Holster having a rotatable lockout element

• US 10,066,902 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2016
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vista Outdoor Operations LLC (Vista Outdoor Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vista Outdoor Operations LLC (Vista Outdoor Inc.)
• Inventors: Gregory, Thomas M., Kincaid, Robert A., Cook, Clifton L., Yeates, Eric M., Marx, Thomas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Waggenspack, Adam
• Application Number:
  US15/212,259
• Publication Number:
  US 20160349007A1
• Time in Patent Office: 779 Days
• Field of Search: 224193, 224242-244, 224911, 224912
• CPC Class Codes: F41C 33/0209 Pouch or pocket like containers for small arms covering all or most of the small arm
• CPC Class Codes: F41C 33/0263 having a locking system for preventing unauthorized or accidental removal of the small arm from the holster F41C33/0227 takes precedence

Abstract

A holster for a handgun, having at least some of an at least partial cavity; a lever having a finger button portion and an engagement portion, wherein the lever includes a locking projection extending from at least a portion of the engagement portion, and wherein the lever is pivotally attached or coupled to at least a portion of the holster, approximately between the finger button portion and the engagement portion; and a lockout element rotatably attached or coupled to at least a portion of the holster such that the lockout element is rotatable between a locked position and an unlocked position, and wherein at least a portion of a locking portion of the lockout element is positioned above at least a portion of the engagement portion of the lever when the lockout element is in the locked position.

Claims

1. A holster for a handgun, comprising:

a holster body defining an at least partial cavity;

a lever having a finger button portion and an engagement portion, wherein said lever includes a locking projection extending from at least a portion of said engagement portion, and wherein said lever is pivotally attached or coupled to at least a portion of said holster, approximately between said finger button portion and said engagement portion; and

a lockout element rotatably attached or coupled to at least a portion of said holster such that said lockout element is rotatable between a locked position and an unlocked position utilizing a separate key for engaging the rotatable lockout element, and wherein at least a portion of a locking portion of said lockout element is positioned above at least a portion of said engagement portion of said lever when said lockout element is in said locked position.

2. The holster of claim 1, wherein said at least partial cavity has a frame/slide portion and a trigger guard portion, wherein said frame/slide portion of said at least partial cavity has greater depth than said trigger guard portion of said at least partial cavity.

3. The holster of claim 1, wherein said at least partial cavity comprises a frame/slide portion and a trigger guard portion, wherein said frame/slide portion is contoured to accept at least a portion of a frame/slide of a handgun and said trigger guard portion is contoured to accept at least a portion of a trigger guard of a handgun, and wherein at least a portion of said engagement portion is positioned above at least a portion of said trigger guard portion of said at least partial cavity.

4. The holster of claim 1, wherein said lever is pivotally attached to said side wall.

5. The holster of claim 1, further comprising at least one ridge segment extending from said side wall around at least a portion of said lever wherein said lever is pivotally attached to at least a portion of at least one ridge segment.

6. The holster of claim 1, further comprising at least one aperture formed in a portion of said side wall beneath at least a portion of said finger button portion of said lever.

7. The holster of claim 1, further comprising a hollow formed within a portion of said side wall, wherein said lockout element is rotatably secured within at least a portion of said hollow.

8. The holster of claim 7, wherein said hollow is formed within a portion of said at least one ridge segment of said side wall.

9. The holster of claim 1, wherein said lockout element is frictionally maintained in either said locked or said unlocked position unless a sufficient force is applied by the key to rotate said lockout element.

10. The holster of claim 1, wherein said lockout element has at least one aperture to receive a portion of the key.

11. The holster of claim 1, wherein said lockout element includes at least one key slot that is capable of interacting with one or more mating portions of the key, such that rotation of said lockout element can be accomplished by interaction of said one or more mating portions of the key and said at least one key slot.

12. The holster of claim 1, wherein said lockout element comprises an elongate lever.

13. The holster of claim 1, wherein when said lever is in said engaged position, said locking projection protrudes into at least a portion of said holster at least partial cavity, via an opening in said side wall such that said locking projection extends inside said holster at least partial cavity and when said lever is in said disengaged position, said locking projection is at least partially withdrawn from said holster at least partial cavity.

14. The holster of claim 1, wherein said lever is pivotable between an engaged position and a disengaged position.

15. The holster of claim 14, wherein said lever is biased to said engaged position.

16. The holster of claim 14, wherein if said lockout element is in said locked position, at least a portion of said locking portion of said lockout element extends beneath said finger button portion of said release lever to keep said release lever from pivoting to said disengaged position, and wherein if said lockout element is in said unlocked position, said locking portion of said lockout element is withdrawn from beneath said finger button portion of said release lever so as to allow said release lever to be pivoted to said disengaged position.

17. A holster for a handgun, comprising:

a holster body defining an at least partial cavity having a frame/slide portion, and a trigger guard portion;

a lever having a finger button portion and an engagement portion, wherein said lever includes a second side facing generally toward said at least partial cavity, wherein said engagement portion of said lever includes a locking projection extending from at least a portion of said second side of said engagement portion, wherein said lever is pivotally attached or coupled to at least a portion of said holster, approximately between said finger button portion and said engagement portion, and wherein said lever is pivotable between an engaged position and a disengaged position;

at least one ridge segment extending from at least a portion of a side wall of said holster, around at least a portion of said lever so as to define a recess, wherein at least a portion of said engagement portion of said lever is positioned within at least a portion of said recess; and

a lockout element rotatably attached or coupled to at least a portion of said holster such that said lockout element is rotatable between a locked position and an unlocked position by a key, and wherein at least a portion of a locking portion of said lockout element prevents the finger button from being depressed when said lockout element is in said locked position.

18. The holster of claim 17, wherein said lockout element has a key slot for receiving the key.

19. The holster of claim 17, wherein said key slot is capable of interacting with a plurality of mating portions of the key, such that rotation of said lockout element can be accomplished by interaction of said plurality of mating portions of key and said key slot.

20. A holster, comprising:

a holster body defining an at least partial cavity;

a lever having a finger button portion and an engagement portion, wherein said lever includes a locking projection extending from at least a portion of said engagement portion, wherein said lever is pivotally attached or coupled to at least a portion of said holster, approximately between said finger button portion and said engagement portion, and wherein said lever is pivotable between an engaged position and a disengaged position; and

a lockout element rotatably attached or coupled to at least a portion of said holster such that said lockout element is rotatable between a locked position and an unlocked position utilizing a key, and wherein at least a portion of a locking portion of said lockout element limits movement of said lever between said engaged position and said disengaged position when said lockout element is in said locked position.