Weapon grip assist
A receiving brace is provided adapted to receive at least a portion of a weapon, having an upper side, a lower side, a forward end, a rear end, a first side and a second side. The receiving brace is at least partially open at its upper side for receiving a portion of the weapon. The receiving brace is adapted to receive a portion of the hand of a user grasping the weapon within the receiving brace at its rear end. At least one retaining element is provided adjacent the rear end of the receiving brace, the retaining element adapted to extend from the first side to the second side of the receiving brace, and adapted to assist in securing the hand of a user gripping the weapon within the receiving brace.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/674,533, filed Apr. 25, 2005, which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
FIELD OF INVENTIONThe present invention relates generally, to the fields of articles for retaining a weapon proximate to a user's hand, and to protective hand shields for a weapon's user.
BACKGROUNDAs used herein, the terms “firearm” or “weapon” are used interchangeably and include, but are not limited to, hand-held weapons such as pistols, rifles and handguns, including automatic pistols, revolvers, machine guns, and stun guns. Holsters or holders for handheld weapons are well known in the art. Once a weapon is drawn by a user from a holster or holder, it is retained only by the user's hand. Maintaining that firearm in the user's hand is therefore dependent on a user's continued grip. If the user loses their grip on the weapon, the weapon can be dropped or otherwise lost. This may happen for any number of reasons. For example, if the user such as a police officer or military personnel is in pursuit of a target and is jarred by a fall or impact, the user can lose their firearm. The user may be particularly prone to losing their grip on a hand weapon if the impact is to the hand and/or fingers grasping the weapon. In addition, during a firefight or other tense situation, a user's hand may become moist such as from sweat. Any of these situations compromising grip on a weapon can obviously result in a dangerous situation, with the user left unarmed at a critical instant.
In addition, normally, a user's hand is vulnerable when holding a firearm. The user's hand can be injured, such as during a firefight. This, too, will result in dropping the user's weapon at a critical time.
There is, therefore, a need for an article that assists in preserving a user's grip on a weapon.
There is further the need for a hand shield that protects a user's hand while the user is using a weapon.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention addresses the identified needs. The present invention reduces the risk of this occurring by providing a receiving and retaining device that includes a receiving brace for receiving a portion of a weapon, and retaining elements to retain a portion of a user's hand gripping the weapon within a portion of the receiving brace. The receiving brace may also acts as a hand and finger shield when the user is gripping a firearm within the receiving brace. Various embodiments of the device are described and depicted below.
In general, the present invention is directed to an article for retaining a portion of a user's hand adjacent a weapon to prevent dropping the weapon, and also for shielding at least a part of the user's hand. A receiving brace is provided adapted to receive at least a portion of a weapon, having an upper side, a lower side, a forward end, a rear end, a first side and a second side. The receiving brace is at least partially open at its upper side for receiving a portion of the weapon. The receiving brace is adapted to receive a portion of the hand of a user grasping the weapon within the receiving brace at its rear end. At least one retaining element is provided adjacent the rear end of the receiving brace, the retaining element adapted to extend from the first side to the second side of the receiving brace, and adapted to assist in securing the hand of a user gripping the weapon within the receiving brace.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Certain terminology is used in the following detailed description for convenience only and is not considered limiting. Several embodiments of a weapon grip assist of the present invention are disclosed here and in the Figures. For clarity, within this document all reference to the top and bottom of the weapon grip assist will correspond to the weapon grip assist as oriented in
The receiving brace 12 has an upper weapon receiving area 14 defined between a first side 22 and a second side 24 that are connected by a lower portion 16. The receiving brace 12 has a first end 18 which in use will face away from a user, and a second end 20 that is open to receive a user's hand. The second end 20 further provides a cover for at least a portion of a user's hand when the user's hand is gripping a weapon 68 within the receiving brace 12. The receiving brace 12 is adapted to receive a weapon 68, as shown in for example
As shown in
The receiving brace 12 may be formed from any acceptable material, and is preferably formed from a semi-rigid or flexible material such as canvas, leather, KEVLAR, rubber, NEOPRENE, latex, silicone, a composite material, graphite and hybrid fabrics, plastic, or other acceptable materials known in the art, or combinations thereof. The opposing sides 22, 24 may be formed from different materials, so that one side is formed from a more flexible material such as NEOPRENE, while the other side is formed from a harder material, such as hard plastic. The first end 18 or front of the receiving brace 12 may preferably be formed of a high impact resistant material.
The receiving brace 12 may alternately be formed from injection molded plastic material having high impact resistance, and constructed such that the sides 22, 24 of the receiving brace 12 can flex to assist in inserting and holding the weapon 68 within the receiving brace 12. In addition, sides 22, 24 of the receiving brace 12 may be formed for allowing the receiving brace 12 and weapon 68 to be inserted as a unit into a holster 106, as shown in
The weapon grip assist 10 includes at least one retaining element 28, as shown in
The retaining element 28 may be formed as having a first end 30 and a second end 32. The first end 30 can extend from either the first side 22 of the receiving brace 12 or the second side 24 of the receiving brace 12. In the
In the illustrative example, the second end 32 of the retaining element 28 is adapted to removably engage either a portion 44 of the retaining element 28, or a portion of the receiving brace 12. Where the retaining element 28 is adapted to removably engage a portion 44 of the retaining element 28, the retaining element 28 and the portion 44 of the retaining element 28 can be formed having fasteners that removably engage, such as hook and loop fasteners, snaps, magnets of opposite polarity, a buckle, or other arrangements that allow the retaining element 28 to removably engage the portion 44 of the retaining element 28. As shown in the
In another embodiment, shown in
A second retaining element 36 having a first end 38 and a second end 40 may be provided as an additional means for securing a user's hand 26 within the receiving brace 12. Thus, as shown in
As can be appreciated, when a user slips their hand into the receiving brace 12 and grasps the weapon 68, the retaining element 28, 36 secures a portion of the user's hand within the receiving brace 12. Thus, if the user is chasing a perpetrator or otherwise in motion, or the user's hand is impacted, or the user is in a firefight, even where the user loses their grip on the weapon 68, the retaining element 28, 36 will hold the receiving brace 12 and weapon 68 in position proximate to the user's hand.
At least one weapon retaining strap 52 is preferably provided, as shown in
In an alternate embodiment, the retaining element 28 may not be permanently attached to either the first side 22 of the receiving brace 12 or the second side 22 of the receiving brace 12. Rather, the retaining element 28 can be formed as a separately removable piece, having a fastener 34a, 34b at either end 30,32 for removably engaging the receiving brace 12, and securing a user's hand 26 within the receiving brace 12.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, shown in
The receiving brace and retaining element can be formed so as not to interfere with the sight plane or the movement of the slide and hammer 75 of an automatic weapon 68, or the ejection of a magazine or clip 74 from the grip 70. The retaining elements 28, 36 may extend adjacent the second side 20 of the receiving brace at different lengths, as shown in
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, as shown in
In yet another embodiment of the present invention shown in
It is further contemplated that in connection with the embodiments shown in
It is further contemplated that in connection with the embodiments shown in
In yet another embodiment of the present invention shown in
The glove 140 may have areas for attaching the fasteners 142 to the glove 140 itself. When the user wants to secure their hand 26 within the receiving brace 150, the user inserts their hand 26 in the receiving brace 150 and grips the weapon 68. The user then fastens the straps 88 to the receiving brace 150.
In an alternate embodiment shown in
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, as shown in
When the user is not gripping a weapon 68 within the receiving brace 150, the straps 88 may be secured out of the way, such as removably fastened to the wrist strap 86 with hook and loop fasteners, snaps, or otherwise attaching to themselves, or a portion of the wrist strap 86. When the user wants to secure their hand within the receiving brace 12, the user inserts their hand in the receiving brace 150 and grips the weapon 68. The user then unfastens the straps 88 from the wrist strap 86, and fastens the straps 88 to the receiving brace 150.
Alternately, in the embodiment shown in
The outer dimension of the receiving brace 12 can be formed to fit inside a holster 106, as shown in
Alternatively, the outside contour of one wall of the receiving brace could be shaped to fit alongside the hip or torso, and a fastener clip 50, as shown in
The receiving brace and retaining elements can be configured for specific models of weapon, particularly if the receiving brace is injection-molded plastic using a particular mold for a particular model pistol. For example, a receiving brace 100 can even be made for a revolver 98, as shown in
Those familiar with the art will appreciate that the present invention outlined herein could be modified to accommodate many different kinds of hand-held weapons, such as machine guns, rifles, shotguns, stun guns, etc.
Having thus described in detail several embodiments of the retainer and shield of the present invention, it is to be appreciated and will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many physical changes, only a few of which are exemplified in the detailed description of the invention, could be made without altering the inventive concepts and principles embodied therein. It is also to be appreciated that numerous embodiments incorporating only part of the preferred embodiment are possible which do not alter, with respect to those parts, the inventive concepts and principles embodied therein. The present embodiment and optional configurations are therefore to be considered in all respects as exemplary and/or illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all alternate embodiments and changes to this embodiment which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of said claims are therefore to be embraced therein.
Claims
1. A weapon grip assist, comprising:
- a receiving brace having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the receiving brace adapted to receive at least a portion of a weapon, the receiving brace further adapted to receive at least a portion of a hand of a user gripping the weapon adjacent the first end of the receiving brace when the at least a portion of the weapon is within the receiving brace;
- at least one retaining element adjacent the first end of the receiving brace, the at least one retaining element adapted to secure at least a portion of the hand of the user gripping the weapon within at least a portion of the receiving brace.
2. The weapon grip assist of claim 1, wherein the receiving brace has a first side and a second side, wherein the at least one retaining element has a first end and a second end opposite the first end, wherein the first end extends from one of the first side and the second side of the receiving brace, and the second end is adapted to removably engage the other of the first side and the second side of the receiving brace to secure at least a portion of the hand of a user gripping the weapon within at least a portion of the receiving brace.
3. The weapon grip assist of claim 2, wherein the second end of the at least one retaining element removably engages the other of the first side and the second side of the receiving brace by hook and loop fasteners.
4. The weapon grip assist of claim 2, wherein the second end of the at least one retaining element removably engages the other of the first side and the second side of the receiving brace by at least one snap.
5. The weapon grip assist of claim 1, wherein the receiving brace has a first side and a second side, wherein the at least one retaining element has a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the first end of the at least one retaining element having extending from one of the first side and the second side of the receiving brace, the second end of the at least one retaining element adapted to removably engage a portion of the at least one retaining element to secure at least a portion of the hand of a user gripping the weapon within at least a portion of the receiving brace.
6. The weapon grip assist of claim 5, wherein the second end of the at least one retaining element removably engages the portion of the at least one retaining element of the receiving brace by hook and loop fasteners.
7. The weapon grip assist of claim 5, wherein the second end of the at least one retaining element removably engages the portion of the at least one retaining element of the receiving brace by at least one snap.
8. The weapon grip assist of claim 1, wherein the at least one retaining element comprises an elastic member.
9. The weapon grip assist of claim 8, wherein the elastic member comprises an elastic collar extending adjacent the second end of the receiving brace.
10. The weapon grip assist of claim 2, wherein the at least one retaining element extends from the first side of the receiving brace, further comprising a second retaining element adjacent the second end of the receiving brace extending from the second side of the receiving brace, the second retaining element adapted to assist the at least one retaining element in securing the hand of the user gripping the weapon within at least a portion of the receiving brace.
11. The weapon grip assist of claim 10, wherein the second retaining element has an attachment portion for securing the second retaining element to the at least one retaining element.
12. The weapon grip assist of claim 10, wherein the second retaining element has an attachment portion for securing the second retaining element to the first side of the receiving brace.
13. The weapon grip assist of claim 1, wherein one of the first side and the second side have a fastener clip extending therefrom.
14. The weapon grip assist of claim 1, further comprising a weapon retaining strap extending from the first side to the second side of the receiving brace.
15. The weapon grip assist of claim 1, wherein one of the first side and the second side of the receiving brace comprises a flexible material, and wherein the other of the first side and the second side comprises a substantially rigid material.
16. A weapon grip assist comprising:
- a receiving brace having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the receiving brace adapted to receive at least a portion of a weapon, the receiving brace further adapted to receive at least a portion of a hand of a user gripping the weapon adjacent the first end of the receiving brace when the at least a portion of the weapon is within the receiving brace;
- a retaining element connected to the receiving brace comprising a clamp including at least one side wall, wherein the receiving brace has at least one opening for removably engaging the side wall.
17. The weapon grip assist of claim 16, wherein the at least one side wall has at least one flange formed thereon, wherein the opening has at least one groove for removably engaging the flange.
18. The weapon grip assist of claim 16, wherein the clamp is connected to the receiving brace via a hinge, wherein the clamp is moveable in relation to the receiving brace.
19. A weapon grip assist and holster arrangement, comprising:
- a holster;
- a receiving brace having a portion sized to removably fit within the holster having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the receiving brace adapted to receive at least a portion of a weapon, the receiving brace further adapted to receive at least a portion of a hand of a user gripping the weapon adjacent the first end of the receiving brace when the at least a portion of the weapon is within the receiving brace;
- at least one retaining element adjacent the first end of the receiving brace, the at least one retaining element adapted to secure at least a portion of the hand of the user gripping the weapon within at least a portion of the receiving brace.
20. A weapon grip assist comprising:
- a glove;
- at least one strap;
- a receiving brace having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the receiving brace adapted to receive at least a portion of a weapon, the receiving brace further adapted to receive at least a portion of a hand of a user gripping the weapon adjacent the first end of the receiving brace when the at least a portion of the weapon is within the receiving brace;
- the strap including at least one fastener for removably connecting the glove and the receiving brace.
21. A weapon grip assist comprising:
- an elastic band adapted to fit around a user's wrist;
- at least one strap;
- a receiving brace having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the receiving brace adapted to receive at least a portion of a weapon, the receiving brace further adapted to receive at least a portion of a hand of a user gripping the weapon adjacent the first end of the receiving brace when the at least a portion of the weapon is within the receiving brace;
- the strap including at least one fastener for removably connecting the elastic band and the receiving brace.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 2, 2005
Publication Date: Jan 25, 2007
Inventor: Kevin Young (Clementon, NJ)
Application Number: 11/195,295
International Classification: F41C 23/00 (20060101);