Concealable body armor and combination bag/vest

• US 9,737,100 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2014
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Martinson Industries, LLC
• Original Assignee: Martinson Industries, LLC
• Inventors: McIntire, Jr., Allan Ray
• Primary Examiner(s): QUINN, RICHALE LEE
• Application Number:
  US14/153,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20150196077A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,317 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/0518 Chest
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 15/04 Garments convertible into other articles
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 1/02 Armoured or projectile- or missile-resistant garments; Composite protection fabrics F41H5/04 takes precedence

Abstract

Described herein are combination bag/vests which, in a bag configuration, serve as a functional bag and which, in a vest configuration, include a system for attaching one or more modular accessories to the vest in a desired configuration. Also described herein are such combination bag/vests wherein the vest configuration operates as a tactical personal body armor vest and the bag configuration conceals the tactical vest portion while permitting the one or more modular accessories to remain in the desired configuration.

Claims

1. A combination bag/vest comprising:

a vest comprising;

a chest covering portion and a back covering portion the chest covering portion and back covering portion each portion having a vest surface;

a pair of chest strap portions extending from the vest surface of the chest covering portion and a corresponding pair of back strap portions extending from the vest surface of the back covering portion;

adjustable and separable shoulder straps formed by overlaying the pair of chest strap portions and the pair of back strap portions;

a modular accessory attachment system disposed on a vest surface of the chest and/or back covering portions for attaching one or more modular accessories to the chest and/or back covering elements in a desired configuration; and

a bag comprising;

at least one back bag layer attached to the back covering portion opposite the vest surface;

at least one chest bag layer attached to the chest covering portion opposite the vest surface;

a back fastener band extending from the at least one back bag layer and a chest fastener band extending from the at least one chest bag layer; and

at least one fastener for fastening the back fastener band to the chest fastener band;

wherein, in a vest configuration, the vest surface of the chest covering portion the vest surface of the back covering portion faces away from a wearer of the vest;

wherein, in a bag configuration, the back fastener band and the chest fastener band are at least partially fastened such that the back bag layer and the chest bag layer are exposed and the vest surfaces of the chest covering portion and back covering portion are concealed;

wherein the desired configuration of the one or more modular accessories attached to the modular accessory attachment system on the vest surface of the chest and/or back covering portions is maintained in both the vest configuration and the bag configuration; and

wherein, in a bag configuration, the desired configuration of the one or more modular accessories attached to the modular accessory attachment system on the vest surface of the chest and/or back covering portions is concealed from view.

2. The combination bag/vest of claim 1, wherein the at least one fastener is a zipper.

3. The combination bag/vest of claim 1, wherein the vest further comprises at least one securing device for securing the vest to the wearer by securing a lower end of the back covering portion to a lower end of the chest covering portion.

4. The combination bag/vest of claim 1, wherein, in the bag configuration, the combination bag/vest is configured to appear to be one or more of a briefcase, a backpack, a duffel bag, a laptop case, a beach bag, a diaper bag, a satchel, and/or a purse.

5. The combination bag/vest of claim 4, wherein, in the bag configuration, the bag functions as the one or more of a briefcase, a backpack, a duffel bag, a laptop case, a beach bag, a diaper bag, a satchel, and/or a purse, the concealment portion including one or more compartments and/or pockets.

6. The combination bag/vest of claim 1, wherein the vest further comprises one or more PALS webbing elements disposed on a surface of the shoulder straps for routing at least one tube and/or wire between the chest covering portion and the back covering portion.

7. The combination bag/vest of claim 1, further comprising at least one closeable chest pouch defined in the chest covering portion between an outer chest textile layer and an interior chest textile layer for receiving one or more inserts and/or at least one closeable back pouch defined in the back covering portion between an outer back textile layer and an interior back textile layer for receiving one or more inserts.

8. The combination bag/vest of claim 7, wherein the at least one closeable back pouch and/or the at least one closeable chest pouch are configured to receive one or more armor plates.

9. The combination bag/vest of claim 7, wherein the at least one closeable back pouch and/or the at least one closeable chest pouch are configured to receive one or more floatation elements.

10. The combination bag/vest of claim 7, wherein the at least one closeable back pouch and/or the at least one closeable chest pouch are configured to receive one or more insulation elements.

11. The combination bag/vest of claim 1, wherein the chest covering portion and/or the back covering portion includes an insulating layer and at least one reflective element disposed on the vest surface.

12. The combination bag/vest of claim 1, wherein the chest covering portion includes a pair of chest reinforcing straps connected to the vest surface and extending along at least a portion of the chest strap portions and the back covering portion includes a pair of back reinforcing straps connected to the vest surface and extending along at least a portion of the back strap portions.

13. The combination bag/vest of claim 12, wherein in the vest configuration, the chest reinforcing straps are secured to the corresponding back reinforcing straps to reinforce the adjustable and separable shoulder straps.

14. The combination bag/vest of claim 1, wherein the modular accessory attachment system includes a plurality of Pouch Attachment Ladder System (PALS) webbing elements attaching one or more Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment (MOLLE)-compatible accessories to the chest and/or back covering elements in a desired configuration.