Carrier vest with rescue strap

Abstract

A carrier vest (1) comprising a front and rear carrier plate (9, 11) The rear carrier plate comprises a plurality of attachment apertures (13) and intermediate plate sections (13a) arranged between adjacent attachment apertures (13), and an outer and inner surface (11a, 11b). Shoulder straps (3) are attached to the upper portions of the respective front and rear carrier plates. A rescue strap (17) is configured to be actuated from a storage mode to an application mode. The rescue strap is fixed to an upper portion of the rear carrier plate (11), at a respective first strap connection area (19) and a second strap connection area (21) that is laterally distanced from the first strap connection area. In the storage mode, the rescue strap comprises two folded strap portions (17c) located at the inner surface (11b) of the rear carrier plate (11) and extending downwards from the respective first and second strap connection areas (19, 21) to a respective lower fold (17a). In said application mode, the folded strap portions (17c) are in a pulled-out state, such that the rescue strap (17) extends in a non-folded configuration between the first and second strap connection areas (19, 21).

Description

CARRIER VEST WITH RESCUE STRAPTechnical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a carrier vest with a rescue strap for facilitating movement of the person carrying the carrier vest. In particular, the said rescue strap is configured to be pulled from a storage mode to an application mode.Background Art

[0002] Carrier vests are often used by personnel like soldiers or police for various purposes. Some carrier vests are configured to carry anti-ballistic plates, in addition to being configured for carrying additional equipment.

[0003] As the persons carrying such carrier vests are sometimes exposed to hazard, the carrier vests can be equipped with a rescue handle that facilitates moving of for instance an unconscious person by another person.

[0004] When the carrier vest is provided with such a rescue handle, it is an aim that the rescue handle is not prone to entanglement and thus hamper the action of the wearer. Another aim is that when the rescue handle is used, it should facilitate moving the user of the carrier vest.

[0005] Patent publication US9993039B2 discloses a carrier vest that is provided with a rescue handle system. A strap is stored in a folded state inside a sleeve at the back part of the carrier vest. At an available end of the strap there is arranged a handle such that with a pull of the handle, the strap is pulled out of the stored position inside the sleeve.

[0006] A similar solution is disclosed in US20110055992A1 . In this solution, an anchor strap is attached to a panel of the carrier vest, such as by stitching along a substantial portion of the panel. The anchor strap is guided along a vast part of the panel to obtain a secure connection between the anchor strap and the panel. The rescue strap itself is connected to the anchor strap with an attaching ring.

[0007] US9993039B2 and US20110055992A1 disclose solutions with only one rescue strap. The rescue strap is arranged centrally on the back side of the carrier vest. Thus, if the ground is uneven, the person pulled or dragged along the groundmay easily flip over such that the person's front side and thus the face is dragged along the ground. Having one strap only also makes it difficult for two persons to pull in the strap simultaneously.

[0008] Publication US20160021941 A1 discloses a carrier vest having two evacuation straps, arranged on respective side of the central rear portion of the vest. Both evacuation straps can be pulled out from a storage position into an application mode. Since each evacuation strap is independent from the other, a single user must use both hands to pull the person wearing the vest, or alternatively grab hold of both straps with one single hand. In addition to the two evacuation straps, the vest comprises a further strap handle, interposed between the two evacuation straps. The further strap is prone to entanglement with surrounding structures, e.g. roots on the ground.

[0009] An object of the present invention may be to provide a carrier vest with a rescue strap that is easy to use for a person or for persons pulling the wearer of the carrier vest along the ground.

[0010] A further object may be to provide a carrier vest with a rescue strap that does not get entangled during normal use of the carrier vest.

[0011] Furthermore, another object may be to provide a carrier vest with a rescue strap with a small contribution to the overall weight of the carrier vest.Summary of invention

[0012] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a carrier vest comprising a front carrier plate and a rear carrier plate. The rear carrier plate has a plurality of attachment apertures and intermediate plate sections arranged between adjacent attachment apertures. The rear carrier plate also has an outer surface and an inner surface. The carrier vest further has shoulder straps attached to the upper portions of the respective front and rear carrier plates. Furthermore, the carrier vest is provided with a rescue strap configured to be actuated from a storage mode to an application mode. The rescue strap is fixed to an upper portion of the rear carrier plate, at a respective first strap connection area and a second strap connection area that is laterally distanced from the first strap connection area. Whenin the storage mode, the rescue strap comprises two folded strap portions located at the inner surface of the rear carrier plate and extending downwards from the respective first and second strap connection areas to a respective lower fold.According to the invention, when in the application mode the folded strap portions are in a pulled-out state, such that the rescue strap extends in a non-folded configuration between the first and second strap connection areas.

[0013] According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a carrier vest comprising a front portion and a rear portion. The rear portion comprises a plurality of attachment interfaces, an outer surface, and an inner surface. Shoulder straps are attached to the upper portions of the respective front and rear portions. Moreover, the carrier vest comprises a rescue strap that is configured to be actuated from a storage mode to an application mode. The rescue strap is fixed to an upper portion of the rear portion, at a respective first strap connection area and a second strap connection area that is laterally distanced from the first strap connection area. In said storage mode, the rescue strap comprises two folded strap portions located at the inner surface of the rear portion or embedded within the rear portion and extending downwards from the respective first and second strap connection areas to a respective lower fold. Furthermore, in said application mode, the folded strap portions are in a pulled-out state, such that the rescue strap extends in a non-folded configuration between the first and second strap connection areas.

[0014] The term "rescue strap" may relate to a strap, a rope, or other type of string configured suitable for being folded and to pull the weight of a person carrying the carrier vest.

[0015] The term "attachment interfaces" can be slots or apertures in a carrier plate, loops or slits in a woven textile, or other means configured for attachment of for instance equipment to the carrier vest. Such equipment may for example be ammunition (e.g. when worn by a soldier), communication equipment, a water bottle, food supply, or medical equipment.

[0016] In some embodiments of the invention, the first and second strap connection areas are arranged at an upper portion of the rear carrier plate or the rear portion of the carrier vest.

[0017] With the term "upper portion of the rear carrier plate" is meant a portion of the rear carrier plate that constitute not more than 3 / 10 of the upper, vertical extension of the rear carrier plate. With the term "upper portion of the rear portion of the carrier vest", is meant a portion of the rear portion of the carrier vest that constitute not more than 3 / 10 of the upper, vertical extension of the rear portion of the carrier vest.

[0018] In some embodiments, the folded strap portions constitute more than 60 % of the entire length of the rescue strap. The folded strap portions may even constitute more than 75 % or 80 % of the entire length of the rescue strap.

[0019] In some advantageous embodiments, the respective folded strap portions has a length longer than 50 % or even 60 % of the vertical extension of the rear carrier plate or the rear portion of the carrier vest. By exploiting a large vertical part of the rear carrier plate or the rear portion of the carrier vest, it is possible to store a large part of the rescue strap as folded strap portions, without needing to fold it several times.

[0020] When in the storage mode, the rescue strap can in some embodiments comprise, below the respective first and second strap connection areas, only one lower fold. In this manner, there will be only two layers of rescue strap along the folded strap portion. This contributes to providing a low overall thickness of the folded strap portions.

[0021] The rescue strap can in some embodiments comprise, at each respective end of the rescue strap, a strap loop enclosing at least one intermediate plate section of the rear carrier plate.

[0022] Advantageously, the strap loop can encircle at least the uppermost intermediate plate section at the respective lateral sides of the rear carrier plate. In this way, a solid attachment of the rescue strap to the carrier vest is provided, while simultaneously leaving much of the rear carrier plate available for attachment of various attached equipment.

[0023] Moreover, in some embodiments the carrier vest further comprises two respective holding loops, through which the respective folded strap portions extend when in the storage mode.Detailed description of the invention

[0024] While various features of the invention have been discussed in general terms above, a more detailed example of embodiment will be presented in the following with reference to the drawings, in whichFig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a carrier vest according to the invention;Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view depicting a portion of a rear carrier plate;Fig. 3 is a schematic side view of a rear carrier plate and a rescue strap attached to the rear carrier plate when in a storage mode;Fig. 4 is a schematic side view corresponding to Fig. 3, however illustrating the rescue strap when in an application mode;Fig. 5 illustrates the configuration of the rescue strap when in a storage mode; andFig. 6 depicts the rescue strap when in the application mode.

[0025] Fig. 1 depicts a carrier vest 1 according to the invention. The carrier vest 1 has two shoulder straps 3 that extend between a front portion 5 and a rear portion 7 of the carrier vest 1 . When a person wears the carrier vest 1 , the shoulder straps 3 will be supported by the shoulder of the person (not shown).

[0026] In this embodiment, the front portion 5 comprises a front carrier plate 9 and the rear portion 7 comprises rear carrier plate 11 . The front carrier plate 9 and the rear carrier plate 11 comprise a plurality of apertures 13.

[0027] In addition to the shoulder straps 3, side support plates 15 also extend between the front portion 5 and the rear portion 7.

[0028] Attached to an upper part of the rear carrier plate 11 is a rescue strap 17. The rescue strap 17 connects to the rear carrier plate 11 at a first strap connection area 19 and a second strap connection area 21 . Moreover, the rescue strap 17 and extends between the first and second strap connection areas 19, 21 .

[0029] Also shown in Fig. 1 is Velcro stitches 23, used for attaching a Velcro patch 23a (Fig. 3) to the rescue strap 17. The Velcro patch 23a is used to releasably attach a portion of the rescue strap 17 rear portion 7 of the carrier vest 1 . In the shownembodiment, the Velcro patch 23a is used to attach the rescue strap 17 to the rear carrier plate 1 1 .

[0030] Moreover, to enable easy detachment of the rescue strap 17 from the rear carrier plate 1 1 , a release strap 25 is attached to the rescue strap 17. Thus, a person can release the engagement of the Velcro patch with the rear carrier plate 1 1 by a pull in the release strap 25.

[0031] Fig. 2 depicts a portion of the rear carrier plate 1 1 to illustrate its plate configuration. As shown in Fig. 2, the rear carrier plate 1 1 has a certain thickness, contrary to for instance a sheet of fabric.

[0032] Adjacent apertures 13 in the rear carrier plate 1 1 form intermediate plate sections 13a between them. A vertically extending row of apertures 13 thus form a plurality of intermediate plate sections 13a.

[0033] Reference is now made to Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, which are schematic, principle cross-section views of the rescue strap 17 in a storage mode and an application mode, respectively.

[0034] In these figures, there is also shown an anti-ballistic plate 27 that is carried by the carrier vest 1 . Furthermore, while the Velcro stitches 23 were visible in Fig. 1 , Fig. 3 depicts the Velcro patch 23a itself. In addition, Fig. 3 depicts a Velcro counterpart 23b attached to the rear carrier plate 1 1 .

[0035] The rear carrier plate 1 1 has an outer surface 1 1 a and an inner surface 1 1 b. When the carrier vest 1 is worn by a user, the outer surface 1 1 a faces away from the torso while the inner surface 1 1 b faces towards the torso.

[0036] In the storage mode, as shown in Fig. 3, the rescue strap 17 extends from the part of the rescue strap 17 that is visible in Fig. 1 , downwards along the inner surface 1 1 b of the rear carrier plate 1 1 . The rescue strap 17 extends down to a lower fold 17a and back upwards towards the first strap connection area 19. As will be appreciated by the skilled reader, the opposite part of the rescue strap 17 will extend from an opposite lower fold 17a (not shown) and back upwards towards the second strap connection area 21 .

[0037] At the first (and second) strap connection area 19, the rescue strap 17 is connected to the rear carrier plate 1 1 . In the shown embodiment (Fig. 3 and Fig. 4),the rescue strap 17 encircles, with a strap loop 17b, an intermediate plate section 13a positioned between two adjacent apertures 13. The rescue strap 17 is attached to itself such that the strap loop 17b encircling the intermediate plate section 13a is permanently fixed. While the embodiment shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 shows a strap loop 17b that encircles one intermediate plate section 13a, the strap loop 17 could encircle more than one intermediate plate section 13a, for instance two as shown in Fig. 1.

[0038] As shown in Fig. 3, when in the storage mode, the rescue strap 17 comprises a lower fold 17a. To contribute in maintaining the rescue strap 17 in the storage mode when not being used, the carrier vest 1 comprises a holding loop 29, through which the rescue strap 17 extends. The lower fold 17a of the rescue strap 17 can be arranged at the same position as the holding loop 29, or below.

[0039] The rescue strap 17 thus exhibits, on each respective side, a folded strap portion 17c, where two parts of the rescue strap 17 extend in parallel and along each other. The folded strap portion 17c extends between the lower fold 17a and the strap loop 17b.

[0040] Referring to Fig. 4, when a user pulls the rescue strap 17, such as by pulling in the portion where the Velcro stitches can be seen in Fig. 1 , the rescue strap 17 is moved out of its engagement with the holding loop 29. The rescue strap 17 can be pulled out of its storage position at the inner surface 11 b of the rear carrier plate 11 , until the strap loop 17b prevents a further pull.

[0041] Notably, while in the shown embodiment the rescue strap 17 has only one lower fold 17a at the respective opposite sides, it may have two or even more lower folds 17a. In such embodiments, the rescue strap 17 will also exhibit one or more upper folds (not shown). Preferably, the one or more upper folds will be positioned below the strap loop 17b.

[0042] After the rescue strap 17 has been pulled into its application mode, a substantial length of the rescue strap 17 can be located in a free position, i.e. without contact with the carrier vest 1 . For instance, the length of the rescue strap 17 extending between the first strap connection area 19 and the second strap connection area 21 , can be more than 1 meter, or even more than 2 meters.

[0043] Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 depict the rescue strap 17 when in the storage mode and in the application mode, respectively. In Fig. 5, the holding loops 29 are also shown.

[0044] In some embodiments, there may be more than two holding loops 29. For instance, two holding loops 29 can be arranged above each of the lower folds 17a, such that there are in total four holding loops 29.

[0045] In some embodiments, the carrier vest 1 may be without the front and rear carrier plates 9, 11 shown and discussed above. In such embodiments, the carrier vest 1 will comprise a rear portion 7 with attachment interfaces of another type than the apertures 13 and intermediate plate sections 13a. For instance, the attachment interfaces can be in the form of loops, or slits cut in a fabric, such as the system often referred to as "MOLLE" (modular lightweight load-carrying equipment). Moreover, the rescue strap 17 can be attached to a fabric of the rear portion 7, for instance by stitching.

Claims

Claims1 . A carrier vest (1 ) comprising- a front carrier plate (9) and a rear carrier plate (11 ), wherein the rear carrier plate comprises a plurality of attachment apertures (13) and intermediate plate sections (13a) arranged between adjacent attachment apertures (13), and further comprising an outer surface (11 a) and an inner surface (11 b);- shoulder straps (3) attached to the upper portions of the respective front and rear carrier plates (9, 11 );- a rescue strap (17) configured to be actuated from a storage mode to an application mode; wherein- the rescue strap (17) is fixed to an upper portion of the rear carrier plate (11 ), at a respective first strap connection area (19) and a second strap connection area (21 ) that is laterally distanced from the first strap connection area;- in said storage mode, the rescue strap comprises two folded strap portions (17c) located at the inner surface (11 b) of the rear carrier plate (11 ) and extending downwards from the respective first and second strap connection areas (19, 21 ) to a respective lower fold (17a);- in said application mode, the folded strap portions (17c) are in a pulled-out state, such that the rescue strap (17) extends in a non-folded configuration between the first and second strap connection areas (19, 21 ).

2. A carrier vest (1 ) comprising- a front portion (5) and a rear portion (7), wherein the rear portion comprises a plurality of attachment interfaces (13), an outer surface (11 a) and an inner surface (11 b);- shoulder straps (3) attached to the upper portions of the respective front and rear portions (5, 7);- a rescue strap (17) configured to be actuated from a storage mode to an application mode; wherein- the rescue strap (17) is fixed to an upper portion of the rear portion (7), at a respective first strap connection area (19) and a second strap connection area (21 ) that is laterally distanced from the first strap connection area;- in said storage mode, the rescue strap comprises two folded strap portions (17c) located at the inner surface (11 b) of the rear portion (7) or embedded within the rear portion (7) and extending downwards from the respective first and second strap connection areas (19, 21) to a respective lower fold (17a);- in said application mode, the folded strap portions (17c) are in a pulled-out state, such that the rescue strap (17) extends in a non-folded configuration between the first and second strap connection areas (19, 21 ).

3. A carrier vest (1 ) according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the first and second strap connection areas (19, 21 ) are arranged at an upper portion of the rear carrier plate (11 ) or the rear portion (7) of the carrier vest (1 ).

4. A carrier vest (1 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the folded strap portions (17c) constitute more than 60 % of the entire length of the rescue strap (17).

5. A carrier vest (1 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the respective folded strap portions (17c) has a length longer than 50 % of the vertical extension of the rear carrier plate (11 ) or the rear portion (7).

6. A carrier vest (1 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in said storage mode, the rescue strap (17) comprises, below the respective first and second strap connection areas (19, 21), only one lower fold (17a).

7. A carrier vest (1 ) according to claim 1 , or according to claim 1 and any one of the claims 3 to 6, characterized in that the rescue strap (17) comprises, at each respective end of the rescue strap, a strap loop (17b) enclosing at least one intermediate plate section (13a).

8. A carrier vest (1 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises two respective holding loops (29), through which the respective folded strap portions (17a) extend when in the storage mode.

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