US20140130224A1

US20140130224A1 - Ballistic Vest with Duty Belt Suspension System

Info

Publication number: US20140130224A1
Application number: US13/554,750
Authority: US
Inventors: David L. Lurio; Stephen T. Burgoon
Original assignee: Elbeco Inc
Current assignee: Elbeco Inc
Priority date: 2011-07-21
Filing date: 2012-07-20
Publication date: 2014-05-15

Abstract

A ballistic vest is formed with an integrated suspension system for supporting the duty belt directly from the ballistic vest. Front and rear support straps can be tunneled into the structure of the ballistic vest and terminate in clip members formed with an interior slot or cavity into which the duty belt can be positioned. The duty belt is loosely contained within the clip members to permit shifting relative to the ballistic vest to the comfort of the officer wearing the apparatus. The clip member can be formed with a latching clevis to engage the strap for positional adjustment of the clip member or with a plurality of horizontal slots for the threading of the strap. The ballistic vest can be manufactured with the appearance of a uniform shirt so that the ballistic vest can be worn as an external garment as part of the officer's uniform.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims domestic priority on U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/510,287, filed on Jul. 21, 2011, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to body armor as worn by police officers and, more particularly, to a ballistic vest incorporating a duty belt suspension system to support the duty belt from the ballistic vest.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A bulletproof vest is typically formed with a front ballistic panel and a rear ballistic panel, which are secured to one another by detachable straps that pass under the arms of the user along the rib cage, and by a pair of shoulder straps that connect upper portions of the front and rear panels and pass over the shoulders of the user. Ballistic vests are conventionally concealed beneath the officer's uniform or worn over top of the officer's uniform, but present a separate article of clothing from the officer's uniform.
Police officers also carry duty belts that encircle their waist and are used to carry equipment for convenient access by the officer. Such equipment can include a pistol, ammunition, handcuffs, night stick, defensive spray, etc. This array of equipment can present a heavy load for the officer to carry in addition to the substantial weight of the bulletproof vest. The duty belt, sometimes referred to as a duty belt, is an awkward apparatus to carry around. The duty belt is typically constructed from heavy leather and carries a substantial amount of equipment for use by the officer in the performance of his duties. Thus, the duty rig, including the duty belt and the equipment mounted thereon, presents a cumbersome weight on the officer's hips that requires an expenditure of a lot of energy by the officer.
The ballistic vest in U.S. Pat. No. 7,712,148, issued to Richard A. Carlson on May 11, 2010, is zippered at the rear to the duty belt support member, along with hook and loop fasteners, and clipped at the front panel of the ballistic vest by buckles connecting to mating buckles on the duty belt, such that the duty belt support member becomes an integral part of the ballistic vest. The duty belt is then threaded through the belt loops of the support member, which can be integrally formed with the duty belt. In this configuration the duty belt becomes an integral part of the ballistic vest and very little movement between the two components is permitted. As a result, sitting in a vehicle and other related movements of the officer are limited as the duty rig is not capable of freely moving relative to the ballistic vest.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,185,738, granted on Feb. 13, 2001, to Betty A. Sidebottom, anchoring straps permanently affixed to the bottom edge of the ballistic vest can be looped around the duty belt to keep the ballistic vest from riding up on the wearer. U.S. Pat. No. 6,766,532, issued to Daniel F. Cabana on Jul. 27, 2004, utilizes a similar concept of using anchoring straps for back support belts. Other anchoring devices for ballistic vests are found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,495,621, granted on Mar. 5, 1996, to Rick E. Kibbee, and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,754,982, granted on May 26, 1998, to C. Morgan Gainer, in which the ballistic vests are anchored through attachment to undergarments. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 6,088,831, issued to Derek L. Jenson on Jul. 18, 2000, discloses the use of hook and loop fastener strips inside the uniform shirt to interact with corresponding hook and loop fastener strips on the ballistic vest, while the duty belt is supported by keepers that are connected to the personal belt.
Anchoring the ballistic vest is an expressed concern in the known prior art, as is represented by the aforementioned patents; however, none of these prior art patents teach a suspension system in which the duty belt is supported from straps integrally formed within the ballistic vest to permit the shifting of the duty belt relative to the ballistic vest for the comfort of the officer wearing the ballistic vest and the duty belt.
It would be desirable to provide a ballistic vest that is constructed as a uniform shirt such that the ballistic vest can be worn as the officer's uniform. It would also be desirable to provide a belt suspension system for a ballistic vest in which front and rear straps integrally threaded through the ballistic vest terminate in connection devices for direct engagement of the duty belt to provide full support of the duty rig from the ballistic vest while allowing a freedom of movement for the duty rig relative to the ballistic vest.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of this invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a ballistic vest having the duty belt supported from straps carried by the ballistic vest.
It is another object of this invention to provide a duty belt suspension system for a ballistic vest in which a pair of integrated front and rear straps on the ballistic vest carry the weight of a duty belt.
It is a feature of this invention that the front and rear straps carries the weight of the duty belt on the ballistic vest.
It is an advantage of this invention that the front and rear straps carrying the duty belt in a manner to allow shifting of the duty belt relative to the ballistic vest.
It is another advantage of this invention that the full weight of the duty belt is carried on the ballistic vest.
It is another feature of this invention that the ballistic vest can be constructed to appear as a uniform shirt to enable the officer to wear the ballistic vest as an exterior part of the officer's uniform.
It is still another object of this invention that the front and rear straps forming the duty belt suspension system are formed with U-shaped clips at the terminal ends thereof to allow the duty belt to be supported in the U-shaped clips.
It is still another feature of this invention that the U-shaped clips conveniently allow the mounting of the duty belt onto the ballistic vest suspension system.
It is still another advantage of this invention that the open U-shaped clips allow the vertical movement of the duty belt relative to the ballistic vest.
It is yet another feature of this invention that the front and rear straps of the duty belt suspension system are threaded through tunnels formed in the ballistic vest.
It is yet another advantage of this invention that the weight of the duty belt is carried on the shoulders of the officer wearing the ballistic vest due to the integration of the suspension system into the structure of the ballistic vest.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide an integrated ballistic vest incorporating a duty belt suspension system for supporting a duty belt from the ballistic vest which is durable in construction, inexpensive of manufacture, facile in assemblage, and simple and effective in use.
These and other objects, features and advantages can be accomplished according to the instant invention by providing a ballistic vest is formed with an integrated suspension system for supporting the duty belt directly from the ballistic vest. Front and rear support straps can be tunneled into the structure of the ballistic vest and terminate in clip members formed with an interior slot or cavity into which the duty belt can be positioned. The duty belt is loosely contained within the clip members to permit shifting relative to the ballistic vest to the comfort of the officer wearing the apparatus. The clip member can be formed with a latching clevis to engage the strap for positional adjustment of the clip member or with a plurality of horizontal slots for the threading of the strap. The ballistic vest can be manufactured with the appearance of a uniform shirt so that the ballistic vest can be worn as an external garment as part of the officer's uniform.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The advantages of this invention will be apparent upon consideration of the following detailed disclosure of the invention, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the exterior of a ballistic vest constructed in accordance with the principles of the instant invention, the ballistic vest being shown in the fastened configuration;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the ballistic vest as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the exterior of the ballistic vest depicted in FIG. 1, but shown in the unfastened configuration;

FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view of the ballistic vest shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the interior side of the ballistic vest shown in FIG. 3, the interior pocket for holding protective panel inserts being closed;

FIG. 5A is a front elevational view of the interior side of an alternative configuration for the ballistic vest shown in FIG. 5, but with strap hold down tabs incorporated;

FIG. 6 is a rear elevational view of the interior side of the ballistic vest shown in FIG. 3, the interior pocket configured for holding protective panel inserts for the ballistic vest being depicted as partially opened;

FIG. 6A is a rear elevational view of the interior side of the ballistic vest embodiment shown in FIG. 5A, the interior pocket configured for holding protective panel inserts for the ballistic vest being depicted as partially opened;

FIG. 7 is a schematic front elevational view of a person wearing a bulletproof vest incorporating a duty belt suspension system supporting a representative duty belt, the suspension system is highlighted to provide an indication as to the location of the suspension system relative to the vest and the duty belt;

FIG. 8 is a schematic rear elevational view of the bulletproof vest with suspension system worn by a person as shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 7A is a schematic front elevational view of a person wearing a bulletproof vest incorporating an alternative embodiment of the duty belt suspension system incorporating a clip as depicted in FIG. 14;

FIG. 8A is a schematic rear elevational view of the bulletproof vest with suspension system worn by a person as shown in FIG. 7A, the clip being the configuration shown in FIG. 14C;

FIG. 7B is a schematic front elevational view of a person wearing a bulletproof vest incorporating a second alternative embodiment of the duty belt suspension system incorporating a clip as depicted in FIG. 15;

FIG. 8B is a schematic rear elevational view of the bulletproof vest with suspension system worn by a person as shown in FIG. 7B;

FIG. 9 is an interior view of a first embodiment of a bulletproof vest incorporating the principles of the instant invention with the suspension system being retained on the vest by threading the suspension belts through tunnel patches formed on the interior surface of the bulletproof vest;

FIG. 10 is an interior view of a second embodiment of the bulletproof vest incorporating the principles of the instant invention with the suspension belts being retained by short fabric patches on the interior surface of the bulletproof vest;

FIG. 11 is an interior view of a third embodiment of the bulletproof vest incorporating the principles of the instant invention with the suspension belts being threaded through button hole openings at the top and bottom portions of the vest;

FIG. 12 is an interior view of a fourth embodiment of the bulletproof vest incorporating the principles of the instant invention with the suspension belts being threaded through the interior of the bulletproof vest with strap hold down tabs;

FIG. 13 is a side elevational view of a clip mounted on the ends of the suspension belts to hold and support the duty belt;

FIG. 13A is an outside elevational view of the clip shown in FIG. 13;

FIG. 13B is an inside elevational view of the clip shown in FIG. 13;

FIG. 14 is a side elevational view of a clip mounted on the ends of the suspension belts to hold and support the duty belt, the clip incorporating a latching clevis for engagement of the suspension belt and is intended for use on the front of the vest;

FIG. 14A is an inside elevational view of the clip shown in FIG. 14;

FIG. 14B is an outside elevational view of the clip shown in FIG. 14;

FIG. 14C is a side elevational view of a clip mounted on the ends of the suspension belt at the rear of the vest to hold and support the duty belt, as a compliment to the clip shown in FIG. 14 for use at the front of the vest;

FIG. 14D is an outside elevational view of the clip shown in FIG. 14C;

FIG. 14E is an inside elevational view of the clip shown in FIG. 14C;

FIG. 15 is a side elevational view of an alternative clip configuration for mounting on the ends of the suspension belts to hold and support the duty belt;

FIG. 15A is an outside elevational view of the clip shown in FIG. 15;

FIG. 15B is an inside elevational view of the clip shown in FIG. 15;

FIG. 16 is a side elevational view of the clip shown in FIG. 14 showing the engagement of a suspension belt through the latching clevis;

FIG. 16A is an outside elevational view of the clip and suspension belt shown in FIG. 16;

FIG. 17 is a side elevational view of the clip shown in FIG. 15 showing the engagement of a suspension belt through the slots formed therein;

FIG. 17A is an outside elevational view of the clip and suspension belt shown in FIG. 17;

FIG. 18 is an outside perspective view of the clip shown in FIG. 13 supporting a portion of the duty belt, the suspension belt being shown in phantom;

FIG. 18A is an inside perspective view of the clip shown in FIG. 14 supporting a portion of a representative duty belt; and

FIG. 18B is an inside perspective view of the clip shown in FIG. 15 supporting a portion of a representative duty belt.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1-6A, a bulletproof vest, sometime referred to as body armor, flak vest or a ballistic vest, incorporating the principles of the instant invention can best be seen. The ballistic vest 10 is designed with an opening 11 in the center to allow the vest 10 to be slipped over the head of the person wearing the vest 10 such that there is a front panel 12 lying over the chest of the wearer, as depicted in FIG. 1, and a back panel 19 overlying the back of the wearer, as depicted in FIG. 2. The exterior side of the front panel 12 is configured as an officer's uniform shirt with a pair of functional buttoned shirt pockets 13 and a non-functional buttoned front 14 to simulate a conventional buttoned uniform shirt, even though the ballistic vest 10 is worn by slipping the vest 10 over the wearer's head.
The sides 15 below the sleeve holes 16 are formed with hook and loop fastener material 17 that can be fastened beneath the wearer's arms once the vest 10 is slipped over the wearer's head. Preferably, the exterior surfaces of the ballistic vest 10 in both the front panel 12 and the rear panel 19 are constructed from conventional uniform material in the color and style corresponding to the uniform adopted by the organization for which the wearer is employed. The opening 11 is formed in a V-neck configuration for both the comfort of the wearer and to simulate a uniform shirt. The shoulder portions 18 on opposing sides of the opening 11 can be formed with optional shoulder straps (not shown), badge tab (not shown), and simulated stitched military creases 12 a, 19 a to provide an authentic uniform appearance.
The interior surface of the ballistic vest, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, is provided with a compartment 20 on both the front and rear panels 12, 19, accessed through a horizontal opening 22 equipped with hook and loop fasteners 23 that are operable to selectively close the compartment 20. Appropriately sized and configured protective panels (not shown) can be inserted into each of the compartments 20 to provide bulletproof protection for the wearer.
The duty belt 25 is representatively shown in FIGS. 7 through 8B, but is well known in the industry. The duty belt 25 is adapted to carry a pistol, ammunition, night stick, handcuffs, defense spray and other equipment (not shown) needed by the wearer to safely complete his/her duties. The duty belt 25 is typically coupled together by a releasable buckle 27 at the front of the duty belt 25, but with all the equipment supported on the duty belt 25, the duty belt 25 can weigh more than ten pounds and presents an uncomfortable burden to wear for an entire duty or work shift.
The ballistic vest 10, according to the principles of the instant invention, is formed with a duty belt suspension system 30 incorporated into the interior of the vest 10 to support the duty belt 25 from the vest 10, such that the weight of the duty belt 25 will be carried by the shoulder portions 18. The suspension system 30 is shown in different embodiments in FIGS. 9-18B and includes a pair of suspender straps 32 that exits the vest 10 from both the front and rear panels 12, 19 and terminates in clip members 40 that are engaged with the duty belt 25, as will be described in greater detail below.
In a first embodiment of the suspension system 30 shown in FIG. 9, each of the suspender straps 32 is threaded through a corresponding tunnel 33 formed on the interior surface of the vest 10 passing on opposing sides of the central opening 11 and terminating above the front and rear bottom edges to provide adequate room to adjust the length of the suspender straps 32 to accommodate the height of the wearer. In a second embodiment of the suspension system 30 shown in FIG. 10, the suspender straps 32 are threaded through a shorter tunnel 34 at the shoulder portions 18 on the interior side of the vest and then retained by loops 36 near the front and rear bottom edges of the vest 10. The distance between the loops 36 and the tunnel 34 provides ample room for adjustment of the length of the suspender straps 32 to accommodate the height of the wearer.
A third embodiment of the instant invention shown in FIG. 11 has the suspender straps 32 simply threaded through four large buttonholes 38 in the front and rear panels 12, 19 so that the suspender straps 32 can be located through the interior lining of the ballistic vest 10, and through the compartments 20. Yet a fourth embodiment of the instant invention is shown in FIG. 12 in which the suspender straps 32 are simply located within the interior of the lining of the ballistic vest 10 exiting at the openings 22 of the front and rear compartments 20 and passing through hold down loops 36 that locate the position of the suspender straps 32. Adjustment of the length of the suspender straps 32 in this fourth embodiment is accommodated within the clips 40, as will be described in greater detail below.
Each of the suspender straps 32 can be provided with an adjuster buckle (not shown) that is coupled to the literal end of the suspender strap 32 and engaged with the suspender strap 32 along the length thereof, in a customary manner, to provide for adjustment of the overall length of the suspender strap 32 so that the duty belt 25 can be located relative to the bottom edges of the ballistic vest 10 as desired by the wearer. Alternatively, the adjustment of the length of the suspender strap 32 can be accommodated within the clip member 40, as will be described in greater detail below.
Each suspender strap 32 terminates in the front and back at a clip member 40 that engages and supports the duty belt 25. A first embodiment of the clip member 40 is best seen in FIGS. 13-13B and is formed in a U-shaped configuration with the rear portion 42 (i.e. the portion of the clip member on the inside next to the person wearing the ballistic vest 10) projecting above the front portion 46 and including an elongated opening 43 that allows the passage of the suspender strap 32. The rear and front portions 42, 46 of the clip member 40 are spaced apart to define an interior slot 45 that is configured to receive the duty belt 25 within the slot 45. The upper edge 47 of the front portion 46 is located inwardly with respect to the rear portion 42 relative to the bottom of the slot 45 to provide a frictional restriction to the movement of the duty belt 25 within the slot 45.
An alternative configuration of the clip member 50 is shown in FIGS. 14-14E, 16, 16A and 18A. In this alternative configuration, the clip member 50 has an oval-shaped configuration defining an interior cavity 51 in which the duty belt 25 can be retained. The clip member 50 includes an inside vertical portion 52 spaced from the outside vertical portion 54 to define the interior cavity 51 therebetween. The outside vertical portion 54 includes a latching clevis 55 on the exterior surface thereof to engage the suspender strap 32 and secure the position of the suspender strap 32 relative to the clip member 50. By releasing the overcenter latch tongue 56 within the latching clevis 55, the frictional engagement with the suspender strap 32 is released to permit a positional adjustment thereof to locate the clip member 50 at the location needed for the desired position of the duty belt 25. The free end of the suspender strap 32 can be retained within the hold down loop 36.
The outside vertical portion 54 is preferably formed with an offset bend 57 at the upper portion thereof to form the top boundary of the interior cavity 51. The vertical terminus of the offset bend 57 is formed with a slot 58 to receive the passage of the suspender strap 32 toward and from the latching clevis 55, as is best seen in FIGS. 16 and 16A. The inside vertical portion 52 of the clip member 50 terminates in an upper edge 53 that is curled inward toward the interior cavity and is located under the offset bend 57 to close the interior cavity 51 and capture the duty belt 25 when placed therein. The upper edge 53 can be deflected away from the offset bend 57 to open the interior cavity 51 for the insertion and/or removal of the duty belt 25.
The counterpart rear mounting clip 50 a is shown in FIGS. 14C-14E. Preferably, in the ballistic vest 10 utilizing the clip members 50, 50 a, will utilize a single suspender strap 32 on each respective side of the ballistic vest 10. The positional adjustment of the clip members 50, 50 a, can be accomplished through the latching clevis 55 on the front clip member 50 because the suspender strap 32 is not attached to the ballistic vest 10 and can be moved relative thereto, even removed therefrom. Therefore, the overall length of the suspender strap 32 needed for the desired positioning of the duty belt 25 will accommodate both the front clip member 50 and the rear clip member 50 a. Except for the latching clevis 55, the rear clip member 50 a is structurally the same as the front clip member 50 and includes the inside and outside vertical portions 52, 54, the offset bend 57 having a slot 58 formed in the vertical terminus 57 a, and the upper edge 53 closed under the offset bend 57.
Another alternative configuration of the clip member 60 can be found in FIGS. 15-15B, 17, 17A and 18B. The overall shape of the clip member 60 is preferably U-shaped, similar to the clip member 40 shown in FIG. 13, but more preferably with equal length rear and front portions 62, 64 defining the boundaries of an interior slot 65. Preferably, the front portion 64 is formed with four horizontal slots 66-69 for use in threading the suspender strap 32 in a manner to lock the position of the clip member 60 on the suspender strap 32, and thereby positionally locate the duty belt 25 in a desired position. As depicted in FIGS. 7B and 8B, this alternative clip member 60 has the same configuration for the front clip member as well as the rear clip member.
Referring to FIGS. 17 and 17A, the suspender strap 32 is preferably threaded from the outside of the clip member 60 in through the top slot 66 and then out through the bottom slot 69. The suspender strap 60 is then threaded back into the second slot 68 from the bottom and back out through the second slot 67 from the top. The resulting threading of the suspender strap 32 creates a frictional lock between the clip member 60 and the suspender strap 32 to fix the position of the duty belt 25. Re-positioning the clip member 60 requires only that the suspender strap 32 be loosened and positionally adjusted.
In operation, the wearer first slips the ballistic vest 10, having the compartments 20 properly filled with protective panels (not shown), over his or her head with the head passing through the opening 11 and the shoulder portions 18 resting on the shoulders of the wearer. The left and right sides 15 are then fastened by engaging the corresponding hook and loop fastener material to make the vest fit snuggly over the torso of the wearer. The configuration of the ballistic vest 10 as described above eliminates the need for the wearer to wear a separate uniform shirt, particularly if an appropriate undershirt is worn beneath the ballistic vest 10.
The suspension system 30 is normally installed within the interior of the vest 10, although for cleaning, maintenance and replacement purposes the suspender straps 32 can be removed from the vest 10. The clip members 40, 50, 60 hang down from the ballistic vest 10 with the suspender straps 32 being properly adjusted in length through manipulation of the adjustment buckles (not shown) or the clip members 50, 60. The wearer can then wrap the duty belt 25 around him/her and fasten the duty belt 25 together at the releasable buckle 27. The belt 25 can be placed into the interior slots or cavities 45, 51, 65 of all of the clip members 40, 50, 50 a, 60 so that the entire weight of the duty belt 25 is supported on the suspension system 30 and borne on the shoulder portions 18 against the wearer's shoulders.
The vertical depth of the slots or cavities 45, 51, 65 is preferably deeper than the vertical height of the belt portion of the duty belt 25 received within the slot 45. Although the restriction provided by the top edge 47, 53 of the clip member 40, 50 provides some limitation on the vertical movement of the duty belt 25 within the clip members 40, 50, the clip members 40, 50, 60 are intended to allow some vertical movement of the duty belt 25 to provide some comfort when the wearer needs to move into a sitting position, such as to enter a vehicle. Furthermore, the suspender straps 32 are preferably manufactured as a web material by weaving elastic fibers into the webbing. As a result, these straps 32 have an inherent elastic stretch of about 3-4% of their length, which enables the wearer to realize the relief of the weight of the duty belt 25 while retaining lateral, as well as horizontal, mobility of the duty belt relative to the ballistic vest 10. The permitted vertical and horizontal movement of the duty belt 25 relative to the clip members 40, 50, 50 a, 60, as well as the flexibility of the suspender straps 32 between the vest 10 and the clip members 40, 50, 50 a, 60, allows the duty belt 25 to move relative to the ballistic vest 10 in a manner that the natural body movement of the wearer is not inhibited or restricted during the course of the daily activities of the wearer.
Removal of the duty belt 25 and ballistic vest 10 is easy and convenient for the wearer. The duty belt 25 can be easily unbuckled and lifted out of the U-shaped slots 45, 51, 65 in the four clip members 40, 50, 50 a, 60. The ballistic vest 10 can then be unfastened at the sides 15 and lifted over the wearer's head to affect removal thereof. If cleaning of the ballistic vest 10 is desired, the suspension system 30 can be removed simply by pulling the suspender straps 32 from the interior of the ballistic vest 10, although removal of the clip members 40, 50, 60 in the front or back of the vest 10 would be necessary before removing the suspender straps 32.
It will be understood that changes in the details, materials, steps and arrangements of parts which have been described and illustrated to explain the nature of the invention will occur to and may be made by those skilled in the art upon a reading of this disclosure within the principles and scope of the invention. The foregoing description illustrates the preferred embodiments of the invention; however, concepts, as based upon the description, may be employed in other embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are intended to protect the invention broadly, as well as in the specific form shown.

Claims

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A ballistic vest comprising:

a front ballistic panel;

a rear ballistic panel connected by shoulder straps to said front ballistic panel; and

a suspension system integrated into said front and rear ballistic panels to support a duty belt therefrom such that the weight of the duty belt is borne from the front and rear ballistic panels.

2. The ballistic vest of claim 1 wherein said suspension system includes a pair of front and rear straps having terminal ends extending downwardly from said front and rear ballistic panels.

3. The ballistic vest of claim 2 wherein said front and rear straps are threaded through tunnels formed in said front and rear ballistic panels.

4. The ballistic vest of claim 2 wherein said front and rear straps include clip members mounted on each respective said terminal end of said front and rear straps and having an interior cavity for receipt of said duty belt for support thereof from said clip members.

5. The ballistic vest of claim 4 wherein each of said front and rear straps is formed as a unitary structure passing over a corresponding said shoulder strap so that the weight of said duty belt will be carried over said shoulder straps.

6. The ballistic vest of claim 5 wherein said clip members are detachably mounted on said terminal ends of said front and rear straps.

7. The ballistic vest of claim 6 wherein said front and rear panels are formed with the appearance of a uniform shirt so that said ballistic vest can be worn as an external garment forming a part of a uniform.

8. The ballistic vest of claim 6 wherein each said clip member mounted on said front straps includes a latching clevis to engage said strap for positionally adjusting the operative length of the strap.

9. A duty belt suspension system for a ballistic vest having a front ballistic panel coupled to a rear ballistic panel, said duty belt suspension system supporting a duty belt from said ballistic vest, comprising:

a pair of front and rear straps integrated into said front and rear panels, each said front and rear strap having a terminal end extending below the corresponding front and rear ballistic panels.

10. The duty belt suspension system of claim 9 wherein said front and rear straps include clip members mounted on each respective said terminal end of said front and rear straps, said duty belt being supported in said clip members.

11. The duty belt suspension system of claim 10 wherein said front ballistic panel is connected to said rear ballistic panel by a pair of shoulder straps, each of said front and rear straps being formed as a unitary structure passing over a corresponding said shoulder strap so that the weight of said duty belt will be carried over said shoulder straps.

12. The duty belt suspension system of claim 9 wherein said clip members are detachably mounted on said terminal ends of said front and rear straps, at least one said clip member associated with corresponding front and rear straps including a latching clevis for engaging the strap and positionally locking the at least one clip member on the strap.

13. The duty belt suspension system of claim 9 wherein each said clip member is formed with a plurality of horizontal slots for the passage of the corresponding strap for positionally securing said strap on said clip member.

14. The duty belt suspension system of claim 13 wherein said front and rear panels are formed with the appearance of a uniform shirt so that said ballistic vest can be worn as an external garment forming a part of a uniform.

15. A ballistic vest comprising:

a front ballistic panel formed with an appearance of a front portion of a uniform shirt;

a rear ballistic panel formed with an appearance of a rear portion of said uniform shirt; and

shoulder portions interconnecting said front and rear ballistic portions and being formed with an appearance of shoulder portions of said uniform shirt such that the combination of said front ballistic panel, said rear ballistic panel and said shoulder portions form the appearance of said uniform shirt to enable said ballistic vest to be worn as an external garment as part of a uniform.

16. The ballistic vest of claim 15 further comprising

17. The ballistic vest of claim 16 wherein said suspension system includes a pair of front and rear straps having terminal ends extending downwardly from said front and rear ballistic panels.

18. The ballistic vest of claim 17 wherein said front and rear straps include clip members detachably mounted on each respective said terminal end of said front and rear straps, said duty belt being supported in said clip members.

19. The ballistic vest of claim 18 wherein at least one said clip member associated with corresponding front and rear straps including a latching clevis for engaging the strap and positionally locking the at least one clip member on the strap.

20. The ballistic vest of claim 18 wherein each said clip member is formed with a plurality of horizontal slots for the passage of the corresponding strap for positionally securing said strap on said clip member.