NZ719280A - Apparel - Google Patents

Abstract

Emergency Quick Release System (EQRS) vest for service personnel is provided with a pull cord having a hand grip for instantaneously releasing the vest when being worn in response to an incident requiring immediate divestment of the vest by pulling the pull cord in a single hand movement to release at least the front part and rear part of the vest from each other thereby separating the vest into the front and rear parts allowing each part to quickly fall off the body of the service personnel, thus discarding the vest and freeing up the service personnel to take immediate evasive action. The pull cord has two cables, one on each side of the vest, threaded through a guide for guiding movement of the cables so that both sides of the front and rear parts of the vest are released simultaneously. The advantage of the vest is that it can be readily discarded as the occasion requires, but due to the construction of the vest, the cables can be readily and quickly rethreaded through the guides located within the vest to reconnect the front and rear parts to assemble the vest into a use configuration. se at least the front part and rear part of the vest from each other thereby separating the vest into the front and rear parts allowing each part to quickly fall off the body of the service personnel, thus discarding the vest and freeing up the service personnel to take immediate evasive action. The pull cord has two cables, one on each side of the vest, threaded through a guide for guiding movement of the cables so that both sides of the front and rear parts of the vest are released simultaneously. The advantage of the vest is that it can be readily discarded as the occasion requires, but due to the construction of the vest, the cables can be readily and quickly rethreaded through the guides located within the vest to reconnect the front and rear parts to assemble the vest into a use configuration.

Description

APPAREL The present invention relates generally to apparel and to methods of manufacturing and/or using the apparel.

In one form the present invention relates to protective apparel of the type used by the military and/or emergency service personnel to provide protection whilst engaged in potentially hazardous activities or in actual hazardous activities and to methods of manufacturing and/or using such protective apparel.

In one form the present invention relates to protective apparel, such as garments and other equipment and clothing worn by service personnel in military and emergency services to provide protection, which apparel can be discarded at will when needed to free the body of the wearer of the apparel as required and to methods of manufacturing such apparel allowing for easy removal of the apparel from the body when required, and to methods of using such apparel in hazardous situations.

The present invention finds particular application as apparel which is readily convertible between a normal in use configuration in which the apparel is worn on or about the body of a service personnel, and a release configuration in which the apparel can be discarded, particularly instantaneously discarded at will as required, by the wearer of the apparel to divest the wearer of the apparel in critical situations or environments allowing for improved freedom of movement.

Although embodiments of the apparel will be described with respect to specific examples it is to be noted that the scope of protection is not restricted to the described examples but rather the scope of protection is more extensive so as to include other forms and variations of the apparel, the method of construction of the apparel and the method of using the apparel, including methods of releasing the apparel in a variety of different situations.

BACKGROUND The present invention relates generally to protective apparel worn by military and 7658422_1 (GHMatters) P99737.NZ 20/04/16 service personnel including emergency response personnel. Although the invention will be described with particular reference to a readily disassemblable item of apparel such as a vest, safety vest or protective vest often referred to as Emergency Quick Release Systems (EQRS) clothing or vests, it is to be noted that the invention is not limited to the protective vest but rather the invention can include other forms of apparel such as for example, other protective clothing, garments, equipment, accessories or the like worn about different parts of the body. The invention will be described with reference to the vest for clarity of description and ease of understanding.

The method of construction of the described vest and the method of divestment of the vest are applicable to a wide variety of other apparel including jackets, coats, backpacks, rucksacks, survival kits, trousers and the like.

When a soldier is engaged in combat against an enemy it is often necessary for the soldier to have a military kit which is usually worn on or about the body of the soldier, such as for example as a protective jacket or vest worn about the torso of the body.

The kit often includes protective equipment such as armour plates or similar projectile- resistant items or material to provide safety for the soldier. The kit also includes other items of equipment which may be required during the military excursion including armaments, survival equipment or other offensive weapons. Of necessity, the kit is bulky and heavy which in some circumstances limits the flexibility and range of movement of the soldier in some situations, particularly when exposed to enemy fire.

A soldier sometimes encounters a situation where it is not convenient or desirable to continue to wear the military kit, such as for example when the soldier needs to squeeze through an opening having limited access or whilst under enemy fire having to squeeze into a confined space for protection, or to jump into a body of water where the kit would prevent or hinder free movement and may even put the life of the soldier at risk, such as by drowning. In such circumstances it is necessary to remove the kit or pack, sometimes almost instantaneously so as to minimise the risk of injury.

Accordingly, military kits or packs have been developed which are quickly released to enable the soldier to very quickly disassemble and discard the pack allowing it to be removed from the body quickly. Such kits, packs, vests and similar are referred to as Emergency Quick Release Systems (EQRS). 7658422_1 (GHMatters) P99737.NZ 20/04/16 Whilst currently available quick release packs are adequate, many suffer from one or more drawbacks or disadvantages. Such drawbacks include the length of time it takes to fully dismantle the pack so that it can be discarded owing to the manner in which the quick release is activated, such as for example by having quick release components that are cumbersome to use or have an unacceptably long delay in operation from being activated, such as by having quick release components which must travel lengthy distances after operation before release activation commences. Such delays can expose the soldier to risk of death or injury.

Other problems of existing packs or kits include not being able to reassemble the kit or pack quickly after the critical incident has finished, such as when the kit or pack needs to be reassembled so as to be able to be worn about the body again when the critical incident has passed to enable the soldier to continue the mission. Existing packs are difficult to reassemble quickly and efficiently owing to the nature of their construction due in part to the cumbersome arrangement of the quick release activation mechanism being used. Since time is of the essence in critical situations and whilst on patrol, it is highly desirable that a kit should be able to be reassembled as quickly as possible and as easily as possible so as not to expose the unprotected soldier unnecessarily to risk for the time it takes to reassemble or reconstitute the kit or pack and relocate the assembled kit or pack on the body.

Therefore there is a need for a quick release kit or pack that can not only be discarded quickly but also after being dismantled and discarded can be quickly and easily reassembled and put back together again.

Accordingly, it is an aim of the present invention to provide emergency quick release apparel which can be dismantled and reassembled quickly and efficiently.

Accordingly, it is an aim of the present invention to provide a method of constructing emergency quick release apparel allowing swift operation to divest the kit or pack from the wearer at will, owing to the method of construction of the apparel.

Accordingly, it is an aim of the present invention to provide a method of use of emergency quick release apparel allowing both quick dismantling of the apparel and quick assembling of the apparel. 7658422_1 (GHMatters) P99737.NZ 20/04/16 It is to be noted that not all embodiments will satisfy all aims. Some embodiments will satisfy one aim, other embodiments will satisfy another aim. Some embodiments will satisfy two or more aims.

SUMMARY According to one form of the present invention there is provided apparel selectively convertible between a first configuration being an assembled configuration in which the apparel is suitable for use and a second configuration being a disassembled configuration, the apparel comprising at least a first part conformed for use with a first part of the body of a user of the apparel, a second part conformed for use with a second part of the body of the user of the apparel, a releasably securable connector for selectively connecting and disconnecting the first part of the apparel and the second part of the apparel, a movable operating element movable between a first position and a second position, the first position corresponding to a secured position in which the first part and second part of the apparel are connected to one another and the second position corresponding to a release position in which the first part and second part are disconnected from each other allowing separation of the first and second parts from each other and a guide member for guiding movement of the operating element along a pre-arranged path wherein movement of the operating element in the first direction along the pathway determined by the guide results in the connector moving to a release position to allow the first part and second part of the apparel to separate from each other to form the second configuration of the apparel and wherein movement of the operating element in a second direction guided by the guide facilitates reconnection of the first and second parts of the apparel to one another to connect the first and second parts.

According to one form of the present invention there is provided an apparel selectively convertible between a first configuration and a second configuration in which the first configuration is a in use configuration and the second configuration corresponds to a disassembled configuration, the apparel comprising at least a first part and a second part, a moveable operating element capable of moving in a first direction and in a second direction, a guide for guiding movement of the movable operating element along a predetermined path when moving in the first direction and in the second 7658422_1 (GHMatters) P99737.NZ 20/04/16 direction wherein movement of the operating element along the predetermined path in the first direction disconnects the first part and second part thereby allowing separation of the first part and second part to form the apparel into the second configuration and movement of the operating element in the second direction guided by the guide member facilitates reconnection of the first part and second part of the apparel to form the apparel into the first configuration.

According to one form of the present invention there is provided a method of selectively converting an apparel between a first configuration being an assembled configuration in which the apparel is suitable for use and a second configuration being a disassembled configuration, the apparel comprising at least a first part conformed for use with a first part of the body of a user of the apparel, a second part conformed for use with a second part of the body of the user of the apparel, a releasably securable connector for selectively connecting and disconnecting the first part of the apparel and the second part of the apparel, the method comprising the steps of moving a movable operating element in a first direction between a first position and a second position within a guide member for guiding movement of the operating element along a pre- arranged path, the first position corresponding to a secured position in which the first part and second part of the apparel are connected to one another and the second position corresponding to a release position in which the first part and second part are disconnected from each other allowing separation of the first and second parts from each other, wherein movement of the operating element in the first direction along the pathway determined by the guide results in the connector moving to a release position to allow the first part and second part of the apparel to separate from each other to form the second configuration of the apparel.

According to one form of the present invention there is provided a method of selectively converting an apparel between a first configuration and a second configuration in which the first configuration is a in use configuration and the second configuration corresponds to a disassembled configuration, the apparel comprising at least a first part and a second part, comprising the steps of moving a moveable operating element a first direction within or through a guide for guiding movement of the movable operating element along a predetermined path, wherein movement of the operating element along the predetermined path in the first direction disconnects the first part and second part thereby allowing separation of the first part and second part 7658422_1 (GHMatters) P99737.NZ 20/04/16 to form the apparel into the second configuration allowing removal of the apparel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION Forms of the apparel include clothing, clothes, equipment, gear, outfits, garments, attire and the like. Typically, the apparel includes military equipment and clothing, emergency services equipment and clothing, outdoors equipment and clothing, extreme adventure and sports equipment and clothing and the like. More typically, the apparel includes equipment and clothing used by soldiers, emergency personnel, personnel from quick response organisations, persons engaged in potentially dangerous or actually dangerous pursuits, such as extreme sports or recreation, such as mountain climbing, caving, snow sports, shooting, law enforcement, or the like where there is sometimes an imperative to quickly divest protective clothing.

Forms of the apparel include jackets, coats, vests, backpacks, rucksacks, safety vests, or other garments worn about the upper torso, including armoured jackets, flak jackets, protective jackets and vests, emergency quick response system clothing of the type worn by front line soldiers and other military personnel or armed forces that are more than likely to come under attack by an armed enemy or similar.

Forms of the apparel have different interconnected components, including components located at or towards the front of a person. Typically, the apparel has components worn by a person at or towards the front of a person, such as for example, in front of the chest or abdomen to provide protection from frontal attack, and components located at or towards the rear of a person, typically worn on the back of a person to provide protection from attack from the rear. Other forms include parts worn on or about the arms of a person and/or about the torso or main core of the body, including around the girth of a person, such as around the stomach of a person, including belly bands, cummerbunds, waist straps or the like.

Other forms of the apparel can be worn about the lower part of the body, such as around the lower torso, thighs, legs, or similar.

Preferably, the apparel is a quick response vest that is able to be dismantled and discarded instantaneously so that the garment can be removed from the wearer at will, 7658422_1 (GHMatters) P99737.NZ 20/04/16 and then quickly reassembled after the emergency has passed.

Typically, the first part of the vest is a front pad or panel adapted to conform to the shape of the chest, abdomen, midriff or other front part of the body of the person wearing the vest. In one form, the vest is provided with one or more pockets or compartments for containing armour, such as for example armour plate, armour panel, or the like including panels made from Kevlar, or other projectile resistant material including panels made from layers of the same or different materials, including a laminate structure.

In one form the front part of the vest is provided with a front flap, front cover, front skirt, or front panel which is either permanently connected to the front pad or panel, such as for example, by a hinge, including a row or line of stitching or other suitable fastener or fitting or is releasably attachable to the front pad or panel, such as by a releasable fastening system or fixing arrangement, including a loop and hook arrangement or assembly, such as for example Velcro fastening or the like.

In one form, the front flap or front cover provides protection for the releasably securable connector in the form of a release mechanism or release assembly including the operating element, typically, the movable operating element, the operation of which results in the various individual interconnected parts being disconnected from each other to separate into the individual components to allow the wearer to divest themselves of the vest, such as for example, by the individual components falling separately to the ground under the effect of gravity due to the weight of the individual components when the operating element is activated.

In one form the front flap or cover conceals or overlies the movable operating element or assembly of the release mechanism or assembly. In forms of the vest, the operating element is accessible through the front cover or flap, such as for example, through an opening or access hatch or cut-out provided in the cover. In forms of the vest the operating element is accessible along the lower edge in use of the vest, typically, through the lower end, edge, rim, side or similar of the flap or cover. Optionally, the cover is provided with a cut-out, rebate, hatch, window or similar in the lower part of the cover to allow access to the operating element for operation of the release mechanism or assembly by pulling the operating element downwards, outwards or a 7658422_1 (GHMatters) P99737.NZ 20/04/16 combination of outwards and downwards motions, typically in a single swift movement of the arm, such as for example, movement of the arm in an arc.

Forms of the operating element include devices or components having a handle or grip portion or part being of a size, shape, profile or style that can be swiftly and effectively grasped by one hand or by one or more fingers of one hand to pull, yank, release, tug, wrench, jerk, haul, drag, twitch, snatch, rip, jolt, or the like the grip or handle to release the mechanism holding the vest together.

In one form the handle portion is a grip portion, typically adapted for cooperation with one or more of the fingers of a hand. In one form, the handle is provided with a thumb hole or slot or a finger hole or slot for receiving the thumb and/or one or more fingers.

In one form the handle is a ring, cavity, depression, projection, loop, opening, hand hole, hand slot or the like. More typically, the handle is contoured or profiled to conform to the shape of the hand, typically being complementary to the shape of the hand when clenched.

Forms of the operating element are a pull cord, drawstring, rip cord, release cord or the like. In one form the pull cord includes one or more elongate flexible members, such as for example, filamentary members, fibrous members, in the form of long thin strips of suitable material, including fingers, tentacles, cords, loops, or the like. In one form the filaments are flexible rods, cables, wires, tubes, including solid flexible rods and hollow flexible tubes. In one form, the pull cord, particularly in the form of a flexible rod is made from a suitable plastic material, such as for example, nylon, elastane, polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, polyether, polyester or the like, including nylon 6, nylon 66 or the like.

Forms of the flexible tube or rod are slippery or are lubricated or have an amount of lubricity to allow the lengths to freely slide through guide members or keepers for guiding movement of the rod or tube. Forms of the guide members include sleeves, conduits, channels, loops and the like for efficient and effective operation, both for assembling the vest and dismantling the vest. Forms of the operating element are treated to improve the free run of the rod, tube, cable or the like, such as for example, being coated with a protective coating, a friction reducing coating or the like. In our form, the cable is coated with PTFE, a non-stick coating to ensure that the cable is free 7658422_1 (GHMatters) P99737.NZ 20/04/16 running or free moving for allowing instantaneous free sliding movement without interruption.

Forms of the cable have a free or distal end. Typically, the free end is tapered, bevelled or similar or is provided with a stiffening element or fitting such as an aglet, or the like. Forms of the end of the cable, rod, cord, string or similar include being tapped, treated with wax, rod, cord, string or similar include being tapped, treated with wax, resin, glue, or heat shrink wrapped or the like to form a more easily threadable end on the rod, tube or similar.

The cable can be made from any suitable material or mixture or composite of two or more materials. One preferred form of the material is nylon 6. In one form there is a single cable. However, it is preferred to have two or more cables joined or connected to a single handle in which pulling on the handle draws both cables simultaneously to release both sides of the vest simultaneously allowing the vest to separate on both sides of the body into the individual components which readily fall away from the body under the influence of gravity.

Having two or more cables allows the cables to be of shorter length so that the delay between operating the pull cord and activation of the vest is reduced because there is less distance for the end of the cable to travel before disconnection of the connector holding the front and back panels of the vest to one another or to the vest occurs, and the panels begin to separate so that they can fall off the body of the user without undue delay.

Forms of the apparel allow operation of the major components on one side only, or on the other side only, or in sequence, first one side and then the other side as well as both sides simultaneously depending upon circumstances or requirements and the exact form of the apparel and the nature of the emergency situation.

Forms of the vest have a main release mechanism including a main operating element such as a pull cord, and an auxiliary release mechanism such as a waist strap, belly band, cummerbund or the like. The auxiliary release mechanism includes a quick release fastener, such as for example one or more side squeeze release fasteners which are activated by squeezing opposite tongues of the fasteners which are received 7658422_1 (GHMatters) P99737.NZ 20/04/16 in complementary sockets, quad buckles, cam buckles, ladder locks, snap locks or the like.

Forms of the connector include a length of flexible material, such as a small length of cord or similar formed into a loop. One form of the connector loop is paracord, parachute cord, 550 cord, or the like. Paracord is a lightweight Kermantle rope having a number of yarns, such as for example, 5 or 7 separate yarns in which each yarn is formed from two strands intertwined together, all covered by a suitable outer covering, such as a flexible sheath. However, other forms of the connector are possible, including other releasably securable fasteners, such as rings, toggles, loops, hooks, projections or the like.

In one form the nylon rod is received through the paracord loop to form the connector for connecting the front panel to the rear panel when the vest is in the use or assembled configuration. Removal of the nylon rod from the paracord loop releases the connector thus disconnecting the front part of the vest from the rear part and/or side parts, such as the shoulder straps, arm bands, sleeves of the vest or the like to separate the vest into individual components which are released to fall away from the body.

Forms of the guide include a passage through the vest, typically through the front panel or pad. Forms of the guide include a channel, conduit, sleeve, elongate gap or space, a slot, cut-outs, a tube, cavity, compartment, collar, elongate void or the like, or a combination thereof.

In one form the guide receives the cable or the flexible rod or tube. The guide can be a single guide, two or more aligned guides or a group of guides in alignment with each other, such as to form a segmented guide. Forms of the channel, conduit, sleeve, tube, etc. can be coated with a protective coating or a friction reducing coating or lubricant. In one form, the pull cord is a cable or flexible rod located within a tube with the tube defining the predetermined pathway along which the cable or flexible rod travels in operation. In other forms the guide is one or more pockets or sheaths formed in or on the front part of the vest and extending in the direction towards the rear part of the vest along the shoulder strap on either side of the vest. 7658422_1 (GHMatters) P99737.NZ 20/04/16 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Embodiments of apparel will now be described in detail by way of example to illustrate forms of apparel with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a front perspective view of one form of an EQRS Vest in a use or assembled configuration; Figure 2 is a front perspective view of the vest of Figure 1 in a partial release configuration showing one shoulder strap separated from the remainder of the vest; Figure 3 is a front perspective view of the vest of Figure 1 in a further release configuration prior to being discarded in which the midriff strap is released; Figure 4 is a partially exposed front perspective view of the vest of Figure 1 in a use configuration showing one form of the operating element in a secured position; Figure 5 is a partially exposed front perspective view of the vest of Figure 1 in a partially released position showing one shoulder strap being separated from the remainder of the vest; Figure 6 is a further partially exposed front perspective view of the vest of Figure 1 in a further partially released position in which the pull cord has travelled further in a release direction; Figure 7 is a partially exposed front perspective view of the vest of Figure 1 in a fully released configuration; Figure 8 is a partially exposed front perspective view of the vest of Figure 1 is a partially re-assembled configuration; Figure 9 is a partially exposed front perspective view of the vest of Figure 1 in a fully re-assembled configuration; and Figures 10 to 13 are perspective views of different forms of the operating element. 7658422_1 (GHMatters) P99737.NZ 20/04/16 DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENT One form of an emergency quick release system vest (EQRS) will now be described with reference to the drawings. The vest is constructed in such a manner so as to be able to be disassembled or dismantled almost instantaneously when a critical event or incident is encountered by the persons when wearing the vest by the various interconnected components of the vest being disconnected from each other in response to pulling on a suitable operative element holding the vest together, typically after grasping a handle attached to a pull cord, and pulling the handle in a downwards and/or outwards direction in a single arm movement to release the connection between the component parts of the vest from each other thus allowing the component parts to separate from each other to release the vest. Then, when the incident is over, the vest can be reassembled by reversing the direction of travel of the pull cord to reconnect the various components together to form the assembled vest so that the vest is ready for use again.

One form of the vest will now be described. It is to be noted that for clarity of description and ease of understanding the vest will be described with reference to two major components, being the front pad or panel and the rear or back pad or panel together with auxiliary components being the pair of shoulder straps interconnecting the front and back pads at either side of the vest and the belly band or waist strap for encircling the torso of the user of the vest in the midriff area for additionally attaching the vest to the body of the person. The vest can have any suitable, convenient or appropriate form, and may include many other components, compartments, pockets or similar connected to one or other compartments, such as for example, to the front or back pad, arm pads, cummerbund or the like. Other components include hooks, loops, straps, carabiners.

Vest, generally denoted as 10, includes a front assembly, typically in the form of a front pad or panel 12 having a multitude of compartments, pockets or the like (not shown) for containing items of equipment, armoury or the like. Pad 12 is provided with a front flap or cover 14 for covering the front side of pad 12 when the vest is being worn. In one form front flap 14 is provided with transversely extending strips 16 extending from one side of front pad 12 to the other. Strips 16 are in the form of belts having spaced 7658422_1 (GHMatters) P99737.NZ 20/04/16 apart rows of stitching for forming spaces therebetween for receiving items of equipment, such as for example by being received in the spaces or being clipped or fastened to the spaces by suitable clips, lanyards, tethers or the like, to hang down from the belt.

Front pad 12 is provided with left hand side shoulder strap extension 13 permanently flexibly fastened to the upper left hand side of panel 12 for releasably connecting to a left hand side shoulder strap 18 which extends effectively between front pad 12 and rear pad 20 located at the back of the user of the vest 10. Shoulder strap 18 is provided with a shoulder pad 15 which is releasably fastenable to strap 18 by a suitable releasably securable fastener such as a tag having a Velcro type fastener.

Front end 22 of shoulder strap 18 is releasably connected to front pad 12 by releasable connector 24 to be described in more detail later. Shoulder pad 15 assists in maintaining connection between rear pad 20 and extension 13 and hence maintaining vest 10 in the use position in an assembled configuration by capturing and anchoring the operating element for releasing vest 10 to the release position to convert the vest to the disassembled configuration.

Left shoulder strap extension 13 is provided with loop 19 and shoulder strap 18 is provided with aperture or eyelet 21, with loop 19 being received through eyelet 21 when vest 10 is in the use position. In one form loop 19 is formed by stitching both free ends to part of front panel 12. However loop 19 can take any convenient form and be fastened to front panel 12 or extension 13 in any suitable manner. The operating element which is to be described in more detail later, is received through the opening of loop 19 to connect panels 12 and 20 to each other in the use configuration. Loop 19 is made from a length of paracord which has both free ends stitched to shoulder extension 13 at spaced apart locations. Loop 19 forms an opening through which the end of the operating element is received as shown more particularly in Figure 4. The distal end of the operating element is tapered or provided with aglets or other fitting for facilitating ease of entry of the free end of the operating element into and through the opening formed by loop 19. Having the operating element received through loop 19 secures shoulder strap 18 to front pad 12 through extension 13, and this ensures that vest 10 maintains the use configuration.

Rear end 26 of left hand shoulder strap 18 is more or less fixedly connected to rear 7658422_1 (GHMatters) P99737.NZ 20/04/16 pad 20 such as for example by a suitable permanent coupling or fastener including a Velcro fastener of loops and hooks. In some forms of the vest the rear end of shoulder strap 18 is releasably connected to rear pad 20 but upon release of vest 10, remains connected to rear pad 20 when the front end 22 is released from front pad 12.

A similar arrangement is provided on the other side of vest 10, being the right hand side. Right hand side shoulder strap 28, similar to left hand strap 18, is provided on the other side of vest 10, to extend between front pad 12 and rear pad 20 in a manner similar to that of left hand strap 18 by having front end 30 being releasably connected to right hand side shoulder strap extension 33 permanently connected to front pad 12 at the right side upper edge of pad 12, and rear end 32 being more or less fixedly connected to rear pad 20, albeit by a coupling or fastener that itself can be released if required. However, front end 30 is released preferentially from front pad 12 rather than rear end 32 being released from rear pad 20 during release of vest 10 from being worn as will be described in more detail later.

Left hand side belly band 36 is provided at the left side of vest 10 to extend between front pad 12 and rear pad 20 around the torso of the user. Front end 38 of left belly band 36 is connected to front pad 12 by a selectively manually operated fastener, such as a side squeeze fastener 40 or the like and an automatically releasable arrangement 42 which is automatically released upon operation of vest 10 to the disassembled configuration. In one form automatic release arrangement 42 includes sleeve or pocket 44 as shown more particularly in Figures 4 to 8.

Rear end (not shown) of left side belly band 36 is either permanently connected or fixed to rear pad 20 or is continuously extended around the back torso of the wearer of vest 10 to be connected to the right hand side of pad 12 or to be connected permanently to right hand side belly band 37. In one form right hand side of the belly band 37 is connected to front pad 12 by both a selectively manually separable fastener such as for example a side squeeze fastener 40 or the like and an automatically releasable fastening arrangement which releases automatically when vest 10 is to be discarded from the wearer. In one form the automatic release arrangement includes sleeves or pockets for cooperating with the operating element.

Returning to the operating element, one embodiment of the operating element is in the 7658422_1 (GHMatters) P99737.NZ 20/04/16 form of a pull cord 50. Other forms of the operating element are possible. Pull cord 50 is located beneath front flap 14 to extend downwards below the lower edge of front flap 14 and front pad 12. Pull cord 50 is provided with a handle 52 having a finger grip or similar allowing pull cord 50 to be grasped by the fingers and swiftly pulled downwards in a single movement of the hand to release vest 10 into the disassembled configuration.

With particular reference to Figures 4 to 8 one form of pull cord 50 will now be described and its relationship to both front pad 12 and rear pad 20 and to shoulder straps 18,28. Pull cord 50 is provided with a pair of flexible filamentary cables 60 extending from handle 52 to a distance sufficient to extend into left and right shoulder straps 18, 28, respectively, particularly to the respective shoulder pads 15 on either side of vest 10.

When vest 10 is in the use configuration, suitable for being worn by a user of the vest, pull cord 50 is in the fully retracted position as shown more particularly in Figures 1 and 9 in which handle 52 is in abutting relationship or nearly so with a retainer 54 in the form of a pair of spaced apart separate fixed sleeves 62 acting as part of the guiding system of the guide member for guiding movement of pull cord 52 in operation of vest 10. It is to be noted that sleeves 62 are fixedly connected to pad 12 such as by a row of stitching or the like. However, sleeves 62 are located at the distal ends of retainer 54 which in one form is a pair of flexible tabs 64 allowing an amount of movement of sleeves 62.

Further parts of the automatic release arrangement will now be described. A left side connector piece 66 extends from the front end of the side squeeze connector 40 joined to left belly band 36. Connecter piece 66 has a first sleeve 68 located more centrally of vest 10 for receiving therethrough left side cable 60 and a second sleeve 70 located more laterally of vest 10, for receiving therethrough part of side squeeze releasable fastener 40 to anchor the front end of left side belly band 36 in place during use of vest When pull cord 50 is pulled downwards cable 60 is pulled out of sleeve 68 thereby allowing belly band 36 and attached fittings to be separated from front pad 12 to allow front pad 12 and back pad 20 to separate. 7658422_1 (GHMatters) P99737.NZ 20/04/16 A second retainer 56 is permanently connected to pad 12 and has the form of two flexible tabs 74 centrally stitched or otherwise adhered either directly or indirectly to pad 12. Retainer 56 is provided with a sleeve 76 on either outer side of tabs 74 for receiving therethrough the left hand side cable and the right hand side cable 60, respectively. The retainer in the form of tab 74 and sleeves 76 form part of the guide for guiding movement of cables 60 moving in both directions, i.e. downwards to release vest 10 and upwards to reassemble vest 10.

A channel 80 is formed either directly or indirectly within the body of front pad 12 or on the surface of front pad 12 or in a combination of different parts of front pad 12 to extend from sleeve 76 via strap extension 13 through loop 19 to the front end of shoulder strap 18 to be held captive at the front end of shoulder strap 18 by shoulder pad 15 having a suitable tab 17 for enclosing the tapered end or aglet end 84 of cable 60.

When an incident occurs and vest 10 is to be discarded instantaneously the person wearing vest 10 swiftly grasps handle 52 and pulls down on pull cord 50 which in turn swiftly moves cable 60 in a downwards movement. As cable 60 moves downwardly the free end 84 of cable 60 is pulled out of contact within the opening of loop 19 thereby releasing loop 19 from eyelet 21 separating shoulder strap 18 from extension 13 thus separating this side of front pad 12 from back pad 20 to allow the back pad to fall away from the front pad. Cable 60 on the other side of vest 10 undergoes the same movement at the same time since both cables 60 are joined to single handle 52, thereby separating the other sides of front and back pads 12, 20 from each other to allow separated back pad 20 to fall to ground under its own weight and to allow front pad 12 to fall to ground under its own weight thus converting vest 10 into the disassembled configuration.

After exiting loop 19, tapered end 84 of cable 60 is pulled through sleeves 76 of the retainer 74 and through sleeves 68 of connector piece 66 and sleeves 62 of tabs 64 of retainer 54 to fully exit from being retained to front pad 12 thereby releasing belly band 36,37 from being retained, thereby further separating back pad 20 from front pad 12 to allow both front and back pads to fall separately to ground almost instantaneously since the same occurrence takes place on both sides of vest 10 simultaneously to 7658422_1 (GHMatters) P99737.NZ 20/04/16 release both sides of the vest.

Assembly of vest 10 is the reverse of separation of the vest into the two main components of front pad 12 and back pad 20.

Taking front pad 12 first, the tapered distal end 84 of cable 60 is threaded through sleeve 62 of tabs 64 of retainer 54 in order to locate and orient end 84 of cable 60.

Sleeve 44 of interconnector piece 42 is aligned with the tapered free end 84 of cable 60 and pull cord 50 pushed generally upwards to be received entirely through sleeve 44 which is then aligned with sleeve 76 of retainer 74 so that the free end 84 of cable 60 can be threaded through all of the aligned sleeves. In this position the free end 84 of cable 60 is located at the entrance or opening aperture of conduit 80 and pushed so that cable 60 travels through conduit 80 to emerge on extension 13 next to loop 19.

Loop 19 is pushed through eyelet 21 to form an opening on the other side of eyelet 21 extending outwardly from the plane of shoulder strap extension 13. The free end 84 of cable 60 is located through the opening of loop 19 to secure the front and back pads to one another. Pull cord 50 can then be pushed fully home using handle 52 to adopt the fully retracted position with free end 84 of cable 60 in alignment with shoulder strap 18 whereupon securing flap 17 of shoulder pad 15 can be closed over the free end 84 of cable 60 to anchor cable 60 in position to prevent inadvertent or accidental operation of pull cord 50 in normal usage of vest 10 thereby preventing unwanted separation of the front and back panels and discarding of vest 10.

As the other side of vest 10 is identical to the side just described, pushing on pull cord 50 in a general upwards direction pushes both cables 60 simultaneously through the respective sleeves and channel acting as the guide and loops acting as part of the connector to secure both cables in place and hence retain pull cord 50 in the fully home position ready for operating again as the need arises.

MODIFICATIONS In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word “comprise” or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising” is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to 7658422_1 (GHMatters) P99737.NZ 20/04/16 preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention.

It is to be understood that, if any prior art publication is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country.

It will be understood to persons skilled in the art of the invention that many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 7658422_1 (GHMatters) P99737.NZ 20/04/16 THE

Claims (2)

CLAIMS 1. DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOW:

1. Apparel selectively convertible between a first configuration being an assembled configuration in which the apparel is suitable for use and a second 5 configuration being a disassembled configuration, the apparel comprising a first part conformed for use with a first part of the body of a user of the apparel, a second part conformed for use with a second part of the body of the user of the apparel, a releasably securable connector for selectively connecting and disconnecting the first part of the apparel and the second part of the apparel, a 10 movable operating element movable between a first position and a second position, the first position corresponding to a secured position in which the first part and second part of the apparel are connected to one another and the second position corresponding to a release position in which the first part and second part are disconnected from each other allowing separation of the first 15 and second parts from each other and a guide member for guiding movement of the operating element along a pre-arranged path wherein movement of the operating element in the first direction along the pathway determined by the guide results in the connector moving to a release position to allow the first part and second part of the apparel to separate from each other to form the second 20 configuration of the apparel and wherein movement of the operating element in a second direction guided by the guide facilitates reconnection of the first and second parts of the apparel to one another to connect the first and second parts. 25

2. Apparel selectively convertible between a first configuration and a second configuration in which the first configuration is a in use configuration and the second configuration corresponds to a disassembled configuration, the apparel comprising a first part and a second part, a moveable operating element capable of moving in a first direction and in a second direction, a guide for 30 guiding movement of the movable operating element along a predetermined path when moving in the first direction and in the second direction wherein movement of the operating element along the predetermined path in the first direction disconnects the first part and second part thereby allowing separation of the first part and second part to form the apparel into the second 35 configuration and movement of the operating element in the second direction 7658422_1 (GHMatters) P99737.NZ 20/