Holster with quich releasable restraining strap

Abstract

 A holster (1) with restraining strap (2) for a weapon held therein, made in one single piece and pivotally connected to two opposite side edges (1a) thereof bordering an opening through which the weapon is inserted or extracted therefrom. The strap can be displaced angularly between a locked position and a release position and can be attached reversibly to an element (7) extending from one side of the holster when it is in said locked position. The ends of the strap are connected to respective edges of the holster through elastic means (6) which are loaded when the strap is in the locked position, whereby the disengagement of the strap from the element (7) causes its automatic angular displacement towards the release position.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a holster for holding a weapon such as a handgun, provided with a restraining strap which forms an additional safety device against accidental or unauthorised withdrawal of the weapon.

[0002] A holster of the traditional type is a case in various materials (like leather or plastic) for holding the handgun and provided with locking means designed to prevent the handgun from accidentally falling out of the holster or from being inadvertently withdrawn by an unauthorised person. In their simplest form these locking means can consist of a flexible strap in two halves, attachable one to the other by means of a snap button, or an equivalent system, to fasten the handgun at its butt or slide. In more recently designed holsters a locking device is provided inside the holster, generally co-operating with the trigger guard, operable by acting on a special pushbutton, or by pressure directly on the handgun or equivalent systems. In these cases the restraining strap, even if no longer strictly necessary, is still provided as an additional safety element.

[0003] For example US patent no. 5501381 discloses a restraining strap on a holster, moreover fitted with a main locking device, made in one single piece in a semirigid material and connected pivotally to the upper end of the holster. In order to free the weapon from the restraining strap it is necessary to press a pushbutton to unlock rotation of the strap and therefore push the strap forwards to free the butt of the handgun and perform the release operation in order to be able to withdraw it from the holster.

[0004] These known systems, despite their efficacy from the safety standpoint, are not without disadvantages. In both cases the operation of releasing the handgun from the restraining strap is laborious and significantly increases the times of drawing the weapon, a critical element in a number of circumstances. In the case of the strap in two parts the latter have to be detached in order to access the butt of the handgun, while in the case of a pivotal strap in one single piece a pushbutton has to be pressed and the strap accompanied during its forward rotation. Moreover, in the case of the strap in two parts, the two strap portions, once opened, remain in a dangerous position at the opening of the holster, making reinsertion of the handgun difficult and with the risk of them hitting the trigger. In any case the strap in two parts, one attached to the other, does not form a closure with satisfactory traction resistance and therefore has a lower degree of safety compared to restraining straps in one single piece.

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a holster with restraining strap in one single piece, and therefore with a high degree of safety, which can be released from the butt of the handgun with a simpler and faster action compared to that permitted to date with traditional holsters.

[0006] This object is achieved with the holster according to the invention whose characteristic feature lies in the fact that the strap can be attached reversibly to an element extending from one side of said holster when it is in the locked position, its ends being connected to respective edges of the holster through elastic means which are loaded when the strap is in the locked position, whereby its release from said element causes its automatic angular displacement towards its release position.

[0007] Preferably, the elastic means consist of a helical element coaxial to the axis of rotation of the strap and to the respective edges of the holster. The element, to which the strap can be fixed in its locked position, is a tab extending from a plate attached to the edge of the holster holding a strap rotation pin, said tab being provided with means of reversible connection for the strap through which the strap can be attached to the tab in its locked position and released easily therefrom.

[0008] The invention will now be illustrated in greater detail with the description of an embodiment thereof by way of a non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

• Figure 1 is a side perspective view of the holster according to the invention with the restraining strap in the handgun locked position;
• Figure 2 is a perspective view of the holster, on the opposite side in relation to Figure 1, with the restraining strap in the released position;
• Figure 3 is a partial front view of the holster according to the invention;
• Figure 3A is an enlarged section view of detail A of Figure 3 taken along a vertical plane passing through the axis of rotation of the strap;
• Figure 3B shows in a perspective view the elastic element used in the connection of the strap to the holster;
• Figures 4A and 4B illustrate the action of release of the restraining strap and the final position reached at the end of its rotation.

[0009] Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3, 1 denotes a generic holster with a conventional configuration, provided or otherwise with an internal locking device departing from the scope of the present invention and therefore not described, and 2 a restraining strap in a semirigid material, pivotally connected to the holster 1 at its opening. More particularly, at the two upper opposite edges 1a of the holster 1, bordering said opening, two respective plates 3 are attached, each holding a pin 4, perpendicular to the respective edge 1a and pivotally engaged with one end of the restraining strap 2.

[0010] Each of the two plates 3 has a substantially pocket-shaped portion 3a open at the top and front wherein the ends of the restraining strap 2 are placed.

[0011] As shown in greater detail in Figures 3A and 3B, the pin 4 is made integral to the pocket 3a and to the edge 1a of the holster by a screw 5 engaged axially in its end traversing the pocket 3a. Around the central portion of the pin 4, i.e. that which traverses the end of the restraining strap 2, a helical elastic element 6 is placed, shown in detail in Figure 3B, which has two projecting ends, called axial end 6a and tangential end 6b respectively, extending at approximately 180° one from the other in the rest conditions of the elastic element. The axial end 6a is engaged perpendicularly in the edge 1a of the holster 1, while the tangential end 6b engages in the restraining strap 2 coplanar thereto. From the upper border of one of the two pockets 3a (more specifically from the plate 3 attached to the edge 1a of the holster facing outwardly when the holster is worn) a tab 7 extends, to which the restraining strap 2 is attached through reversible connection means, for example a snap button 8. Alternatively a pin can be used which can be engaged in a hole formed in the strap, or a snap button, pull-apart means or any other quick release and reversible attachment system.

[0012] As shown also in Figures 4A and 4B, release of the restraining strap 2 to allow grasping of the handgun butt is simple and immediate. When the restraining strap is in the locked position, a position illustrated in Figures 1, 3 and 4A, the elastic element 6 is loaded and therefore the restraining strap 2 is maintained in its locked position in that it is attached to the tab 7 by means of the button 8. By actuating the tab 7 in the direction of arrow F in Figure 1 or Figure 4A, the button 8 is unhooked, freeing the restraining strap 2 which automatically rotates through approximately 90° in the direction of arrow H in Figure 2 or Figure 4B, moving into the release position, wherein the elastic element 6 is unloaded. It is clear therefore that the operation is totally simple and intuitive and release of the restraining strap and its rotation to free the handgun butt are achieved by the simple finger pressure against the end of the tab F. The restraining strap 2 is reset in the locked position by rotating it backwards with a slight force so as to overcome the elastic reaction of the spring 6. It should be noticed that, in the positions of locking and of release, the restraining strap abuts on the rear side and on the base of the pocket portion 3a of the plate 3 respectively.

[0013] Clearly the elastic element 6 used in the embodiment illustrated may be replaced with equivalent elastic elements, that is to say suitable for allowing the automatic change from the locked position to the release position of the restraining strap 2.

[0014] The invention is not limited to the embodiment described and illustrated above, but instead comprises any constructional variant thereof falling within the scope defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. Holster (1) with a restraining strap (2) for a weapon held therein, made in one single piece and pivotally connected to two opposite side edges (1a) thereof bordering an opening through which the weapon is inserted or extracted therefrom, said strap (2) being movable angularly between a locked position and a release position and being characterised in that it is reversibly fixable to an element (7) extending from one side of said holster when it is in said locked position, the ends of said strap being connected to the respective edges (1a) of said holster through elastic means (6) which are loaded when said strap is in said locked position, whereby the disengagement of said strap from said element (7) causes its automatic angular displacement towards said release position.

2. Holster according to claim 1, wherein said elastic means comprise a helical element (6) coaxial to the axis of rotation of said strap (2), the ends (6a, 6b) of said helical element being angularly spread out and integral with one end of said strap (2) and the corresponding edge (10) of said holster respectively.

3. Holster according to claim 2, wherein said ends (6a, 6b) of said helical element (6) extend in the axial direction and in the tangential direction thereof respectively.

4. Holster according to any one of the previous claims, wherein the ends of said strap (2) are placed between the edges (1a) of said holster and respective plates (3) for the support of respective pins (4) to which said ends are pivotally connected.

5. Holster according to any one of the previous claims, wherein each of said plates (3) have a pocket shaped portion (3a) open at the top and front, the ends of said strap being placed in said pocket portions.

6. Holster according to any one of the previous claims, wherein the element to which said strap (2) can be attached in its locked position is a tab (7) extending from the upper border of the pocket portion (3a) of one of said plates (3).

7. Holster according to claim 6, wherein reversible connection means (8) are provided between said strap (2) and said tab (7).

8. Holster according to claim 7, wherein said reversible connection means (8) consist of a snap button or a pushbutton or a pin.

Drawing