Plated Armor Fabric

Abstract

The present invention relates to fabric for constructing armored garments and other objects, more specifically a lightweight, flexible, and breathable plated armor fabric for recreational and sporting purposes constructed of plastic, metal, ceramic, composite materials or some combination of the above.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A plated armor fabric comprising:
 a) a multiplicity of plates each with at least two mounting holes horizontally disposed along the upper and lower edges and at least one mounting hole disposed along the left and right edges wherein said plates are arranged in a planar array such that such that each plate, except plates at the top, bottom, left, and right edges of the planar array has another plate disposed to its top, bottom, left, and right and the mounting holes of each plate, except plates in the top, bottom, left, and right edges of the planar array, lie adjacent to mounting holes of another plate; and   b) one chain link insinuated through adjacent mounting holes in abutting pairs of plates connecting them together.   
     
     
         2 . A plated armor fabric of  claim 1  wherein each plate ranges in width from about 2 cm to about 6 cm in width and about 2 cm to about 4 cm in height. 
     
     
         3 . A plated armor fabric of  claim 1  wherein each plate has radiused or rounded corners. 
     
     
         4 . A plated armor fabric of  claim 1  wherein adjacent plates are placed at a distance from one another ranging from about 1 mm to about 10 mm. 
     
     
         5 . A plated armor fabric of  claim 1  wherein a sheet of plated armor fabric is sheathed in fabric.