Cut away vest

Abstract

A cut away vest consists of a front vest piece having two shoulder sections and two waist sections, and a rear vest piece having two shoulder sections and two waist sections. The front piece is connected to the rear piece by four buckle assemblies. Each buckle assembly has a male portion and a female portion, with the male portions being attached to the shoulder and waist sections of the front vest piece, and the female portions being attached to the shoulder and waist sections of the rear vest piece, so that the front vest piece is connected to the rear vest piece by inserting each of the male portions into a corresponding female portion. Each male buckle portion is connected to a cable. The other end of each cable is connected to a single handle on the front vest piece. Pulling the handle causes the male portions to release from the female portions and the front vest section to separate from the rear vest section.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]This invention relates to a cut away vest that can be quickly and easily removed by the wearer. In particular, the invention relates to a cut away vest that can be easily re-assembled after it is removed by the wearer.[0003]2. The Prior Art[0004]Cut away vests are often worn by members of the military and law enforcement agencies to aid the wearer in carrying gear, as well as to protect against bullets and other impacts. These vests, especially when loaded with armor plating, can be very heavy and cumbersome to wear. Therefore it is a requirement that the vests be easily removable by the wearer, in case the wearer must be mobile in an emergency, and especially in case of submersion in water.[0005]In the past, these vests have been constructed of several separate pieces that are held together by a cable system. An example of this system is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,243,376 to Johnson. A strap is threaded through each piec...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006]It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a cut away vest that can be easily re-assembled after the release system is activated, so that the vest can be re-used for further operations.

[0007]This and other objects are achieved by a cut away vest, comprising a front vest piece having two shoulder sections and two waist sections, and a rear vest piece having two shoulder sections and two waist sections. The front piece is connected to the rear piece by four buckle assemblies. Each buckle assembly has a male portion and a female portion, with the male portions being attached to the shoulder and waist sections of the front vest piece, and the female portions being attached to the shoulder and waist sections of the rear vest piece, so that the front vest piece is connected to the rear vest piece by inserting each of the male portions into a corresponding female portion. Each male buckle portion is connected to a cable. The other end of each cable is connected to a single handle on the front vest piece. Pulling the handle causes the male portions to release from the female portions and the front vest section to separate from the rear vest section.

[0008]In one embodiment, each of the cables is slidably disposed in a cable sleeve that is connected to the front vest section. This way, the cables can move easily without becoming entangled with the user, as the cable sleeves are firmly secured to the vest. The sleeve is fixed on one end to the male buckle and on the other end to a plate that guides the wires to the handle. Each wire end is fixed to the leg structure of the male buckle and to the handle. When the handle is pulled, the legs are pulled inwards to disengage the male from the female, and when the handle is released, the legs move back to their original state. Because the sleeve is fixed from end to end, and the wire slides from end to end, a“spring” effect is causing the wire to shift back in to the leg locking position after release of the handle.

[0010]In order to make the vest more secure and easy to assemble, the waist sections of the front vest piece overlap the waist sections of the rear vest piece when the male portions are connected to the female portions. In a preferred embodiment, the waist sections of the rear vest piece are configured to be stiff and curved, so that they fit around the wearer's waist, even before the buckles are secured. This makes the vest easier to assemble while wearing, as the rear vest piece stays in place while the front vest piece is being attached.

[0011]To increase adjustability of the vest, the female portions of the buckles can be connected to the shoulder sections and waist sections of the rear vest piece via adjustable straps on the rear vest piece. The female buckle can be equipped with strap securing bars that allow the straps to be tightened or loosened, depending on the needs of the wearer. Or, straps with integrated hook and loop closures can be fed through a single bar on the female to create adjustability.

Problems solved by technology

These vests, especially when loaded with armor plating, can be very heavy and cumbersome to wear.

This system works well to free the wearer from the vest, but it is extremely difficult to re-assemble the vest after use, so the vests are generally discarded after a single use.

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