Patent Description:
In many cases there is a need for a holder device for holding objects. For example, publication <CIT> describes a holder device for an electronic apparatus such as a cellular phone. The holder device described in <CIT> comprises a receiver that may capture one end of the apparatus, and a latch for holding the apparatus in its place. The receiver may engage five of the six sides of the apparatus. The holder device may have a belt clip and/or other means for attaching the holder device to a user's body or clothing. The holder device described in <CIT> may be oriented in several different positions while keeping the apparatus in the holder device. The holder device described in <CIT> can rotate <NUM> degrees while keeping the apparatus securely held until a user removes the apparatus. The holder device described in <CIT> may be designed to work in conjunction with a removable case. The removable case may be a protective case that includes features that may engage matching features in the holder device. The matching features may include latch receptacles as well as a shape configured to fit into the receiver of the holder device.

A challenge concerning many holder devices of the kind described above is related to situations in which one or more objects being held by the holder device should be removable easily by using one hand only. A situation of the kind mentioned above can be present for example in conjunction with holder devices for carrying cartridges. A user, e.g. a hunter, needs one hand for carrying a gun, and therefore the cartridges must be removable from the holder device by using one hand only. Nevertheless, the holder device must securely and reliably hold the cartridges, even if the cartridges are easily removable from the holder device with one hand only. In many cases, secure and reliable holding and easy removal are factors which contradict each other, and thus there can be a need for a compromise with respect to these factors.

Publication <CIT> describes a firearm that has a frame with an interchangeable barrel that is mounted to the frame through a tool-less knockdown pin. The barrel has ports in a smooth-bore section and no ports in a rifled-bore section, and the ports are progressively spaced, with the ports closest to the rifled-bore section having a greater distance between the ports than the ports closest to the muzzle. Preferably, the firearm is a multi-chamber design such as a revolver with a firing cylinder or a multi-barrel breech-loader that holds multiple rounds of ammunition together with a storage-firing clip while stored in an ammunition compartment and also when loaded into the firing chambers and discharged by the firearm. The frame has a trigger mechanism that includes a block assembly with a wedge block that translates on a guide rod and a disconnect block that is supported by a disconnect rest.

The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of various invention embodiments. The following summary merely presents some concepts of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to a more detailed description of exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments.

In this document, the word "geometric" when used as a prefix means a geometric concept that is not necessarily a part of any physical object. The geometric concept can be for example a geometric point, a straight or curved geometric line, a geometric plane, a non-planar geometric surface, a geometric space, or any other geometric entity that is zero, one, two, or three dimensional.

In accordance with the invention according to claim <NUM>, there is provided a new holder device for holding one or more objects such as for example cartridges. The holder device can be for example a portable device which can be e.g. carried on a belt of a user or otherwise attached to clothing of the user. It is also possible that a holder device according to an embodiment is installed on a vehicle or on a fixed structure such as a wall of a building.

A holder device according to the invention comprises:.

The carrier element comprises two wall sections parallel with and a distance away from each other and an intermediate section connected to the wall sections. The wall sections and the intermediate section constitute a trough having a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the first direction, a wider area closer to a bottom of the trough, and a narrower area farther from the bottom of the trough. As the trough has the wider area closer to the bottom and the narrower area farther from the bottom, the holder device can utilize a flange, a dove tail shape, or some other shape of the object to be held for holding the object. A rim of the holder body is configured to close at least the wider area of the trough when the carrier element is in the first position to prevent the one or more objects from moving in the longitudinal direction to and from the trough, and the wider area of the trough is farther in a second direction opposite to the first direction than the rim of the holder body when the carrier element is in the second position to allow the one or more objects to be moved in the longitudinal direction to and from the trough.

An object can be removed from the holder device by first drawing the object in the above-mentioned second direction or otherwise moving the carrier element so that the carrier element gets into the second position and then sliding the object in the above-mentioned longitudinal direction out from the trough. Thus, the removal is based on movements in two directions that are non-parallel, i.e. intersecting with each other, namely the second direction and the longitudinal direction of the trough. The object is securely held by the holder device because removal of the object from the holder device requires movements in the two non-parallel directions. An object can be supplied to the holder device by first moving the carrier element into the above-mentioned second position, then sliding the object into the trough in the longitudinal direction of the trough, and then releasing the carrier element to allow the force generating system to move the carrier element into the above-mentioned first position.

Exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments are described in accompanied dependent claims.

Various exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments both as to constructions and to methods of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments of the invention and their advantages are explained in greater detail below in the sense of examples and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:.

The specific examples provided in the description below should not be construed as limiting the scope and/or the applicability of the accompanied claims. Lists and groups of examples provided in the description are not exhaustive unless otherwise explicitly stated.

<FIG> shows a holder device <NUM> according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment. Furthermore, <FIG> shows objects <NUM> and <NUM> that can be held by the holder device <NUM>. In this exemplifying case, the objects <NUM> and <NUM> are cartridges of a shotgun but it is to be noted that many different objects can be hold by the holder device <NUM>. For example, <FIG> shows an exemplifying situation in which a holder device <NUM> according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment is used for holding/carrying a bottle <NUM>.

<FIG> shows a situation in which the objects <NUM> and <NUM> are held by the holder device. <FIG> show sections of the holder device <NUM> taken along lines A1-A1 and A2-A2 shown in <FIG>, respectively. In <FIG>, the geometric section plane is parallel with the xz-plane of a coordinate system <NUM>. In <FIG>, the geometric section plane is parallel with the yz-plane of the coordinate system <NUM>. Section surfaces are depicted as cross-hatched areas in the accompanying figures.

The holder device <NUM> comprises a holder body <NUM> and a carrier element <NUM> that is linearly moveable with respect to the holder body <NUM> and suitable for holding the objects <NUM> and <NUM>. The carrier element <NUM> is linearly movable in parallel with the z-axis of the coordinate system <NUM>. The holder device <NUM> comprises a force generating system configured to generate force tending to move the carrier element <NUM> in a first direction to a first position with respect to the holder body <NUM> when the carrier element <NUM> is in a second position away from the first position. The first direction is the positive z-direction of the coordinate system <NUM>. <FIG>, <FIG> show the holder device <NUM> in a situation in which the carrier element <NUM> is in the first position. <FIG> shows the holder device <NUM> in a situation in which the carrier element <NUM> is in the second position. <FIG> show corresponding section views of the holder device <NUM> as <FIG>, but in the situation shown in <FIG> the carrier element <NUM> is in the second position. The force generating system is denoted with a reference <NUM> in <FIG> and <FIG>.

In the exemplifying holder device <NUM>, the force generating system <NUM> comprises pieces <NUM> and <NUM> of permanent magnet material configured to direct attractive magnetic forces to each other. When the carrier element <NUM> is in the second position as shown in <FIG>, <FIG>, the attractive magnetic forces tend to move the carrier element <NUM> in the first direction, i.e. in the positive z-direction, to the first position that is shown in <FIG>, <FIG>. It is also possible that one of the pieces <NUM> and <NUM> is made of ferromagnetic material and only the other one of the pieces <NUM> and <NUM> is made of permanent magnet material. Furthermore, a force generating system of a holder device according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment can be implemented with other means too, such as for example a spring or an element of rubber or some other suitable flexible material. Therefore, holder devices according to embodiments of the invention are not limited to any specific means for implementing the force generating system. <FIG> illustrates a holder device <NUM> according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment. The holder device <NUM> comprises a holder body <NUM>, a carrier element <NUM>, and a force generating system <NUM> that is implemented with a spring <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrate the carrier element <NUM> of the holder device <NUM>. <FIG> shows a section taken along a line A3-A3 shown in <FIG>. The geometric section plane is parallel with the xz-plane of the coordinate system <NUM>. The carrier element <NUM> comprises two wall sections <NUM> and <NUM> which are parallel with and a distance away from each other. The carrier element <NUM> comprises an intermediate section <NUM> that is connected to the wall sections104 and <NUM>. The wall sections <NUM> and <NUM> and the intermediate section <NUM> constitute a trough having a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the above-mentioned first direction, i.e. perpendicular to the positive z-direction of the coordinate system <NUM>. The longitudinal direction of the trough is parallel with the y-axis of the coordinate system <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, the trough comprises a wider area <NUM> closer to a bottom <NUM> of the trough and a narrower area <NUM> farther from the bottom of the trough. In <FIG>, a dashed line is shown between the wider and narrower areas <NUM> and <NUM>. The carrier element <NUM> can carry the objects <NUM> and <NUM> because a flange of each of the objects <NUM> and <NUM> fits with the wider area <NUM> as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>. The wider area can as well be shaped to utilize a different shape of an object to be held, for example a spherical shape, a dove tail shape, or some other shape which enables carrying the object under consideration.

As illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, a rim <NUM> of the holder body <NUM> is configured to close at least the wider area of the trough constituted by the carrier element <NUM> when the carrier element <NUM> is in the first position. This prevents the objects <NUM> and <NUM> from moving in the negative y-direction of the coordinate system <NUM> out from the trough constituted by the carrier element <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, the wider area of the trough is lower than the rim <NUM> of the holder body <NUM> when the carrier element <NUM> is in the second position. This allows the objects <NUM> and <NUM> to be moved in a direction parallel with the y-axis of the coordinate system <NUM> to and from the trough constituted by the carrier element <NUM>.

The object <NUM> can be removed from the holder device <NUM> by first drawing the object <NUM> in the negative z-direction of the coordinate system <NUM> or otherwise moving the carrier element <NUM> in the negative z-direction so that the carrier element <NUM> gets into the second position shown in <FIG>, <FIG> and then sliding the object <NUM> in the negative y-direction out from the trough constituted by the carrier element <NUM>. Thereafter, the object <NUM> can be removed in the same way. Thus, the removal is based on movements in two directions that are non-parallel i.e. intersecting with each other, namely the negative z-direction and the negative y-direction of the coordinate system <NUM>. The objects <NUM> and <NUM> are securely held by the holder device <NUM> because removal of each object from the holder device requires movements in the two non-parallel directions. An object can be supplied to the holder device <NUM> by first moving the carrier element <NUM> into the above-mentioned second position shown in <FIG>, then sliding the object into the trough in the positive y-direction of the coordinate system <NUM>, and then releasing the carrier element <NUM> to allow the force generating system <NUM> to move the carrier element <NUM> into the above-mentioned first position shown in <FIG>, <FIG>.

The exemplifying holder device <NUM> comprises a press-button <NUM> connected to the carrier element <NUM> and configured to move the carrier element <NUM> away from the first position shown in <FIG>, <FIG> to the second position shown in <FIG>, <FIG> in response to pushing the press-button <NUM>. <FIG> shows an exploded view presenting the holder body <NUM>, the carrier element <NUM>, and the press-button <NUM>. In this exemplifying holder device <NUM>, the press-button <NUM> is connected to the intermediate section <NUM> of the carrier element <NUM> with the aid of isthmuses <NUM> and <NUM> shown in <FIG>. The isthmuses <NUM> and <NUM> are projecting portions joining the press-button <NUM> and they protrude through apertures <NUM> and <NUM> of a part of the holder body <NUM> so that the press-button <NUM> is on one side of this part of the holder body <NUM> and the intermediate section <NUM> is on an opposite side of the part of the holder body <NUM>. It is also possible that a wall section, such as the wall section <NUM> of the carrier element <NUM>, is provided with an overhang or another part with the aid of which the carrier element can be drawn in the negative z-direction of the coordinate system <NUM>.

In the exemplifying holder device <NUM>, the holder body <NUM> comprises a clip <NUM> suitable for attaching to clothing of a user, e.g. to a belt of the user. It is also possible that a holder device according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment is installed on a vehicle or on a fixed structure such as a wall of a building.

<FIG> illustrates a holder device <NUM> according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment. <FIG> shows a section of the holder device <NUM> taken along a line A-A shown in <FIG>. The geometric section plane is parallel with the xz-plane of a coordinate system <NUM>. The holder device <NUM> comprises a holder body <NUM>, a carrier element <NUM>, and a force generating system that is not shown in <FIG>. The force generating system can be, for example but not necessarily, such as illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG> or such as illustrated in <FIG>. The holder device <NUM> further comprises an adapter <NUM> attachable to the trough constituted by the carrier element <NUM>. The adapter <NUM> constitutes a narrower trough that is suitable for holding objects <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> which are too narrow to be carried by the carrier element <NUM>. In this exemplifying case, the adapter <NUM> comprises claws configured to provide shape-locking with the carrier element <NUM>. In <FIG>, one of the claws is denoted with a reference <NUM>. Different mechanical arrangements, e.g. one or more screws, for attaching the adapter <NUM> to the carrier element <NUM> are also possible. It is also possible that there is no locking arrangement between the adapter and the carrier element <NUM>. In this case, the adapter can be removed together with one or more objects being held. In the exemplifying case shown in <FIG>, the objects <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> are cartridges of a rifle. The holder device <NUM> can be adapted to be suitable for different objects with the aid of object-specific adapters. Thus, a holder device according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment comprises a first adapter and at least one second adapter constituting a trough different from the trough constituted by the first adapter so that these adapters can carry different objects. Advantageously, the adapters are replaceable components.

Claim 1:
A holder device (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) comprising:
- a holder body (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>),
- a carrier element (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) linearly moveable with respect to the holder body and configured to hold one or more objects, and
- a force generating system (<NUM>, <NUM>) configured to generate force tending to move the carrier element in a first direction (+z) to a first position with respect to the holder body when the carrier element is in a second position away from the first position,
wherein the carrier element comprises two wall sections (<NUM>, <NUM>) parallel with and a distance away from each other and an intermediate section (<NUM>) connected to the wall sections, the wall sections and the intermediate section constituting a trough having a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the first direction, a wider area (<NUM>) closer to a bottom (<NUM>) of the trough, and a narrower area (<NUM>) farther from the bottom of the trough, wherein a rim (<NUM>) of the holder body is configured to close at least the wider area of the trough when the carrier element is in the first position to prevent the one or more objects from moving in the longitudinal direction out from the trough, and the wider area of the trough is farther in a second direction opposite to the first direction than the rim of the holder body when the carrier element is in the second position to allow the one or more objects to be moved in the longitudinal direction out from the trough.