Armor for ballistic-resistant headgear

Abstract

Armor for a helmet includes a soft-armor attachment and a hard-armor attachment. The soft-armor attachment encases a flexible soft-armor anti-ballistic member within its interior, and detachably mounts to the helmet exterior using one or more fasteners. The hard-armor attachment encases one or more hard-armor members within its interior, and detachably mounts to the soft-armor attachment using one or more fasteners. When both the soft-armor attachment and the hard-armor attachment are in the mounted position, the soft-armor attachment is disposed between the helmet exterior and the hard-armor attachment.

1 . Armor for a helmet comprising: 
 an attachment having an interior pocket, the attachment being detachably mountable to the helmet; and    armor disposed within the pocket of the attachment.    
   
   
       2 . The armor of  claim 1  wherein the attachment includes an opening to allow the access to the pocket.  
   
   
       3 . The armor of  claim 1  wherein the attachment is sealed around its periphery to encase the armor within the pocket.  
   
   
       4 . The armor of  claim 1  wherein the attachment includes a fastener that mates with a corresponding fastener associated with the helmet.  
   
   
       5 . The armor of  claim 4  wherein the corresponding fastener is disposed on an exterior of the helmet.  
   
   
       6 . The armor of  claim 4  wherein the corresponding fastener is disposed on a cover that substantially surrounds the exterior of the helmet.  
   
   
       7 . The armor of  claim 1  wherein the armor comprises flexible soft armor having one or more layers of ballistic-resistant fibers.  
   
   
       8 . The armor of  claim 7  wherein the attachment comprises a first attachment, and further comprising a second attachment having a second pocket, the second attachment being detachably mountable to the first attachment and including a hard-armor member disposed within the second pocket.  
   
   
       9 . The armor of  claim 8  wherein the hard armor comprises one or more hard armor plates.  
   
   
       10 . The armor of  claim 1  wherein the attachment comprises a skirt that substantially surrounds a rear portion of the helmet.  
   
   
       11 . The armor of  claim 1  wherein the armor comprises one or more hard-armor members.  
   
   
       12 . Armor for a helmet comprising: 
 a soft-armor attachment detachably mountable to the helmet; and    a hard-armor attachment detachably mountable to the soft-armor attachment.    
   
   
       13 . The armor of  claim 12  wherein the soft-armor attachment includes a first fastener that mates with a corresponding second fastener associated with the helmet.  
   
   
       14 . The armor of  claim 13  wherein the hard-armor attachment includes a third fastener that mates with a corresponding fourth fastener disposed on the soft-armor attachment.  
   
   
       15 . The armor of  claim 12  wherein the soft-armor attachment encases one or more soft armor members.  
   
   
       16 . The armor of  claim 15  wherein the one or more soft armor members comprises a flexible anti-ballistic material having one or more layers.  
   
   
       17 . The armor of  claim 15  wherein the soft-armor attachment includes an opening to allow access to the one or more soft armor members.  
   
   
       18 . The armor of  claim 12  wherein the hard-armor attachment encases one or more armor members.  
   
   
       19 . The armor of  claim 18  wherein the hard-armor attachment comprises a segmented attachment wherein each segment encases a hard-armor member.  
   
   
       20 . The armor of  claim 18  wherein the hard-armor attachment includes one or more openings to allow access to the one or more hard-armor members.  
   
   
       21 . The armor of  claim 18  wherein the one or more armor members comprise a ceramic armor.  
   
   
       22 . The armor of  claim 12  wherein the soft-armor attachment comprises flexible soft-armor, and the hard-armor attachment comprises one or more hard-armor members.  
   
   
       23 . The armor of  claim 12  wherein the soft-armor attachment and the hard-armor attachment wrap substantially around at least a portion of the rear of the helmet.  
   
   
       24 . The armor of  claim 12  wherein at least one of the soft-armor attachment and the hard-armor attachment includes an edge that is substantially parallel to a bottom edge of the helmet.  
   
   
       25 . A ballistic-resistant helmet comprising: 
 a helmet that substantially surrounds a user's head; and    a first attachment to encase a first ballistic-resistant member, the first attachment being detachably mountable to the helmet.    
   
   
       26 . The ballistic-resistant helmet of  claim 25  further comprising a second attachment to encase a second ballistic-resistant member, the second attachment being detachably mountable to the first attachment.  
   
   
       27 . The ballistic-resistant helmet of  claim 26  wherein the first attachment includes an opening to allow access to the interior of the first attachment.  
   
   
       28 . The ballistic-resistant helmet of  claim 26  wherein the second attachment includes an opening to allow access to the interior of the second attachment.  
   
   
       29 . The ballistic-resistant helmet of  claim 26  wherein the first ballistic-resistant member comprises a flexible soft-armor member, and wherein the second ballistic-resistant member comprises one or more hard-armor members.  
   
   
       30 . The ballistic-resistant helmet of  claim 29  wherein the second attachment is segmented, and wherein each segment in the second attachment encases a hard-armor member.  
   
   
       31 . A method of enhancing the protection of a helmet comprising: 
 forming a first attachment to include a first armor member; and    disposing a fastener on the first attachment to allow the first attachment to detachably connect to the helmet.    
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 31  wherein the fastener on the first attachment detachably connects to a corresponding fastener associated with the helmet.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 32  wherein the corresponding fastener associated with the helmet is disposed on an exterior surface of the helmet.  
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 32  wherein the corresponding fastener associated with the helmet is disposed on a cover that covers at least a portion of the helmet.  
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 31  further comprising: 
 forming a second attachment to include a second armor member; and    disposing an additional fastener on the second attachment to allow the second attachment to detachably connect to the first attachment.    
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the additional fastener on the second attachment detachably connects to a corresponding fastener disposed on the first attachment.  
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 34  wherein the first armor member comprises a flexible soft-armor member, and wherein the second armor member comprises one or more hard armor members.