Protective Under-Clothing Apparatus, System and Method

Abstract

A customizable, scalable, armor-enhanced under-clothing system is provided that conforms more substantially to the user's body, providing better ballistic protection over every critical body area in different stages as selected by the user. In one embodiment, the present invention employs compression fabric as a base material in the top (e.g., shirt) and bottom (e.g., shorts) system elements, and further can include a static fabric material harness in the top system element. Anti-ballistic panels of suitable material and thickness can be inserted into the static fabric material harness element designed to carry the panels while preventing any undesirable bouncing effect.

1 . An article of under-clothing, comprising:
 a top element comprising compression fabric material, with the top element having front and back exterior surfaces, and front and back interior surfaces; and   a harness element comprising a static material secured to and extending from the front interior surface to the back interior surface of the top element.   
     
     
         2 . The article of  claim 1  wherein the top element includes a neck portion forming an opening, left shoulder interior and exterior surfaces, and right shoulder interior and exterior surfaces, and wherein the harness element includes a first strap element secured to the right shoulder interior surface, and a second strap element secured to the left shoulder interior surface. 
     
     
         3 . The article of  claim 2  wherein the first strap element has a first strap length and is secured to the right shoulder interior surface along substantially the entire first strap length, and further wherein the second strap element has a second strap length and is secured to the right shoulder interior surface along substantially the entire second strap length. 
     
     
         4 . The article of  claim 1  wherein the harness element includes a chest portion secured to the first and second strap elements and further secured to the front interior surface of the top element. 
     
     
         5 . The article of  claim 4  wherein the harness element further includes a first pocket bag extending from the chest portion, wherein the first pocket bag has side edges and a bottom edge, and wherein at least the bottom edge of the first pocket bag is not secured to the top element. 
     
     
         6 . The article of  claim 1  wherein the harness element includes an upper back portion secured to the first and second strap elements and further secured to the back interior surface of the top element. 
     
     
         7 . The article of  claim 6  wherein the harness element further includes a second pocket bag secured to the upper back portion, wherein the second pocket bag has side edges and a bottom edge, and wherein at least the bottom edge of the second pocket bag is not secured to the top element. 
     
     
         8 . The article of  claim 5 , further including a ballistic insert maintained within the first pocket bag. 
     
     
         9 . The article of  claim 8 , wherein the chest portion comprises a two-ply material secured to the front interior surface so as to form an opening between the two plies, and wherein the ballistic insert is further maintained within the opening between the two plies of the chest portion. 
     
     
         10 . The article of  claim 1  wherein the top element further includes a left side portion comprising left side interior and exterior surfaces, and a right side portion comprising right side interior and exterior surfaces, and further including a front portion comprising the front interior and exterior surfaces. 
     
     
         11 . The article of  claim 10  wherein the front portion of the top element is releasably secured to the left side portion using a left side securing element and is further releasably secured to the right side portion using a right side securing element. 
     
     
         12 . The article of  claim 11  wherein the left side and right side securing elements comprise slide fastener elements. 
     
     
         13 . A method, comprising:
 providing a top element of an article of under-clothing comprising a compression fabric, with the top element having front and back exterior surfaces, and front and back interior surfaces; and   securing a harness element comprising a static material to the top element such that the harness element extends from the front interior surface to the back interior surface of the top element.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the top element includes a neck portion forming an opening, left shoulder interior and exterior surfaces, and right shoulder interior and exterior surfaces, and wherein the harness element includes a first strap element secured to the right shoulder interior surface, and a second strap element secured to the left shoulder interior surface. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the harness element includes a chest portion secured to the first and second strap elements and further secured to the front interior surface of the top element. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the harness element further includes a first pocket bag extending from the chest portion, wherein the first pocket bag has side edges and a bottom edge, and wherein at least the bottom edge of the first pocket bag is not secured to the top element. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the harness element includes an upper back portion secured to the first and second strap elements and further secured to the back interior surface of the top element. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the second pocket bag has side edges and a bottom edge, and wherein at least the bottom edge of the second pocket bag is not secured to the top element. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the top element further includes a left side portion comprising left side interior and exterior surfaces, and a right side portion comprising right side interior and exterior surfaces, and further including a front portion comprising the front interior and exterior surfaces. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the front portion of the top element is releasably secured to the left side portion using a left side securing element and is further releasably secured to the right side portion using a right side securing element.