Patent Publication Number: US-8985412-B2

Title: Quick draw gun holster

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     This disclosure relates to firearms in general, and in particular, to embodiments of a quick draw holster for a handgun that enables the gun to be carried securely on the person of a user during strenuous physical activities, yet which enables the gun to be drawn for use quickly, safely, and reliably. 
     2. Related Art 
     Holsters for carrying a handgun on the person of a wearer are widely known in the field of firearms and have been in use for many years. Some holsters rely on friction to secure the handgun in the holster, but this arrangement might not be suitable during certain movements of the wearer that could cause the frictional grip of the holster on the gun to be broken. 
     Other holsters rely on an “over-center” design that incorporates one or more springs to secure the gun. This type of holster has the drawback that certain accelerations applied to the holster can act to compress the springs) and cause an unexpected release of the gun from the holster at a critical moment. 
     Additional holster designs have incorporated straps, flaps, hood enclosures, and the like, to secure the gun therein. However, unfastening these enclosures before drawing the gun can take an unacceptable amount of time in exigent circumstances, e.g., combat. 
     Also, in some instances, the handgun can be equipped with an accessory, such as a silencer, a light and/or a laser sighting device, in which case, the holster must be capable of accommodating such accessories, yet still enable the gun to be removed from the holster with a quick and short draw, preferably with a length that is shorter than the overall length of the gun and accessory combination. 
     A need therefore exists for handgun holsters that can accommodate a gun with or without accessories mounted thereon and enable it to be carried securely on the person of a wearer, yet which also enable the gun to be drawn from the holster for use in a quick, safe, and reliable manner. 
     SUMMARY 
     In accordance with the present disclosure, novel quick draw hand gun holsters are described, together with methods for using them, that enable the guns to mount accessories, such as silencers, lights and/or lasers, and to be carried securely on the person of a user during strenuous physical activities, yet which enable them to be drawn for use quickly, safely and reliably. 
     In one example embodiment, a gun holster comprises a generally U-shaped adapter configured to be coupled to a lower surface of a front end portion of the gun&#39;s receiver. The adapter has opposing side walls, each having one of a pair of forwardly extending longitudinal lands disposed thereon, each land having a notch disposed in a lateral edge thereof. 
     The example holster further includes a generally  -shaped housing having a pair of side walls held in spaced opposition by a spacer wall coupled between corresponding edges thereof. Each side wall has an interior surface containing one of a pair of forwardly extending longitudinal grooves disposed therein, each groove being configured to receive a corresponding one of the lands of the adapter in a slide-in engagement. 
     A latching mechanism is configured to engage at least one of the notches in the lands of the adapter so as to prevent the withdrawal of the adapter from the housing until it is selectably released therefrom. In addition, a release mechanism is configured to selectably release the engagement of the latching mechanism with the at least one notch so as to enable the withdrawal of the adapter from the housing. 
     In accordance with another embodiment, a method for using the example holster comprises coupling the adapter to the gun, and inserting the gun and adapter into the housing such that the lands of the adapter are slidably received in corresponding ones of the longitudinal grooves of the housing, and the latching mechanism is engaged with the at least one notch. 
     The scope of this invention is defined by the claims appended hereafter, which are incorporated into this section by reference. A more complete understanding of embodiments of the present invention will be afforded to those skilled in the art, as well as a realization of additional advantages thereof, by a consideration of the following detailed description of one or more example embodiments. Reference will be made to the appended sheets of drawings that will first be described briefly, and within which like reference numerals are used to identify like elements illustrated in one or more of the figures thereof. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  is an upper, right side, rear perspective view of an example embodiment of a quick draw holster and associated handgun in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 1B  is an upper, left side, rear perspective view of the holster and gun; 
         FIG. 1C  is an upper, left side, front perspective view of the holster and gun; 
         FIG. 1D  is an upper, right side, front perspective view of the holster and gun; 
         FIG. 2A  is a left side elevation of an example embodiment of a holster adapter in accordance with the present invention, shown coupled to an associated handgun; 
         FIG. 2B  is an exploded left side elevation view of the holster and adapter of  FIG. 2A ; 
         FIGS. 3A-3E  are top plan, front end elevation, left side elevation, rear end elevation, and bottom plan views, respectively, of the example holster adapter of  FIGS. 2A and 2B ; 
         FIGS. 4A-4F  are top plan, left side elevation, rear end elevation, right side elevation, bottom plan, and front end elevation views, respectively, of the example holster; 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded lower, left side, rear perspective view of the holster and associated gun, showing constituent parts of the holster; 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded upper, left side perspective view of the holster, from which the associated gun has been omitted; 
         FIG. 7  is an exploded upper, right side perspective view of the holster; 
         FIG. 8  is a top plan view of the example holster adapter, showing details of example latching, release and ejection mechanisms useable in association therewith; 
         FIG. 9  is a left side elevation view of an alternative embodiment of a holster adapter in accordance with the present invention, shown coupled to another handgun; 
         FIGS. 10A-10E  are top plan, front end elevation, left side elevation, rear end elevation, and bottom plan views, respectively, of the alternative holster adapter of  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 11A  is a right side elevation view of an example embodiment of a holster in accordance with the present invention, showing the holster coupled to the belt of a wearer and carrying an associated handgun having an accessory mounted thereon; and 
         FIG. 11B  is a rear end elevation view of the holster, gun and accessory of  FIG. 11A . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In accordance with the present invention, holsters for hand guns are provided that enable guns to be carried securely on the person of a wearer, yet which also enable the gun and accessories to be drawn from the holster for use in a quick, safe and reliable manner. The secure holstering of the gun and its quick release from the holster also accommodate accessories mounted on the gun, such as silencers, flashlights and/or laser targeting devices, 
     The holsters are preferably chest mounted, more preferably in a concealed fashion, but can also be carried on a high or a low belt rig. The holsters of the present invention can be used on a wide variety of hand held guns, although their internal mechanisms remain substantially similar. To accommodate different handguns, the shape and size of the constituent parts can be easily varied during their manufacture. As an alternative to using discrete “billet” parts, the holster housing may be manufactured using a molding process. 
     An embodiment of a quick draw holster  10  in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in the perspective views of  FIGS. 1A-1D , where it is shown carrying an associated handgun  1 . In the particular embodiment illustrated, the associated gun  1  comprises, as an example, a Glock semiautomatic pistol. However, as will become clear in the following description, the holster  10  can easily be modified to accommodate a wide variety of other types of pistols, such as the Colt M1911 pistol, the H&amp;K P7 and USP pistols, the Steyr M series pistols, the Smith &amp; Wesson MP series pistols, and many others, as well. 
     As illustrated in, e.g.,  FIGS. 2A ,  2 B and  3 A- 3 E, the holsters  10  of the present invention utilize a holster adapter  12  that serves as an interface between the holster  10  and the associated gun  1 . Thus, no direct contact occurs between the holster  10  and the associated gun  1 . Rather, the holster  10  holds, retains and ejects the gun  1  through the agency of the adaptor  12 . As may be seen in  FIGS. 2A ,  2 B and  3 A- 3 E, the example adapter  12  illustrated, which is configured to couple the holster  10  to the Glock pistol discussed above, incorporates a generally U-shaped cross-section configured to be coupled to a lower surface of a front end portion of the gun&#39;s receiver  2 . The adapter  12  has opposite side walls  14 , each of which has one of a pair of forwardly extending longitudinal lands  16  disposed thereon. Each land  16  incorporates a notch  18  disposed in a lateral edge thereof that can be used as discussed below to retain the adapter  12 , and hence the gun  1 , in the holster  10 . In some embodiments, the front and rear ends of the longitudinal lands  16  can incorporate ramp features  20  that can facilitate interaction with the retaining and/or ejector mechanisms described in more detail below. 
     As those of some skill in the art will appreciate, some handguns  1 , such as the example Glock illustrated in the figures above, incorporate a pair of longitudinal grooves  22  (see  FIG. 2B ) on the lower surface of a front end portion of the gun&#39;s receiver  2  that defines a mounting rail  24  for mounting an accessory, such as lights or a laser sighting devices of a known type. As illustrated in the cross-sectional views of the adapter  12  in  FIGS. 3B and 3D , the adapter  12  can utilize these features for coupling the adapter  12  to the gun  1  by incorporating complementary rail-receiving grooves  26  on the interior walls of the adapter  12 , then reproduce the accessory mounting rail  24  of the gun  1  with a similar mounting rail  28  disposed on the lower surface of the adapter  12 . In this manner, the functionality of the accessory mounting rail  24  on the gun  1  is preserved. 
     Indeed, as discussed below in connection with the alternative adapter  86  and gun  7  embodiment of  FIG. 9 , the holster adapters of the present invention can be used to provide an accessory mounting feature, such the mounting rail  28 , on guns  7  of a type that do not ordinarily include an accessory mounting feature. Thus, in some embodiments, the holster adapter  12  can serve two purposes, viz., adapting the gun  1  to the holster  10 , and providing the gun  1  with an accessory mounting feature. 
     Turning now to the example holster  10  itself,  FIGS. 4A-4F  illustrate the holster  10  in an assembled form, and the exploded views of  FIGS. 5-7  illustrate its constituent parts and their relative arrangement. With reference to these figures, the example holster  10  can be seen to comprise a generally  -shaped housing having a pair of side walls or plates  30  and  32  held in spaced opposition to each other by a top plate or spacer wall  34  coupled between corresponding upper edges thereof. It will be appreciated that elements  30 ,  32 , and  34  comprise plates in a “billet” embodiment such that the plates would then be fastened, glued, or welded together to form the housing. In contrast, elements  30 ,  32 , and  34  comprise walls in a molded housing embodiment. As used herein, the term “wall” will refer to either molded or billet embodiments. The remaining description will refer to these elements as “plates” but it will be appreciated that molded embodiments are within the scope of the disclosure. In that regard, holster  10  may comprise metal, polymer, or fiber components. For descriptive purposes, the side plate  30  is sometimes referred to herein as the “left” or “medial” side plate  30 , as it is disposed closest to the medial plane of a wearer when the holster is worn on the wearer&#39;s hip, as illustrated in  FIGS. 11A and 11B , whereas, the side plate  32  is sometimes referred to as the “right” or “distal” side plate  32 . 
     As illustrated in, e.g.,  FIGS. 4F , and  5 - 7 , each of the two side plate  30  and  32  has an interior surface containing one of a pair of forwardly extending longitudinal grooves  36  disposed therein, each of which is configured to receive a corresponding one of the longitudinal lands  16  of the adapter  12  in a slide-in engagement. Additionally, as discussed above, rather than rely on a simple but less reliable flap or “over-center” latching mechanism to retain the gun  1  in the holster  10 , it is desirable to provide a more “positive” latching mechanism in the holster  10  that acts on the adapter  12  for that purpose, and consequently, it is also desirable to provide a convenient, reliable and quick-acting release mechanism for selectably releasing the gun  1  from the holster  10 . 
       FIG. 8  is a top plan view of the holster  10  in which all components of the holster  10 , including the two side plates  30  and  32  and the top plate  34 , have been omitted for purposes of illustrating the latching and release mechanisms. As illustrated in  FIG. 8 , in some embodiments, the latching mechanism can comprise an elongated pawl  38  that is pivotally disposed within a recess  40  in the medial or left side plate  30  of the housing and aligned with the longitudinal groove  36  therein. The pawl  38  can be captivated in the recess  40  by, e.g., a front-medial side cover plate  42  coupled to the left or medial side of the medial plate  30  (see, e.g.,  FIGS. 5-7 ) for pivotal movement in the direction indicated by the arrows  43 . 
     The pawl  38  has a front end  44  that is resiliently biased, e.g., by a spring  46 , into the adjacent longitudinal groove  36 , an opposing rear end  48 , and a ramp  50  disposed on a lateral surface thereof. The ramp  50  is configured to engage a front end of a corresponding one of the lands  16  of the adapter  12 , and as a result, to pivot the front end  44  of the pawl  38  out of the adjacent longitudinal groove  36  when the corresponding land  16  is slid forwardly into the groove  36 . In some embodiments, a stop mechanism, such as the roll pin  51  shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , can be included in the holster  10  housing to prevent the adapter  12  from sliding past a front end of the housing. 
     Thus, when the adapter  12  (and hence, the lands  16  and a gun  1  coupled to the adapter  12 ) are slid forwardly into the holster  10  such that the longitudinal lands  16  of the adaptor  12  slide into corresponding ones of the longitudinal grooves  36 , a front end of the land  16  adjacent to the pawl  38  urges the front end  44  of the pawl  38  to the side, thereby allowing the lands  16  of the adapter  12  to proceed further into the longitudinal grooves  36  in the side plates  30  and  32 , until the notch  18  in the lateral edge of the land  16  adjacent to the pawl  38  is positioned adjacent to the front end  44  of the pawl  38 , at which point, the front end  44  of the pawl  38  pivots back into the adjacent longitudinal groove  36  so as engage the notch  18  in the land  16  of the adapter  12  and prevent the withdrawal of the adapter  12  (and hence, a gun  1  coupled to it) from the holster  10  until the latching mechanism is intentionally released with a release mechanism. Notch  18  and land  16  thus form a ratchet that engages pawl  38 . 
     An example embodiment of such a release mechanism is also illustrated in  FIG. 8 . As shown in  FIG. 8 , the example release mechanism can comprise a push rod  52  that is slidably disposed in, e.g., a channel  54  defined between a medial wall of the medial side plate  30  and a rear-medial side cover plate  56  (see, e.g.,  FIGS. 6 and 7 ) for fore and aft movement behind the pawl  38 . As illustrated in, e.g.,  FIG. 8 , the push rod  52  has a front end with a chamfer  58  disposed thereon. The chamfer  58  is configured to pivot the front end  44  of the pawl  38  out of the adjacent longitudinal groove  36  in the direction of the arrow  43  when it is pushed into engagement with a complementary chamfer  60  disposed on the rear end  48  of the pawl  38 . This causes the front end  44  of the pawl  38  to pivot out of engagement with the notch  18  in the adjacent land  16  of the adapter  12 , thereby enabling the adapter  12  (and hence, a gun  1  coupled to it) to be withdrawn from the holster  10 . 
     In the particular example embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 8 , a thumb actuated push button  62  is slidably disposed on the medial side plate  30  for fore and aft movement behind the push rod  52 . The push button  62  has a forwardly protruding boss  64  with a front end disposed behind the push rod  52 . The front end of the boss  64  is configured to engage a rear end of the push rod  52  and to urge the push rod  52  forward when the push button  62  is pressed by the user&#39;s thumb, thereby unlatching the adapter  12  for withdrawal from the holster  10 . As illustrated in, e.g.,  FIGS. 5-8 , in some embodiments, the thumb actuated push button  62  can be surrounded for protection against dirt or accidental actuation by a push button cover shroud  63  coupled to the side plate  30  and configured to cover at least two sides of the push button  62 . A spring  65  disposed between the shroud  63  and the push button  62  can be used to bias the push button  62  in a rearward direction. 
     As discussed above, it is desirable for the holster  10  to provide for a very short “draw” of the gun  1  therefrom, and this is particularly so when an elongated accessory, such as a silencer or a laser is coupled to the muzzle or receiver  2  of the gun  1 . In some embodiments of the present invention, this can be effected by an ejector mechanism that enables the adapter  12 , and hence, a gun  1  coupled to it, to be ejected from the bottom of the holster  10  after a rearward (or upward, if the holster  10  is being worn on the wearer&#39;s hip) draw or pull of the gun  1  of only about 0.5 inch. 
     As illustrated in, e.g.,  FIGS. 5-8 , in some embodiments, the “quick draw” ejector mechanism can comprise a slot  66  formed in the lower edge of each of the side plates  30  and  32  that extends between the lower edge of the plate and the longitudinal groove  36  therein. As illustrated in, e.g.,  FIG. 8 , an elongated ejector cam  68  can be pivotally disposed within a recess  70  in one of the side plates, for example, in a recess  70  formed between a distal side surface of the distal side plate  32  and a distal side cover plate  72  disposed thereon, and held thereby in alignment with the adjacent longitudinal groove  36 . The ejector cam  68  can have a front end  74  that is resiliently biased into the adjacent longitudinal groove  36 . In some embodiments, this can be effected by a spring, as in the case of the latching pawl  38  discussed above. In another advantageous embodiment, the ejector cam  68  can be fabricated of a thermoplastic material having high stiffness, low friction and good dimensional stability, such as polyoxymethylene (e.g., DuPont Delrin) such that ejector cam  68  itself provides the resilience which enables it to be pushed out of the way as the gun is holstered. 
     In some embodiments, the distal side cover plate  72  can also be provided with a lower extension  73  configured to cover a trigger  3  and/or a trigger guard  4  of the gun  1  (see  FIGS. 2A ,  2 B) when the gun  1  is disposed in the holster  10 , as illustrated in  FIGS. 11A and 11B . The extension  73  on the cover plate  72  can serve to prevent accidental contact with the trigger  3  of the gun  1  by the user when the gun  1  is being carried in the holster  10 . 
     The front end  74  of the ejector cam  68  can include first and second ramps  76  and  78  respectively disposed on upper and lower surfaces thereof. The first ramp  76  can be configured to engage a front end of a corresponding one of the longitudinal lands  16  of the adapter  12  and to push the front end  74  of the ejector cam  68  laterally and out of the corresponding longitudinal groove  36  (in the direction of the arrow  75  in  FIG. 8 ) when the corresponding land  16  is slid forwardly into the groove  36 , thereby enabling the adapter  12  to bypass the ejector cam  68 . The front end  74  of the cam  68  will then snaps back resiliently into the longitudinal groove  36  when the notch  18  of the corresponding land  16  is disposed adjacent to the front end  74  of the cam. 
     With respect to the ejection of the gun from the holster, as the adapter  12  and corresponding land  16  is then slid rearwardly in the corresponding longitudinal groove  36 , the second ramp  78  on the lower surface of the front end  74  of the ejector cam  68  can be configured to engage a rear edge of the notch  18  in the lateral edge of the corresponding land  16  of the adapter  12 , and thereby urge the adapter  12  (and hence, a gun  1  coupled to it) through the slots  66  at the lower edges of the side plates  30  and  32  and in a direction generally perpendicular to the longitudinal grooves  36  therein, i.e., through the bottom opening of the holster  10 . In some embodiments, this ejection of the gun  1  can be effected by a rearward “draw” or “pull” of the gun  1  of only about 0.5 inch. 
     Advantageously, the adapter  12  and associated gun  1  can be inserted into the holster  10  via the same path by which it is ejected from the holster  10 , i.e., into the bottom opening of the holster  10 , through the slots  66  on the lower edges of the side plates  30  and  32 , and thence, forwardly into the holster  10 . This enables the gun  1  to be inserted into the holster  10  in two ways, i.e., through the rear of the holster  10  or through the bottom of the holster  10 , as above. 
     Accordingly, a method embodiment for using the holster  10  of the present invention can comprise the steps of first coupling the adapter  12  to the gun  1 , and then inserting the gun  1  and adapter  12  into the holster  10  such that the lands  16  of the adapter  12  are slidably received in corresponding ones of the longitudinal grooves  36  of the side plates  30  and  32  and the latching pawl  38  is engaged with a notch  18  in one of the lands  16  of the adapter  12 . 
     As discussed above, the step of inserting the gun  1  and adapter  12  can comprise either 1) inserting the gun  1  and adapter  13  into a rear end of the holster  10  such that respective ones of front ends of the lands  16  of the adapter  12  enter into corresponding ones of rear ends of the longitudinal grooves  36  of the side plates  30  and  32 , or alternatively, 2) inserting the gun land adapter  13  into the bottom end of the holster  10  such that respective ones of front portions of the lands  16  of the adapter  12  pass through corresponding ones of the slots  66  of the side plates  30  and  32  and until an upper surface of each land  16  is in abutment with an upper surface of a corresponding one of the longitudinal grooves  36 , and then sliding the gun  1  and adapter  12  forwardly in the grooves  36 . 
     As illustrated in, e.g.,  FIG. 4E , as an aid to inserting the gun  1  and adapter  12  into the rear end of the holster  10  (or the “top” end thereof if the holster  10  is being worn upright on the wearer&#39;s hip), the medial and distal side plates  30  and  32  can be provided with inwardly sloping surfaces  80  on respective ones of the rear ends thereof, and the top or spacer plate  34  can include an elongated slot  82  having an enlarged entryway  84  extending forwardly in a lower surface thereof, the slot  82  and entryway  84  being adapted to receive a blade sight  5  (see  FIGS. 8A ,  8 B) disposed on a front end of an upper surface of the slide  6  of the gun  1  in a slide in engagement. 
     As discussed above, embodiments of the holster  10  of the present invention can be used with a wide variety of handgun types. For example,  FIG. 9  illustrates an alternative embodiment of a holster adapter  86 , shown coupled to a lower surface of a front end portion of the receiver of another type of handgun  7 , viz., a Colt M1911 pistol. As may be seen in the various elevation and plan views of the alternative adapter  86  in  FIGS. 10A-10E , the adapter  86  can incorporate several of the features of the adapter  12  of  FIGS. 3A-3E , such as the accessory mounting rail  28  and longitudinal lands  16  of the latter, as well as some additional features not found on the adapter  12 , such as a positioning and mounting cup  88  disposed at the rear of the adapter  86  that is configured to enable the adapter to mount to the front surface of the trigger guard of the gun  7 . 
       FIGS. 11A and 11B  are right side and rear end elevation view of an example embodiment of a holster  10  in accordance with the present invention, showing the holster  10  coupled to the belt  9  of a wearer and carrying an associated handgun  1  having an accessory, viz., a laser sighting device  8 , mounted thereon. As illustrated in these figures, the holster can include a belt loop structure  90  coupled to a proximal side of the holster  10 , e.g., to the rear-proximal side cover plate  56 , to enable the holster  10  to be worn on a belt  9 . 
     The foregoing description is presented so as to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention. For purposes of explication, specific nomenclature has been set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosure. However, it should be understood that the descriptions of specific embodiments or applications provided herein are provided only by way of some example embodiments of the invention, and not by way of any limitations thereof. Indeed, various modifications to the embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention should not be limited to the particular embodiments illustrated and described herein, but rather, should be accorded the widest possible scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein.