Patent Application
20150122855
The field relates to carrying cases used for police and military equipment and more particularly to cases supported by the belt or from loops sewn into the clothing of police or military personnel and that carry a baton.
Police and military personnel are required to carry a great deal of equipment. While firearms may be essential for protection in some cases, there is also a need to carry non-lethal weapons and support equipment. For example, a baton may be necessary to subdue an opponent in a crowded area where a firearm could not be used for fear of injuring innocent people.
Because of the nature of the environment in which police or military personnel operate, weapons and support equipment must be close at hand or otherwise readily available to defend against an attack. This is usually accomplished by a holster or some other container attached to the belt of a user.
Also because of the environment, holsters or other containers for support equipment must be rugged yet lightweight and not prone to snagging on obstacles. For example, a police officer chasing a suspect through brush could be slowed by heavy containers or snagging on the brush. Worse yet, if a container should become lost or damage by impact, a weapon or other equipment may not be available when the officer is in most need of that weapon or other support equipment.
While many devices exist for carrying weapons and other support equipment, they are often limited in how they can be used, attached to or otherwise carried by the police officer or military person. Accordingly, a need exists for more flexible options in such contexts.
While embodiments can take many different forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown in the drawings and will be described herein in detail with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles hereof, as well as the best mode of practicing same. No limitation to the specific embodiment illustrated is intended.
The carrier may be structured in any of a number of different configurations to carry a baton. Under one illustrated embodiment, the holster may include a central tubular structure with apertures on the top and bottom and a slot along one side for the quick removal of the baton from the holster.
As may also be noted from
As the catch reaches the far end of the aperture on the outside of the cover plate, the resilient arm automatically springs back to its undeflected position. In the undeflected position, the aim resides against the side of the aperture nearest the second end of the cover plate. As the catch exits the aperture, the ledge also engages the outside surface 36 on the back of the cover plate thereby preventing the accidental opening of the clip.
To release the resilient lock, a user may place the first end of the clip in the palm of his/her hand, place his/her thumb on the sloping surface and pull the sloping surface towards the first end to deflect the resilient arm. Once the ledge clears the back surface of the cover plate, the user simply pushes the arm back through the aperture to open the clip.
Also included on the mounting plate is a number of slots 38 (
As also shown in
The cross section of the slot engaging portion of the spacer is complementary to the cross section of the slot. That is, the width of the cross section at the distal end of the slot engaging portion is somewhat smaller (e.g., by a few tenths of a millimeter) than the width of the root or bottom of the slot. Similarly, the width of the proximal end of the slot engaging portion is a somewhat smaller (e.g., by a few tenths of a millimeter) than an entry width of the slot.
In general, the spacer 40 is inserted into any one of the slots from an edge of the clip (as shown by the arrow in
For example, the slots could be closed on one end. For example,
Another feature that prevents the spacer from being lost may be a peg 52 extending from the top of the spacer. The peg engages one of a plurality of apertures 54 in the inside surface of the cover plate. In this regard, each of the apertures is centered over a corresponding slot. As such, when the spacer is inserted into a slot and the cover plate is folded over the spacer, the peg engages the aperture over that slot thereby locking the spacer into that slot at least until the clip is again opened.
Another feature that prevents loss of the spacer is a detent that secures the spacer within the slot. The detent may include a bump 56 centered on the blind end of each slot as shown in
A friction fitting 74 extends through an aperture 76 in a side wall of the holster 14 to directly engage and press inwards against a baton within the holster. A corresponding spring 78 urges the friction fitting against the baton thereby preventing the baton from being accidentally dislodged from the holster.
In the regard, the spring is somewhat malleable which allows a user to bend the spring and thereby adjust the pressure of the friction fitting against the baton. This allows the friction and thereby the force necessary to insert or remove the baton from the holster to be adjustable.
Finally, a set of screws 80 extend through a set of apertures in the retainer and engage a set of threads 82 in the holster. The screws hold the retaining plate against the holster and the spring against the friction fitting.
In general the baton carrier includes an elongated backer plate having a plurality of slots spaced-apart along a longitude of the backer plate from a midpoint towards one of the ends, each slot extending across the backer plate transverse to the longitudinal axis, an elongated cover plate, a hinge that pivotally connects a first end of the backer plate to a first end of the cover plate, a resilient lock that releasably connects a second end of the backer plate to the second of the cover plate, an adjustable spacer located between the backer plate and cover plate, the adjustable spacer having a slot engaging portion extending from the adjustable spacer wherein a space between the backer plate, the cover plate, the hinge and resilient lock is adapted to accept a range of different sizes of belts worn by a human user and wherein the adjustable spacer may be inserted into any of the plurality of slots to accommodate the different sizes of belts and a police or military baton holster rotatably attached to the backer plate.
In alternate embodiments, the baton carrier includes an elongated mounting plate having a plurality of slots transverse to the longitude, the slots are spaced apart along the longitude from a center towards one end, the slots each have a constant cross section along a length of the slot with a wider bottom end in longitude than open end, an elongated cover plate, a hinge that pivotally connects a first end of the mounting plate and cover plate, a resilient lock that releasably connects a second end of the mounting plate and cover plate, the resilient lock having a ledge that extends over a outside surface of the cover plate, an adjustable spacer located between the mounting plate and cover plate having a slot engaging portion that is complementary to the cross section and that engages one of the plurality of slots between the mounting plate and cover plate, wherein a space between the mounting plate, the cover plate, the hinge and resilient lock is dimensioned to accept a range of different sizes of belts worn by a human user and wherein the adjustable spacer may be inserted into one of the plurality of slots to accommodate a corresponding size of belt and a holster attached to the mounting plate that accepts a baton.
In other embodiments, the baton carrier includes an elongated backer plate, the backer plate having a respective spacer on opposing longitudinal ends extending across a width of the marginal edges of the backer plate with a proximal end of each of the spacers extending outwards from the backer plate perpendicular to the length and width of the backer plate, the backer plate further having a plurality of slots extending across the width of the backer plate perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and located on an inside surface of the backer plate between the spacers on opposing ends, the plurality of slots are spaced apart on the backer plate from a midpoint of the longitudinal axis towards one of the ends of the backer plate, each of the slots has a constant longitudinal cross section extending across the width of the backer plate with a bottom end of the cross section relatively wider than an opposing, open end on the inside surface of the backer plate, an elongated cover plate extending between distal ends of opposing spacers of the backer plate, a hinge that joins the distal end of the spacer on a first end of the backer plate with a first end of the cover plate, a resilient lock extending from the distal end of the spacer on a second end of the backer plate through an aperture in the second end of the cover plate with a locking surface of the resilient lock engaging a back surface of the cover plate on a side that faces away from the backer plate, an elongated adjustable spacer extending between the backer plate and cover plate, the adjustable spacer having a slot engaging portion extending along the length of the adjustable spacer that is complementary to the cross section of each of the plurality of slots wherein a space between the backer plate and cover plate between the pair of spacers is adapted to accept a range of different sizes of belts worn by a human user and wherein the adjustable spacer may be inserted into any of the plurality of slots to accommodate the different sizes of belts and a holster for a baton coupled to the backer plate.
From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope hereof. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific apparatus illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred. It is, of course, intended to cover by the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims.
