HOLSTER SAFETY CLASP
First Claim
1. In combination with a handgun holster including a pair of side-by-side upstanding panels having spaced apart upper edges and pairs of corresponding upstanding side edges joined together to form an upwardly opening recess defining receptacle for receiving all but the butt and trigger guard portions of a downwardly directed handgun inserted barrel first into said recess, latch means including an elongated generally horizontally directed portion extending and having a longitudinal axis generally transverse of said panels and supported from said holster for axial back and forth shifting between operative and inoperative positions, means yieldingly biasing said latch means to a position with said horizontally directed portion in said inoperative position, and readily releasable latch retaining means operatively associated with said holster and latch means for retaining said latch means in the operative position thereof, said horizontally directed portion being disposed slightly above one pair of corresponding ends of said upper edges inwardly of the terminal ends thereof and extending through the planes of said panels adjacent the intersection of the upper ends of one pair of upstanding edge portions of said panels and the adjacent ends of the upper edges of said panels when in said operative position for preventing withdrawal of the handgun from the holster and being horizontally retracted to said planes when in the inoperative position.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A handgun holster of the type including a pair of side-by-side upstanding panels joined together along corresponding upstanding edges to form an upwardly opening recess for receiving all but the butt and trigger guard portions of a downwardly directed handgun inserted barrel first downwardly into said recess. A latch member is provided and includes a generally horizontally directed portion extending generally transverse of the panels and is supported from the holster for back and forth shifting between operative and inoperative positions. Spring structure is provided for yieldingly biasing the latch to a position with the horizontally directed portion in its operative position and a readily releasable latch retaining structure is operatively associated with the holder and latch member for retaining the latch member in the operative position thereof. The horizontally directed portion of the latch member extends through the planes of the panels adjacent the intersections of the upper ends of one pair of upstanding edge portions of the panels and the adjacent ends of the upper edges of the panels when the latch member is in its operative position and the horizontally directed portion of the latch member being horizontally retracted to one side of the planes of the panels when the latch member is in the inoperative position, the horizontally directed portion, when the latch member is in its operative position, passing through the area enclosed by a handgun trigger guard and thus preventing withdrawal of the handgun from the holster.
63 Citations
8 Claims
-
1. In combination with a handgun holster including a pair of side-by-side upstanding panels having spaced apart upper edges and pairs of corresponding upstanding side edges joined together to form an upwardly opening recess defining receptacle for receiving all but the butt and trigger guard portions of a downwardly directed handgun inserted barrel first into said recess, latch means including an elongated generally horizontally directed portion extending and having a longitudinal axis generally transverse of said panels and supported from said holster for axial back and forth shifting between operative and inoperative positions, means yieldingly biasing said latch means to a position with said horizontally directed portion in said inoperative position, and readily releasable latch retaining means operatively associated with said holster and latch means for retaining said latch means in the operative position thereof, said horizontally directed portion being disposed slightly above one pair of corresponding ends of said upper edges inwardly of the terminal ends thereof and extending through the planes of said panels adjacent the intersection of the upper ends of one pair of upstanding edge portions of said panels and the adjacent ends of the upper edges of said panels when in said operative position for preventing withdrawal of the handgun from the holster and being horizontally retracted to said planes when in the inoperative position.
-
2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said latch means includes a supporting shank portion generally paralleling said horizontally directed portion and supported from said holster for lengthwise rectilinear reciprocation relative thereto.
-
3. The combination of claim 2 including a U-shaped mounting bracket clampingly embracingly engaging and secured to said one pair of upstanding edge portions of said panels, said shank portion being reciprocally supported from said mounting bracket.
-
4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said means yieldingly biasing said latch means to said operative position comprises a compression spring disposed about said shank portion and having one end thereof abutted against said mounting bracket and the other end thereof operatively anchored to said latch means.
-
5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said latch retaining means comprises a latching lever pivotally supported from said U-shaped mounting bracket for oscillation about an axis generally paralleling said shank portion, said latching lever being oscillatable between first and second positions, means connected between said latching lever and said bracket yieldingly urging said latching lever to said first position, said latching lever and shank portion including coacting portions releasably engaged with each other when said latching lever is in said first position and said latch means is in said operative position.
-
6. In combination with a handgun holster including a pair of side-by-side upstanding panels joined together along corresponding upstanding edges to form an upwardly opening recess defining receptacle for receiving all but the butt and trigger guard portions of a downwardly directed handgun inserted barrel first into said recess, latch means including a generally horizontally directed portion extending generally transverse of said panels and supported from said holster for back and forth shifting between operative and inoperative positions, means yieldingly biasing said latch means to a position with said horizontally directed portion in said inoperative position, and readily releasable latch retaining means operatively associated with said holster and latcH means for retaining said latch means in the operative position thereof, said horizontally directed portion extending through the planes of said panels adjacent the intersection of the upper ends of one pair of upstanding edge portions of said panels and the adjacent ends of the upper edges of said panels and being horizontally retracted to one side of said planes when in the retracted position, said latch means including a supporting shank portion generally paralleling said horizontally directed portion and supported from said holster for lengthwise rectilinear reciprocation relative thereto, a U-shaped mounting bracket clampingly embracingly engaging and secured to said one pair of upstanding edge portions of said panels, said shank portion being reciprocally supported from said mounting bracket, said means yieldingly biasing said latch means to said operative position comprising a compression spring disposed about said shank portion and having one end thereof abutted against said mounting bracket and the other end thereof operatively anchored to said latch means, said latch retaining means comprising a latching lever pivotally supported from said U-shaped mounting bracket for oscillation about an axis generally paralleling said shank portion, said latching lever being oscillatable between said first and second positions, means connected between said latching lever and said bracket yieldingly urging said latching lever to said first position, said latching lever and shank portion including coacting portions releasably engaged with each other when said latching lever is in said first position and said latch means is in said operative position, one end portion of said shank portion including a lengthwise extendable and retractable elongated pull rod, said latching lever and the outer end of said pull rod including coacting portions operable to automatically extend said pull rod relative to said shank portion upon actuation of said latching lever to release said shank portion for movement under the biasing action of said compression spring to a position thereof with said horizontally directed portion in said inoperative position.
-
7. In combination with a holster including opposite side portions between which an upwardly opening recess is defined for receiving all but the butt and trigger guard portions of a downwardly directed handgun inserted barrel first into said recess and including corresponding end marginal edges of said sides having one pair of corresponding end portions adapted to be engaged by the forward portion of the trigger guard of the handgun to limit penetration of the handgun into the holster, a latch structure for releasably retaining a handgun in said holster, said latch structure including an elongated and generally horizontally disposed latch portion, said latch portion having a longitudinal axis disposed transverse to said holster, means supporting said latch structure from said holster for axial reciprocation of said latch portion relative to the holster along a path spaced slightly outwardly of said corresponding end edge end portions between first and second operative and inoperative positions, said latch portions, when in the operative position, being disposed slightly outwardly of said corresponding end edge end portions for positioning behind said forward trigger guard portion whereby the handgun may not be withdrawn from the holster, said latch portion, when in the inoperative position, being retracted to one side of said corresponding end edge end portions.
-
8. The combination of claim 7 including means yieldingly biasing said latch portion toward said inoperative position, and latch means releasably engageable with said latch portion for releasably retaining said latch portion in said operative position.
Specification