Patent Publication Number: US-10330435-B2

Title: Holster with safety activation

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A typical holster for a weapon such as a handgun or an electric discharge weapon includes a body portion defining a chamber having an opening. A muzzle portion of the weapon is inserted through the opening into the chamber. The weapon is thereby received and supported in the body portion of the holster. 
     Holsters with pivoting (rotating) hoods are known. The hood is supported on the body portion of the holster for pivotal movement relative to the body portion between (i) an open position uncovering the opening and thereby allowing the weapon to be inserted into the body portion, and (ii) a closed position extending across the opening arid thereby blocking removal of the weapon from the body portion. Closing the hood in this manner aids in retention of the weapon in the holster. One such type of hood is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,769,581, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference. 
     Many weapons that can be holstered have a “safety”, that is, a manually engageable member on the weapon that must be moved from an activated (or “on”) position to a released (or “off”) position, in order for the weapon to be fired. It is often desired that the safety be in the “safety on” position when the weapon is in the holster, to minimize chance of accidental discharge. Other holsterable weapons, such as an electrical discharge weapon (“EDW” one brand of which is Taser), might additionally or alternatively have a different type of “actuator”, for example an electrical on/off switch, which desirably is in the “off” position when the weapon is holstered. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the invention, a holster for a weapon that has a movable actuator includes a body portion with an opening for receiving the weapon. A movable holster part is supported on the body portion of the holster for movement relative to the body portion between an open position allowing the weapon to be removed from the body portion of the holster and a closed position blocking removal of the weapon from the body portion of the holster. The movable holster part has an engagement portion that engages the actuator of the weapon when the movable holster part is moved from the open position to the closed position at a time when the weapon is located in the body portion of the holster. In one embodiment, the movable holster part is a pivoting hood; the act of securing the weapon in the holster by closing the hood automatically ensures that the weapon&#39;s safety is on. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Further features of the invention will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains from a reading of the following description of an embodiment of the invention together with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective illustration from above of a weapon about to be inserted into a holster that is an embodiment of the present invention, showing the weapon&#39;s safety in the off position and the holster&#39;s hood in the open position; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective illustration similar to  FIG. 1  showing the weapon inserted into the holster and the hood still in the open position; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective illustration from below showing the weapon inserted into the holster and the hood still in the open position; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective illustration from below showing the weapon inserted into the holster, with the hood in the closed position having moved the weapon&#39;s safety to the on or actuated position; and 
         FIG. 5  is an end view from the direction of the weapon&#39;s muzzle showing the hood up; and 
         FIGS. 6 and 7  are schematic illustrations of the operation of the holster hood in moving the weapon&#39;s safety to the on position. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a holster. In particular, the present invention relates to a holster that includes structure for selectively moving an actuator of a weapon in the holster. The invention is applicable to holsters of varying and different constructions. As representative of the invention,  FIG. 1  illustrates a holster  10  that is a first embodiment of the invention. 
     The holster  10  includes generally a body portion  12  and a hood  30 . The body portion  12  of the holster  10  has a chamber  14  for receiving a weapon  16 , and an opening  18  into the chamber. The weapon  16  may be inserted through the opening  18  so that a portion of the weapon including the muzzle is received in the chamber  14 , thereby to support the weapon in the holster  10 . 
     Typically, each holster  10  is configured to receive a particular brand or model of weapon  16 . For example, a holster  10  can be configured to receive a particular model of a Glock pistol, or a particular model of a Taser brand EDW. The particular holster  10  that is shown in the drawings is configured to receive a Taser Model No. x26p weapon  16 . The invention is applicable to many if not all such holsters. 
     The hood  30  is supported on the body portion  12  of the holster  10 . The hood  30  is a part of the holster  10  that is movable to a position extending across the opening  18  into the chamber  14 , to at least partially block removal of the weapon  16  from the holster  10 . The hood  30  in the illustrated embodiment is a semi-rigid, generally U-shaped strap having a central portion  32  and two legs  34  and  36  that extend generally parallel to each other. 
     The outer ends of the legs  34  and  36  are connected with the holster body  12  to support the hood  30  for pivotal movement relative to the holster. The hood  30  is pivotable relative to the Holster body portion  12  between (i) an open position ( FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 ) uncovering the opening  18  and thereby allowing the weapon  16  to be inserted into the body portion, and (ii) a closed position ( FIGS. 4 and 4 ) extending across the opening  18 . When the hood  30  is in the closed position, the central portion  32  of the hood  30  extends across the opening  18  to help block removal of the weapon  16  from the holster  10 . 
     The weapon  16  has a safety  40 . The term “safety” in this art is sometimes used to refer to the entire mechanism of the weapon  16  that blocks firing of the weapon, and is sometime used to refer to the actuatable physical part on the exterior of the weapon that controls said mechanism. In this case, the safety  40  is a pivotable lever that is movable between a first or “safety on” position ( FIGS. 4 and 7 ) in which the safety is activated or engaged so that the weapon  16  cannot be fired, and a second or “safety off” position ( FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 ) in which the safety is released or disengaged so that the weapon can be fired. A similar lever (not shown) is located on the opposite side of the weapon  16 . 
     In accordance with the present invention, the holster  10  includes a feature that helps the user to ensure that the safety  40  is on (activated) when the weapon  16  is secured in the holster and the hood  30  is closed. Specifically, the hood  30  includes an engagement portion as described below that moves into engagement with the safety  40  when the hood is pivoted from the open position toward the closed position. When the hood  30  moves into the closed position, the engagement portion  42  of the hood pushes the safety  40  into the “safety on” position. 
     More specifically, the hood  30  includes an engagement portion in the form of a boss  42  that is located on the inside of one leg  36  of the hood  30 . The boss  42  projects inward from the leg  36 , in a direction toward the opposite leg  34  of the hood  30 . The position of the boss  42  on the hood  30  is selected to cause the boss to pivotally move into and through the volume of space that is occupied by the safety lever  40  when the weapon  16  is in the holster  10 . In the illustrated embodiment, the boss  42  is a separate element that is physically secured to the hood  30  for movement with the hood. Alternatively, the boss  42  could be formed as one piece with the hood  30 . 
     This operation can be seen in a comparison of the several Figures of the drawings. In  FIG. 1 , the hood  30  is in the open position, and the weapon  16  is in the process of being inserted into the chamber  14  in the holster, through the opening  18 . The weapon&#39;s safety  40  is in the “safety off” position. In  FIGS. 2, 3 and 5 , the weapon  16  has been inserted into the chamber  14  of the holster, and the hood  30  is still in the open position, that is, not extending across the opening  18 . The weapon&#39;s safety  40  remains in the “safety off” position. 
     In  FIG. 4 , the weapon  16  is in the chamber  14  of the holster, and the hood  30  has been pivoted from the open position to the closed position. During this pivoting movement, the boss  42  on the hood  30  has engaged the safety  40  and has moved it to the “safety on” position. As a result, not only is the hood  30  in the closed position extending across the holster opening  18  and blocking removal of the weapon  16  from the holster, but also the weapon&#39;s safety  40  has been actuated. This operation is also illustrated schematically in a comparison of  FIGS. 6 and 7 . 
     Another benefit of the present invention accrues to some electrically powered weapons, particularly electronic discharge weapons. In these weapons, moving the safety to the “safety on” position also ensures that the electrically powered elements of the weapon are off; thus, the battery is not drained. Furthermore, the invention is usable in holsters that have a safety device (distinct from the hood) for securing the weapon in place in the holster to inhibit unauthorized or accidental withdrawal of a handgun from a holster. A wide variety of such safety devices exist to inhibit withdrawal of a handgun from a holster by anyone other than the user. One such safety device is disclosed in Applicant&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. 7,694,860, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The safety device shown in said patent is compatible with the pivoting hood of the embodiment illustrated herein. 
     The present invention is not limited to the particular physical embodiment that is shown and described. Thus, the invention can he embodied in holsters for weapons that have other types of safeties, such as safeties that slide rather than pivot, or safeties that are moved inward in addition to laterally. The invention can also be embodied in holsters for weapons that have other types of movable members, for example, an on/off switch. Any such movable member can be considered to be an “actuator” whose position is changed by the movement of the hood as described herein. Further, the invention is not limited to the use of a “hood” as shown, and can include the use of other movable parts.