Quick-attach arrangement for thigh rig

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6685066
  • Patent Number
    6,685,066
  • Date Filed
    Monday, January 28, 2002
    23 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, February 3, 2004
    21 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Weaver; Sue A.
    Agents
    • Chan; Raymond Y.
    • David and Raymond Patent Group
Abstract
A thigh rig includes a carrier and a quick-attach arrangement. The carrier includes a pad body, having a front side and a rear side, for detachably attaching on a user's body and a pouch panel overlappedly provided on the front side of the pad body to define a storage compartment, for receiving a pistol-like weapon therein, between the pad body and the pouch panel. The storage compartment has a top opening having a holding portion formed by a top edge of the pouch panel. The quick-attach arrangement includes a pair of reinforcing elements spacedly provided at the top opening of the storage compartment for selectively adjusting a width of the holding portion of the top opening, so as to securely hold a wrist of the weapon in the storage compartment in position.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION




1. Field of Invention




The present invention relates to a thigh rig, and more particular to a quick-attach arrangement for a thigh rig, which provides a quick-attachable holster on the user's body with ambidextrous ability.




2. Description of Related Arts




The duty of a police officer is to keep the public order. During the protest movement, such as protest march, demonstration, or even riot, the police officers must be on the alert and usually armed to prevent an unexpected incident since any one of the demonstrators can be a potential offender. Sometimes, the officer may put down the riot by force. In order to minimize an unwanted injury and against attack, the police officer will not only carry the pistol but also carry other kinds of weapons such as taser or stagger gun at the same time.




In other words, the officer must carry many rigs in one single action, which may reduce the mobility of the officer. Thus, in order to load the weapons quickly, a holster is usually used to carry the weapon such that the officer can quickly load up the holster with the weapon within seconds during such crucial situation. As the officer's belt is already cluttered, the holster needs to be versatile in its mounting systems and comfortable. However, the conventional holster is specifically designed for either a right-hand user or a left-hand user that allows the user to effectively withdraw the weapon in a quick responding manner. Therefore, the officer must carefully to pick the corrected holster that fits his or her preference.




The major drawback of the conventional holster is that the holster is tailor-made to fit the corresponding weapon. Since there are different kinds and sizes of weapon, the conventional holster having a predetermined shape and size may not fit for other size of the weapon. It is a hassle for the user to find the corresponding holster which can not only be quickly loaded on the user's body but also securely hold the weapon. If an unmatched holster is used, the holster cannot protect the weapon from close quarters grappling.




SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION




A main object of the present invention is to provide a quick-attach arrangement for thigh rig, which provides a quick-attachable holster on the user's body without reducing the mobility of the user.




Another object of the present invention is to provide a quick-attach arrangement for thigh rig, which provides an ambidextrous ability to fit both the right-hand user and the left-hand user.




Another object of the present invention is to provide a quick-attach arrangement for thigh rig, which comprises a pair of reinforcing elements for selectively adjusting a width of the top opening of the storage compartment such that any size of the pistol-like weapon can be fittedly held in the storage compartment in a secure manner.




Another object of the present invention is to provide a quick-attach arrangement for thigh rig, which can protect the weapon from public sight, damaging abrasions, and close quarters grappling.




Another object of the present invention is to provide a quick-attach arrangement for thigh rig, which provides full flapped protection and retention for law enforcement use.




Accordingly, in order to accomplish the above objects, the present invention provides a thigh rig, which comprises:




a carrier comprising a pad body, having a front side and a rear side, for detachably attaching on a user's body and a pouch panel overlappedly provided on the front side of the pad body to define a storage compartment, for receiving a pistol-like weapon therein, between the pad body and the pouch panel, wherein the storage compartment has a top opening defined at a top edge of the pouch panel and the front side of the pad body; and




a quick-attach arrangement comprising a pair of reinforcing elements spacedly provided at the top opening of the storage compartment for selectively adjusting a width of the top opening, so as to securely hold the weapon in the storage compartment in position.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a front perspective view of a thigh rig with a quick-attach arrangement according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.





FIG. 2

is a rear perspective view of the thigh rig with the quick-attach arrangement according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention.





FIGS. 3A through 3D

illustrate a utility of the quick-attach arrangement according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




Referring to

FIGS. 1 and 2

of the drawings, a thigh rig


1


employed with a quick-attach arrangement


20


according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated, which is adapted for securely holding a pistol-like weapon such as pistol, taser, stagger gun or the like.




The thigh rig


1


comprises a carrier


10


which comprises a pad body


11


, having a front side


111


and a rear side


112


, for detachably attaching on a user's body and a pouch panel


12


overlappedly provided on the front side


111


of the pad body


11


to define a storage compartment


13


, for receiving a pistol-like weapon therein, between the pad body


11


and the pouch panel


12


, wherein the storage compartment


13


has a top opening


131


, having a holding portion, formed by a top edge of the pouch panel


12


and the front side


111


of the pad body


11


.




The quick-attach arrangement


20


comprises a pair of reinforcing elements


21


spacedly provided at the top opening


131


of the storage compartment


13


for selectively adjusting a width of the holding portion of the top opening


131


, so as to securely hold a wrist of the weapon in the storage compartment


13


in position.




The weapon generally comprises an elongated tubular portion, a trigger guard portion, and a gripping portion wherein the wrist of the weapon is defined between the trigger guard portion and the gripping portion. It is worth to mention that any conventional holster must hold the wrist of the weapon tightly in order to hold the weapon in position, so as to prevent an unwanted movement of the weapon with respect to the conventional holster.




Each of the reinforcing elements


21


, which is an elongated strap, has an affixing end


211


affixed on the front surface


111


of the pad body


11


and a control portion


212


extended across the top opening


131


of the storage compartment


13


to fasten on the pouch panel


12


for selectively adjust the holding portion of the top opening


131


, so as to tighten the weapon at the wrist thereof.




In order to securely hold the reinforcing elements


21


in position, the quick-attach arrangement


20


further comprises a first fastener


22


provided on an inner side of the control portion


212


of each of the reinforcing elements


21


and a second fastener


23


provided on an outer side of the pouch panel


12


such that the control portion


212


of each of the reinforcing elements


21


is adapted to securely attach on the pouch panel


12


by detachably fastening the first fastener


22


with the second fastener


23


.




Accordingly, the first and second fasteners are hoop and loop fasteners affixed on the inner side of the control portion


212


of each of the reinforcing elements


21


and the outer side of the pouch panel


12


respectively. Therefore, by adjusting various fastening positions of the control portion


212


of the reinforcing element


21


on the pouch panel


12


, the width of the top opening


131


of the storage compartment


13


can be altered to hold various sizes and shapes of the weapon.




As shown in

FIG. 3A

, when the first reinforcing element


21


is attached on the pouch panel


12


while the second reinforcing element


21


is remain unattached, the thigh rig


1


of the present invention can hold the weapon for a right-hand user. Similarly, when the second reinforcing element


21


is attached on the pouch panel


12


while the first reinforcing element


21


is remain unattached, the thigh rig


1


of the present invention can hold the weapon for a left-hand user, as shown in FIG.


3


B.




The thigh rig


1


of the present invention can also hold different sizes of the weapon by manipulating with the two reinforcing elements


21


. As shown in

FIG. 3C

, when both the two reinforcing elements


21


are attached on the pouch panel


12


, the top opening


131


of the storage compartment


13


will be substantially reduced to hold the weapon having a smaller size. When none of the two reinforcing elements


21


are attached on the pouch panel


12


, the top opening


131


of the storage compartment


13


will retain its maximum width for holding the weapon having a bigger size, as shown in FIG.


3


D. In other words, the present invention provides not only an ambidextrous ability to fit both the right-hand user and the left-hand user but also a self-adjusting configuration to securely hold the weapon with various sizes.




According to the preferred embodiment, the carrier


10


further comprises a shielding flap


100


, having a predetermined size and shape, is overlappedly extended from the pad body


11


for enclosing the top opening


131


of the storage compartment


13


so as to cover a butt of the weapon. The shielding flap


111


has a longitudinal edge affixed to the pad body


11


by stitching wherein the shielding flap


100


is adapted to overlappedly fold down to enclose the top opening


131


of the storage compartment


13


so as to cover on the pouch panel


12


. Therefore, the shielding flap


100


can minimize the exposure of the weapon in public.




The pad body


11


is made of durable material such as nylon wherein a cushioned layer is provided between the front side


111


and the rear side


112


of the pad body


11


so as to provide a comfort touching when the pad body


11


is fastened on the user's body.




The pouch panel


12


, having a triangular shaped, has two side edges firmly affixed on the front side


111


of the pad body


11


by stitching to form the storage compartment


13


between the pouch panel


12


and the pad body


11


wherein the storage compartment


13


has a cross section area gradually reducing from a top portion to a bottom portion, such that the storage compartment


12


is shaped and sized to fit the weapon receiving therein.




It is worth to mention that two sloping sidewall of the storage compartment


13


will support the weapon in a canting position with respect to the pad body


11


. When the weapon is received in the storage compartment


13


and locked up by the reinforcing element


21


, a top side of the weapon is forced to bias against the respective sidewall of the storage compartment


13


, so as to support the weapon in an inclined position. Therefore, the weapon in such canting position is adapted to enhance the withdrawing action for the user.




The top opening


131


of the storage compartment


13


is defined by a top edge of the pouch panel


12


and the front side


111


of the pad body


11


wherein the top edge of the pouch panel


12


has a curved shape gradually descending from a mid-portion of the top edge to two side edges thereof, so as to enhance a retention of weapon in the storage compartment


13


.




The carrier


10


further comprises a securing unit


16


comprising a first and second securing straps


161


extended from the pouch panel


20


and the shielding flap


100


respectively, a buckle plug


162


provided at a free end of the first securing strap


161


, and a corresponding buckle socket


163


provided at a free end of the second securing strap


161


, so that the shielding flap


100


is substantially protect the weapon by detachably buckling up the buckle plug


162


and the buckle socket


163


. Therefore, the securing unit


16


enhances the shielding flap


100


to protect the weapon from close quarters grappling. It is worth to mention that the buckle plug


162


and the buckle socket


163


can be replaced by other fasteners such as hoop and loop fasteners, snap fasteners, straps with cinch or such similar attachment for fastening two members together.




The carrier


10


further comprises a belt hanger


14


upwardly extended from a top edge of the pad body


11


and a pair of leg straps


15


extended from two opposed side edges of the pad body


11


.




Accordingly, the belt hanger


14


comprises an elongated durable belt


141


having an affixing end affixed to the pad body


11


and a free end, wherein the belt hanger


14


is formed by folding the durable belt


141


overlappedly to form a hanging loop


142


. A pair of fasteners


143


,


144


are provided at the affixing end portion and the free end portion of the durable belt


141


such that the free end portion of the durable belt


141


is adapted to detachably attach to the affixing end portion thereof to form the hanging loop


142


by attaching the pair of fasteners


143


,


144


with each other. Therefore, the user is able to hang the carrier


10


at the waist portion by passing the user's waist belt through the hanging loop


142


of the belt hanger


14


.




In order to substantially hold the shielding flap


100


in position, a first pair of holding elements


31


is provided on the pouch panel


12


and the shielding flap


100


respectively and a second pair of holding elements


32


is provided on the shielding flap


100


and the belt hanger


14


respectively.




Accordingly, the first pair of holding elements


31


is a pair of hoop and loop fasteners


311


,


312


provided on an outer side of the pouch panel


12


and an inner side of the shielding flap


100


respectively in such a manner that the shielding flap


100


is adapted to securely enclose the storage compartment


13


in a closed position by detachably fastening the first pair of holding elements


31


together, as shown in FIG.


2


.




The second pair of holding elements


32


is a pair of hoop and loop fasteners


321


,


322


provided on an outer side of the shielding flap


100


and an outer side of the belt hanger


14


in such a manner that the shielding flap


100


is adapted to fold upward and hold by the belt hanger


14


in an opened position by detachably fastening the second pair of holding element


32


together so as to communicate the storage compartment


13


with outside, as shown in FIG.


3


. In other words, in the opened position, the shielding flap


100


is held by the carrier


10


such that the user is able to withdraw the weapon from the thigh rig


1


of the present invention efficiently without interfering by the shielding flap


100


, especially when the user is in an alert situation.




It is worth to mention that the first holding element


311


is embodied as the same as the second fastener


23


of the quick-attach arrangement


20


since the first holding element


311


and the second fastener


23


are provided on the outer side of the pouch panel


12


of the carrier


10


for fastening purpose, as shown in FIG.


1


.




The belt hanger


14


further comprises hanging ring


145


and a belt adapter


146


. The hanging ring


145


is provided at the top edge of the pad body


11


such that the carrier


10


can be detachably mounted on the user's uniform by detachably connecting the hanging ring


145


with a uniform buckle or waist belt provided on the user's uniform.




The belt adapter


146


comprises a hanging belt


1461


overlappedly folded by detachably attaching two end portions thereof with each other to form a holding loop


1462


, a first adapter


1463


having a through slot for the hanging belt


1461


slidably passing through, and a second adapter


1464


having a through slot for the durable belt


141


slidably passing through and arranged to detachably attach to the first adapter


1463


. Therefore, the user is able to pre-mount the belt adapter


146


on his or her waist portion by passing the user's waist belt through the holding loop


1462


and then simply attach the second adapter


1464


to the first adapter


1463


so as to quickly and securely mount the carrier


10


at the waist portion of the user.




As shown in

FIG. 1

, the two leg straps


15


are affixed to two opposed side edges of the pad body


11


wherein a leg buckle plug


151


and a leg buckle socket


152


are provided at free ends of the two leg straps


15


respectively and detachably connected with each other, so that the carrier


10


can be further firmly mounted on the thigh of the user by wrapping the leg straps


15


around the thigh of the user and buckling up the leg buckle plug


151


and the leg buckle socket


152


. Each of the leg straps


15


further comprises an auxiliary pouch


153


affixed to the leg strap


15


for carrying weapon accessories such as cartridge or bullet.




The thigh rig


1


further comprises an attaching unit


40


for detachably attaching the pad body


11


to the user's body, wherein the attaching unit


40


comprises at least a fastening element


41


provided on the rear side


112


of the pad body


11


for detachably attaching to the user's uniform. Accordingly, the fastening element


41


can be a hoop fastener, loop fastener, or both hoop and loop fasteners, as shown in

FIG. 2

, affixed to the rear side


112


of the pad body


11


. The attaching unit


40


further comprises at least a fastening strap


42


having two ends affixed to the rear side


112


of the pad body


11


such that the user's uniform having a corresponding thigh strap is adapted to fasten to the fastening strap


42


by passing the thigh belt between the fastening strap


42


and the pad body


11


. In other words, the thigh rig


1


of the present invention having various attaching modes can be detachably mount on the user's thigh position by fastening the attaching unit


40


to the corresponding fastening element or thigh strap provided on the thigh portion of the user's uniform.



Claims
  • 1. A thigh rig, comprising:a carrier comprising a pad body, having a front side and a rear side, for detachably attaching on a user's body and a pouch panel overlappedly provided on said front side of said pad body to define a storage compartment, for receiving a pistol-like weapon therein, between said pad body and said pouch panel, wherein said storage compartment has a top opening, having a holding portion, formed by a top edge of said pouch panel and said front side of the pad body, wherein said carrier further comprises a belt hanger which is upwardly extended from a top edge of said pad body and comprises an elongated durable belt having an affixing end affixed to said pad body and a free end, wherein said belt hanger is formed by folding said durable belt overlappedly to form a hanging loop, a pair of fasteners being provided at said affixing end portion and said free end portion of said durable belt such that said free end portion of said durable belt is adapted to detachably attach to said affixing end portion thereof to form said hanging loop by attaching said pair of fasteners with each other, wherein said belt hanger further comprises a belt adapter which comprises a hanging belt overlapped folded by detachably attaching two end portions thereof with each other to form a holding loop, a first adapter having a through slot for said hanging belt slidably passing through, and a second adapter having a through slot for said durable belt slidably passing through and arranged to detachably attach to said first adapter, so as to quickly mount pad body to said belt adapter; and a quick-attach arrangement comprising a pair of reinforcing elements spacedly provided at said top opening of said storage compartment for selectively adjusting a width of the holding portion of said top opening, so as to securely hold a wrist of said weapon in said storage compartment in position, wherein each of said reinforcing elements, which is an elongated strap, has an affixing end affixed on said front surface of said pad body and a control portion extended across said top opening of said storage compartment to fasten on said pouch panel for selectively adjust said holding portion of said top opening, so as to tighten said weapon at said wrist thereof.
  • 2. A thigh rig, comprising:a carrier comprising a pad body, having a front side and a rear side, for detachably attaching on a user's body and a pouch panel overlappedly provided on said front side of said pad body to define a storage compartment, for receiving a pistol-like weapon therein, between said pad body and said pouch panel, wherein said storage compartment has a top opening, having a holding portion, formed by a top edge of said pouch panel and said front side of the pad body, wherein said carrier further comprises a shielding flap, having a predetermined size and shape, is overlappedly extended from said pad body for enclosing said top opening of said storage compartment so as to cover a butt of said weapon, wherein said carrier further comprises a belt hanger, which is upwardly extended from a top edge of said pad body, comprising an elongated durable belt having an affixing end affixed to said pad body and a free end, wherein said belt hanger is formed by folding said durable belt overlappedly to form a hanging loop, a pair of fasteners being provided at said affixing end portion and said free end portion of said durable belt such that said free end portion of said durable belt is adapted to detachably attach to said affixing end portion thereof to form said hanging loop by attaching said pair of fasteners with each other, wherein said belt hanger further comprises a belt adapter which comprises a hanging belt overlapped folded by detachably attaching two end portions thereof with each other to form a holding loop, a first adapter having a through slot for said hanging belt slidably passing through, and a second adapter having a through slot for said durable belt slidably passing through and arranged to detachably attach to said first adapter, so as to quickly mount pad body to said belt adapter; and a quick-attach arrangement comprising a pair of reinforcing elements spacedly provided at said top opening of said storage compartment for selectively adjusting a width of the holding portion of said top opening, so as to securely hold a wrist of said weapon in said storage compartment in position, wherein each of said reinforcing elements, which is an elongated strap, has an affixing end affixed on said front surface of said pad body and a control portion extended across said top opening of said storage compartment to fasten on said pouch panel for selectively adjust said holding portion of said top opening, so as to tighten said weapon at said wrist thereof, wherein said quick-attach arrangement further comprises a first fastener provided on an inner side of said control portion of each of said reinforcing elements and a second fastener provided on an outer side of said pouch panel such that said control portion of each of said reinforcing elements is adapted to securely attach on said pouch panel by detachably fastening said first fastener with said second fastener.
US Referenced Citations (12)
Number Name Date Kind
3003670 Stella Oct 1961 A
D264240 Bianchi May 1982 S
D283043 Pitts Mar 1986 S
4886197 Bowles et al. Dec 1989 A
4898310 Remington Feb 1990 A
5215238 Baruch Jun 1993 A
5236113 Wisser Aug 1993 A
5445303 Cawile, Jr. Aug 1995 A
5480077 Eng Jan 1996 A
5489053 Davis Feb 1996 A
5893496 Katz et al. Apr 1999 A
6155471 Lichtenberger Dec 2000 A