Patent Application
20150122863
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 essential equipment (e.g., batons, flashlights, etc.).
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. Similarly, even where a firearm is appropriate, a flashlight may also be necessary at night or in dark buildings in order to have any chance of detecting and striking an armed adversary. When injured or outnumbered, a radio may be necessary to call for backup. It may also be necessary to carry spare batteries when operating for extended periods in the dark or alone or in remote areas.
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 holster system may be structured in any of a number of different configurations to carry a number of different types of equipment. Under one illustrated embodiment, the holster may be configured as a baton carrier including 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. Alternatively, the holster may be a tubular structure with a closed bottom for carrying a flashlight. In other embodiments, the holster may have a box like structure with a fixed or flexible lid including a hinge on the upper clip side of the holster and a flap that folds down over the top of the holster or container and a distal end that can be secured to an attachment point on the outside opposing half of the holster of
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 outwards to its undeflected position. In the undeflected position, the arm 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 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
The diaphragm may be constructed from any of a number of flexible materials (e.g., hypalon). In general, the diaphragm has a greater length and width than the retaining plate. This allows an outer periphery of the diaphragm to be joined to the holster 14 via an appropriate connection material (e.g., thread 74). In this regard, a channel 76 may be routed along the edge of the diaphragm and through which the diaphragm may be sewn to the holster 14.
In addition, the diaphragm may have a receptacle molded into the diaphragm that prevents rotation of the retaining plate relative to the diaphragm (e.g., the receptacle and retaining plate may both be oblong). Alternatively, the retaining plate may be attached to the diaphragm via an appropriate joining device(s) (e.g., rivets, glue, etc.) to prevent rotation.
In general, the holster system provides a reliable means of carrying police or military equipment that is less likely to be lost or damaged. For example, the moveable spacer 40 may be inserted into any one of the slots 38 depending upon the width of the belt on which it is used. The resilient lock virtually eliminates the possibility that the clip could accidentally opened. Similarly, the post and slot combination in the rotatable joint that prevents rotation of more than 90 degrees prevents the holster from being rotated far enough for the equipment carried in the holster to accidentally fall out.
In general, the holster system includes an elongated backer plate having a plurality of mutually parallel, spaced-apart slots extending from a midpoint towards one of the ends, each extending across the backer plate transverse to the longitudinal axis and having a constant cross section with a root end relatively wider than an opposing, open end, 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 that is complementary to the cross section of each of the plurality of slots 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 holster rotatably attached to the backing plate.
In alternate embodiments, the holster system includes an elongated mounting plate having a plurality of slots transverse to the longitudinal axis, the slots together extending from a center towards one end, the slots each have a constant cross section along a length of the slot with a wider root end 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, 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 or flashlight.
In still other embodiments, the holster system includes an elongated backer plate, the backer plate having spacers extending across a width of the backer plate on opposing longitudinal ends of the elongated 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 that is between the spacers on opposing ends, the plurality of slots are spaced apart on the backer plate from near a midpoint of the longitudinal axis towards one of the ends of the backer plate, each of the slots has a constant cross section extending across the width of the backer plate with a root 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 one end of the back plate with the cover plate on a first end of the backer plate and cover plate, a resilient lock extending from the distal end of the spacer on a second end of the backer plate through with a locking surface of the resilient lock engaging a back surface of the cover plate 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 or flashlight coupled to the backing 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.
