Holster having a removable lockout element

• US 10,094,637 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2016
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• 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 J
• Application Number:
  US15/212,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20160327363A1
• Time in Patent Office: 815 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, 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, wherein at least a portion of the lockout element is positionable within at least a portion of the holster such that if at least a portion of the lockout element is positioned within at least a portion of the holster, at least a portion of the lockout element is positioned below at least a portion of the finger button portion to keep the lever from being pivoted to a disengaged position.

Claims

1. A holster for a handgun, comprising:

a holster body with a front wall, a rear wall, and a pair of opposing sidewalls comprising an at least partial cavity, the at least partial cavity including a handgun slide receiving portion at the front wall and a handgun trigger guard receiving portion at the rear wall;

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 at one of the pair of sidewall, between said finger button portion and said engagement portion, and wherein the locking projection extends into the handgun trigger guard receiving portion and the lever is pivotable between a trigger guard engaged position and a trigger guard disengaged position;

wherein the holster body has a lockout aperture proximate the lever and extending in a direction with the one of the pair of sidewalls; and

a lockout element having a straight portion slidably insertable through the lockout aperture and into a blocking position with the lever thereby blocking the lever from pivoting from the trigger guard engaged position to the trigger guard disengaged position, the lockout element separable from the holster body by slidingly moving the straight portion out of the lockout aperture in the direction with the one of the pair of sidewalls whereby the lever may then be pivoted to the trigger guard disengaged position.

2. The holster of claim 1, wherein said lockout element is positionable within the lockout element aperture of said holster body, the portion of said lockout element is positioned below at least a portion of said finger button portion to keep said lever from being pivoted to said disengaged position.

3. The holster of claim 1, wherein said lockout element is configured as a band and extends to both sidewalls of the pair of sidewalls.

4. The holster of claim 3, wherein a portion of the lockout element opposite the straight portion insertable through the lockout aperture is lockable to the holster body.

5. The holster of claim 1, wherein said lever is pivotally attached to one of the pair of side walls of the holster body by a pin.

6. The holster of claim 4, wherein the portion of the lockout element opposite the straight portion is attachable to the holster body by way of a padlock.

7. The holster of claim 6, wherein said lockout element is insertable and slidably positionable within at least a portion of said at least one ridge segment.

8. The holster of claim 1, wherein the lockout aperture is formed in a portion of said side wall forward of said finger button portion of said lever.

9. The holster of claim 1, wherein said lockout element is key shaped with a slender straight portion and an enlarged and flat head portion connected thereto.

10. The holster of claim 1, wherein said lockout element comprises an elongate lockout portion extending from an enlarged head.

11. 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.

12. The holster of claim 1, wherein said lockout element is configured as a band.

13. The holster of claim 12, wherein said band extends around the forward wall of the holster body and along the side wall opposite the lever.

14. The holster of claim 1, wherein said lockout element extends from a portion of a lockout band.

15. The holster of claim 14, further comprising at least one lockout band aperture formed within a portion of said holster such that a portion of said lockout band may be positioned within said lockout band aperture.

16. The holster of claim 1, wherein said lockout element extends from a portion of a lockout band and wherein said lockout element portion of said lockout band is positionable within a lockout element aperture while a portion of said lockout band is positionable within a lockout band aperture formed within a portion of said holster.

17. A holster for a handgun, comprising:

a holster body having a front wall, a rear wall, and a pair of side walls 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 at one of the pair of side walls, 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 slidingly separable from the holster body, wherein a portion of said lockout element is slidably positionable along one of the pair of the side walls and through at least one lockout element aperture of said at least one ridge segment such that when the portion of said lockout element is positioned through said at least one lockout element aperture the portion of said lockout element blocks pivotable movement of said lever between said engaged position and said disengaged position.

18. The holster of claim 17, wherein when the portion of said lockout element is positioned through said at least one lockout element aperture the portion of said lockout element is positioned below at least a portion of said finger button portion to block pivotable movement of said lever between said engaged position and said disengaged position, the lockout element further having a portion that extends around to the other of the pair of side walls.

19. The holster of claim 17, wherein when the portion of said lockout element is positioned through said at least one lockout element aperture the portion of said lockout element is positioned above at least a portion of said engagement portion to block pivotable movement of said lever between said engaged position and said disengaged position.

20. A holster, comprising:

a holster body having a front wall, a rear wall, and a pair of side walls defining an at least partial cavity;

a finger button portion and an engagement portion, wherein said engagement portion includes a locking projection extending from at least a portion of said engagement portion, wherein said push button and engagement portion are attached or coupled to at least a portion of said holster, said engagement portion movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position by depressing the finger button portion; and

a lockout element separable from said holster body by slidingly moving the lockout element in a direction extending along the side walls, wherein a portion of said lockout element is positionable within at least a portion of said holster such that the portion of said lockout element blocks one of the finger button portion and the engagement portion to keep the engagement portion from moving to a disengaged position.