soft fabric 50 and
the interior
surface of the cloth outer element 44 which is at least in part in contact
with the inner
bag). The assembly is now ready to have heat applied to secure the inner bag
36 to the
outer cover 40.
While any conventional heating, pressing, and molding process may be used, one
method is illustrated in FIGS. 5A-5D which uses a bladder press 60 having a
first press
section 62 containing a mold form 64. The mold form is shown as a flat plate
63 in FIG.
5A and as a female mold 65 in FIGS. 5B-5D. However, the mold form could also
be a
male mold. The bladder press 60 has a second section 66 which contains an
inflatable
bladder 68 which can be filled with gas or liquid, typically air, such that
when the first
press section 62 and the second press section 66 are closed as shown in FIG.
5A,
pressure can be applied to the assembled part 22 as indicated by arrows 70 by
introducing a pressurized liquid or gas from a source of pressure 67 into the
bladder 68.
Prior to processing in the bladder press 60 in step 1, the assembled part 22
is heated to a
temperature (e.g 230 F) which renders the thermoplastic of the inner bag 36
and the
thermoplastic coating on the inside surfaces of the outer cover 40 bondable,
and the
heated part is placed in the bladder press 60 as shown in FIG. 5A. The
temperature to
which the assembled part 22 is heated is selected to be below the temperature
which
would adversely affect the ballistic panel 26 or the fabrics used to make up
the outer
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cover 40. The assembled front torso part 22 is then processed to bond the soft
ballistic
panel 26 to the cloth making up the outer cover 40. Once the bladder press 60
has been
cycled, as shown in FIG. 5A, the ballistic panel 26 is now bonded to the outer
cover 40
to form a bonded front torso part 22 of the vest which is removed from the
bladder
press.
In FIG. 5B this bonded part 22 is placed in a different or the same bladder
press 60 with
the flat plate 63 replaced by the female mold 65. Prior to the step
illustrated in FIG. 5B
the assembled part 22 (if necessary) is reheated to return the part 22 to a
temperature
which renders the thermoplastic in the assembled front torso part 22 formable,
and
placed in the female mold 65. Preferably a vacuum system (not shown) is
applied to the
female mold cavity 65 by drilling a number of small holes through the surface
of the
mold cavity which connect to a source of vacuum to eliminate any air bubbles
which
might be trapped in the part 22. In the step shown in FIG. 5C the bladder
press 60 first
press section 62 and second press section 66 are again closed and the part 22
is forced
into the female mold 65 by inflation of the bladder 68 with a pressurized
fluid from the
fluid pressure source 67 to bring the front torso part 22 to a shape which
conforms to
the wearer's body. The formed torso part 22 is thus rendered a pre-curved
ballistic
element which has a three-dimensional shape with a curve in at least one
direction. As
shown in FIG. 5D, the completed part 22 is then removed from the press, and is
in its
final form, being an integral cloth-covered ballistic panel 26 with breast
region 30 and
side regions 32 which conforms closely to the body of the wearer. The finished
front
torso part 22 encapsulates the ballistic panel 26 in a water-resistant/proof
thermoplastic,
so that the final product behaves as if it is integrally formed, not like a
conventional soft
armor vest which behaves more like armor in a sack. Moreover, the final part
is further
without stitching passing through the ballistic panels, such that the
ballistic panels are
rendered substantially impervious to water and water vapor and protected from
microbial action while remaining flexible even at low temperatures. It should
be noted
that although the step shown in FIG. 5A may be preferred, it could be
eliminated and
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the bonding could take place in the step shown in FIG. 5C simultaneously with
the
formation of the shape of the part 22.
The back torso part 24 though differing in shape so as to conform to the back
of a
person is likewise composed of the same parts, i.e. one or more soft ballistic
panels, a
thermoplastic welded inner bag, and an outer cover which is assembled and
formed in a
substantially identical process as that described for the front torso part 22.
Although
ideally all elements, including straps, hook and loop fastener surfaces (e.g.,
Velcro
fasteners), fasteners of the front and back torso parts, are attached to the
outer cover 40
prior to assembly and pressing, additional parts can be added after the parts
22, 24 are
removed from the bladder press 60 as shown in FIG. 5D so long as such
attachments do
not involve stitching which penetrates a ballistic panel or the encapsulation
which
surrounds the ballistic panels. Additional parts could be added for example by
stitching
to the shoulder straps 56 which do not contain a ballistic panel.
An alternative method for heat sealing and forming the front torso part 22 is
to use
vacuum forming which employs an array of small holes which extend to the
surface of a
mold cavity and which are connected to a source of vacuum. The assembled
ballistic
part 22 is placed over a female or male mold, the ballistic part 22 is
overlain by a rubber
sheet such that the vacuum clamps the part 22 between the rubber sheet, and
the
vacuum causes atmospheric pressure to force the part 22 into conformance with
the
mold surface forming, compressing, and bonding the part.
As shown in FIG. 4A, a zipper 72 may be sewn on the inside bottom 74 of the
inner
element 42 of the outer cover 40 of the front (and/or the back) torso
component 22 for
removably attaching accessories. The zipper 72 is covered by a cloth flap 76
which is
sewn to the inner element 42 of the outer cover 40 above the zipper 72. the
zipper 72 is
used for attaching accessories such as a removable cummerbund and an abdomen
panel.
The zipper can be also be used to attach ballistic plate covers for a hard
ballistic plate
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which can withstand higher velocity projectiles than the soft ballistic panel
26. The
function of the zipper could be accomplished with a hook and loop fastener
such as
VELCRO fastener, but the zipper has a lower profile.
The side fastening surfaces 57 formed by the flaps 59 as shown in FIGS. 3-4B
may
incorporate a pocket 61 sewn to the inside surface of the flaps 59 which can
hold a
pistol, radio, or magazine, the pocket is not noticeable when empty. The
pocket 61 is
accessed by a tab 51 sewn to the upper edge 49 of the pocket as shown in FIG.
3. The
straps 55 are made of a stretchy material so that the vest 20 expands and
contracts as the
wearer breathes. Further, to give the side straps 55 a longer region of space
in which
they can stretch, the straps pass through, and are positioned by, a back
pocket or
channel 71 sewn on to the outside of the back torso panel 24 as shown in FIG.
3. The
straps 55 are made in two parts 46, 47 connected by hook and loop fasteners so
the
length can be adjusted to the wearer. The back channel 71 covers the excess
length of
straps 55 used for adjustment, such that the outside of the back torso panel
24 remains
smooth which improves concealability.
The sections of stretchable fabric 52 may be coated with an interior
thermoplastic
coating which bonds the stretchable fabric 52 to the ballistic panels 26.
However those
portions of the vest with high curvature developed during the final step of
molding
shown in FIG. 5C, where the compound curvatures are formed, may develop
wrinkles
in the underlying ballistic panels 26. These wrinkles transmit through to the
outer cover
of the armor, making it harder to conceal, and causing the overall product to
look
unsightly. By adding areas 78 of high-stretch fabric 52 without a bonding
thermoplastic
coating in the areas 78 of the ballistic plate prone to wrinkling or other
discontinuity as
shown in FIG. 1, the high-stretch fabric bounces back after molding, hiding
the wrinkles
below and improving concealability. Since these areas do not have a bonding
coating
on them, they are utilized sparingly, only being applied in high curvature
areas 78 prone
to wrinkling such as the middle of the inside surfaces of the back 24 or the
front 22
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torso component. Such areas are generally limited to 5% to 30% of the total
area of the
vest surfaces.
The intent of the process described is to eliminate the bagginess of typical
soft ballistic
armor where the outer covering is not bonded to the armor insert, to make the
armor
thinner and more comfortable by eliminating wrinkles in the outer cover
fabric, and to
conform more closely to the wearer's body. The thinner conformable armor not
only is
more comfortable it also improves concealability.
It should be understood that a single ballistic element incorporating an outer
cover and
an inner ballistic panel but forming only a part of a ballistic vest, or other
soft armor
parts such as groin protectors, joint protectors, neck protectors can also be
formed in
accordance with the arrangement and process disclosed herein incorporating a
soft
ballistic panel, a bonding layer between the soft ballistic panel and the
outer cover, and
an outer cover of cloth.
Soft ballistic armor is made of layers woven of the threads formed from
ballistic fibers
in which each layer may be bonded to hold the threads in place. Soft ballistic
armor has
a rating under the National Institute of Justice rating system (Ballistic
Resistance of
Body Armor NIJ Standard-0101.06, July 2008) for body armor of II-A, II, or III-
A and
stops projectiles up to about 1,400 ft/sec with the higher rating reducing the
blunt
trauma from higher velocity projectiles. The layers of woven fabric are
stacked and may
be sewn together. The threads formed from ballistic fibers distribute the load
produced
by shrapnel or handgun bullets.
Ballistic fibers are defined as including ballistic nylon, aramid, para-
aramid, Zylon
poly(p-phenylene-2,6-benzobisoxazole), Ultra-high-molecular-weight
polyethylene
(UHMWPE), carbon fibers and such fibers (including nanotubes) known or
developed
which have properties, for an equal weight of fibers, which are better than or
the same
as any listed fiber in resisting projectile penetration and reducing the blunt
trauma when
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used in soft ballistic armor. Further, the outer cover of the ballistic vest
or ballistic
elements may be formed of any single or group of textile materials meeting the
functional requirements described or claimed herein.
Waterproof is defined as a level of substantial imperviousness to water and
water vapor
which during typical use and life of a ballistic vest e.g., 2-5 years, will
prevent
significant loss of strength e.g., less than 10% of para-aramid fibers
strength.
Pre-curved as used in the claims means the ballistic panels are curved by
default i.e., as
made, and not just curved in an as-worn condition, where the wearers body is
responsible for creating and maintaining the curvature.
It is understood that the invention is not limited to the particular
construction and
arrangement of parts herein illustrated and described, but embraces all such
modified
forms thereof as come within the scope of the following claims.
