Patent Grant
8684242
The present invention generally relates to holsters for firearms with interchangeable cowlings. More particularly, the present invention relates to a holster device with interchangeable cowlings that allow a user to toollessly decouple a cowling member from the holster and toollessly couple a differently shaped cowling member to the holster, thus forming a differently shaped holster pocket.
Handguns have been carried in holsters by their owners for a few hundred years. Advances in holster design are not new. Different types of holsters have been created to suit the different needs of those carrying pistols. Duty Holsters, which include outside the waistband (OTW) holsters that typically attach to a belt or harness and are designed to be plainly visible, are used by law enforcement personnel and the military. Concealment holsters, which include inside the waistband (ITW) holsters, shoulder holsters, “belly band” holsters, pocket holsters, groin holsters and ankle holsters and are designed to be worn inconspicuously under clothing, are likewise popular with plain-clothes police officers and military personnel, as well as with civilians who wish to conceal and carry their firearm. Sporting holsters are designed to best suit the sport for which they are being used, and thus vary widely. For example, some sporting holsters are designed for the quickest possible release of the firearm (for quick-draw contests); some are designed for silent operation and maximum retention of the firearm (for hunting); and some are designed to prevent damage to the pistol carried therein.
Just as different holsters have evolved for different applications, pistols have evolved for use in different circumstances. Hunters may use larger caliber pistols, while competitors in accuracy and quick-draw competitions will likely use pistols that fire ammunition with less energy when fast repetitive shots are to be taken. Those who wish to conceal and carry their pistol may want a sidearm without a hammer (as the hammer can get caught in clothing), while many police officers often want to see the hammer cock back and fall as they pull the trigger so that the discharge of the cartridge is not startling or surprising.
Many people have multiple firearms—one for each situation in which they may find themselves. However, having many firearms typically requires having multiple holsters. Indeed, holsters typically have only one function—they hold a specific model or type of sidearm in the pocket of the holster until the firearm is needed by the user. All of the above listed types of holsters have proven useful in their fields performing just such a function. However, this singular function is also a limitation—holsters are typically designed to cradle only a single sidearm or very similar types of sidearms.
Further, most pistols are somewhat customizable with add-ons. Those who wish to use their pistol at night can have night sights (illuminated sights that allow users to properly align their sights on a target when the sights themselves cannot normally be seen) and/or a small under-barrel flashlight added to their pistol. Those who wish to know exactly where their pistol is aiming may wish to add a laser sight add-on to their pistol. Some police and military personnel now have video camera attachments on their weapons so that a record can be kept of exactly where the weapon was pointing at a given time.
Often, people with firearms utilize at least one of various accessories for each situation in which they may find themselves. However, having many sidearm accessories typically requires having multiple holsters, or having to refrain from attaching the desired accessory until the weapon can be carried in its holster to the location of use, at which point the accessory is installed in the field, or even sacrificing the fit of the weapon in the holster.
Similarly, those who work in law enforcement or the military often need to adapt to ever changing situations by supplementing their firearms with various accessories. It is highly impractical for such people to be unable to holster their supplemented sidearm every time an additional element is added, or to have to carry an additional holster and attempt to swap holsters in the field—typically not the easiest of processes when tools are needed.
Holsters are designed for specific circumstances and hold limited types of sidearms with a specific set of (or no) add-ons in the pocket of the holster until the firearm is needed by the user. When dealing with firearm owners with multiple pistols, each of which has multiple possible configurations with various accessories, or with police and military personnel, the holster's singular configuration can become a serious limitation.
Consequently, a need has long been felt for a holster that can be quickly and easily altered toollessly to accept multiple firearm models or multiple configurations of a single firearm.
One or more of the embodiments of the present invention overcomes many of the shortcomings and limitations of the prior art devices, and teaches the construction and operation of a holster with toollessly interchangeable cowlings. In the parent application Ser. No. 11/307,908, reference was made to a holster with “attachment points for other components such as an interchangeable cowling” (Paragraph [0006]) in which the mounting of the interchangeable cowling could “be accomplished in a conventional manner such as using conventional screws, rivets, and other appropriate fastening members” (Paragraph [0027]). An embodiment of the present invention provides a holster adapted for toolless coupling and decoupling a cowling member to the frame member of the holster.
In one embodiment, the holster is composed of a rigid polymer, or other suitable material, such that it is not easily deformable or destructible. At least one latch device secures a cowling member to the frame member of the holster forming a holster pocket of a certain configuration for holding a pistol of a particular configuration. Either the cowling member or the frame member has one or more grooves, while the other member has one or more respective slide members. A slide member and a groove have preferably “L” shaped transverse cross-sectional portions which effects locking of the respective slide member in the respective groove against lateral motion or deformation release. The latch device includes a manually selectively moveable detent on either a slide member or a groove, and a shoulder forming member on the other of the slide member and groove such that the detent is selectively retained against movement by engagement with the shoulder forming member. Thus, by sliding the slide member into its respective groove and engaging the detent with the shoulder forming member, a cowling member is releasably secured to the frame member forming a portion of the holster and holster pocket. By moving the detent, which detent is adapted for such manual toolless movement, away from the shoulder forming member, the cowling member is decoupled and removable from the frame member, after which a second cowling member can be coupled to the frame member in a similar fashion as described above to form a holster with a different holster pocket configuration.
Another embodiment of the present invention provides a holster including a frame member which forms a first portion of a holster and holster pocket, and an interchangeable cowling member which is cooperatively associated with the frame member and which forms a second portion of a holster and holster pocket. There is at least one groove in either the frame member or cowling member, and at least one corresponding slide member on the other of the frame member or cowling member. Each groove is adapted to receive its respective slide member for selective longitudinal movement therein. The holster further includes a latch device having a first portion cooperating with the frame member and a second portion cooperating with the cowling member. The latch device is operable to selectively limit movement of the slide members in the grooves thereby releasably coupling the cowling member to the frame member.
Another embodiment of the present invention provides a holster including a frame member which forms a first portion of a holster and holster pocket, which frame member is sized and configured to receive the top portion of a pistol barrel therein, and an interchangeable cowling member which forms a second portion of a holster and holster pocket, which cowling member is sized and configured to receive a mid or lower portion of a pistol therein. The holster also includes a latch device having a first portion which cooperates with and is coupled to the frame member and a second portion which cooperates with and is coupled to the cowling member. The latch device is operable to selectively couple the frame member to the cowling member and is adapted for toolless coupling and decoupling.
Another embodiment of the present invention provides a holster pocket alteration method including disengaging a first cowling member from securement to a frame member, where the first cowling member and frame member previously defined at least part of a first holster pocket having a first configuration, by toollessly decoupling a latch device first portion cooperating with and coupled to the frame member from a latch device second portion cooperating with and coupled to the first cowling member. The holster pocket alteration method further includes securing a second cowling member to the frame member by toollessly coupling the latch device first portion to a latch device second portion cooperating with and coupled to the second cowling member such that the second cowling member and the frame member at least partially form a second holster pocket having a second configuration.
Another embodiment of the present invention includes a holster kit including a frame member and a first cowling member, where the first cowling member is selectively coupleable to the frame member. When coupled, the frame member and first cowling member form at least a portion of a first holster pocket. The holster kit further includes a first latch device with a first portion cooperating with the frame member and a second portion cooperating with the first cowling member. The first latch device is operable to selectively couple the frame member to the first cowling member, which first latch device is adapted for decoupling. Additionally, the holster kit includes a second cowling member for coupling with the frame member and a second latch device having a second portion cooperating with the second cowling member and the first portion cooperating with the frame member, and operable to selectively couple and decouple the frame member to the second cowling member. The frame member and said second cowling member forming a portion of a second holster pocket.
For a better understanding of embodiments of the present invention, reference may be made to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numbers refer to like or similar parts and/or construction, and numbers which are followed by an “A” (e.g. 120A) refer to similar components with similar functions and usage as compared to components numbered without an “A” suffix.
The present invention includes a first shape configurable holster 100 as illustrated in
As shown in
As illustrated in
The attachment bracket 170 is attached to the frame member 120, as shown, by suitable fasteners 175, which can also assist in releasably attaching the holster 100 to a particular mounting platform. In operation, the attachment bracket 170 and fasteners 175 are structured, positioned and located so as to be compatible for attachment to a particular mounting platform, for example, on a belt or harness (not shown). The attachment bracket 170 and fasteners 175 are reversible so that they can be mounted for a left-side holster wearer or a right-side holster wearer.
Each groove 160 of the frame member 120 receives a respective slide member 140 for longitudinal movement therein. Once the slide members 140 have been inserted into the respective grooves 160 (i.e. one slide member 140 per groove 160) sufficiently for the detents 150 to abut the frame member 120 at the open ends of the grooves 160, the detents 150 selectively prevent further insertion of the slide members 140 into the grooves 160. The distal end portions 148 of the slide members 140 are preferably elastically, or resiliently, deformable by a user pinching the tabs 145 inwardly between, for example, two digits such as a thumb and finger, at the ends of the slide members 140 such that a detent 150 at the end of each slide member 140 no longer abuts the frame member 120 at the ends of the grooves 160. The bending of the slide members 140 allows the slide members 140 of the cowling member 130 to be further inserted into the grooves 160 of the frame member 120.
In the embodiment illustrated in
Once the cowling member 130 is selectively coupled to the frame member 120, the holster 100 defines an internal holster pocket 180 with a barrel channel portion 185 and a mid portion 187, where the barrel channel portion 185 is adapted to receive a pistol barrel portion 192, and the mid portion 187 is adapted to receive a pistol mid portion 194 therein. Although the embodiment of
Alternatively, the cowling member 130 may be a unitary piece or more than two pieces, as opposed to being constructed with the left portion 134 coupled to the right portion 132 via the fastener 136. The fastener 136 may be any suitable device which secures the left portion 134 to the right portion 132, where the use of the two portions 132 and 134 facilitates the molding thereof. The left and right portions 132, 134 may also be welded or glued together, or may be otherwise fastened together. The detents 150 may alternatively be part of the frame member 120 and may be positioned in the grooves 160 as opposed to being associated with the slide members 140. The shoulder forming members 155 may similarly alternatively be associated with the slide members 140 as opposed to along the grooves 160, or anywhere else that could achieve selectively locking of the cowling member 130 to the frame member 120. The detents 150 and shoulder forming members 155 may likewise be of any shape that could achieve selectively locking of the cowling member 130 to the frame member 120, such as a tapered lead in. The detents 150 and shoulder forming members 155 may alternatively be positioned anywhere on the cowling member 130 or frame member 120 so as to achieve selective locking of the respective members. In alternative embodiments, any of the slide members 140 and grooves 160 may be provided on the cowling member 130 and frame member 120 such that (1) both slide members 140 are positioned on the cowling member 130 and both grooves are positioned on the frame member 120, or (2) both slide members 140 are positioned on the frame member 120 and both grooves 160 are positioned on the cowling member 130, or (3) the cowling member 130 includes one groove 160 and one slide member 140 while the frame member 120 includes the other groove 160 and other slide member 140. Still further, the grooves 160 and slide members 140 may alternatively be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the barrel channel portion 185 of the holster pocket 180, or they may be at any other suitable angle at which the slide members 140 are insertable into the grooves 160 to effectuate releasable mounting of the cowling member 130 to the frame member 120. Alternatively, there may be only one slide member 140 and one groove 160, or more than two slide members 140 and more than two grooves 160, so long as the arrangement is sufficient to effectuate releasable mounting of the cowling member 130 to the frame member 120.
The grooves 160 and slide members 140 may be any shape that effectuates locking of the cowling member 130 in the frame member 120 and are preferably configured so as to prevent lateral movement of the cowling member 130 in the frame member 120, such as by using a slide member 140 and corresponding groove 160 having generally “L” shaped transverse cross-sectional portions or other mutually interengageable mating surfaces as shown in
In addition to that discussed in relation to
In operation, as discussed above, the grooves 160 in the frame member 120 receive their respective slide members 140 associated with the cowling member 130 for longitudinal movement therealong. Once the slide members 140 are inserted into the grooves 160, the lower flanges 310 and upper flanges 320 prevent lateral movement of the cowling member 130 in the frame member 120, while the rigidity of the frame member 120 and cowling member 130 further prevent lateral movement of the cowling member 130 in the frame member 120 via engagement with slide member surfaces 142, 144. Thus, the grooves 160 and slide members 140 have transverse cross sectional shapes which effectuate locking of each of the slide members 140 in their respective grooves 160 against lateral motion release, i.e. lateral or inward movement of the slide members 140 out of the grooves 160. Further, the grooves 160, slide members 140 and latch device 110, which prevents longitudinal movement of the cowling member 130 in the frame member 120, assist in releasably mounting the cowling member to the frame member. In this regard, the shoulder forming members 155 may each include a hole or opening 157, each sized and shaped to receive a respective detent 150 therein. When the slide members 140 of the cowling member 130 are correctly positioned in the grooves 160, the detent 150 on each respective slide member 140 is received and retained in place by a through hole 157 of a respective shoulder forming member 155, which engagement prevents longitudinal movement of the slide members 140 in the grooves 160. Once the cowling member 130 is selectively coupled to the frame member 120, the holster 100 defines an internal holster pocket 180 to receive a pistol 190 therein, where the internal holster pocket 180 includes the barrel channel portion 185 adapted to receive a barrel portion 192 of a pistol 190 therein.
Alternatively, the upper flanges 320 and lower flanges 310 may be positioned other than as shown so long as the configuration of the grooves 160 can still prevent the slide members 140 from moving laterally in the grooves 160 once inserted therewithin. Similarly, there may alternatively be only one, or more than two, upper flanges 320 and lower flanges 310 so long as the arrangement is sufficient to prevent lateral movement of the cowling member 130 within the frame member 120. At least a part of the holster may be made of a rigid polymer, or any other similarly rigid material.
As shown, the left cowling portion 134A, right cowling portion 132A, fastener 136A, slide members 140A, tabs 145A, detents 150A, and latch device 110A are all connected and all function like their respective components as previously described with respect to
All of the described alternatives for the holster 100 in
One or more embodiments of the present invention allow for the toolless coupling and decoupling of various cowling members 130 and 130A to a single frame member 120, such that each cowling member, in combination with the same frame member, can form a different holster and different holster pocket for accepting the various configurations of a single firearm, or for accepting various firearms. This toolless coupling and decoupling is much faster, easier, and less expensive than the previous options of carrying completely separate holsters for each handgun variant or for each different handgun, or carrying the tools required to attempt to alter previous holsters.
In addition, the various cowling members such as the members 130 and 130A associated with the present invention along with the frame member 120 can also be provided in kit form along with suitable instructions for coupling and decoupling the various cowling members to the same frame member. In this regard, any number of cowling members 130 and 130A can be provided in such a holster kit for providing various holster pocket configurations adaptable for accommodating one pistol having a wide variety of different accessory attachments associated therewith, or differently configured pistols requiring respectively different holster pockets. As described above, the frame member and each cowling member associated with any such kit would include a latch mechanism as described above associated with both the frame member and each respective cowling member.
While particular elements, embodiments, and applications of the present invention have been shown and described, it is understood that the present invention is not limited thereto as many changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications of the present invention may be made by those skilled in the art, particularly in light of the foregoing teaching. It is therefore contemplated by the appended claims to cover all such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications and to incorporate those features which come within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 11/307,092 filed on Jan. 23, 2006, and hereby incorporates by reference the full disclosure of that application.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20140061262 A1 | Mar 2014 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 11307092 | Jan 2006 | US |
| Child | 12032142 | US |
