Concealable Ballistic Vest and Method of Manufacture

Abstract

Ballistic fabric layers are combined to form a multilayered ballistic panel which is enclosed in a thermoplastic bag which forms a waterproof layer around the ballistic panel. An outer cover has fabric sheets which may have sewn on attachments and with an inside thermoplastic coating. The ballistic panel within the thermoplastic bag is inserted within the outer cover and sewn therein. The assumably is heated and placed in a bladder press and formed to a three-dimensional shape normally conforming at least in part to the human body. The final ballistic vest or ballistic component is a thin form-fitting ballistic armor part which is waterproof without stitching through the thermoplastic inner bag and the ballistic panel.

1 . A soft ballistic vest of the type used to protect a person from shrapnel and bullets, comprising:
 a front torso component, and a back torso component;
 wherein the front torso component, and the back torso component are joined by at least two shoulder straps which are joined by segments of hook and loop fastening material for fastening the at least two shoulder straps between the front torso component and the back torso component; 
 wherein the front torso component has a portion that is shaped to overlie the chest of a human, and two front side portions which are shaped to overlie the sides of a human torso; 
 wherein the back torso component has a portion that is shaped to overlie the back of a human, and two back side portions which are shaped to overlie the sides of a human torso; 
 each of the front torso component, and the back torso component further comprises: 
 a soft ballistic panel configured to stop projectiles originating from handguns or shrapnel from explosions, and made of a plurality of layers of ballistic fabric; 
 an outer fabric cover having sewn thereto the at least two shoulder straps or segments of hook and loop fastening material for fastening the at least two shoulder straps; 
 wherein the soft ballistic panel is completely surrounded by a water-resistant or waterproof layer which is bonded to at least 70% of the outer fabric cover which overlies the soft ballistic panel so that the soft ballistic panel is bonded to the outer fabric cover so the soft ballistic panel may not move with respect to the outer fabric cover; and 
 wherein the soft ballistic panel with the outer fabric cover is pre-curved in at least two directions to conform to a front or back torso and to two side torso portions of a human body's external anatomy, to form the soft ballistic vest; 
 wherein the outer fabric cover has elastic portions of stretchable fabric which is not bonded to the soft ballistic panel, the elastic portions comprising at least one contiguous portion of 5% of the outer fabric cover uninterrupted by adhesive which is not bonded to the soft ballistic panel at all, to allow the contiguous portion to stretch to create a smooth surface over any underlying discontinuities of the soft ballistic panel. 
   
     
     
         2 . The soft ballistic vest of  claim 1  wherein the front torso component has two outer flaps which have inside surfaces which overlie the two side torso portions of the front torso component, each outer flap having a hook or loop fastener forming an outer surface, and wherein one of the two outer flaps has a pocket sewn to one of the inside surfaces so that the pocket is between the outer flap and one of the front side portions which are shaped to overlie the sides of a human torso, the pocket being thus adapted to hold a pistol, radio, or magazine, and arranged to be hidden by the overlying outer flap when empty. 
     
     
         3 . A soft ballistic vest of the type used to protect a person from shrapnel and bullets, comprising:
 a front torso component, and a back torso component;
 wherein the front torso component, and the back torso component are joined by at least two shoulder straps which are joined by segments of hook and loop fastening material for fastening the at least two shoulder straps between the front torso component and the back torso component; 
 wherein the front torso component has a portion that is shaped to overlie the chest of a human, and two front side portions which are shaped to overlie the sides of a human torso; 
 wherein the back torso component has a portion that is shaped to overlie the back of a human, and two back side portions which are shaped to overlie the sides of a human torso; 
 each of the front torso component, and the back torso component further comprises: 
 a soft ballistic panel configured to stop projectiles originating from handguns or shrapnel from explosions, and made of a plurality of layers of ballistic fabric; 
 an outer fabric cover having sewn thereto the at least two shoulder straps or segments of hook and loop fastening material for fastening the at least two shoulder straps; 
 wherein the soft ballistic panel is completely surrounded by a water-resistant or waterproof layer which is bonded to at least 70% of the outer fabric cover which overlies the soft ballistic panel so that the soft ballistic panel is bonded to the outer fabric cover so the soft ballistic panel may not move with respect to the outer fabric cover; and 
 wherein the soft ballistic panel with the outer fabric cover is pre-curved in at least two directions to conform to a front or back torso and to two side torso portions of a human body's external anatomy, to form the soft ballistic vest; 
 wherein the back torso component has an outer back fabric back pocket which is sewn to the outer fabric cover of the back torso component so that the back pocket is open ended and circumferentially extending to lie flat against the outer fabric cover of the back torso component, wherein in which back pocket are received two straps which extend circumferentially along to the two side torso portions of the front torso component for fastening thereto. 
   
     
     
         4 . The soft ballistic vest of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the front torso component and the back torso component has one part of a zipper attached to a side adapted to face and to run circumferentially about a waist of a wearer of the soft ballistic vest, for attaching accessories. 
     
     
         5 . The soft ballistic vest of  claim 4  wherein the one part of the zipper is covered by a cloth flap which provides access to the one part of the zipper from below the soft ballistic vest as worn. 
     
     
         6 . The soft ballistic vest of  claim 2  further comprising a tab sewn to an upper edge of the pocket to provide access to the pocket between the outer flap and one of the front side portions. 
     
     
         7 . The soft ballistic vest of  claim 1  wherein the ballistic fabric is comprised of para-aramid fibers and the layer of water-resistant thermoplastic is a polyether thermoplastic polyurethane. 
     
     
         8 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A soft ballistic vest of the type used to protect a person from shrapnel and bullets, comprising:
 a front torso component, and a back torso component;   wherein the front torso component and the back torso component are joined by at least two shoulder straps which are joined by segments of hook and loop fastening material for fastening the at least two shoulder straps between the front torso component and the back torso component;   wherein the front torso component has a portion that is shaped to overlie the chest of a human, and two front side portions which are shaped to overlie the sides of a human torso;   wherein the back torso component has a portion that is shaped to overlie the back of a human, and two back side portions which are shaped to overlie the sides of a human torso;   each of the front torso component and the back torso component further comprises:   a soft ballistic panel configured to stop projectiles originating from handguns or shrapnel from explosions, and made of a plurality of layers of ballistic fabric;   an outer fabric cover having sewn thereto the at least two shoulder straps or two segments of hook and loop fastening material for fastening the at least two shoulder straps;   wherein the soft ballistic panel is completely surrounded by a water-resistant or waterproof layer which is bonded to at least 70% of the outer fabric cover which overlies the soft ballistic panel so that the soft ballistic panel may not move with respect to the outer cover;   wherein the soft ballistic panel with the outer fabric cover is pre-curved in at least two directions to conform to a front or back torso and to two side torso portions of a human body's external anatomy, to form the soft ballistic vest; and   wherein the front torso component has two outer flaps which have inside surfaces which overlie the two side torso portions of the front torso component, each outer flap having a hook or loop fastener forming an outer surface, and wherein one of the two outer flaps has a pocket sewn to one of the inside surfaces so that the pocket is between the outer flap and one of the front side portions which are shaped to overlie the sides of a human torso.   
     
     
         22 . The soft ballistic vest of  claim 21  further comprising a tab sewn to an upper edge of the pocket to provide access to the pocket between the one of the two outer flaps and one of the front side portions of the front torso component. 
     
     
         23 . The soft ballistic vest of  claim 21  wherein the pocket sewn to one of the inside surfaces has a tab sewn to an upper edge of the pocket and spaced circumferentially from both of two vertical sides which define the pocket, so that the pocket between the outer flap and one of the front side portions can be opened by pulling on the tab outwardly with respect to the soft ballistic vest.