Spare magazine carrier with retractable flap

• US 6,202,908 B1
• Filed: 01/12/2000
• Issued: 03/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Groover J. Steven
• Original Assignee: Groover J. Steven
• Inventors: Groover, J. Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Cronin, Stephen K.
• Application Number:
  US09/481,872
• Time in Patent Office: 433 Days
• Field of Search: 224/196, 224/235, 224/236, 224/237, 224/239, 224/240, 224/241, 224/242, 224/245, 224/931
• US Class Current: 224/239
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 39/02 Cartridge bags; Bandoleers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 224/931 Carrier for ammunition

Abstract

A spare magazine carrier for carrying at least one ammunition magazine on a user'"'"'s person. The spare magazine carrier has a carrier frame for seating and supporting at least one ammunition magazine, and a downwardly retractable flap for covering and retaining the seated ammunition magazine. The flap has an elastic member connecting a lower flap end with an upper flap end. The lower flap end is secured to a lower portion of the carrier frame, and the upper flap end is detachably securable to a top end of the carrier frame by resiliently extending over and around an upper exposed portion of the seated ammunition magazine in a preferably inverted U-shaped configuration. When the upper flap end is released, the elastic member causes the upper flap end to retract down and away from the opening, and thereby allow unobstructed access to the ammunition magazine.

Claims

1. A spare magazine carrier securable on a user'"'"'s person for carrying at least one ammunition magazine, said spare magazine carrier comprising:

a carrier frame having a base wall with a top end and a bottom end, pocket means connected to said base wall for seating said at least one ammunition magazine thereagainst, said pocket means having at least one pocket opening for receiving said at least one ammunition magazine therethrough, and means for mounting said carrier frame to said user'"'"'s person; and

at least one flap member adjacent a front portion of said pocket means and having a lower flap end connected to a lower portion of said carrier frame, an upper flap end extendable over an upper portion of said at least one ammunition magazine seated in said at least one pocket opening, said upper flap end detachably securable to the top end of said base wall by detachably securing means, and means for downwardly retracting the upper flap end away from said at least one pocket opening upon release of said detachably securing means, thereby providing unobstructed access to said at least one ammunition magazine.

2. The spare magazine carrier as in claim 1,

wherein said means for downwardly retracting the upper flap end from said at least one pocket opening is an elastic member connecting the upper flap end with the lower flap end.

3. The spare magazine carrier as in claim 1,

wherein the upper flap end has an inner surface facing said at least one ammunition magazine seated in said at least one pocket opening, and an oppositely facing outer surface;

and

wherein said at least one flap member forms a generally inverted U-shaped configuration around the upper portion of a corresponding at least one ammunition magazine when the outer surface of the upper flap end is detachably secured to the top end of said base wall.

4. The spare magazine carrier as in claim 3,

wherein said detachably securing means is a snap fastener assembly comprising a first snap connector affixed to the top end of said base wall, and a second snap connector affixed to the outer surface of the upper flap end and capable of matingly and detachably securing to the first snap connector.

5. The spare magazine carrier as in claim 1,

further comprising a flap guide connected to said carrier frame and bordering said pocket means to form at least one guide channel therebetween, whereby said at least one flap member may captively slide through said at least one guide channel alongside said pocket means when a corresponding one of said detachably securing means is released.

6. The spare magazine carrier as in claim 1,

wherein said means for mounting said carrier frame to said user'"'"'s person comprises a modular mounting assembly including a back plate and means for releasably fastening said back plate to said base wall, said back plate positioned against an interior side of a garment worn by said user, and said means for releasably fastening partially extending through said back plate and said garment and releasably fastening to said base wall.

7. The spare magazine carrier as in claim 1,

wherein said means for mounting said carrier frame to said user'"'"'s person comprises at least one belt loop connected to said base wall, whereby a belt secured on said user'"'"'s person may be slidably extended therethrough.

8. A spare magazine carrier securable on a user'"'"'s person for carrying at least one ammunition magazine, said spare magazine carrier comprising:

a base wall having a top end, a bottom end, and means for mounting said base wall to said user'"'"'s person;

a lateral restraint member connected to said base wall for seating said at least one ammunition magazine thereagainst, said lateral restraint member defining at least one pocket opening for receiving said at least one ammunition magazine therein, said lateral restraint member and said at least one ammunition magazine thus seated forming at least one guide channel therebetween;

at least one flap member positioned through said at least one guide channel and having a lower flap end connected to the bottom end of said base wall, an upper flap end extendable over an upper portion of said at least one ammunition magazine seated in said at least one pocket opening and detachably securable to the top end of said base wall by detachably securing means, and means for downwardly retracting the upper flap end away from said at least one pocket opening upon release of said detachably securing means, thereby providing unobstructed access to said at least one ammunition magazine.

9. The spare magazine carrier as in claim 8,

wherein said means for downwardly retracting the upper flap end from said at least one pocket opening is an elastic member connecting the upper flap end with the lower flap end.

10. The spare magazine carrier as in claim 8,

wherein the upper flap has an inner surface facing said at least one ammunition magazine seated in said at least one pocket opening, and an oppositely facing outer surface;

and

wherein said flap member forms a generally inverted U-shaped configuration around the upper portion of said at least one ammunition magazine when the outer surface of the upper flap end is detachably secured to the top end of said base wall.

11. The spare magazine carrier as in claim 10,

wherein said detachably securing means is a snap fastener assembly comprising a first snap connector affixed to the top end of said base wall, and a second snap connector affixed to the outer surface of the upper flap end and capable of matingly and detachably securing to the first snap connector.

12. The spare magazine carrier as in claim 8,

wherein said means for mounting said base wall to said user'"'"'s person comprises a modular mounting assembly including a back plate and means for releasably fastening said back plate to said base wall, said back plate positioned against an interior side of a garment worn by said user, and said means for releasably fastening partially extending through said back plate and said garment and releasably fastening to said base wall.

13. The spare magazine carrier as in claim 8,

wherein said means for mounting said base wall to said user'"'"'s person comprises at least one belt loop connected to said base wall, whereby a belt secured on said user'"'"'s person may be slidably extended therethrough.

14. A spare magazine carrier securable on a user'"'"'s person for carrying at least one ammunition magazine, said spare magazine carrier comprising:

a carrier frame having a base wall with a top end and a bottom end, a front wall opposite the base wall, opposing sidewalls connecting said front and base walls, a closed lower end, an upper end opposite the closed lower end having at least one pocket opening for receiving said at least one ammunition magazine therethrough, and means for mounting said carrier frame to said user'"'"'s person; and

at least one flap member adjacent said front wall and having a lower flap end connected to a lower portion of said carrier frame, an upper flap end extendable over an upper portion of said at least one ammunition magazine seated in said at least one pocket opening and detachably securable to the top end of said base wall by detachably securing means, and means for downwardly retracting the upper flap end away from said at least one pocket opening upon release of said detachably securing means, thereby providing unobstructed access to said at least one ammunition magazine.

15. The spare magazine carrier as in claim 14,

wherein said means for downwardly retracting the upper flap end from said at least one pocket opening is an elastic member connecting the upper flap end with the lower flap end.

16. The spare magazine carrier as in claim 14,

wherein the upper flap has an inner surface facing said at least one ammunition magazine seated in said at least one pocket opening, and an oppositely facing outer surface;

and

wherein said flap member forms a generally inverted U-shaped configuration around the upper portion of said at least one ammunition magazine when the outer surface of the upper flap end is detachably secured to the top end of said base wall.

17. The spare magazine carrier as in claim 16,

wherein said detachably securing means is a snap fastener assembly comprising a first snap connector affixed to the top end of said base wall, and a second snap connector affixed to the outer surface of the upper flap end and capable of matingly and detachably securing to the first snap connector.

18. The spare magazine carrier as in claim 14,

further comprising a flap guide connected to said carrier frame and bordering said front wall to form at least one guide channel therebetween, whereby said at least one flap member may captively slide through said at least one guide channel alongside said front wall when a corresponding one of said detachably securing means is released.

19. The spare magazine carrier as in claim 14,

wherein said means for mounting said carrier frame to said user'"'"'s person comprises a modular mounting assembly including a back plate and means for releasably fastening said back plate to said base wall, said back plate positioned against an interior side of a garment worn by said user, and said means for releasably fastening partially extending through said back plate and said garment and releasably fastening to said base wall.

20. The spare magazine carrier as in claim 14,

wherein said means for mounting said carrier frame to said user'"'"'s person comprises at least one belt loop connected to said base wall, whereby a belt secured on said user'"'"'s person may be slidably extended therethrough.