Abstract:
A magazine holster includes an elongated hollow housing for carrying a spring-loaded magazine carrier therein. A pivot body is mounted by a pivot to the lower part of the housing for movement of the housing to at least one position away from body armor worn by a user. Movement of the housing may be selectable at various locations along an arc from the pivot. A clamp bracket attaches the pivot body to a duty belt. A lockable strap fits over a magazine carried downwardly to secure it in a stored position.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    Not Applicable. 
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not Applicable. 
       REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
       [0003]    Not Applicable. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0005]    The present invention relates to magazine holsters used for carrying magazines for pistols and other firearms and particularly to holsters that are pivotal to allow for use by a person wearing body armor. 
         [0006]    2. Relevant Art 
         [0007]    A wide variety of magazine clip holders are known to the prior art and include pop-up magazine carriers such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,174,482. However, the increasing use of heavy and thick body armor may interfere with the quick access to holstered magazines. What is desired is a holster including an improved pop-up magazine carrier that may pivot outwardly (horizontally) to allow for use with body armor. None of the holders of the prior art are completely satisfactory. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    In one aspect of the present invention there is provided a magazine holster comprising an elongated hollow housing having an upper open end for carrying an ammunition magazine therein in a first upward position and a downward stored position, a pivot body having upper and lower portions, a horizontal pivot mounted between the lower portion and the housing for pivotally mounting the housing to the body for adjustable movement of the housing about the pivot to dispose the upper open end in at least one location being closely adjacent a body of a user to one or more positions spaced from a body of a user. A clamp bracket is used for attaching the pivot body to a belt worn by a user to locate the housing upper open end away from body armor or the like worn by a user. Also included are cooperating fasteners mounted between the housing and the pivot body for selectively adjusting the horizontal distance between the housing and the pivot body. The cooperating fasteners include a plurality of adjustment openings formed in the upper portion of the housing generally horizontally and a post element mounted on the upper portion of the pivot body, the post element being selectively positionable in one opening to adjust the distance between the housing and the pivot body. The pivot body includes a pair of spaced pivot posts on the lower portion and a pair of spaced pivot openings formed in the lower end of the housing, the pivot axle posts are positioned in respective pivot openings for pivotally mounting the housing to the pivot body. 
         [0009]    The cover includes a strap having an elongated body and opposite end portions. One end portion of the strap affixed to the lower portion of the housing member at a first location, the elongated body being disposed over a magazine in the stored position, the other end portion of the strap is releasably attached to the upper portion of the housing at a second location to secure a magazine in the stored position. 
         [0010]    In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a magazine holster comprising an elongated hollow housing having an open upper end and a closed lower portion and a releasably locking top cover for securing a magazine inside the housing in a downward stored position, a magazine carrier for carrying a single magazine and having an open upper end and a closed lower end and a pair of laterally extending tabs in contact with said housing for frictional engagement therewith slideably movable upwardly and downwardly within the housing, a spring biased between the closed lower portion of the housing and the closed lower end of the magazine carrier to urge upward motion of a magazine carried in the magazine carrier, a pivot body is included for pivotally mounting the housing having upper and lower portions and a horizontal pivot to the body for adjustable movement of the housing about the pivot to dispose the upper end in at least one location being closely adjacent a body of a user to a position spaced from a body of a user, a clamp bracket for attaching the pivot body to a belt worn by a user. Cooperating fasteners are mounted between the housing and the pivot body for selectively adjusting the horizontal distance between the housing and the pivot body. The cooperating fasteners include a plurality of substantially horizontally disposed openings formed in the upper portion of the housing and a post element mounted on the upper portion of the pivot body, the post element being selectively positionable in one opening to adjust the distance between the housing and the pivot body. The pivot body includes a pair of spaced pivot posts on the lower portion and a pair of spaced pivot openings formed in the lower end of the housing, the pivot axle posts positioned in respective pivot opening for pivotally mounting the housing to the pivot body. 
         [0011]    The housing includes an outside shell element having upper and lower portions and an inside shell element having upper and lower portions, the shell elements affixed together to define the interior space. One end portion of the strap is affixed between the lower portions of the shell elements. The other end portion of the strap is affixed to the upper portion of the outside shell element. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    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: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  is an exploded view of the magazine holster in accord with the present invention illustrating the major components; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the magazine holster housing of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the pivot body of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0016]      FIGS. 4-6  are perspective views of the holster of  FIG. 1  showing the magazine in an upward released position; 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the holster of  FIG. 1  showing the magazine in a downward stored position; 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  is a simplified and enlarged cross-sectional view of  FIG. 7  taken on the lines  8 - 8 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 9  is an enlarged detail of a portion of  FIG. 8 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 10  is an enlarged side view of the clip latch of  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 11  is a diagrammatic view illustrating the use of the holster of  FIG. 1  with user wearing body armor. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0022]    Referring now to the drawings, an exploded view of major components of the pivoting magazine holster is shown at  10 . A multi-shell magazine  11  fits within a magazine carrier  12  that is biased via spring  13 . A housing or pouch  15  is used for carrying the magazine  11  and is movable with respect to the body of a user by way of a pivot body  14  that is attached to a belt of a user via a base plate  19 , including weld nuts  20  and a belt width adjustment bar  21 . 
         [0023]    A strap  18  is attached to the housing  15  via clip  16  and clip latch  17  as will be discussed hereinbelow. 
         [0024]    Strap  18  is made from webbing and consists of a body  22 , lower hook portion  23 , upper engagement strip portion  24  and a top cover or wall portion  25  and will be discussed in more detail hereinbelow. 
         [0025]    Magazine carrier  12  has four vertical walls  26 , two opposed lands  27  with a tapered lower end  28 , provide frictional engagement with housing  15 . Ledge  29  is used for engagement with spring  13 . The bottom of carrier  12  is a closed end portion  30  with a lower rib  31 . Carrier  12  may be sized to provide frictional engagement with a magazine  11  carried therein. Inserts  31  may be used to provide frictional engagement with magazine  11 . Preferably, inserts  31  are made for the specific magazine  11  that is carried and are secured within carrier  12 . Magazine carrier  12  is formed by walls  26  and has tab slots  26 A at the upper and lower corners into which fit the pairs of tabs  31 A of inserts  31 . The inserts  31  are a snap fit into carrier  12  and can be removed and replaced with other inserts  31  that are adapted for use with a specific magazine  11 . 
         [0026]    As shown in more detail in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , pivot body  14  has a pair of oppositely disposed pivot axles  32  to which housing  15  is mounted as will be discussed below. Weld nuts  20  are mounted in recesses  33  and fit through openings  34 . 
         [0027]    A pair of spaced bosses  35  is used to adjust the distance of the housing  15  from pivot body  14 . Panels  38 ,  39  of side walls  41 , and openings  36  and screw holes  40 A are formed through outside wall  40 . 
         [0028]    With respect to additional  FIGS. 4-6  housing  15  includes lower openings  32 B into which fit a respective pivot axle  32  which are compressed via slots  32 A and heads  32 C to snap fit into position to pivotally mount body  14 . 
         [0029]    Housing  15  includes an outside wall  42  with arcuate slots  43  that allow air out of body  15  when magazine  11  and carrier  12  is depressed downward. Recess  44  is surrounded by arcuate wall portions  48  includes a transverse slot  45  and upper spaced walls  46  separated via slot  47  that functions as an indentation to prevent inadvertent opening of the device. 
         [0030]    Housing  15  is made of outside shell potion  50  and inside shell portion  51  secured together with pin  52  and flanges  52 A. Cooperating fasteners between housing  15  and the pivot body  14  include adjustment openings  53  which are illustrated as being five in number. One slot  53  is selected for respective posts  35  to adjust the distance housing  15  is moved from the pivot body  14 . Preferably, the entire distance is about one inch providing a displacement tilt from vertical of approximately  200  as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0031]      FIG. 7  illustrates the housing  15  with the magazine  11  fully inserted therein. Strap  22  is secured over the magazine  11 . A cross-sectional view of  FIG. 7  is shown in  FIG. 8 . Bosses  56  and  57  are used to secure the hook portion  23  of strap  18 . 
         [0032]    The operation of the device  10  is as follows. When the strap flap  18  is pulled open, magazine  11  will be pushed upward forcing the upper portion of strap unobstructed magazine position adjacent the user&#39;s body and therefore out of the way ( FIGS. 4-6 ). Tabs or lands  27  on magazine carrier  12  frictionally engage the interior surface of housing  15  to keep the magazine  11  secure in the up position ready for immediate use. Inserts  31  in carrier  12  are preferably used to frictionally engage magazine  11  therein. 
         [0033]    Many users employing magazine pouches unsnap a covering flap, bend it backwards and push/it under their belts if they expect that they may need the magazine in a particular situation. 
         [0034]    The problem with such a carrying device is the fact that removing a pouch cover does not itself move the magazine to a better position and does nothing to secure the magazine in a desirable position. The present device ( 1 ) automatically pushes the strap  18  out of the way; ( 2 ) moves the magazine  11  upwardly into position where it can be immediately grasped by a user; and ( 3 ) secures the magazine  11 , by frictional engagement between the carrier  12  and the magazine  11  and secures the magazine as desired via engagement between the carrier  15  and the housing  15 . 
         [0035]    In addition, many of the magazine pouches use snaps or Velcro for magazine securement and thus the pouch may be inadvertently opened by an operator&#39;s actions. The present device  10  employs an indentation around the release mechanism to prevent accidental opening because only an object the size and shape of a finger can release strap  18 . The construction of the present device requires deliberate action to open the device  10 . 
         [0036]      FIG. 9  is an enlarged cross-sectional view of  FIG. 8  illustrating details of the clip  16  and clip latch  17 . Respective teeth  58  and  59  grip the webbing of flap portion  24 . Upward movement of a user&#39;s finger on ribs  60  will cause locking ledge  61  to be released from lip  45 A thereby unlocking strap  18  allowing removal of magazine  11  from housing  15  (see also  FIG. 10 ). 
         [0037]      FIG. 11  is a diagrammatic view of the use of holder  10 . The user&#39;s clothed torso  62  is protected by vest or other body armor  63 . Holder  10  is tilted downward to allow the magazine  11  to be easily removed from housing  15 . Base clamp  19  is attached to belt  64  that fits within space  19 B ( FIG. 8 ). 
         [0038]    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.