Paddle holsters for handguns and other waistband carried objects

• US 5,875,944 A
• Filed: 03/10/1997
• Issued: 03/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Safariland LLC
• Original Assignee: Bianchi Intl (Safariland LLC)
• Inventors: Beletsky, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Luebke, Renee S.
• Application Number:
  US08/815,267
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 224/198, 224/197, 224/911, 224/912, 224/926, 224/482, 108/46
• US Class Current: 224/198
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 2200/0591 Defense articles, e.g. small arms, handguns, pistols, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 5/02 Fastening articles to the garment
• 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 33/041 for connecting a holster to a belt, webbing or other object
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 224/911 Handgun holder formed of leather, fabric, or other flexible material

Abstract

A paddle type holster including a holster body formed to provide a pouch for holding a handgun or other object and an inside the waistband formed holster support structure. The support structure is in the form of a curved broad surface which generally conforms to the human waist shape and includes a connector portion which extends between the curved portion of the support structure and the holster body. The holster body is rotatably adjustable with respect to the curved portion. The connector portion is likewise vertically adjustable with respect to the holster body to further control the relationship of the support structure. The adjustments are secured by fasteners and by mechanical interlocking of the parts of the holster. A holster or pouch for tall objects is disclosed with a "Z" shaped paddle member.

Claims

1. A paddle type holster adapted to be worn inside of a wearer'"'"'s trousers having a waistband comprising:

a holster body defining a pouch for the carrying of a handgun;

a paddle adapted to be worn inside of said waistband

said holster including an interconnecting portion for connecting the holster body to said paddle;

said interconnecting portion including an offset portion adjacent to the outer surface of said holster body;

said offset portion including a pair of slots therein, each of said slots including curvilinear portions joining linear portions; and

means securing said holster body to said offset portion at said slots;

whereby said holster body is adjustable different heights with respect to the wearer'"'"'s waistband and angularly with respect to said offset portion at said curvilinear slot portions.

2. A paddle type holster in accordance with claim 1 wherein said slot curvilinear portions of said descending offset portion defines a pair of curved slots which generally define a partial circle;

said linear portions of said slots extend generally horizontally when the holster is worn; and

said securing means comprising a pair of fasteners extending through said slot curvilinear portions and engaging said holster body for securing the holster body to said offset means.

3. A paddle holster for use by a wearer who wears a garment having a waistband comprising:

a holster body defining a pouch for holding a handgun;

a paddle for location within said waistband;

interconnecting means connecting said paddle to said holster body by extending over the top of said waistband;

offset means secured to said interconnecting means and to said holster body;

said offset means defining a pair of vertically arcuate slots with laterally extending linear slot extensions; and

fastener means securing said offset means to said holster body through said slots for angularly, vertically and laterally adjusting the position of said holster body with respect to said offset means.

4. A paddle holster in accordance with claim 3 wherein said holster body includes a pair of fastener receiving means secured thereto on the side of the holster body adjacent to said offset portion;

said fastener receiving means being spaced apart by a predetermined distance;

said offset portion including a pair of slots being arcuate in form and together forming an interrupted circle of diameter corresponding to said predetermined distance; and

fastening means extending through said slots and securable to said offset portion at different degrees of angular rotation;

whereby said holster body may be rotated to different cant angles with respect to said offset portion and the wearer'"'"'s waistband.

5. A paddle holster in accordance with claim 3 wherein said interconnecting means of said paddle holster comprises adjustable overlapping flanges whereby the spacing of said holster body from said paddle is changeable by the wearer.

6. A paddle holster in accordance with claim 5 wherein said interconnecting means comprises overlapping portions of said paddle and said offset means wherein one of said overlapping portions includes at least a slot therein and fastener means adjustably engaging said overlapping portions throughout the length of said slot.

7. A paddle holster in accordance with claim 6 wherein said fastener means comprises at least one screw and one captive nut with the body of the screw extending through the slot in one of said overlapping portions and engaging the captive nut secured to the other of said overlapping portions.

8. A paddle holster for use by a wearer who wears a garment having a waistband comprising:

a holster body defining a pouch for holding a handgun;

a paddle for location within said waistband;

interconnecting means connecting said paddle to said holster body extending over the top of said waistband;

offset means secured to said interconnecting means and to said holster body;

fastening means for angularly and laterally adjusting the position of said holster body with respect to said offset means;

wherein said fastening means includes a pair of spaced fasteners engaging said holster body and adjustably engaging said offset means and a pair of slots in said offset means spaced a distance apart equal to the spacing of said pair of fasteners and said slots each including a curvilinear portion for angular adjustment and a laterally extending slot portion for lateral adjustment of said holster body with respect to said offset means.

9. In an adjustable holster carrier for use with a holster having a body defining a handgun carrying pouch and having a side wall to be worn toward a wearer'"'"'s body including a pair of spaced fastening means secured to said side wall, the improvement comprising:

a belt loop having an outer face and an inner face and a belt receiving slot therethrough;

the outer face of said belt loop including a pair of slots defining a partial circle with a diameter thereof substantially matching the spacing of the spaced fastening means of a holster carrier body to be attached to said belt loop;

fastening means extendable through said slots and into engagement with said fastening means to secure the carrier body to said belt loop at various angles within the limits of the partial circle of said slots;

wherein the outer face of said belt loop includes generally linear slots joining said partial circular slots whereby a carrier body may be adjusted by said fastening means linearly as well as angularly with respect to said belt loop.

10. In a paddle holster for use by a wearer wearing trousers including a waistband;

a holster body defining a pouch for carrying a handgun and including an outer face and an inner face, the inner face worn near the body of the wearer;

a paddle designed to be worn inside said waist band; and

a portion interconnecting the paddle to the holster body;

the improvement wherein the interconnecting portion includes an offset portion securable to the inner face of the holster body including adjusting means adjustable in cant angle and lateral position at different heights with respect to the distances below the wearer'"'"'s waistband to vary the vertical position to the holster body on the wearer, said adjusting means comprising a pair of arcuate slots extending generally parallel to the holster body and each joined at each end thereof by laterally extending generally linear slots; and

further including fastener means extending through each of said pair of slots for securing the holster body to the paddle at selected cant angles and lateral and vertical positions selected by the wearer.

11. A paddle holster for use by a wearer who wears the paddle inside of his waistband for wear at different heights and different cant angles comprising:

a holster body having an outer side and a waistband side and defining a pouch for holding an article;

a paddle for location within the waistband of a wearer;

interconnecting means connecting said paddle to one side of said holster body by extending over the top of the waistband of a wearer;

offset means secured to said interconnecting means;

fastener means securing said holster body to said offset means for angularly and laterally adjusting said holster body with respect to said offset means;

wherein said fastener means includes a pair of fasteners engaging said holster body and adjustably engaging said offset means;

the adjustable engagement of said fastening means constituting a pair of slots in said offset means spaced a distance apart equal to the spacing of said pair of fasteners and said slots each including a curvilinear portion for angular adjustment and a laterally extending slot portion for lateral adjustment of said holster body with respect to said offset means.

12. A paddle holster in accordance with claim 11 wherein said pairs of slots each comprise a pair of generally vertically aligned partial circular sections joined to provide two different cant angles of different heights of the holster body with respect to said paddle.

13. A paddle holster in accordance with claim 11 wherein the curvilinear portions of said pair of slots define an interrupted circle for angular adjustment over the cant angles subtended by the portions of a circle.

14. A paddle type holster in accordance with claim 11

wherein said holster body includes a pair of fastener receiving means secured thereto on the waistband side of the holster body adjacent to said offset means;

said fastener receiving means being spaced apart by a predetermined distance;

said offset means includes a pair of slots being arcuate in form and forming a partial circle of diameter corresponding to said predetermined distance; and

fastening means extending through said slots and securable to said offset means at different degrees of angular rotation;

whereby said holster body may be rotated to different cant angles with respect to said offset means and the wearer'"'"'s waistband.

15. A paddle holster for use by a wearer who wears the paddle inside of a waistband for wear at different heights and different cant angles comprising:

a holster body having an outer side and a waistband side and defining a pouch for holding an article;

a paddle for location within the waistband of a wearer;

interconnecting means connecting said paddle to one side of said holster body by extending over the top of the waistband of a wearer;

offset means secured to said interconnecting means;

fastener means securing said holster body to said offset means for angularly and laterally adjusting said holster body with respect to said offset means;

wherein said holster body includes a pair of fastener receiving means secured thereto on the waistband side of the holster body adjacent to said offset means;

said fastener receiving means being spaced apart by a predetermined distance;

said offset means including a pair of slots being arcuate in form and forming a partial circle of diameter corresponding to said predetermined distance; and

fastening means extending through said slots and securable to said offset means at different degrees of angular rotation including at least two linear slots defined by said offset means and engaging respective partial circular slots to provide linear adjustment of said holster body with respect to said offset means whereby said holster body may be rotated to different cant angles with respect to said offset portion and the wearer'"'"'s waistband.

16. A paddle holster for use by a wearer who wears the paddle inside of a waistband for wear at different heights and different cant angles comprising:

a holster body having an outer side and a waistband side and defining a pouch for holding an article;

a paddle for location within the waistband of a wearer;

interconnecting means connecting said paddle to one side of said holster body by extending over the top of the waistband of a wearer;

offset means secured to said interconnecting means;

fastener means securing said holster body to said offset means for angularly and laterally adjusting said holster body with respect to said offset means;

wherein said offset means defines arcuate slots and linear slots joining said arcuate slots whereby the fastener means may extend through said linear slots as well as arcuate slots to provide both angular and linear adjustment of said holster body with respect to said paddle.

17. A paddle holster for use by a wearer who wears the paddle inside of a waistband for wear at different heights and different cant angles comprising:

a holster body having an outer side and a waistband side and defining a pouch for holding an article;

a paddle for location within the waistband of a wearer;

interconnecting means connecting said paddle to one side of said holster body by extending over the top of the waistband of a wearer;

offset means secured to said interconnecting means;

fastener means securing said holster body to said offset means for angularly and laterally adjusting said holster body with respect to said offset means;

wherein the angular and lateral adjustment of said fastener means is accomplished by movement in generally Greek letter sigma shaped slots in said offset means.

18. A waist worn article carrier for use by a wearer who carries an article at ones waistband comprising:

an article carrier body defining a pouch for holding an article to be carried;

support means for said carrier at the waistband of a wearer;

interconnecting means connecting said support means to said article carrier body;

offset means secured to said interconnecting means and to said article carrier body; and

fastener means for angularly and laterally adjusting the position of said article carrier body with respect to said offset means;

wherein said fastener means includes a pair of spaced fasteners engaging said article carrier body and adjustably engaging said offset means; and

the adjustable engagement of said fastening means includes a pair of slots in said offset means spaced a distance apart equal to the spacing of said pair of fasteners and said slots each including a curvilinear portion for angular adjustment and a laterally extending slot portion for lateral adjustment of said article carrier body with respect to said offset means.

19. A waist worn article carrier in accordance with claim 18 wherein the curvilinear portions of said slots define an interrupted circle for angular adjustment over the angles subtended by the curvilinear portions of a circle made up by said slots and for vertical adjustment by communication of said curvilinear portion with said laterally extending slot portions.

20. A waist worn article carrier in accordance with claim 18 wherein said article carrier body includes a pair of fastener receiving means secured thereto on the side of the article carrier body adjacent to said offset portion;

said fastener receiving means being spaced apart by a predetermined distance;

said offset portion including a pair of slots being arcuate in form and together forming an interrupted circle of diameter corresponding to said predetermined distance; and

fastening means extending through said slots and securable to said offset portion at different degrees of angular rotation;

whereby said article carrier body may be rotated to different cant angles with respect to said offset portion and the wearer'"'"'s waistband.