Armour

Abstract

Armoured apparel is disclosed embodying a method of integrating the structure of armour with the structure of signal transmission means to enable that armour to be used as armoured protection for a wearer and for the signal transmission means and/or as a platform for conveying signals (e.g. for communication purposes or otherwise). Armoured apparel ( 1 ) is disclosed including armour means ( 5 ) arranged to shield a wearer of the apparel in use, and signal conduit means ( 8 ) is incorporated within the apparel for conveying signals therein, the signal conduit means being arranged such that the armour means shields both the signal conduit means and the wearer of the apparel in use.

1 . An armoured apparel comprising: 
 armour means arranged to shield a wearer of the apparel in use, and signal conduit means incorporated within the armour means for conveying signals therein, the signal conduit means being arranged such that the armour means shields both the signal conduit means and the wearer of the apparel in use.    
   
   
       2 - 73 . (canceled)  
   
   
       74 . The armoured apparel according to  claim 1  in which the signal conduit means is arranged between portions of the armour means such that the armour means shields the signal conduit means at substantially opposite sides thereof simultaneously.  
   
   
       75 . The armoured apparel according to  claim 1  in which the armour means surrounds the signal conduit means thereby to shield substantially all parts of the signal conduit means simultaneously.  
   
   
       76 . The armoured apparel according to  claim 1  in which the signal conduit means is arranged between an inner portion of the armour means which is nearmost the wearer of the apparel in use, and an outer portion of the armour means more distant from the wearer of the apparel in use and simultaneously overlapping the inner portion of the armour means and the signal conduit means such that the armour means shields the signal conduit means at substantially opposite sides thereof simultaneously.  
   
   
       77 . The armoured apparel according to  claim 1  in which the armour means includes a plurality of overlapping adjacent armour portions forming a stack of armour portions within which the signal conduit means is incorporated so as to be located between and covered by overlapping armour portions of the stack.  
   
   
       78 . The armoured apparel according to  claim 77  in which each armour portion of the stack is a layer of armour which overlaps each other layer of the stack to form a laminate within which the signal conduit means is incorporated.  
   
   
       79 . The armoured apparel according to  claim 1  including passive circuit components and/or active circuit components within the armour operably connected to the signal conduit means therein.  
   
   
       80 . The armoured apparel according to  claim 1  including signal processor means within the armour arranged to process signals conveyed to it by the signal conduit means therein and to generate signals for output to the signal conduit means.  
   
   
       81 . The armoured apparel according to  claim 80  in which the signal processor means is operably connected to the signal conduit means.  
   
   
       82 . The armoured apparel according to  claim 1  in which the signal conduit means includes signal transfer means arranged within the armour to transfer signals between the signal conduit means within the armour and signal responsive means external or internal to the armour to permit the passage of signals therebetween.  
   
   
       83 . The armoured apparel according to  claim 82  in which the signal transfer means includes antenna means for wirelessly passing signals through the armour.  
   
   
       84 . The armoured apparel according to  claim 82  in which the signal transfer means includes connector means arranged to connect the signal conduit to signal a signal conduit external to the armour.  
   
   
       85 . The armoured apparel according to  claim 1  in which the signal conduit means incorporates electrically responsive signal transmission means.  
   
   
       86 . The armoured apparel according to  claim 1  in which the signal conduit means incorporates at least a part of an electrical circuit means.  
   
   
       87 . The armoured apparel according to  claim 1  in which the signal conduit means incorporates optical signal transmission means.  
   
   
       88 . The armoured apparel according to  claim 1  in which the signal conduit means is flexible.  
   
   
       89 . The armoured apparel according to  claim 88  in which the signal conduit means is flexed.  
   
   
       90 . The armoured apparel according to  claim 1  in which at least a part of the signal conduit is mounted upon a mounting means which itself forms at least a part of the armour of the apparel.  
   
   
       91 . The armoured apparel according to  claim 1  in which at least a part of the signal conduit is embedded within a mounting means which itself forms at least a part of the armour of the apparel.  
   
   
       92 . The armoured apparel according to  claim 88  in which the mounting means is a sheet having regions where passive and/or active circuit components are located, and relatively thinner regions where the signal conduit means is located.  
   
   
       93 . The armoured apparel according to  claim 88  in which the mounting means is a sheet of flexible electronic circuit board.  
   
   
       94 . The armoured apparel according to  claim 88  in which the mounting means is flexed.  
   
   
       95 . The armoured apparel according to  claim 1  in which at least a part of the signal conduit is enclosed within the armour of the apparel.  
   
   
       96 . The armoured apparel according to  claim 1  including electromagnetic (EM) shield means arranged within the armour thereof to shield at least a part of the signal conduit means therein from electromagnetic radiation external to the apparel.  
   
   
       97 . The armoured apparel according to  claim 96  in which the EM shield means is arranged to shield passive and/or active components and said signal processor means from electromagnetic radiation external to the apparel.  
   
   
       98 . The armoured apparel according to  claim 96  in which the EM shield means is arranged within the apparel to such that the items to be shielded thereby are located between the EM shield and the wearer of the apparel.  
   
   
       99 . The armoured apparel according to  claim 96  in which the EM shield means encloses the items it is arranged to shield.  
   
   
       100 . The armoured apparel according to  claim 1  including moisture barrier means arranged within the armour thereof around the signal conduit means to form a barrier to moisture.  
   
   
       101 . The armoured apparel according to  claim 100  in which the moisture barrier means is also the EM shield means.  
   
   
       102 . The armoured apparel according to any of claims  100  including moisture responsive means arranged to provide a detectable response to the presence of moisture within the moisture barrier means.  
   
   
       103 . The armoured apparel according to  claim 102  in which the moisture responsive means is a humidity detector means arranged to monitor humidity within the moisture barrier means and to generate a detectable signal when the monitored humidity level exceeds a predetermined threshold.  
   
   
       104 . The armoured apparel according to  claim 1  in which some or all of the armour is The armoured apparel according to  claim 1  in which some or all of the armour is rigid.  
   
   
       106 . The armoured apparel according to  claim 1  in which the apparel is arranged to be worn about the body of the wearer.  
   
   
       107 . The armoured apparel according to  claim 1  in which the apparel is arranged to be worn about the head of the wearer.  
   
   
       108 . The armoured apparel according to  claim 1  in which the armour is ballistic armour.  
   
   
       109 . A method of manufacturing an item of armoured apparel for shielding a wearer of the apparel in use including providing an item of wearable armour and an item of apparel, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) incorporating a signal conduit means within the item of wearable armour for conveying signals therein;    (b) arranging the item of wearable armour in the item of apparel;    wherein the signal conduit means is arranged such that the wearable armour shields both the signal conduit means and the wearer of the apparel in use.    
   
   
       110 . The method according to  claim 109  including arranging the signal conduit means to be between portions of the wearable armour such that the armour shields the signal conduit means at substantially opposite sides thereof simultaneously.  
   
   
       111 . The method according to  claim 109  including arranging the signal conduit means to be surrounded by the wearable armour such that the armour shields substantially all parts of simultaneously.  
   
   
       112 . The method according to  claim 109  in which step (b) includes providing an inner portion of wearable armour which is nearmost the wearer of the apparel in use, and an outer portion of wearable armour more distant from the wearer of the apparel in use and simultaneously overlapping the inner portion of the armour means, wherein step (a) includes arranging the signal conduit means to be between and overlapped by the inner and outer armour portions such that the armour means shields the signal conduit means at substantially opposite sides thereof simultaneously.  
   
   
       113 . The method according to  claim 109  in which the item of wearable armour is provided by arranging a plurality of overlapping adjacent armour portions to form a stack of armour portions within which the signal conduit means is incorporated so as to be located between and covered by overlapping armour portions of the stack.  
   
   
       114 . The method according to  claim 113  including providing said stack by arranging a plurality of overlapping adjacent layers of armour which overlap each other layer of the stack to form a laminate within which the signal conduit means is incorporated.  
   
   
       115 . The method according to  claim 109  including forming the signal conduit means upon a first item of armour, and subsequently sandwiching the signal conduit means between the first item of armour and a separate second item of armour thereby to form the wearable item of armour.  
   
   
       116 . The method according to  claim 115  including sandwiching the first item of armour between said separate second item of armour and a separate third item of armour thereby to form the item of wearable armour.  
   
   
       117 . The method according to  claim 109  in which step (a) includes forming/incorporating passive circuit components and/or active circuit components within the item of wearable armour to be operably connected to the signal conduit means therein.  
   
   
       118 . The method according to  claim 109  in which step (a) includes forming/incorporating signal processor means within the item of wearable armour to process signals conveyed to it by the signal conduit means therein and to generate signals for output to the signal conduit means.  
   
   
       119 . The method according to  claim 118  including operably connecting the signal processor means to the signal conduit means.  
   
   
       120 . The method according to  claim 109  in which step (a) includes forming the signal conduit means so as to include signal transfer means within the armour for transferring signals between the signal conduit means within the armour and signal responsive means external or internal to the armour to permit the passage of signals therebetween.  
   
   
       121 . The method according to  claim 120  in which the formation of said signal transfer means includes the formation of antenna means for wirelessly passing signals through the armour.  
   
   
       122 . The method according to  claim 121  including providing the signal transfer means with connector means arranged to connect the signal conduit to signal a signal conduit external to the armour.  
   
   
       123 . The method according to  claim 109  in which step (a) includes incorporating electrically responsive signal transmission means within the signal conduit means.  
   
   
       124 . The method according to  claim 109  in which step (a) includes incorporating at least a part of an electrical circuit means within the signal conduit means.  
   
   
       125 . The method according to  claim 109  in which step (a) includes incorporating optical signal transmission means into at least a part of the signal conduit means.  
   
   
       126 . The method according to  claim 109  in which step (a) includes forming the signal conduit means so as to be flexible.  
   
   
       127 . The method according to  claim 126  in which the item of wearable armour is incorporated into the item of apparel with the signal conduit means in a flexed state.  
   
   
       128 . The method according to  claim 109  in which step (a) includes mounting at least a part of the signal conduit upon a armoured mounting means, and step (b) includes incorporating the mounting means within the item of apparel to form at least a part of the armour of the apparel.  
   
   
       129 . The method according to  claim 109  in which step (a) includes embedding at least a part of the signal conduit within armoured mounting means, and step (b) includes incorporating the mounting means within the item of apparel to form at least a part of the armour of the apparel.  
   
   
       130 . The method according to  claim 109  in which step (a) includes providing the mounting means in the form of a sheet of armoured material with relatively thinned regions, forming the signal conduit means at relatively thinned regions of the sheet, and forming passive and/or active circuit components at other regions of the sheet.  
   
   
       131 . The method according to  claim 130  including providing the mounting means as a sheet of flexible electronic circuit board.  
   
   
       132 . The method according to  claim 109  including the additional step of forming an electromagnetic (EM) shield means within the item of armour to shield at least a part of the signal conduit means therein from electromagnetic radiation external to the apparel.  
   
   
       133 . The method according to  claim 132  including forming the EM shield means to shield passive and/or active components and said signal processor means from electromagnetic radiation external to the apparel.  
   
   
       134 . The method according to  claim 133  including forming the EM shield means within the apparel such that the items to be shielded thereby are located between the EM shield and the wearer of the apparel.  
   
   
       135 . The method according to  claim 133  including forming the EM shield means to enclose the items it is arranged to shield.  
   
   
       136 . The method according to  claim 109  including forming a moisture barrier means within the item of wearable armour around the signal conduit means to form a barrier to moisture.  
   
   
       137 . The method according to claims  136  in which the moisture barrier means is also the EM shield means.  
   
   
       138 . The method according to claims  136  including providing moisture responsive means within the item of wearable armour to provide a detectable response to the presence of moisture within the moisture barrier means.  
   
   
       139 . The method according to  claim 138  which the moisture responsive means is a humidity detector means, the method including arranging the humidity detector to monitor humidity within the moisture barrier means and to generate a detectable signal when the monitored humidity level exceeds a predetermined threshold.  
   
   
       140 . An armour incorporating signal conduit means embedded therein for conveying signals within the armour.  
   
   
       141 . A ballistic armour incorporating signal conduit means embedded therein for conveying signals within the armour.