Cut away vest

Abstract

A cut away vest consists of a front vest piece having two shoulder sections and two waist sections, and a rear vest piece having two shoulder sections and two waist sections. The front piece is connected to the rear piece by four buckle assemblies. Each buckle assembly has a male portion and a female portion, with the male portions being attached to the shoulder and waist sections of the front vest piece, and the female portions being attached to the shoulder and waist sections of the rear vest piece, so that the front vest piece is connected to the rear vest piece by inserting each of the male portions into a corresponding female portion. Each male buckle portion is connected to a cable. The other end of each cable is connected to a single handle on the front vest piece. Pulling the handle causes the male portions to release from the female portions and the front vest section to separate from the rear vest section.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a cut away vest that can be quickly and easily removed by the wearer. In particular, the invention relates to a cut away vest that can be easily re-assembled after it is removed by the wearer.

2. The Prior Art

Cut away vests are often worn by members of the military and law enforcement agencies to aid the wearer in carrying gear, as well as to protect against bullets and other impacts. These vests, especially when loaded with armor plating, can be very heavy and cumbersome to wear. Therefore it is a requirement that the vests be easily removable by the wearer, in case the wearer must be mobile in an emergency, and especially in case of submersion in water.

In the past, these vests have been constructed of several separate pieces that are held together by a cable system. An example of this system is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,243,376 to Johnson. A strap is threaded through each piece, with a hole in each strap. The holes are then lined up, and a cable is threaded through each hole. A loop on one of the pieces is threaded through the overlapping holes, and a cable is then fed through the loop, keeping all of the pieces joined together. In an emergency, the cable is pulled out, thus releasing all of the pieces simultaneously. This system works well to free the wearer from the vest, but it is extremely difficult to re-assemble the vest after use, so the vests are generally discarded after a single use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a cut away vest that can be easily re-assembled after the release system is activated, so that the vest can be re-used for further operations.

This and other objects are achieved by a cut away vest, comprising a front vest piece having two shoulder sections and two waist sections, and a rear vest piece having two shoulder sections and two waist sections. The front piece is connected to the rear piece by four buckle assemblies. Each buckle assembly has a male portion and a female portion, with the male portions being attached to the shoulder and waist sections of the front vest piece, and the female portions being attached to the shoulder and waist sections of the rear vest piece, so that the front vest piece is connected to the rear vest piece by inserting each of the male portions into a corresponding female portion. Each male buckle portion is connected to a cable. The other end of each cable is connected to a single handle on the front vest piece. Pulling the handle causes the male portions to release from the female portions and the front vest section to separate from the rear vest section.

In one embodiment, each of the cables is slidably disposed in a cable sleeve that is connected to the front vest section. This way, the cables can move easily without becoming entangled with the user, as the cable sleeves are firmly secured to the vest. The sleeve is fixed on one end to the male buckle and on the other end to a plate that guides the wires to the handle. Each wire end is fixed to the leg structure of the male buckle and to the handle. When the handle is pulled, the legs are pulled inwards to disengage the male from the female, and when the handle is released, the legs move back to their original state. Because the sleeve is fixed from end to end, and the wire slides from end to end, a “spring” effect is causing the wire to shift back in to the leg locking position after release of the handle.

Alternatively, the cables could be run through an interior of the vest, either within a cable sleeve or by themselves.

In order to make the vest more secure and easy to assemble, the waist sections of the front vest piece overlap the waist sections of the rear vest piece when the male portions are connected to the female portions. In a preferred embodiment, the waist sections of the rear vest piece are configured to be stiff and curved, so that they fit around the wearer's waist, even before the buckles are secured. This makes the vest easier to assemble while wearing, as the rear vest piece stays in place while the front vest piece is being attached.

To increase adjustability of the vest, the female portions of the buckles can be connected to the shoulder sections and waist sections of the rear vest piece via adjustable straps on the rear vest piece. The female buckle can be equipped with strap securing bars that allow the straps to be tightened or loosened, depending on the needs of the wearer. Or, straps with integrated hook and loop closures can be fed through a single bar on the female to create adjustability.

In one embodiment of the buckle, each female portion comprises a hollow body with a front wall, a back wall, an open top, a cavity between the top and bottom walls and at least one locking slot extending through the hollow body and communicating with the cavity. Each male portion comprises a base with at least one locking leg and a central leg, such that inserting the male part into the open top of the female part causes the locking leg to engage the locking slot to lock the male portion to the female portion, as is the case with traditional side-release buckles. In a preferred embodiment, each male portion has two locking arms and each female portion has two locking slots. The male portion also-can be released in the traditional manner: by pinching the locking legs together until they clear the locking slots in the female portion. However, the buckle used in the present invention has an additional feature. In this buckle, there are means for moving the locking leg toward the central leg to release the male portion from the female portion when the handle is pulled.

The means for moving the locking leg toward the central leg can comprise a pulling mechanism slidably mounted within the central leg and connected to the cable in the male portion, and arms or a strap connected one to each of the locking legs and to the pulling mechanism, such that pulling on the cable causes the pulling mechanism to slide away from ends of the locking legs and central leg and pull the locking legs toward the central leg. When the locking legs are pulled toward the central leg, they exit the locking slots of the female buckle portion, and the male and female portions are thus released from each other.

In one embodiment, the two locking legs can be connected by an integrally molded strap. The cable mechanism can be guided through the center leg channel and connected towards the middle of the strap. When the cable is pulled, the strap pulls down and swings the legs inwards. The strap may have different interface configurations to attach to the cable.

In another embodiment, there is a molded hollow receptacle in the middle of the strap, whereby an end piece of the cable will interface. In yet another embodiment, the cable mechanism can guide up through the center leg and split to two separate cables, each one directly connected to each leg. In all cases, the four cables from the male buckles eventually connect to a single handle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed as an illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the invention.

In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 shows the vest according to one embodiment of the invention in an assembled position;

FIG. 2 shows the vest of FIG. 1 in a disassembled position;

FIG. 3 shows one example of a male portion of the buckle for use in the vest according to the invention;

FIG. 4 shows the male buckle portion of FIG. 3 when the cable is pulled;

FIG. 5 shows another example of the male buckle portion for use with the vest according to the invention;

FIG. 6 shows the male buckle portion of FIG. 5 when the cable is pulled;

FIG. 7 shows another example of the male buckle portion for use with the vest according to the invention;

FIG. 8 shows the male buckle portion of FIG. 7 when the cable is pulled;

FIG. 9 shows yet another example of the male buckle portion for use with the vest according to the invention; and

FIG. 10 shows the male buckle portion of FIG. 9 when the cable is pulled.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now in detail to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 show a vest 10 according to one embodiment of the invention. Vest 10 consists of a front vest piece 11 connected to a rear vest piece 21. Front vest piece 11 has two shoulder sections 12, 13 and two waist sections 14, 15. Rear vest piece has two shoulder sections 22, 23 and two waist sections 24, 25. Rear vest piece 21 is connected to front vest piece 11 via buckles located on each of shoulder sections 12, 13, 22, 23 and waist section 14, 15, 24, 25. Front vest piece 11 is equipped with male buckle portions 30 on each of sections 12, 13, 14, 15, and rear vest piece 21 is equipped with female buckle portions 40 attached to sections 22, 23, 24, 25. Male buckle portions 30 on front vest piece 11 are releasably connected to corresponding female buckle portions on rear vest piece 21 to connect the two vest pieces together.

Because vest pieces 11, 21 must be connected while vest 10 is being worn, it is ideal if rear waist sections 24, 25 are reinforced with a stiff, curved material, so that rear vest piece 21 will stay in place prior to attachment of front sections 14, 15 of front vest piece 11. Preferably, waist sections 25, 24, extend around toward the front of the user, so that there is a significant overlap between waist sections 15, 14 and 25, 24. To put on the vest, the shoulder sections of front vest piece 11 are connected to the shoulder sections of rear vest piece 21 and the vest 10 is placed over the wearer's head. The waist sections 15, 14, are then connected to waist sections 25, 24, respectively, to secure vest 10 to the wearer. The vest can be adjusted by adjusting straps 50 which are connected to female buckle portions 40, to increase the comfort and safety of the wearer. Or, the rear vest piece 21 can be placed on the wearer's body, and the front vest piece 11 can be connected to it while on the wearer, with the buckles being connected in any order.

So that vest 10 can be easily removed in an emergency, front vest piece 11 is constructed so that male buckle portions 30 can be released from female buckle portions 40 with one movement. In this embodiment, each male buckle portion 30 is connected to a cable 31, which is attached to a handle 17 on front vest piece 11. Cable 31 is fed through a cable sleeve 32, which is secured to front vest piece 11, and through which cable can easily slide. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, cables on the left side of the vest are connected to each other prior to connection to handle 17. The same is true for the right side cables. Handle 17 and cables 31 are secured in place on front vest piece 11 by a patch 16, which guide the cables where the handle is interconnected.

Male buckle portions 30 are configured so that a hard pull on handle 17 causes all four buckle portions 30 to simultaneously disengage from the corresponding female portions 40, thus separating front vest piece 11 from rear vest piece 21 with a single motion. Because there are only two pieces to vest 10, and only four buckles, re-assembling vest 10 is simple and quick. All that is required is to insert male buckle portions 30 back into female buckle portions 40, and the vest is completely assembled, ready for another use.

The cables 31 that are connected to the male buckle portions 30 on front sections 12, 13 and 14, 15 are. interconnected to handle 17. This is to allow a downward pull on handle 17 to move the cable sufficiently to disengage male buckle portions 30 on the waist sections.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show one embodiment of a male buckle portion that is suitable for use in vest 10. Female buckle portion is a conventional female buckle portion, having a hollow body 43, a central opening 42 and two locking slots 41, as shown in FIG. 2. Male buckle portion 30 comprises a base 33, two flexible locking legs 34 and a central leg 35 with a guide channel. Within the guide channel of central leg 35 is a slidable pulling mechanism 36. Connected to mechanism 36 and to locking legs 34 are two pulling arms 37. Also connected to mechanism 36 is cable 31. In use, pulling on cable 31 causes pulling mechanism 36 to slide back away from locking legs 34. This pulls arms 37 downward, and pulls locking legs 34 inward, as shown in FIG. 4. This inward motion of locking legs 34 causes male buckle portion 30 to release from female buckle portion 40 when the two buckle portions are assembled together.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show an alternative embodiment of male buckle portion 30. In this embodiment, cable 31 is connected to a Y-shaped pulling mechanism 336. This can be a hollow structure through which cable 31 is threaded and splits into arms 337, which are connected to locking legs 34 through aperture 339 and knob 338. Alternatively, cable 31 can be attached to an end of mechanism 336, with arms 337 attached to the two Y-arms of. mechanism 336. As with the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4, pulling on cable 31 causes pulling mechanism 336 to slide back away from locking legs 34. This causes arms 337 to pull locking legs 34 inward, as shown in FIG. 6. The inward motion of locking legs 34 causes locking legs 34 to be released from locking slots 41 in female buckle portion 40, to release male buckle portion 30 from female buckle portion 40.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show another embodiment of male buckle portion 30. In this embodiment, a connecting strap 437 extends between locking legs 34. A pulling mechanism 436 is slidably disposed in central leg 35 and is attached to a center of connecting strap 437. As shown in FIG. 8, when cable 31 is pulled, pulling mechanism 436 pulls strap 437 downward and causes locking legs 34 to be pressed inward, to release locking legs 34 from female portion 40.

FIGS. 9 and 10 show yet another embodiment of male buckle portion 30. In this embodiment, a hollow receptacle 538 is integrally molded into straps 537, which connect locking legs 34 to each other. Within hollow receptacle 538 is a pulling mechanism 536, which is connected to cable 31. Pulling on cable 31 pulls straps 537 downward and causes locking legs 34 to be pressed inward, as shown in FIG. 10. This allows male buckle portion 30 to be released from female buckle portion 40.

Other buckle assemblies could also be envisioned. All that is required is that the male portions be releasable from the female portions by pulling on the handle or cable.

Accordingly, while only a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it is obvious that many changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A cut-away vest comprising:

a front vest piece having two shoulder sections and two waist sections;

a rear vest piece having two shoulder sections and two waist sections;

four buckle assemblies, each buckle assembly having a male portion and a female portion, each of the male portions being attached to the front vest piece, one attached at each of the shoulder sections and at each of the waist sections, and each of the female portions being attached to the rear vest piece, one at each of the shoulder sections and each of the waist sections, so that the front vest piece is connected to the rear vest piece by inserting each of the male portions into a corresponding female portions;

a plurality of cables, each cable connected at one end to one of the male portions, and having a second end; and

a handle disposed on the front vest piece, wherein each of the second ends of the plurality of cables is attached to the handle, and wherein pulling the handle causes the male portions to release from the female portions and the front vest piece to separate from the rear vest piece.

2. The cut away vest according to claim 1, wherein each of the cables is slidably disposed in a cable sleeve, and wherein the cable sleeves are connected to the front vest section.

3. The cut away vest according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the waist sections of the front vest piece overlap the waist sections of the rear vest piece when the male portions are connected to the female portions.

4. The cut away vest according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the shoulder sections of the front vest piece overlap the shoulder sections of the rear vest piece when the male portions are connected to the female portions.

5. The cut away vest according to claim 1, wherein the female portions are connected to at least one of the shoulder sections and waist sections of the rear vest piece via an adjustable strap.

6. The cut away vest according to claim 1, wherein each female portion comprises a hollow body with a front wall, a back wall, an open top, a cavity between the front and back walls, and at least one locking slot extending through the hollow body and communicating with the cavity, and

wherein each male portion comprises a base, at least one locking leg, a central leg, such that inserting the male portion into the open top of the female portion causes the at least one locking leg to engage the at least one locking slot to lock the male portion to the female portion, and means for moving the at least one locking leg toward the central leg to release the male portion from the female portion when the handle is pulled.

7. The cut away vest according to claim 6, wherein each male portion has two locking arms and each female portion has two locking slots.

8. The cut away vest according to claim 7, wherein the means for moving the locking leg toward the central leg comprises a pulling assembly slidably mounted within the central leg and connected to one of the cables, and two arms connected one to each of the locking legs and to the pulling assembly, such that pulling on the cable causes the pulling assembly to slide away from ends of the locking legs and central leg and pull the locking legs toward the central leg to release the male portion from the female portion.

9. The cut away vest according to claim 8, wherein the pulling assembly is mounted within a channel in the central leg.

10. The cut away vest according to claim 9, wherein the pulling assembly is a Y-shaped body, and wherein the arms are integrally formed with one of the cables.

11. The cut away vest according to claim 6, wherein there are two locking legs, said locking legs being connected to each other by an integrally formed strap, and wherein the means for moving the locking legs is a pulling assembly that is connected to the strap.

12. The cut away vest according to claim 11, wherein the strap has a hollow receptacle, and wherein the pulling assembly is disposed within the hollow receptacle and connected to one of the cables.