Patent Application
20080110947
The present invention relates generally to holsters for weapons, and particularly to a holster with internal guides, such as a male guide (e.g., rail) or female guide (e.g., channel or groove).
Many holsters are known for carrying weapons therein. In the past, it was not possible to place a weapon in the holster with an accessory attached to the weapon. For example, if the weapon were provided with rails (such as Picatinny or Weaver rails) for accepting a tactical light, the light had to have been removed before holstering the weapon in the holster.
Recently, some manufacturers have developed various holsters that permit holstering the weapon with the accessory still attached to the weapon.
The present invention seeks to provide an improved holster that permits holstering the weapon with an accessory attached to the weapon, as is described in detail further hereinbelow.
There is thus provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention a holster including a receptacle for housing therein a weapon, the receptacle including at least one guide on an internal surface thereof and also including a tactical volume adapted for receiving therein a tactical accessory mounted on the weapon, the at least one guide being adapted to guide the weapon along a predefined path into the receptacle, such that when the weapon is in the receptacle, the tactical accessory mounted on the weapon is received in the tactical volume. The guide may be a male guide (e.g., rail) or female guide (e.g., channel or groove).
The holster can include one or more of the following features. For example, the at least one guide may be positioned such that when the weapon is slid thereagainst, the at least one guide contacts an upper portion of a slide of the weapon. The at least one guide may be positioned such that when the weapon is slid thereagainst, the at least one guide contacts a corresponding guide member formed in a slide of the weapon. For example, if the at least one guide is a male guide (e.g., rail), then the corresponding guide member formed in the slide may be a channel or groove. Conversely, if the at least one guide is a female guide, then the corresponding guide member formed in the slide may be a rail.
A stopper may be disposed in the holster and positioned such that when the weapon is received in the receptacle, the stopper is received in an exit port of a barrel of the weapon.
There is also provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention a holster and weapon assembly including a weapon, and a receptacle for housing therein the weapon, the receptacle including at least one guide on an internal surface thereof and also including a tactical volume adapted for receiving therein a tactical accessory mounted on the weapon, the at least one guide being adapted to guide the weapon along a predefined path into the receptacle, such that when the weapon is in the receptacle, the tactical accessory mounted on the weapon is received in the tactical volume.
The present invention will be understood and appreciated more fully from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:
Reference is now made to
Weapon 10 may be any conventional handgun, for example, including a grip (magazine well) 12 for a magazine 14, a trigger 16, a receiver 17, a barrel 18 and a slide 20, with front and rear sights 22 and 24. A tactical accessory 25, such as a tactical light, may be mounted on the weapon 10, such as on a tactical rail 23 formed on receiver 17 underneath barrel 18 (such as a Picatinny rail) or on a side of receiver 17 near barrel 18 (such as a Weaver rail).
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, one or more guide members 26 may be formed on a portion of the weapon 10, such as on the slide 20 from a muzzle end 27 extending to an ejection port 28. The guide members 26 may be discrete, that is, a plurality of individual guide members separated from one another. Alternatively, the guide members 26 may be one continuous elongate guide member. The guide members 26 may be female (e.g., grooves, channels or furrows and the like) or male (e.g., dimples or rails) formed on the weapon 10.
Reference is now made to
As another example, guide 34 may comprise one or more spring-loaded ball bearings, and the corresponding guide members 26 may be grooves or channels. As the weapon 10 is slid in holster 30, the ball bearings slide in guide members 26. Guide member 26 may be one long continuous guide, wherein the guide 34 “clicks” into the end of the guide member 26 when the weapon 10 is fully inserted in holster 30. Alternatively, guide member 26 may be a series of individual, discrete channels, and again the guide 34 may click into them as the weapon 10 is inserted in holster 30.
The receptacle 32 may also include a tactical volume 38 adapted for receiving therein tactical accessory 25 mounted on weapon 10. Guide 34 is adapted to guide the weapon 10 along a predefined path (e.g., along the surface of guide 34) into the receptacle 32, such that when the weapon 10 is in receptacle 34, the tactical accessory 25 mounted on weapon 10 is received in tactical volume 38, as shown in
Guide 34 may be positioned such that when weapon 10 is slid thereagainst, guide member 26 slides in or over guide 34. Alternatively, guide 34 may be positioned such that when the weapon 10 is slid thereagainst, guide 34 contacts an upper portion of slide 20.
A stopper 42 may be disposed in holster 30, for example, shaped like a bullet. The stopper 42 may be positioned such that when weapon 10 is received in receptacle 32 (
Referring again to
It is appreciated that various features of the invention which are, for clarity, described in the contexts of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable subcombination.
