GB2210773A - Protective shields - Google Patents

Abstract

A protective shield to be worn by a person is formed from a penetration resistant plate 1, 2. The plate 1, 2 has a reinforced zone 9, 10 having enhanced penetration resistance located over a high risk area of the wearer's body. The plate 1, 2 may be a polycarbonate sheet and the reinforced zone 9, 10 may be formed by a thickened area of the plate or by an attached section of reinforcing material. Individual reinforcing plates may instead be inserted into pockets in a jacket or other garment. <IMAGE>

Description

PROTECTIVE SHIELDS This invention relates to personal protective shields to provide protection against missiles and offensive weapons such as bullets, shrapnel and knives.

It is well known to construct bullet-proof vests from multiple layers of fabric woven from an aramid fibre which is sold by Du Pont under the trade mark KEVLAR. This material combines high penetration resistance with lightness and flexibility.

Where protection is required against a low level of threat (i.e.

relatively small calibre, low velocity bullets) it is possible to achieve this with a Kevlar vest structure which can be worn comfortably and unobtrusively. British Patent 1,556,245 describes the use of a trauma pack which is incorporated in a bullet-proof vest behind the usual Kevlar layers. With this arrangement better protection can be achieved because the trauma pack acts to reinforce the stopping action of the Kevlar layers and spread impact shock over a relatively wide area.

British Patent 2061089 describes the use of a ceramic insert at the front of a bullet-proof vest incorporating Kevlar layers. This gives good protection against high level threats since, for example, high velocity bullets can be broken up or deflected by impact with the ceramic material before reaching the Kevlar layers.

The protective structures of the abovementioned prior patents are in practice of a relatively substantial nature and it may not always be suitable or convenient for such structures to be worn. There can be cases where regional protection against a high level of threat is required but the overall risk is not sufficiently great to justify the wearing of a garment giving extensive high level protection. This may be the case, for example, in crowd policing operations where the use of firearms is not likely but knife attacks are possible and therefore protection at least of vital organs against serious injury by stabbing is required.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a protective shield structure capable of giving good protection yet which can be relatively simple and easy to use.

According to the invention therefore there is provided a protective shield comprising at least one penetration-resistant plate structure adapted to be worn by a person, said plate having at least one reinforced zone having higher penetration resistance than other nonreinforced regions of the plate structure.

With this arrangement, protection for one or more high risk areas of the body, such as the region of the heart and other vital organs, can be achieved in a simple and convenient manner by wearing the protective shield with the reinforced zone or zones appropriately positioned in superimposed disposition relative to the high risk area or areas. There is no need for the person to wear a substantial bullet-proof vest or similar protective structure giving extensive overall body protection, although if desired it will be understood that the protective device of the invention can be used additionally to a bulletproof vest or other extensive protective structure and this may advantageously permit simple and convenient upgrading of a protective garment which is effective only against low level threats to give protection against high level threats in one or more high risk body areas.

The plate structure of the shield of the invention may be flat or may be shaped e.g. to conform to the surface contour of a person's body. Two or more plates may be used to give protection to different parts of the body. Thus, there may be one or more breast plates, back plates, side plates, groin plates, throat plates, ankle plates etc.

Mounting of the protective shield on the person's body may be achieved in any suitable manner. Thus, the shield may have straps or other attachments which enable the shield to be worn as a selfsupporting garment independently of any other garment. In this case, where there are two or more plates as mentioned above, these may be permanently linked together or they may be detachably linked together to facilitate fitting of the garment and/or to permit selection of the body areas to be protected. Alternatively, the shield may be adapted to be worn by detachable or removable mounting relative to another garment. For example the shield may have one or more tags or fasteners (e.g. Velcro fasteners) for detachable engagement with another garment, or the shield may be adapted to fit into one or more pockets or other retaining sections in another garment.

With regard to the nature of the plate structure, this may be formed from any suitable material or combination of materials. Preferably one or more sheets of a flexible semi-stiff polycarbonate material, such as that sold under the trade name LEXAN is used, such sheet or sheets having a total thickness e.g. in the range linm to 6mm.

Zone reinforcement may be achieved by forming the plate structure material with one or more zones of increased thickness and/or by bonding or otherwise fixing additional material of the same or different kind to the plate structure. Thus, the above described polycarbonate may be moulded with one or more regions of increased thickness and/or additional polycarbonate material or metal pieces or metal chain structure or other reinforcing material may be bonded or otherwise fixed to the polycarbonate.

The plate structure may be combined with one or more auxiliary layers such as one or more layers of Kevlar material and or one or more layers of foamed plastics material in front of and/or behind the plate structure to give increased penetration resistance and/or shock absorption.

The invention will now be described further by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a diagrammatic perspective view of one form of a protective shield according to the present invention.

The protective shield comprises a shaped breast plate 1 and a shaped back plate 2 each formed from semi-stiff polycarbonate sheeting (LEXAN). The plates 1, 2 are shaped by moulding to conform, in general terms, to the profile of a wearer's body.

Two shoulder straps 3, 4 are fixed to the top corners of each plate 1, 2 and the straps can be joined together by Velcro fasteners 5. Two side straps 6, 7 are fixed to the bottom corners of each plate 1, 2 and these can be joined together by side buckles 8.

The front plate 1 is of constant thickness (in the range 1 to 6 mm) except for a heart region 9 where the thickness is increased (e.g. doubled) by bonding of an extra piece of polycarbonate sheeting to the plate 1. The back plate 2 is thickened in the heart region 10 in similar manner.

In use, the interconnected top straps 3, 4 fit over a person's shoulders, and the side straps 6, 7 are buckled together, whereby the plates 1, 2 are held securely against the person's breast and back areas. The plates 1, 2 may be fitted beneath a jacket or other article of clothing, or, if desired, they may be freely exposed on top of clothing. The plates 1, 2, when fitted, act to resist penetration e.g. by a knife, and this resistance is particularly high in the vicinity of the person's heart.

It will be appreciated that the protective shield is particularly easy and convenient to use yet gives excellent protection against stabbing and similar localised attack in the high risk heart region of the body. If desired the protection can be extended by attaching further polycarbonate plates (with or without thickened regions) by means of Velcro tags or other articulated connections. Thus, side plates, groin plates etc. can be used. Also one or more plates may have two or more thickened regions.

If desired the plates 1, 2 can be used in conjunction with a separate bullet-proof vest or other protective garment (on top or beneath same) to enable the penetration resistance to be supplemented in a simple and convenient manner.

It is of course to be understood that the invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above embodiment which are described by way of example only. Thus, for example, instead of using a self-supporting shield structure it is possible to use individual plates which are inserted into pockets in a jacket or other garment, which pockets may be zipped or otherwise arranged to be fastened to hold the plates in position. Also, the plates may be attached directly by Velcro fasteners or the like to co-operable fasteners on a jacket or other garment. Whatever arrangement is used it will be appreciated that the plate or plates forming the protective shield are separate from any other protective garment or structure. The protective shield provides an independent protective action which may be utilised by itself or as a supplement to the protective action of any other protective garment or structure.

It may also be possible to use expanded metal, preferably titanium, formed by the two.dimensional stretching of slotted metal sheet, attached by for example bonding to the protective shield thus forming the reinforced zones.

Claims (10)

1. A protective shield comprising at least one penetration-resistant plate structure adapted to be worn by a person, said plate having at least one penetration-resistant plate structure adapted to be worn by a person, said plate having at least one reinforced zone having higher penetration resistance than other non-reinforced regions of the plate structure.

2. A protective shield according to claim 1, wherein the shield has attachments which enable it to be worn as a self supporting garment.

3. A protective shield according to either of claims 1 or 2, wherein said shield comprises a plurality of plates linked together.

4. A protective shield according to claim 3, wherein the said plates are detachably linked together.

5. A protective shield according to claim 1, wherein said shield has attachment means whereby it can be mounted relative to another garment.

6. A protective shield according to claim 5, wherein said attachment means comprises fasteners for detachable engagement with the other garment.

7. A protective shield according to claim 5, wherein said shield is adapted to fit into retaining sections in another garment.

8. A protective shield according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said plate structure is formed from at least one sheet of a flexible semi-stiff polycarbonate material.

9. A protective shield according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said reinforced zone is formed by a region of increased thickness of the plate structure.

10. A protective shield substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

10. A protective shield according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said reinforced zone is formed by an expanded metal section fixed to the plate structure.

11. A protective shield according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the plate structure is combined with one or more auxiliary layers.

12. A protective shield substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. A protective shield comprising at least one penetration-resistant plate structure adapted to be worn by a person, said plate structure having at least one reinforced zone having higher penetration resistance than other non-reinforced regions of the plate structure, said reinforced zone being formed by an expanded metal section fixed to the plate structure.

2. A protective shield according to claim 1, wherein the shield has attachments which enable it to be worn as a self supporting garment.

3. A protective shield according to either of claims 1 or 2, wherein said shield comprises a plurality of plates linked together.

4. A protective shield according to claim 3, wherein the said plates are detachably linked together.

5. A protective shield according to claim 1, wherein said shield has attachement means -whereby it can be mounted relative to another garment.

6. A protective shield according to claim 5, wherein said attachment means comprises fasteners for detachable engagement with the other garment.

7. A protective shield according to claim 5, wherein said shield is adapted to fit into retaining sections in another garment.

8. A protective shield according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said plate structure is formed from at least one sheet of a flexible semi-stiff polycarbonate material.

9. A protective shield according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the plate structure is combined with one or more auxiliary layers.