Handgun holster

• US 5,501,381 A
• Filed: 01/05/1994
• Issued: 03/26/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Safariland LLC
• Original Assignee: Safariland LLC
• Inventors: Rogers, William H., Clifton, Norman E. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): JACYNA, J CASIMER
• Application Number:
  US08/176,766
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 224/192, 224/193, 224/196-198, 224/224-226, 224/236, 224/238, 224/242-244, 224/253, 224/911, 224/912
• US Class Current: 224/243
• CPC Class Codes: F41C 33/0227 having a strap or other restraining element only covering the hammer or a part of the upper part of the small arm
• CPC Class Codes: F41C 33/0272 having means for facilitating or accelerating the drawing of the small arm from the holster
• CPC Class Codes: F41C 33/04 Special attachments therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 224/911 Handgun holder formed of leather, fabric, or other flexible material

Abstract

A handgun holster having a pivotable semirigid safety strap which prevents withdrawal of the handgun until the strap is selectively released by a force on the strap from a detent by hand manipulation of the user in drawing the handgun after the strap has been pivoted away from the handgun.

Claims

1. A handgun holster comprising a quick release withdrawal restraint, an inner and outer sidewall joined together along lower front and back portions to define an inner cavity having an open top shaped to fit a handgun holstered therein, an elongated restraining strap having opposite ends and a medial portion bridging said sidewalls across said open top, means for pivotal attachment of said opposite ends of said strap to respective said sidewalls to permit movement of said strap from a position across said open top to restrict handgun withdrawal to a position generally forwardly of said holster to permit handgun withdrawal, said means for pivotal attachment including a detent means releasably engaged with said means for pivotal attachment for preventing forward pivotal movement of said restraining strap until said strap is moved at said means for pivotal attachment in a predetermined direction.

2. The holster of claim 1 wherein said restraining strap is semirigid, said strap being spring biased to maintain said detent means in position to prevent pivotal movement of said strap.

3. The holster of claim 1 wherein said detent means includes a fixed notch and a movable pawl adapted to engage said notch and to be disengaged from said notch when said strap is moved in said predetermined direction.

4. The holster of claim 3 which additionally includes a horizontal roller in said interior cavity joining said sidewalls along said back portion and adapted to rest against a holstered handgun and to push it upwardly against said restraining strap.

5. The holster of claim 1 wherein said detent means includes a thin spool having two closely spaced end walls joined by a cylindrical body therebetween with a smaller diameter than that of said end walls, and having a radial notch, an annular member adapted to be rotatable around said cylindrical body between said end walls, said annular member having an inwardly directed radial tongue adapted to fit into said notch when aligned therewith, said spool being fixed with respect to said holster and said annular member being rotatable about said spool body and being radially movable into and out of said notch.

6. The holster of claim 1 which additionally includes a horizontal roller adapted to bear against a handgun and maintain its downward predetermined position in the holster and cause the restraining strap to snugly engage a handgun holsterable in said holster.

7. The holster of claim 1 which additionally includes a spring biased vertical plunger adapted to bear against a handgun to push it upwards against said restraining strap to secure a handgun against unintentional withdrawal from said holster.

8. The holster of claim 1 wherein said detent means includes two opposed interlocking thin covers, one said cover having a fixed notch to engage a pawl attached to a downwardly depending leg of said restraining strap, a circular cam surface to guide said pawl when said restraining strap is pivoted, and a spring means to bias said pawl into said notch.

9. A holster for a handgun comprising a pair of spaced sidewalls joined together at the front portions and at the lower back portions to define an interior cavity with an open top and having a restraining strap bridging over said open top, means for pivoting said strap to each of said pair of sidewalls, said bridging strap being located to prevent withdrawal of a handgun from said holster until said bridging strap is pivoted forward to release a handgun, a manually releasable means for attaching said strap to said sidewalls, said manually releasable means including a pivotable detent means connecting said strap to one said sidewall, said detent means including a spring biased pawl releasably locked into a notch for selectively preventing pivoting of said strap until said strap is moved toward said detent means to release said pawl from said notch.

10. The holster of claim 9 wherein said strap is bent and is sufficiently stiff to provide a spring biased force on said pawl.

11. The holster of claim 9 wherein said notch is located in the cylindrical body of a thin spool having two spaced end walls of larger diameter than that of said body therebetween;

and said pawl is located on an annular member rotatable about said spool body between said end walls.

12. The holster of claim 9 wherein said strap includes a ledge adapted to be contacted by a portion of a hand of a user which withdraws a handgun from the holster, said ledge being pressable in a predetermined direction to release said pawl and pivot said strap forwardly.

13. The holster of claim 9 which additionally includes a spring-biased vertically movable plunger affixed to said holster and adapted to contact a handgun when holstered and to apply an upwardly directed force to a handgun to push it against said restraining strap.

14. The holster of claim 9 wherein said detent means includes two opposed interlocking thin covers, one said cover having a fixed notch to engage a pawl attached to a downwardly depending leg of said restraining strap, a circular cam surface to guide said pawl when said restraining strap is pivoted, and a spring means to bias said pawl into said notch.

15. The holster of claim 9 which additionally includes a horizontal roller in said interior cavity connecting said two sidewalls and adapted to maintain a handgun pressed upwardly against said strap.

16. A handgun holster comprising a main body having inner and outer sidewalls joined together along a lower front portion and a back portion to define an inner cavity having an open top and shaped to fit a handgun holstered therein, said holster having an elongated restraining strap having opposite ends and bridging said sidewalls across said open top, said strap being stiff and formed into a substantially inverted U-shaped;

a pair of spaced pivot means for attaching said ends of said strap to said body, said pair of spaced pivot means being in substantial alignment to enable pivoting of said strap, at least one said pivot means including a detent means releasably engaged with said one pivot means for restricting forward pivotal movement of said restraining strap until said strap is moved at said one pivot means in a predetermined direction; and

a spring biased movable plunger adapted to push a holstered handgun generally upwardly against said restraining strap.

17. The holster of claim 16 wherein said restraining strap is semi-rigid and springy for biasing said detent to its position to restrict pivotal movement of said strap.

18. The holster of claim 17 wherein said detent means is located on said main body adjacent a wearer.

19. The holster of claim 16 wherein said detent means includes a fixed notch and a movable pawl adapted to engage said notch and to be disengaged from said notch when said strap is pressed downwardly at said pivot means.

20. The holster of claim 16 wherein said detent means includes a thin spool having a pair of closely spaced end walls and a cylindrical body therebetween, said and walls having a predetermined diameter, said cylindrical body having a smaller diameter than said predetermined diameter, and having a radial notch, an annular member attached to said strap and adapted to be rotatable around said cylindrical body between said end walls, said annular member having an inwardly directed radial tongue for selective engagement into said notch when aligned therewith, said spool being fixed with respect to said main body and said annular member being rotatable about said cylindrical body and being radially movable to dispose its said tongue into and out of said notch.

21. The holster of claim 16 wherein said detent means includes two opposed interlocking thin covers, one said cover having a fixed notch to engage a pawl attached to a downwardly depending leg of said restraining strap, a circular cam surface to guide said pawl when said restraining strap is pivoted, and a spring means to bias said pawl into said notch.