Ballistic resistant garment assembly and method of using the same

Claim 2

A bullet resistant garment carrying assembly, comprising: a foldable bullet resistant panel capable of stopping a bullet fired from a firearm in which the panel in a deployed position overlies at least a portion of the torso of a wearer, in which the panel has a top portion at the chest of the torso and a bottom portion at the waist of the torso, in which a central portion positioned therebetween is narrower in width in a transverse direction to the direction in which the torso extends and than the width in said transverse direction of the top portion and bottom portion of the panel; a pouch member to carry the bullet resistant panel in a folded nondeployed position whereby the bottom portion of said bullet resistant panel is releasably connected to an inner portion of the pouch by a pair of mating hook and loop fasteners in which one pair of the pair is attached to the panel and the other of said pair is attached to the inner portion of the pouch; means for securing the pouch to a body of a wearer; and means for moving the panel from said nondeployed position to a deployed position.

Claim 3

The bullet resistant garment assembly of claim 1 in which the top portion of the bullet resistant panel is positioned at an opening in said pouch and is unsecured to the pouch at the top portion with the panel in said nondeployed position.

Claim 4

The bullet resistant garment carrying assembly of claim 1 in which the securing means includes a garment secured to the pouch.

Claim 5

The bullet resistant garment carrying assembly of claim 3 in which the garment is a belt.

Claim 6

The bullet resistant garment assembly of claim 1 in which the moving means includes a strap connected to the top portion of said bullet resistant panel.

Claim 7

A bullet resistant garment comprising: a first bullet resistant panel capable of stopping a bullet fired from a firearm; a second bullet resistant panel capable of stopping a bullet fired from a firearm; and means for mounting the second panel to the first panel for movement between a nondeployed position in which the first panel is in a compact position and the second panel is in overlying relationship with said first panel, to a deployed position in which the first panel extends upwardly over the torso of a wearer and the second panel extends below the first panel in which said mounting means includes means for securing said first and second panels to the waist area of the wearer including a pouch member for carrying said first bullet resistant panel in a compact position and having means to secure the pouch member about the waist of the wearer and to position the pouch member across the anterior portion of the waist of the wearer, and means for releasably securing the first and second panels in overlying relationship to one another in which the second panel is movable from said overlying relationship to a downward direction from the waist area of the wearer to an overlying position over a crotch area of the wearer including a pouch panel member for carrying said second panel member and in which said pouch panel member is hingedly connected to said pouch member and another portion of said pouch panel member releasably secured to the pouch member in said nondeployed position with said pouch panel member secured to said pouch member and said pouch panel member moveable in relationship to the pouch member to a position in which said second panel member extends below said first panel member to overlie said crotch region of the wearer with the other portion of the pouch panel unsecured from said pouch member.

Claim 8

A bullet resistant garment comprising: a first bullet resistant panel capable of stopping a bullet fired from a firearm; a second bullet resistant panel capable of stopping a bullet fired from a firearm; and means for mounting the second panel to the first panel for movement between a nondeployed position in which the first panel is in a compact position and the second panel is in overlying relationship with said first panel, to a deployed position in which the first panel extends upwardly over the torso of a wearer and the second panel extends below the first panel in which said mounting means includes means for securing said first and second panels to the waist area of the wearer including a pouch member for carrying said first bullet resistant panel in a compact position and having means to secure the pouch member about the waist of the wearer and to position the pouch member across the anterior portion of the waist of the wearer, and means for releasably securing the first and second panels in overlying relationship to one another in which the second panel is movable from said overlying relationship to a downward direction from the waist area of the wearer to an overlying position over a crotch area of the wearer including a pouch panel member for carrying said second panel member and in which said pouch panel member is hingedly connected to said pouch member and another portion of said pouch panel member releasably secured to the pouch member in said nondeployed position with said pouch panel member secured to said pouch member and said pouch panel member moveable in relationship to the pouch member to a position in which said second panel member extends below said first panel member to overlie said crotch region of the wearer with the other portion of the pouch panel unsecured from said pouch member.

Claim 9

The bullet resistant garment of claim 6 in which the mounting means for the first panel includes a means for suspending the first panel from around the neck of a wearer in which the first panel extends over said torso of the wearer.

Claim 10

The bullet resistant garment of claim 7 in which the suspending means includes a loop secured to the first panel.

Claim 11

The bullet resistant garment of claim 6 in which said hinged connector includes flexible material disposed between the pouch member and the pouch panel member.

Claim 12

The bullet resistant garment of claim 6 in which the pouch panel member forms a pocket to contain the second panel member.

Claim 13

The bullet resistant garment of claim 10 in which the second panel is releasably secured to an inside portion or said pocket.

Claim 14

The bullet resistant garment of claim 6 in which said releasable securing means for releasably securing the first and second panels in overlying relationship to one another includes a pair of mating hook and loop fasteners in which one of the pair of fasteners is secured to the pouch member and the other of the pair of fasteners is secured to the pouch panel member which carries said second panel.

Claim 15

A bullet resistant garment comprising: a foldable bullet resistant panel capable of stopping a bullet fired from a firearm having a bottom portion positioned within a pouch member in which the pouch member includes means for securing the pouch member about the waist of a wearer and a top portion of said panel which is moveable from a folded position with said bottom portion within said pouch member in which an upper portion of the top portion of the panel is positioned at an opening in said pouch member with said top and bottom portions in said folded position to an extended position in which said top portion is unfolded with said bottom portion and positioned to overlie a least a portion of the torso of the wearer; and a strap having its two ends each stitched to the upper portion of said top portion of the bullet resistant panel which extends upwardly from said upper portion and positioned adjacent said opening of the pouch member with the top portion of said panel in said folded position with the bottom portion of said panel for grasping and deploying the top portion of the panel from said folded position within said pouch to the extended position.

Claim 16

A bullet resistant garment comprising: a foldable bullet resistant panel capable of stopping a bullet fired from a firearm having a bottom portion positioned within a pouch member in which the pouch member includes means for securing the pouch member about the waist of a wearer and a top portion of said panel which is moveable from a folded position with said bottom portion within said pouch member in which an upper portion of the top portion of the panel is positioned at an opening in said pouch member with said top and bottom portions in said folded position to an extended position in which said top portion is unfolded with said bottom portion and positioned to overlie a least a portion of the torso of the wearer; and a strap having its two ends each stitched to the upper portion of said top portion of the bullet resistant panel which extends upwardly from said upper portion and positioned adjacent said opening of the pouch member with the top portion of said panel in said folded position with the bottom portion of said panel for grasping and deploying the top portion of the panel from said folded position within said pouch to the extended position.

Claim 17

The bullet resistant garment of claim 13 in which said strap forms a loop with the upper portion of said top portion of the bullet resistant panel.

Claim 18

A bullet resistant garment comprising: a bullet resistant panel having a top and a bottom portion for overlying the torso of a wearer in a deployed position, in which the panel is held in a nondeployed position within a pouch member secured about the waist of the wearer and in which an upper end of said top portion of the panel is unsecured to the pouch member and is positioned at an opening of the pouch member through which the top portion of the panel is deployed to overlie said torso; and a strap secured at opposing ends of said strap to the top portion of the panel to form a loop with the top portion of the panel to suspend the panel from a neck of the wearer with the panel in a deployed position and in which the strap is positioned at the opening of the pouch with the panel in said nondeployed position in which a portion of the strap positioned between the opposing ends is releasably secured to the top portion of the panel to form at least one more smaller loop with the top portion of the panel at said upper end.

Claim 19

A bullet resistant garment comprising: a bullet resistant panel having a top and a bottom portion for overlying the torso of a wearer in a deployed position, in which the panel is held in a nondeployed position within a pouch member secured about the waist of the wearer and in which an upper end of said top portion of the panel is unsecured to the pouch member and is positioned at an opening of the pouch member through which the top portion of the panel is deployed to overlie said torso; and a strap secured at opposing ends of said strap to the top portion of the panel to form a loop with the top portion of the panel to suspend the panel from a neck of the wearer with the panel in a deployed position and in which the strap is positioned at the opening of the pouch with the panel in said nondeployed position in which a portion of the strap positioned between the opposing ends is releasably secured to the top portion of the panel to form at least one more smaller loop with the top portion of the panel at said upper end.

Claim 20

The bullet resistant garment of claim 15 in which the strap member is elastic.

Claim 21

The bullet resistant garment of claim 15 includes one of a pair of mating hook and loop fasteners secured to the strap and the other of the pair of fasteners secured to a top portion of the panel to releasably secure a portion of the strap positioned between opposing ends to the top portion of the panel.

Claim 24

The method of deploying a bullet resistant panel of claim 18 in which the step of grasping a strap includes the strap having two ends each connected to said panel.

Claim 25

The method of deploying a bullet resistant panel of claim 19 including the steps of: pulling the strap over a head of a wearer, and suspending the strap from the neck of the wearer.

Claim 26

The method of deploying a bullet resistant panel of claim 20 including the step of: removing the strap from about the neck of the wearer.

Claim 27

The method of deploying a bullet resistant panel of claim 18 including the step of: connecting a portion of the bullet resistant panel to the pouch.

Claim 28

The method of deploying a bullet resistant panel of claim 22 in which the step of providing the panel includes the bullet resistant panel being releasably connected to the pouch.

Claim 29

The method of deploying a bullet resistant panel of claim 22 in which the step of providing the panel includes the bullet resistant panel is connected to an inner portion of the pouch.

Claim 30

The method of deployment of a bullet resistant panel of claim 18 including the step of securing the pouch to the body of a wearer.