Patent Publication Number: US-9891021-B2

Title: Handgun carrier

Description:
PRIORITY STATEMENT AND CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority from patent application U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 61/940,075 entitled “Handgun Carrier” and filed on Feb. 14, 2014 in the name of Mark Galoob; which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates, in general, to handgun carriers and, in particular, to handgun carriers for carrying a handgun in concealment wherein the means to enclose the carried article, i.e., the handgun, is constructed or arranged on the body to hide the handgun. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Many individuals who carry a handgun regularly find it a challenge to find a concealed handgun carrier that combines adequate comfort, concealment, and functionality. Too many times, everything is a trade-off and comfort must be sacrificed for concealment or concealment sacrificed for functionality, etc. Advances in the art of carrying a handgun in concealment are required to provide the comfort, concealment, and functionality bearers of concealed handguns desire. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It would be advantageous to achieve advances in the art of carrying a handgun in order to improve concealment. It would also be desirable to enable a mechanical solution that would improve comfort and functionality for bearers of concealed handguns. To better address one or more of these concerns, a handgun carrier is disclosed. In one embodiment of the handgun carrier, a flexible band encircles the torso and comfortably fits thereagainst with complimentary fasteners adjustably securing the ends of the flexible band. A U-shaped receiver is coupled to the flexible band and configured to permit the handgun to be drawn and holstered from the U-shaped receiver by a bearer of the handgun moving the handgun in a general vertical direction. The U-shaped receiver provides point-of-contact support of the handgun, including front strap and slide subjacent support contact and adjacent grip panel support. These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a more complete understanding of the features and advantages of the present invention, reference is now made to the detailed description of the invention along with the accompanying figures in which corresponding numerals in the different figures refer to corresponding parts and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of one embodiment of the handgun carrier that may be utilized by an individual carrying a handgun; 
         FIG. 2  is a top plan view of a portion of the handgun carrier depicted in  FIG. 1 , wherein a handgun is holstered therein; 
         FIG. 3  is a bottom plan view of a portion of the handgun carrier depicted in  FIG. 1 , wherein a handgun is holstered therein; 
         FIG. 4  is a front elevation view of a portion of the handgun carrier depicted in  FIG. 1 , wherein a handgun is holstered therein; 
         FIG. 5  is a rear elevation view of a portion of the handgun carrier depicted in  FIG. 1 , wherein a handgun is holstered therein; 
         FIG. 6  is a top plan view of a portion of the handgun carrier depicted in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a bottom plan view of a portion of the handgun carrier depicted in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a front elevation view of a portion of the handgun carrier depicted in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a rear elevation view of a portion of the handgun carrier depicted in  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 10  is a side cross-sectional view of a portion of the handgun carrier depicted in  FIG. 1  as viewed along line  10 - 10  of  FIG. 4 , wherein the handgun is depicted in dashed lines. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     While the making and using of various embodiments of the present invention are discussed in detail below, it should be appreciated that the present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts which can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention, and do not delimit the scope of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , therein is depicted one embodiment of a handgun carrier that is schematically illustrated and generally designated  10 . A bearer having a handgun H may utilize the illustrated handgun carrier  10  to carry the handgun H around the torso. As explained in further detail below, the handgun carrier provides comfort, concealment, and functionality that bearers of concealed handguns desire. It should be appreciated however, although the handgun carrier  10  is depicted as fitting the torso, the handgun carrier  10  may be appropriately sized to fit other parts of the body of the bearer, including the wrist, thigh, or ankle, for example. 
     With respect to the handgun carrier  10 , a flexible band  12  includes ends  14 ,  16  and an upper edge  18  and a lower edge  20 . As discussed, the flexible band  12  is configured to encircle a portion of the body of a bearer of the handgun and comfortably fit thereagainst. Complimentary fasteners  22 ,  24 , which in the illustrated embodiment are depicted as fabric hook and loop fasteners, are respectively coupled to the ends  14 ,  16  and configured to selectively and adjustably secure the ends  14 ,  16  to each other. As shown, the flexible band  12  includes an interior side  26  and an exterior side  28 , with the interior side  26  being pressed against the body. The fastener  22  may be affixed to the interior side  26  and the fastener  24  may be affixed to the exterior side  28 . 
     A U-shaped receiver  30  is coupled to the exterior side  28  of the flexible band  12  between the upper edge  18  and the lower edge  20 . The U-shaped receiver  30  is configured to permit the handgun H to be drawn and holstered from the U-shaped receiver  30  by a bearer of the handgun H moving the handgun H in a general vertical direction via a vertical window  32  and a horizontal window  34  as shown by double-headed arrow  36 . It should be appreciated that the direction the handgun H will be moved to draw or holster depends on the orientation of the handgun carrier  10 , which depends on the position of the bearer and the portion of the body the handgun carrier is intended to fit. More generally, the vertical window  32  may be considered a y-axis window  32  and the horizontal window, an x-axis window  34 . 
     In one embodiment, the handgun carrier  10  has a symmetrical configuration including left/right symmetry that enables the handgun H to be carried each of strong side and cross draw. With this symmetrical configuration, the U-shaped receiver  30  permits the handgun H to be carried on either side of the body, including either side of the torso. Additionally, in one implementation, optional magazine carriers  38 ,  40  are positioned on the exterior side  28  of the flexible band to provide carrying capacity for magazines, such as magazine M, which may be inserted into magazine carrier  38  as shown by arrow  42 . It should be appreciated that although one positioning of the U-shaped receiver  30  on the flexible band  12  is depicted in  FIG. 1 , depending on the application, the positioning of the U-shaped receiver may vary. The variation in positioning may include the distance the U-shaped receiver  30  is with respect to the upper edge  18  and the lower edge  20  of the flexible band  12 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1 through 10 , in one embodiment, the U-shaped receiver  26  includes sidewalls  50 ,  52 ,  54  respectively including edges  56 ,  58 ; edges  60 ,  62 ; and edges  64 ,  66 . The sidewalls  50 ,  52  are vertically extended and spaced apart and coupled edgewise at respective edges  56 ,  60  to the flexible band  12  such that, in one implementation, the sidewalls  50 ,  52  are substantially orthogonal to the flexible band  12 . The sidewall  54  is horizontally spaced and substantially parallel to the flexible band  12  such that the sidewall  54  traverses a span between the sidewalls  50 ,  52  by being coupled to respective edges  58 ,  62  of the sidewalls  50 ,  52  at edges  64 ,  66 . The sidewalls  50 ,  52 ,  54  may form a pocket  70  wherein the sidewalls  50 ,  52 ,  54  are integral and continuous. The sidewall  54  includes an upper panel  78  and a lower panel  80  and, in one implementation, the upper panel  78  may be rigid, including a rigid component. 
     In one implementation, the flexible band includes a vertical support extension portion  82  that begins at the U-shaped receiver  30  and ends at the upper edge  18 . As depicted, the vertical support extension portion  82  and the U-shaped receiver  30  provide, in combination, the vertical or y-axis window  32  and the horizontal or x-axis window  34 . In one embodiment, the vertical support extension portion  82  includes a vertical dimension less than a pistol grip dimension  84  and a vertical dimension greater than a front strap dimension  86 . By providing this spacing arrangement between the U-shaped receiver  30  and the flexible  12  band, a bearer of the handgun H is able to quickly obtain a firm grip appropriate for drawing the handgun H. Moreover, space is provided that ensures the grip and action portions of the handgun H minimally adversely affect comfort during wear. 
     The U-shaped receiver  30  may include an elastic material  88  that is configured to form an interference fit  90  with the handgun H in order to ensure secure storage and carrying thereof. In the illustrated embodiment, the elastic material  88  include a horizontal dimension commensurate with a trigger guard-to-barrel dimension  92 . A point-of-contact configuration  100  provides subjacent contact support  102  between the U-shape receiver  30  and the front strap F of the handgun H. Additionally, adjacent contact support  104  between the slide S and the U-shaped receiver  30  is provided. Moreover, the point-of-contact configuration  100  provides contact support  106  between the grip panel G and vertical support extension portion  82 . 
     As previously alluded, in one embodiment, the upper panel  78  of the sidewall  54  includes an exterior panel  110 , an interior panel  112 , and a rigid body  114  interposed therebetween. Similarly, in one embodiment, the flexible band  12  includes an interior safety panel  120  having an upper portion  122  and a lower portion  124 . The upper portion  122  has an exterior panel  126 , an interior panel  128 , and a rigid body  130  interposed therebetween. In this implementation, the interior safety panel  120  is complimentarily positioned across from the upper panel  78  of the sidewall  54 . The rigid bodies  114 ,  130  cooperate to mitigate the risk of an accidental discharge of the handgun by being sized and positioned to provide a rigid panel between the external environment and the trigger T of the handgun H. 
     The order of execution or performance of the methods and operational flows illustrated and described herein is not essential, unless otherwise specified. That is, elements of the methods and operational flows may be performed in any order, unless otherwise specified, and that the methods may include more or less elements than those disclosed herein. For example, it is contemplated that executing or performing a particular element before, contemporaneously with, or after another element are all possible sequences of execution. 
     While this invention has been described with reference to illustrative embodiments, this description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications and combinations of the illustrative embodiments as well as other embodiments of the invention, will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to the description. It is, therefore, intended that the appended claims encompass any such modifications or embodiments.