Cut away vest

Abstract

A cut away vest consists of a front vest piece having two shoulder sections and two waist sections, and a rear vest piece having two shoulder sections and two waist sections. The front piece is connected to the rear piece by four buckle assemblies. Each buckle assembly has a male portion and a female portion, with the male portions being attached to the shoulder and waist sections of the front vest piece, and the female portions being attached to the shoulder and waist sections of the rear vest piece, so that the front vest piece is connected to the rear vest piece by inserting each of the male portions into a corresponding female portion. Each male buckle portion is connected to a cable. The other end of each cable is connected to a single handle on the front vest piece. Pulling the handle causes the male portions to release from the female portions and the front vest section to separate from the rear vest section.

1 . A cut-away vest comprising:
 a front vest piece having two shoulder sections and two waist sections;   a rear vest piece having two shoulder sections and two waist sections;   four buckle assemblies, each buckle assembly having a male portion and a female portion, each of the male portions being attached to the front vest piece, one attached at each of the shoulder sections and at each of the waist sections, and each of the female portions being attached to the rear vest piece, one at each of the shoulder sections and each of the waist sections, so that the front vest piece is connected to the rear vest piece by inserting each of the male portions into a corresponding female portions;   a plurality of cables, each cable connected at one end to one of the male portions, and having a second end; and   a handle disposed on the front vest piece, wherein each of the second ends of the plurality of cables is attached to the handle, and wherein pulling the handle causes the male portions to release from the female portions and the front vest piece to separate from the rear vest piece.   
     
     
         2 . The cut away vest according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the cables is slidably disposed in a cable sleeve, and wherein the cable sleeves are connected to the front vest section. 
     
     
         3 . The cut away vest according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the waist sections of the front vest piece overlap the waist sections of the rear vest piece when the male portions are connected to the female portions. 
     
     
         4 . The cut away vest according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the shoulder sections of the front vest piece overlap the shoulder sections of the rear vest piece when the male portions are connected to the female portions. 
     
     
         5 . The cut away vest according to  claim 1 , wherein the female portions are connected to at least one of the shoulder sections and waist sections of the rear vest piece via an adjustable strap. 
     
     
         6 . The cut away vest according to  claim 1 , wherein each female portion comprises a hollow body with a front wall, a back wall, an open top, a cavity between the front and back walls, and at least one locking slot extending through the hollow body and communicating with the cavity, and
 wherein each male portion comprises a base, at least one locking leg, a central leg, such that inserting the male portion into the open top of the female portion causes the at least one locking leg to engage the at least one locking slot to lock the male portion to the female portion, and means for moving the at least one locking leg toward the central leg to release the male portion from the female portion when the handle is pulled.   
     
     
         7 . The cut away vest according to  claim 6 , wherein each male portion has two locking arms and each female portion has two locking slots. 
     
     
         8 . The cut away vest according to  claim 7 , wherein the means for moving the locking leg toward the central leg comprises a pulling assembly slidably mounted within the central leg and connected to one of the cables, and two arms connected one to each of the locking legs and to the pulling assembly, such that pulling on the cable causes the pulling assembly to slide away from ends of the locking legs and central leg and pull the locking legs toward the central leg to release the male portion from the female portion. 
     
     
         9 . The cut away vest according to  claim 8 , wherein the pulling assembly is mounted within a channel in the central leg. 
     
     
         10 . The cut away vest according to  claim 9 , wherein the pulling assembly is a Y-shaped body, and wherein the arms are integrally formed with one of the cables. 
     
     
         11 . The cut away vest according to  claim 6 , wherein there are two locking legs, said locking legs being connected to each other by an integrally formed strap, and wherein the means for moving the locking legs is a pulling assembly that is connected to the strap. 
     
     
         12 . The cut away vest according to  claim 11 , wherein the strap has a hollow receptacle, and wherein the pulling assembly is disposed within the hollow receptacle and connected to one of the cables.