Package and article carriers – Carried by animate bearer – Article held by receiver
Reexamination Certificate
2002-06-06
2004-06-22
Newhouse, Nathan J. (Department: 3727)
Package and article carriers
Carried by animate bearer
Article held by receiver
C224S911000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06752300
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to handgun holsters.
More particularly, the invention provides a security catch for a rigid plastic holster which catch prevents an assailant from taking the handgun, yet provides practically no impediment to fast drawing of the weapon by its legitimate user.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a modification of and an improvement on the invention described in Israel Specification No. 129,683 and corresponding U.S. application Ser. No. 09/546,506 the teachings of which are hereby incorporated by reference in the present application.
The advantages of the rigid plastic handgun holster, typically comprising of three injection molded castings joined together, have been explained in the above-mentioned specification. In particular the advantages of the rigid holster over the conventional leather item include quicker draw and a more stable handgun orientation. The former patent did not however refer to a security device intended to prevent accidental loss of the weapon or its seizure by a hostile person. Protection against such eventualities is known to be important to users, who will agree to pay a little extra for a holster having some form of security catch.
There is little difficulty in preventing withdrawal of a handgun from a holster by application of one of many known locking devices. These however do not allow for a fast draw in case the user experiences sudden danger from an unanticipated encounter. For police officers and other persons carrying out dangerous missions, the difference between fast and slow weapon deployment can decide the chance of survival.
Prior art devices are disclosed in the following US Patents.
Hamby, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,866,811 discloses a spring-release sliding latch to be released by the user pushing a lever for a partial revolution. The device if not kept clean and oiled is likely to jam so as to prevent the spring releasing the latch.
Atkins describes a safety device relying on hook and loop fastener tabs in the nylon fabric holster described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,480,776. Before weapon withdrawal the user must separate the tabs by running a thumb therebetween. In view of this, It is doubted whether fast withdrawal is possible.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,750,655 to Barry discloses a holding strap assembly on a gun holster offering three degrees of security at the cost of extended draw times for the more secure modes. Use of the device may well require user instructions. The strap assembly employs hook and loop fastening pads.
Adjustability is also offered by the locking system proposed by Young in U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,799. A rotary control allows for setting to a fully locked position as well as various degrees of force needed to remove the gun from its holster. The problem is that gun owners can not know in advance when there will arise a sudden need for self defense; a securely locked weapon at such a time can be fatal.
A break-open front is a feature of the holster disclosed by Grummet in U.S. Pat. No. 4,971,236. The holster is restrained by a strap. A strap release device is provided as part of the holster. Release of the handgun thus requires two consecutive actions.
Solenoid activated lock release is featured in U.S. Pat. No. 5,449,103 to Tilley. The obvious problem is that mobile power sources and switching devices become unreliable after an extended time period, so that the weapon may be unavailable when needed.
The limitations of prior art holster security devices illustrate that not surprisingly a higher degree of security is paid for by decreased release reliability and longer draw time. There is the further consideration that the cost of many of the prior art devices—for example the electrically-releasable lock proposed by Tilley—are unacceptable where the same end can be achieved at much lower cost and for less added weight.
It is therefore one of the objects of the present invention to obviate the disadvantages of prior art security holsters and to provide a gun retention device which allows for the fastest possible release.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a fast-release device at a cost which is practically insignificant relative to the cost of the holster assembly itself.
The present invention achieves the above objects by providing a top-draw security holster for a handgun having a trigger guard of the type wherein the security holster is orientated for wearing by a user. The holster body has an inner and an outer side wall, an open top, a back and an at least partially-closed and non-opening front wherein a holster cavity is defined in the holster body characterized in that the security holster is provided with a flexible U-shaped latch control means having an inner arm and an outer arm bracketing a trigger guard receiving area of the holster cavity, wherein the inner arm is provided with an integral boss.
In the relaxed state, the latch control means extends into the trigger guard cavity of a handgun inserted in the holster body preventing drawing the handgun therefrom. The outer arm projects outwardly from the outer side wall of the holster body. Movement of the outer arm towards the holster in turn moves the inner arm away from the trigger guard thereby allowing the drawing of the handgun from the holster cavity in a straight upward motion through the open top of the holster body.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention there is provided a top-draw security holster wherein the U-shaped latch control means is integrally formed with the holster body and made from the same plastic material.
In a most preferred embodiment of the present invention there is provided top-draw security holster wherein the outer arm is positioned to be engaged by the index finger or by the palm of the user wearing the holster when withdrawing the handgun.
In especially preferred embodiments of the present invention said latch-control means is intended for use in conjunction with the holster described and claimed in U.S. Ser. No. 09/546,506, the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference and in which there is claimed a rigid plastic hand gun clip-on holster, comprising a rigid plastic holster having inner dimensions complementary to the configuration of the outer sections of a hand gun to be placed therein, wherein said holster is a product of injection molding and wherein said holster further comprises a retention member for mounting said holster on the upper rim of the user's pants, wherein said retention member has a lateral step configuration along the longitudinal axis thereof, whereby said step forms a ledge that can underride a belt, and wherein the ledge of said step further comprises at least two spaced-apart upwardly extending flanges for hooking against the front surface of said belt, whereby said holster and said flanges are located forwardly at the front said of said belt thereby enabling said belt to act as stop means preventing upward movement of said holster, while allowing the quick draw of a gun therefrom.
Yet further embodiments of the invention will be described hereinafter.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,961,013 Collins describes and claims a top draw security holster designed to prevent an assailant from drawing a handgun from the holster while allowing one wearing the holster to draw the handgun from the holster in a straight and upward motion after easily and quickly moving a latch control to a released position. The holster is made of leather, which is an unsuitable material for the latch catch, which therefore needs to be made by the addition of a metal component. The latch comprises a flexible arm integrally connected to a side wall adjacent to a window in the side wall, and further comprises a boss integrally connected to the arm. In the released position the arm is allowed to be in a relaxed state outwardly extending from the side wall so as to allow insertion of the handgun, or straight and upward removal therefrom. In the latched position, the boss extends through the window and inside the trigger guard preventing handgun
Fobus International Ltd.
Fulbright & Jaworski LLP
Newhouse Nathan J.
LandOfFree
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