Quick Release Mechanism for Garment

Abstract

A garment such as a plate carrier has a front part and a back part which are held together by a plurality of buckles. The buckles are releasable manually, and also are simultaneously releasable as a group via a quick release mechanism that includes an actuator cord extending through a plurality of rings. Reassembly of the garment after actuation of the quick release mechanism is effected by buckling the plurality of buckles.

1 . A quick release plate carrier to be worn by a soldier, the plate carrier having a front part and a back part which are held together by a plurality of buckles, each one of the plurality of buckles being individually releasable manually, all of the buckles being simultaneously releasable as a group via a quick release mechanism on the plate carrier in response to a single application of pulling force on a lanyard mechanism. 
     
     
         2 . A plate carrier as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the quick release mechanism has an unactuated condition and an actuated condition, and including an actuator cord extending through a plurality of rings when the quick release mechanism in both the unactuated condition and the actuated condition, reassembly of the plate carrier after actuation of the quick release mechanism being effected by buckling the plurality of buckles. 
     
     
         3 . A mechanism as set forth in  claim 2  wherein the plurality of rings are floating rings that float above a support plate that is part of the quick release mechanism and that is fixed in position in the plate carrier. 
     
     
         4 . A plate carrier as set forth in  claim 1  wherein:
 each one of the buckles is individually engageable in a first manner when the garment is being donned thereby to connect the two parts of the garment to each other for wear by a soldier; 
 each one of the buckles is individually releasable manually thereby to disconnect the two parts of the garment from each other when the garment is being doffed; 
 the plurality of buckles are releasable as a group in response to the single application of force thereby to disconnect the two parts of the garment from each other, while the garment is being worn; and 
 the plurality of buckles are individually engageable in the first manner thereby to re-connect the two parts of the garment to each other for wear by the soldier, after the two parts of the garment have been disconnected by releasing the connectors as a group. 
 
     
     
         5 . A plate carrier as set forth in  claim 1  comprising:
 a plurality of lanyards, each one of the plurality of lanyards being connected with a respective one of the plurality of buckles in a force-transmitting relationship in a manner such that a pulling force on the lanyard results in release of the associated buckle; 
 a plurality of rings, each one of the plurality of rings being connected with a respective one of the plurality of lanyards in a force-transmitting relationship in a manner such that a pulling force on the ring results in a pulling force on the lanyard; 
 an actuator cord extending through the plurality of rings in a force-transmitting relationship with the plurality of rings in a manner such that a pulling force on the actuator cord results in a pulling force on the plurality of rings; and 
 a pull tab that is on the garment and that is connected with the actuator cord in a force-transmitting relationship in a manner such that a pulling force on the pull tab results in a pulling force on the actuator cord. 
 
     
     
         6 . A quick release mechanism for a garment having a front part and a back part that are held together by a plurality of buckles for wearing by a soldier, each one of the plurality of buckles being individually engageable manually and individually releasable manually, all of the buckles being simultaneously releasable as a group via the quick release mechanism, the quick release mechanism comprising:
 a plurality of lanyards, each one of the plurality of lanyards being connected with a respective one of the plurality of buckles in a force-transmitting relationship in a manner such that a pulling force on the lanyard results in release of the associated buckle;   a plurality of rings, each one of the plurality of rings being connected with a respective one of the plurality of lanyards in a force-transmitting relationship in a manner such that a pulling force on the ring results in a pulling force on the lanyard;   an actuator cord extending through the plurality of rings in a force-transmitting relationship with the plurality of rings in a manner such that a pulling force on the actuator cord results in a pulling force on the plurality of rings; and   a pull tab that is on the garment and that is connected with the actuator cord in a force-transmitting relationship in a manner such that a pulling force on the pull tab results in a pulling force on the actuator cord.   
     
     
         7 . A mechanism as set forth in  claim 6  wherein the pulling force on the actuator cord cause the actuator cord both to move through the rings and to move the rings bodily to pull on the lanyards. 
     
     
         8 . A mechanism as set forth in  claim 6  wherein the actuator cord is not removed from any of the rings when the quick release mechanism is actuated so that no reassembly or re-threading of the actuator cord is needed, and reassembly of the plate carrier is effected by buckling the plurality of buckles. 
     
     
         9 . A mechanism as set forth in  claim 6  wherein the actuator cord comprises a single length of flexible material that extends between the pull tab and all the rings. 
     
     
         10 . A mechanism as set forth in  claim 6  wherein the actuator cord comprises a first length of flexible material that extends between the pull tab and a central ring, and at least one additional length of flexible material that extends between the central ring and the remaining rings. 
     
     
         11 . A mechanism as set forth in  claim 6  wherein the plurality of rings are floating rings that float above a support plate that is part of the quick release mechanism and that is fixed in position in the garment.