Abstract:
Handgun holster attached to a vertical support rod parallel to and spaced apart from the holster. There also is attached to the rod an arcuate strap as an upper body rest and a pad as a lower thigh rest, each rest being adjustable and clampable to selected positions for the convenience of the wearer. Preferably, this holster is for use in sports competition, where it is important to be able to draw quickly and fire.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to an adjustable holster for a handgun, revolver or pistol. 
     There have been known in the past holsters that are adjustable have been known in the past holsters that are adjustable to various selected angles and positions on the upper leg of wearer for quick draw purposes. Typical of such is that described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,355 to Hill involving a ratchet means to rotate tile holster to any angle about a fender which attached to a waist belt. This patented holster, however, does not permit other adjustments, e.g., vertical and rotational, which may well be necessary to reach the most desirable position for the holster for any unique individual. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a holster that is adjustable in several directions. It is another object to provide a holster that is adjustable lengthwise of and rotationwise about, a vertical support rod. Still other objects will become apparent from the more detailed description of the invention which follows. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a holster assembly for a handgun where the holster has two sidewalls, a back wall, an open front, an open top and an open bottom. This holster is longitudinally and rotatably attached to an elongated substantially vertical support rod closely spaced inwardly from the holster. An arcuate strap serving as an upper body rest is adjustably attached to the upper end of the vertical rod, and a lower thigh rest is adjustably attached to a lower portion of the vertical rod. 
     In specific and preferred embodiments of the invention the upper body rest is an arcuate strap which rests against the body contours of the wearer, perhaps at the waist, the hip, or the upper thigh, and is tiltable through a limited angle. The lower thigh rest is a pad which can be adjusted longitudinally along the rod and can be adjusted rotationally around the rod. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The novel features 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: 
     FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the holster of this invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an outside elevational view of the holster of this invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the holster of this invention; 
     FIG. 4 is an outside elevational view of the assembly of the rod support, the upper body rest, and the lower thigh rest; 
     FIG. 5 is a rear elevational view of the assembly of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the assembly of FIG. 4; and 
     FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of the assembly of FIG. 4. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The advantages and operational features of this invention are best appreciated by reading the following description referring to the attached drawings. 
     The holster assembly of this invention includes as principal Components the handgun holster 25, the vertical rod support 10, the upper body rest 11, and the lower thigh rest 12. These components are adjustably fastened together so as to permit the precise positioning of the handgun grip where the wearer wants it for quick draw. 
     The holster 25 may be any of many styles none of which being critical to the operation of this invention. The holster 25 shown in these drawings is particularly adapted to competitive sports including activities involving quick draw and firing of a handgun. Holster 25 has an inside (adjacent the wearer&#39;s body) sidewall 26, an outside (spaced away from the wearer&#39;s body) sidewall 27, a back wall 37, an open top 28, an open front 29, an open bottom 30, and a muzzle strap 31. There also is included a trigger guard restraint mechanism 34 which adds retention to the weapon from rocking forward in the holster while providing an adjustable tension draw to the top of the holster and which preferably is included with the holster style shown in the drawings, but may be omitted with other styles of holsters. The details of the preferred trigger guard restraint are described and claimed in our U.S. Pat. No. 5,100,036 which issued Mar. 31, 1992. Outside screw 35 and rear screw 36 hold trigger guard restraint 34 in place in the interior cavity near open top 28 of holster 25. 
     Support rod 10 serves as a rigid spine to which all other components are attached in an adjustable manner. Rod 10 is a cylindrical rigid rod about the same length as holster 25 from top 28 to bottom 30. Rod 10 is spaced inwardly, i.e., toward the wearer&#39;s body, from holster sidewall 26 and positioned generally parallel to inside wall 26, and generally vertical in the same sense that holster 25 hangs vertically on the wearer&#39;s body. At the upper end of rod 10 there is a generally triangular flat head 15 to which upper body rest is attached. Holster 25 is attached to rod 10 by way of two spaced clamps 32 and 33. Lower thigh rest 12 is also attached to rod 10 by way of clamp 19, normally positioned between holster clamps 32 and 33. Clamps 19, 32 and 33 are generally similar in that they comprise two opposing jaws that wrap around rod 10 and are tightened together by a screw 20. When screw 20 is loosened it permits the component to which it is attached, e.g., holster 25 or thigh rest pad 12, to be moved slidably lengthwise of rod 10 or rotationally around rod 10. Thus, holster 25 and thigh rest pad 12 can be positioned to suit the wearer, and can be tightened in the desired position. Lower thigh rest pad 12 is merely a box like pad of suitable thickness to rest against the thigh of the wearer while preventing contact by other items, such as clamps 19, 32 33, screws 20, rod 10, etc. Rest 12 may be hard, soft, contoured, flat, or have any other desired characteristic. In the preferred embodiment as shown, rest 12 is a smooth hard, flat-surfaced pad. 
     At the upper end of rod 10 is head 15 to which upper body rest 11 is attached. Rest 11 is made with an interior concave surface 38 and an exterior convex surface 39 such that it resembles a curved or arcuate strap, the shape of the concave surface 38 being such that it fits the general contours of the body of the wearer where it rests. This may be at the waist, at the hip, or on the upper thigh of the wearer. A central portion of body rest 11 is formed into outer flap 40 which is folded downwardly and fastened with spacer 42, screw 23, and nut 18 to head 15. This arrangement leaves a tunnel space 41 to serve as a belt loop to receive a belt from which the holster is suspended. Head 15 is fashioned with an arcuate slot 17 through which screw 23 passes and this permits tilting of rest 11 with respect to rod 10 through angle 43, which may be about 300°-60°, preferably about 45°. Once the proper tilt has been reached body rest 11 can be fixed in place by tightening screw 23 against nut 18. Rest 11 pivots or tilts about screw 16 which is attached to head 15 and to flap 40, but does not extend through the concave-convex strap portion of rest 11. 
     As an added feature, which is not a critical portion of the invention, the strap portion of body rest 11 may be covered with pads of Velcro fastener in order to be more secure. It is a common practice for competition shooter&#39;s uniforms to include an underbelt and/or an overbelt of Velcro fastener material to be worn with handgun holsters. For this reason the drawings show pads of fabric loops 13 on concave surface 38 of body rest 11 and pads of fabric hooks 14 on convex surface 39 of body rest 11. These pads 13 and 14 can be fastened to an underbelt worn between body rest 11 and the body of the wearer, or they may be fastened to an overbelt threaded through loop 41 and worn around the body of the wearer. It is, of course, entirely optional to include or not to include pads 13 and 14 on body rest 11; since the holster assembly of this invention is entirely operational without pads 13 and 14. 
     It may be seen that the holster assembly of this invention permits the gun grip to be raised, lowered, or moved circumferentially about the thigh of the wearer. The adjustment of the positions of body rest. 11 and thigh rest 12 permit the handgun and holster to be positioned at different angles with respect to the thigh where the holster hangs. 
     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.