Tactical vest

Abstract

Described herein is a body armor plate carrier in the form of a tactical vest. The body armor plate earner includes a front panel, a rear panel, a pair of side panels, shoulder straps and a cummerbund element. The side panels are provided to offer protection to the breast area of the female wearer's anatomy. The shoulder straps are V-shaped racerback straps, which effectively distribute the weight of the body armor plate carrier and thereby relieve the pressure imposed upon the neck, shoulders, and upper back, while also providing improved back support. The cummerbund element fits around the waist of the wearer, thereby providing a secure fit of the body armor plate carrier to the anatomy of the wearer.

Description

PCT / US25 / 38984 23 July 2025 (23.07.2025)TACTICAL VEST STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

[0001] The present invention was made with no government support.RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 738,506, filed December 23, 2024.FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present invention relates generally to body armor and tactical wear for ballistic and fragmentation protection for individuals, primarily women. More particularly, the invention is directed to a protective tactical vest housing ballistic plates and worn around the wearer’s torso and over the shoulders.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0004] Military personnel and law enforcement use many types and styles of body armor. One type of body armor used by such personnel is a plate carrier. A plate carrier is a vest worn by a person around the torso and over the shoulders, having a number of ballistic plates and armor. The armor and ballistic plates provide ballistic and fragmentation protection to the wearer.

[0005] The prior art includes a variety of ballistic vests that offer a number of different sizes and fits to accommodate wearers of varying body sizes. However, the prior art does not include a plate carrier ballistic vest that is particularly suited to adequately protect a woman’s anatomy. More specifically, there is a need for a body armor plate carrier that provides adequate protection of thePCT / US25 / 38984 23 July 2025 (23.07.2025)entirety of a woman’s breast area. Moreover, there is a need for a plate carrier ballistic vest that provides a strap assembly that offers improved weight distribution to relieve pressure on the wearer’s neck, shoulders and upper back.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the shortfalls in the related art by presenting an improved body armor plate carrier.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment, the body armor plate earner comprises a front panel and a back panel, each with pockets designed to hold multiple types of ballistic plates and armor. Attached at opposite sides of the front panel are side panels designed to hold multiple types of ballistic plates and armor. The body armor plate carrier further features V-shaped racerback straps, which effectively distributes the weight of the body armor plate carrier and thereby relieves the pressure imposed upon the neck, shoulders, and upper back, while also providing improved back support.

[0008] In the preferred embodiment, a back panel of the body armor plate carrier includes a plurality of alternative connection points that provide a means of adjusting the V-shaped racerback straps and further allows for the customization of the angle of the backstraps, while ensuring the V-shape sits in the middle of the wearer’s shoulder blades. A two-piece cummerbund secures the front and back panels of the body armor plate carrier at the waist and may be adjusted various body sizes and enhances the overall fit.

[0009] The racerback straps are positioned on the user’s shoulders, providing for safe and effective placement of the butt of a rifle, unimpeded and in proper position.PCT / US25 / 38984 23 July 2025 (23.07.2025)BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of a body armor plate carrier according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] Fig. 2 is a front perspective view of the front portion of a body armor plate carrier according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] Fig. 3 is a back perspective view of a body armor plate carrier according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Fig. 4 is an illustration showing how the V-Shaped racerback strap assembly engages the multi-ladder connection point on the back panel of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Fig. 5 is an illustration showing a partial view of the back panel of an embodiment of the present invention and the V-shaped racerback strap assembly of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Fig. 6 is an illustration showing a perspective in-use view of a body armor plate carrier according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Fig. 7 is an illustration showing a perspective in-use view of a body armor plate carrier according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Fig. 8 is an illustration showing a front view of an embodiment of the present invention, including accessory pockets affixed to the front panel.

[0018] Fig. 9 is a back perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention showing a multi-pronged attachment member securing the V-shaped racerback straps to the back panel of the body armor plate earner.PCT / US25 / 38984 23 July 2025 (23.07.2025)

[0019] Fig. 10 is a back perspective partial view of an embodiment of the present invention showing a multi -pronged attachment member securing the V-shaped racerback straps to the back panel of the body armor plate carrier.

[0020] Fig. 11 is a back perspective partial view of an embodiment of the present invention showing a multi-pronged attachment member configured to secure the V-shaped racerback straps to the back panel of the body armor plate carrier.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to and should not be interpreted to limit the embodiments described herein. Although particular embodiments are described, those embodiments are merely exemplary implementations of the system of the present invention. The following descriptions and illustrations herein should be considered illustrative in nature, and thus, not in any way limiting the scope of the present invention. One skilled in the art will recognize other embodiments are possible and all such embodiments are intended to fall within the scope of the present disclosure. While the preferred embodiments are described with reference to the above drawings, there is no intent to limit the disclosure to the embodiments shown in the drawings or disclosed herein. Rather, the intent is to include all alternatives, modifications and equivalents that embody the spirit and scope of the disclosure. It is also to be understood that the disclosure uses terminology for the purpose of describing particular embodiments and such terminology is not intended to be limiting.

[0022] Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used in this disclosure have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which is applicable to this disclosure.PCT / US25 / 38984 23 July 2025 (23.07.2025)

[0023] As will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading this disclosure, each of the embodiments described and illustrated herein has discrete components and features which may be readily separated or combined with features of any of the other possible embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0024] Referring to the drawings / photographs, there is shown a body armor plate carrier 1 in accordance with the present invention. The body armor plate carrier 1 is designed for use as a protective tactical vest that provides adequate protection of the entirety of a woman’s upper body, notably the breast area. The body armor plate carrier 1 is designed to be worn similar to a vest around the torso of the wearer.

[0025] As shown in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, certain embodiments of the body armor plate carrier 1 comprise a front panel 2 and a back panel 3, each with pockets designed to hold multiple types of ballistic plates and armor. The front panel 2 may include an inner front panel and an outer front panel forming an enclosure suitable for holding ballistic plates. Likewise, the back panel 3 may include an inner back panel and an outer back panel, likewise suitable for forming an enclosure In one embodiment, ballistic plates may be held between the inner panels and the outer panels of the front and back panels, respectively. However, in other embodiments, ballistic plates may be held in pockets on the respective front panel 2 and back panel 3.

[0026] Certain embodiments may also include a front panel 2 having accessory pockets 4 attached for storage of relatively small pieces of tactical equipment such as firearm magazines, ammunition, water canisters and other suitable objects. The accessory pockets 4 may be fixedly attached to the front panel 2, i.e., sewn to the front panel 2, or alternatively may be releasably affixed to the front panel 2 by snap fit, Velcro or any other suitable attachment means known in the art.PCT / US25 / 38984 23 July 2025 (23.07.2025)

[0027] Attached at opposite sides of the front panel are side panels 5. In one embodiment, similar to the front and back panels 2, 3, the respective side panels 5 may each be comprised of a side inner panel and side outer panel, with ballistic plates or armor held between the respective side inner and outer panels. In alternative embodiments, ballistic plates or armor may be inserted into a pocket attached to the respective side panels 5. Any other known means for securing ballistic plates or armor to or within the side panels 5 may be employed. The side panels 5 are preferably fixedly attached to the front panel 2 in a substantially flap-like fashion, allowing for side panels 5 to adapt to the contours of the wearer’s anatomy. Alternatively, the side panels 5 may also be detachably secured to the front panel 2.

[0028] The ballistic plates or armor provide ballistic protection to the wearer. The ballistic plates may be comprised of any material suitable sufficient to provide effective ballistic protection to the wearer known to those skilled in the art. The level of protection provided by the ballistic plates is dictated by the type of ballistic plate employed in the body armor plate carrier 1. Depending upon the type of ballistic plate used, the level of protection may range from protection from low-velocity projectiles, such as knives, rocks, pellets, pieces of debris, and shrapnel to high velocity projectiles, such as shotgun shot, side-arm bullets, and rifle bullets. The ballistic plates may be comprised of various materials, such as steel, ceramic, polyethylene materials, Kevlar, alumina or any other suitable material known to those skilled in the art.

[0029] The body armor plate carrier further features V-shaped racerback straps 6, which effectively distribute the weight of the body armor plate carrier 1 and thereby relieve the pressure imposed upon the neck, shoulders, and upper back, while also providing improved back support.

[0030] In the preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the back panel 3 of the body armor plate carrier 1 includes a plurality of alternative connection points 7 that provide a means ofPCT / US25 / 38984 23 July 2025 (23.07.2025)adjusting the V-shaped racerback straps 6 and further allow for the customization of the angle of the backstraps 6, while ensuring the V-shape sits in the middle of the wearer’s shoulder blades. The V-shaped racerback straps 6 effectively distribute the weight of the body armor plate carrier to relieve pressure on the neck, shoulders and upper back of the wearer, while also providing improved back support. The plurality of alternative connection points 7 allow for customization of the angle of the backstraps 6, ensuring the V-shape sits in the middle of the wearer’s shoulder blades. As shown in FIG. 4, one embodiment of the present invention employs a clip 11 that may be secured by a strip of material 13 having multiple open pockets 12 as connection points 7 that allow for the clip 11 to be received and secured at various positions of the strip 13. In another alternative embodiment shown in FIGS. 9-11, a multi-pronged attachment member 14 may be received and secured in corresponding apertures 15 located on the back panel 3, thus allowing for the backstraps 6 to be adjustable and suitable for wearers of varying body types and sizes.

[0031] As shown in FIGS. 3, 6 and 7, an embodiment of the present invention includes a cummerbund element 8. The cummerbund element secures the front and back panels 2, 3 of the body armor plate carrier 1 at the waist and may be adjusted to accommodate various body sizes and enhance the overall fit. The cummerbund element 8 preferably is self-adjusting and features a suitable tensioning mechanism that allows for the cummerbund element 8 to be alternatively tightened or loosened in order to provide an optimal fit for the wearer. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the cummerbund element 8 may be comprised of two separate cummerbund straps 9, 10 affixed to the back panel 3, whereby the straps 9, 10 have an attachment means that secures the respective straps 9, 10 to one another, thereby securing the cummerbund element 8 around the waist of the wearer during use. The respective cummerbund straps 9, 10 may bePCT / US25 / 38984 23 July 2025 (23.07.2025)releasably attachable by any suitable means known by one skilled in the art, including but not limited to, Velcro, quick release buckle, snap-fit, etc.

[0032] Having described the preferred embodiment of the present invention, any number of changes, variations and improvements which may be apparent to those skilled in the art are within the scope of the invention claimed and described herein. As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings / photographs shall be interpreted as illustrative and not limiting in any manner.

Claims

PCT / US25 / 38984 23 July 2025 (23.07.2025)CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A body armor plate carrier comprising:a front panel configured to hold one or more ballistic plates;a back panel configured to hold one or more ballistic plates;shoulder straps configured to connect the front panel to the back panel and to secure the body armor plate earner upon the shoulders of a wearer;a pair of side panels fixed to the front panel and configured to protect the breast area of the anatomy of the wearer; anda cummerbund element configured to secure the body armor plate carrier around the waist of the wearer.

2. A body armor plate carrier according to claim 1, wherein the shoulder straps are V-shaped and are releasably affixed to at least one connection point on the back panel.

3. A body armor plate carrier according to claim 2, wherein the back panel includes a plurality of different connection points configured to receive an end of the shoulder straps.

4. A body armor plate carrier according to claim 1, wherein one or more pockets are attached to the front panel and configured for storage of small tactical objects.

5. A body armor plate carrier according to claim 1, wherein the cummerbund element includes a first and second strap that are configured to be attached at different points to allow for the cummerbund element to fit wearers of varying body sizes.

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