Abstract:
A carry device provides a concealed carry configuration supporting a handgun against at a waistband of an article of clothing by directing a tube into a barrel of the handgun from which a loop extends to loop around an article of clothing, such as a belt, and then provide a loop end which attaches to a rear portion of the handgun thereby providing it in a secure manner until a time to draw or remove the gun arises.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/125,381 filed Jan. 20, 2015, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a concealed carry device and more particularly to a device for use in supporting a handgun internal to a waistband of an article of clothing such as pants, shorts, skirts and the like, with the device preferably retaining the gun between the article of clothing and the person. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In the prior art, holsters and carrying devices are known to be bulky and uncomfortable. They are also often somewhat constrictive when performing certain tasks. 
     Additionally most prior art holsters are sized and/or designed for specific handgun or guns. If one owns multiple guns, it is likely they will need multiple carrying devices. 
     While holsters can fill a need for many uses to carry handguns, there is believed to be a need for an improved carry device for at least some applications. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is an object of many embodiments of the invention to provide an improved carrying device which is comfortable and easy to use. 
     It is a further object of many embodiments of the invention to provide a product that can eliminate a need for purchasing multiple carrying holsters or devices for use with a plurality of handgun designs. 
     It is an object of many embodiments the present invention to provide an improved concealed carry device. 
     Another object of the embodiment of the present invention is an improved device with handguns for use in securing those handguns internal to the waistband of a user bottomwear. 
     Accordingly, presently preferred embodiments of the invention holds a handgun securely in the waistband of an article of clothing while preferably allowing the freedom to walk, run, stand, set, exercise and work with maximum flexibility and minimum discomfort. 
     Unlike holsters and other IWB (inside the waistband) carrying devices that add weight and bulk, a bungee design of this invention adds almost no weight or bulk to your waistband. Embodiments of this invention do not require the user to buy oversize pants in order to be comfortable when carrying your handgun IWB. 
     Although for many embodiments one size does not fit all, however, two sizes will fit most handguns that are commonly used as concealed carry weapons. 
     In accordance with a presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, a concealed carry device provides a tube which is preferably received within the barrel of a gun. The tube preferably connects to at least one resilient cord if not a loop of resilient cords having a loop end which is directed around the belt of a user and then secures to a rear portion of the gun such as over the hammer, slide and/or grip safety, depending on the configuration of the gun. Thus the gun is then secured internal to the bottomwear with the concealed carry device. 
     Many embodiments of the invention provide an inside the waistband (IWB) handgun receiver made from plastic tubing and bungee cord. The bungee cord preferably loops around and attaches to a belt. The plastic tube can be inserted into the barrel of the handgun. The handgun is then pushed barrel first into your waistband (between the waistband and the user&#39;s body). The loop of the bungee cord can then be pulled up over and around the handgun holding it securely in place inside the waistband. Removing the loop from the gun allows a user to pull the gun out of the waistband free of the carry device for many embodiments. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The particular features and advantages of the invention as well as other objects will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a side plan view of a presently preferred embodiment of the present invention before installation; 
         FIG. 2  is a side perspective view of the presently preferred embodiment of the present invention connected to a belt of a user with a portion of the product being inserted into the barrel of a handgun; 
         FIG. 3  is a side perspective view showing a handgun inserted into a waistband with the barrel pushed into the waistband of a user prior to securing an upper portion (or rear portion of the gun); and 
         FIG. 4  is a side perspective viewing showing the tube internal to the barrel at one end of the handgun with the handgun secured to the belt of the user and the upper portion secured as well in a concealed carry configuration. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       FIG. 1  shows carrying device  10  in an uninstalled configuration as presently provided by the manufacturer. The carrying device  10  has a first end  12  opposite of a second end  14 . A tube  16  is further provided at the first end  12 . The tube  16  is preferably at least a half inch or inch or inch and half, with the plastic tube  16  having a diameter preferably slightly smaller than the internal diameter of a barrel of the smallest handgun that the user will be using with the carrying device  10 . For instance an 8 mm diameter  18  could be utilized for a .380 caliber handgun as well as larger caliber gun as a .45 caliber, etc. The exterior surface  40  of tube is preferably non-scratching or non-abrasive to barrels  38  of handguns  36 . Plastic tubes  16  have been found satisfactory. 
     In addition to selecting an appropriate diameter  18  for the tube  16  the length  20  is preferably selected to be sufficient to retain the tube  16  within the barrel of a gun in an installed configurations as described in detail below. The application has discovered that a length  20  for many embodiments should be at least half an inch although one to about two inches or even more has been found preferable. A length  20  of 1.5 inches is a presently preferred length for many embodiments. 
     Connecting to the tube  16  is preferably a cord  22  which is preferably a resilient cord such as a bungee cord in the presently preferred embodiment. A length of the cord  20  from the end of the tube  16  to an end loop end of the bungee cord which forms a loop may be roughly eight inches as a length  24 . Other embodiments can have other lengths  24 . The illustrated embodiment has a knot  26  which can form a loop end which will be discussed in further detail below. 
     In the preferred embodiment the stretchiness of the cord  22  is approximately capable of stretching a factor of slightly more than two so that when pulled to its limit of stretch it is roughly sixteen inches long. Other embodiments may have cords  22  of different resilience values and/or different lengths. 
     For at least some embodiments, we may be able to take the cord  22  and provide a knot  26  to create a small loop  28  particularly as compared to a large loop  30 . Other embodiments may just have a single large loop  30  and no knot  26 . It may be that for some embodiments the user forms the small loop  28 . The small loop  28  can be utilized as a gripping point. Other embodiments may omit the small loop  28  and/or provide other devices for providing a gripping point or identification point such as a handle  32  which could be a coin having a hole  34  provided therethrough which receives the cord  22  therethrough during the manufacture one of the large loop  30  and/or small loop  28 . Other handle  32  constructions other than small loop  28  or coin could be provided with still other embodiments or omitted for yet other embodiments entirely. 
       FIG. 2  shows an assembly step using the device  10  in  FIG. 1  to provide an installed configuration with a handgun  36 . Specifically the tube  16  is being shown inserted internal to barrel so as not to damage the internal surfaces of barrel  38  with a non-scratchy exterior surface  40 . Additionally as discussed above, the exterior surface  40  of tube  16  provides a diameter  18  which is manufactured to be smaller than the caliber of the barrel  38 . The embodiment discussed above with an 8 mm diameter  18  as compared to a .380 handgun, such a diameter would not work with a 22 caliber handgun. Instead, a smaller diameter  18  would be needed for such an embodiment as would be understood by those ordinarily skilled in the art. To provide an installed configuration, the tube  16  can start out below a belt  42  of a user with the top 14 above the belt  42 . 
     Next one of the two ends either the top 14 or the bottom  12  can be inserted behind the belt  42  (or other closing portion) and then the tubing  16  can then pushed through the larger loop  30  so as to connect the large loop  30  of the cord  22  which can then be made smaller to connect to the belt  42  as shown to provide a “cow hitch.” The tube  16  is at free end  12  up above the belt  42  and can be inserted into the barrel  38  at barrel outlet  39  of the gun  36 . The resulting connection with the belt  42  is often referred to as a cow hitch or a lanyard hitch. The cow hitch could be either against the knot  26  in a snug configuration) or loose) or could be against the end  14  in a snug configuration (or loose) as is shown in  FIG. 2  and as would be understood by those ordinarily skilled in the art. 
     Next the handgun  36  is directed internal to a waistband of the bottom wear worn by a user namely bottom wear  46  such as a pair of pants, shorts, skirt, etc. Furthermore, although the gun  36  is shown connected to a belt  42  it could also be connected to a belt loop  48  or other structure either on an exterior service  50  or on an internal surface  52  of the bottomwear  46  for at least some embodiments. The barrel of the gun  36  can then be directed into the waistband with a portion of the grip  54  possibly remaining external to the waistband  44  or for some embodiments being received internal to the waistband  44  (or both). 
     In order to complete the securing step, a loop end  56  which was formerly utilized to provide the cow hitch on the belt  42  and  FIG. 2  can now be pulled up over a rear portion  41  of the handgun  36  (as opposite to the barrel outlet  39  such as over a slide  58  and/or hammer for an automatic as illustrated and possibly over the grip safety  60  so as to secure handgun  36  against the bottom wear  46  in the desired configuration preferably being secured to a belt  42  or other portion or possibly the outerwear  46  itself. 
     As illustrated by  FIG. 4  the grip  54  is shown only slightly being sticking out of the waistband  44  and could either be internal or external with the waistband  44  as discussed above. Suspenders  62  may be useful to help then holding up the bottom wear  46  as well as for use by some parties. It is likely that the belt  42  would provide sufficient snugness to keep the bottom wear  46  from tending to sag for some embodiments. 
     While the illustrated figures show the use with a semi-automatic handgun, the same concept applies to a revolver with the loop end  56  being pulled over a hammer spur  59  or other portion so as to then rest against a frame or other portion of the pistol handgun  36 . With the installation of  FIG. 4  completed, the gun  36  is now in an installed configuration or a concealed carry position. 
     When someone desires to draw the handgun  36  or otherwise remove it such as at the end of the day, a user can often proceed with only one hand, and certainly with two, to push the loop end  56  over the hammer and/or slide depending on the configuration of the handgun  36  such as with one&#39;s thumb, possibly while holding the grip  54  with that hand and then pull the gun  36  straight up which will then release the tube  16  from the barrel  38  so that the gun  36  may either then be stored or fired. The handle  32 , small loop  28  or other identifier may be utilized to assist a user finding the loop end  56 , possibly without looking. 
     For emergency situations the gun  36  may be grabbed and pulled straight up without disengaging the loop end  56  first so that as the gun  36  is pulled up the tube  16  is pulled out of the barrel  38  and then the cord  22  then tends to unwrap from the belt  42  due to the resilient action of the cord  22  attempting to regain its non-stretched shape thereby allowing the user to point, aim and/or fire the handgun  36 . 
     While for the present embodiment shows the small loop  28  it is equally possible that no small loop  28  is provided for other embodiments and just a large loop  30  is provided. Further, it is possible that the handle  32  such as the coin could be provided for some embodiments whether in the form of a coin as illustrated or otherwise. Still other detachment mechanisms may be utilized with other embodiments. 
     When assembling the device  10 , it is possible to cut the cord  22  to a desired length as well as the tube  16  to a desired length which preferably has a hollow bore. The handle  32  can be inserted along the length  24  of the cord  22  and then the two ends of the cord pushed through the tube  16 . The applicant then preferably applies an adhesive to the ends of a sufficient amount and then pulls the cord  22  back up into at least up to the bottom  12  of the tube  16  to then allow the adhesive to curl. With a little further processing the device  12  is then ready for packaging and sale for many embodiments. Other embodiments may be constructed differently. 
     While preferred embodiments use a loop of cord  22  it may be possible that other embodiments provide a carry device  10  having a tube  16  at a first end  12  as well as a resilient cord  22  connected to the tube  16  extending from the first end  12  towards the second end  14  opposite the first end  12  with a loop end such as either the end  16  or at the knot  26  as would be understood by those ordinarily skilled in the art. In such way the loop end at the knot  26  is at least approximate to the second end  16 . 
     Numerous alterations of the structure herein disclosed will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. However, it is to be understood that the present disclosure relates to the preferred embodiment of the invention which is for purposes of illustration only and not to be construed as a limitation of the invention. All such modifications which do not depart from the spirit of the invention are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. 
     Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what is claimed herein is: