Fabric Holster With Universally Adjustable Strap

The handgun holster has gone through many stages of evolution from a simple leather pouch to sophisticated spring closed formed leather structures designed to protect valuable handguns, and in the case of law enforcement holsters to allow for rapid drawing by the officer alone. In many cases, these holsters are designed for complete concealment. Examples of such sophisticated leather holsters may be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,346,827, 4,277,077, 4,270,680 and 4,255,067, assigned to the assignee of this invention.

For almost a century, fabric holsters have been manufactured, particularly for military use. Typical materials used were duck or canvas, or webbing of the general type used in the well known military web belt. Examples of such holsters appear in U.S. Pat. Nos. 787,852 and 1,102,195.

Fabric holsters of the canvas or web material type were functionally acceptable in carrying a handgun, but were unattractive, show wear, and have interior surfaces which tend to remove any surface finish of the handgun. They particularly did not form about the handgun, as does leather, and therefore allowed for relative movement of the handgun in the holster thereby promoting wear of the material and of the surface of the handgun.

Recently composite fabric-foam-fabric materials have become available which eliminate the disadvantages noted for previous holster fabrics. These materials include an outer fabric such as ballistic nylon, a closed cell foam layer which provides resiliency and a degree of stiffness, and an inner fabric layer which may be coated, but is nonabrasive with respect to the handgun finish. This type of fabric composite has, since becoming available, been adopted by holster makers by reason of its inherently desirable properties.

Loop and pile fasteners, commonly known by the trademark "Velcro", have become known for use in holsters as represented by U.S. Pat. No. 4,312,466 exhibiting a degree of adjustability of straps.

Faced with this state of the art, we have designed an improved holster using composite fabric material having a number of unforeseen advantages. Specifically, we have designed a holster with greater stiffness than a composite fabric holster which, in the stiffening process, produces a sight protecting groove as well. Further, using correctly placed hook and pile fabric, we have been able to produce a universal strap which is adjustable in both length and position for whichever handgun the user selects to use. We have further devised a strap arrangment using loop and pile fastener material in which the very act of wearing the holster insures that the strap remains in the selected position nearly as firmly as if permanently sewn in place or otherwise permanently secured.

Whenever the holster is removed from the wearer's belt, the strap may be easily adjusted in both length and position.

These features are achieved in a holster comprising a sheet of composite fabric formed to define a holster shape including a pouch for holding a handgun. The holster includes a belt loop and an area of one part of a two part hook and pile fastener secured to the outer surface of the holster body within the belt loop. The opposite side of the holster body includes a fastener such as a snap fastener or may be of hook and pile fabric. A strap includes one fastener part or hook or pile fastener at one end region, and the mating hook and pile fastener part at the opposite end region. The latter end of the strap is insertable in the belt loop region with the hook and pile parts juxtaposed. The strap is adjusted in angle and length to match the particular handgun sought to be carried so that the snap fastener pairs close with the proper tension over the handgun. The holster may then be placed on a belt and the act of wearing causes the belt to bear against the strap in the region of the hook and pile fabric parts holding them in unmoving relationship.

Within the holster is a stiffener member which is in the form of a planar strip having a stiffness greater than the stiffness of the holster body. The strip extends generally parallel to the barrel of the handgun when in place at the front of the holster. The stiffener is generally flat at the uppermost region when the holster is worn vertically, but forms a generally U or V-shaped groove toward the muzzle region. This U-or V-shape is achieved by a stitch line extending from the bottom region of the holster to an intermediate region. The U or V-shape results from the stitch line compressing the composite fabric locally which exerts deflecting force on the edges of the stiffener strip. The stiffener strip may be covered with a low friction cover.

The stiffener may be preformed as well and secured in place by a stitch line or lines at the bottom of the holster. In an alternate embodiment, the stiffener is preformed to a U or V shape and may not depend on stitching for its sight protecting and stiffening capabilities.

This invention may be more clearly understood from the following detailed description and by reference to the drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a holster of this invention without strap as shown carried on a belt;

FIG. 1A is an outside plan view of the holster body in an unfolded condition;

FIG. 2 is a rear (inner) side elevational view of the holster of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an outer side elevational view of a holster in accordance with this invention with portions cut away;

FIG. 4 is a rear side elevational view of the holster of FIG. 1 with the belt loop opened;

FIG. 5 is an inside plan view of a separable strap which may form a part of this invention;

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the holster of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of the holster of FIG. 1 with the strap of FIG. 5 in place;

FIG. 8 is a similar view of FIG. 7 with the strap adjusted differently;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of a fabric cover used with the stiffener of this invention;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of the fabric cover of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a plan view of the stiffener of this invention;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary perspective view of the stiffener;

FIG. 12A is a fragmentary perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the stiffener of this invention;

FIG. 13 is a front elevational view of the stiffener of FIG. 11 in its final configuration in the holster;

FIG. 13A is a side elevational view of the final configuration of the stiffener of FIG. 13;

FIGS. 14A, 14B and 14C constitute sectional views of the stiffener of FIG. 13 taken along lines 14A, B and C of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the stiffener of this invention;

FIG. 16 is a top view of the holster of FIG. 1;

FIG. 17 is a horizontal sectional view of the holster of FIG. 1 taken along line 17--17 of FIG. 2; and

FIGS. 18 and 19 are fragmentary opposite side elevational views of the holster of this invention partly in section showing an alternate method of securing the stiffener in place.

Now referring to FIG. 1, an improved fabric holster 10 may be seen as including a folded and sewn sheet 11 of composite material formed to define a pouch-like opening 12 into which a handgun may be inserted for carrying. The actual shape of the holster 10 will vary depending upon the handgun or handguns for which it is intended to be used. In the embodiment shown, holster 10 is a smaller holster particularly designed for carrying 2" and 3" small and medium frame double action revolvers. Larger holsters incorporating these same inventive features are capable of carrying medium and large frame revolvers up to 51/2".

The holster 10 is designed to be worn on a belt and therefore includes a belt loop 13, which in this case is formed integrally as a part of the sheet 11. The cut and unformed shape of the holster 10 appears in FIG. 1A. The belt loop 13 constitutes an extension of the sheet 11 and is sewn to the inner side of the holster 10 prior to the sewing of the edge seam 15. The belt loop is sewn to the inner side 14 of the holster by a pair of stitch lines 16 of FIG. 2. Also stitched to the inner side of the holster 10 and appearing in FIG. 2 is a cover of one fabric part 20 of a hook and eye fabric of the type commonly referred to by the trademark "Velcro". The fabric part 20 is sewn or otherwise attached to the inner side 14 of the holster 10 in the area which falls within the belt loop 13 when the holster is finally formed. This provides a feature of this invention which is described below in connection with FIG. 6.

Referring again to FIG. 1 in connection with FIG. 3, the front face 22 of the holster 10 appears generally flat at the uppermost region near the top opening 12. At the top front a distinctive tab may be seen. Its color contrasts with the color of the holster, and its extension over the front of the holster 10 is for the maker identification purposes, and nonfunctional in the front region. The tab 23, however, is the upper end of a sight protecting guide assembly 24, better seen in FIGS. 3 and 9 through 16.

The basic construction of the holster is best seen in FIG. 3. The sheet 11 actually is a composite made up of an outer layer of the material known as ballistic nylon. It is a tightly woven fabric commonly used in light weight personal protection vests. Beneath the nylon cover is a layer 25 of closed cell foam in the order of 3/16 in. (6 mm) in thickness. The foam is preferably of a material such a polyurethane or polyethylene.

The foam layer 25 provides body and the requisite amount of stiffness in the holster and exhibits a high degree of resiliency to protect and form around the handgun while presenting a smooth outer surface for the nylon covering.

The inner liner 26 of the holster, which is in contact with the handgun, is preferably impregnated nylon fabric of a finer weave than the ballistic nylon which forms the outer surface of the holster 10. The inner nylon layer 26 actually extends out of the holster and is the outer covering 26 of the belt loop 13.

Clearly visible in the cutout region of the holster 10 in FIG. 3 is the assembly 24. It comprises a fabric cover 27, which at its upper end defines the tab 23, and throughout its remaining length covers a plastic rib 30, with for example, 0.020 inch polyethylene (0.5 mm), approximately 15/16th inch (2.5 cm) wide and 6 inches (15.2 cm) in length. The sleeve 27 may best be seen in FIG. 9 and 10. It comprises a fabric tube, dimensioned to snugly enclose the stiffener 30, shown in FIGS. 11 and 12.

The actual installed relationship of the stiffener 30 and sleeve 26 as illustrated in part in FIG. 3, is located at the front of the holster 10 and generally defines a flat front to the holster, best seen in FIGS. 1 and 16. The generally flat front is due in large part to the presence of the stiffener 30.

Since most handguns carried in holsters of this type are generally reduced in transverse dimension at the muzzle region and maximum in transverse dimension at the rear, the shape of the holster 10 conforms to this general shape. This is accomplished using the stiffener 30.

Referring now to FIGS. 15 and 16, the generally flat front at the top of the holster is apparent just inside of the front tab 23. This corresponds to the general shape of the frame of the handgun in the chamber region. The muzzle region of the holster 10 appears in FIG. 16 in which the stiffener 30 and its sleeve 27 are concave or angled inward to define generally curved front region for the muzzle of the handgun.

The shaping of the muzzle region, shown in FIG. 16, is achieved by the simple and effective step of making two stitch lines 32 in the front center of the cut blank 11 of FIG. 1A to sew the stiffener assembly 24 to the sheet blank 11. The stitch lines 32 extend from the bottom region to near, but not reaching the top of the holster. These stitch lines compress the foam layer and provide a perforated line through both the foam and the stiffener to allow bending of the stiffener 30 inward to define the smaller round muzzle region. The general appearance of the stiffener 30 and its stitch lines 32 appears in FIGS. 13 and 14. Note in FIG. 14 that the lower two sections are angled or concave in shape.

The top of the stiffener 30 may be curved into a hook 30H as illustrated in FIGS. 13A and 15. This hook is located within the sleeve 27 and extends over the top front of the holster within the tab 23. This hook portion 30H maintains the top front of the holster stiff and of fixed opening width.

FIGS. 18 and 19 illustrate the fact that the stiffener 30 may be held in place at the bottom of the holster 10 by a stitch line 29 along the bottom of the holster. In FIG. 18, the stiffener 30A stops above the bottom of the holster 10 but the sleeve 27 extends below and is subsequently trimmed off. When the pouch forming stitch line 29 is sewn, it sews the sleeve 27 in place. In FIG. 19, the stiffener 30B is itself held in place by the stitch line 29. We have found that polyethylene or similar plastic strips can be sewn in place even if the sleeve 27 does not extend the full length of stiffener 30.

Referring now specifically to FIGS. 5 and 6, the holster 10 is shown worn on a belt 50, shown in cross section. The belt 40 presses against the outer surface of strap 40 thereby forcing its hook and eye fastener part into closer engagement with its mating part 20 attached to the holster body. Therefore, not only is complete adjustability of position and tightness of the strap 30 possible employing this invention, but the actual wearing of the holster applies positive locking pressure to the strap connection at all times. Prior attempts to use hook and eye fabric connections for holster straps have not achieved this advantage.

Now referring to FIG. 5, the totally separable strap 40 may be seen. It is fabricated of fabric strapping material such as nylon or polyester and includes a snap fastener part 41 which mates with the part 42 attached to the holster body 11 and shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. The strap 40 includes at its opposite side on the same side as the fastener 41, a section of hook and eye fabric 43 which mates with the opposite part 20 on the inner face 14 of the holster 10 as shown in FIGS. 2, 7, and 8. In the example given, the pile type fabric is shown at 20 and the hook type fabric is shown at 43. These could be interchanged if desired. It should be noted by reference to FIG. 1A that the pile fabric covers a substantial area of the inner face of the side 14 beneath the belt loop 13. This allows a feature of this invention which is best illustrated in FIGS. 6, 7, and 8.

Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, the strap 40 may be seen as secured to different areas of the pile fabric 20 and particularly at different angles and different lengths to accommodate different handguns and preferred ways of strapping the handgun.

The total flexibility of the strap 40 also accommodates handguns with special or oversize hammers. Once the user experiments with the correct angle and length of the strap, merely pressing the part 43 against the appropriate area of the part 20, the parts 20 and 43 engage and thereafter when the holster is placed on a belt 50 through the belt loop 13, the restricted belt loop causes the belt 50 to firmly press the strap 40 against the fabric 20.

The strap is firmly secured as if it were permanently attached to the holster body. The position and length may be easily changed merely by removing the holster from the belt 50, making the adjustment and remounting the holster 10 on the belt 50.

In FIG. 6, the belt 50 fairly well filling the belt loop 13 opening bears against the inner surface of the belt loop 13 against the trousers, and the belt's outer surface bears against the outer surface of the strap 40, which in turn bears against the hook and eye fabric part 20 attached to the holster body 11. All bulky fasteners for belts have been eliminated adding to the compactness of this invention.

The end result is a holster which is effective in holding and protecting the handgun, attractive to view and reasonably inexpensive to manufacture. It is relatively undamaged by immersion in water and after drying out is as useful and attractive as new. It is totally adjustable in strap angle and provides stiffness for the holster as well as sight protection.