Offset Seam Soft Armor Panels for Flexible Body Conformity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional soft armor constructions result in uncomfortable inflexibility due to overlapping seam lines, particularly in designs requiring curvature to conform to the body, such as those for females, leading to discomfort and reduced mobility.
Innovation Solution
A soft armor construction technique where seam lines are offset and spaced apart to avoid overlapping, using layers with differently dimensioned sections to create a beveled or bi-level configuration that conforms to body contours without the need for darts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional soft armor constructions use overlapping seam lines to join layers, then the armor provides complete coverage and structural integrity, but the overlapping seams create inflexible sections that reduce comfort and mobility
Solution Approach 1:
The armor layers are divided into multiple sections with seam lines strategically positioned and offset from one another. Each layer is segmented into panels that can be joined in a staggered pattern, preventing concentration of rigidity at single seam locations and distributing flexibility across the garment surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The seam lines are positioned asymmetrically and offset from one another rather than following symmetric overlapping patterns. This asymmetric arrangement ensures that no single seam location creates a concentrated inflexible zone, allowing more uniform distribution of flexibility and comfort across the armor garment.
2Stability of the object's composition
If seam lines are positioned to overlap in traditional constructions, then the layers are securely joined together, but the overlapping creates bunching that causes rigidity and discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The offset construction extends the seam line arrangement into the dimensional space between layers, creating a staggered three-dimensional pattern rather than two-dimensional overlapping. This dimensional offset prevents bunching and creates space that eliminates rigid zones while maintaining secure layer bonding through distributed attachment points.
3Shape
If armor is designed with curvature to conform to body contours, then the garment provides better fit and coverage, but traditional seam construction creates inflexible sections that hinder mobility
Solution Approach 1:
The armor panels and seam lines are designed with curved geometries that follow body contours rather than straight lines. The offset seam construction accommodates curved surfaces by distributing seams along the curvature, allowing the garment to conform to spherical or ovoid body shapes while maintaining flexibility through the offset pattern that prevents rigid seam concentration.
Data Source
AI summary
A soft body armor arrangement has a plurality of layers of soft ballistic material stacked on one another, each layer comprising a plurality of sub-layers of ballistic material. Each of the layers has a respective seam line attaching two or more respective sections of the layer. The sizes of the section are varied so that the resultant seam lines of adjacent layers are offset and spaced apart from one another, but the overall size and shape of each layer is the same. This avoids stacking and bunching of the seam lines which can cause rigidity and discomfort.