Abstract:
This invention relates to a back piece or a support plate for positioning a handgun holster in a substantially fixed position on a waist belt, the back piece being a molded, stiff, inflexible single thickness of leather-like material adapted to hold a holstered pistol close to the leg of the wearer with the handgun grip canted slightly outwardly for easy withdrawal and having two elongate belt slots. This invention is especially suitable for waist belts and carriers attachable to a waist belt by means of fabric hook-and-loop fasteners. A belt adapter plate is included to provide for use of the support plate with belts of smaller width and/or thickness. The support plate is constructed in a manner to deflect the lower portion of a belt outwardly so that when the belt is tensioned the lower portion of the support plate is pulled inwardly toward the leg of a wearer. The slots are formed in a manner to firmly bind against a belt when it is tensioned to fix the support plate in a desired position.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable. 
     REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
     Not Applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the invention 
     This invention relates to devices to suspend personal equipment for a police officer or a soldier; and more particularly, it relates to devices that suspend article carriers such as a holster for a pistol or the like on a belt, including a waist belt. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     The related art includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,881,933, dated Mar. 16, 1999, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,010,045, dated Jan. 4, 2000. The former invention discloses a combination of two waist belts, one overlying the other, preferably locked together by “Velcro” hooks and loops, and employed for carrying sidearms and other, articles used in police work. The latter invention describes an adjustable carrier plate, which is attachable to a waist belt and provides an angular position adjustment for a gun holster or other carrier that might be attached to the belt through the plate. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,781, dated Nov. 30, 1993 discloses several mounting devices for holster suspension; a paddle embodiment in FIGS. 10-13 which is the more relevant embodiment to the support plate of the herein disclosed invention. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one aspect of the present invention there is provided a device attachable to a belt for carrying a holster including an elongate support plate having an upper portion and a lower portion and opposite side portions, and a pair of spaced elongate slots oriented lengthwise of and passing through respective side portions of the support plate. The support plate has an outer surface and an inner surface adapted to fit adjacent a wearer and includes means to deflect a belt passing through the slots, greater at a lower portion of a belt than an upper portion of a belt to cause the lower portion of the plate to be pulled against a leg of a wearer when a belt is tensioned about a wearer, the support plate further including mounting means for attachment of a holster thereto. The means to deflect includes each side portion being bent inwardly toward a wearer to shape the slot such that a passageway defined by the slot for a belt therethrough is a wedge having a wide, upper portion and a narrower lower portion for firmly grasping the inner and outer surfaces of a belt therethrough. The means to deflect in one embodiment includes the side portion adjacent the lower portion of a respective slot being thicker than the side portion adjacent the upper portion of the slot. The means to deflect in another embodiment includes an outwardly extending wall member adjacent each lower portion of a respective slot. The means to deflect in a further embodiment includes slots being slanted such the upper portions of the slots are closer together than the lower portions of the slots. The slots are substantially parallel and each is formed angularly between the surfaces so that the width of each slot adjacent the outer surface is larger than the width of the respective slot adjacent the inner surface for firmly grasping the inner and outer surfaces of a belt. The support plate is formed of a stiff, substantially inflexible material and includes mounting means having an outwardly disposed boss formed on the lower portion of the outer surface of the plate which includes at least one attachment hole formed therein for mounting a holster thereto. The slots are sized to accept belts of different widths therethrough for securing the support plate to the body of a wearer. 
     The support plate is curved about a vertical longitudinal axis so as to fit closely against an outside hip and leg of a wearer when a belt is worn about a waist. The lower portion of the support plate is curved at a horizontal axis so as to dispose a handgun carried in a holster attached thereto with the grip spaced away from a wearer&#39;s waist and the muzzle being closely held adjacent a leg of a wearer. Belt adapter means is include for securing to the support plate a belt having a width substantially less than the length of the slots. The belt adapter means includes an insert having opposite end portions each being disposable in a slot. The insert includes a substantially planar body positioned closely adjacent the inner surfaces of the upper portion of the support plate when the end portions are disposed in respective slots. The device may be combined with two concentric waist belts that fasten to each other by means of a fabric fastener system of hooks and loops, one belt being worn around the waist of a wearer, the other being threaded through the slots and attachable to one belt by the fastener system in a portion of the other belt that is between the slots. 
     In other aspects of the present invention there is provided a device attachable to a belt for carrying a holster including an elongate support plate having means for self-securing the plate on a tensioned belt to selectively fix the position of the plate along a belt and being freely movable along a belt when loosened about a wear. The means for self-securing further may include means to deflect a belt passing through the slots wherein each side portion is bent inwardly toward a wearer to shape the slot such that a passageway defined by each slot is wedge-shaped, having a wide upper portion and a narrower lower portion for firmly grasping the inner and outer surfaces of a belt therethrough. The means to deflect may have a side portion adjacent the lower portion of each slot being thicker than the side portion adjacent the upper portion of each slot. The support plate is symmetrical about a central vertical axis for use with either right-handed or left-handed holsters. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
     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: 
     FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a waist-encircling belt employing the support plate of the present invention as an attachment means between a pistol holster and the waist belt of the wearer; 
     FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the support plate of the present invention showing the outer surface away from a wearer; 
     FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the support plate of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the support plate of FIGS. 2 and 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a front elevational partial view of the support plate shown in FIG. 2 modified by the presence of a belt adapter; 
     FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the belt adapter of FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the belt adapter of FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the support plate of FIG. 1 showing an alternate belt mounted therethrough; 
     FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the support plate of FIG. 8; 
     FIG. 10 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the support plate in accord with the present invention; and 
     FIG. 11 is a front perspective view of another embodiment of the support plate in accord with the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     INTRODUCTION 
     Since the first handgun holsters, the part of the holster that was attached to the wearer&#39;s belt has had three requirements. This part of the holster, commonly referred to in the industry as the “back piece”, “belt piece” or “back plate” needed to be comfortable, secure to the belt and needed to prevent the holster from riding up when the firearm is drawn quickly upward. The first holsters were actually laced to the belt with leather strips to prevent any lateral movement; Leather thongs were tied through the back piece and around the wearer&#39;s thigh to prevent the holster from riding up when drawing the firearm. The comfort issue was originally solved by wearing the handgun low on the thigh, support from the waist by a heavy piece of conforming leather. 
     Because of the automobile and other reasons, the modern holster must be worn high on the waist. Modern designs have proven to be uncomfortable for the most part because they are made of more rigid material. Present designs require screws, fasteners or other mechanical clamp devices to anchor the back piece to the belt. Thigh “tie down straps” are not practical with present dress standards and there have been a number of attempts by designers to improve on the ability of the holster to remain in place when drawing upward. The most recent art uses plastic or metal inserts built into the back piece and curved such that the handle of the handgun is displaced far away from the wearer&#39;s waist and the muzzle of the gun touches the wearer&#39;s leg. If the holster rides up and pivots on the belt, it can move a considerable distance before the draw is completed. Such design has come under scrutiny recently because of the officer&#39;s safety. With the grip of the weapon displaced away from the officer it is much easier for an assailant to grab the weapon. 
     The present invention relates to a novel back plate for a gun holster that is normally carried on a waist belt. It uses two wedge shaped parallel slots in conjunction with a concave hip-conforming radius. Because of the design of the back plate the belt is placed into a bind when the two ends of the belt are tensioned. The bottom of the belt is forced to bow outwardly on either side, i.e., the belt has a longer distance to extend around the shoulders of the slots at the bottoms compared to the tops of the slots. This binding does two things. It self locks the plate and attached handgun holster to the belt and it applies pressure to the bottom portion, or muzzle end of the holster to prevent it from riding up during the drawing motion. The weapon handle can be carried safely close to the body without compromising the draw. The present invention can be in conjunction with matching hook and loop inner and outer belts resulting in enhanced results. 
     This invention relates to a belt and a holster along with a novel support plate (or back plate) for carrying a pistol or a revolver suspended from a waist belt. One of the principal purposes of this combination is to keep the weapon at a specific location that is not altered by the twisting and turning of the body of the wearer in performing his or her daily duties. It is intended by wearing this combination to maintain the weapon in the same position on the waist belt so that the wearer can readily draw the weapon out of the holster when needed without fumbling around to find that the holster and weapon have inadvertently slipped around the suspension belt to a new location during the wearer&#39;s activities. 
     The preferred components of the combination of this invention are an inner belt  20  and an outer belt  21 . Inner belt  20  may be a simple overlapping band of fabric such as canvas, generally without a buckle so as to eliminate any bulges that may interfere with the outer belt  21  and/or inhibit the arm movements of the wearer. Outer belt  21  may also be made of a fabric, or it may be made of leather to provide a more dressy appearance. Preferably belts  20  and  21  are made of materials that combine to adhere to each other and appear to be one belt. A preferred combination is to have inner belt  20  covered on the outside surface  41  with fabric loops of a “Velcro” fastener combination, while the inside surface  43  of outer belt  21  is covered with fabric hooks of a “Velcro” fastener. A typical combination of two concentric waist belts for police or military personnel is described and illustrated in the above-cited U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,933, and the disclosed general combination is basic to the present invention. The combination of belts  20  and  21  carries a holster  24  with a handgun  25 . Other items are held in carrier  23  such as ammunition clips or speed loaders, handcuffs, etc. The principal component of this invention relates to the support plate  26 , which serves to locate the holstered handgun  25  in a selected position along the belt  20 ,  21  combination; and it is this part of the equipment that will be described below. 
     Support plate  26  is shown in detail in FIGS. 2-4 of the attached drawings. Support plate  26  is a thin plate having a lengthwise concave inside surface  39  and a corresponding convex outer surface  40 ; the plate being shaped to lie closely along the upper thigh of the wearer with a holstered handgun  25  being attached to the outside surface. Plate  26  has two substantially parallel wedge-shaped slots  27  adapted to receive a waist belt therethrough. The lower central portion of plate  26  below horizontal axis  54  is curved inwardly and is shaped into a T-shaped outwardly disposed flat plateau or boss raised above the remainder of plate  26  with three spaced attachment holes  28  for attaching holster  24  to plate  26 . The general shape of plate  26  allows the upper part of plate  26  to lie close to the upper thigh of the wearer with the muzzle of the handgun pointing downwardly along the leg and the handgun grip and breech of the handgun canted slightly outwardly only enough to allow immediate access by the wearer&#39;s hand for a quick withdrawal of the weapon from the holster. Among the several special characteristics of plate  26  are: 
     1) the concave shape of the plate  26  with compound curves provides a strong rigid structure in the horizontal and vertical directions and light weight; 
     2) the concave shape provides a cavity to conform around the hip bone and also conforms to the size of an adult; 
     3) the edges of the slots  27  are shaped so as to engage the adjoining surface of either the belts  20 ,  21  or  55  (FIG. 8) and thereby to prevent any lateral movement along the belt; 
     4) the slots  27  are widely separated so as to lessen the tendency of the plate  26  to move along the length of the belt  21  and to provide stability against rotary movement; 
     5) the shape of the wedge-shaped slots causes a bowing of the belts to properly position the support plate  26  as will be discussed hereinbelow; 
     6) the plate  26  is identical for either right-handed or left-handed wearers by virtue of being symmetrical about vertical axis  53 ; 
     7) the plate  26  is adapted to be modified by the use of a belt adapter  31  (described in detail below) for wearers who employ a narrower waist belt than the wide belt favored in the U.S.A.; and 
     8) the outer belt inner surface loops between the slots  27  are firmly attached to the hooks on the outer surface of the inner belt. 
     For the possibility that the wearer does not wish to wear a wide belt as shown in the drawing (approx. 2.0 inches in width) there is another feature of this invention involving the use of a belt adapter as illustrated in FIGS. 5-7. The adapter  31  is sandwiched between the support plate  26  and the outer belt  21 . This provides a tighter fit between outer belt  21  and support plate  26  so as to permit narrower outer belts than 2.0 inches. In other countries, the outer belts of police frequently are narrower than 2.0 inches and in these situations the use of a belt adapter  31  is recommended so that substantially all of the advantages of the instant support plate may be achieved. Adapter  31  is shown in FIGS. 5-7, and the use of that adapter  31  with holster  24  is shown in FIG.  5 . Belt adapter  31  is a partially flat piece of plastic as seen in FIG.  6 . Adapter  31  includes a rectangular central body  33  having inner surface  45  and outer surface  46  with two oppositely positioned flexible side wings  34  each joined to body  33  by a narrow neck  37  that defines spacer slots  38 . At the top of the body  33  there is a tongue  35  designed to penetrate into slot  32  at the top of support plate  26 . 
     With respect to FIGS. 5 and 6, adapter  31  lies flat between the outer surface  44  of outside belt  21  and the inside surface  39  of support plate  26 . Thus, a sandwich construction results of these three components is produced with adapter  31  being the middle layer, support plate  26  being the outside layer, and belt  21  being the inner layer. Tongue  35  is inserted into slot  32 . Wings  34  are spread outwardly so that belt slots  27  and spacer slots  38  are aligned. Belt  21  is then threaded into one belt slot  27  and through aligned spacer slot  38  in adapter  31  and thence across the back of adapter  31  to emerge through the other slot  38  and belt slot  27  as shown. 
     Each slot  37  includes a top portion  47 , a bottom portion  48 , an outward side  49  and an inward side  50 . When belt  21  is threaded through the support plate  26  the belt  21  is engaged by the innermost edge  52  of side  50  and the outermost edge  51  of side  49  of the respective slots  47 . 
     As seen in FIG. 4, the belt passageway is wedge-shaped with a top that is wider than the bottom. This structure is provided by the bending of the sides of the support plate  26  that contain slots  27  inwardly toward the wearer and provides for inward movement of the lower portion of the support plate  26  and an attached holster  24 . This arrangement produces a tight fit for adapter  31 , support plate  26 , and outer belt  21  to inhibit slippage of holster  24  along the length of belt  21 . 
     With respect to FIG. 8, the support plate  26  is shown with a portion of a standard police belt  55  having an upper portion  56  and a lower portion  57 . As belt  55  is threaded through slots  27  the lower portion  57  will distort in an outward arch or bow due to the narrow lower portion  48  of the belt  55  will remain straight as it passes from one slot  27  to another. The belt is quite stiff as understood in the art and therefore an outward arch or bulge portion  58  will be created because the belt  55  is too thick to fit through both of the lower portions  48  of the slots  29  and remain flat as is the case with the top portion  56  of the belt as can be seen from the side view of FIGS. 4 and 9. When the belt  55  is tensioned to secure it around the waist of a wearer  59  and inwardly directed force will push the lower portion of the support plate  26  below axis  54  inwardly against the body of the wearer  59 . At this position the arch or bulge portions  58  will become only slightly smaller thus maintaining inward force on the lower portion of support plate  26 . The force of the bowed belt  55  against the support plate  26  will cause a binding therebetween holding it in position. 
     With respect to FIG. 10, an alternative support plate  60  is illustrated. Slots  61  have an upper end portion  62  and a lower end portion  63 . An upraised wall is formed of wedge member  66  formed integrally with the body of support plate  60 . The member  66  preferably includes a thin upper portion  67  and a thicker lower portion  68  in the form of an upraised wall extending outwardly. Mounting hole  69  is used for belt adapter  31 . The wedges  66  are illustrated as having sharp edges but they can be formed rounded if so desired. Mounting portion  64  and mounting holes  65  are the same functionally as those of support plate  26 . 
     The wedge members  66  provide for the same arch or outward bowing of the bottom portion  57  of a belt  55 , as do the wedge-shaped slots discussed hereinabove. When a belt  55  is tightened by a wearer  59  the support plate  60  is substantially fixed in position along the belt  55  because of the binding action between the slots  61  and adjacent wedges  66  and the distorted arch portion of the belt  55  adjacent thereto. The upraised thick portion  68  can be used without upper thin portion  67 . 
     In FIG. 11 another embodiment of the support plate according to the present invention is shown at  70 . The support plate  70  has an upraised mounting portion  71  and three screw holes  72  as before. Slots  73  are formed to be slanted from the vertical to place upper portions  78  closer together than lower portions  77  as are sides  76  of the support plate  70 . Outward walls  74  of slots  73  assist in providing the binding or gripping action as discussed hereinabove. A belt  55  threaded through slots  73  in the manner of FIG. 8 will lie flat along the top portion  56  adjacent upper portion  78  but will also arch outwardly near a slot  73  as it passes over the portion of the support plate  70  at the lower portion  77  due to the curvature of the upper portion of the support plate  70 . Accordingly, lower portion  77  is displaced laterally outwardly further away from a wearer  59  than upper portion  78 . Mounting hole  79  is used with belt adapter  31 . 
     In each of the support plates  26 ,  60 , and  70 , the lower portion of the respective slots  27 ,  61 , and  73  are formed to require the bottom portion of a stiff belt  55  to bend outwardly away from a wearer before going through the respective slot and then across the inside of the respective support plate, and then outward through the opposite slot with an additional outward bend. From there the bottom portion  57  of the belt  55  curves outwardly over the support and inwardly against the body of wearer  59 . When the belt  55  is tensioned around the user  59  the force on the lower portion  57  of belt  55  works against the bends resulting in a movement of the lower portion of the respective support plate inwardly against the body of wearer  59 . The top portion  56  of belt  55  undergoes virtually no outward bending when it is threaded through the slots in a respective support plate. The binding action of the slots and the respective edges thereof results in the support plate being fixed in position as long as the belt remains tensioned. 
     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.