U.S. patent application number 16/921399 was filed with the patent office on 2021-01-07 for pack with garment-conjoining extension pack.
The applicant listed for this patent is Align Tactical, LLC. Invention is credited to Joel Alson.
Application Number | 20210000246 16/921399 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | |
Filed Date | 2021-01-07 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20210000246 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Alson; Joel |
January 7, 2021 |
PACK WITH GARMENT-CONJOINING EXTENSION PACK
Abstract
A pack or backpack serves a dual purpose of carrying articles
and offering a rapidly deployable protective garment for the
wearer. The pack includes a main pack connected to a distal
extension pack, with a garment concealed between them. The distal
pack and garment may be simultaneously deployed by catapulting the
distal pack over the wearer's head and onto their front torso to
provide increased protective coverage and easier access to articles
contained in the distal pack. The design of the pack provides quick
access to protective garments that would otherwise take up storage
room inside a compartment of a conventional pack, or be left behind
when the conventional pack is carried.
Inventors: |
Alson; Joel; (Austin,
TX) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Align Tactical, LLC |
Austin |
TX |
US |
|
|
Appl. No.: |
16/921399 |
Filed: |
July 6, 2020 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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62870728 |
Jul 4, 2019 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
International
Class: |
A45F 4/02 20060101
A45F004/02; A45F 3/06 20060101 A45F003/06; F41H 1/02 20060101
F41H001/02 |
Claims
1. A pack, comprising: a main pack having a surface; a distal pack
separable from the main pack and having another surface; and a
garment; wherein the garment is configured to fully or partially
physically conjoin the main pack and the distal pack, wherein the
main pack and the distal pack are configured to conceal the garment
between the respective faces, and wherein, upon separation of the
distal pack and the main pack, the garment may be configured to
cover over portions of the main extension pack and the distal pack.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 62/870,728, filed Jul. 4, 2019.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The field of the invention generally relates to wearable
vests, packs, backpacks, and carriers. More specifically, the field
of the invention relates to vests, packs, backpacks, and carriers
having dual-purpose features that offer accessibility to an
included garment or other accessory for protection from the
elements and/or for protection against projectiles.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Wearable vests, packs, backpacks, and carriers (referred to
herein as "packs") efficiently carry and protect a vast array of
articles while providing the convenience of hands-free mobility to
their wearer. However, increased mobility comes with the risk of
exposure to inclement weather and, in certain circumstances, attack
by armed assailant(s).
[0004] Mitigation of these threats often involve carrying
protective articles within the confines of the pack in the form of
umbrellas, rain ponchos/jackets, pack coverings, and/or ballistic
plates/inserts/lining. However, deployment of these rapidly-needed
articles are often delayed by the doffing of packs to open, locate,
extract, and deploy protective weather gear, followed by pack
re-donning (all while possibly getting drenched if caught
unsheltered during the onset of inclement weather), or
necessitating the removal and relocation of a ballistic pack to the
wearer's front torso for protecting vital organs during a
confrontation (considering only a single sagittal plane can be
protected when worn either anteriorly or posteriorly).
Unfortunately, many individuals may not carry/pack these protective
articles before they are needed, and often these articles reduce
the amount of limited storage within the confines of the pack.
[0005] Several approaches to improve upon these issues have been
described by dual-purpose embodiments within the scope of so-called
"transformative packs." These approaches include:
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,111, issued Nov. 24, 1992 to Lieberman,
entitled "BACKPACK WITH INTEGRAL GARMENT," describes a wearable
backpack that when unzipped, contains an integrated rain jacket
that may be pulled out and worn as a regular garment.
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 6,751,806, issued Jun. 22, 2004 to Hinnant,
entitled "BACKPACKING JACKET," describes a backpack with a
dedicated cavity to house a jacket and a tensioning panel allows
access to the jacket.
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 10,130,160, issued Nov. 20, 2018 to NcSTAR,
Inc., entitled "BACKPACK WITH QUICK DEPLOYING BODY ARMOR,"
describes a backpack with a flip-over-the-head protective ballistic
insert that is housed within a compartment of the main pack, and a
rear that provides its own protection without having to remove the
backpack.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 6,419,132, issued Jul. 7, 2002 to Reed et al.,
entitled "BACKPACK WITH DEPLOYABLE ARMOR," describes a body armor
panel attached to the inner back-facing lining of the backpack that
deploys over the wearer's head with a side ballistic blanket.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 9,820,558, issued Nov. 21, 2017 to Leatherback
Gear, LLC, entitled "COMBINED CARRIERS AND PROTECTIVE VESTS,"
describes a backpack that separates into front and back halves,
requiring the wearer to remove the pack and slip between the two
halves for employing ballistic protection enclosed within the
backpack.
[0011] U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,934, issued Aug. 16, 1994 to Inventus,
Inc., entitled "FLIPOVER CARRYING DEVICE," describes a backpack
that offers neither garment nor ballistic protection, but separates
to provide quick access to smaller rear pouches by flipping over
the wearer's head to locate a portion of storage to the front
torso.
[0012] While these approaches individually make incremental
improvements, they may have some of their own issues. Embodiments
of the present invention seek to address these issues and the other
issues described above for the purposes disclosed herein.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0013] In accordance with embodiments of the invention, a wearable
vest, pack, backpack, or carrier (referred to herein as "pack") is
disclosed herein. These packs may be configured as two separable
pack portions, for example, a main load-bearing pack and an
overlaying, thinner detachable distal extension pack, in which
contacting perimeter mating surfaces of main and distal pack may
conceal the integration of a compressed garment sandwiched between
them. The garment serves, in part, to conjoin the main and distal
of packs together physically, as described below. These embodiments
allow the distal pack (or "distal motion pack," "distal extension
pack" or "distal pack") to be separated along the contacting
perimeter from the main pack, lifted by the wearer (or
user/operator) upwards, catapulted and swung over their head to
come to rest upon their front torso or chest, resulting in an
unfolded garment rapidly presented or draped over their body and
pack for protection. The once inner-concealed faces of both the
distal and main packs then become outwardly facing from the
wearer's front and back, respectively. The garment material may be
integrated or attached to the distal and main packs and be extended
by the wearer to provide the full functions and features of the
garment's purpose. In certain embodiments, the garment may be
separately detachable from the pack, for example, for cleaning.
These embodiments advantageously bypass the need to enclose a
separate unattached garment, such as a raincoat or poncho, placed
within the confines of any single encompassing pack or compartment
that may exhibit the disadvantages described above. Moreover, these
embodiments, once the distal pack is deployed and secured to the
front torso or chest, may provide easy accessibility underneath the
protective garment, allowing the wearer to reach important
contents, such as phones, badges, bus passes, maps, radios, keys,
etc. within the distal pack or in its internal pockets.
[0014] In accordance with embodiments of the invention, before
deployment over the wearer's head, the distal pack is located
behind the main pack (i.e., the portion that touches the wearer's
back). For these embodiments, a method for the wearer to deploy the
distal pack from its initially rear position behind the main pack
uses straps attached to the top of the distal pack. These
deployment straps may terminate along the shoulder straps of the
main pack, and provide gripping surfaces or ends for the wearer to
pull to lift with their hands for deployment, as will be described
below. The force to grasp the shoulder-lying deployment straps and
to jerk, lift, or pull them upward and forward from the wearer's
perspective causes their release from their adhesion points
(described further below) on the top of the main pack to focus the
force on the distal pack for initiating the separation of the
distal pack from the main pack.
[0015] A typical human motion when it starts to rain often involves
a shrugging of the shoulders while "turtling" their head downward,
followed by a catapulting motion to don a jacket hood if attached
to clothing, or covering their head with other articles on hand.
Such natural movements may be used to detach and deploy the distal
pack from the main pack and while also unfolding the garment
enclosed between them to be worn, in accordance with embodiments of
the invention. For example, the wearer may employ a quick
two-handed gripping of straps, followed by lifting their arms, and
then launching the distal pack overhead in some similarity to a
soccer ball-type overhead throwing motion while simultaneously
bowing their head forward. This motion results in the catapulting
of the distal extension pack over the wearer's head, ending with
the distal pack coming to rest on the wearer's front torso or
chest, and leaving the main pack still on the wearer's back. The
distal and main pack still remain tethered, for example, by
shoulder straps, such as suspenders or the shoulder coverings of a
larger garment. Such arching-type movements advantageously may
allow greater clearance for the distal pack over the wearer's head
so that the distal pack rotates substantially unimpeded over to the
front of the wearer's body.
[0016] In accordance with embodiments of the invention, the pack
may include a garment, for example, a rain poncho. The deployment
of the distal pack (also referred to as "flip over pack" or distal
motion pack) by the wearer over their head, shoulders, and upper
arms to their front torso or chest, as described herein, allows the
wearer to retain shielding or at least partial shielding of their
back by the continued presence of the main pack on the wearer's
back. Such deployment may be performed by the wearer within a few
seconds or less. The garment may contain reinforcing material in
the form of shoulder straps for providing additional load support
and/or small weighted inserts, such as plastic or metal inserts, to
assist with proper garment deployment motion, expansion, and proper
draping for resting in a position across and over the wearer's body
(and possibly their head and portions of the pack). Incorporation
of reflective material and/or a brightly colored version of the
garment may further add to safety and utility. The garment may be
detachable in some embodiments, such as by releasing corresponding
and complementary snap(s), hook and loop fasteners, or the like, as
described below. The garment itself may contain excess material in
the form of skirting, such as weighted skirting, that drops down
past and over pack surfaces for augmented protection and
coverage.
[0017] In accordance with other embodiments of the invention, a
pack, may instead include a quickly-deployable ballistic or body
armor garment, for example, an adjustable ride-height vest that
provides protection against projectiles as specified in the
National Institute of Justice (NIJ) or Underwriters Laboratories
(UL) standards, and/or that offers a doubling of protected coverage
for both the front and rear torso (or back) of the wearer. A
quick-adjust cam buckle may be included on each shoulder strap to
be used in a manner similar to the use of rifle slings for rapid
adjustment of strap length, as would be understood by one of
ordinary skill in the art. Adjustment cords or other features of
the shoulder straps may be included that have distinguishing colors
and lengths to aid in drawing the wearer's visual attention for
quick deployment. Readable messaging also may be included (e.g.,
printed) on the deployed outer surfaces of the garment to draw the
attention of an observer of the wearer for the immediate need for
an emergency response, such as "CALL 911" or other warning or
informational message. Such messages may be constructed, for
example, of readable reflective material, while the primary fabric
of the garment and pack retains subdued colors to help reduce or
eliminate visual detection by, or the visual acuity of, a person or
criminal posing a threat to the wearer. Affixing side quick-release
buckles around the wearer's torso on additional side straps of the
distal and main packs may further secure the deployed distal (now
front) pack to the main pack that remains on the wearer's back.
[0018] In accordance with other embodiments of the invention,
packs, as described herein, advantageously may be employed by law
enforcement, SWAT, homeland security (DHS), military operational,
protection detail personnel, or the like where direct threat
engagement may require ballistic protection against higher kinetic
energy projectiles while also providing quick access to weapons
that may be available to the wearer. These embodiments may be made
as a tactical vest having an armor plate(s) or insert(s) placed or
held within one or more compartments or pouches located in or on
front and back main packs of the vest that forms the overall pack.
The distal pack, in such embodiments, may optionally include a
mountable weapon retention mechanism, having a small form factor,
such that a short-barreled weapon system may be carried on the
wearer's chest once the distal pack is deployed with a thumb
actuated quick-release retaining mechanism for immediate access by
the wearer to obtain a weapons grip with their hands. To allow the
distal pack to quickly flip over and clear the wearer's head, the
shoulder straps of the tactical vest advantageously may be long
enough to accommodate proper clearance of any possible
obstructions.
[0019] Generally, it is better in completing the deployment of the
distal pack (and garment, if present) to the front torso that it
not come to rest below a recommended or proper aortic placement for
advantageous protection. Body armor preferably rides high upon the
wearer's chest. Therefore, it is advantageous for the deployed
shoulder straps that conjoin front and rear faces of the tactical
vest or garment (or that conjoin the distal and main packs) also
include a vertical length adjustment mechanism(s), as will be
described below for. In accordance with certain embodiments of the
invention, this adjustment mechanism(s) may be advantageously
included using a quick-adjustment cam buckle on each shoulder strap
as an option similar to the use of rifle slings for adjusting strap
length for rifles, as would be understood by one of ordinary skill
in the art. Adjustment of this mechanism(s) also may be included as
part of, or consolidated with, additional motions immediately
needed to deploy or access weapons, as described herein. One
example may employ the joining of two individual shoulder strap
adjustments to form a single Y-shaped strap or Y-Strap, in which
the consolidated single strap functions as a weapon's single-point
sling, such that the act of extending the weapon out for sling
slack allows the two connecting shoulder straps to be tightened.
These solutions alone may less advantageously fully secure or
prevent a fully deployed distal pack (or tactical vest or armor
carrier) from extraneous movement while the wearer is maneuvering.
Therefore, in accordance with certain embodiments of the invention,
a cummerbund having two parts or sides may be included, as will be
described below, that wraps around the sides of the wearer's torso
to further advantageously connect and secure the main pack and
distal pack (or tactical vest or armor carrier) together. The
cummerbund parts or sides may be fastened to the main pack, as
described below using hook and loop fasteners, repetitive-use dry
adhesive materials, or the like.
[0020] The wearer, in the embodiments just described, would have to
transition his or her motion during distal pack, garment, or
tactical vest deployment from flipping the shouldered deployment
straps overhead to grabbing the separate cummerbund straps for
wrapping around their torso, thus requiring two separate hand
gripping movements. One consolidated fluid motion, however, may be
much faster and preferable for unmatched speed in hostile
environments. Therefore, advantageously, it would be best for the
wearer to use one generally fluid motion to rapidly deploy the
tactical response distal pack, vest, or armor (or plate) carrier
via the deployment straps, culminating in: (1) introducing
ballistic protection onto the chest; (2) raising the front chest
carrier height for proper aortic coverage; (3) deploying the two
parts or sides of the cummerbund; and (4) connecting these two
parts or sides laterally around the wearer to secure the now
frontally deployed distal pack (or the now front portion of the
tactical vest or armor carrier) and the rear main pack (or rear
portion of the tactical vest or armor carrier) with minimal
motion.
[0021] The wearer may initiate this motion by rapidly gripping and
extending the deployment straps in a generally vertical-rising and
forward-arcing movement of their arms to catapult the distal pack
over their head from back-to-chest. Then the wearer would rapidly
and fluidly transition deployment straps movement with their arms
at generally mid-chest level or height radially- or
circularly-rearward in a generally horizontal motion plane on
opposite sides of the wearer. This movement provides the
orientation-specific release of housing-retained stops that
simultaneously or almost simultaneously initiates spring-assisted
retractions of the shoulder-laying conjoining or pack bridging
straps, raising the distal pack higher up the chest, and freeing
extensions of the cummerbund that the deployment straps are
attached to for securing generally around respective sides of the
wearer's waist, as described below. The overall movement would then
terminate when the two parts or sides of the cummerbund are
connected to each other or to another rapid fastening mating
surface, such as with hook and loop fasteners like Velcro.RTM.,
repetitive-use dry adhesive materials like nanoGriptech's Setex, or
the like, along the sides and/or behind the rear main pack, vest,
or plate carrier.
[0022] In accordance with embodiments of the invention, the weight
of the main back-facing portion of the pack, vest, or plate carrier
may be supported by using a skeletonized frame or framework similar
to those seen in mountaineering backpacks. The main pack and
potentially the distal pack advantageously may contain, for
example, a strong light-weight material, such as aluminum tubing,
polymer, or a rigid composite, to create a chassis or chassis
structure that maintains or supplements the load-bearing elements
or structures of the main and distal portions' form. The outer
connecting perimeter surfaces of the two conjoined distal and main
pack may include weak magnets or other fastener types to create a
cosmetically concealing seam or seams. In certain embodiments,
advantageously foam padding may be included on the distal and/or
main packs to minimize or help minimize the deployed mass of the
distal pack impacting against the wearer's front torso or chest or
the main pack impacting against the wearer's back.
[0023] Some of the embodiments described above may allow the wearer
to go from being uncovered in inclement weather to being covered
along with their pack. And some embodiments described above may
allow the wearer to go from being undercover to a fully tactical,
weapons-ready state within seconds without breaking stride. The
inside-out, interior-to-exterior design of the distal and main
packs of the overall pack in certain embodiments, when deployed,
may include emblems, words, or patches that clearly identify the
particular enforcement agency the wearer is with, such as POLICE,
SWAT, ATF, DEA, FBI, etc.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] FIG. 1 shows a front, left, top perspective view of a pack
as it might appear if worn by a wearer (not shown), the pack having
a distal (or extension) pack (right side) and a main pack (left
side) connected together with an enclosed garment or poncho
connected therebetween (not shown), in accordance with embodiments
of the invention.
[0025] FIG. 2 shows the pack of FIG. 1 with the distal pack
separated from the main pack to display the enclosed garment or
poncho connected therebetween, in accordance with embodiments of
the invention.
[0026] FIG. 3 shows the pack of FIG. 1 with the distal pack while
being deployed into a flipped upward, extended, and rotated
orientation to display the garment or poncho expanded, in
accordance with embodiments of the invention.
[0027] FIG. 4 shows the pack of FIG. 1 after the distal pack is
further deployed from the orientation shown in FIG. 3, with the
distal pack in a final orientation and the garment or poncho
concealing part of the distal pack and mostly concealing the main
pack, and as if the garment or poncho were covering the head and
shoulders of a wearer, in accordance with embodiments of the
invention.
[0028] FIGS. 5A and 5B show a pack similar to FIG. 1 before
deployment of a distal pack while still connected to a main pack
(FIG. 5A) and upon an initial phase of being deployed with the
distal pack separated from the main pack (FIG. 5B), to display a
tactical response vest, pack, or armor plate carrier connected
therebetween, in accordance with embodiments of the invention.
[0029] FIG. 6 shows the pack of FIG. 5 with the distal pack (and
attached cummerbund), the distal pack shown while being deployed
into a flipped upward, extended, and rotated orientation to display
tactical response vest, pack, or armor plate carrier expanded, in
accordance with embodiments of the invention.
[0030] FIG. 7 shows the pack of FIG. 5, demonstrating the need to
be deployed upward to a sufficient height to clear a wearer's head
(shown in dashed line), as schematically illustrated by the upward
arrow, before the distal pack is deployed forward over their head
to a final position on their front torso, in accordance with
embodiments of the invention.
[0031] FIG. 8 shows the pack of FIG. 5, with the distal pack (and
the attached cummerbund parts or sides wrapped around), the distal
pack shown (by the dashed lines) in a position as it might land on
the front torso of a wearer (not shown) after clearing the wearer's
head during deployment (FIG. 7), and where the arrow demonstrates
then moving the distal pack (shown in solid lines) to the final
upward position at the correct height on the front torso or chest
of the wearer, in accordance with embodiments of the invention.
[0032] FIG. 9 shows the pack of FIG. 5 as it would appear when worn
by a wearer (not shown) in a fully deployed position, in accordance
with embodiments of the invention.
[0033] FIG. 10 shows a cross sectional view of a spring and spring
housing mechanism for retracting straps of a pack, the spring shown
in a relaxed state, in accordance with embodiments of the
invention.
[0034] FIG. 10A shows the spring and spring housing mechanism of
FIG. 10 with the spring coiled to have spring tension, in
accordance with embodiments of the invention.
[0035] FIG. 11 shows a cross sectional view of a shoulder strap and
strap housing of a pack, with the shoulder strap in a retracted
state, in accordance with embodiments of the invention.
[0036] FIG. 11A shows the shoulder strap and strap housing of FIG.
11 with the shoulder strap fully extended out, in accordance with
embodiments of the invention.
[0037] FIG. 12 shows a cutaway view of the spring, spring housing,
the shoulder strap (showing part of the shoulder strap extending),
and the strap housing of FIGS. 10, 10A, 11, and 11A, in accordance
with embodiments of the invention.
[0038] FIG. 13 shows a view of the shoulder strap (showing part of
the shoulder strap extending), the strap housing of FIGS. 11, 11A,
and 12, and a deployment strap connected to a dovetail stopper, the
dovetail stopper also connected to the strap housing, in accordance
with embodiments of the invention.
[0039] FIG. 13A shows the dovetail stopper of FIG. 13 separated
from the strap housing, in accordance with embodiments of the
invention.
[0040] FIG. 13B shows the deployment strap and the dovetail stopper
of FIG. 13 when the deployment strap is pulled sideways to pull out
the dovetail stoppers from the torqued strap retracting housing to
allow the shoulder strap to rapidly rotate and retract inward to
raise a rear plate carrier or distal pack, in accordance with
embodiments of the invention.
[0041] FIG. 14 shows a view of a partially deployed distal pack
(main pack not shown) with two parts or sides of a cummerbund shown
folded and attached to the distal pack, in accordance with
embodiments of the invention.
[0042] FIG. 14A shows the distal pack of FIG. 14 (the main pack not
shown for illustrative purposes) with one cummerbund part or side
partially deployed, in accordance with embodiments of the
invention.
[0043] FIG. 14B shows the distal of FIG. 14A with both parts or
sides of the cummerbund partially deployed, in accordance with
embodiments of the invention.
[0044] FIGS. 15 and 15A show a pack similar to the pack of FIG. 1
that includes the main pack, distal pack, and a shoulder strap
system or apparatus (double Y-harness), which advantageously aids
in the deployment of the distal pack and positioning of shoulder
straps on a wearer, in accordance with embodiments of the
invention.
[0045] FIG. 16 shows a pack similar to the pack of FIG. 1 (the
distal pack not shown for illustrative purposes) that includes the
double Y-harness shown folded together as it may appear prior to
deployment of the distal pack, in accordance with embodiments of
the invention.
[0046] FIG. 16A shows the pack of FIG. 16A, with the distal pack
shown detached from the main pack, the main pack including pegs and
the distal pack including hangers for hanging on the pegs for
purposes of attaching the distal pack to the main pack, in
accordance with embodiments of the invention.
[0047] FIG. 17 shows a pack like the pack 100 in a deploying
position to show how a garment may be attached, in accordance with
embodiments of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0048] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 62/870,728, filed Jul. 4, 2019, which is
incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
[0049] A rendition of a utility apparatus, vest, pack, backpack, or
carrier 100 is visually depicted in FIG. 1, in accordance with
embodiments of the invention. The apparatus, vest, pack, backpack,
or carrier (referred to herein as "pack") 100 includes a main
load-bearing pack 101 connected to a separable distal or extension
pack 102. The packs 101 and 102 may be connected, for example, by
load-bearing fasteners, such as generally hooking members that rest
upon opposing pegs, railing interfaces, or the like. They may
alternatively (or also) be fastened along each other's contacting
perimeter faces via an interfacing fastening medium (not shown)
provided by, but not limited to, attracting magnets embedded within
the fabric of each pack, strips of hook and loop fasteners,
generically hook-shaped members that interface within slots on the
opposing pack, or repetitive-use dry adhesive materials. For
additional retention across any orientation, the load-bearing
options may provide a user-releasable obstruction, such as
crossbars/plungers, to impede their motion with or without the aid
of spring resistance, described further below, or may include
optional external side release buckle assemblies 103. The pack 100
may be worn by a wearer or operator using adjustable shoulder
straps 104. Additional typical pack features may include a carrying
handle 105, zipper 106, engaging zipper teeth 107, side pockets
108, and deployment straps 109.
[0050] For weather protection, the pack may include a garment or
poncho advantageously constructed of a durable and potentially
water-repellent fabric such as Nylon, Polypropylene, Polyester, or
the like, which may or may not contain a Durable Water Repellent
(DWR) coating, Polyurethane (PU) coating, Thermoplastic
Polyurethane Film (TPU-film), Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) coating, or
laminate, or the like to help with further water-proofing for rain
or snow applications. Military specifications require adherence to
a Military-Specification (Mil-spec) in which the use of, for
example, Nylon, provides suitable abrasion resistance for armor
plate carriers. A variety of additional materials may be
incorporated into the packs 100, such as Aramid fiber, Ultra High
Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers, suitable ballistic
materials for protection against projectiles, foam, Shear
Thickening Fluid filled inserts, other non-Newtonian and/or
compressive materials for comfort and impact deformation, zippers
to enclose compartments, or the like, whether spanning an entire
pack 100 or only a portion or portions thereof. The pack 100 may
also or instead include magnets, snap, hook and loop, rails, sewn
thread, straps, buckles, grommets, laces or clasps, or the like, as
examples of fasteners to adhere surfaces, metal, ceramic, plastic
inserts, or the like used as weights to help strategically guide
the deployment of unfolding a garment(s), such as a poncho. The
pack 100 may further or instead include printed fabrics for
decorative features, reflective tape, plastics, other fabrics,
patches, or the like to aid in garment visibility, aluminum tubing,
composites, such as carbon fiber, fiberglass, glass filed Nylon(s),
or the like for skeletonized frames, and/or rigid internal
plates/boards for mounting pack-joining fasteners that may be made
from water resistant or waterproofed hardboard, HDF, composites,
polymers, light-weight metals, and/or skeletonized steel, as
described.
[0051] The construction of the pack 100 typically would include
using pre-designed shaped swatches of material, cut by either a
sharpened edge(s) or a laser for patterning, and then the materials
sewn together by hand or machine to construct the pack 100 with
attachment of fasteners. Frames included for the pack 100 may be
constructed by welding, riveting, epoxy layering, or the like, or
by other methods, as would be understood by one of ordinary skill
in the art.
[0052] FIG. 2 depicts the pack 100 as it is beginning a process of
being deployed, as it is being worn by the wearer (not shown), in
accordance with embodiments of the invention. In FIG. 2, deployment
is initiated when the wearer reaches their hands towards their
shoulders to grasp the ends of the deployment straps 109 (see FIG.
1) to pull on them to produce an upward jerking motion (not shown).
With this short grasping and pulling motion, the wearer disengages
securing surface fasteners 201 that may be included to normally
retain a top laying forward position of the deployment straps 109
(see FIG. 1). Detaching the straps 109 (see FIG. 2) allows the
separable distal extension pack 102 to disengage from the main
load-bearing pack 101 by way of the fasteners (described above and
below). The act of disengaging may display a concealed garment 202,
such as a poncho, which is folded, compressed, and/or sandwiched
between the contacting perimeters 206 of and between the two
joining pack 100 opposed or inner faces of the distal extension
pack 102 and the main load-bearing pack 101. To provide additional
support to the garment, bridging shoulder straps 203 may be
incorporated to support additional weight housed within the
separable distal extension pack 102. The additional retention of a
side release buckle assembly 103, if included, may be disengaged or
released by squeezing, for example, tri-glide 204 protrusions or
the like, extending from sides of a side release buckle 205, both
of which form parts of the side release buckle assembly 103, to
physically separate them from each other.
[0053] FIG. 3 shows the deployment continuing where the wearer (not
shown) would be bowing forward with head tucked to assist in
creating momentum and head clearance for a catapulting swing of the
distal extension pack 102, which is achieved by the wearer using
their hands and arms in a throwing-type motion over their head.
FIG. 3 depicts a view of the garment, which, for example, may be a
rain poncho, in mid-deployment before being draped over the
wearer's head and shoulders. The rear-facing (i.e., towards the
wearer's rear), previously concealed inner surface or face of the
main load-bearing pack 101, would become covered and protected by
the waterproof material of the rear garment face 302, the size and
coverage of which may vary by design to accommodate some of, most
of, or the entirety of the pack 100 and its lower extremities. The
now-deployed separable extension pack 102 would have its previously
inner concealed surface or face covered by the front garment face
301 as the extension pack 102 moves to the wearer's front. FIG. 3
shows for example, a garment comprising a poncho hood 303, if
included, and shoulder coverings 304, both of which will move in
their respective deployment positions in one back-to-front
flipping-over motion, as described.
[0054] Completion of the motion of the separable extension pack 102
from the wearer's back (not shown), over their head, and onto their
chest results in donning the protective garment as shown in FIG. 4.
The fully deployed separable extension pack 102 is now lying on the
wearer's front torso or chest, which is now exteriorly covered by
the garment. The chest-resting face of the deployed separable
extension pack 102 may provide under-garment hand-to-pocket access
protection from rain or snow, with the pocket being a previously
exterior facing pocket 401. This may, for example, be a zipping,
snapping, closable, or the like, pocket, allowing the wearer to
gain protected access to stored items, such as keys, phones,
badges, maps, or the like quickly and easily while preventing the
need to relocate the distal pack 102.
[0055] FIG. 5A shows an example of before-and-after (FIG. 5B)
detachment or separation for an armor plate pack or carrier 500
similar to the pack 100, in accordance with embodiments of the
invention. Additional features may be included in these or other
embodiments, such as a cummerbund 501 that attaches around the
wearer's waist for receiving a hook and loop fastener, clamp
fastener, repetitive-use dry adhesive material fastener, or the
like 502, an organization/departmental name(s) and/or identity
emblem(s) and/or patch(es) 504, a deployment strap swivel 506 that
helps prevent binding during use of a dovetail stopper 507, as
described below, and loop strips 505 for attaching tactical or
other gear.
[0056] FIG. 6 shows the armor plate carrier 500 in mid-deployment
to illustrate the vicinity of the previously concealed front face
of the garment, which instead shows the folded cummerbunds 501, in
accordance with embodiments of the invention. Cylindrical automatic
strap retractors 600 may also be included, as described in more
detail below, which have a torque generating compartment or
partition exterior spring housing 601 that spins a rod/arbor (not
shown) passing through a partitioned strap-retracting housing
602.
[0057] FIG. 7 illustrates the need to ensure the wearer's head
clearance by allowing for suitable strap length during deployment,
in accordance with embodiments of the invention. FIG. 8 shows (in
phantom) if the strap length allows for suitable (or too much) head
clearance, the distal extension pack 102 may wind up resting low on
the front torso. FIG. 8 also shows the resting position of the pack
102 in the proper position on the chest (solid lines) when the
straps 203 are retracted by the automatic strap retractors 600 and
the pack moves up (indicated by the arrow) from its prior position
on the low front torso, in accordance with embodiments of the
invention. FIG. 9 shows a fully deployed pack 102 with the
cummerbunds 501 wrapped around the waist of the wearer (not shown)
for securing additional garment (not shown) retention and to aid in
securing the distal and main packs 101 and 102, in accordance with
embodiments of the invention. Both the extension pack 102 and the
main pack 101 may include interior pockets for armor plates to be
inserted.
[0058] Referring to FIGS. 10 and 10A, the interior of one spring
housing 601 is shown with an installed flat spiral power spring
1003 in the spring partition of the automatic strap retractor 600
for one of the straps 203 (see FIG. 12 for a perspective view).
FIGS. 10 and 10A illustrate contrasting spring load states in
cross-sectional views perpendicular to an axis of rotation of a
rod/arbor 1002, in accordance with embodiments of the invention.
The interior of the housing 601 includes the spring mechanism
mentioned above. The spring housing 601 advantageously may be
constructed of metal or other hardy material. The spring housing
601 contains the central arbor 1002 to which a power spring 1003
may couple or connect at one end within a spring inner retaining
slot 1006 of the arbor 1002, and with another end of the spring
1003 coupled or connected to the spring housing 601's outer
retaining slot 1005. A bridle 1004 may be included to apply tension
towards the end of the spring coupled or connected to the outer
retaining slot 1005 to prevent slippage of the spring 1003. FIG. 10
shows the power spring 1003 in a relaxed position, as the spring
1003 is coiled farther away from the arbor 1002 and closer to the
outer portion of the interior of the spring housing 601. However,
when the power spring 1003 is coiled around the arbor 1002, as
shown in FIG. 10A, the spring 1003 is under full or higher tension
and pre-loaded to react with torque, as will be described.
[0059] FIGS. 11 and 11A show similar cross-sectional views to those
of FIGS. 10 and 10B, respectively, also perpendicular to the axis
of arbor 1002 rotation, illustrating contrasting shoulder strap 203
spooling states within the interior strap housing 602 for the strap
partition, in accordance with embodiments of the invention. The
automatic strap retractor 600 perspective cutaway view in FIG. 12
shows the cylindrical spring housing 601 extending in a widthwise
direction for the wearer's right strap 203 (i.e., in a side-to-side
or right shoulder to left shoulder direction, as if wearing the
pack 500) to join with the strap housing 602, which are separated
by a partition 1201 wall, in accordance with embodiments of the
invention. Spanning both housings 601 and 602 through the central
axis of the container cylinder (i.e., of the automatic strap
retractor 600) (see FIG. 12) is the single rigid rod arbor 1002
that shares any imparted rotational movement between both the
spring 1003 and the strap 203, both attached to the arbor 1002.
These connectively shared spring and strap states are illustrated
by considering FIGS. 10 and 11, which show a relaxed spring 1003
(FIG. 10) neighboring a fully (or mostly) spooled strap 203 (FIG.
11) after deployment ("deployed state"), and FIGS. 10A and 11A,
which show the opposing state that results in a torque-loaded power
spring 1003 (FIG. 10A) neighboring a fully (or mostly fully)
unspooled shoulder strap 203 (FIG. 11A) pre-deployment
("pre-deployed state"). It should be understood that, although not
shown, there would be corresponding components and structures like
those described in with respect to FIGS. 10, 10A, 11, 11A, and 12
for the wearer's left strap 203 looking like a mirror image of FIG.
12 along the cylinder axis described. Thus, for both of the states,
the two springs 1003, each one located within a shared housing 601,
may work with respective ones of the left-side and right-side
straps 203, each strap 203 located within its respective strap
housings 602 and separately attached to the arbor 1002. In other
embodiments, instead of having two springs 1003, one spring similar
to the springs 1003 may be located within the housing 601, which
may be used with both of the straps 203 for both states
[0060] Body armor inserts and/or ammunition magazines may be
located or placed in pouches, and also possibly a weapon may be
included, the foregoing all being attached to the front worn distal
pack of the pack 500 (see FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 6-9), or even attached
to the distal pack 102 of FIG. 1. These items have weight
associated with them. Therefore, the spring 1003 should be
constructed to have sufficient strength to withstand the lifting
and supporting of the full load or weight of the wearer's "kit" or
distal pack to be deployed to the preferable or recommended height
on the front torso or chest for aortic protection according to
police, military, or other standards or practices. The deployment
of the systems described herein thus may provide for such
advantageous or proper protection (see FIGS. 6-9, 10, 10A, 11, 11A,
and 12).
[0061] To mechanically achieve such advantages, further details are
now disclosed. The outer coil of the power spring 1003 may be
fastened to the inside diameter wall of the torque generating and
partitioned compartment of the exterior spring housing 601 as a
stationary anchor point. The inner coil of the spring 1003,
however, may be attached to a portion of the arbor 1002 to allow
rotation that results in the winding of the power spring's 1003
inner coils. This in turn allows the use of torque to return the
arbor 1002 to its initial starting position when unimpeded as to
impart motion on the neighboring strap 203 on the other side of a
partition wall 1201 (FIG. 12). The addition of the bridle 1004, in
the form of a segment of flat spring, may be configured to
naturally press against the inside diameter wall of the torque
generating housing 601 compartment, as shown in FIG. 10A. The
length of the bridle 1004 along the inner circumference of the
cylindrical housing 601 compartment may be made shorter than the
compartment's full circumference and need only be long enough for
covering the outer coil of the power spring 1003, coupling,
connecting, or fastening to the retaining slot 1005, to prevent
slippage from it.
[0062] Tying all of these components together in operation, when
the power spring 1003 is at rest in its housing 601 compartment
without load, the neighboring spooling strap housing 602
compartment would have a fully (or mostly) wound wrapping of the
shoulder strap 203 material, as described, around its internally
housed pass-through portion of the arbor 1002. Pulling on the
shoulder strap 203 with force may allow the unspooling of the
additional lengths of the strap 203 from the housing 602
compartment until it is fully (or mostly) extended. This rotational
action transfers over to the connected spring 1003 of the
neighboring torque generating housing 601 compartment to apply the
winding storage of torque load. By adding the ability to arrest the
motion of the arbor 1002 upon full storage of potential energy, the
shoulder strap 203 may remain extended for completing the
catapulting clearance over the wearer's head, until the need arises
to rapidly retract it for proper positioning on the front torso or
chest.
[0063] Referring again to FIG. 12, this may be achieved by
expanding an end portion of the arbor 1002 to form a disc 1202 that
reaches the inside diameter wall of the housing 602 compartment, in
accordance with embodiments of the invention. Also, cutting a
perimeter segment or section through the container housing 602
compartment and down into a portion of the outer rim of the disc
1202 to create a continuous dovetail cut 1203, as shown in FIG.
13A, allows a keyed dovetail-shaped stopper insert 507, as isolated
in FIG. 13A, to slide into place for arresting rotational movement
of the arbor 1002, thereby anchoring the plate carrier distal pack
102, as shown in FIG. 13.
[0064] Referring again to FIGS. 5B, 6, and 13, the deployment strap
109, which is attached to the cummerbund 501, functions, in part,
to meet two separate objectives during deployment. The first
objective, of deploying the distal pack 102 overhead, generally
requires the connective ends of the deployment straps 109 be
rigidly affixed to the upper region of the distal pack 102,
allowing optimal stability and deployable strap length. The second
objective is to release the folded and partitioned-off parts or
sides of the cummerbund 501, previously isolated from force, so as
to extend their lengths from their lower attachments to the distal
pack 102 for proper use in deployment around the torso of the
wearer.
[0065] The components and structures described above work with the
cummerbund 501, which wraps around the wearer's torso, to provide a
lower lateral connection between the front plate carrier (or the
distal pack 102) and the rear plate carrier, (or the main pack
101), via hook and loop fasteners, repetitive-use dry adhesive
material fasteners, or the like, upon contact with the adhesion
surface 502 on the rear plate carrier, for minimizing movement of
the garment (and/or the rear plated carrier) on the wearer. The
dovetail stoppers 507 described above may be located at the base of
the deployment straps 109 where they join to the cummerbund 501
through a strap swivel 506. Having the dovetail stoppers 507
inserted into the dovetail cuts 1203 of the automatic strap
retractors' housings 602 and the discs 1202 allows for meeting the
first objective described above. This dovetail connection can only
be released by a lateral motion along the axis of the cylindrical
automatic strap retractors 600 (see FIG. 13A), which is generally
perpendicular to the centripetal force imparted by the catapulting
motion of the rear plate carrier or distal extension pack 102
overhead. Swiveling the deployment strap 109 down to horizontal and
pulling the stoppers 507 out allow for the second objective to be
met by providing for the deployment of the cummerbund 501, which is
attached to the lower portion of the plate carrier or distal pack
102, so that the operator can wrap the cummerbund 501 around their
torso, as described below.
[0066] The wearer, by pulling sideways on the straps 109, as
generally shown in FIG. 13A, will pull out the dovetail stoppers
507 from the torqued strap retracting housings 602 and allow the
shoulder straps 203 to rapidly rotate and retract inward (as
indicated by the circular arrows in FIG. 13B) to raise the rear
plate carrier or distal pack 102 (not shown). The pivoting or
swiveling joints 506 (FIG. 5B) that attach the deployment straps
109 to the cummerbund 501 may prevent or reduce the likelihood of
the dovetail stoppers 507 to bind in the retractable strap housings
602 and dovetail cuts 1203 of the discs 1202 during its extraction.
This may allow the deployment straps 109, after their use in the
deployment of the distal pack 102 with an overhead generally
vertically-oriented rotational motion (similar to a jump rope's
motion), to transition and become generally horizontally aligned
for their next motion with the horizontally extractable dovetail
stoppers 507 for smooth outward extraction. This contrasts with the
potential for binding from pulling horizontally on the
vertically-oriented deployment straps 109, which may induce
twisting on the straps 109 and rocking the horizontally-oriented
attached stoppers 506 within the dovetail cuts 1203, creating
unnecessary friction by applying a leveraging force between
otherwise sliding surfaces.
[0067] The speed of the retraction of the shoulder straps 203 may
be adjustable by the amount of friction or resistance introduced
into the automatic strap retractor 600 by impeding the rotation of
the arbor 1002 using external surface pressure that may be provided
with additional components, such as components that impart magnetic
braking or the like, as would be understood by one of ordinary
skill in the art.
[0068] By including the retractable strap housings 602 on the
distal extension pack 102, wearers may reset the whole system
described herein by unstrapping the cummerbund 501, pushing down on
the plate carrier or distal pack 102 resting on the wearer's front
torso, and inserting the dovetail stops 507 back into their slots
1203. The entire plate carrier or pack 102 may then be lifted off
the wearer's body to fold the cummerbund 501 so that the plate
carrier or distal pack 102 again conceals it when finishing
reattaching the packs 101 and 102. The releasable buckles or
fasteners 103 described above or other fasteners on the deployable
shoulder straps 203 may be used to separate the distal pack 102
from the main pack 101 while still wearing the main pack 101. The
main pack 101 itself may also use detachable fasteners on the
shoulder straps 104. The side fasteners 103 that lock the distal
pack 102 to the main pack 101 provide optional retention, which is
recommended to be removed if there is any anticipation of the
wearer being sent on an operation.
[0069] A similar deployment motion for the spring-loaded
retractable strap housing 600 described above may instead be used,
but with the spring-loaded retractable strap housing assembly 600
being replaced by an encased pulley system (not shown) that allows
for a mechanical advantage for raising the chest carrier or distal
pack 102, in accordance with embodiments of the invention. The
pulley system would preferably use a strong protectively sheathed
cables, such as a wound or braided steel or aluminum strand(s) with
a polymer coating encasing it. The cables may connect to the end of
the deployed shoulder strap 203, wind through the housed pulley
system, and come out to attach through each of the two parts or
sides of the cummerbund. 501. To provide the mechanical advantage,
one or more pulleys may orient or align its cable routing
vertically, which may increase mechanical advantage, perhaps
approaching and reaching, for example, doubling it, with each
pulley added, thereby reducing the weight resistance of the plate
carrier or distal pack lifted by the wearer during use.
[0070] The load or weight of the tactical plate carrier or distal
pack 102 may be supported by using a skeletonized frame or
framework, as described above, similar to those seen in
mountaineering backpacks, in accordance with embodiments of the
invention. The main pack 101 and potentially the plate carrier or
distal pack 102 may advantageously include a strong light-weight
material, such as aluminum tubing or a rigid composite, plastic, or
polymer material, to provide a chassis that supports load-bearing.
Connected to both of these frames, in transition onto the
connecting main and distal packs' exterior mating surfaces, may be
segments of T-track and rail, cupped ledges, or other structures
for cradling protrusions, in accordance with embodiments of the
invention. The remaining perimeter surfaces 206 may use weak
magnets or other fastener types to create a cosmetically concealing
seam, as described above. The distal extension pack 102 and the
main pack 101 advantageously also may include foam padding to
minimize the deployed mass impacting the wearer's torso and back,
in accordance with embodiments of the invention.
[0071] The embodiments described above may allow the wearer to go
from an undercover to a fully tactical, weapons-ready state within
seconds without breaking stride. The inside-out,
interior-to-exterior nature of the pack allows the vest, carrier,
or distal pack to clearly indicate or identify the agency they are
with, such as POLICE, SWAT, ATF, DEA, FBI, STATE POLICE, or the
like.
[0072] Referring to FIG. 14, shown are the front plate carrier or
distal pack 102 with the cummerbund 501 folded and the dovetail
stoppers 507 inserted in the dovetail cuts 1203 in the strap
housings 602 located between the distal pack 102 and the automatic
strap retractors 600, as to show another example embodiment of the
automatic strap retractors 600. This embodiment may be achieved by
using a centrally located spring housing (or housings) 601
protruding from the distal pack 102. From this protrusion, the
automatic strap retractor housings 602 would extend from both
cylindrical ends of the automatic strap retractor like the
automatic strap retractor 600 to make a T-shaped assembly,
containing two of the strap housings 602 joined to the central
single spring housing 601. This configuration may allow the
deployment straps 109 to not interfere during deployment with the
shoulder straps 203 while completely concealing the shoulder straps
203. FIG. 14A shows one cummerbund 501 part or side being released,
exposing the departmental name patch 504, and FIG. 14B shows the
front of the chest carrier or distal pack.
[0073] Embodiments of the invention have been described in a manner
to help illustrate and convey the intention of the technology
claimed and in no way limit potential variations that may achieve
the same or equivalent protections under the claims, figures, or
descriptions herein. It shall be understood that within the scope
of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced in a manner
or manners other than those specifically described in embodiments
herein. Any example references to fasteners discussed herein
interchangeably refer to any or all established, similar, or
equivalent fastener technologies, as would be understood by those
of skill in the art. Any illustrations or descriptions of zippers
or zipper teeth may include lengths for dedicated side access all
the way through traditional full top access, as the particular
design or embodiment may require.
* * * * *