Body armor with overlapping layers of ballistic material

1. A ballistic panel for a ballistic garment, the panel having an outline defined by an outer periphery;

the panel including a plurality of subpacks overlying each other and secured to each other to form the panel, each one of the plurality of subpacks having substantially the same outline as the panel;

a first one of the plurality of subpacks including a plurality of layers of ballistic material, each one of the layers in the first subpack having substantially the same outline as the first subpack;

each one of the layers in the first subpack comprising at least first and second layer sections that individually each form only a portion of the outline of the first subpack and that overlap each other along at least one seam to form the layer which thereby has substantially the same outline as the first subpack, with an edge portion of the first layer section overlapping an edge portion of the second layer section;

the panel including at least one stitching section that extends through the edge portions of all of the first and second layer sections in the subpack to form the first subpack;

each one of the layers in the first subpack being discontinuous at the seam; wherein the plurality of subpacks also includes second and third subpacks in addition to the first subpack;

the second subpack includes a plurality of continuous layers of ballistic material each having substantially the same outline as the second subpack and

the third subpack includes a plurality of continuous layers of ballistic material each having substantially the same outline as the third subpack;

wherein the second subpack has a different overlapping seam configuration from the first subpack, the third subpack has a different overlapping seam configuration from the first and second subpacks, and the plurality of subpacks includes at least a fourth subpack consisting of layers having substantially the same outline as the fourth subpack and being free of seams therein.

2. A ballistic panel as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

all of the first layer sections of the first subpack overlie each other in a first stack without any second layer sections, and all of the second layer sections of the first subpack overlie each other in a second stack without any first layer sections, and an edge portion of the first stack overlies an edge portion of the second stack, the least one stitching section extending through the edge portion of the first stack and through the edge portion of the second stack to join all the first layer sections to all the second layer sections, to form the first subpack.

3. A ballistic panel as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

the edge portions of the first layer sections of the first subpack are interlaced with the edge portions of the second layer sections of the first subpack; and

the at least one stitching section extends through the interlaced edge portions of the first and second layer sections in the subpack, to join all the first layer sections to all the second layer sections, to form the first subpack.

4. A ballistic panel for a ballistic garment, the panel having an outline defined by an outer periphery; the panel including a plurality of subpacks overlying each other and secured to each other to form the panel, each one of the plurality of subpacks having substantially the same outline as the panel;

a first one of the plurality of subpacks including a plurality of layers of ballistic material, each one of the layers in the first subpack having substantially the same outline as the first subpack;

each one of the layers in the first subpack comprising at least first and second layer sections that individually each form only a portion of the outline of the first subpack and that overlap each other along at least one seam to form the layer which thereby has substantially the same outline as the first subpack, with an edge portion of the first layer section overlapping an edge portion of the second layer section;

the panel including at least one stitching section that extends through the edge portions of all of the first and second layer sections in the subpack to form the first subpack;

each one of the layers in the first subpack being discontinuous at the seam; wherein the at least one stitching section that joins the first layer sections to the second layer sections is the only stitching section that joins the first layer sections to each other, and is the only stitching section that joins the second layer sections to each other;

wherein any perimeter stitching on the subpack is not the primary stitching that forms the seams in the subpack;

each seam being formed by one to three parallel sew lines that extend along the length of the seam;

aside from any tacking or perimeter stitching, the stitching section that joins the first layer sections to the second layer sections being the only stitching section that joins the first layer sections to each other and being the only stitching section that joins the second layer sections to each other.

5. A ballistic panel as set forth in claim 1 wherein each layer in the first subpack includes only two layer sections, that overlap and that together form the entire layer, the overlapping layer edge portions forming a reinforced area of the layer that is positioned along a vulnerable area of a wearer's body.

6. A ballistic panel as set forth in claim 1 wherein each layer in the first subpack includes exactly three layer sections, that overlap and that together form the entire layer, the overlapping layer edge portions forming a reinforced area of the layer.

7. A ballistic panel as set forth in claim 1 wherein each layer in the first subpack includes exactly four layer sections, that overlap and that together form the entire layer, the overlapping layer edge portions forming a stiffened area of the layer.

8. A ballistic panel as set forth in claim 1 wherein the at least one seam extends vertically or horizontally across the subpack and does not extend along the perimeter of the subpack.

9. A ballistic panel as set forth in claim 8 wherein the at least one seam is a single seam that extends vertically on the panel in a straight line for the full height of the subpack and that is located to overlie the sternum and/or spinal area of the wearer.

10. A ballistic panel as set forth in claim 8 wherein the at least one seam is a single seam that extends horizontally in a straight line for the full width of the subpack and that is located to overlie the lower rib cage area of the wearer.

11. A ballistic panel as set forth in claim 8 wherein the at least one seam includes a first seam that extends vertically on the panel in a straight line for the full height of the subpack and that is located to overlie the sternum and/or spinal area of the wearer and a second seam that extends horizontally in a straight line for the full width of the subpack and that is located to overlie the lower rib cage area of the wearer.

12. A ballistic panel as set forth in claim 8 wherein the at least one seam includes:

a first seam that extends horizontally in a straight line for the full width of the subpack and that is located to overlie the lower rib cage area of the wearer; and

second and third seams that extend vertically in a straight line for the full height of the subpack and that are located on opposite sides of the sternum and/or spinal area of the wearer.

13. A ballistic panel as set forth in claim 1 including five subpacks including a strike face subpack that does not have any overlapping seams, a next inner subpack that is formed using an L-Cut overlapping technique, a next inner (middle) subpack that is formed using an I-Cut overlapping technique, a next inner subpack that does not have any overlapping seams, and a body side subpack that is formed using a T-Cut overlapping technique.

14. A ballistic panel as set forth in claim 1 including five subpacks including a strike face subpack that does not have any overlapping seams, a next inner subpack that is formed using an L-Cut overlapping technique, a next inner (middle) subpack that is formed using an I-Cut overlapping technique, a next inner subpack that is formed using an H-Cut overlapping technique, and a body side subpack that does not have any overlapping seams.

15. A ballistic panel as set forth in claim 1 including five subpacks including a strike face subpack that does not have any overlapping seams, a next inner subpack that is formed using an H-Cut overlapping technique, a next inner (middle) subpack that does not have any overlapping seams, a next inner subpack that is formed using a T-Cut overlapping technique, and a body side subpack that does not have any overlapping seams.

16. A ballistic panel as set forth in claim 1 including five subpacks including a strike face subpack that does not have any overlapping seams, a next inner subpack that is formed using an I-Cut overlapping technique; a next inner (middle) subpack that is formed using an H-Cut overlapping technique; a next inner subpack that is formed using an L-Cut overlapping technique; and a body side subpack that does not have any overlapping seams.