The present invention relates to firearms generally and, more particularly but without limitation, to devices for mounting firearms.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and form a part of the specification, illustrate one or more embodiments of the present invention and, together with this description, explain the principles of the invention. The drawings merely illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.
Most individuals who choose to own personal firearms do so to protect their families, their homes, and businesses. When the firearm is not being worn on one's person, it may be important to have ready access to it. For example, a handgun may be kept in a drawer or cabinet in one's home or office. While these locations may be suitable in some cases, it may also be desirable to have the gun within arm's reach at a doorway, such as the home's entry door, a bedroom door, or the entrance to a business or office. This behind-the-door location allows one confronting a threatening person at the doorway to grab the gun without the action being obvious to the visitor.
The present invention provides a bracket for supporting a gun holder, such as a holster, on one of the hinges of a door. In this way, the bracket and gun are concealed when the door is open and visible only to those inside the room when the door is closed. Yet, the gun is supported at chest height and readily accessible.
The bracket is easily installed in mere minutes on any common hinge without the use of any special tools, except as may be required to remove the hinge pin. Additionally, modification of the door or hinge is unnecessary. Most homes have standard 3.5-inch hinges on interior doors and 4.0-inch hinges on exterior doors. The inventive bracket includes a replacement hinge pin or bracket pin with a spacer ring so that the hinge pin can be fitted to either a 4-inch hinge without the spacer ring or a 3.5-inch pin with the spacer ring.
The bracket can be used with any type of gun holder, including without limitation, a flexible or rigid holster, a case or other enclosure, a vault, a safe, an individual hand gun rack, a lock box, or simply a magnet, as explained hereafter. The bracket will support either a generic holster or a brand-specific model.
Because the bracket can support almost any gun holder, the bracket can be used for any type of firearm. Even a long gun, such as a shotgun or rifle, can be mounted easily using a pair of brackets—one in each of two hinges on the door. As used herein, “gun” and “firearm” are used synonymously and denote a small arms weapon from which a projectile is fired by gunpowder and designed to be carried and used by an individual. These terms include handguns, such as pistols and revolvers, and long guns, including rifles and shotguns.
Because the bracket fits on any standard hinge, it can be mounted on any door, whether in a home or business, and whether an interior or exterior door. Moreover, because the bracket is relatively inexpensive and unobtrusive, one can install multiple brackets in different locations. The bracket comprises two main components—a docking station that engages the door hinge and an adapter that releasably engages the docking station. In some embodiments, the adapter remains attached to the selected gun holder.
The gun and attached adapter can be retrieved from one docking station and then placed in the docking station of another bracket in a different room or building. For example, the gun may be stowed at the front door during the day and relocated to the bedroom door at night. Still further, the gun may be stowed at the workplace during the day and then kept at any desired location at the home overnight and on weekends.
For example, in the case of a holster, the gun simply can be withdrawn from the holster and used, when needed. Or the holster and gun, if desired, with the attached adapter may be released from the docking station and either carried or relocated. In the case of a “magnet-only” embodiment, a magnet is attached to the adapter. A metal gun sheathed in a fabric or other magnetically transparent material, will adhere to the mounted magnet. Again, if desired, in this “sticky holster” embodiment, the adapter and attached magnet also can be relocated as desired.
The present invention contemplates an assembly comprising a single docketing station and adapter, or multiple docking stations and one adapter. The assembly may include one or more gun holders, such as a generic holster. Still further, the inventive bracket, with or without the gun holder, may be sold with a suitable firearm.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Turning now to the drawings in general and to
Referring now also to
In most instances, the adapter 14 will remain attached to the holster 20 even when the holster and pistol 22 are not “docked.” Importantly, the use and function of a gun holster is not affected by the attached adapter. For example, those who carry handguns on their person often use a holster with a clip that supports the holster on a belt or waist band (inside or outside the waistband). Attachment of the adapter 14 to the holster 20 does not interfere with its customary use.
Turning now to
A bracket pin 36 may be included to replace the original hinge pin (not shown) of the door hinge H. In the embodiment shown, the bracket pin 36 is sized for a 4-inch door hinge. That is, the length of the bracket pin 36 may be long enough to extend through the knuckles of the door hinge H plus the upper and lower hinge loops 32 and 34 so as to securely attach the docking station 12 to the hinge H.
As discussed previously, it is desirable for the bracket 10 to be usable alternately with either a standard 3.5-inch door hinge (shown) or a standard 4.0-inch door hinge. To that end, the bracket pin 36 and wherein the docking station further comprises a spacer ring configured to receive the bracket pin 36 may have a length selected to fit a standard 4.0-inch hinge.
The docking station 12 may also include a spacer ring 38 to adapt it for use with the smaller 3.5-inch hinge. The spacer ring 38 may be a simple tubular member having an inner diameter sized to receive the bracket pin 36 and an outer diameter sized to conform to the hinge loops 32 and 34. The length of the spacer ring 38 is selected to fit between the upper or lower knuckle of the door hinge and the upper or lower hinge loop 32 and 34, respectively, when the docking station 12 is installed on a 3.5-inch door hinge. As shown herein, the spacer ring 38 is positioned between the bottom of the hinge H and the lower hinge loop 34.
A indicated, the adapter 14 is releasably engageable with the docking station 12, that is, the adapter 14 can be engaged and disengaged manually without the use of any tool. In the embodiment illustrated, the engagement takes the form of a sliding engagement that includes a detent for releasably securing the adapter to the docking body 30, as set out below. For that purpose, the docking body 30 may include a docking recess. As used herein, “detent” means a mechanism (such as a catch, dog, or spring-operated ball) that temporarily keeps one part in a certain position relative to that of another and can be released by applying force to one of the parts.
The docking recess may be an elongate vertical C-shaped channel 42 comprising a planar back surface 44 flanked by forwardly extending side flanges 46 and 48. The bottom end of each of the side flanges 46 and 48 may form a rigid tab, such as the shoulders 52 and 54, which will form part of the detent mechanism described below.
With continuing reference to
The adapter 14 may also include a cooperating structure to form, with the shoulders 52 and 54 of the flanges 46 and 48, a complete detent mechanism. To that end, the adapter body 60 may include at least one flexible prong. In this embodiment, first and second prongs 70 and 72 extend downwardly from the bottom ends of the rails 64 and 66. Each of the prongs 70 and 72 comprises a stop 74 and 76 with tapered leading ends 78 and 80, respectively.
To enable the attachment of the adapter 14 to the gun holder, the adapter includes an attachment section 82. The type of attachment may vary. In the embodiment shown and described herein, the adapter is simply bolted to the gun holder. The attachment section 80 comprises a vertical, planar surface 84 spaced a distance forward of the rails 64 and 66 and defining one or more bolt holes 86 and 88 that are spaced apart vertically. Ideally, the bolt holes are elongate, vertically oriented slots. The adapter 14 may also include properly sized nuts and bolts, designated generally by the reference numbers 90 and 92 (
Because the prongs 70 and 72 are flexible, they will yield as they are pressed into the top of the channel 42. Then, when the stops 74 and 76 pass the bottom of the flanges 46 and 48, the stops will re-expand. In this position, the stops 74 and 76 abut the shoulders 52 and 54 under the ends of the flanges 46 and 48. In this way, the adapter 14 cannot be withdrawn or lifted from the docking station until pressure is applied to the stops 74 and 76 by squeezing them together. Thus, the prongs 70 and 72 and stops 74 and 76 cooperatively configured to form the detent mechanism.
Having described the structure of the illustrated embodiment, its use now will be explained. First, the docking station is mounted on the door hinge. The original hinge pin is removed in the conventional manner. Next, the docking station is positioned on the hinge with the upper hinge loop 32 above the top knuckle Kt and the lower hinge loop 34 below the bottom knuckle Kb. Here, the hinge H is a 3.5-inch hinge, so the spacer ring 38 is positioned between the bottom knuckle Kb and the lower hinge loop 34. Then, the bracket pin 36 is inserted through the pin bore formed through the hinge knuckles, the spacer pin 36 and hinge loops 32 and 34.
Turning to
As mentioned above, when a magnet 98 is attached to the adapter and the pistol 22 is stowed in a fabric or other magnetically transparent material, the adapter/magnet may be left in the docking station 12; the pistol will adhere to the magnet through the holster. Still further, an unholstered pistol will adhere to the magnet 98 so that the magnet alone serves as the gun holder.
Although not illustrated in the drawings, it will be apparent that for long guns, a pair of inventive brackets may be used. In this embodiment, the gun holder on one bracket would be used to hold the barrel of the gun, and the gun holder on the other bracket would be configured to hold the stock or grip. Thus, the configuration of the two gun holders may be different.
For the purpose of this description, the words left, right, front, rear, top, bottom, inside, outside, upper, lower, vertical, and horizontal, may be used to describe the various parts and directions of the invention as depicted. These descriptive terms should not be considered as limiting the possible orientations of the invention or how it may be used. The terms are merely used to describe the various parts and directions so they may be readily understood and located in the drawings.
The embodiments shown and described above are exemplary. Many details are often found in the art and, therefore, many such details are neither shown nor described herein. It is not claimed that all the details, parts, elements, or steps described and shown herein are newly invented. Changes may be made in the details, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of the parts, within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad meaning of the terms in the attached claims. The description and drawings of the specific embodiments herein do not point out what an infringement of this patent would be, but rather provide non-limiting examples of how to use and make the invention. Likewise, the abstract is neither intended to define the invention, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. The limits of the invention and the bounds of the patent protection are measured by and defined in the following claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 63/244,606 entitled “Hinge-Mounted Bracket for Supporting Gun Holder,” filed Sep. 15, 2021, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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63244606 | Sep 2021 | US |