Patent Publication Number: US-2007095869-A1

Title: Method and apparatus for securing gun holster on belt

Description:
This invention relates to holsters.  
      More particularly, the invention relates to a holster that is configured to be securely mounted on the belt of an individual.  
      A gun holster can include one or more straps that are mounted on the holster and that are wrapped around a user&#39;s belt in order to secure the holster on the belt. One such conventional strap  11  is illustrated in  FIG. 1 . Strap  17  includes the top member  12  of a snap. Top member  12  is mounted on one end  16  of strap  17 . Strap  17  wraps around a user&#39;s belt in the manner illustrated in  FIG. 2 , and top member  12  detachably snaps onto its associated bottom member  13 . Rivet  14  secures the other end  15  of strap  17  to one flange or wing  40  of holster  10 . The problem associated with strap  17  is illustrated in  FIG. 2 . The problem is that the strap pivots in the direction of arrow B about the snap  12  when the user attempts to remove a gun  60  from the holster  10 . This pivoting of strap  17  makes the holster  10  unstable and makes it difficult to remove the gun  60 .  
      Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide an improved strap apparatus for anchoring in fixed position a holster to an individual&#39;s belt when the individual is withdrawing a weapon from the holster.  
      Therefore, it is a principal object of the invention to provide an improved holster system.  
      Another object of the invention is to provide an improved holster that can be secured to a user&#39;s belt and maintain its position on the belt when a weapon is withdrawn from the holster. 
    
    
      These and other, further and more specific objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those of skill in the art from the following detailed description thereof, taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:  
       FIG. 1  is a front view illustrating a holster system including a strap anchoring system constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention; and,  
       FIG. 2  is a front view illustrating the mode of operation of the strap anchoring system of  FIG. 1 . 
    
    
      Briefly, in accordance with the invention, I provide, in combination with a belt worn by an individual, an improved gun holster. The holster includes a pocket shaped and dimensioned to receive removably a gun; first and second flanges extending outwardly from the pocket; and, first and second straps. Each strap includes a first end; a second end attached to a different one of the flanges; a first snap member attached to the first end; a second snap member attached to the strap intermediate the first and second end and operatively associated with and removably attachable to the first snap member; a tooth formed on a pair including one of the flanges and the strap; and, an opening formed in the strap intermediate the first snap member and the second snap member and shaped to receive the tooth. The strap is shaped and dimensioned to extend around the user&#39;s belt such that the first snap member is attached to the second snap member and the tooth extends into the opening.  
      Turning now the drawings, which depict the presently preferred embodiments of the invention for the purpose of illustration thereof, and not by way of limitation of the invention, and in which like characters refer to corresponding elements throughout the several views,  FIG. 1  illustrates a holster system including a strap  27 . Strap  27  includes the top member  22  of a snap. Top member  22  is mounted on one end  26  of strap  27 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , strap  27  wraps around the belt  50  of a user, and top member  22  snaps onto its associated bottom member  23 . Rivet  24  secures the other end  25  of strap  27  to flange or wing  41  of holster  10 .  
      Tooth  30  is affixed to and downwardly extends from flange  41  or end  25  of strap  27 . Aperture  31  is formed in and through strap  27  and is shaped and dimensioned to slidably removably receive tooth  30 . Strap  27  is shaped and dimensioned, and, aperture  31  is formed through strap  27  intermediate members  22  and  23 , such that when strap  27  is wrapped around a belt  50  worn by a user and member  22  is detachably snapped on to member  23 , aperture  31  is in registration with and slidably receives tooth  30 . Aperture  31  and tooth  30  collectively function to secure in position the portion of strap  27  overlaying rivet  24  and end  25  so that when a gun is removed from holster  10 , strap  27  does not pivot and move in the direction of arrow B in the manner illustrated for strap  17 . In use of the invention, strap  17  is replaced by a strap that is equivalent to strap  27  and utilizes a tooth mounted on flange  40  or on one end of the strap in the same manner that tooth  30  is mounted on flange  41  or on end  25  of strap  27 . Straps  27  designed in accordance with the invention stabilize holster  10  on belt  50  and generally prevent holster  10  from moving independently of belt  50  when an individual draws a weapon out of holster  10 .  
      In  FIG. 1 , end  25  is fixedly attached with rivet  24  to the bottom  32  of flange  41  and is at the front of flange  41 . In an alternate embodiment of the invention, end  25  is fixedly attached to the top  33  and front of flange  41  with a rivet, and tooth  30  extends outwardly and upwardly from the upper edge  34  of flange  41  instead of from the bottom of flange  41 . In  FIG. 1 , tooth  30  extends outwardly from the bottom of flange  41 . When end  25  is attached with a rivet, stitching, or other fastening means to top  33  at the front of flange  41 , then the portion of strap  27  with member  23  is positioned at and extends over the back of flange  41  instead of extending over the front of flange  41 . In  FIG. 1 , member  23  is positioned at the front of flange  41 . When end  25  is attached to top  33  in the manner described just above in this paragraph, then when strap  27  wraps around a user&#39;s belt in the direction generally indicated by arrows A and wraps around flange  41 , aperture  31  is in registration with tooth  30 , tooth  30  extends through aperture  31 , and member  22  snaps onto member  23  at the back of flange  41 .  
      In  FIG. 1 , end  25  is fixedly attached with rivet  24  to the bottom  32  of flange  41  and is at the front of flange  41 . In an alternate embodiment of the invention, end  25  is fixedly attached to the top  33  and back of flange  41  with a rivet, and tooth  30  extends outwardly and upwardly from the upper edge  34  of flange  41  instead of from the bottom of flange  41 . When end  25  is attached with a rivet, stitching, or other fastening means to top  33  at the back of flange  41 , then the portion of strap  27  with member  23  is positioned at and extends over the back of flange  41  instead of extending over the front of flange  41 . When end  25  is attached to top  33  in the manner described just above in this paragraph, then when strap  27  wraps around a user&#39;s belt in the direction generally indicated by arrows A and wraps around flange  41 , aperture  31  is in registration with tooth  30 , tooth  30  extends through aperture  31 , and member  22  snaps onto member  23  at the back of flange  41 .  
      In  FIG. 1 , end  25  is fixedly attached with rivet  24  to the bottom  32  of flange  41  and is at the front of flange  41 . In an alternate embodiment of the invention, end  25  is fixedly attached to the bottom  32  and back of flange  41  with a rivet or other fastening means, and tooth  30  extends downwardly and outwardly from the bottom  32  of flange  41 . When end  25  is attached with a rivet, stitching, or other fastening means to bottom  32  at the back of flange  41 , then the portion of strap  27  with member  23  is positioned at and extends over the front of flange  41 . When end  25  is attached to bottom  32  at the back of flange  41  the manner just described above in this paragraph, then when strap  27  wraps around a user&#39;s belt in the direction generally indicated by arrows A and wraps around flange  41 , aperture  31  is in registration with tooth  30 , tooth  30  extends through aperture  31 , and member  22  snaps onto member  23  at the front of flange  41 .  
      In  FIG. 1 , when strap  27  is wrapped around a user&#39;s belt and member  22  is snapped on to member  23 , a portion of strap extends over itself, namely, the portion of strap  27  extending from aperture  31  to member  22  extends over the portion of strap  27  extending from rivet  24  to member  23 . In another embodiment of the invention, strap  27  can be shorter and one portion of strap  27  need not extend over another portion of strap  27  when strap  27  is wrapped around a user&#39;s belt and is wrapped around flange  41  in the manner generally illustrated in  FIG. 2 . In this other embodiment of the invention, end  25  of strap  27  is fastened to the top  34  of flange  41  (at either the front or back of flange  41 ), and member  23  is fastened directly to the middle of the front of flange  41 . When strap  27  is wrapped around a user&#39;s belt, strap  27  extends (1) from end  25 , (2) down along the back of flange  41 , (3) around the bottom edge of flange  41 , (4) over tooth  30  at the bottom of flange  41  (with aperture  31  in registration with tooth  30  and tooth  30  extending through aperture  31 ), and (5) up and over the lower portion of the front of flange  41  so that member  22  snaps on to member  23 .  
      In each embodiment of the invention described above, strap  27  extends completely across and over a user&#39;s belt, and tooth  30  engages an aperture  31  formed in strap  27  at a point intermediate ends  25  and  26 . Member  23  can be secured to strap  27  at a point intermediate ends  25  and  26 , or can be secured directly to flange  41 . However, securing member  23  directly to the back of flange  41  at a point that would be beneath a belt  50  extending over the back of flange  41  normally is not practical or desirable. Similarly, if a belt  50  extends over the front of flange  41 , securing member  23  directly to the front of flange  41  at a point that would be beneath the belt  50  normally is not practical or desirable in the use of the invention.