BE1021642B1 - CONTINUOUS BALLISTIC COLLAR FOR BALLISTIC PROTECTION VEST - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a protective vest, comprising a torso part and a collar part connected to the torso part by means of coupling means, wherein collar part and torso part are built up from one or more layers of material stacks, wherein individual stacks of material of the collar part are provided with coupling means extending in the direction of the torso part. , said coupling means between individual stacks of material of the torso part are positioned such that torso part and collar part are connected and provide a continuous transition of at least 4 cm between torso part and collar part. The invention also relates to a collar part for use in the protective vest and provides a method of manufacturing collar and vest.

Description

Continuous ballistic collar for ballistic protection vest

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a protective vest, in particular a bulletproof and / or shatterproof vest. The invention further relates to a method for manufacturing such a vest and a continuous protective ballistic collar in particular.

The invention is especially useful in the textile sector, in the field of ballistic protective clothing.

BACKGROUND

Ballistic protective vests, in particular bullet-proof and / or flak-proof vests, comprise a torso part and a neck part, the torso of the wearer being protected by one part and the neck of the wearer being protected by a collar. The protective structure to protect the torso is either of the flexible or rigid type and includes bulletproof and / or shatterproof material.

In the flexible type of protective clothing, each of these parts comprises bulletproof and / or shatterproof materials such as polyaramide fibers, including Kevlar®, and high-density polyethylene, such as Dyneema®. The rigid type of protective clothing works with ceramic plates or plates in high-density polyethylene.

Around the protective structure comes a classic fabric, often made of polyamide, with a color print, if necessary with a camouflage pattern. Furthermore, the protective vests are generally provided with fastening means for equipment such as ammunition.

Ballistic protective clothing is used by soldiers, security personnel and professions with a high risk of ballistic impact, such as money transporters. The highest possible and complete protection is required with this clothing.

Protective clothing that protects the human body against various impacts, such as that of a bullet, bullet shard, knife and the like, must not only provide adequate protection, but is preferably also sufficiently light and comfortable.

Protective clothing is made with different parts that are put together. The clothing manufacturer cuts pattern parts out of the fabric which are then put together in combination with haberdashery such as zippers, adhesive strips, reinforcement and the like to form a garment. As a result, the garment has transition zones in various places for protection.

This creates a weak element in the structure of the clothing; more specifically it is an impact-permeable zone. This zone can be quite large, configurations are known where this weak zone is up to 6 cm wide.

The transition zone from the impact-resistant collar to the torso is particularly problematic. Completely impact-proofing of the transitions between, for example, the neck and torso of impact-resistant clothing is not sufficiently achieved at this time.

The protection zones at the height of the shoulders, the upper side of the torso and the back must follow the course of the upper side of the torso, the protection of the neck must have a cylindrical shape and show a pronounced inclination angle to the protection zones of the shoulder, upper torso and back and this in a 360 ° circle. The construction of such a continuous protective system without a ballistic unprotective transition is not evident.

Various ways have been investigated to make such critical places and transitions impact-resistant. US20110145965 describes the use of an extra ring around the collar to create an impact-resistant transition. As such, extra overlapping elements are used, protecting the intermediate zone between the collar and torso. However, this requires an additional plate of the protective material.

In US20110010830, the garment that is to protect the neck is made separate from the garment that is to protect the torso. In this case, the comfort of the wearer is lowered by the use of the different material.

The disadvantage of all the solutions that are currently known is that one has to work with several elements that together must provide sufficient impact protection. This causes a loss of comfort and the use of extra material.

The object of the invention is to provide a vest with improved protection in transition zones, specifically in the transition zone between neck and torso. The invention has for its object to provide a construction in which breakdown in the transition zone is avoided.

SUMMARY

This object is achieved according to the invention by providing a protection vest with an improved collar attachment, in particular as described in claim 1.

The invention further provides a collar for a protection vest, according to claim 17.

Finally, the invention provides a method for manufacturing a collar and a protective vest provided with the collar according to an embodiment of the invention, according to claim 18.

In the present invention, a continuous transition between neck and torso with improved impact resistance is ensured via bending techniques and confection. This is achieved by using layer structures provided with coupling means to make the transition of an impact-resistant clothing impervious to ballistic and / or stab impact.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Figure 1 represents a simplified representation of a part of an impact-resistant clothing from the prior art.

Figure 2 represents a simplified representation of the various components of an impact-resistant collar according to an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 3 represents a simplified representation of a composition of the individual parts to form one layer of an impact-resistant collar according to an embodiment of the invention. Figure 3a is a representation of the collar along the bottom. Figure 3b is a representation of the collar viewed from the top.

Figure 4 schematically shows an impact-resistant collar according to an embodiment of the invention. It is made up of four layers, with sufficient overlap to ensure impact resistance in the transition zones.

Figure 5 gives a detailed view of the structure of the collar shown in Figure 4.

Figure 6 shows a section of the collar zone along the line A-A 'of Figure 5.

Figure 7 represents a simplified representation of a part of an impact-resistant clothing, in particular a torso part with an impact-resistant collar, according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A vest according to an embodiment of the invention is characterized in that layers with coupling means are used in the transition zones between the various parts of the clothing, in particular between the collar part and the torso part.

In a first aspect, the invention provides a protection vest, in particular a projectile-inhibiting vest, preferably a bullet-proof vest. The vest comprises a torso part and a collar part connected to the torso part by coupling means. Collar part and torso part are made up of one or more layers of material stacks, individual material stacks of the collar part being provided with coupling means extending in the direction of the torso part, and said coupling means being positioned between individual material stacks of the torso part such that torso part and collar part are connected and a continuous transition between torso part and collar part is thereby provided. For this, the layers must provide a transition zone of at least 4 cm. The different parts of the clothing, such as the torso and the neck, consisting of different layers that are sufficiently overlapped ensure that there is impact protection in these zones. The protection vest has the advantage that the safety in transition zones is increased. The general level of protection has been increased.

The result is impact-resistant clothing without impact-permeable, weak zones in the transition between torso and neck. This clothing is particularly suitable for use at risk of the impact of bullets, shards and stings. The layers ensure that there is a sufficient impact resistance for the wearers of this protective clothing. The continuous transition ensures that in normally weaker zones there is also sufficient impact resistance, without having to use additional elements and without the loss of comfort.

In a preferred form of the protective vest, said coupling means provide in a transition zone of at least 4 cm, preferably at least 5 cm. This provides sufficient width to achieve a safety level. The impact resistance in the transition zone is also improved in a dynamic state.

In a preferred form of the protective vest, the coupling means is tooth-shaped with a 4 cm wide base and a height of 5 cm. The layers of the neck protector have a tooth structure on the side of the torso to provide the attachment. These teeth are preferably trapezoidal, with a base of preferably 5 centimeters, a short side of preferably 4 centimeters and a height of at least 3 centimeters, preferably of at least 4 centimeters.

In a preferred form of the protection vest, coupling means of different material stacks are positioned with respect to one another and along the longitudinal axis of the vest in a staggered manner.

Strong fibers are used to provide impact resistance. Suitable "strong fibers" are aramid, silicon carbide fibers, and / or a polymer, such as, for example, high-density polyethylene; or other proven ballistic fibers. "Strong fibers" in this invention are preferably polyaramide, sometimes referred to simply as aramid, or high density polyethylene fibers. For example, aramid is available under brand names such as Twaron® and Kevlar®. Polyethylene suitable for use in clothing according to an embodiment of the invention is available, for example, under the trade name Dyneema®. Aramid and polyethylene are both materials that are lightweight, yet show great strength and abrasion resistance. Both materials also exhibit excellent high shock absorption.

In a preferred form, the strong fibers are characterized by a strength of at least 6 dN / tex, a modulus of at least 130 dN / tex and a fracture energy of at least 8 J / kg. Preferably, strong fibers are fibers with a strength of at least 10 dN / tex, a modulus of at least 200 dN / tex and a fracture energy of at least 20 J / g. More preferably, fibers have a strength of at least 16 dN / tex, a modulus of at least 400 dN / tex and a fracture energy of at least 27 J / g. Most preferred are fibers with a strength of at least 28 dN / tex, a modulus of at least 1200 dN / tex and a fracture energy of at least 40 J / g.

Parts made from lightweight high-density polyethylene, HD-PE known under the trade name Dyneema®, can offer ballistic protection equivalent to a steel plate for 45% of the weight. In contrast to ceramic tiles, HD-PE can be shaped with complex designs that fit the human body. This increases the level of protection and comfort.

The layers in material stacks themselves preferably comprise fabric or unidirectional (UD) laid fibers. The layers preferably consist of aramid and / or polyethylene fabrics or unidirectionally laid fibers. Most preferably, the layers consist of unidirectionally laid polyethylene fibers.

By layers consisting of unidirectionally laid fibers is meant layers that consist of different sublayers, the fibers in the sublayers lying in one direction, the fibers lying perpendicular to each other between the different sublayers.

Different unidirectional (UD) layers can be grouped into one or more packages or stacks. The stack of UD layers preferably consists of several UD layers, each of which contains two or four UD layers. The packages are preferably provided with a smooth film on both sides, whereby friction between the packages is reduced, and the stack gains in flexibility.

The vest according to the invention preferably has a stack of UD layers, wherein the UD layers mainly contain aramid or ultra-high molecular polyethylene. This ensures that a vest with a continuous transition of at least 4 cm is also impact-resistant in the transition from collar to torso.

In another preferred form, a stack of materials comprises a textile fabric. The advantage of woven aramid over HDPE is the flexibility and more limited sensitivity to permanent pleating. In combinations where knife stab protection is required, it is also easier to combine the specific knife stab protection with the bulletproof / shatterproof.

In a preferred form of the protective vest, a material stack is a stack of flexible unidirectional layers with fibers having a strength of at least 6 dN / tex, a modulus of at least 130 dN / tex and a fracture energy of at least 8 J / kg. This choice of materials yields a layer that is strong, resists deformation and stress.

The layers preferably have a weight of 100 to 300 g / m2. More preferably, the layers have at least a weight of 190 g / m2. This weight of the layers ensures a sufficient impact resistance of the clothing. The number of layers is preferably between 20 and 40, more preferably a number of layers is used between 25 and 35.

In addition to the use of impact-resistant layers, there is also the option of adding one or more anti-trauma layers between these layers. These layers can be flexible, woven layers that consist of aramid or polyethylene fibers. These layers preferably have a grammage between 100 and 600 g / m2. Preferably at least 2 layers are used.

A material suitable for use as an anti-trauma layer is commercially available under the name LFT ATflex. LFT stands for "laminated fabric technology", in which a fabric is used woven from Twaron® fiber with a high number of densely packed, very fine denier fibers. These increase the level of protection compared to thicker, rough fabrics made from the same composite material. These microfibers are woven so that the cross-over between warp and weft is minimized, and the fabric is then formed into a sandwich with ultra-thin thermoplastic film. This creates a lightweight armor that ensures rapid energy dissipation in the event of impact. This makes it suitable for use in soft body armor applications such as a protection vest.

Use of anti-trauma layers in a vest according to an embodiment of the invention also reduces the final impact depth of a projectile on the carrier.

In a preferred form, the ballistic material is packed in a watertight cover. This also offers UV protection water ensures that the ballistic performance is not affected when used.

In a preferred form, the torso portion connected to the neck portion is packaged and assembled in a woven kit comprising a polyethylene, a polyester, a cotton or a polyamide fiber, or a mixture of the foregoing fiber materials. These are colorable, printable material, either directly or with the help of additives. This is preferably a polyamide fabric.

In a preferred form of the protective vest, in the closed position, the collar part is positioned substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the neck. This ensures that the collar is positioned substantially perpendicular to the torso. It is important that the collar part follows the vertical line of the neck to prevent hindrance in the mobility of the neck. Although the ballistic protection is made up of a number of layers, this does not provide flexibility at the level of a one-layer system. The intended mobility is essential, for example, to allow a person to do his job, to respond alertly to his safety.

A vest according to an embodiment of the invention achieves the safety levels in terms of ballistic resistance and impact resistance that are customarily used by safety personnel.

The ballistic resistance of a vest can be classified according to different standards. One of those standards is the National Institute of Justice standard, the NIJ Standard, which defines different levels of protection. For example, a vest according to US NIJ 01.01.04, class III A, standard must stop a .44 Magnum at 427 m / s. An advantage of the vest according to the invention is that the requirement set by the NIJ Standard is also achieved in the transition zone between the collar and torso section.

In a preferred form of the protective vest, the transition between collar and torso has a ballistic resistance such that a bullet is stopped at a speed of up to 436 m / s according to NIJ Standard 01.01.04, class III A.

In addition to not being penetrated by a projectile, the extent to which the body side deforms behind an impact is a second requirement of the NIJ 01.01.04, class III A, standard. This deformation measures the trauma experienced by the wearer of a vest after the impact of a profile.

In a preferred form of the protection vest, the transition between collar and torso has an impact resistance such that a bullet with a speed of up to 436 m / s is stopped with a trauma according to NIJ Standard 01.01.04, class III A, of less than 44 mm .

In a second aspect, the invention provides a collar for a protection vest. More specifically, the invention provides a collar for a protective vest according to an embodiment of the invention, comprising a collar part provided with coupling means for a torso part to form a protective vest in the coupled state, wherein collar part and torso part are made up of one or more multi-layer material stacks, a material stack comprises an aramid fiber or high-density polyolefin fiber, wherein individual material stacks of the collar part are provided with coupling means extending in the direction of the torso part to position between individual material stacks of the torso part such that torso part and collar part can be connected and thereby in a continuous transition between torso part and collar part is provided with at least 4 cm.

In a preferred form of the protective vest, the collar has a surface weight of less than 5.5 kg / m2. This has the advantage that the collar is light. This is comfortable for the user. The weight is no obstacle to providing a protective vest with an additional collar.

In a third aspect, the invention provides a method for manufacturing a collar and protective vest according to a preferred form of the invention.

More specifically, the invention provides a method for manufacturing a collared protective vest according to an embodiment of the invention, comprising a torso part and a collar part, comprising the steps of: - providing a multilayer stack of materials for forming a torso part of a protective vest, in a multi-layer material stack for forming a collar part of the protective vest, wherein the material stacks of the collar part are provided with coupling means to form a protective vest in the coupled state, assembling the material stacks thereby successively coupling a layer of the torso part with the aid of the coupling means to a layer of the collar part thereby provided in the required protective vest with a continuous transition between torso part and collar part of at least 4 cm.

Thanks to this method of assembly, zones with overlap of at least 4 cm are provided, which means that sufficient material is present in the transition zones to have an impact-resistant effect.

Total surface weight of the vest is preferably 5.4 kg / m2. This is only slightly different with the total surface weight of the collar. The average weight differs from that of the collar because of the overlaps in the collar zone. More matter is present there. Since the overlap zone is limited, the weight gain for the entire shoulder / neck logic is limited.

In addition to the use of impact-resistant layers, there is also the option of adding one or more anti-trauma layers between these layers. These layers reduce the final impact depth of the projectile on the support. These layers are flexible, woven layers that consist of aramid or polyethylene fibers. These layers preferably have a grammage between 100 and 600 g / m2. Preferably at least 2 layers are used.

The invention will now be further elucidated with reference to the following example, without however being limited thereto.

EXAMPLES

Example 1: state of the art

Figure 1 depicts a neck protector 1 from the prior art. The neck part and the torso part from which the vest was built were made separately, after which both parts were made into a vest. The result is a sloping and crumpled collar. The seam between torso part and collar part is a weak spot.

Example 2: ready-made vest according to the embodiment of the invention

As an example, a neck protector 1 was made that overflows into a torso protector based on the aspects of the invention. The various steps of the construction are shown in FIG. 2-7.

These elements were first cut out and then stitched layer by layer.

The individual parts that will be part of the internal structure of the vest are shown in FIG. 2. In the collar part three parts can be distinguished 5, 5 ', 5 ", each part describing a part of a circle circumference A, B, C and provided with tooth-shaped structures 4. The torso part 2 consists of a plate-shaped structure with circular recess and opening.

In order to obtain a multi-layered structure, this package of components was provided in multiples. In this example, the requested vest was made up of four layers, represented as 4x in the figure.

An assembly of parts is shown in FIG. 3a and 3b, which respectively show a bottom view and top view of a single layer.

The parts A, B, C were assembled so that an overlap between the different pieces was achieved. The tooth-shaped structures 4 were folded under the torso part 6 so that an upright collar was obtained and sufficient overlap was provided between the transition from the collar part 5, 5 ', 5 "to torso part 6. The parts were fixed with stitching 7.

In order to provide a sufficiently impact-resistant transition, several layers of the collar parts for the neck protection 5, 5 ', 5 "" were assembled after the transition zone to several layers for the torsion protection 6 on the basis of a tooth structure 4. For this purpose the layers were combined and distributed in preferentially at least 4 packets of layers (x4). The different packets of layers were assembled in a staggered manner as shown in Figure 4. As a result, the layers do not shift from each other and they continue to provide sufficient impact resistance.

The tooth structure 4 ensures the adhesion between the different packets of layers. Alternately, a pack of layers of the torso was alternated with a pack of layers of the neck protector, as shown in FIG. 4-7.

In FIG. 6 shows the multi-layer stacks from which the vest was made. Hereby the tooth structure 4 is visible which has been made up and thus connects the layers of the neck protector 5 with the torso protector 6.

The layers of the neck protector have a tooth structure 4 on the side of the torso 6 to provide the attachment. These teeth are trapezoidal, with a base of preferential 5 centimeters, a short side of preferential 4 centimeters and a height of at least 3 centimeters, preferably of at least 4 centimeters.

The whole of the layers was packaged in a watertight cover and was made up of woven equipment made of a polyamide fabric.

When the assembly was at rest, the collar was perpendicular to the torso, as shown in FIG. 7.

Example 3

As an additional example, a neck protector NB-01 was made which overflows into a torso protector based on the aspects of the invention, and according to the approach outlined in Example 2.

The torso portion 6 consisted of 25 layers of unidirectionally laid high density polyethylene fibers, with a low weight of 190 g / m2. In addition, there were also 2 anti-trauma layers present, type LFT ATflex. These 27 layers were evenly distributed over 4 different sets of layers, so that multi-layer stacks were obtained.

The neck portion 5 consisted of 25 layers of unidirectionally laid polyethylene fibers, with a low weight of 190 g / m2. In addition, there are also 2 anti-trauma layers, type LFT ATflex. These 27 layers are evenly distributed over 4 different packages of layers. These 4 packages were laid as 3 separate bands to obtain complete neck protection.

The packages for neck and torso were assembled together via a tooth structure 4. These teeth had a base of 5 cm and a height of 4 cm.

Example 4: impact resistance test

To test the impact resistance of the transition zone, shooting tests were carried out according to an adapted US NLJ 01.01.04, class III A standard, on the vest from example 3. The modification of the test consisted of using a firing pattern specific to Italy. Six projectiles were fired, first perpendicular to a steel, for 9mm and .44 together. This was followed by a second slope test, again 9 mm coupled with .44. In the standard NIK one shoots with six projectiles, all of the same type of bullet, a part perpendicular, a part at an angle of inclination.

Two different projectiles were fired at the transition line between torso and neck of the vest NB-01 from example 3. The perforation of the different layers was examined on the basis of different standardized bullet impacts. It was assumed that if the different layers were not penetrated, the vest part would be considered sufficiently impact-resistant. In addition, the impact of the bullet in a plasticine matrix was examined. This impact must be less than 44 mm according to the standard.

The transition zone of the vest was tested with a 9 mm Fiocchi, using 0.385 grams of gunpowder N330 to shoot the bullet at 436 m / s. 6 and 7 layers were perforated, respectively. So the bullets didn't go through all layers, which implies a sufficient impact resistance. The impact depth was in each case smaller than 44 mm.

Additional testing was done with a .44 Magnum, using 1,265 grams of powder N110 to shoot the bullet at 436 m / s. 5 and 6 layers were perforated, respectively. So the bullets didn't go through all layers, which implies a sufficient impact resistance. The impact depth was in each case smaller than 44 mm.

Claims (18)

CONCLUSIONS Claimed protection vest, comprising a torso part (2) and a collar part (1) connected to the torso part by coupling means, wherein collar part (1) and torso part (2) are made up of one or more multi-layer material stacks, wherein a material stack (5) comprises aramid fiber or high-density polyolefin fiber, wherein individual material stacks of the collar part (5) are provided with coupling means (4) extending in the direction of the torso part, said coupling means being positioned between individual material stacks of the torso part (6) such that torso part ( 2) and collar part (1) are connected and are provided with at least 4 cm in a continuous transition (A-A ') between torso part (2) and collar part (1). Protective vest according to claim 1, wherein the coupling means (4) is a tooth-shaped coupling means with a base of 4 cm wide and a height of 5 cm. A protective vest according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein coupling means (4) of different material stacks (5) are positioned with respect to one another and along the longitudinal axis of the vest. Protective vest according to one of the preceding claims, wherein in the closed position the collar part (1) is positioned substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the collar part (2). Protective vest according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said transition (A-A ') has a ballistic resistance such that a bullet is stopped at a speed of up to 436 m / s according to NIJ Standard 01.01.04, class III A. Protective vest according to claim 5, wherein said transition (A-A ') has an impact resistance such that a bullet with a speed of up to 436 m / s is stopped with a trauma according to NIJ Standard 01.01.04, class III A, of less then 44 mm. Protective vest according to one of the preceding claims, in which the collar (A, B, C, x4) has a surface weight of less than 5.5 kg / m2. Protective vest according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a material stack (5 x 4) is a stack of flexible unidirectional layers (5) with fibers with a strength of at least 6 dN / tex, a modulus of at least 130 dN / tex and a fracture energy of at least 8 J / kg. The protective vest according to claim 8, wherein the fiber is an aramid or a polyolefin fiber. The protective vest of claim 9, wherein the polyolefin is high density polyethylene. A protective vest according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a material stack (5 x 4) comprises a textile fabric from woven aramid fibers or high-density polyethylene fibers. A protective vest according to any one of the preceding claims, packaged and made up in a woven equipment comprising a polyethylene, a polyester, a cotton or a polyamide fiber. Protective vest according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the individual layer (5) in the material stack has a weight of 100 to 300 g / m2 and the number of layers is 20 to 40. Protective vest according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the individual layer (5) in the material stack has a weight of at least 190 g / m2. The protective vest according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the number of layers is 25 to 35. Protective vest according to one of the preceding claims, with at least two anti-trauma layers. A collar for a protective vest described in any one of the preceding claims, comprising a collar part (1) provided with coupling means (4) for a torso part to form a protective vest in the coupled state, wherein collar part (1) and torso part (2) are composed of one or more multi-layer material stacks (4, 5, 6, x4), wherein a material stack comprises an aramid fiber or high-density polyolefin fiber, wherein individual material stacks of the collar part (5) are provided with coupling means (4) extending in the direction of the torso part ) to position between individual material stacks of the torso part (6) such that torso part (2) and collar part (1) are connectable and thereby provide a continuous transition between torso part and collar part of at least 4 cm. Method for manufacturing a collared protective vest according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a torso part (2) and a collar part (1), comprising the steps of: - providing a multi-layer material stack (6) for forming a torso part of a protective vest - providing a multilayer material stack (5) for forming a collar part of the protective vest, wherein the material stacks of the collar part are provided with coupling means (4) to form a protective vest in the coupled state, - assembling the material stacks thereby successively coupling the layer of the torso part (6) with the aid of the coupling means (4) to a layer of the collar part (5) thereby providing the required protective vest with a continuous transition between torso part and collar part of at least 4 cm.