Gun holster

• US 8,096,453 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2006
• Issued: 01/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Point Blank Enterprises, Inc. (Point Blank Holding Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Tactical Design Labs Inc.
• Inventors: Lowe, Michael V., Senn, Anthony J., Avery, Ron
• Primary Examiner(s): Larson, Justin
• Assistant Examiner(s): SKURDAL, COREY NELSON
• Application Number:
  US11/466,199
• Publication Number:
  US 20070194067A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,974 Days
• Field of Search: 224/192, 224/193, 224/196, 224/198, 224/238, 224/243, 224/244, 224/911, 224/912, 224/242, 224/245, 224/217, 211/64
• US Class Current: 224/244
• 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 33/0236 Half-holsters covering by encircling only a part of the small arm, e.g. ghost-holsters
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 224/911 Handgun holder formed of leather, fabric, or other flexible material

Abstract

A security holster for use with a handgun. A locking device secures and engages various safety features of the handgun, and retains it in the holster until released by the user. The security holster provides for one handed insertion and withdrawal of a handgun, and prevents unauthorized removal of the handgun. An audible indication of insertion and locking is provided by the locking mechanism security holster.

Claims

1. A security holster for use with a semi-automatic handgun, of the type having a trigger guard and trigger, an ejection port, a barrel, a slide and a grip said holster comprising;

a holster body comprising a substantially rigid holster sidewall formed to define an inner cavity and an open upper portion for receiving said handgun therein and for removing said handgun therefrom, said holster body further comprising a barrel end opposite said open upper portion, and a long axis extending from said open upper portion toward said barrel end;

a locking tab attached to a lever, with said lever pivotably attached to said holster body at a fulcrum, configured to admit said semi-automatic handgun into said holster body, and upon insertion of said handgun into said holster body, with said locking tab configured to engage an ejection port feature of said semi-automatic handgun, thereby preventing the withdrawal of said handgun prior to release of said locking tab;

a release tab operationally connected to said locking tab, and configured to disengage said locking tab from said handgun ejection port feature so that when said release tab is pressed toward said inner cavity, said locking tab moves in an opposite direction, away from engagement with said ejection port feature;

a finger tube formed by a region between said handgun and said holster body, said finger tube with an axis generally parallel to said long axis of said holster body, and configured to cover said release tab, to restrict access to said release tab to a user'"'"'s finger approaching said release tab from one direction only, in which a user inserts a finger in order to activate said release tab to release said locking tab from said handgun feature.

2. A holster with a protective finger tube comprising:

a holster body comprising substantially rigid opposing sidewalls formed to define an inner cavity and an open upper portion for receiving a handgun therein and for removing said handgun therefrom, said holster body further comprising a barrel end opposite said open upper portion, and a long axis extending from said open upper portion toward said barrel end, a top edge extending between said open portion and said barrel end, and a bottom edge opposite said top edge, with said top edge having an ejection port region, and said bottom edge having a trigger guard region;

a finger tube having a long axis attached to an exterior surface of said holster body with said tube long axis being substantially parallel with said holster long axis and designed to allow a finger to be inserted therein to access a release mechanism, said finger tube for controlling access to a locking mechanism of said security holster;

said locking mechanism adaptable to secure said handgun in said security holster by engagement with a feature of said handgun and by moving said locking mechanism in relation to said holster from a locked position to a released position;

a release mechanism surrounded by said finger tube for moving said locking mechanism of said security holster from a locking to a release position by movement of said locking mechanism to said release position;

wherein said finger tube is configured to restrict or impede access to said release mechanism by anyone other than a wearer of said security holster.

3. The finger tube of claim 2, wherein the finger tube is configured so that said release mechanism may be operated by a user'"'"'s index finger.

4. The finger tube of claim 2, wherein said locking mechanism is positioned in proximity to an ejection port region of said holster and is configured to interact with any of an ejection port of a semi-automatic handgun, a trigger guard of a revolver or semi-automatic handgun, or a back of a slide of a semi-automatic handgun.

5. A security holster for securing a handgun, said security holster comprising:

a holster body for receiving said handgun, said holster body comprising substantially rigid opposing sidewalls formed to define an inner cavity and an open upper portion for receiving said handgun therein and for removing said handgun therefrom, said holster body further comprising a barrel end opposite said open upper portion, and a long axis extending from said open upper portion toward said barrel end, a top upper edge extending between said open upper portion and said barrel end, and a bottom edge opposite said top edge, with said top edge having an ejection port region, and said bottom edge having a trigger guard region;

a latching mechanism positioned in proximity to said ejection port region, adapted to engage said ejection port;

a rebounding device positioned within said holster body adjacent said barrel end of said holster body, for providing biasing resistance to insertion of said handgun into said holster body until a latching mechanism of said security holster engages a handgun ejection port during insertion of said handgun, and for providing biasing resistance to pressing said handgun into said holster body sufficient to allow release of said latching mechanism prior to removal of said handgun from said security holster;

a release tab attached to said latching mechanism, said release tab positioned in the trigger guard region of said holster;

said latching mechanism configured to prevent said handgun from being released from the security holster without first moving said latching mechanism from a locked position to a release position.

6. The security holster of claim 5, wherein the rebounding device further comprises an insertion rebound adjustment mechanism for adjusting both a necessary force that must be exerted against the handgun and an insertion distance which the handgun moves in a direction parallel to a long axis of the security holster when inserting said handgun against said rebounding device.

7. A security holster for use with a semiautomatic handgun, said handgun having a trigger guard, an ejection port, barrel, slide, and handle, wherein the holster comprises:

a holster body that includes an inner substantially rigid sidewall adjacent a wearer'"'"'s body and an outer substantially rigid sidewall opposite said inner sidewall, said inner and outer sidewalls to define an inner cavity and an open upper portion for receiving a handgun therein, and for removing a handgun there from, said holster having a long axis parallel with said barrel of said handgun when secured in said holster body, said holster body comprising a top edge defined by that portion of said holster body where said inner and outer substantially rigid sidewalls join to complete said inner cavity adjacent a top portion of a handgun slide when said handgun is inserted in said holster, with an ejection port region adjacent to said top edge in a position corresponding to the position of the ejection of the port of said handgun when inserted into said holster

a bottom edge opposite the top edge, with a trigger guard region adjacent to the bottom edge, the holster body further having a barrel end region adapted to receive the barrel of said handgun when inserted in said holster;

a locking tab adapted to engage said ejection port attached to a lever and to a release tab, with said locking tab on an opposite end of said lever from said release tab, with said locking tab positioned in the ejection port region of said inner cavity of said holster body adjacent the holster body top edge, and with a fulcrum between said release tab and said locking tab, with the fulcrum attached to said holster body, with said locking tab configured to move from a locked position to a release position, with said release position further away from the center of said inner cavity of said holster than said locking position, and with said locking tab configured for engagement with an inserted handgun in said ejection port region of said holster body, thereby preventing the withdrawal of said handgun prior to release and removal of said locking tab from said ejection port;

said release tab positioned in said trigger guard region of said substantially outer sidewall of said holster body and operationally connected to said locking tab by said lever, so that when said release tab is pressed toward the interior of said inner cavity, the locking tab moves in the opposite direction, away from said ejection port and lifted away from said ejection port, thus releasing said handgun for withdrawal from said holster;

wherein

said locking tab, which admits said handgun during insertion and which engages said ejection port for retention of said handgun, is disengaged by movement of said release tab to lift said locking tab away from said ejection port.

8. The security holster of claim 7 in which said locking tab is positioned in said ejection port region of said holster body, in said outer sidewall of said holster body.

9. A security holster for use with a semiautomatic handgun, said handgun having a trigger guard, an ejection port, barrel, slide, and grip, wherein the holster comprises:

a holster body that includes an inner substantially rigid sidewall that when worn by a user is adjacent said users body, and an outer substantially rigid sidewall opposite said inner sidewall, said outer and inner sidewalls joining at a top edge and spaced apart to define an inner cavity, and an open upper portion for receiving a handgun therein, and for removing a handgun there from, said holster having a long axis parallel with said barrel of said handgun when secured in said holster body, said top edge corresponding to a handgun top of slide region, and an ejection port region adjacent to said top edge, corresponding to the ejection port region of a handgun when inserted in said holster, with the holster body having a bottom edge opposite the top edge, and a trigger guard region adjacent to the bottom edge corresponding to the location of the trigger guard region of said handgun when inserted in said holster, the holster body further having a barrel end region corresponding to the barrel end region of said handgun when inserted in said holster;

an ejection port engaging locking tab attached to a lever and to a release tab, with said locking tab on an opposite end of said lever, of said release tab with said locking tab positioned in the ejection port region of said outer substantially rigid sidewall of said holster body adjacent the holster body top edge, and with a fulcrum between said release tab and said locking tab, with the fulcrum attached to said outer substantially rigid sidewall between said ejection port region and said trigger guard region, with said locking tab configured to move from a locked position to a release position, with said release position further located away from the interior of said inner cavity of said holster than said locking position, and with said locking tab configured for engagement with an ejection port of an inserted handgun, thereby preventing the withdrawal of said handgun prior to release and removal of said locking tab from said ejection port;

a release tab operationally connected to said locking tab by said lever, with said release tab positioned in said trigger guard region of said outer substantially rigid sidewall, so that when said release tab is pressed toward said inner cavity, the locking tab moves in the opposite direction, away from the interior of said inner cavity , for lifting said locking tab from engagement with said ejection port, thus releasing said handgun for withdrawal from said holster.

10. A security holster for use with a semiautomatic handgun, said handgun having a trigger guard, an ejection port, barrel, slide, and grip, wherein the holster comprises:

a holster body that includes an inner substantially rigid sidewall that, when worn by a user is adjacent said users body, and an outer substantially rigid sidewall opposite said inner sidewall, said inner and outer sidewalls joined at a top edge and a bottom edge, said inner and outer sidewalls being spaced apart to define an inner cavity and an open upper end for receiving a handgun therein, and for removing a handgun there from, a barrel end opposite said open upper end, said holster having a long axis between said open upper end and said barrel end, with said holster body further comprising an ejection port region adjacent said top edge, and trigger guard region adjacent said bottom edge;

a locking tab attached to a lever and to a release tab, with said locking tab and said release tab on opposing ends of said lever, with said locking tab positioned in the ejection port region of said holster body adjacent the holster body top edge, and with a fulcrum between said release tab and said locking tab, with the fulcrum attached to said substantially rigid outer sidewall of said holster body, with said locking tab configured to move from a locked position to a release position, with said release position being further away from the interior of said inner cavity of said holster than said locking position, and with said locking tab configured for engagement with an ejection port of said handgun when inserted into said holster and in the ejection port region of said holster body, for preventing the withdrawal of said handgun prior to release and moving of said locking tab from said locked position to said release position;

a release tab positioned in the trigger guard region of said holster and operationally connected to said locking tab by said lever, so that when said release tab is pressed toward the interior of the inner cavity defined by the substantially rigid inner and outer sidewalls, the locking tab moves in the opposite direction, away from the interior of said inner cavity, for lifting said locking tab away from said locked position to said release position.