Body protection system

Claim 1

A body protection system comprising: A) a suspension unit which fits over a trunk section of a user and which includes (1) a suspenders-like cage having (a) a first posterior strap extending diagonally across a user's back when the suspension unit is in place on the user, said first posterior strap including a superior end located adjacent to a user's shoulder when the suspension unit is in place on the user, and a bottom end, (b) a second posterior strap extending diagonally across the user's back when the suspension unit is in place on the user and which intersects said first posterior strap, said second posterior strap including a superior end located adjacent to the user's shoulder when the suspension unit is in place on the user, and a bottom end, (c) a connecting means connecting said first and second straps together at the intersection of said first and second straps, (d) attachment means on the bottom end of each of said posterior straps for releasably attaching said posterior straps to clothes of the user, (e) a right anterior strap having a superior end connected to the superior end of said first posterior strap and a bottom end, said right anterior strap extending downwardly over the user's chest when the cage unit is in place on the user, (f) a left anterior strap having a superior end connected to the superior end of said second posterior strap and a bottom end, said left anterior strap extending downwardly over the user's chest when the cage unit is in place on the user, (g) attachment means on the bottom end of each anterior strap for releasably attaching said anterior straps to clothes of the user, and (h) a waist belt having one end thereof releasably attached to said right anterior strap and another end thereof releasably attached to said left anterior strap and extending laterally across a user's abdominal area when the cage unit is in place on the user, said waist belt including a lap protector element releasably mounted thereon; B) additional support belts releasably attached to said cage unit and including (1) a shoulder belt having one end thereof releasably attached to said right anterior strap and another end thereof releasably attached to said left anterior strap and extending laterally across a user's chest area adjacent to the user's throat when the cage unit is in place on the user, (2) a back protector releasably attached to said posterior straps, (3) a chest protector releasably attached to said anterior straps, (4) a first additional strap extending over one of the user's shoulders and having one end thereof releasably attached to said first posterior strap and having another end thereof releasably attached to said right anterior strap, and (5) a second additional strap extending over another one of the user's shoulders and having one end thereof releasably attached to said second posterior strap and having another end thereof releasably attached to said left anterior strap; C) releasable attaching means on each of said anterior straps, on each of said posterior straps, on said first and second additional straps, on said waist belt, on each of said additional support belts, on said shoulder belt, on said back protector and on said chest protector, said releasable attaching means including hook-and-loop fastening means; and D) pocket support elements releasably attached to said anterior and to said posterior straps, each of said pocket support elements including (1) a front wall, (2) a rear wall, (3) said front and rear walls being connected together along edges of said walls, with one edge on said front wall being unconnected to a corresponding edge of said rear wall so that said front and rear walls define a pocket, (4) hook-and-loop fastening means on said pocket element rear wall, and (5) a steel bar attached to each pocket element; and E) a bulletproof plate located in each pocket element.