Armored jacket for motorcycle riders

Claim 2

An armored jacket for protecting a wearer against injury comprising: a substantially rigid vest shell having head, arms, and torso openings, the shell including front and back plates separable from each other on two pairs of interfacing edges extending generally along the sides and front shoulders of the vest shell; a rigid collar extending generally divergently from the head opening, the collar including a front portion extending from the front plate and a back portion extending from the back plate; means for mechanically interlocking at least portions of the two pairs of interfacing edges of the front and back plates; means for hinging the front and back plates at the side of the vest between one pair of interfacing side edges; means for latching together the unhinged pair of interfacing edges of the front and back plates, the interlocking means, front and back plates cooperating to define the substantially rigid vest shell; and padding means distributed along at least some interior portions of the jacket shell for providing a cushion for the wearer.

Claim 3

An armored jacket for protecting a wearer against injury comprising: a substantially rigid vest shell having head, arms, and torso openings, the shell including front and back plates separable from each other on two pairs of interfacing edges extending generally along the sides and front shoulders of the vest shell; a rigid collar extending generally divergently from the head opening, the collar including a front portion extending from the front plate and a back portion extending from the back plate; means for mechanically interlocking at least portions of the two pairs of interfacing edges of the front and back plates; means for hinging the front and back plates at the side of the vest between one pair of interfacing side edges; means for latching together the unhinged pair of interfacing edges of the front and back plates, the interlocking means, front and back plates cooperating to define the substantially rigid vest shell; and padding means distributed along at least some interior portions of the jacket shell for providing a cushion for the wearer.

Claim 4

An armored jacket for protecting a wearer against injury comprising: a substantially rigid vest shell having head, arms, and torso openings, the shell including front and back plates separable from each other on two pairs of interfacing edges extending generally along the sides and front shoulders of the vest shell; a rigid collar extending generally divergently from the head opening, the collar including a front portion extending from the front plate and a back portion extending from the back plate; means for mechanically interlocking at least portions of the two pairs of interfacing edges of the front and back plates; means for hinging the front and back plates at the side of the vest between one pair of interfacing side edges; means for latching together the unhinged pair of interfacing edges of the front and back plates, the interlocking means, front and back plates cooperating to define the substantially rigid vest shell; and padding means distributed along at least some interior portions of the jacket shell for providing a cushion for the wearer.

Claim 5

An armored jacket for protecting a wearer against injury comprising: a substantially rigid vest shell having head, arms, and torso openings, the shell including front and back plates separable from each other on two pairs of interfacing edges extending generally along the sides and front shoulders of the vest shell; means for mechanically interlocking at least portions of the two pairs of interfacing edges of the front and back plates; means for hinging the front and back plates at the side of the vest between one pair of interfacing side edges; means for latching together the unhinged pair of interfacing edges of the front and back plates, the interlocking means, front and back plates cooperating to define the substantially rigid vest shell; padding means distributed along at least some interior portions of the jacket shell for providing a cushion for the wearer; a substantially rigid skirt shell including front and rear skirt portions separate from each other along interfacing pairs of side edges, the skirt shell having a slightly larger diameter than the external diameter of the vest shell at the torso opening and the front lower skirt portion having spaced notches that define spaced leg openings; means for attaching the skirt in generally telescoping manner to the vest shell over the torso opening to have the interfacinG pairs of the skirt shell edges generally in alignment with the interfacing pairs of vest edges; means for hinging the front and rear skirt portions along a pair of interfacing skirt side edges that are in longitudinal alignment with the hinged pair edges of the vest shell; means for latching the front and rear skirt portions along the unhinged pair of facing skirt side edges, the front and rear skirt portions, skirt hinging and latching means cooperating to define the rigid skirt shell; and padding means distributed along at least interior portions of the skirt shell for providing a cushion for the wearer.

Claim 6

An armored jacket for protecting a wearer against injury comprising: a substantially rigid vest shell having head, arms, and torso openings, the shell including front and back plates separable from each other on two pairs of interfacing edges extending generally along the sides and front shoulders of the vest shell; means for mechanically interlocking at least portions of the two pairs of interfacing edges of the front and back plates; means for hinging the front and back plates at the side of the vest between one pair of interfacing side edges; means for latching together the unhinged pair of interfacing edges of the front and back plates, the interlocking means, front and back plates cooperating to define the substantially rigid vest shell; padding means distributed along at least some interior portions of the jacket shell for providing a cushion for the wearer; a substantially rigid skirt shell including front and rear skirt portions separate from each other along interfacing pairs of side edges, the skirt shell having a slightly larger diameter than the external diameter of the vest shell at the torso opening and the front lower skirt portion having spaced notches that define spaced leg openings; means for attaching the skirt in generally telescoping manner to the vest shell over the torso opening to have the interfacinG pairs of the skirt shell edges generally in alignment with the interfacing pairs of vest edges; means for hinging the front and rear skirt portions along a pair of interfacing skirt side edges that are in longitudinal alignment with the hinged pair edges of the vest shell; means for latching the front and rear skirt portions along the unhinged pair of facing skirt side edges, the front and rear skirt portions, skirt hinging and latching means cooperating to define the rigid skirt shell; and padding means distributed along at least interior portions of the skirt shell for providing a cushion for the wearer.

Claim 7

A jacket set forth in claim 2 comprising: at least one adjustable strap disposed between the overlapping telescoping portions of the back plate and rear skirt, the strap having one end attached to the back plate near the torso opening and the other end attached to an upper portion of the rear skirt portion, for limiting skirt shell movement in relation to the vest shell; and a plurality of straps having end portions attached to the vest shell and end portions attached to the skirt shell, the adjustable strap and plurality of straps constituting the means for attaching the skirt shell to the vest shell.

Claim 8

A jacket as set forth in claim 1 in which the front and rear collar portions have interfacing pairs of edges that are in general alignment with interfacing pairs of edges of the front and back plates, the front collar portion diverging at an angle that is greater than the rear collar portion and further including padding means distributed along at least an interior portion of the collar for cushioning the head of a wearer.

Claim 9

An armored jacket for protecting a wearer against injury comprising: a substantially rigid vest shell having head, arms, and torso openings, the shell including front and back plates separable from each other on two pairs of interfacing edges extending generally along the sides and front shoulders of the vest shell, and the rear plate extending forward near the head opening to in its entirety define a shoulder yoke over the arm openings; means for mechanically interlocking at least portions of the two pairs of interfacing edges of the front and back plates; means for hinging the front and back plates at the side of the vest between one pair of interfacing side edges; means for latching together the unhinged pair of interfacing edges of the front and back plates, the interlocking means, front and back plates cooperating to define the substantially rigid vest shell; padding means distributed along at least some interior portions of the jacket shell for providing a cushion for the wearer.

Claim 10

An armored jacket for protecting a wearer against injury comprising: a substantially rigid vest shell having head, arms, and torso openings, the shell including front and back plates separable from each other on two pairs of interfacing edges extending generally along the sides and front shoulders of the vest shell, and the rear plate extending forward near the head opening to in its entirety define a shoulder yoke over the arm openings; means for mechanically interlocking at least portions of the two pairs of interfacing edges of the front and back plates; means for hinging the front and back plates at the side of the vest between one pair of interfacing side edges; means for latching together the unhinged pair of interfacing edges of the front and back plates, the interlocking means, front and back plates cooperating to define the substantially rigid vest shell; padding means distributed along at least some interior portions of the jacket shell for providing a cushion for the wearer.

Claim 11

An armored jacket for protecting a wearer against injury and of the type having a substantially rigid vest shell with front and back portions and having head, arms and torso openings wherein the improvement comprises: a first generally circular member having a diameter greater than the head opening; a second generally circular segment member of at least the same general diameter as the first circular member, the second circular member arranged generally diametrically of and generally at right angles to the first circular member, the second circular member having end portions joined to the first circular member, the circular members together defining a head protector; and means for rigidly attaching a portion of the head protector to the rear portion such to have the first circular member extend forwardly of the front portion over and above the head opening and to have the second circular member extend away from the head opening.

Claim 12

An armored jacket for protecting a wearer against injury and of the type having a substantially rigid vest shell with front and back portions and having head, arms and torso openings wherein the improvement comprises: a first generally circular member having a diameter greater than the head opening; a second generally circular segment member of at least the same general diameter as the first circular member, the second circular member arranged generally diametrically of and generally at right angles to the first circular member, the second circular member having end portions joined to the first circular member, the circular members together defining a head protector; and means for rigidly attaching a portion of the head protector to the rear portion such to have the first circular member extend forwardly of the front portion over and above the head opening and to have the second circular member extend away from the head opening.

Claim 13

A jacket as set forth in claim 6 wherein the means for attaching the head protector includes removable fasteners for detaching the head protector from the rear portion.

Claim 14

A jacket as set forth in claim 1 comprising: at least two flexible straps having first end portions attached to the front plate and second end portions attached to the baCk plate, the straps constituting the hinging means between the front and back plates.

Claim 15

A jacket as set forth in claim 1 comprising: at least one strap having one end portion attached to the front plate; at least one strap having one end portion attached to the back plate; buckles for joining the straps of the front plate to the straps of the back plate, the straps and buckles constituting the latching means.

Claim 16

A jacket as set forth in claim 1 comprising: shoulder-like portions extending along one of each pair of interfacing edges, the shoulder-like portions defining rabbets nestable with the paired interfacing edge and constituting the interlocking means.

Claim 17

A jacket as set forth in claim 1 including a plurality of inflatable means which define the padding means.

Claim 18

A jacket as set forth in claim 11 wherein each inflatable means encapsulates a foam pad.

Claim 19

An armored jacket for protecting a wearer against injury comprising: a substantially rigid vest shell of corrugated fiber glass embedded in a plastic resin having head, arms, and torso openings, the shell including front and back plates separable from each other on two pairs of interfacing edges extending generally along the sides and front shoulders of the vest shell; means for mechanically interlocking at least portions of the two pairs of interfacing edges of the front and back plates; means for hinging the front and back plates at the side of the vest between one pair of interfacing side edges; means for latching together the unhinged pair of interfacing edges of the front and back plates, the interlocking means, front and back plates cooperating to define the substantially rigid vest shell; and padding means distributed along at least some interior portions of the jacket shell for providing a cushion for the wearer.

Claim 20

An armored jacket for protecting a wearer against injury comprising: a substantially rigid vest shell of corrugated fiber glass embedded in a plastic resin having head, arms, and torso openings, the shell including front and back plates separable from each other on two pairs of interfacing edges extending generally along the sides and front shoulders of the vest shell; means for mechanically interlocking at least portions of the two pairs of interfacing edges of the front and back plates; means for hinging the front and back plates at the side of the vest between one pair of interfacing side edges; means for latching together the unhinged pair of interfacing edges of the front and back plates, the interlocking means, front and back plates cooperating to define the substantially rigid vest shell; and padding means distributed along at least some interior portions of the jacket shell for providing a cushion for the wearer.

Claim 21

A jacket as set forth in claim 2 wherein the rear skirt portion and the skirt attaching means define a rest along a lower edge that is capable of supporting the jacket.