U.S. patent application number 15/976166 was filed with the patent office on 2019-11-14 for quick release system for body armor.
This patent application is currently assigned to Duraflex Hong Kong Limited. The applicant listed for this patent is Duraflex Hong Kong Limited. Invention is credited to Attilio LOVATO.
Application Number | 20190343241 15/976166 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 68464894 |
Filed Date | 2019-11-14 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190343241 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
LOVATO; Attilio |
November 14, 2019 |
QUICK RELEASE SYSTEM FOR BODY ARMOR
Abstract
A closure system has a main body having a hollow cavity, a
locking mechanism slidably disposed within the cavity, and a
plurality of fastening elements. The locking mechanism is formed of
a central post, a plurality of engagement pins connected to the
central post, and an actuator, such that pulling the actuator
causes the locking mechanism to move between a locked and unlocked
position. Each fastening element has an aperture for connecting to
the locking mechanism by inserting the fastening element into the
cavity while the locking mechanism is in the unlocked position, and
then pushing the actuator to slide the locking mechanism into the
locked position. All of the fastening elements can then be released
simultaneously from the locking mechanism by pulling the actuator
to slide the locking mechanism from the locked position to the
unlocked position.
Inventors: |
LOVATO; Attilio; (Turin,
IT) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Duraflex Hong Kong Limited |
Hong Kong |
|
CN |
|
|
Assignee: |
Duraflex Hong Kong Limited
Hong Kong
CN
|
Family ID: |
68464894 |
Appl. No.: |
15/976166 |
Filed: |
May 10, 2018 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A44B 11/25 20130101;
A44B 11/2592 20130101; A44D 2211/00 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A44B 11/25 20060101
A44B011/25 |
Claims
1. A closure system comprising: a main body having a hollow cavity
therein; a locking mechanism slidably disposed within the cavity,
the locking mechanism comprising: a central post; a plurality of
engagement pins connected to the central post; and an actuator at
one end of the central post that extends through an opening in one
end of the main body, such that pulling the actuator causes the
locking mechanism to slide within the main body to reach an
unlocked position, and pushing the actuator causes the locking
mechanism to slide to a locked position; and a plurality of
fastening elements, each fastening element having an aperture
therethrough such that each fastening element is connected to the
locking mechanism by inserting the fastening element into the
cavity while the locking mechanism is in the unlocked position, and
then and pushing the actuator to slide the locking mechanism into
the locked position wherein a corresponding one of the pins extends
through the aperture; wherein all of the fastening elements are
released simultaneously from the locking mechanism by pulling the
actuator to slide the locking mechanism from the locked position to
the unlocked position.
2. The closure system according to claim 1, wherein the main body
is formed from a base plate and a removable cover.
3. The closure system according to claim 2, wherein the base plate
has a plurality of slots along peripheral edges, for accommodating
webbing.
4. The closure system according to claim 1, wherein each fastening
element is formed by a locking segment containing the aperture, and
a ring connected to the locking segment, the ring having a central
opening that is oriented perpendicular to the aperture.
5. The closure system according to claim 1, wherein the locking
mechanism has four engagement pins and wherein there are four
fastening elements.
6. The closure system according to claim 1, wherein each engagement
pin is oriented to be parallel to the central post and has a free
end facing away from the actuator.
7. The closure system according to claim 1, further comprising a
holding element attached to the central post of the locking
mechanism below each engagement pin and being spaced from the
engagement pin to allow passage of one of the fastening elements
therebetween, said holding element supporting a respective one of
the fastening elements while the locking mechanism is in an
unlocked position.
8. The closure system according to claim 7, wherein each holding
element is elastically connected to the central post.
9. The closure system according to claim 4, wherein each locking
segment has slanted side walls such that a free end of the locking
segment is narrower than an end connected to the ring.
10. The closure system according to claim 9, wherein the locking
segment has rounded edges that follow a contour of the
aperture.
11. The closure system according to claim 4, wherein the main body
has a plurality of openings configured for accommodating the
fastening elements when the fastening elements are locked to the
locking mechanism, the openings corresponding to a shape of the
locking segments.
12. The closure system according to claim 1, wherein the main body
has a slot in a top surface thereof, and the locking mechanism has
a protrusion extending through the slot, such that in the unlocked
position, the protrusion is disposed at one end of the slot, and in
the locked position, the protrusion is disposed at an opposite end
of the slot.
13. The closure system according to claim 1, wherein the locking
mechanism has an end that extends through a slot in an end of the
cavity when the locking mechanism is in the locked position.
14. The closure system according to claim 1, wherein the apertures
in the fastening elements are round and the engagement pins have a
round cross-section.
15. The closure system according to claim 1, wherein the locking
mechanism has a lever with a protrusion thereon, and wherein the
main body has depressions or bores corresponding to a position of
the protrusion on the lever when the locking mechanism is in the
locked and the unlocked position, such that the protrusion on the
lever seats in a respective one of the depressions or bores when
the locking mechanism is in one of the locked and unlocked
positions.
16. The closure system according to claim 1, wherein the actuator
has a hole therethrough for attachment of a strap.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
[0001] The present invention relates to a quick release system for
body armor. In particular, the invention relates to a closure
system that can release a person from body armor such as a
multi-piece tactical vest with a single pull on a release element
of the closure system.
2. The Prior Art
[0002] When wearing body armor, it is often necessary to remove the
armor quickly, such as when entering water. Many body armor systems
require the release of several different buckles or closures, which
can be too difficult to accomplish while the user is moving. It
would be desirable to provide a system where all of the pieces of
body armor can be released from each other with a single action
requiring the use of only one hand.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] These and other objects are accomplished by a closure system
comprising a main body having a hollow cavity therein, a locking
mechanism slidably disposed within the cavity, and a plurality of
fastening elements configured for connecting to the locking
mechanism. The locking mechanism is formed of a central post, a
plurality of engagement pins connected to the central post, and an
actuator at one end of the central post that extends through an
opening in one end of the main body, such that pulling the actuator
causes the locking mechanism to slide within the main body to reach
an unlocked position, and pushing the actuator causes the locking
mechanism to slide to a locked position. The actuator preferably
has a hole or a slot therethrough to facilitate attachment of a
strap or handle.
[0004] Each fastening element has an aperture therethrough so that
the fastening element can be connected to the locking mechanism by
inserting the fastening element into the cavity while the locking
mechanism is in the unlocked position, and then pushing the
actuator to slide the locking mechanism into the locked position
wherein a corresponding one of the pins extends through the
aperture. All of the fastening elements can then be released
simultaneously from the locking mechanism by pulling the actuator
to slide the locking mechanism from the locked position to the
unlocked position. This causes the engagement pins to pull out of
the apertures to release the fastening elements from the locking
mechanism and main body.
[0005] The main body is preferably formed from a base plate and a
removable cover, so that the locking mechanism can be placed on the
base plate and the cover secured over both, to maintain the locking
mechanism within the main body. The cover can be removable, or can
be permanently secured to the base plate. The cover has openings
configured for receiving the fastening elements, so that the
fastening elements are inserted into the openings to receive the
engagement pins from the locking mechanism inside.
[0006] The base plate preferably has plurality of slots along
peripheral edges, for accommodating webbing. In use, the base plate
is secured to a section of an item, such as a tactical vest, and
the fastening elements are secured to the other sections. The
fastening elements are then connected to the locking mechanism, to
fully assemble the item. When used on a tactical vest, once all of
the fastening elements are secured, the vest is fully assembled on
the wearer. A single pull on the actuator then releases the
fastening elements and thus the sections of the vest, so that the
wearer is fully released from the vest.
[0007] In a preferred embodiment, each fastening element is formed
by a locking segment containing the aperture, and a ring connected
to the locking segment. The ring has a central opening that is
oriented perpendicular to the aperture. The ring can be connected
to a strap that is secured to a section of the vest to connect the
vest sections together. In one scenario, the locking mechanism has
four engagement pins and there are four fastening elements. This
enables a vest to be configured in five different sections, all of
which can be released from each other by a single action. The
engagement pins and the aperture in the locking segment are
preferably round in cross-section, but other shapes could also be
used.
[0008] In a preferred embodiment of the locking mechanism, each
engagement pin is oriented to be parallel to the central post and
has a free end facing away from the actuator. There is a holding
element attached to the central post of the locking mechanism below
each engagement pin and spaced from the engagement pin to allow
passage of one of the fastening elements therebetween. The holding
elements support the fastening elements and hold them in place
during assembly of the closure system, prior to movement of the
locking mechanism into the locked position. This allows all of the
fastening elements to be properly placed before locking.
Preferably, each holding element is elastically connected to the
central post.
[0009] To assist in the quick release of the fastening elements
from the main body, the locking segment of each fastening element
is preferably configured with slanted side walls on the sides that
run perpendicular to an axis of the aperture. These slanted side
walls slide along the openings in the cover, which are
correspondingly shaped. This shape also helps to guide the
fastening elements into a proper locking position when being
attached to the locking mechanism.
[0010] The locking segment preferably has rounded edges on the
sides that run parallel to the axis of the aperture.
[0011] To help indicate whether the locking mechanism is in a
locked or unlocked position, the main body has a slot in a top
surface thereof, and the locking mechanism has a protrusion
extending through the slot. In the unlocked position, the
protrusion is disposed at one end of the slot, and in the locked
position, the protrusion is disposed at an opposite end of the
slot. The slot can also be labeled at each end to indicate the
status. The protrusion and slot also help to hold the locking
mechanism in place inside the main body.
[0012] In one embodiment, the end of the central post of the
locking mechanism opposite the actuator abuts an end of the cavity
and extends through a slot in an end of the base body when the
locking mechanism is in the locked position. The locking mechanism
can be slid out of this end to remove it from the main body by
depressing the protrusion so that it clears the slot on the main
body.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] Other objects and features of the present invention will
become apparent from the following detailed description considered
in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be
understood, however, that the drawings are designed as an
illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the
invention.
[0014] In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote
similar elements throughout the several views:
[0015] FIG. 1 shows a front view of the closure system in a fully
locked position;
[0016] FIG. 2 shows a front view of the main body;
[0017] FIG. 3 shows a side view of the main body;
[0018] FIG. 4 shows a front view of the locking mechanism;
[0019] FIG. 5 shows a front view of one of the fastening
elements;
[0020] FIG. 6 shows a side view of the fastening element of FIG.
5;
[0021] FIG. 7 shows the locking mechanism with four fastening
elements attached in what would be the locked position, with the
main body removed;
[0022] FIG. 8 shows a front view of the closure system with two
fastening elements attached, in the locked position;
[0023] FIG. 9 shows a front view of the closure system with two
fastening elements attached, in the unlocked position;
[0024] FIG. 10 shows a front view of the closure system with the
cover of the main body removed, in the unlocked position;
[0025] FIG. 11 shows a front view of the closure system with the
cover of the main body removed, in the locked position; and
[0026] FIG. 12 shows a side cross-sectional view of the closure
system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0027] Referring now in detail to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows the
closure system 10 according to the invention. Closure system 10
consists of three different parts: a main body 11, a locking
mechanism 20, and a fastening element 30. Main body 11 consists of
a base plate 12 connected to a cover 13, so that a cavity is formed
between the base plate 12 and cover 13.
[0028] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, base plate 12 of main body 11 has
a slot 14 with an accessible opening 15, to allow a strap to be
threaded behind the base plate 12 to secure closure system 10 to an
item such as a tactical vest. In addition, holes 17 are provided
for permanently attaching closure system 10 to an item, such as by
rivets, sewing or other means.
[0029] Cover 13 of main body 11 is provided with trapezoidal shaped
openings 121 for receiving fastening elements 30, as shown in FIG.
1. In addition, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, there is an opening 16
on the top for receiving actuator 22 of locking mechanism 20, and
an opening 18 on the bottom for receiving end 26.
[0030] The components of locking mechanism 20 are shown in FIG. 4.
locking mechanism 20 consists of a central post 21 having an
actuator 22 on one end, and a plurality of engagement pins 23
mounted to run parallel with central post 21, and face away from
actuator 22. Adjacent end 26 opposite from actuator 22, is a lever
29 holding a protrusion 27, which indicates the status of locking
mechanism 20 within main body 11, and also serves to secure locking
mechanism within main body 11. As shown in FIG. 1, locking
mechanism 20 can slide between a locked position and an unlocked
position, which causes protrusion 27 to slide between the two ends
of slot 19 in cover 13. Depressing protrusion 27 allows locking
mechanism 20 to be released from main body 11 by sliding it out
aperture 18.
[0031] A holding element formed by support 24 and pad 25 is mounted
beneath each engagement pin 23. Pad 25 holds each fastening element
in place during insertion of the fastening elements into main body
11 when locking mechanism 20 is in the unlocked position, allowing
proper placement of all of the fastening elements prior to
locking.
[0032] Fastening element 30 is shown in detail in FIGS. 5 and 6.
Fastening element 30 is formed of a locking segment 31 connected to
a ring 32 having a central opening 34. Ring 32 can be connected to
a strap or other device to attach the strap or device to closure
system 10. Locking segment 31 has an aperture 33 that is sized to
correspond to the circumference of engagement pins 23 on locking
mechanism 20. Locking segment 31 also has a trapezoidal shape, with
sloped side walls 35, which correspond to the trapezoidal shape of
openings 121 on cover 13 of main body 11. When viewed from the side
as in FIG. 6, locking segment 31 has a round cross-section,
following the contour of aperture 33.
[0033] The orientation of fastening elements 30 on locking
mechanism 20 is shown in FIG. 7. As can be seen, engagement pins 23
fit through apertures 33 in locking segments 31 of fastening
elements 30. The arrangement shown in FIG. 7 is of the locking
mechanism in the locked position, where it retains fastening
elements 30 securely thereon.
[0034] The operation of closure system 10 is shown in detail in
FIGS. 8-9 (cover on) and in FIGS. 10-11 (cover off for illustration
of the interior elements). In operation, locking mechanism 20 is
mounted inside the main body 11 and the main body 11 is then
secured to an item, such as a portion of a tactical vest. Then,
each of the fastening elements 30, which are also attached to a
separate portion of the tactical vest or other item, are attached
to the locking mechanism 20. In order to attach the fastening
elements 30, locking mechanism 20 is first placed into the unlocked
position, where the actuator 22 is pulled upward, and engagement
pins 23 clear openings 121, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 11. As can be
see in FIGS. 9 and 11, protrusion 27 is shown at the top of slot
19, indicating that the closure system is in the unlocked position.
Graphics 122 (shown in FIG. 8) can be added to further illustrate
the locked and unlocked positions. Because openings 121 are clear
of engagement pins 123 in the unlocked position, locking segments
31 of fastening elements 30 can be placed into openings 21 without
obstruction. Pads 25 support each of the fastening elements 30 and
hold them in place when locking mechanism 20 is in the unlocked
position. Once all four fastening elements 30 are in place,
actuator 22 can be pushed downward to the locked position, as shown
in FIGS. 8 and 10. This causes engagement pins 23 to slide through
apertures 35 in locking segments 31 to secure fastening elements 30
to locking mechanism 20. At this point, protrusion 27 is shown as
being in the locked position. In addition, protrusion 27 also acts
as a lock to secure locking mechanism 20 within main body 11. To
remove locking mechanism 20, protrusion 27 must be depressed
sufficiently to clear slot 19 while locking mechanism 20 is pushed
out of opening 18.
[0035] To release fastening elements 30, actuator 22 is pulled
upward, which causes engagement pins 23 to slide out of apertures
33 in locking segments 31 of fastening elements 30, thus freeing
them from locking mechanism 20. Actuator 22 can have a hole or slot
28 therein for attachment of a strap, to facilitate the pulling.
The tension on fastening elements 30 due to their attachment to a
strap or other element then causes fastening elements 30 to exit
openings 121 and release them from the closure system, as shown in
FIGS. 8 and 10. If fastening elements 30 are connected to separate
parts of a tactical vest, the vest will become immediately
disassembled and will release the wearer upon the single pull of
actuator 22.
[0036] FIG. 12 shows a cross-sectional view of the closure system
10 according to the invention. On the rear side of locking
mechanism 20 is a lever 211 connected to a protrusion 212, which
serves to keep locking mechanism 20 in the locked or unlocked
positions. In the unlocked position, protrusion 212 becomes seated
in bore 140, and when locking mechanism 20 slides to the locked
position, protrusion 212 becomes seated in bore 141. This keeps
locking mechanism 20 from inadvertently sliding between the locked
and unlocked positions during use. The force of the connection
between protrusion 212 and bores 140 and 141 can be overcome,
however, by a purposeful strong pull or push on actuator 22, which
will release protrusion 212 from bore 140 or 141 so that purposeful
movement between the two positions can be achieved, while still
protecting against inadvertent release. Metal springs (not shown)
could also be affixed to the main body for assisting in the
movement of the actuator.
[0037] Accordingly, while only a few embodiments of the present
invention have been shown and described, it is obvious that many
changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing
from the spirit and scope of the invention.
* * * * *