Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to connectors, fasteners and attaching systems to secure articles to a garment or the like, and more particularly, to an attaching system for readily removing and securing holsters, pouches or other modular accessories to a MOLLE-compliant garment or a similarly designed garment.
2. Relevant Art MOLLE is an acronym for MOdular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment. It is used to define the current generation of load-bearing equipment and rucksacks utilized by the United States Army. The modularity of the system is derived from the use of Pouch Attachment Ladder System or PALS webbing, rows of heavy-duty nylon precisely stitched onto the vest as to allow for attachment of various MOLLE-compatible pouches and accessories. This method of attachment has become a standard for all quality modular military gear, replacing the click and stick system used in the earliest modular vest systems (which is still in use with most Western police departments). It is produced for the United States Government under contract by several contractors. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,707.
PALS is a grid of webbing invented and patented by United States Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center and is used to attach smaller equipment onto load-bearing platforms, such as vests and backpacks. It was first used on MOLLE rucksacks, but is now found on a variety of American equipment, such as the Improved Outer Tactical Vest, Interceptor body armor, USMC Improved Load Bearing Equipment backpack and Modular Tactical Vest. It is used to readily attach items such as holsters, magazine pouches, radio pouches, knife sheaths, and other gear. A wide variety of pouches are commercially available, allowing soldiers to customize their kit. There are also a variety of attachment methods, including the Malice Clip, the Natick snap, and soft, interwoven straps. See for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,080,430; 7,200,871; and 7,240,404. The PALS system has been adopted by other forces, such as the British Army, who use it on their Osprey body armor.
The PALS grid consists of horizontal rows of 1″ Mil-W-43668 Type III nylon webbing (most commercial vendors use Type 111a), spaced 1″ apart, and reattached by reinforced stitches or seams to the backing at 1.5″ intervals.
There have been numerous designs developed so that the user can securely attach an article to the MOLLE/PALS system. These designs can take considerable time to secure and remove the article. Most of the new designs use additional parts to interlock to the PALS system, while the older products use lacing fabric straps. They are secure but in many cases are not stable and have a great deal of movement. For articles such as hydration bags or radio pouches, movement is usually not a detriment. However, the attachment of a pistol holster for quick deployment of the pistol can be a different matter. The holster should be on a stable platform so that the user can quickly get a proper grip on the pistol and release the pistol from the holster.
The present invention provides a mounting platform to allow the user to quickly mount in a stable manner practically any article, including a pistol holster, to a MOLLE vest without the need of additional parts or special tools. The mounting platform removably secures an article mounted thereon to a MOLLE/PALS compliant garment or similarly designed garment having a grid with horizontal rows of webbing spaced apart at precise repeated dimensions and such webbing has spaced loops of repeated dimensions with the loops of each row being vertically aligned.
The platform is riveted or bolted onto an article which will be attached to the garment. Various sizes of platforms depend on the article it needs to support. The platform is generally a flat plate with multiple spaced holes for attaching to a variety of articles. In a preferred embodiment, at least two prongs are provided on one side of the plate in respective corners associated with one plate end and an opposing set of at least two prongs in respective corners of the opposite end of the plate. The opposing prongs have their free, distal ends facing each other and are designed to slip into the vertical loops formed by the PALS webbing or similar design. Each prong is tapered, being thicker at its proximal end where it attaches to the plate member and thinner at its free, distal end, permitting easy insertion of the prong into a loop. The proximal end of the prong adjacent to where it attaches to the plate member is of a thickness that allows the prong to substantially fill the entire internal area of the loop, making the attachment to the webbing secure.
Installation of the platform is as follows: the two prongs of one end of the plate are engaged into the corresponding loops of the PALS webbing. The garment material is folded sufficiently to allow the opposing prongs at the opposite end of the plate to engage the loops which closely align with the end of the plate. When the garment is unfolded and returns to its normal original shape, the plate is secured firmly in place and provides a stable mounting platform for the article. The prongs are wedged within the loops and apply forces to the plate member in opposing directions insuring that the plate member remains secure until it is removed by refolding of the garment.
The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:
It should be noted that herein a “rectangle” is defined as a parallelogram all of whose angles are right angles. A “square” is defined as a rectangle with all four sides equal. Thus, a square is a form of rectangle.
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A method for securing articles to a garment 58 can be employed with each of the four embodiments of the present invention 20, 39, 50, 80 described herein. First, an article is affixed to a platform 20, 39, 50, 80 by passing a fastener through an opening in a plate member 21, 40, 53, 82 of the platform 20, 39, 50, 80, thereby securing the article to a front surface 38, 69, 68, 84 of the plate member 21, 40, 53, 82. Second, a pair of prongs 23, 24, 44, 45, 54, 55, 85, 86 of the platform 20, 39, 50, 80 are inserted into respective spaced loops 57 in a first horizontally disposed webbing 56 of the garment 58. Third, a portion of the garment 58 is partially folded horizontally beneath the platform 20, 39, 50, 80 to permit a second opposing pair of prongs 23, 24, 44, 45, 54, 55, 85, 86 of the platform 20, 39, 50, 80 to be inserted into respective aligned spaced loops 57 in a second horizontally disposed webbing 56 of the garment 58. Last, the garment 58 is unfolded, thereby securing the platform 20, 39, 50, 80 and the affixed article to the garment 58.
To remove the platform 20, 39, 50, 80 from the garment 58, the portion of the garment 58 beneath the platform 20, 39, 50, 80 is partially folded horizontally. Next, one pair of prongs 23, 24, 44, 45, 54, 55, 85, 86 is removed from the respective loops 57 in the first horizontally disposed webbing 56 of the garment 58. Last, the remaining pair of prongs 23, 24, 44, 45, 54, 55, 85, 86 is removed from the respective loops 57 of the second horizontally disposed webbing 56.
While the invention has been described with respect to certain specific embodiments, it will be appreciated that many modifications and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is intended, therefore, by the appended claims to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
This application claims priority to provisional application 61/007,857, filed Dec. 17, 2007, entitled PALS Universal Mounting Platform (attorney docket number D-7802).
Number | Date | Country | |
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61007857 | Dec 2007 | US |