Patent Publication Number: US-9846008-B1

Title: Holster

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This patent application claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119 to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/344,228, filed Jun. 1, 2016, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety as part of the present disclosure. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present disclosure relates generally to holsters and more specifically to a holster configured to be arrangeable on the lower leg of an individual to conceal a firearm. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In general holsters, including holsters designed to carry a concealed weapon, such as a firearm, are known. Such holsters, for example, have been designed to fit on or around an individual&#39;s thigh, arm and ankle or attached to an individual&#39;s chest or waist. However, in many instances, due to the location of the holster, significant compromise is required for a holster to properly house a firearm and be easily accessible. Additionally, if the clothing article concealing the holster is, for example, short or tight, the intent of concealing the weapon will fail. 
     Holsters designed to be affixed to or encompass an individual&#39;s thigh (e.g., tactical holster) are limited in their scope of use when intended to be utilized to conceal a weapon. This is because they can typically only used by an individual wearing a dress or skirt or in some instances an overcoat because of limited ease of accessibility otherwise to the concealed firearm. 
     Ankle holsters are commonly secured around an individual&#39;s ankle and are orientated to hold a weapon in an upright position (i.e., zero cant position). However, in many instances ankle holsters cannot properly secure a firearm in a fixed position due to the lack of surface area and other physical attributes of a human ankle. As a result, ankle holsters regularly require the inclusion of a garter strap to help distribute the weight of a weapon up an individual&#39;s leg and onto the individual&#39;s calf. Additionally, due to the articulation of one&#39;s ankle when an individual moves, ankle holsters tend to be uncomfortable for active use. Furthermore, the position of ankle holsters are less than ideal for an individual desiring to carry a concealed weapon because they are commonly arranged in close proximately to the bottom of a clothing article and, regardless of whether an individual is moving or sitting, ankle holsters are commonly inadvertently revealed and fail to conceal the weapon being carried by the holster. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present disclosure is directed to a holster designed to carry a concealed weapon that is configured to be arrangeable around the lower leg of an individual, between a knee and an ankle of the individual, at least substantially encompassing the individual&#39;s calf. The lower leg, offers substantial surface area to ergonomically confirm the shape of the holster to the lower leg and in turn arrange, in a stable manner, a weapon parallel to the individual&#39;s body. Such surface area obviates the need for garter-type arrangements necessitated by ankle holsters while allowing for easy access to a holstered weapon that can easily be concealed. 
     In an embodiment, the present invention is directed to a holster that comprises a sleeve that has a non-uniform circumference that defines a shape contoured to substantially encompass a lower leg of a human, a closure mechanism that is fixed to the sleeve and configured to aid in expansion and compression of at least part of the sleeve and a pocket that is fixed to an outer surface of the sleeve that is configured to house a weapon therein. Upon sealing the closure member, the sleeve will become compressible to a human&#39;s lower leg, encompassing the human&#39;s calf and ensuring the holster and in turn, weapon will remain in a securely fixed position. The pocket can be sized to accommodate weapons and, in particular, firearms of a variety of shapes and sizes. 
     In an embodiment, the pocket can extend substantially along the length of the sleeve and can be comprised of an elastomeric material such as neoprene that is breathable. 
     In an embodiment, the closure mechanism can be a zipper. In an embodiment, the closure mechanism includes a plurality of at least one of buttons, snaps and a hook and loop fastening system. 
     In an embodiment, the sleeve extends along a longitudinal axis and the pocket has an opening that is angled in relation to the longitudinal axis permitting a firearm to be arranged therein and extend substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis. 
     In an embodiment, the sleeve extends between a first opening and a second opening with the circumference of the sleeve between the first opening and a portion of the sleeve located substantially between the first opening and the second opening being greater than a circumference at the second opening of the sleeve. 
     In an embodiment, the holster includes a compartment (e.g., to carry a knife, ammunition, etc.) that is fixed to an outer surface of the sleeve and spaced from the pocket. The compartment can be comprised of an elastomeric material such as neoprene that is breathable. The compartment can be substantially smaller than the pocket and is configured to carry accessories. 
     In an embodiment, the holster can include a releasably fixable strap that extends about the outer surface of the sleeve and can further aid in securing the sleeve in a desired position. 
     In an embodiment, the holster can include a plurality of tactile projections that are fixed to an inner surface of the housing. 
     In an embodiment, the present invention is directed to a holster that is configured to house a weapon. The holster can include a housing that is comprised substantially of an elastomeric material and extends between a first opening and a second opening that is spaced from the first opening and pocket that is fixed to an outer surface of the housing, extends substantially between the first opening and the second opening and is configured to hold the weapon therein. The housing can have a non-uniform shape that is contoured to substantially encompass a lower region of a human leg. The pocket can have an opening that is angled relative to the first opening and the second opening such that when the weapon is arranged therein, the weapon is secured in a fixed position within the pocket. 
     A closure mechanism can be fixed to the housing and configured to aid in expansion and compression of at least part of the housing. A second pocket can be fixed to the outer surface of the sleeve and spaced from the pocket. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of an embodiment of a holster of the present invention designed to carry a concealed weapon; 
         FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view of the holster of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a first side view of the holster of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  shows the first side view in a partially unzipped state; 
         FIG. 5  is a second side view of the holster of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 6  shows a firearm housed in the holster; and 
         FIG. 7  shows the holster with a firearm housed therein secured to an individual. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 7 , an embodiment of a holster  10  that is designed to carry a concealed weapon (i.e., a firearm)  12  will be described. 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  are a front perspective and rear perspective view, respectively, of the holster  10 . The holster  10  includes a sleeve  14  that has an outer surface  16  and an inner surface  18 . The sleeve  14  can be comprised of at least one layer of material that has elastomeric properties to allow the sleeve  14  to ergonomically conform to the shape of an individual&#39;s lower leg and be compressible when worn by an individual. 
     In an embodiment, the sleeve  14  can be comprised of neoprene. The neoprene sleeve can be breathable such that an elastomeric layer of the neoprene is arranged between a first and a second outer layer of material includes a plurality of openings. 
       FIG. 3  depicts a first side view of the holster  10 . As can be seen, the sleeve  12  has a shape that contours to fit snuggly around the lower leg of an individual and in particular, over a region that encompasses the individual&#39;s calf. The sleeve  14  includes a first opening  20  at a first end  21  thereof and a second opening  22  at a second end  23  thereof. As can be seen in  FIGS. 1-3 , the sleeve  14  has that has a first outer periphery that extends from the first opening  20  about halfway along the length of the sleeve  14  and then tapers toward a the second opening  22  such that the sleeve  14  has a second outer periphery at the second opening  22 . To aid in arranging the holster  10  on around an individual&#39;s lower leg and removing the holster  10  therefrom, the holster  10  includes a closure mechanism  24  that extends approximately from the second opening  22  to the region of the sleeve  14  located about midway between the first opening  20  and the second opening  20 . The closure mechanism  24  allows the tapered region of the sleeve  14  to expand so that an individual can easily slide the holster  10  over their foot, past their ankle and over their calf. Once the holster  10  is in place around the lower leg of the individual, the closure mechanism  24  can be sealed to create a form fit of the sleeve  14  around the individual&#39;s lower leg. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4 , the closure mechanism  24  is a zipper that can be unzipped (See  FIG. 4 ) so that an individual can easily slide the sleeve  14  in position at a lower region of the individual&#39;s leg and around their calf and then, once the sleeve  14  is orientated in a desired position, the sleeve  14  is zipped to achieve a compression fit to secure the holster  10  to the individual&#39;s body. The closure mechanism  24  can include a fastener  25  that extends over the closure mechanism  24  to both secondarily secure the sleeve  14  at a closed position to an individual&#39;s lower leg and to extend over the closure mechanism  24  to aid in preventing the closure mechanism  24  form opening. Although a zipper is shown herein, the closure mechanism  24  can be any fastening mechanism including, but not limited to, a plurality of buttons, snaps and a hook and loop fastening system. 
     By designing the sleeve  14  to encompass the natural contour of an individual&#39;s lower leg, including one&#39;s calf, between the knee and ankle, the holster  10  allows for little to no discomfort while being capable of remaining concealed whether the individual is in a stationary position or moving. Additionally, because the holster  10  typically fits substantially over the entire calf region of an individual&#39;s lower leg, the weight of the weapon  12  can be evenly distributed, obviating the need for any additional support of the weapon  12 . 
     To provide further support, the holster  10  can include an adjustable strap  26  that extends around the sleeve  14 , near the first opening  20 . The strap  26  can be secured to itself by any fastening system, including a loop and hook fastening system. To secure the strap  26  to the sleeve  14 , loops  28  are fixed to the sleeve  14  through which the strap  26  extends. The strap  26  includes buckle  30  to allow for adjustability to accommodate the circumference of a variety of individual&#39;s lower legs. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the holster  10  can include a first pocket or compartment  32  that has an opening  33  is fixed (e.g., sewn) to a region of the sleeve  14  near the closure mechanism  24 . The first pocket  32  can be comprised of an elastomeric material (e.g., neoprene) and can be used, for example, to carry accessories (e.g., ammo). 
     The sleeve  14  can include a tactile coating  34  over a surface of the inner surface  36  of the sleeve  14 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the tactile coating  34  can be a plurality of polymeric projections that have a high coefficient of friction to aid in preventing slippage of the sleeve  14  during movement. 
       FIGS. 5 and 6  illustrate a second side of the holster  10  that includes a second compartment  38  that is fixed (e.g., sewn) to the sleeve  14 . The second compartment  38  can house the firearm  12  and, as illustrated in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , can extend substantially along the length of the holster  10 , allowing the firearm  12 , depending on the size and shape of the firearm  12 , to extend substantially along the side of an individual&#39;s lower leg. As such, a garter or other mechanism is not required to support the firearm  12  while ensuring the second compartment  38  is configured accommodate a variety of firearms of different shapes and sizes (i.e., the compartment  38  allows for universal use with firearms). 
     Additionally, in an embodiment, the second compartment  38  can be made of an elastomeric material so that the firearm  12  can be securely arranged therein and in secure contact with an individual&#39;s lower leg ensuring easy removal of a firearm (See  FIG. 7 ). As shown in  FIGS. 5-7  the second compartment  38  is substantially enclosed and includes an opening  40  that is canted such that grip  42  of a firearm  12  can extend out of the second compartment  38 , toward an individual&#39;s calf or the rear of an individual&#39;s knee when the holster  10  is secured in place on an individual&#39;s leg. This allows for easy and quick access to remove the firearm  12  from the holster  10  (e.g., no additional fastener is required) and to insert the firearm  12  into the holster  10  as well. 
     Although this invention has been disclosed in the context of certain embodiments and examples, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the invention extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodiments and/or uses of the invention and obvious modifications and equivalents thereof. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. In addition, while several variations of the embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail, other modifications, which are within the scope of this invention, including, but not limited to, the substitutions of equivalent features, materials, or parts, will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art based upon this disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.