Holster having a slidable locking element

• US 10,088,273 B2
• Filed: 07/04/2016
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• 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:
  US15/201,552
• Publication Number:
  US 20160313088A1
• Time in Patent Office: 820 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, including 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, 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 locking slider, slidable attached or coupled to at least a portion of the holster such that the locking slider is repeatably slidable between a locked position and an unlocked position, and wherein at least a portion of a body portion of the locking slider is positioned above at least a portion of the engagement portion of the lever when the locking slider is in the locked position.

Claims

1. A holster for a handgun, comprising:

a holster body with a front wall, a rear wall, and a pair of opposing left and right sidewalls defining an at least partial cavity;

a lever positioned at one of the opposed side walls having a finger button portion for receiving a user'"'"'s index finger, the lever further having a trigger guard engagement portion positioned rearwardly of the finger button 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, between said finger button portion and said engagement portion; and

a locking slider, slidably attached or coupled to at least a portion of said holster rearwardly of the finger button portion such that said locking slider is repeatably slidable between a locked position and an unlocked position, and wherein at least a portion of a body portion of said locking slider is positioned above at least a portion of said engagement portion of said lever when said locking slider is in said locked position wherein the locking slider is constrained in a slot in one of the side walls and the locking slider body portion is at least partially in the slot and the locking slider has a finger engaging portion outside of the slot and projecting only to the left or only to the right of the body portion.

6. The holster of claim 1, wherein the locking slider slides back and forth along one of the opposed side walls and is positioned on a portion of the holster body that receives the trigger guard of the handgun.

7. The holster of claim 6, wherein said locking slider is slidably positioned rearward of said finger button portion and above the trigger guard engagement portion.

8. The holster of claim 1, wherein the slot includes two apertures formed in said sidewall.

9. The holster of claim 1, wherein said locking slider is frictionally maintained in said locked or said unlocked position unless a sufficient force is applied to slide said locking slider by a user'"'"'s index finger.

10. The holster of claim 1, wherein said locking slider is biased to said locked or said unlocked position.

11. The holster of claim 1, wherein said locking projection includes a ramp surface for engaging the trigger guard of a handgun inserted in the at least partial cavity.

12. 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 at least partial cavity, via an opening in said side wall such that said locking projection extends inside said at least partial cavity and when said lever is in said disengaged position, said locking projection is at least partially withdrawn from said at least partial cavity.

13. The holster of claim 1, wherein said lever is pivotable between a handgun trigger guard engaged position and a handgun disengaged position.

14. The holster of claim 13, wherein said lever is biased to said handgun trigger guard engaged position.

2. A holster body with a pair of opposing sidewalls defining an at least partial cavity;

a lever positioned at one of the opposed side walls 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

a locking slider, slidably attached or coupled to at least a portion of said holster such that said locking slider is repeatably slidable between a locked position and an unlocked position, and wherein at least a portion of a body portion of said locking slider is positioned above at least a portion of said engagement portion of said lever when said locking slider is in said locked position;

wherein a notch is formed in said locking slider and wherein at least a portion of said notch is positioned above said engagement portion of said lever when said locking slider is in said unlocked position allowing the engagement portion of the lever to be moved outwardly and the finger button to be moved inwardly.

3. The holster of claim 2, wherein the locking slider is constrained in a slot in the holster body and the locking slider has a body portion with a finger engaging portion projecting outwardly at each of both ends of the body portion.

4. The holster of claim 3, wherein one of the finger engaging portions is positioned between the engagement portion and a bottom end of the holster body and the other finger engaging portion is positioned between the engagement portion and the top end of the holster body.

5. A holster for a handgun, comprising:

a holster body with a front wall, a rear wall, and a pair of opposing sidewalls defining an at least partial cavity;

a lever positioned at one of the opposed side walls having a finger button portion for receiving a user'"'"'s index finger, the lever further having a trigger guard engagement portion positioned rearwardly of the finger button 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, between said finger button portion and said engagement portion; and

a locking slider, slidably attached or coupled to at least a portion of said holster rearwardly of the finger button portion such that said locking slider is repeatably slidable between a locked position and an unlocked position, and wherein at least a portion of a body portion of said locking slider is positioned above at least a portion of said engagement portion of said lever when said locking slider is in said locked position, wherein the locking slider has an aperture therein permitting a lock to be inserted therein for maintaining the locking slider in the locked or unlocked position.

15. A holster for a handgun, comprising:

a holster body with a front wall, a rear wall, and a pair of opposing sidewalls defining an at least partial cavity;

a lever positioned at one of the opposed side walls having a finger button portion for receiving a user'"'"'s index finger, the lever further having a trigger guard engagement portion positioned rearwardly of the finger button 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, between said finger button portion and said engagement portion; and

a locking slider, slidably attached or coupled to at least a portion of said holster rearwardly of the finger button portion such that said locking slider is repeatably slidable between a locked position and an unlocked position, and wherein at least a portion of a body portion of said locking slider is positioned above at least a portion of said engagement portion of said lever when said locking slider is in said locked position, wherein said lever is pivotable between a handgun trigger guard engaged position and a handgun disengaged position, wherein if said locking slider is in said locked position, at least a portion of said body portion of said locking slider extends above said engagement portion of said release lever to keep said release lever from pivoting to said disengaged position, and wherein if said locking slider is in said unlocked position, at least a portion of said notch is positioned above said engagement portion of said lever when said locking slider is in said unlocked position so as to allow said release lever to be pivoted to said disengaged position.

16. A holster for a handgun, comprising:

a holster body having a front wall and a rear wall defining an at least partial cavity having a frame/slide portion at the front wall, a pair of opposing left and right sidewalls, and a trigger guard portion at the rear wall;

a thumb button portion that moves an engagement portion, wherein said engagement portion includes a locking projection extending from said engagement portion, wherein depressing the finger button portion moves the engagement portion between a handgun trigger guard engaged position and a handgun disengaged position; and

a locking slider, slidably positioned on the holster body rearward of the thumb button portion wherein said locking slider is repeatably slidable between a locked and an unlocked position, wherein the locking slider is rearward of the thumb engaging portion and wherein at least a portion of a body portion of said locking slider is positioned above at least a portion of said engagement portion of said lever when said locking slider is in said locked position wherein the locking slider is constrained in a slot in one of the side walls and the locking slider body portion is at least partially in the slot and the locking slider has a finger engaging portion outside of the slot and projecting only to the left or only to the right of the body portion.

17. The holster of claim 16, wherein said locking slider has an aperture for receiving a device to be inserted therein for maintaining the locking slider in the locked or unlocked position.

18. The holster of claim 16, wherein if said locking slider is in said locked position, at least a portion of said body portion of said locking slider extends above said engagement portion of said release lever to keep said release lever from pivoting to said disengaged position, and wherein if said locking slider is in said unlocked position, at least a portion of said notch is positioned above said engagement portion of said lever when said locking slider is in said unlocked position so as to allow said release lever to be pivoted to said disengaged position.