U.S. patent application number 15/179743 was filed with the patent office on 2017-03-02 for curved armor plate.
This patent application is currently assigned to ATS Armor, LLC. The applicant listed for this patent is ATS Armor, LLC. Invention is credited to Brian Beckwith, Hans Marrero, Thomas Smith.
Application Number | 20170059281 15/179743 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 58098322 |
Filed Date | 2017-03-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170059281 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Smith; Thomas ; et
al. |
March 2, 2017 |
CURVED ARMOR PLATE
Abstract
An armor plate includes atop surface and bottom surface disposed
adjacent to the top surface and comprising a plurality of
inflection points defining a first curve, a second curve, a third
curve, and a fourth curve. The armor plate may be wearable on the
front of a torso or the back of the torso. The bottom s face of the
armor plate may include a substantially convex contour. A bottom
region of the armor plate may include the first curve and a top
region of the armor plate may include the second curve, with the
first curve being tighter than the second curve. The bottom region
may also be configured follow a contour of an abdomen while the top
region is configured follow a contour of a thorax.
Inventors: |
Smith; Thomas; (Scottsdale,
AZ) ; Beckwith; Brian; (Scottsdale, AZ) ;
Marrero; Hans; (Scottsdale, AZ) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
ATS Armor, LLC |
Scottsdale |
AZ |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
ATS Armor, LLC
Scottsdale
AZ
|
Family ID: |
58098322 |
Appl. No.: |
15/179743 |
Filed: |
June 10, 2016 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62174413 |
Jun 11, 2015 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41D 13/0518 20130101;
F41H 1/02 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F41H 1/02 20060101
F41H001/02; A41D 13/05 20060101 A41D013/05 |
Claims
1. An armor plate comprising: a top surface; and a bottom surface
disposed adjacent to the top surface and comprising a plurality of
inflection points defining a first curve, a second curve, a third
curve, and a fourth curve.
2. The armor plate of claim 1, wherein the armor plate is wearable
on the front of a torso or the back of the torso.
3. The armor plate of claim 2, wherein the bottom surface comprises
a substantially convex contour.
4. The armor plate of claim 3, wherein a bottom region of the armor
plate comprises the first curve, a top region of the armor plate
comprises the second curve, and the first curve is tighter than the
second curve.
5. The armor plate of claim 4, wherein the bottom region is
configured follow a contour of an abdomen.
6. The armor plate of claim 5, wherein the top region is configured
follow a contour of a thorax.
7. The armor plate of claim 6, wherein the first curve and the
second curve are defined about a first axis.
8. The armor plate of claim 7, wherein the third curve is defined
about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis.
9. The armor plate of claim 8, wherein the fourth curve is defined
about a third axis perpendicular to the first axis and
substantially parallel to the second axis.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This U.S. Non-Provisional Patent Application claims priority
to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/174,413 entitled
"CURVED ARMOR PLATE," that was filed on Jun. 11, 2015, and is
incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates body armor plates, and more
particularly, to body armor plates having multiple curves.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Typical body armor is generally provided in sets. For
example, the body armor may be provided with a front plate that
attaches and/or covers a user's chest and a back plate that
attaches to and/or covers a user's back. The front plate is
designed to generally conform to the chest and front portion of a
torso and typically includes three or less curves and/or points of
inflection. The back plate may have a flatter profile.
SUMMARY
[0004] An armor plate is provided. The armor plate may include a
top surface and bottom surface disposed adjacent to the top surface
and comprising a plurality of inflection points defining a first
curve, a second curve, a third curve, and a fourth curve.
[0005] In various embodiments, the armor plate may be wearable on
the front of a torso or the back of the torso. The bottom surface
of the armor plate may include a substantially convex contour. A
bottom region of the armor plate may include the first curve and a
top region of the armor plate may include the second curve first
curve being tighter than the second curve. The bottom region may
also be configured follow a contour of an abdomen, and the top
region may be configured follow a contour of a thorax. The first
curve and the second curve may be defined about a first axis. The
third curve may be defined about a second axis perpendicular to the
first axis. The fourth curve may be defined about a third axis
perpendicular to the first axis and substantially parallel to the
second axis.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] The subject matter of the present disclosure is particularly
pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the
specification. A more complete understanding of the present
disclosure, however, may best be obtained by referring to the
detailed description and claims when considered in connection with
the drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like
elements.
[0007] FIG. 1 illustrates a first top perspective view of an armor
plate, in accordance with various embodiments;
[0008] FIG. 2 illustrates a second top perspective view of an armor
plate, in accordance with various embodiments;
[0009] FIG. 3 illustrates a bottom perspective view of an armor
plate, in accordance with various embodiments;
[0010] FIG. 4 illustrates a first side view of an armor plate, in
accordance with various embodiments;
[0011] FIG. 5 illustrates a second side view of an armor plate, in
accordance with various embodiments;
[0012] FIG. 6 illustrates a top view of an armor plate, in
accordance with various embodiments; and
[0013] FIG. 7 illustrates a bottom view of an armor plate, in
accordance with various embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0014] The detailed description of exemplary embodiments herein
makes reference to the accompanying drawings, which show exemplary
embodiments by way of illustration. While these exemplary
embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those
skilled in the art to practice these embodiments, it should be
understood that other embodiments may be realized and that logical
changes and adaptations in design and construction may be made in
accordance with the present disclosure and the teachings herein.
Thus, the detailed description herein is presented for purposes of
illustration only and not for providing limitations on the scope of
the disclosure. For example, the steps recited in any of the
methods or process descriptions may be executed in any order and
are not limited to the order presented. Furthermore, any reference
to singular includes plural embodiments, and any reference to more
than one component or step may include a singular embodiment or
step. Also, any reference to attached, fixed, connected or the like
may include permanent, removable, temporary, partial, full and/or
any other possible attachment option. Additionally, any reference
to without contact (or similar phrases) may also include reduced
contact or minimal contact. Moreover, surface shading lines may be
used throughout the figures to denote different parts but not
necessarily to denote the same or different materials.
[0015] In various embodiments and with reference to FIGS. 1-7, a
hard body armor plate 100 may be configured to be worn as a front
body armor plate and/or a back body armor plate. Plate 100 may be
rigid and anatomically curved to distribute impacts over a greater
region of the body. In this regard, the plate may be adapted to
cover the front portion of a user's torso (e.g., the chest and
trunk region of a user) and/or the back of the use e.g., to protect
the spinal column and surrounding tissue). Plate 100 may be made
from ceramic, steel, molded composite materials (i.e., fiber and a
cured resin matrix), other metals, or other rigid materials
suitable to prevent or limit ballistic penetration of plate
100.
[0016] Plate 100 may comprise a top surface 110 and a bottom
surface 120. Bottom surface 120 may be the surface that is held
against the body when plate 100 is worn by a user. Bottom surface
120 may have a profile or may be a surface that comprises as
plurality of points of inflection or curves. For example, bottom
surface 120 may comprise four or more curves or inflection
points.
[0017] In various embodiments, plate 100 may comprise inflection
point 122, inflection point 124, inflection point 126, inflection
point 128, and/or the like. Each of these inflections points may
generally define a corresponding curve in bottom surface 120. For
example, the various inflection points may define curve 132, curve
134, curve 136, curve 138 and/or the like in plate 100 and/or
bottom surface 120. The curves may be positioned in plate 100
and/or bottom surface 120 to conform to the chest and trunk region
or the back region of the user. In this regard, the various
inflection points may define bottom surface 120 in an ergonomic
fashion that is suitable ergonomic for both the front chest and
trunk portion of the torso and the back portion of the torso.
[0018] In various embodiments, inflection point 122 may define
curve 132 along bottom surface 120 in bottom region B. Inflection
point 124 and inflection point 126 may define curve 134 and curve
136, respectively, along a side portion S. In this regard,
inflection point 124 and inflection point 126 define curve 134 and
curve 136 that span or run across the entire width of plate 100.
Moreover, curve 134 may have a pronounced or dramatic profile in
comparison to typical armor plates. In this regard, the curve may
be sufficiently pronounced to conform to or match a portion of the
torso of a user. Curve 132 as defined by inflection point 122 on
the sidewall of plate 100 at bottom region B may be concave as
viewed from surface 120 and convex as viewed from surface 110 as
viewed in the bottom view of FIG. 7. Curve 138 as defined by
inflection point 128 on the sidewall of plate 100 at top region T
may be relatively flat compared to curve 132 as viewed from the top
view of FIG. 6. In that regard, plate 100 may be anatomically
molded with bottom region B configured to curve tighter than top
region T so that top region T may accommodate a chest or upper back
(e.g., the thorax) while bottom region B may accommodate a lower
trunk an abdomen). The relative term tighter is meant to mean that
between two curved surfaces, the one with a smaller radius of
curvature is tighter.
[0019] In various embodiments, inflection point 128 may define
curve 138 along a top surface T. In this regard, inflection point
128 may create curve 138 that corresponds to the sternum region or
spinal region of a user when plate 100 is worn by the user. In the
event of an impact from a projectile, curve 138 may more uniformly
distribute the load or force of the projectile being stopped by
plate 100 to the anatomy of the user.
[0020] In various embodiments, curve 132 and curve 138 may be
defined about a first axis that between the top T and the bottom B
of plate 100. In this regard, the avis may extend over the entire
length of the first axis. Moreover, inflection point 122 and
inflection point 128 may be located on the first axis. Curve 134
may be defined about a second axis that extends across the width of
plate 100. Inflection point 124 may be located along the second
axis. Similarly curve 136 may be may be defined about a third axis
that extends across the width of plate 100. Inflection point 126
may be located along the third axis. The second axis and the third
axis may be substantially parallel to one another. Moreover, the
second axis and the third axis may be substantially perpendicular
to the first axis.
[0021] In various embodiments, top surface 110 of plate 100 may
have a generally flat profile or may have curves that correspond
with the inflection points in bottom surface 120 such as, for
example, inflection point 122, inflection point 124, inflection
point 126, inflection point 128, and/or the like. Top surface 110
of plate 100 may also have a substantially convex contour with
bottom surface 120 having a substantially concave as illustrated in
FIGS. 1-7.
[0022] Benefits and advantages have been described herein with
regard to specific embodiments. Furthermore, the connecting lines
shown in the various figures contained herein are intended to
represent exemplary functional relationships and/or physical
couplings between the various elements. It should be noted that
many alternative or additional functional relationships or physical
connections may be present in a practical system. However, such
benefits, advantages, and any elements that may cause any benefit
or advantage to occur or become more pronounced are not to be
construed as critical, required, or essential features or elements
of the disclosure. Reference to an element in the singular is not
intended to mean "one and only one" unless explicitly so stated,
but rather "one or more." Moreover, where a phrase similar to "at
least one of A, B, or C" is used in the claims, it is intended that
the phrase be interpreted to mean that A alone may be present in an
embodiment, B alone may be present in an embodiment, C alone may be
present in an embodiment, or that any combination of the elements
A, B and C may be present in a single embodiment; for example, A
and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C.
[0023] Systems, methods and apparatus are provided herein. In the
detailed description herein, references to "various embodiments",
"one embodiment", "an embodiment", "an example embodiment", etc.,
indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular
feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not
necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or
characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily
referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular
feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection
with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge
of one skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or
characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not
explicitly described. After reading the description, it will be
apparent to one skilled in the relevant art(s) how to implement the
disclosure in alternative embodiments.
[0024] Furthermore, no element, component, or method step in the
present disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public
regardless of whether the element, component, or method step is
explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element herein is to be
construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 112(f), unless the
element is expressly recited using the phrase "means for." As used
herein, the terms "comprises", "comprising", or any other variation
thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that
a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of
elements does not include only those elements but may include other
elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method,
article, or apparatus.
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