Patent Publication Number: US-2009224014-A1

Title: Holster for a handgun, for example, a pistol or a revolver

Description:
The present invention relates to a belt, thigh or shoulder holster for a hand weapon, such as, for example, a pistol or a revolver. 
     Holsters for hand weapons, and in particular belt holsters must comply with several requirements which are most often contradictory. 
     First of all, this type of holster must allow ease of use, that is to say, it must allow the weapon to be rapidly withdrawn from the holster and must have all safeguards, that is to say, must not allow the weapon to be withdrawn unintentionally, either by its own weight or by a third party who is seeking to take the weapon from the person carrying it. 
     Holsters are generally formed by a pocket which is intended for accommodating the weapon and which comprises, at the upper portion thereof, an opening for inserting the weapon. This pocket is provided, at least at one of the sides thereof, with means for fixing to a receiving member carried by the user. In the case of a belt holster, these fixing means are constituted by a loop which supports this pocket and, in the case of a shoulder holster, by a harness which is connected to the pocket. 
     In the case of tactical carrying, the pocket is supported by a fixing system which is constituted by a plate and/or a strap. 
     The butt of the weapon is arranged outside the pocket and the weapon is retained by a security lug, one end of which is fixedly joined to the pocket and the other end of which is fixed to the pocket by means of a fastening member, such as, for example, a pressing member or a snap-fitting member. 
     This type of holster has disadvantages relating mainly to the fact that the security lug can open in an untimely manner when the carrier moves and this lug can also be opened under the action of a third party, which allows this person to remove the weapon from the holster. 
     Furthermore, this security lug inhibits the weapon from being replaced in the holster after it has intentionally been withdrawn. 
     Holsters are also known which comprise a pocket which is intended for accommodating the weapon and which is provided, at the upper portion thereof, with an opening for inserting the weapon and, at the rear portion thereof, with a balancing member for supporting this weapon which can be successively moved vertically between an upper position and a lower position and, by means of pivoting, between a position retracted inside the pocket in which the weapon is blocked in an upper position against a fixed clamp which is fixedly joined to this pocket and a deployed position outside the pocket in which the weapon is released from the clamp. 
     This type of holster is complex to implement and use and even if it prevents a third party from removing the weapon from the pocket, it does not have all the indispensable safeguards and in particular does not allow the weapon to be readily reinserted since the balancing member may return to a retracted position with a simple pushing action before the weapon is reinserted. 
     The object of the invention is to provide a holster for a hand weapon which is simple to implement and use and which has all the necessary safeguards. 
     The invention therefore relates to a holster for a hand weapon, such as, for example, a pistol or a revolver, of the type comprising a pocket which is intended for accommodating the weapon and comprising:
         at the upper portion thereof, an opening for inserting the weapon,   at least at one of the sides thereof, means for fixing to a receiving member carried by a user, and   means for blocking the weapon in the pocket, characterised in that the means for blocking the weapon comprise a support element which comprises a housing for receiving the trigger guard of the weapon, provided with a locking member which can be moved transversely relative to the longitudinal axis of the weapon from one of the outer sides of the pocket between an active position in which it protrudes into the housing in order to immobilise the trigger guard and a retracted position which releases the trigger guard.       

     According to other features of the invention:
         the pocket comprises, at the upper portion thereof, a tongue which can be moved between a first position located above the pocket in order to block the weapon and a second position tilted towards the front of this pocket,   the tongue comprises a first end which is pivotably mounted on one side of the pocket and a second end which is provided with a member for snap-fitting to a lug fixed to the other side of the pocket,   the tongue is associated with a resilient element for returning the tongue to the second position thereof,   the support element is formed by a member for fixing the pocket and is provided, at the upper portion thereof, with two vertical and parallel lugs which together provide the housing, the lugs each comprising an opening for guiding the locking member,   the locking member is formed by a U-shaped component which comprises a central branch which is arranged between the two lugs of the support element and two parallel, vertical and lateral branches, each lateral branch being placed in an opening of the lugs,   the outer lateral branch extends over the corresponding side of the pocket and is accessible from the outer side of this pocket and the inner lateral branch comprises, on the face thereof opposite the outer lateral branch, a stud which is intended to co-operate with the trigger guard of the weapon in the active position in which it protrudes into the housing,   the locking member is returned to an active position by means of a resilient member, such as, for example, a compression spring,   the holster comprises means for blocking the transverse movement of the locking member after a vertical movement of the locking member,   the means for blocking the transverse movement of the locking member are formed by a cut-out which is provided at the upper end of the outer lateral branch and by a recess which is provided at the upper portion of the opening of the lug for guiding the lateral branch,   the side of the pocket which is provided with the outer lateral branch of the locking member comprises a cover which can be moved by means of sliding between a position for covering this lateral branch and a retracted position which allows access to this branch, and   the support element and the locking member are ambidextrous components.       

    
    
     
       Other features and advantages of the invention will be appreciated from the following description, given by way of example and with reference to the appended drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic, perspective view of a holster according to the invention, with a hand weapon blocked in the holster, 
         FIG. 2  is a partially broken-away schematic, perspective view of the holster, illustrating the means for blocking the weapon, 
         FIG. 3  is a partially broken-away schematic, perspective view of the holster, illustrating more specifically the locking member of the blocking means, 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic, perspective view of an element for supporting the weapon in the holster, 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic front view of the locking member of the means for blocking the weapon in the holster, 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic perspective view of the holster, with the weapon being removed, 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic front view of a variant of the locking member, and 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic perspective view of a variant of the element for supporting the weapon in the holster. 
     
    
    
       FIG. 1  schematically illustrates a holster which is generally designated  10  for a hand weapon  1 , such as, for example, a pistol or a revolver. 
     The holster  10  can be used as a belt, thigh or shoulder holster and it comprises a pocket which is generally designated  11  and which forms a housing for the weapon  1  and which comprises, at the upper portion thereof, an opening  12  for introducing this weapon  1 . 
     In conventional manner, the weapon comprises in particular a butt  1   a  and a trigger guard  1   b  ( FIGS. 1 to 3 ). In the storage position of the weapon  1 , this weapon  1  is placed in the pocket  11  of the holster  10  and the butt  1   a  is arranged outside the pocket. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the pocket  11  is provided with means for fixing to a receiving member which is carried by a user. In this instance, the holster is a belt holster and these fixing means are constituted by a loop  2  which supports the pocket  1 . 
     The pocket  11  is formed at two sides  11   a  and  11   b , respectively, and comprises a front wall  11   c  and a rear wall  11   d  which connect the sides  11   a  and  11   b . The sides  11   a  and  11   b  and the front wall  11   c  and rear wall  11   d , respectively, determine a housing for receiving the weapon  1 . 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the pocket  11  comprises, at the upper portion thereof, a tongue  15 , a first end  15   a  of which is pivotably mounted on a shaft  16  which is fixed to the side  11   a  of the pocket  11  and a second end  15   b  of which is provided with a snap-fitting member, such as, for example, a push-button which is not illustrated, on a lug  18  which is fixed to the opposite side  11   b  of the pocket  11 . 
     The tongue  15  can be moved, after the end  15   b  of the tongue  15  is unlocked, between a first position located above the pocket  11  ( FIG. 1 ) in order to block the weapon  1  and a second position tilted towards the front of this pocket  11  ( FIG. 2 ). A resilient member  17 , such as, for example, a torsion spring, is mounted on the shaft  16  in order to return the tongue  15  to the second position tilted towards the front of the pocket  11 . 
     In addition to this tongue  15 , the pocket comprises means for blocking the weapon which comprise a support element which is generally designated  20  and which is illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 4 . 
     This support element  20  is formed by a body  21  to which the sides  11   a  and  11   b  of the pocket  11  are fixed. The body  21  is provided, at the upper portion thereof, with two vertical and parallel lugs  22   a  and  22   b  which together provide a housing  23  which is intended to receive the trigger guard  1   b  of the weapon  1 , as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . 
     Each lug  22   a  and  22   b  comprises an opening  24   a  and  24   b , respectively, for guiding a locking member which is generally designated  30  and which is illustrated in  FIGS. 3 ,  5  and  6 . The locking member  30  can be moved in the openings  24   a  and  24   b  of the support element  20  transversely relative to the axis of the weapon  1  between an active position in which it protrudes into the housing  23  in order to immobilise the trigger guard  1   b  of the weapon  1  and a retracted position which releases the trigger guard  1   b , thus allowing an operator to withdraw the weapon from the pocket  11 . 
     The movement of the locking member  30  is carried out by the user from the side  11   a  of the pocket  11  opposite the side  11   b  which carries the loop  2 , as will be seen below. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the locking member  30  is formed by a U-shaped component which comprises a central branch  31  and two vertical and parallel lateral branches  32   a  and  32   b , respectively. 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 3 , the locking member  30  is positioned in the support element  20  so that the central branch  31  rests in the base of the housing  23  and the lateral branches  32   a  and  32   b , respectively, are positioned in the openings  24   a  and  24   b  of the lugs  22   a  and  22   b  of the support element  20 , respectively. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the outer lateral branch  32   a  of the locking member  30  extends over the side  11   a  of the pocket  11  and is accessible from the outer side of this pocket  11 . The inner lateral branch  32   b  of the locking member  30 , that is to say, the branch opposite the lateral branch  32   a , comprises a stud  33  which is intended to co-operate with the trigger guard  1   b  of the weapon  1  in the active position in which the locking member  30  protrudes into the housing  23  of the support element  20 . 
     The locking member  30  is returned to the active position thereof by means of a resilient element, such as, for example, a compression spring  35  ( FIG. 3 ) which is mounted on a shaft  36  and which is supported between a stop  37  which is provided in the base of the housing  23  of the support element  20  and a stop  38  which is arranged below the central branch  31  of the locking member  30 . 
     The side  11   a  of the pocket  11  in which the outer lateral branch  32   a  of the locking member  30  opens comprises a cover  40  which can be moved by means of sliding on a sliding rail  41  which is fixed to the side  11   a , between a position for covering the lateral branch  32   a  ( FIG. 1 ) and a retracted position which allows access to this branch  32   a  ( FIG. 2 ). 
     The support element  20  and the locking member  30  are ambidextrous components which can be used for a left-hand holster or a right-hand holster. 
     When the weapon  1  is placed in the pocket  11  of the holster  10 , as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , this weapon  1  is retained by the tongue  15  and the stud  34  of the locking member  30  which blocks the trigger guard  1   b  of the weapon. The cover  40  covers the outer lateral branch  32   a  of the locking member  30 , thus preventing access to this branch  32   a.    
     In order to release the weapon  1  and withdraw it from the pocket  11 , the operator proceeds as follows. 
     First of all, he moves the cover  40  into a semi-open or completely open position ( FIG. 2 ) in order to allow the operator to access the lateral branch  32   a  of the locking member  30 . The outer faces of the lateral branch  32   a  and the cover  40 , respectively, are provided with markings which are substantially similar so that the security level selected by the operator is not too apparent to a third party. 
     Furthermore, these markings allow better gripping of the lateral branch  32   a  and the cover  40 . 
     The operator releases the tongue  15  by pressing with the thumb on the lug  18  so that this tongue  15  pivots towards the front of the pocket  11  under the action of the resilient member  17 , as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . 
     Then, the operator presses on the lateral branch  32   a  using his index finger, which has the effect of compressing the spring  35  and moving the lateral branch  32   b  in order to retract the stud  34  in order to release the trigger guard  1   b  of the weapon  1 . 
     The operator can thus withdraw the weapon from the pocket  11  of the holster  10 . 
     When the weapon  1  is reintroduced into the pocket  11 , the trigger guard  1   b  moves the locking member via the stud  34  and this stud  34  automatically engages in a snap-fitting manner with the trigger guard  1   b  owing to the fact that the locking member  30  has been returned to the active position by the compression spring  35 . 
     After reintroducing the weapon  1 , the operator repositions the tongue  15  and the cover  40  in order to prevent access to the lateral branch  32   a  of the locking member  30 . 
     According to a variant which is illustrated in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the holster  10  comprises means  50  and  55  for blocking the transverse movement of the locking member  30  after a vertical movement of the locking member  30 . 
     These means for blocking the transverse movement of the locking member  30  are formed by a cut-out  50  which is provided at the upper end of the outer lateral branch  32   b  of this locking member ( FIG. 7 ). These blocking means are also formed by a recess  55  which is provided at the upper portion of the opening  24   b  of the lug  22   b  of the support element  20 , this opening  24   b  guiding the lateral branch  32   b  during the transverse movement of the locking member  30 . 
     In this manner, if a third party applies traction in an upward direction to the weapon  1  in order to attempt to withdraw it from the holster  10 , the trigger guard  1   b  of the weapon  10  lifts the outer lateral branch  32   b  of the locking member  30 . During this lifting action, the cut-out  50  is positioned in the recess  55  which prevents any transverse movement of the locking member  30 . If a pushing action is applied to the lateral branch  32   a , the weapon  1  cannot therefore be withdrawn from the holster  10 . 
     Under normal conditions, the withdrawal of the weapon  1  by the operator can be carried out in an identical manner to the previous embodiment, the locking member  30  being able to slide freely in the openings  24   a  and  24   b  of the support element  20  if no vertical traction is applied to this weapon  1 . 
     In this manner, the means  50  and  55  for blocking the transverse movement of the locking member after a vertical movement of the locking member provide additional security in the event of an attempt to withdraw the weapon by a third party owing to the blocking of this locking member in terms of translation. 
     The holster according to the invention has the advantage, owing to the different elements which it comprises, of providing reliable retention of the weapon, whilst allowing this weapon to be readily withdrawn by the operator.