US20230085150A1

US20230085150A1 - Laptop Sleeve Convertible to Personal Body Armor

Info

Publication number: US20230085150A1
Application number: US17/033,943
Authority: US
Inventors: Dan Uhm; Thomas Yang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2020-09-28
Filing date: 2020-09-28
Publication date: 2023-03-16

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to a protective sleeve for electronic products including laptops, tablets, and other electronic devices (hereinafter referred to as “Laptop Sleeve”) that easily and quickly converts into a light weight and compact personal ballistic body armor that can also provide effective stab resistance while being concealed as a commonly used and carried item.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:

Public shootings involving firearms are becoming more prevalent and fatal. With easy access to firearms, there is a reasonable fear of being a victim in a “mass shooting” incident. Public locations with events that gather large crowds are potential targets due to the higher probability of casualties.
Personal armor can be worn to protect oneself in a deadly situation involving a perpetrator with a firearm or edged weapon such as a knife.
Armor is completely ineffective if it is not readily available when needed. Existing inventions and products attempt to address this issue by incorporating ballistic armor into products such as bullet proof clip boards, armored briefcases, armored backpacks, etc.
Current inventions and products do not include a laptop sleeve product for consumers that easily and quickly converts into an armored ballistic resistant vest that can be worn by an individual during a mass shooting incident.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:

The present invention relates generally to a protective sleeve for electronic products including laptops, tablets, and other electronic devices that easily and quickly converts into a light weight and compact personal ballistic body armor that can also provide effective stab resistance while being concealed as a commonly used and carried item.
The Laptop Sleeve can be easily and quickly converted from its laptop sleeve configuration and utilized as a body armor that is worn as a vest by the user. The panels of the convertible sleeve are joined by a fully encompassing zipper around the entire circumference or by hook and loop, magnet, snap(s), button, buckles or any other alternative method that allows the joining and separation of the two panels that can be quickly and easily disconnected to separate the panels of the Laptop Sleeve to convert the sleeve to an armored vest that can be worn by an individual.
Once the Laptop Sleeve is converted to an armored vest, there are adjustable shoulder and side straps that can be adjusted to fit the height and width of an individual's torso.
Both side panels of the Laptop Sleeve feature an accessible pocket that holds the ballistic resistant armor for this novel product and application.
Depending on the threat level protection that is desired, the material used for these armor panels will vary and consequently the thickness, weight, and flexibility will change.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:

The accompanying drawings illustrate the general principles of the invention which are meant to be exemplary and not limiting:

FIG. 1 is a view of the convertible Laptop Sleeve in its laptop sleeve configuration.

FIG. 2 is a view of the convertible Laptop Sleeve in its laptop sleeve configuration, unzipped and separated into the two halves.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the convertible armor when deployed as a vest.

FIG. 4 is a sectioned view of the convertible armor interior.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT:

The following description of the preferred embodiment of the invention is exemplary and not to be limiting in scope, wherein the detailed description is meant to only provide illustrative depiction of the general principles and conceptual aspects of the invention. Any variation on the general design that can be derived by a person of relevant skillset for said invention are to be included within the scope of the invention. No attempt is made to show structural details of the invention in more detail than is necessary for the fundamental understanding of the invention, the description taken with the drawings and/or examples making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the invention may be embodied in practice. Throughout the whole of this application, singular terms used herein shall include pluralities and plural terms shall include the singular. Similarly, throughout the description and the claims, the words ‘comprise’, ‘comprising’, and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense.
The present invention relates generally to a protective sleeve for electronic products including laptops, tablets, and other electronic devices that easily and quickly converts into a light weight and compact personal ballistic body armor that can also provide effective stab resistance while being concealed as a commonly used and carried item.
FIG. 1 shows the present invention in its laptop sleeve configuration with the sleeve partially open to illustrate that ability to insert a laptop. 10 is a segmented representation of a laptop that can be inserted in the laptop sleeve configuration of the present invention. There is/are zipper pulls, 11, that allows for the zippers to glide along the full length of the zipper paths, 12, that completely encompass each panel and fully separate the two panels of the convertible armor. The zipper is partially open to expose the interior of the back panel shaded for illustration of the laptop being inserted. The area marked by 13 contains the armor material layers that provide the ballistic, stab, and impact resistance of the present invention. There is another armor material contained on the opposite panel in the background of the figure. The armor material is contained within each panel through reinforced stitching shown by 14 in the figure. This stitching can be comprised of any fibers with adequate strength and durability. The present embodiment utilizes high tenacity nylon or polyester fibers for the stitching.
When fully unzipped, the two panels of the convertible armor can be separated and quickly arranged to a vest configuration.
FIG. 2 shows the external sides, the face of the panel that would be directed outward when in the laptop configuration and away from the body when in the vest configuration, of the two armor panels when separated and laid side by side. A laptop can sit in the open area between the panels when in the closed laptop configuration. Reinforced stitching is used for all straps as depicted by 21. The side straps, 22 and 24, when not in use can be laid flat and over laid by the opposite side strap on that panel or tucked internally depending upon the intended use. The side straps use connectors (i.e. hook and loop, snaps, plastic connectors, etc.) which are adjustable to allow fit to different body sizes and shapes.
The two panels will combine at 25 back into the laptop sleeve configuration. All shoulder and side straps are comprised of an appropriate high denier nylon or polyester as the core and the appropriate hook or loop fabric or connector attached at the depicted locations discussed above
The straps can be assembled between the panel to act as shoulder and side straps for the convertible armor in its vest configuration depicted in FIG. 3 . Both the shoulder and side

Claims

1. A protective sleeve for electronic products including laptops, tablets, and other electronic devices (hereinafter referred to as “Laptop Sleeve”) that easily and quickly converts into a light weight and compact personal ballistic body armor that can also provide effective stab resistance while being concealed as a commonly used and carried item.

2. A convertible laptop sleeve and protective device comprising a first panel comprising a ballistic armor material; a second panel comprising a ballistic armor material; and a plurality of adjustable straps connecting the first and second panels, the straps adjustable in a first position where the first and second panels are spaced apart to form a laptop computer sleeve, the straps further adjustable in a second position where the first and second panels are wearable over a body portion of a human.

3. The device of claim 2, further comprising a zipper and zipper path attached to the first panel; and a zipper path attached to the second panel, where the zipper on the first panel is engageable with the zipper path on the second panel to connect the first and second panels and form a pocket for a laptop computer when the device is in the first position.

4. The device of claim, wherein the ballistic material of the first and second panels comprises ballistic and stab resistant materials i.e. Aramid (Kevlar), HDPE (High Density Poly Ethylene), Ceramic, Steel, Carbon Fiber, Graphene, or other polymers or combination of the above