Body armor carrier garment

Abstract

Body armor carrier garments that provide a comfortable compression/stretch fit garment that holds removable ballistic and/or stab-resistant packets or panels are described. Some implementations include a garment that houses ballistic panels in a stable and flexible manner.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A body armor carrier garment, comprising:
 a front inner shell;   a front outer shell, wherein the front inner shell is attached to the front outer shell via front stitching to form a front protective panel pocket, between the front inner shell and the front outer shell, to hold a front protective panel in place in the front protective panel pocket, wherein the front stitching includes a front bottom stitch, a first arm stitch, a second arm stitch, a first shoulder stitch, a second shoulder stitch, and a neck opening stitch, wherein a front opening is formed on the front inner shell to permit the front protective panel to be inserted into the front protective panel pocket, and wherein the opening includes a releasable front closure;   a back inner shell;   a back outer shell, wherein the back inner shell is attached to the back outer shell via back stitching to form a back protective panel pocket, between the back inner shell and the back outer shell, to hold a back protective panel in place in the back protective panel pocket, wherein the back stitching includes a back bottom stitch and a back top stitch, wherein a back opening is formed on the back inner shell to permit the back protective panel to be inserted into the back protective panel pocket, and wherein the back opening includes a releasable back closure;   a right side zipper attached to the front inner shell and the front outer shell on a first side of the right side zipper and attached to the back inner shell and the back outer shell on a second side of the right side zipper, wherein the right side zipper extends from a bottom hem of the body armor carrier garment to a point on a right side of the body armor carrier garment adjacent the releasable front closure and the releasable back closure;   a left side zipper attached to the front inner shell and the front outer shell on a first side of the left side zipper and attached to the back inner shell and the back outer shell on a second side of the left side zipper, wherein the left side zipper extends from the bottom hem of the body armor carrier garment to a point on a left side of the body armor carrier garment adjacent the releasable front closure and the releasable back closure, and wherein the right side zipper and the left side zipper releasably attach a portion of the front inner shell and the front outer shell to the back inner shell and the back outer shell such that an expandable torso opening is formed in the body armor carrier garment;   a right side arcuate opening formed on the front inner shell and disposed in an area adjacent the releasable front closure and an end of the right side zipper;   a left side arcuate opening formed on the front inner shell and disposed in an area adjacent the releasable front closure and an end of the left side zipper; and   a neck opening, a right sleeve, and a left sleeve.   
     
     
         2 . The body armor carrier garment of  claim 1 , further comprising a front plate pocket formed on an exterior of the front outer shell and having an opening at a top of the front plate pocket, wherein the front plate pocket is formed to have a width that is approximately same as a width of the neck opening of the body armor carrier garment. 
     
     
         3 . The body armor carrier garment of  claim 1 , wherein the front inner shell and the front outer shell are stitched together from a point adjacent the front bottom stitch to the bottom hem of the body armor carrier garment, and wherein the back inner shell and the back outer shell are stitched together from a point adjacent the back bottom stitch to the bottom hem of the body armor carrier garment. 
     
     
         4 . The body armor carrier garment of  claim 1 , further comprising a crew neck collar attached to the neck opening. 
     
     
         5 . The body armor carrier garment of  claim 1 , further comprising a dress shirt style collar attached to the neck opening. 
     
     
         6 . The body armor carrier garment of  claim 1 , further comprising a badge indicium formed on the front outer shell. 
     
     
         7 . The body armor carrier garment of  claim 1 , further comprising a name plate indicium formed on the front outer shell. 
     
     
         8 . The body armor carrier garment of  claim 1 , further comprising a front rifle plate pocket formed on an exterior of the front outer shell. 
     
     
         9 . The body armor carrier garment of  claim 1 , further comprising a back rifle plate pocket formed on an exterior of the back outer shell. 
     
     
         10 . The body armor carrier garment of  claim 1 , further comprising a body camera pocket formed on an exterior of the front outer shell. 
     
     
         11 . The body armor carrier garment of  claim 1 , further comprising a back cooling pocket formed on an exterior of the back outer shell near the bottom hem of the body armor carrier garment, wherein the back cooling pocket has an opening formed at a top of the back cooling pocket, and wherein the opening has a releasable closure. 
     
     
         12 . The body armor carrier garment of  claim 1 , further comprising a side utility pocket formed on a right side or a left side of the body armor carrier garment. 
     
     
         13 . The body armor carrier garment of  claim 1 , further comprising a side firearm holster formed on an exterior of the body armor carrier garment on a right side or left side and respectively disposed below the right sleeve or the left sleeve. 
     
     
         14 . The body armor carrier garment of  claim 1 , wherein the front stitching and the back stitching include a reinforced double-lock stitch or flat lock stitch. 
     
     
         15 . The body armor carrier garment of  claim 1 , wherein the right sleeve and the left sleeve are both short sleeves. 
     
     
         16 . The body armor carrier garment of  claim 1 , wherein the right sleeve and the left sleeve are both long sleeves. 
     
     
         17 . The body armor carrier garment of  claim 1 , wherein the front inner shell, the front outer shell, the back inner shell, and the back outer shell are formed from 80% nylon and 20% elastane, to which one or more of a wicking agent, an anti-microbial agent, or a fabric softener agent is applied. 
     
     
         18 . A body armor carrier garment, comprising:
 a front inner shell;   a front outer shell, wherein the front inner shell is attached to the front outer shell via front stitching to form a front protective panel pocket, between the front inner shell and the front outer shell, wherein the front stitching includes a front bottom stitch, a first arm stitch, a second arm stitch, a first shoulder stitch, a second shoulder stitch, and a neck opening stitch, wherein a front opening is formed on the front inner shell to permit protective panels to be inserted into the front protective panel pocket, and wherein the front opening includes a releasable front closure;   a front protective panel disposed within the front protective panel pocket, the front protective panel being configured as a stab-resistant or a ballistic-resistant protective panel;   a body camera pocket formed on an exterior of the front outer shell dimensioned to house and support a body camera device with an exposed aperture for capturing video footage;   a back inner shell;   a back outer shell, wherein the back inner shell is attached to the back outer shell via back stitching to form a back protective panel pocket, between the back inner shell and the back outer shell, wherein the back stitching includes a back bottom stitch and a back top stitch, wherein a back opening is formed on the back inner shell to permit protective panels to be inserted into the back protective panel pocket, and wherein the back opening includes a releasable back closure;   a back protective panel disposed within the back protective panel pocket, the back protective panel being configured as a stab-resistant or ballistic-resistant protective panel;   a right side zipper attached to the front inner shell and the front outer shell on a first side of the right side zipper and attached to the back inner shell and the back outer shell on a second side of the right side zipper, wherein the right side zipper extends from a bottom hem of the body armor carrier garment to a point on a right side of the body armor carrier garment adjacent the releasable front closure and the releasable back closure;   a left side zipper attached to the front inner shell and the front outer shell on a first side of the left side zipper and attached to the back inner shell and the back outer shell on a second side of the left side zipper, wherein the left side zipper extends from the bottom hem of the body armor carrier garment to a point on a left side of the body armor carrier garment adjacent the releasable front closure and the releasable back closure, and wherein the right side zipper and the left side zipper releasably attach a portion of the front inner shell and the front outer shell to the back inner shell and the back outer shell such that an expandable torso opening is formed in the body armor carrier garment;   a right side arcuate opening formed on the front inner shell and disposed in an area adjacent the releasable front closure and an end of the right side zipper;   a left side arcuate opening formed on the front inner shell and disposed in an area adjacent the releasable front closure and an end of the left side zipper; and   a neck opening, a right sleeve separate from the neck opening, and a left sleeve disposed distally from the right sleeve and separate from the neck opening and the right sleeve.   
     
     
         19 . A body armor system, comprising:
 a body armor carrier garment, comprising:
 a front inner shell; 
 a front outer shell, wherein the front inner shell is attached to the front outer shell via front stitching to form a front protective panel pocket, between the front inner shell and the front outer shell, wherein the front stitching includes a front bottom stitch, a first arm stitch, a second arm stitch, a first shoulder stitch, a second shoulder stitch, and a neck opening stitch, wherein a front opening is formed on the front inner shell to permit protective panels to be inserted into the front protective panel pocket, and wherein the front opening includes a releasable front closure; 
 a body camera pocket formed on an exterior of the front outer shell dimensioned to house and support a body camera device with an exposed aperture for capturing video footage; 
 a back inner shell; 
 a back outer shell, wherein the back inner shell is attached to the back outer shell via back stitching to form a back protective panel pocket, between the back inner shell and the back outer shell, wherein the back stitching includes a back bottom stitch and a back top stitch, wherein a back opening is formed on the back inner shell to permit protective panels to be inserted into the back protective panel pocket, and wherein the back opening includes a releasable back closure; 
 a right side zipper attached to the front inner shell and the front outer shell on a first side of the right side zipper and attached to the back inner shell and the back outer shell on a second side of the right side zipper, wherein the right side zipper extends from a bottom hem of the body armor carrier garment to a point on a right side of the body armor carrier garment adjacent the releasable front closure and the releasable back closure; 
 a left side zipper attached to the front inner shell and the front outer shell on a first side of the left side zipper and attached to the back inner shell and the back outer shell on a second side of the left side zipper, wherein the left side zipper extends from the bottom hem of the body armor carrier garment to a point on a left side of the body armor carrier garment adjacent the releasable front closure and the releasable back closure, and wherein the right side zipper and the left side zipper releasably attach a portion of the front inner shell and the front outer shell to the back inner shell and the back outer shell such that an expandable torso opening is formed in the body armor carrier garment; 
 a right side arcuate opening formed on the front inner shell and disposed in an area adjacent the releasable front closure and an end of the right side zipper; 
 a left side arcuate opening formed on the front inner shell and disposed in an area adjacent the releasable front closure and an end of the left side zipper; and 
 a neck opening, a right sleeve separate from the neck opening, and a left sleeve disposed distally from the right sleeve and separate from the neck opening and the right sleeve; 
   a front protective panel configured to be disposed within the front protective panel pocket, the front protective panel being configured as a stab-resistant or a ballistic-resistant protective panel;   a back protective panel configured to be disposed within the back protective panel pocket, the back protective panel being configured as a stab-resistant or a ballistic-resistant protective panel; and   a body camera device configured to be disposed within the body camera pocket.   
     
     
         20 . The body armor system of  claim 19 , wherein the body armor carrier garment further comprises a front rifle plate pocket formed on an exterior of the front outer shell, and a back rifle plate pocket formed on an exterior of the back outer shell, wherein the system further comprises:
 a front rifle plate configured to be disposed within the front rifle plate pocket; and   a back rifle plate configured to be disposed within the back rifle plate pocket.