U.S. patent application number 11/057072 was filed with the patent office on 2005-12-22 for tactical holster.
This patent application is currently assigned to Tactical Design Labs. Invention is credited to Lowe, Michael.
Application Number | 20050279789 11/057072 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35479552 |
Filed Date | 2005-12-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050279789 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lowe, Michael |
December 22, 2005 |
Tactical holster
Abstract
An environmental cover for a handgun security holster, which
provides noise deadening and debris protection for said
handgun.
Inventors: |
Lowe, Michael; (Boise,
ID) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DYKAS, SHAVER & NIPPER, LLP
P.O. BOX 877
BOISE
ID
83701-0877
US
|
Assignee: |
Tactical Design Labs
Boise
ID
|
Family ID: |
35479552 |
Appl. No.: |
11/057072 |
Filed: |
February 11, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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60543956 |
Feb 11, 2004 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
224/244 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F41C 33/0263 20130101;
F41C 33/0209 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
224/244 |
International
Class: |
F41C 033/02 |
Claims
I claim:
1. A security holster for use with a handgun, the handgun having a
handgun body, trigger guard, a trigger, an ejection port, slide,
handle, rear end, trigger, and trigger guard, wherein the holster
comprises: a holster body that includes spaced apart inner and
outer substantially rigid sidewalls formed to define an inner
cavity and an open top portion for receiving a handgun therein, and
for removing a handgun there from; a locking tab attached to said
holster body, configured to admit said handgun into said security
holster body, and upon insertion of said handgun, to move into
engagement with a feature of said handgun until released, thereby
preventing the withdrawal of said handgun prior to release of said
locking tab; a release tab, operationally connected to said locking
tab, for releasing said locking tab from said handgun feature by
moving said locking tab in relation to said holster, which when
depressed disengages said locking tab from said handgun feature;
and a soft and flexible environmental cover attached to said
holster body, for at least partial covering of said holster body,
for protecting said handgun from the environment, and which is
configured for sound absorption and to allow uninhibited withdrawal
of said handgun without obstruction and without action beyond
withdrawing handgun; wherein said security holster provides for
insertion of said handgun into said security holster and release
therefrom, with said locking tab which admits said handgun during
insertion, and which moves into engagement with said handgun
feature, for retention of said handgun until said locking tab is
moved out of engagement by activation of said release tab.
2. The security holster of claim 1 in which said locking tab
interacts with said ejection port of a semi-automatic handgun.
3. The security holster of claim 1 in which said locking tab
operates with at least one rebounding device, so that when a
handgun is pressed straight into said security holster with a
required degree of insertion force, depressing said rebounding
device is required to activate said locking tab and thus to secure
said handgun, and after locking, said rebounding device urges said
handgun toward said the entry end of said holster body against said
locking tab.
4. The security holster of claim 3 in which said rebounding device
comprises one or more springs attached to said holster body, which
press against said handgun when said handgun is pressed into said
security holster body.
5. The security holster of claim 1 in which said environmental
cover is configured to cover said release tab, and to allow release
of said locking tab by pressing down on said release tab through
said environmental cover.
6. A security holster for use with a handgun, the handgun having an
ejection port, trigger guard and trigger, comprising: a holster
body with inner and outer spaced substantially rigid sidewalls
formed to define an inner cavity with an open top portion for
receiving a handgun therein and for removing a handgun there from;
a locking tab configured to admit said handgun into said security
holster, and adapted to engage said ejection port of said handgun
placed in said inner cavity of said security holster, said locking
tab thereby preventing the withdrawal of said handgun prior to
release of said locking tab, and said locking tab configured to
secure said handgun by means of one action on the part of a user,
that of pressing said handgun straight into said holster with a
required amount of force; a release tab located adjacent to said
trigger of said handgun, for releasing said locking tab by flexure
of a user's finger or thumb, with the handgun released by only two
actions, the first action being pressing said handgun into said
security holster with a required degree of force, amount, and the
second action being depressing said release tab which is configured
for sliding engagement with an index finger or thumb as a user
reaches for, releases, and removes said handgun from said holster,
with said release tab operationally connected to said locking tab,
and with said release tab activated by flexure of a finger or thumb
of said user, which disengages said locking tab from said ejection
port when said release tab is depressed; a soft and flexible
environmental cover, for attachment to and at least partial
covering of said holster body, for protecting said handgun from the
environment, and which is configured to allow depression of said
release tab through said cover, and for unobstructed withdrawal of
said handgun without further action than pressing said release tab
through said environmental cover and then withdrawing said handgun
by the user; wherein said security holster provides for one handed
insertion and locking of said handgun into said security holster,
via said locking tab which admits said handgun during insertion,
and which moves into engagement with said ejection port for
retention of said handgun until said locking tab is disengaged by
first pressing said handgun into said security holster and then by
depression of said release tab by flexure of said index finger or
thumb.
7. The security holster of claim 1 in which said environmental
cover is made from a padded type of fabric.
8. The security holster of claim 1 in which said environmental
cover extends to cover the portion of the holster body which
encases the handgun barrel end.
9. The security holster of claim 1 in which said environmental
cover is made of a light absorbing material.
10. The security holster of claim 1 in which said environmental
cover is made of a camouflaging material.
11. The security holster of claim 1 in which said environmental
cover is configured for removal in order to replace said cover, or
to wash said cover.
12. The security holster of claim 1 in which said environmental
cover further comprises one or more drain holes adjacent the
portion of the holster body which encases said handgun barrel
end.
13. The security holster of claim 1 in which said environmental
cover further comprises a removal loop attached at the portion of
the holster adjacent the back of the slide of the handgun.
14. An environmental cover for a handgun holster, said
environmental cover comprising a cover body made of a flexible and
sound absorbing material, for attaching to a handgun holster, said
cover body comprising a barrel end, a back of slide end, and a left
and right side, and configured for covering a security release of a
security holster, and configured for activation of a release tab on
said holster through the material of said cover body.
15. The environmental cover for a handgun holster of claim 14, in
which said back of slide end extends over at least a portion of
said security holster which is adjacent to a secured handgun, with
said cover configured to allow passage of said handgun out of said
holster without removal or adjustment of said cover.
16. The environmental cover for a handgun holster of claim 14,
which includes a removal loop attached to said back of slide
portion of said cover.
Description
PRIORITY
[0001] This application claims the priority date of the provisional
application entitled Tactical Holster filed by Mike Lowe on Feb.
11, 2004 with application Ser. No. 60/543,956.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Background Information. Some security holsters are designed
primarily for law enforcement officers. For security holster
designs for law enforcement officers, the main considerations are
easy accessibility and retention in the face of an assault by a
criminal. For these purposes, the inventor's previous security
holster utilizes a finger tube, which is built into the shroud
around the security holster, to protect access to the handgun
release mechanism. By the use of this finger tube, a police officer
has enhanced control over his weapon, and the assailant will find
it very difficult to gain access to the officer's weapon.
[0003] In other situations, a different style of security holster
is required. For instance, in tactical operations such as SWAT
teams, Navy Seal teams, Special Forces teams, and also by soldiers
in any combat situation, there are different needs. One requirement
in such a situation is that a holster, made of rigid plastic, be
made to be less noisy if it bumps or scrapes against an object. The
typical hard plastic holster may make quite a bit of noise in such
a situation, and a sound reduction feature is very useful in such
an application. Tactical situations may also result in the handgun
being subjected to significant environmental debris. This can be in
the form of mud, dirt, water, grass, leaves, sticks, and other
vegetation. This could occur when a soldier is crawling and/or
rolling on the ground. It could also occur during hand-to-hand
combat when the wearer of the security holster is wrestling and/or
rolling on the ground. It could also occur when crawling through
mud, sand, or being exposed to wind driven sand in the desert. All
of these conditions require a covering that meets the earlier
requirement of reducing sound, while also protecting the locking
mechanism of the holster and the moving parts of the handgun from
environmental debris.
[0004] Another requirement for a holster in a tactical situation
may be for it to blend into a number of different environments. For
instance, a holster might be required to be non-reflective black in
some situations, forest camouflaged in other situations, desert
camouflaged in still other situations, and may have a requirement
for a dress or parade appearance at certain times.
[0005] It is important that in whatever configuration, such a
tactical security holster must be removable from under an
environmental cover without requiring additional effort or thinking
on the part of the user of the handgun.
[0006] Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the
invention will be set forth in part in the description which
follows and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the
art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice
of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may
be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and
combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The security holster of the present invention includes a
holster body, which is made up of an inner and outer rigid
sidewall, which are joined together to form a holster inner shell.
Attached to the holster body is a locking tab that is configured to
admit the handgun into the security holster body and to move into
engagement with a feature of the handgun until the locking tab is
released. This prevents withdrawal of the handgun prior to the
release of the locking tab.
[0008] The locking tab is released by a release tab, which is
operationally connected to the locking tab. By activating the
release tab, the locking tab is moved from the ejection port or
other handgun feature, thus disengaging the locking tab from the
handgun feature. The holster of the invention includes an
environmental cover that covers at least part of the holster body.
The environmental cover protects the handgun in the holster from
the environment. It is designed to allow removal of the handgun
without obstruction and without requiring any action beyond
withdrawing the handgun.
[0009] This is accomplished by the use of an environmental cover
that is somewhat flexible. Neoprene or other synthetic materials
achieve this purpose well. A fabric, plastic or leather cover of
the right consistency would also be suitable. The environmental
cover is attached to the holster body by various means, including
hook and loop fasteners, hooks, snaps, buckles or other attachment
means that would be obvious to a person dealing with attaching
fabric. In one embodiment of the invention, the environmental cover
overlays the upper part of the security holster, including the area
of the locking tab, and the general region of the ejection port of
a semi-automatic weapon. Thus, the ejection port of the gun is also
covered. Preferably, the environmental cover also extends from over
the gun barrel to the back of the handgun. The rear surface of the
environmental cover can have a slight taper, so that when the
handgun is withdrawn, the back of the environmental cover
automatically pops out of the way and allows the hand gun to be
freely withdrawn from the security holster without hindrance.
[0010] A desirable feature of the environmental cover is for it to
cover the release tab of the security holster. The fabric involved
in the environmental cover, such as neoprene, would also preferably
be of a consistency that the user of the handgun could press down
on the environmental cover and release the locking tab of the
handgun through the environmental cover without having to remove
the environmental cover or even without having to place his/her
finger under the environmental cover.
[0011] A hard plastic security holster has the advantage of
rigidity and toughness, which makes plastic a preferred material
for security holsters. Plastic has the disadvantage of being noisy,
and a flexible neoprene or other fabric material over a rigid
plastic holster serves to deaden the sound when the hard plastic
holster is scraped against rocks, walls, or bricks. Any sounds made
during a stealthy operation would tend to be muffled. The
environmental cover could also be changed according to the
situation, such as a light absorbent black cover for some missions,
a desert camouflage cover for other missions, a forest camouflage
cover for other missions, and a dress cover could be utilized to
match a department's configuration rules. The environmental cover
would preferably cover the barrel end of the security holster and
thus would also protect the barrel of the handgun from
environmental debris. A drain hole would preferably be present in
the environmental cover so that water trapped within the security
holster could drain out.
[0012] In the case of using the security holster in water based
missions, such as the Navy Seals may encounter, the environmental
cover would not be in place to keep the gun dry. The gun and
holster might become totally submerged in such missions. However,
once out of the water, the security holster and its environmental
cover would tend to protect the gun from other debris, such as mud,
sand, grass, and leaves when crawling or walking through brush or
forested areas.
[0013] The purpose of the foregoing Abstract is to enable the
United States Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally,
and especially the scientists, engineers, and practitioners in the
art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology,
to determine quickly from a cursory inspection, the nature and
essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The
Abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the
application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to
be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
[0014] Still other objects and advantages of the present invention
will become readily apparent to those skilled in this art from the
following detailed description wherein I have shown and described
only the preferred embodiment of the invention, simply by way of
illustration of the best mode contemplated by carrying out my
invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of
modification in various obvious respects all without departing from
the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description of the
preferred embodiment are to be regarded as illustrative in nature,
and not as restrictive in nature.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 is a side view of the security holster with
environmental cover of the invention.
[0016] FIG. 2 is a side view of the security holster of the
invention with the environmental cover partially peeled back.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0017] While the invention is susceptible of various modifications
and alternative constructions, certain illustrated embodiments
thereof have been shown in the drawings and will be described below
in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no
intention to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed,
but, on the contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications,
alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the
spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims.
[0018] Some preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in
FIG. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 shows an environmental cover 104 of the
invention in place over the holster body 12 of a security holster
10. The environmental cover 104 includes a removal loop 106
attached to the cover over the slide of the gun.
[0019] FIG. 2 shows the environmental cover 104 partially pulled
back, showing more of the holster body 12 of the security holster
10. The holster body 12 includes a locking tab 22 and a release tab
26. The locking tab 22 passes through a locking tab passage 42, in
the holster inner shell 80, and into the handgun ejection port 54,
which is part of the handgun 40, and is not visible in the figures.
The environmental cover 104 of the invention includes an optional
drainage hole 108 and a removal loop 106.
[0020] The environmental cover 104 is preferably made of material
which is sound absorbing, or sound deadening, and which is also
flexible. This can include neoprene, which is a foam material which
may have its inner and outer service covered by a number of
different materials. The environmental cover 104 can also be made
of other fabrics which provide the flexibility and sound deadening
characteristics required by the environmental cover. Examples of
such material includes Rentex Powerflex, Polartec.RTM., nylon,
Windstopper, Gore Tex.RTM., Hypalon.TM., Kydex.RTM., Ev50.RTM.,
fleece, Paclite, Gore Tex XCR or any number of synthetic fabrics
which are currently popular, and those that may be developed in the
future.
[0021] While there is shown and described the present preferred
embodiment of the invention, it is to be distinctly understood that
this invention is not limited thereto but may be variously embodied
to practice within the scope of the following claims. From the
foregoing description, it will be apparent that various changes may
be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention as defined by the following claims.
* * * * *