Anti-spalling body armor protection system

Abstract

An anti-spalling ballistic body armor device, usable in a vest or jacket form configured for being worn on a body, includes one or more plates made of ballistic metal material, the plate having a surface defining a strike surface for orientation away from a wearer's body in use, and having a spacing body and anti-spalling body and/or enclosure for preventing the spalling of bullets that hit the body armor device and thereby reduce bodily injury, the one or more plates also being configured with a flange portion to redirect bullet fragments away from the wearer's head and being further contoured by the formation of at least one bend in the plate.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A body armor system for attachment to a wearer's upper torso, comprising a front torso plate sized for positioning over a wearer's chest, the front torso plate having a forward facing surface for orientation away from the wearer's body, a top margin for orientation toward a wearer's head, a bottom margin in opposed position to the top margin and two side margins each extending between the top margin and the bottom margin, the front torso plate being configured with at least three bends to effect a contour of the front torso plate between the two side margins. 
     
     
         2 . The body armor system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least three bends further comprise a medial bend of the front torso plate, which extends upwardly from the bottom margin toward the top margin of the front torso plate, and two lateral bends, one each positioned on either side of the medial bend, each lateral bend extending upwardly from the bottom margin of the front torso plate. 
     
     
         3 . The body armor system of  claim 2 , wherein the top margin of the front torso plate is angled outwardly in a direction away from the forward facing surface. 
     
     
         4 . The body armor system of  claim 1 , wherein the top margin of the front torso plate is angled outwardly in a direction away from the forward facing surface. 
     
     
         5 . The body armor system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least two side armor plates, each side armor plate being sized for orientation along one of the two sides of the wearer's body and being oriented for positioning on either side of the front torso plate. 
     
     
         6 . The body armor system of  claim 5 , wherein each of the two side armor plates is formed with at least one bend to provide a contoured shape of the side armor plates for enabling each side armor plate to curve along the sides of the wearer's body. 
     
     
         7 . The body armor system of  claim 1 , further comprising a rear torso plate sized for positioning over a wearer's back, the rear torso plate having an outward facing surface for orientation away from the wearer's body, a top margin for orientation toward a wearer's head, a bottom margin in opposed position to the top margin and two side margins each extending between the top margin and the bottom margin. 
     
     
         8 . The body armor system of  claim 7 , wherein the rear torso plate is further configured with at least three bends to effect a contour of the rear torso plate between the two side margins of the rear torso plate. 
     
     
         9 . The body armor system of  claim 8 , wherein the at least three bends further comprise a medial bend of the rear torso plate, which extends upwardly from the bottom margin toward the top margin of the rear torso plate, and two lateral bends, one each positioned on either side of the medial bend, each lateral bend extending upwardly from the bottom margin of the rear torso plate. 
     
     
         10 . The body armor system of  claim 9 , wherein the top margin of the rear torso plate is angled outwardly in a direction away from the outward facing surface of the rear torso plate. 
     
     
         11 . The body armor system of  claim 8 , further comprising two side armor plates, each positioned between the front torso plate and the rear torso plate and being oriented to be positioned along the sides of the wearer's body in use, each side armor plate being contoured to enable each side armor plate to curve about a side of the wearer's body. 
     
     
         12 . The body armor system of  claim 11 , wherein the front torso plate, the rear torso plate and each side armor plate is each encased within a ballistic impact enclosure and each has a spacing body positioned between at least part of the plate and the ballistic impact enclosure. 
     
     
         13 . The body armor system of  claim 12 , wherein each of the front torso plate, rear torso plate and two side armor plates is formed with a strike face comprising a surface of the plate that is positioned for orientation away from a wearer's body, and the spacing body is positioned between the strike face of the said front torso plate, rear torso plate and side armor plates and the ballistic impact enclosure. 
     
     
         14 . The body armor system of  claim 13 , wherein each of the front torso plate, rear torso plate and two side armor plates, encased in the ballistic impact enclosure, is further positioned within a receiving pocket of an outer carrier vest or jacket that is configured for attachment to the upper torso of a wearer. 
     
     
         15 . The body armor system of  claim 14 , wherein the front torso plate, rear torso plate and two side armor plates is each made of military ballistic steel. 
     
     
         16 . The body armor system of  claim 14 , wherein the ballistic impact enclosures are made of material having antiballistic property. 
     
     
         17 . The body armor system of  claim 14 , wherein the spacing body is made of flexible, impact resilient material. 
     
     
         18 . An anti-spalling body armor device, comprising:
 at least one steel plate having a top margin, a bottom margin and side margins extending between the top margin and the bottom margin, and having an outwardly facing surface oriented, in use, away from a wearer's body, the outwardly facing surface defining a strike face;   a spacing body positioned adjacent the strike face of the at least one steel plate;   an anti-spalling body positioned adjacent the spacing body; and   a metal encasement positioned to encase the spacing body and the anti-spalling body against the at least one steel plate, the metal encasement being secured to the at least one steel plate in sealing arrangement therewithin.   
     
     
         19 . The anti-spalling body armor of  claim 18 , further comprising an anti-ballistic enclosure sized to receive and enclose the assemblage of the at least one steel plate, spacing body, anti-spalling body and metal encasement therein. 
     
     
         20 . The anti-spalling body armor of  claim 18 , wherein the anti-spalling body comprises a plurality of layers of woven material having anti-ballistic properties. 
     
     
         21 . The anti-spalling body armor of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one steel plate further comprises a flange portion positioned along the top margin, the flange portion extending outwardly from the outwardly facing surface. 
     
     
         22 . The anti-spalling body armor of  claim 18 , further comprising a carrier vest having at a pocket configured to receive the assemblage of the at least one steel plate, spacing body, anti-spalling body and metal encasement within. 
     
     
         23 . The anti-spalling body armor of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one steel plate is formed with at least one bend extending upwardly from the bottom margin toward the top margin.