US-12624926-B2 - Vest comprising armor, flotation and camouflage elements

US12624926B2US 12624926 B2US12624926 B2US 12624926B2US-12624926-B2

Abstract

A vest includes buoyancy characteristics and armor for personal protection incorporated with a level of ballistic protection. The vest provides permanent positive buoyancy and ballistic protection elements. The vest is made from a textile material that provides camouflage against infrared radiation and hides the wearer's thermal signal. Graphene printed patterns are included to dissipate heat.

Inventors

Miguel Angel CABALLERO GUEVARA

Assignees

C.I.A MIGUEL CABALLERO S.A.S

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20240930
Priority Date: 20240221

Claims (13)

1 . A vest comprising: a buoyancy element; at least one armor element; two main body panels, wherein the panels comprise a front panel, back panel, and at least one pocket-shaped receptacle located in an upper central region of the front panel and back panel that are facing each other the front panel and the back panel comprise additional receptacles distributed around or on the at least one main receptacle; a textile material; a pigment impregnated in fibers of the textile material that reflects short-wave and medium-wave infrared radiation so that the wearer is substantially invisible to said short wave and said medium-wave infrared radiation and is virtually undetectable to infrared light and thermal sensors; and wherein the inside of the vest is covered with printed graphene patterns.
2 . The vest according to claim 1 , wherein the pigment is mixed with other pigments, wherein the pigment is used to print patterns on the textile material.
3 . The vest according to claim 1 , wherein the textile material comprises a non-hygroscopic textile material configured to provide resistance to water, solvents, cuts, shearing, fire, or a combination thereof.
4 . The vest according to claim 1 , comprising at least one flotation element housed within an interior space defined by one of the front panel or the back panel, where said at least one flotation element is shaped and dimensioned substantially equal to the one of the front panel or the back panel.
5 . The vest according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one flotation element homogeneously distributes buoyant forces while keeping a total volume occupied by different flotation elements at an acceptable minimum.
6 . The vest according to claim 5 , wherein the different flotation elements comprise closed-cell foam comprising polymeric materials of high-density polyethylene, high-density PVC, butadiene nitrile rubber, or a combination thereof.
7 . The vest according to claim 1 , wherein an upper part of the back panel comprises a collar housing a flotation element attached to at least one of the front panel or the back panel by a single non-metallic zipper, wherein the collar includes a neck protective element fixed to the at least one of the front panel or the back panel.
8 . The vest according to claim 1 , wherein the front panel comprises a pelvis protector located in a lower portion of the front panel, wherein the pelvic protector comprises Level IIIA ballistic protection material and floating material.
9 . The vest according to claim 1 , comprising a shoulder protector comprising a receptacle configured to receive at least a portion of the Level IIIA ballistic protection material and at least a portion of the floating material.
10 . The vest according to claim 1 , comprising a closure system including at least one of adhesive fasteners, hook-and-loop fasteners, snap buckles, or a combination thereof.
11 . The vest according to claim 10 , wherein the closure system comprises elastic elements that allow the mobility of the front panel and the back panel in response to movement.
12 . The vest according to claim 1 , wherein the printed graphene patterns comprise spirals, radii, or hexagonal cells.
13 . The vest according to claim 12 , wherein printed graphene patterns are connected to an electrical source to generate heat.

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION The present invention relates generally to personal protective garments and more specifically to a bullet-resistant soft-body vest that is characterized by being adaptable to multiple missions due to its unique adjustment structure and various quick assembly and disassembly accessories. The unique arrangement of the various vest forming components and the use of non-hygroscopic, fire- and water-resistant materials, along with the unique characteristics of flotation fittings, qualify it for various military and civilian missions, and more particularly for Navy, Navy, and Coast Guard personnel whose tasks include sea-borne special warfare rapid response missions. BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION Armored vests are a garment commonly used by different military forces and civilians around the world, generally in ground scenarios. Due to their common use in military forces, it is sometimes necessary to use armored vests in places and conditions where the weight of the armored vests may be a risk, such as, but not limited to, marine and river operations. For this reason, it is necessary for the armored vests to provide the wearer with constant protection both on land and in the water. The state of the art teaches different alternatives and embodiments for armored vests that can act as life jackets when the user is immersed in water. Thus, Korean Patent No. KR200169569, which is incorporated here in its entirety by way of reference, shows a life jacket in which a buoyancy material (4) is embedded between the outer skin (2) and the inner skin (3) to float in the water, the buoyancy material (4) is located inside and outside the life jacket (1) to be located on the wearer's body. It is sealed on the entire surface, the removable sealing member is formed as a zipper or magic tape (7) front and back pockets 8 and 9 and side pockets 11 that open and close, respectively, and the bulletproof material 10 is inserted into the front and back pockets 8 and 9 and into the side pockets 11, respectively. Armor 10 is inserted so that it is placed outside buoyancy material 4, and thigh band 14 is sealed to the front 5 and rear 6 of life jacket 1, the life jacket of the present invention if struck by a bullet can absorb the impact of the bullet by the buoyancy material cushion, so that life-saving suits with bulletproof function can float in the water. For its part, France's patent No. FR2730301, which is incorporated here in its entirety by way of reference, discloses a bulletproof vest with permanent positive buoyancy and consisting of two front (1) and rear covers and a pelvis protector (3), the three elements of which contain, from the outside in, a flexible bulletproof layer made of unidirectional ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene and a layer of foam that prevents injuries. In addition, the front and rear comprise, on the side proximal to the user's body, a buoyancy member made of flexible foam and a detachable foam buoyancy collar to keep the user's head out of the water. Such body armor can be used in the industrial field of manufacturing protective equipment for members of armed response teams, such as military or civilian anti-terrorist squads and the like, and particularly commandos and marine troops deployed in marine environments. In addition, China's patent No. CN106288960, which is incorporated here in its entirety by reference, shows a floating bulletproof vest that includes a head shield, armor elements located in pockets on the front and back of the vest where the flotation elements are PE and PA bags that are automatically filled with air and sealed in such a way that they remain inflated even if they are not inflated. a projectile hits. Finally, Russia's patent No. RU2486429, which is incorporated here in its entirety by way of reference, shows a bulletproof vest with positive buoyancy, which includes the textile part and armored units, and a sealed chamber behind the armored chest unit, which inflates automatically when it enters the water, characterized by the textile part not allowing the movement of the armored units and has a volume reserve to expand the sealed chamber outside the shielded unit. However, there is still a need for a bulletproof vest that can float when in the water, that can support the weight of the wearer with all its equipment, that offers protection to the wearer in the water, and that does not restrict the wearer's mobility either in the water or on land. It is, therefore, a first object of the present invention to provide a bulletproof vest which can operate as a life jacket when the wearer is immersed in water. It is a second object of the present invention to provide a bulletproof vest that allows the wearer to maintain good mobility both on land and in water. A third object of the present invention is to provide a bulletproof vest comprising different flotation elements that are activated when the vest enters the water, either automatically or by manual activatio