US12349820 - Garment assembly and release apparatus and method
The patent describes a ballistic vest featuring a C-shaped clip and a pin assembly that allows for secure attachment and quick release of the vest’s front panel and side element. The design includes a detent element that retains the pin in place while enabling a quiet and rapid operation for detaching the components.
Claim 1
- A ballistic vest comprising: a front panel having a side edge, and a side element, the side element comprising a belt or cummerbund; an elongate, C-shaped clip defining a longitudinally extending channel open at at least one open end and an open slot facing in a side direction extending along the channel, and including at least one element attaching the C-shaped clip along one of the side element or the side edge of the front panel of the vest; an elongate pin slidably receivable in the channel of the C-shaped clip through the open end to assemble the C-shaped clip and the pin together to connect the front panel and the side element, the pin having a strip configured to extend in the side direction through the slot and attaching the pin along another of the side element or the side edge of the front panel, the slot being smaller than the pin and the C-shaped clip being strong and rigid to prevent passage of the pin through the slot when a force is exerted to pull the pin and the C-shaped clip apart during use of the vest; and at least one detent element connected in cantilever relation to the C-shaped clip to extend in the side direction between longitudinally spaced portions of the C-shape clip bounding the slot, the detent element having a tab having an engaged state cooperatively received in a notch in the pin for preventing longitudinal movement of the pin in the channel, and a release state pulled from the notch to allow slidably removing the pin longitudinally from the channel through the open end, and a feature connected to the detent element manually graspable to pull the detent element to pull the tab from the notch to allow removal of the pin from the channel to separate the front panel and the side element. a front panel having a side edge, and a side element, the side element comprising a belt or cummerbund; an elongate, C-shaped clip defining a longitudinally extending channel open at at least one open end and an open slot facing in a side direction extending along the channel, and including at least one element attaching the C-shaped clip along one of the side element or the side edge of the front panel of the vest; an elongate pin slidably receivable in the channel of the C-shaped clip through the open end to assemble the C-shaped clip and the pin together to connect the front panel and the side element, the pin having a strip configured to extend in the side direction through the slot and attaching the pin along another of the side element or the side edge of the front panel, the slot being smaller than the pin and the C-shaped clip being strong and rigid to prevent passage of the pin through the slot when a force is exerted to pull the pin and the C-shaped clip apart during use of the vest; and at least one detent element connected in cantilever relation to the C-shaped clip to extend in the side direction between longitudinally spaced portions of the C-shape clip bounding the slot, the detent element having a tab having an engaged state cooperatively received in a notch in the pin for preventing longitudinal movement of the pin in the channel, and a release state pulled from the notch to allow slidably removing the pin longitudinally from the channel through the open end, and a feature connected to the detent element manually graspable to pull the detent element to pull the tab from the notch to allow removal of the pin from the channel to separate the front panel and the side element.
Google Patents
https://patents.google.com/patent/US12349820
USPTO PDF
https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/12349820