Body protector

An articulated shock absorbing body protector in the form of a vest conformed to fit the human torso, having an upper shoulder portion, a waist portion and a lower lumbar portion, as well as a neck aperture and arm apertures in said shoulder portion, comprising:

• a. a back panel having upper, lower and side edges conformed to fit the human torso;
• b. two side panels, each panel having upper, lower, front and back edges and conformed to fit the human torso, each side panel being joined at said upper edge to said back panel at said shoulder portion and extending over the side and front of the torso, said side panels being releasably joined to each other at said front edge at a vertical axis extending from the neck aperture to said lower edge of each side panel;
• c. a plurality of shock absorbing cellular foam ribs independently and movably supported in skeletal array within said back panel and side panels, said ribs in said back and side panels being aligned with each other and being parallel to the human rib cage;
• and
• d. a protective spinal sheath supported upon said back panel and extending from said neck aperture portion to said lumbar portion, said spinal sheath including an outer lightweight shield of flexible ballistic material tape and an inner core of shock absorbing horizontally disposed cellular foam ribs independently and movably supported and pivotable about horizontal axes adjacent said shield of flexible ballistic material tape.