Quick Release Mechanism for Garment

Abstract

A garment such as a plate carrier has a front part and a back part which are held together by a plurality of buckles. The buckles are releasable manually, and also are simultaneously releasable as a group via a quick release mechanism that includes an actuator cord extending through a plurality of rings. Reassembly of the garment after actuation of the quick release mechanism is effected by buckling the plurality of buckles.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/417,680, filed Nov. 29, 2010, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This application relates to a quick release mechanism for a garment. In particular, this application relates to a quick release mechanism for a garment worn by a soldier, which garment must be capable of being removed almost instantly in an emergency situation. This type of garment is often called a “quick release vest”.

One type of garment that can advantageously employ a quick release mechanism is a plate carrier, which is a garment configured basically as a vest and specifically designed to carry body armor panels. These panels can be soft armor but are often hard armor plates, which offer more protection but are quite heavy. Because hard armor plates are heavy, they can dangerously weigh down a soldier who, for examples, falls into water. In such a situation, the soldier needs to be able to remove the plate carrier very quickly and easily. Removing the plate carrier (or allowing it to fall off the soldier) can allow the soldier to survive. Quick and easy removal of the plate carrier is desirable in other circumstances also, such as when a solider needs to be given emergency medical attention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a plate carrier, shown in laid-flat condition, that includes a quick release mechanism in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 2-4 are a series of views of an exemplary buckle that is included in the plate carrier of FIG. 1 and that is actuatable by the quick release mechanism; and

FIG. 5 is a view of the quick release mechanism as included in a portion of the plate carrier;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the quick release mechanism; and

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 of a quick release mechanism that is a second embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a quick release mechanism for a garment. In particular, this application relates to a quick release mechanism for a garment worn by a soldier, which garment must be capable of being removed almost instantly in an emergency situation. This type of garment is often called a “quick release vest”. A plate carrier often forms an integral portion of a vest that is worn by a soldier. Alternatively, a plate carrier can be a stand-alone garment. The present invention is applicable to both types of garments, and can also be used with a vest or other garment that is not carrying armor. As representative of the invention, without limiting, the drawings illustrate a plate carrier 10 including a quick release mechanism 12 (FIGS. 5 and 6) that is a first embodiment of the invention.

The plate carrier 10 (FIG. 1) is designed in two parts, a front part 20 and a back part 30, with the quick release mechanism 12 securing them together in a manner as described below. In accordance with the present invention, the two plate carrier parts 20 and 22 can easily be attached to each other in a secure manner when donning the garment, then can be almost instantly released from each other so that the two parts can fall off the soldier to unburden the soldier. The two plate carrier parts 20 and 22 can also be manually released from each other, at a more measured pace, to remove the plate carrier, in the normal course of doffing the garment.

In the illustrated embodiment, the front part 20 of the plate carrier 10 includes or supports the quick release mechanism 12, which is not visible in FIG. 1 because it is enclosed within the garment. Alternatively, a quick release mechanism of the present invention might be included at least partially or completely in a back part of a garment such as a plate carrier.

The front part 20 of the plate carrier 10 has left and right side sections 32 and 34 that extend rearward from the central section; and left and right shoulder straps 36 and 38 that extend upward and rearward.

The back part 22 of the plate carrier 10 has left and right side sections 42 and 44 that extend forward from the central section; and left and right shoulder straps 46 and 48 that extend upward and forward.

Four buckles 50, 52, 54 and 56 on the front part 20 of the plate carrier 10 releasably join the front part of the plate carrier to the back part 22 of the plate carrier. The first buckle 50 is located on the left front shoulder strap 36. The second buckle 52 is located on the right front shoulder strap 38. The third buckle 54 is located on the left side section 32 of the front carrier part 20. The fourth buckle is located on the right side section 34 of the front carrier part 20.

The first buckle 50 is manually engageable with a first tongue 50a that is located on the left back shoulder strap 46. (The first buckle 50 and the first tongue 50a are identical in construction and operation to the other three buckles and tongues, and so will be described here in detail.) When the first buckle 50 is engaged with the first tongue 50a, the left front and left back shoulder straps 36 and 46, respectively, are releasably connected to each other. The engagement process is as simple as inserting the tongue 50a into the buckle 50, a known procedure such as is involved in buckling a seat belt or a strap on a backpack.

In accordance with the present invention, the first buckle 50 can be released from the first tongue 50a in either one of two different manners as described below—manually via a manual actuator, or in an emergency via a quick release actuator. One specific type of buckle that can be used in the present invention is shown in detail in FIGS. 2-4. Other types of buckles can be used, so long as they are actuatable to release both manually and via a lanyard or cable.

The buckle 50 (female lock element), together with the tongue 50a (male lock element), form a buckle assembly 51. The tongue 50a has an arrow-shaped end portion 60 that includes two buckle locking surfaces that engage two locking pawls 64. The pawls 64 are supported for pivotal movement relative to a housing 68. A lock spring/ejection spring 70 in the housing 68 extends between the pawls 64 and biases them to a position as shown in FIG. 8. The spring 70 is preferably a tension coil spring held in tension between the pawls 64.

The pawls 64 contain protrusions 72 on their ends opposite the locking portion, that serve as side-release actuation surfaces. Thus, the pawls 64 can be disengaged from contact with the tongue 50a by applying opposing compressive forces to the actuating surfaces as with other side-release buckles. This is the primary or manual release mechanism for the buckle 50, that is used when the plate carrier 10 is being normally doffed.

As a secondary or quick release mechanism, a first lanyard 74 is connected with the pawls 64. Specifically, the housing 68 has a release lanyard hole 70 through which the first lanyard 74 extends. End portions of the lanyard 74 are connected with the pawls 64.

In the absence of external forces, the relative position of the pawls 64 is controlled by the spring 62. FIG. 3 shows the tongue 50a fully engaged with the buckle 50, the buckle assembly 51 being in a locked configuration. The arrow-shaped end portion of the tongue 50a is engaging and deflecting the spring 70. FIG. 4 shows the tongue 50a fully engaged with the buckle 50, and shows the pawls 64 in a release condition caused either by inwardly directed compressive force on the pawl actuation surfaces 72 or by a pulling force on the lanyard 74. The pawls 64 are pivoted out of engagement with the tongue 50a. The tongue 50a will then be ejected by the force of the spring 70 as the spring straightens itself out.

In a similar manner, the second buckle 52 (FIG. 1), which is on the right front shoulder strap 38, is manually engageable with a second tongue 52a that is located on the right back shoulder strap 48. When the second buckle 52 is engaged with the second tongue 52a, the right front and right back shoulder straps 38 and 48 are releasably connected to each other. The second buckle 52 can be released from the second tongue in either one of two different manners—manually via a manual actuator, or in an emergency via a quick release actuator. The quick release actuator includes a second lanyard 76 (FIGS. 5 and 6) that can be pulled to cause the second buckle 52 to release the second tongue 52a.

The third buckle 54 (FIG. 1), which is located on the left side section 32 of the front carrier part 20, is engageable with a third tongue 54a that is located on the left side section 42 of the back carrier part 22. When the third buckle 54 and the third tongue 54a are engaged, the left side section 22 of the front carrier part 20 and the left side section 42 of the back carrier part 22 are releasably connected to each other, about the soldier's waist. The third buckle 54 can be released from the third tongue 52a in either one of two different manners—manually via a manual actuator, or in an emergency via a quick release actuator. The quick release actuator includes a third lanyard 78 (FIGS. 5 and 6) that can be pulled to cause the third buckle 54 to release the third tongue 54a.

The fourth buckle 56 (FIG. 1), which is located on the right side section 34 of the front carrier part 20, is engageable with a fourth tongue 56a that is located on the right side section 44 of the back carrier part 22. When the fourth buckle 56 and the fourth tongue 56a are engaged, the right side section 34 of the front carrier part 20 and the right side section 44 of the back carrier part 22 are releasably connected to each other, about the soldier's waist. The fourth buckle 56 can be released from the fourth tongue 56a in either one of two different manners—manually via a manual actuator, or in an emergency via a quick release actuator. The quick release actuator includes a fourth lanyard 80 (FIGS. 5 and 6) that can be pulled to cause the fourth buckle 56 to release the fourth tongue 56a.

The quick release mechanism 12 (FIGS. 5 and 6) is used to apply the desired pulling force to the lanyards 74-80 in an emergency situation. The quick release mechanism 12 includes a support plate 90 that is sewn to or otherwise secured on the inside of the front carrier part 20, overlying the user's chest when the plate carrier 10 is being worn. The support plate 90 in the illustrated embodiment is made from a flexible sheet material such as but not limited to nylon. The support plate is strong and rigid enough to maintain the position of the parts of the quick release mechanism 12 when it is actuated, but flexible enough to be comfortably worn as part of the garment 10.

The support plate 90 as shown has a central area 91 and four arms that extend outward from the central area 91. Two upper arms 92 and 94 of the support plate 90 are relatively short and two lower arms 96 and 98 of the support plate are relatively long.

The quick release mechanism 12 includes a central ring or guide ring 100 that is connected with the central area 91 of the support plate 90 by a short length of cord 102. The central ring 100 does not lie in the plane of the support plate 90, but rather overlies it, and is movable relative to (floats over) the support plate, such movement being limited by the cord 102. The central ring 100 may be made from a smooth metal or plastic to enable portions of an actuator cord 130 that are trained over the ring 100 to slide smoothly along the ring, in a manner as described below.

Several openings are formed in the support plate 90 and extend between its front and back sides. An upper central cord opening 104 (FIG. 5) is located in the central area 91 of the support plate 90. A left upper cord opening 106 is located in the left upper arm 92 of the support plate 90. A right upper cord opening 108 is located in the right upper arm 94 of the support plate 90. A left lower cord opening 110 (FIG. 6) is located in the left lower arm 96 of the support plate 90, and a right lower cord opening 112 is located in the right lower arm 98 of the support plate 90.

The support plate 90 is dimensioned, and is positioned on the front carrier part 20, so that the four cord openings 106-112 that are in the support plate arms 92-98 are located near the four buckles 50-56. Specifically, the left upper cord opening 106 (FIG. 5) is situated near the location of the first buckle 50 on the front left shoulder strap 36. The first lanyard 74 extends from the first buckle 50, on the outside of the front carrier part 20, inwardly through the left upper cord opening 106, to a location inside the support plate 90. A first ring 116, movable relative (floating over) to the support plate 90, is connected with an inner end of the first lanyard 74. The first lanyard 74 enables tensile force to be transmitted from the first ring 116 to the quick release actuator of the first buckle 50.

Similarly, the right upper cord opening 108 (FIG. 5) is situated near the location of the second buckle 52 on the front right shoulder strap 38. The second lanyard 76 extends from the second buckle 52, on the outside of the front carrier part 20, inwardly through the right upper cord opening 108, to a location inside the support plate 90. A second ring 118, movable relative to (floating over) the support plate 90, is connected with an inner end of the second lanyard 76. The second lanyard 76 enables tensile force to be transmitted from the second ring 118 to the quick release actuator of the second buckle 52.

In a similar fashion, the left lower cord opening 110 (FIG. 6) is situated near the location of the third buckle 54 on the left side section 32 of the front carrier part 20. The third lanyard 78 extends from the third buckle 54, on the outside of the front carrier part 20, inwardly through the left lower cord opening 110, to a location inside the support plate 90. An auxiliary third ring 119, movable relative to (floating over) the support plate, is connected with an inner end of the third lanyard 78. The third lanyard 78 enables tensile force to be transmitted from the auxiliary third ring 119 to the quick release actuator of the third buckle 54.

And again, the right lower cord opening 112 (FIG. 6) is situated near the location of the fourth buckle 56 on the right side section 34 of the front carrier part 20. The fourth lanyard 80 extends from the fourth buckle 56, on the outside of the front carrier part 20, inwardly through the right lower cord opening 112, to a location inside the support plate 90. An auxiliary fourth ring 121, movable relative to (floating over) the support plate, is connected with an inner end of the fourth lanyard 80. The fourth lanyard 80 enables tensile force to be transmitted from the auxiliary fourth ring to the quick release actuator of the fourth buckle 56.

To accommodate the extra length of the lower arms 96 and 98 of the support plate 90 as compared to the upper arms 92 and 94, connector cords extend from the lower arms of the support plate and through the auxiliary rings 119 and 121 to the central area 91 of the support plate 90. Specifically, one connector cord 119a extends between the auxiliary third ring 119 and a third ring 120 (FIG. 5) that is located much closer to the central area 91 of the support plate 90. Another connector cord 121a extends between the auxiliary fourth ring 121 and a fourth ring 122 that is located much closer to the central area 91 of the support plate 90.

As a result of this positioning, the third and fourth rings 120 and 122, together with the first ring 116 and the second ring 118, form the four corners of an imaginary rectangle that is centered on the central ring 100.

The actuator cord 130 is a single length of flexible material with two end portions located outside of the support plate 90 and outside of the front carrier part 20, at a location over the chest area of the soldier. The actuator cord 130 may be one continuous length of braided cord with a load rating of several times the expected pull force. The two end portions are connected with each other by a pull tab 132 (FIG. 1) that is located on the front exterior of the garment 10, that is, on the front plate carrier part 20. The pull tab 132 is normally held down onto the front carrier part 20 by hook and loop fasteners, in an easily accessible exterior location. In an emergency situation, the pull tab 132 can be quickly released from the front carrier part 20, as described below, and pulled to actuate the quick release mechanism 12.

The actuator cord 130 extends from the pull tab 132 through the upper cord opening 104 in the support plate 90, to the central area 91 of the support plate. Specifically, the actuator cord 130 (FIG. 5) extends from one end portion outside the carrier front portion 20 in through the upper cord opening 106 to and through the central ring 100. The actuator cord then extends outward from the central ring to and through the third ring 120; up to and through the first ring 116; and back in to the central ring 100. The actuator cord 130 then passes through the central ring 100 again, and extends out and up to the second ring 118; down to and through the fourth ring 122, in to the central ring 100, and back up to the upper cord opening 106. The actuator cord 130 then passes outward through the upper cord opening 106 and terminates with its other end portion at the pull tab 132. The actuator cord 130 thus forms a single loop 134, with most of its length inside the support plate 90 and its two ends outside the support plate at the pull tab 132.

When the plate carrier 10 is being donned, the four buckles 50-56 are manually engaged to connect the front part 20 of the plate carrier to the back part 22 of the plate carrier. The four buckles 50-56 may be manually released, individually, to doff the plate carrier 10. In an emergency, however, such a process may be too slow or difficult. In such a case, the quick release mechanism 12 can be used, in a manner as follows.

The pull tab 132 (FIG. 1) is lifted and is detached from its hook and loop connection with the front carrier part 20. The pull tab 132 is pulled in a direction outward, away from the front carrier part 20. When this occurs, the two ends of the actuator cord 130 are pulled outward from the front carrier part 20. This action pulls on the portion of the actuator cord that is inside the support plate 90 (FIGS. 5 and 6). As a result, the actuator cord pulls inward on all four of the rings 116-122, tending to move them bodily inward toward the central ring 100. The amount or length of actuator cord 130 that is left inside the support plate 90 decreases accordingly. The actuator cord 130 moves through the rings at the same time that it causes the rings to move bodily inward.

This inward movement of the four rings 116-122 is resisted only by the four lanyards 74-78, which are connected with the engaged buckles 50-56. When the pull tab 132 is pulled with sufficient force, the inward force on the rings 116-122 is greater than the resistance provided by the engaged buckles 50-56. As a result, the lanyards 74-78 cause all the quick release actuators of all the buckles 50-56 to release, with the waist buckles 54 and 56 preferably releasing first, followed immediately by the shoulder buckles 50 and 52. The release of the buckles via the quick release mechanism 10 is much faster than releasing them manually and individually.

Specifically, the first tongue 50a is released from the first buckle 50, and the left shoulder strap section 36 of the front carrier part 20 is no longer connected with the left shoulder strap section 46 of the back carrier part 22. The second tongue 52a is released from the second buckle 52, and the right shoulder strap section 38 of the front carrier part 20 is no longer connected with the right shoulder strap section 48 of the back carrier part 22.

The third tongue 54a is released from the third buckle 54, and the left side section 32 of the front carrier part 20 is no longer connected with the left side section 42 of the back carrier part 22. The fourth tongue 56a is released from the fourth buckle 56, and the right side section 34 of the front carrier part 20 is no longer connected with the right side section 44 of the back carrier part 22.

Because all four buckles 50-56 are released, the front carrier part 20 can separate completely from the back carrier part 22. Under the weight of any included armor, the two carrier parts 20 and 22 can fall off the soldier without any further action on the part of the soldier. This beneficial result occurs in response to a single application of force (pulling on the pull tab 132) at a single location on the garment 10.

When the quick release mechanism 12 is thus actuated, it does not come apart. The loop 134 of actuator cord 130 is not removed from any of the rings 100 or 116-122. No reassembly or re-threading of the actuator cord 130 is needed, and no reassembly of the quick release mechanism 12 is needed. Reassembly of the plate carrier 10 simply involves buckling the four buckles 50-56 again, in the same manner as when the plate carrier 10 was earlier donned, and securing the pull tab 132 back in place.

The plate carrier 10 of the present invention can be worn alone, or over or under another piece of a uniform. The quick release mechanism 12 of the present invention can be used in a garment other than a plate carrier, for example, a tactical vest.

Alternatively, the plate carrier 10 can be interconnected with a concealable carrier or vest (not shown) in a manner as follows. The vest is designed with front and back parts that open/close at the shoulder strap areas, and also at the sides. When the vest is worn with the plate carrier 10, the vest front and back shoulder straps are opened, and separated from each other. The shoulder straps of the plate carrier 10 are then inserted between the shoulder straps of the vest, to form a load bearing connection between the front and back shoulder straps of the vest Similarly, the vest front and back sides are opened, and separated from each other. The side sections of the plate carrier 10 are then inserted between the front and back sides of the vest, to form a load bearing connection between the front and back sides of the vest. In this manner, the plate carrier 10 is interconnected with the vest, so that when the plate carrier 10 is released, the vest is also released and can fall off the soldier.

The quick release mechanism 12 can easily be configured so that force is applied to each of the lanyards 74-80 in a manner so as to tailor the release sequence when the pull tab 132 is pulled.

In a second embodiment of the quick release mechanism, illustrated in FIG. 8, only a single length of cord is connected with the pull tab, rather than a double length as in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-7. Parts of the quick release mechanism illustrated in FIG. 8 are given the same reference numerals with the suffix “a” added to distinguish them.

Specifically, as seen in FIG. 8, the quick release mechanism 10a includes a support plate 90a and four lanyards 74a-80a. A single pull cord 140 extends from the pull tab (not shown). The end 141 of the pull cord 140 that is opposite the pull tab is tied down to the support plate 90a. The pull cord 140 passes through a pull ring 142 that is located adjacent to a central ring 100a.

An upper cord 144 extends from the upper arm 92a, through a ring 116a, through the central ring 100a, loops over the pull ring 142 and back to the central ring, and through a ring 118a on the upper arm 94a. A lower cord 146 extends from the lower arm 96a, through the central ring 100a, and back down to the other lower arm 98a.

When the pull tab is pulled, the force on the pull cord 140 is transmitted through the pull ring 142 to the upper cord 144. This force is then transmitted from the upper cord 144 through the central ring 100a to the lower cord 146. As a result, release force is exerted on all the lanyards 74a-80a, and their associated buckles (not shown) are released to enable the vest to release from the wearer.

From the foregoing description of preferred embodiments of the invention, those of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains will see variations and modifications of the invention. Such variations and modifications are intended to be covered by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A quick release plate carrier to be worn by a soldier, the plate carrier having a front part and a back part which are held together by a plurality of buckles, each one of the plurality of buckles being individually releasable manually, all of the buckles being simultaneously releasable as a group via a quick release mechanism on the plate carrier in response to a single application of pulling force on a lanyard mechanism.

2. A plate carrier as set forth in claim 1 wherein the quick release mechanism has an unactuated condition and an actuated condition, and including an actuator cord extending through a plurality of rings when the quick release mechanism in both the unactuated condition and the actuated condition, reassembly of the plate carrier after actuation of the quick release mechanism being effected by buckling the plurality of buckles.

3. A mechanism as set forth in claim 2 wherein the plurality of rings are floating rings that float above a support plate that is part of the quick release mechanism and that is fixed in position in the plate carrier.

4. A plate carrier as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

each one of the buckles is individually engageable in a first manner when the garment is being donned thereby to connect the two parts of the garment to each other for wear by a soldier;

each one of the buckles is individually releasable manually thereby to disconnect the two parts of the garment from each other when the garment is being doffed;

the plurality of buckles are releasable as a group in response to the single application of force thereby to disconnect the two parts of the garment from each other, while the garment is being worn; and

the plurality of buckles are individually engageable in the first manner thereby to re-connect the two parts of the garment to each other for wear by the soldier, after the two parts of the garment have been disconnected by releasing the connectors as a group.

5. A plate carrier as set forth in claim 1 comprising:

a plurality of lanyards, each one of the plurality of lanyards being connected with a respective one of the plurality of buckles in a force-transmitting relationship in a manner such that a pulling force on the lanyard results in release of the associated buckle;

a plurality of rings, each one of the plurality of rings being connected with a respective one of the plurality of lanyards in a force-transmitting relationship in a manner such that a pulling force on the ring results in a pulling force on the lanyard;

an actuator cord extending through the plurality of rings in a force-transmitting relationship with the plurality of rings in a manner such that a pulling force on the actuator cord results in a pulling force on the plurality of rings; and

a pull tab that is on the garment and that is connected with the actuator cord in a force-transmitting relationship in a manner such that a pulling force on the pull tab results in a pulling force on the actuator cord.

6. A quick release mechanism for a garment having a front part and a back part that are held together by a plurality of buckles for wearing by a soldier, each one of the plurality of buckles being individually engageable manually and individually releasable manually, all of the buckles being simultaneously releasable as a group via the quick release mechanism, the quick release mechanism comprising:

a plurality of lanyards, each one of the plurality of lanyards being connected with a respective one of the plurality of buckles in a force-transmitting relationship in a manner such that a pulling force on the lanyard results in release of the associated buckle;

a plurality of rings, each one of the plurality of rings being connected with a respective one of the plurality of lanyards in a force-transmitting relationship in a manner such that a pulling force on the ring results in a pulling force on the lanyard;

an actuator cord extending through the plurality of rings in a force-transmitting relationship with the plurality of rings in a manner such that a pulling force on the actuator cord results in a pulling force on the plurality of rings; and

a pull tab that is on the garment and that is connected with the actuator cord in a force-transmitting relationship in a manner such that a pulling force on the pull tab results in a pulling force on the actuator cord.

7. A mechanism as set forth in claim 6 wherein the pulling force on the actuator cord cause the actuator cord both to move through the rings and to move the rings bodily to pull on the lanyards.

8. A mechanism as set forth in claim 6 wherein the actuator cord is not removed from any of the rings when the quick release mechanism is actuated so that no reassembly or re-threading of the actuator cord is needed, and reassembly of the plate carrier is effected by buckling the plurality of buckles.

9. A mechanism as set forth in claim 6 wherein the actuator cord comprises a single length of flexible material that extends between the pull tab and all the rings.

10. A mechanism as set forth in claim 6 wherein the actuator cord comprises a first length of flexible material that extends between the pull tab and a central ring, and at least one additional length of flexible material that extends between the central ring and the remaining rings.

11. A mechanism as set forth in claim 6 wherein the plurality of rings are floating rings that float above a support plate that is part of the quick release mechanism and that is fixed in position in the garment.