Package and article carriers – Carried by animate bearer – Article held by receiver
Reexamination Certificate
2002-08-06
2004-07-20
Cronin, Stephen K. (Department: 3727)
Package and article carriers
Carried by animate bearer
Article held by receiver
C224S587000, C224S667000, C224S669000, C224S911000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06763984
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to holsters.
More particularly, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for concealing a holster.
In a further respect, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for flexing a concealed holster to secure the contents of the holster in the holster.
In another respect, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for providing a concealed holster with a belt lock having a size, shape, color, or position that renders the belt lock indistinguishable to a casual observer.
In still a further respect, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for providing a universal waistband hanger that can be attached to any size handgun holster without requiring that the waistband hanger be redesigned for each different sized holster or that different sized holsters be redesigned to accommodate the waistband hanger.
In still another respect, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for providing a waistband hanger that can be attached to a holster to flex the holster to produce a cam surface that engages a user's shirt intermediate the holster and the waistband hanger.
Various concealed holsters are known in the art.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,432 discloses a holster having a lower portion that is inserted beneath the waistband of a user's trousers. The upper portion of the holster extends above the waistband and is visible.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,357 discloses a belt clip that can be used to support a holster inserted beneath the waistband of a user's trousers.
U.S. Pat. No.4,235,356 describes a pouch in which a firearm is carried. The pouch is attached to the shirttail of a user so the pouch is completely concealed beneath the waistband of the user's trousers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,785,983 discloses a holster that can be worn under the arm as part of a shoulder harness, that can be worn on a user's belt, or that can be supported on the belt and substantially concealed inside the waistband of a user's trousers. The holster includes fastening loops
26
,
52
,
56
that circumscribe the user's belt.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,092,702 describes a holster that is concealed inside the waistband of a user. The holster can include loops
22
a
,
22
b
,
80
or slots
72
or sleeves
74
that secure the holster to a belt.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,570,827 describes a holster that is mounted inside the waistband of a user's trousers and includes a clip
44
. A pager unit is mounted in clip
44
to disguise the holster.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,264,079 describes a holster that can be concealed inside the waistband, on the belt or waistband, inside a boot, or inside a jacket pocket. The holster includes a clip
16
. VELCO (™) fastener is used to detachably secure the clip
16
to the holster at different positions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,472 describes a holster mounted on a user's belt. The holster includes a loop
16
that circumscribes a user's belt.
The invention described herein pertains more specifically to a concealed holster that is worn inside a user's waistband and that permits a user's shirt to be inserted intermediate the holster and the waistband. U.S. Pat. No. 4,022,361 discloses a holster of this general type.
The holster in U.S. Pat. No. 4,022,361 to Devlin is—like the holster in the above-noted U.S. Pat. No. 6,264,079—covered with a layer
21
of VELCRO fastener. A support sling
14
includes VELCRO on its inner surface such that sling
14
can be removably attached to the VELCRO
21
. Sling
14
is preferably formed with a metal insert
24
stitched between opposite layers of leather
22
and
26
so that sling
14
is rigid. The upper end
16
of sling
14
is positioned immediately adjacent and along the outer side of the holster. The tail
58
of the user's shirt is, as shown in
FIG. 3
of the Devlin patent, positioned intermediate the outer side of the holster and the upper end
16
of sling
14
. Devlin indicates that the pressure exerted by the body of the wearer secures the wearer's shirt in position between the upper end
16
of sling
14
and the outer side of the holster. The pressure exerted by a user's body may secure the wearer's shirt because a portion of VELCRO
21
contacts the shirt, or because the inner surface of upper end
16
and the outer surface of the holster are rough or tacky. When however, the user's shirt does not contact VELCRO fastener
21
and the inner surface of upper end
16
or outer surface of the holster is smooth, it appears that the user's shirt can fairly easily slide in and out between end
16
and the holster unless the pressure exerted by the user's body is extreme. One reason the user's shirt is able to move between end
16
and the holster is believed to be the fairly large surface area of end
16
adjacent the holster and contacting the user's shirt. Another reason is believed to be that the construction of sling
14
produces a fairly uniform pressure along the vertical height of end
16
. The use of VELCRO fastener
21
is not preferred because pulling a shirt free tends to accelerate wear of the shirt. Similarly, the VECRO
21
not covered by sling
14
tends to contact and wear the user's pants, especially when the pants are made from fabrics that readily secure to VELCRO. Another disadvantage of the holster and sling
14
in the Devlin patent is that the sling and VELCRO layer
21
must generally be redesigned for different sizes of holsters. For example, a VELCRO layer
21
that fits one size holster may not fit another size holster. A sling
14
that fits one size holster may not fit another size holster. Another disadvantage of the sling
14
is that each time end
16
is bent away from the holster, the VELCRO on end
16
tends to separate from the VELCRO layer
21
. A further disadvantage of the Devlin holster is that it requires a layer
55
of VELCRO fastener on the back of the user's belt.
Another prior art concealed holster system that I earlier developed is illustrated in
FIGS. 1 and 2
herein. This concealed holster system has been sold for a number of years internationally by Galco International, Inc. under the trademark “STEALTH”. This concealed holster system includes a holster
10
and a sling
13
attached to the bottom of a side
11
of the holster. The sling includes a pair
13
,
14
of equivalent rectangular leather straps stitched together
20
,
21
,
22
around their perimeter to receive the leg
17
of a substantially rigid polymer component
15
. This laminate construction of leather—polymer—leather is similar to the laminate leather—metal—leather construction described above in the Devlin holster and performs the same function of increasing the rigidity of sling
13
. Component
15
includes an upper end
18
bent over on itself and includes a belt-engaging hook
19
.
One disadvantage of the concealed holster system depicted in
FIGS. 1 and 2
herein is that the tail of a user's shirt can fairly readily slide intermediate side
11
and inner strap
14
, even when pressure from the user's body forces side
11
against strap
14
. Consequently, the tail of the user's shirt can “ride” up and out from between strap
14
and side
11
. One reason the user's shirt is able to move between end
16
and the holster is believed to be the fairly large surface area of inner strap
14
adjacent the holster and contacting the user's shirt. Another reason is believed to be that the construction of sling
13
produces a fairly uniform compressive pressure along the vertical height of strap
14
and between strap
14
and side
11
.
Another disadvantage of the concealed holster system of
FIGS. 1 and 2
is that it must generally be redesigned for different sizes of holsters. Leather straps
13
,
14
that fit one holster are too long or too short for another holster. A VELCRO layer
21
that fits one size holster may not fit another size holster. Having to redesign the structure of sling
15
for different sized holsters significantly increases the cost of manufacturing the concealed h
Cronin Stephen K.
Tod R. Nissle P.C.
LandOfFree
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