Left handed holster linkage

• US 7,562,797 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2005
• Issued: 07/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tactical Design Labs Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tactical Design Labs Inc.
• Inventors: Senn, Tony, Jenkins, Taylor
• Primary Examiner(s): Newhouse; Nathan J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vanterpool; Lester L
• Application Number:
  US11/056,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20060180620A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,621 Days
• Field of Search: 224/243, 224/192, 224/193, 224/196, 224/244, 224/912, 224/913, 224/911, 224/242, 224/245, 211/64
• US Class Current: 224/243
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 35/06 Adaptation of guns to both right and left hand use
• 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

The invention is a security holster configured for use by left-handed users, with a release tab on the left side of the holster, a locking tab on the right side of the holster, which generally engages the ejection port of a gun, and a linkage between the release tab and the locking tab.

Claims

1. A security holster configured for use with a handgun, said handgun having an ejection port, slide, handle, trigger, a barrel, and trigger guard, said holster configured for use by left handed individuals;

said holster comprising;

a holster body, said holster body including inner and outer spaced substantially rigid sidewalls formed to define an inner cavity and an open top portion for receiving said handgun therein and for removing said handgun there-from, with the outer sidewall forming a left side of said holster inner shell, and said inner sidewall forming a right side of said holster inner shell, and said inner shell having a holster crown adjacent to a handgun barrel when said handgun is secured in said holster;

a locking tab movably attached to a right side of said holster body, said locking tab configured to admit said handgun into said security holster body, and upon insertion of said handgun into said holster body, to engage said eiection port of said handgun until released, thereby preventing the withdrawal of said handgun prior to release of said locking tab; and

a release tab on the left side of said holster body, configured to release said locking tab from said hand gun feature by moving said locking tab in relation to said holster, said release tab operationally connected to said locking tab through a linkage, with said linkage configured to disengages said locking tab from said eiection port by moving said locking tab away from said handgun feature in which said linkage further comprises a generally U-shaped rigid release tube configured to move laterally over the top of a holster crown, from the right side of the holster to the left side of the holster, hingedly attached on a first end to said release tab on said left side of said holster body, and hingedly attached on a second end to said locking tab, and configured to extend from said left side of said holster body, to said right side of said holster body, with said tube positioned and configured so that rotational movement of said release tab causes said attached U-shaped release tube to move laterally over said holster crown and to cause said locking tab to rotate away from said ejection port, thus releasing said handgun for removal from said holster;

said security holster configured to allow one handed insertion of said handgun into said security holster, wherein said locking tab admits said handgun into said holster during insertion and wherein said locking tab moves into engagement with a feature of said handgun to retain said handgun within said holster until said locking tab is moved out of engagement by activation of said release tab, thereby providing said security holster with one handed insertion, one finger release of said handgun, and one handed withdrawal of said handgun after pressing said release tab and moving said locking tab from engagement with said handgun feature.

2. The security holster of claim 1 in which said release lever is a third class lever, with a fulcrum at a first end, a force applied by the user in the middle, and motion imparted at the second end of the release lever to move said u-shaped release tube.

3. The security holster of claim 1 in which said locking lever is a second class lever, with a fulcrum on a first end of a locking lever, a force applied to a second end of said locking lever, and motion imparted to a locking tab between said ends.

11. The security holster of claim 1 in which said u-shaped and articulated release tube includes a pair of hinges, and extends over said crown of said holster body.

4. A security holster configured for use with a handgun, said handgun having an ejection port, slide, handle, trigger, a barrel, and trigger guard, said holster configured for use by left handed individuals;

said holster comprising;

a holster body, said holster body including inner and outer spaced substantially rigid sidewalls formed to define an inner cavity and an open top portion for receiving said handgun therein and for removing said handgun there-from, with the outer sidewall forming a left side of said holster inner shell, and said inner sidewall forming a right side of said holster inner shell, and said inner shell having a holster crown adjacent to a handgun barrel when said handgun is secured in said holster;

a locking tab movably attached to said holster body, said locking tab configured to admit said handgun into said security holster body, and upon insertion of said handgun into said holster body, to engage a feature of said handgun until released, thereby preventing the withdrawal of said handgun prior to release of said locking tab; and

a release tab on the left side of said holster body, configured to release said locking tab from said hand gun feature by moving said locking tab in relation to said holster, said release tab operationally connected to said locking tab through a linkage, with said linkage configured to disengage said locking tab from said handgun feature by moving said locking tab away from said handgun feature, in which said linkage includes a rotating bar attached to a crown of said holster, with said release tab operationally connected to a first end of said rotating bar, and side locking tab operationally connected to said second end of said rotating bar, with said release tab attached to a left side of said holster body, and said locking tab attached to said right side of said holster body, so that when said release tab is pressed, motion is imparted to said rotating bar, which imparts motion to move said release tab from engagement with said handgun feature, thus releasing said handgun for removal from said holster;

said security holster configured to allow one handed insertion of said handgun into said security holster, wherein said locking tab admits said handgun into said holster during insertion and wherein said locking tab moves into engagement with a feature of said handgun to retain said handgun within said holster until said locking tab is moved out of engagement by activation of said release tab, thereby providing said security holster with one handed insertion, one finger release of said handgun, and one handed withdrawal of said handgun after pressing said release tab and moving said locking tab from engagement with said handgun feature.

5. The security holster of claim 4 in which said release lever is a first class lever, with a fulcrum in the center of said release lever, a force applied by the user at a first end of said lever, and motion imparted at the second end of the release lever to move said rotating bar.

6. The security holster of claim 4 in which said locking lever is a second class lever, with a fulcrum on a first end of a locking lever, a force applied to a second end of said locking lever, and motion imparted to a locking tab between said ends.

7. A security holster configured for use with a handgun, said handgun having an eiection port, slide, handle, trigger, a barrel, and trigger guard, said holster configured for use by left handed individuals;

said holster comprising;

a holster body, said holster body including inner and outer spaced substantially rigid sidewalls formed to define an inner cavity and an open top portion for receiving said handgun therein and for removing said handgun there-from, with the outer sidewall forming a left side of said holster inner shell, and said inner sidewall forming a right side of said holster inner shell, and said inner shell having a holster crown adjacent to a handgun barrel when said handgun is secured in said holster;

a locking tab movably attached to said holster body, said locking tab configured to admit said handgun into said security holster body, and upon insertion of said handgun into said holster body, to engage a feature of said handgun until released, thereby preventing the withdrawal of said handgun prior to release of said locking tab; and

a release tab on the left side of said holster body, configured to release said locking tab from said hand gun feature by moving said locking tab in relation to said holster, said release tab operationally connected to said locking tab through a linkage, with said linkage configured to disengage said locking tab from said handgun feature by moving said locking tab away from said handgun feature I linkage includes two rotatable and generally parallel bars attached to said holster body and linked to each other with an articulated front linkage, with a release tab fixedly attached to a first parallel bar, and a locking tab fixedly attached to a second parallel bar, so that when said first parallel bar is rotated by pressing said release tab, said second parallel bar is caused to move in an opposite rotation to move said locking tab, by movement of said pair articulated front linkages

said security holster configured to allow one handed insertion of said handgun into said security holster, wherein said locking tab admits said handgun into said holster during insertion and wherein said locking tab moves into engagement with a feature of said handgun to retain said handgun within said holster until said locking tab is moved out of engagement by activation of said release tab, thereby providing said security holster with one handed insertion, one finger release of said handgun, and one handed withdrawal of said handgun after pressing said release tab and moving said locking tab from engagement with said handgun feature.

8. The security holster of claim 7 in which depressing said release tab causes a clockwise rotation of said first parallel bar when viewed from the barrel end of said holster.

9. The security holster of claim 7 in which said depressing said release tab causes a clockwise rotation of said first parallel bar when viewed from the barrel end of said holster, and the motion imparted through said articulated front linkage causes a counterclockwise rotation of said second parallel bar when viewed from the barrel end of said holster, thus causes release of said locking tab from said handgun feature, and release of said handgun for removal from said holster.

10. A security holster configured for use with a handgun, said handgun having an ejection port, slide, handle, trigger, a barrel, and trigger guard, said holster configured for use by left handed individuals;

said holster comprising;

a holster body, said holster body including inner and outer spaced substantially rigid sidewalls formed to define an inner cavity and an open top portion for receiving said handgun therein and for removing said handgun there-from, with the outer sidewall forming a left side of said holster inner shell, and said inner sidewall forming a right side of said holster inner shell, and said inner shell having a holster crown adjacent to a handgun barrel when said handgun is secured in said holster;

a locking tab movably attached to said holster body, said locking tab configured to admit said handgun into said security holster body, and upon insertion of said handgun into said holster body, to engage a feature of said handgun until released, thereby preventing the withdrawal of said handgun prior to release of said locking tab; and

a release tab on the left side of said holster body, configured to release said locking tab from said hand gun feature by moving said locking tab in relation to said holster, said release tab operationally connected to said locking tab through a linkage, with said linkage configured to disengages said locking tab from said handgun feature by moving said locking tab away from said handgun feature, wherein said linkage includes a flexible cable and a cable housing fixed at a first end and a second end of said cable housing, with said first end of said cable operatively linked to said release tab, with a first end of said cable housing attached adjacent to said release tab, and said second end of said cable attached to said locking tab, with said second end of said cable housing attached adjacent to said locking tab, so that when said release tab is depressed, said cable is tensioned inside said cable housing, and motion is imparted to said locking tab, causing said locking tab to rotate out of engagement with said handgun feature;

said security holster configured to allow one handed insertion of said handgun into said security holster, wherein said locking tab admits said handgun into said holster during insertion and wherein said locking tab moves into engagement with a feature of said handgun to retain said handgun within said holster until said locking tab is moved out of engagement by activation of said release tab, thereby providing said security holster with one handed insertion, one finger release of said handgun, and one handed withdrawal of said handgun after pressing said release tab and moving said locking tab from engagement with said handgun feature.

12. The security holster of claim 10 in which said release lever tab is a third class lever, with a fulcrum at a first end, a force applied by the user in the middle of said lever, and motion imparted at the second end of the release lever to move said u-shaped articulated release tube.

13. The security holster of claim 10 in which said locking tab is a second class lever, with a fulcrum on a first end of a locking lever, a force applied to a second end of said locking lever, and motion imparted to said locking tab between said ends.