BALLISTIC-RESISTANT BACKPACK AND ASSOCIATED METHODS
A backpack comprising a ballistic-resistant panel and related methods are provided. The backpack may be employed in two different states. In a collapsed or non-deployed state, the ballistic-resistant panel is stored. In an expanded or deployed state, the ballistic-resistant panel is deployed to protect the arm(s) and torso of the user.
This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/763,990 filed on Jul. 13, 2018 and entitled THE GUARDIAN ANGEL BALLISTIC RESISTANT BACKPACK, which application is hereby incorporated by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe technical field relates generally to the field of body armor and, more specifically, relates to the field of body armor incorporated into backpacks.
BACKGROUNDMany individuals wear backpacks daily. Backpacks are used to carry or transport items in a variety of contexts, including school, work, and travel.
Backpacks typically are placed on the user's back and secured by straps that are placed over the user's shoulders. Most backpacks contain at least one storage compartment and can be manufactured using a variety of materials, including but not limited to textiles, fabrics, nylons, or plastics. Many individuals who use backpacks keep them close by during school, work, or travel.
In recent years, schoolchildren, office workers, and travelers have been the victims of tragic gun violence. Students at Parkland High School in Florida were fatally shot during their school day in 2018; municipal workers were gunned down at their place of work in Virginia Beach, VA in 2019; and many tourists have been wounded or killed in shootings.
There exists a dire need for practical and accessible ballistic protection to offer safety from an active shooter. While bulletproof vests offer some protection to the wearer, their body coverage is limited. Furthermore, to protect against an active shooter, the bulletproof vest must already be worn by the user, or the user must have access to the vest and use valuable time to put the vest on, prior to being shot. Donning a bulletproof vest at all times is disproportionate to the odds of a shooting occurring and would saddle the user with uncomfortable extra weight, especially in warmer climates.
A need exists to overcome the problems with the prior art as discussed above, and to provide users with timely access to effective ballistic protection.
SUMMARYA novel ballistic-resistant backpack and method of using the same is provided. This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of disclosed concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description including the drawings provided. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter. Nor is this Summary intended to be used to limit the claimed subject matter's scope.
Briefly, the backpack includes a main body defining a storage compartment and at least one shoulder strap connected to the upper part and lower part of the main body. The backpack also includes one or more ballistic-resistant panels that may be deployed from a collapsed state to provide protection to the user's arm(s) and torso. The backpack may further include a ballistic-resistant hood that provides protection to the user's head when deployed from a collapsed state. The ballistic-resistant hood may be coupled to one or more of the ballistic-resistant panels.
One or more handles, defined as portions a user can grasp, which include but are not limited to cords, strings, or extra material, may be coupled to one or more of the ballistic-resistant panels. One or more handles can be used to deploy such panel(s) from a collapsed state to a deployed state. One or more handles may also be coupled to a ballistic-resistant hood that provides protection to the user's head when deployed from a collapsed state.
A person may use the backpack to protect herself, or herself and another person, by engaging one or more of the ballistic-resistant panels to move them from a collapsed state to a deployed state and wrapping the panel(s) around herself, or herself and another person.
The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings. Where possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the following description to refer to the same or similar elements. While embodiments of the claimed subject matter may be described, modifications, adaptations, and other implementations are possible. For example, substitutions, additions, or modifications may be made to the elements illustrated in the drawings, and the methods described herein may be modified by substituting, reordering, or adding stages to the disclosed methods. Accordingly, the following detailed description does not limit the claimed subject matter. Instead, the proper scope of the claimed subject matter is defined by the appended claims.
The claimed subject matter improves over the prior art by providing a ballistic-resistant backpack able to both serve the storage function of a backpack as well as provide improved protection in case of emergency. The claimed subject matter is able to operate in a collapsed (or undeployed) state and a deployed (or expanded) state. In the collapsed state, one or more ballistic-resistant panels are stowed. In the deployed state, the one or more stowed panels are deployed to protect the user's torso (including the front of the torso) and one or both arms. In some cases, a person wearing the backpack may also provide protection to a second person by wrapping a deployed panel around them.
The claimed subject matter improves over the prior art for at least the reason that it provides front torso and arm protection to a user in a manner that is easily deployed in an emergency. These features allow a wearer of the backpack to be prepared for rare but life-threatening scenarios, such as an active shooter at a school or university campus. Further, these features allow a user who has deployed the armor of the backpack to flee a dangerous situation (e.g., active shooter) while also being protected.
In the collapsed state shown in
According to the embodiment shown in
Handles 70A and 70B are attached to the side panels 50A and 50B, aiding the user to both deploy the side panels 50A and 50B and wrap the side panels 50A and 50B around her arms and torso.
A ballistic-resistant hood 45 may be deployed from under cover 40. In the embodiment shown in
According to various embodiments, a hood cover may be fastened to the top of the main body of the backpack. The hood may be stored when in a non-deployed state, in a manner analogous to the fastening techniques described for the side covers. Alternatively, the hood cover may be designed as a pocket avoiding the need for additional fasteners.
As shown in
In the embodiment shown in
The ballistic-resistant backpacks described herein may be used as part of a method of protecting a user. Examples of such backpacks include backpacks having a main body defining a storage compartment; backpacks having at least one shoulder strap coupled to the main body; backpacks having a ballistic-resistant panel coupled to the main body; as well as backpacks having these and additional combinations of features described herein.
A method for using a backpack for protection may comprise a number of steps. One step may include wearing the backpack by the user placing at least one shoulder strap over one or both shoulders of the user. In the embodiment shown in
Another step of a method of using a backpack for protection is to engage the ballistic-resistant panel using one hand to move it from the collapsed state toward the deployed state. As just discussed, the backpack as shown in
Another step of a method of using a backpack for protection is to wrap the ballistic-resistant panel around an arm and torso of the user. For example, in the embodiment shown in
An additional step of a method of using a backpack for protection comprises covering the head of the user with a ballistic-resistant hood coupled to the backpack, like, for example, the hood 345 shown in
The ballistic-resistant panels and hood described above may be comprised of materials including, but not limited to: Kevlar, Lexan, Dyneema, Spectra, Twaron, carbon fiber composite materials, aramids, para-aramids, meta-aramids, ceramics, polyethylenes, UHMWPE (ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene), polycarbonates, polymers, plastics, metals, and many others. The materials may be incorporated into the ballistic-resistant panel(s) and/or hood in numerous ways, including as a unitary piece or multiple segments.
In their collapsed states, one or more of the ballistic-resistant panels may be retained in the main body or secured to the main body. Such panels may be secured to the main body through numerous means, including but not limited to buttons, fasteners, hooks, zippers, magnets or sleeves. A ballistic-resistant hood in its collapsed state may be retained within the main body of the backpack or secured to the main body through numerous means including the above.
The ballistic-resistant panel(s) described above may be of varying sizes. The ballistic-resistant panel(s) may be sized such that they are able to substantially cover (i.e., cover more than 50% of, and in some cases cover more than 75%, 90%, or up to 100% of) an arm and the front torso of the user while in the deployed state. In different embodiments, a panel may be sized according to the size of an intended user. For example, a panel used in the backpack for a younger user may be smaller than the panel used in a backpack intended for an adult user. A panel may be sufficiently sized such that it also may be wrapped around a second person to provide protection to the second person in the event of an emergency.
According to certain embodiments, at least a portion of each ballistic-resistant panel has a height in the direction between the upper and lower ends of the main body within a range of values and at least a portion of each ballistic-resistant panel has a width in a substantially perpendicular direction to the height within a range of values. The portion may be the portion of the panel at which it spans its greatest height. The portion may be the portion of the panel at which it spans its greatest width. According to certain embodiments, each panel may measure up to 60 inches at its greatest width (as measured from any point where the panel is coupled to the main body of the backpack to the furthest edge of the panel from that point) and 60 inches at its greatest height (the greatest distance between two edges of the panel that are not touching the main body of the backpack). In some embodiments, each panel may measure up to 24, 36, or 48 inches at its greatest width and/or 24, 36, or 48 inches at its greatest height. In some embodiments, each panel may measure at least 12, 24, 36, or 48 inches at its greatest width and/or 12, 24, 36, or 48 inches at its greatest height. Combinations of any of the above ranges are also representative of different embodiments. For example, in some embodiments each panel may measure from 12 inches to 60 inches at its greatest height, and/or from 12 inches to 60 inches at its greatest width. As another example, in some embodiments each panel may measure from 12 inches to 24 inches at its greatest height, and/or from 12 inches to 24 inches at its greatest width.
The ballistic-resistant panels described above may be designed to provide varying levels of protection, e.g., resistance to ballistic materials, such as bullets or shrapnel. A measure of ballistic-resistance is provided by the NIJ (National Institute of Justice) Standard-0101.06. According to some embodiments, the ballistic-resistant panel is configured to provide protection sufficient to meet at least the NIJ Standard-0101.06 Level IIA performance requirements.
Embodiments may be described above with reference to functions or acts, which comprise methods. The functions/acts noted above may occur out of the order as shown or described. For example, two functions/acts shown or described in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently or the functions/acts may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality/acts involved. While certain embodiments have been enumerated, other embodiments exist. Further, the disclosed methods' functions/acts may be modified in any manner, including by reordering functions/acts and/or inserting or deleting functions/acts, without departing from the spirit of the claimed subject matter.
Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.
The terms “a” or “an,” as used herein, are defined as one, or more than one. The terms “including” and/or “having,” as used herein, are defined as comprising (i.e., open language). The term “coupled,” as used herein, is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly, and not necessarily mechanically.
Claims
1. A backpack comprising:
- a main body defining a storage compartment;
- two shoulder straps, each having an upper end connected to an upper end of the main body and a lower end connected to a lower end of the main body; and
- one or more ballistic-resistant panels connected to the main body and movable by a user from a collapsed state in which the one or more ballistic-resistant panels are retained in or against the main body to a deployed state in which the one or more ballistic-resistant panels are expanded to substantially cover the user's torso and one or both arms, wherein when expanded in the deployed state, at least a portion of each ballistic-resistant panel has a height in the direction between the upper and lower ends of the main body between 12 inches and 60 inches, and at least a portion of each ballistic-resistant panel has a width in a substantially perpendicular direction to the height between 12 inches and 60 inches.
2. The backpack of claim 1, wherein the height is between 12 inches and 24 inches and the width is between 12 inches and 24 inches.
3. The backpack of claim 1, wherein the one or more ballistic-resistant panels comprises a plurality of segments.
4. The backpack of claim 1, wherein the main body comprises a front, a back, a top, a bottom, a first side, and a second side, and wherein the one or more ballistic-resistant panels comprise a single ballistic-resistant panel coupled to the first side of the main body.
5. The backpack of claim 1, wherein the one or more ballistic-resistant panels comprise a first ballistic-resistant panel and a second ballistic-resistant panel, each coupled to an opposite side of the main body and movable from a collapsed state to a deployed state.
6. The backpack of claim 1, further comprising a ballistic-resistant hood coupled to a top of the main body.
7. The backpack of claim 1, further comprising a ballistic-resistant plate coupled to a front of the main body.
8. The backpack of claim 1, wherein a handle is coupled to each of the one or more ballistic-resistant panels.
9. The backpack of claim 1, further comprising one or more covers coupled to the main body, within which each of the one or more ballistic-resistant panels is secured while in a collapsed state.
10. The backpack of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more ballistic-resistant panels comprises at least one of Kevlar, Lexan, Dyneema, Spectra, Twaron, carbon fiber composite materials, or UHWMPE.
11. The backpack of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more ballistic-resistant panels is configured to provide protection sufficient to meet the NU Standard-0101.06 Level IIA performance requirements.
12. A backpack for protecting a user from ballistic materials, the backpack comprising:
- a main body defining a storage compartment;
- at least one shoulder strap coupled to the main body; and
- a ballistic-resistant panel coupled to the main body, and movable from a collapsed state to a deployed state, the ballistic-resistant panel being sized and configured to substantially cover at least an arm and front torso of the user while in the deployed state.
13. The backpack of claim 12, further comprising a second ballistic-resistant panel coupled to the main body, and movable from a collapsed state to a deployed state, the ballistic-resistant panel being configured to substantially cover another arm and the front torso of the user while in the deployed state.
14. The backpack of claim 12, wherein the ballistic-resistant panel comprises a plurality of segments.
15. The backpack of claim 12, wherein the ballistic-resistant panel is configured to substantially cover the arm and front torso of the user while in the deployed state by wrapping around a side of the user's body.
16. The backpack of claim 12, further comprising a ballistic-resistant hood coupled to the top of the main body.
17. The backpack of claim 16, further comprising a ballistic-resistant plate coupled to the front of the main body.
18. A method of using a backpack for protection from ballistic material, the backpack having a main body defining a storage compartment, at least one shoulder strap coupled to the main body, and a ballistic-resistant panel stored in a collapsed state in or on the main body, the method comprising:
- wearing the backpack by the user placing the at least one shoulder strap over one or both shoulders of the user;
- engaging the ballistic-resistant panel by the user using one hand to move the ballistic-resistant panel from the collapsed state toward a deployed state; and
- wrapping the ballistic-resistant panel around at least one arm and torso of the user.
19. The method of claim 18, further comprising covering the head of the user with a ballistic-resistant hood coupled to the main body of the backpack.
20. The method of claim 18, further comprising wrapping the ballistic-resistant panel around at least a portion of a person other than the user to protect the person from ballistic material.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 3, 2019
Publication Date: Aug 20, 2020
Inventor: Gabrielle M. Dieffenbach (Londonderry, NH)
Application Number: 16/502,849