SUPPORT ASSEMBLY

Abstract

A support assembly includes a support member, the support member having a generally rigid and planar body portion, a first extension extending generally parallel to and offset to a first side of the body portion, and a second extension extending generally parallel to and offset to the first side of the body portion, and an accessory holder coupled to the support member at a first location and configured to support an accessory. The body portion may be configured to be selectively coupled to the accessory holder at a second location.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/051,578, filed May 8, 2008, which is incorporated by reference herein its entirety.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of support assemblies and support members, and more specifically, to support assemblies and/or support members such as clips or similar devices that may be utilized to support or couple a variety of devices (e.g., firearms, flashlights, radios, etc. or device mounts used to mount such devices) to an item such as a vest, bag, belt, or similar item.

SUMMARY

One embodiment relates to a support assembly comprising a support member, the support member comprising a generally rigid and planar body portion, a first extension extending generally parallel to and offset to a first side of the body portion, and a second extension extending generally parallel to and offset to the first side of the body portion, and an accessory holder coupled to the support member at a first location and configured to support an accessory, wherein the body portion is configured to be selectively coupled to the accessory holder at a second location.

Another embodiment relates to a method of utilizing a clip to secure an accessory holder to an item of apparel, comprising providing a clip having a generally planar body portion and a pair of extensions extending parallel to and to one side of the body portion, securing the clip to an accessory holder, securing the clip and the accessory holder to one of (i) an item of apparel having a plurality of generally parallel strips of material attached to the item of apparel and (ii) a belt, removing the clip and the portable device from the one of the item of apparel and the belt, and securing the clip and the portable device to the other of the item of apparel and the belt, wherein securing the clip and the portable device to the belt comprises positioning the clip and accessory holder to extend about at least a portion of the periphery of the belt.

Another embodiment relates to a support member comprising a generally rigid and planar body portion having a plurality of apertures defined therein, a first extension extending from a first end of the body portion, the first extension extending generally parallel to and offset to a first side of the body portion, the first extension including a mounting surface, the mounting surface defining at least one aperture in the first extension and configured to be coupled to an accessory holder, and a second extension extending from a second end of the body portion opposite the first end, the second extension extending generally parallel to and offset to the first side of the body portion, the second extension extending generally toward the first extension.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a support member according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the support member of FIG. 1 according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the support member of FIG. 1 according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the support member of FIG. 1 according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a support member according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a rear view of the support member of FIG. 5 according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the support member of FIG. 5 according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a front view of the support member of FIG. 5 according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a support member coupled to an item of apparel according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a side view of a support assembly coupled to an item of apparel according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a support assembly coupled to a belt according to an exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Referring generally to the FIGURES, a support member shown as support members 10 and 110 is illustrated according to various exemplary embodiments. Support members 10 and 110 are generally similar in construction except as noted herein, and while certain features may be described in detail with respect to only one of support member 10 or support member 110, it should be understood that any of such features may be equally applicable to both support member 10 and support member 110 as well as a variety of other support members and other devices not specifically shown herein.

Referring to FIGS. 1-4, according to an exemplary embodiment, support member 10 includes a body portion 12 (e.g., a main, or rear portion, member, element, etc.), a first extension member 18 (e.g., a first front portion, member, element, lip, flange, etc.) and a second extension 20 (e.g., a second front portion, element, member, lip, flange, etc.). Body portion 12 is coupled to first extension 18 via a top portion 14 (e.g., a first rounded or curved portion, etc.) and to second extension 20 via a bottom portion 16 (e.g., a second rounded or curved portion, etc.). Top portion 14 is provided at a first end of body portion 12 and bottom portion 16 is provided at a second end of body portion 12 generally opposite of the first end. According to an exemplary embodiment, first extension 18 may be wider than the remainder of support member 10 (e.g., to provide a larger surface on which to mount a variety of devices, etc.).

Support member 10 is intended to facilitate the task of coupling a variety of devices, including portable devices and components such as firearms, ammunitions, flashlights, sprays, knives, radios, and so on, to an item such as a vest or item of apparel, bag, belt, or other item. As discussed in further detail below, support member 10 may be configured to provide an easy-to-use and secure attachment feature for both military-type equipment, such as MOLLE (Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment) gear (e.g., vests, bags, etc.) that may utilize PALS (Pouch Attachment Ladder System) webbing, in addition to duty belts or other belts that may be utilized by military personnel, police personnel, security personnel, etc. As used herein, both “MOLLE” and “PALS” refer to a standardized system of mounting various types of gear and devices to various items of apparel.

Body portion 12 may be a generally flat, planar member and may include a variety of apertures, holes, cut-outs, etc. to accommodate a variety of fasteners or other components that may be used in conjunction with support member 10. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, support member 10 may include aperture 28 (e.g., a through-hole, etc.) that is located such that a user may fasten first extension 18 to a device (e.g., a radio, etc.) using a fastener and aperture 26 (see FIG. 2) provided on first extension 18. Similarly, an aperture 24 may be provided such that should a user desire to use support member 10 with a duty belt, the duty belt may be positioned between body portion 12 and first extension 18, and a fastener may run through aperture 24 in support member 10 and into a device mount such as a radio mount, etc. such that the duty belt is secured between the fastener and top portion 14 (see FIG. 11).

According to an exemplary embodiment, support member 10 is configured to secure devices to items of apparel that include a MOLLE or PALS webbing grid. PALS is a grid of webbing used to attach various types of equipment onto a load-bearing item such as a vest, bag, or similar item. FIG. 9 shows an exemplary embodiment of a grid 40 having generally parallel strips 42 that each have a width 44. A distance 46 is provided between strips 42 and strips 42 are sewn to the underlying material at each distance 48. According to an exemplary embodiment, support member 10 is configured to accommodate a PALS web or grid formed from strips of material (e.g., nylon, etc.) that are about one-inch wide, are spaced one-inch apart from each other in a generally parallel fashion, and are sewn or otherwise secured to an underlying material (e.g., nylon, etc.) at intervals of about 1.5 inches. According to various exemplary embodiments, the dimensions shown and discussed herein may vary.

Referring further to FIGS. 1-4, according to an exemplary embodiment, body portion 12 may have an inner dimension 50 between top portion 14 and bottom portion 16 of about 3.25 inches, and a width 52 of about 1.125 inches. In some embodiments, inner dimension 50 and width 52 may be based on the dimensions of a web grid such as a PALS grid such that inner dimension 50 is about one-quarter inch greater than the distance encompassing the upper and lower strips of the grid to which support member 10 attaches, and width 52 is about three-eighths inch less than the spacing at which the strips are coupled to the underlying material. According to various other embodiments, other dimensions may be used in conjunction with support member 10. It should be noted that while in many applications the length and width of body portion 12 may be important to provide a proper fit to a standard grid of webbing, the sizes and shapes of other portions of support member 10 may be varied to support particular applications. For example, first extension 18 may be wider than body portion 12 (e.g., to provide increased stability for a large device, etc.). Other changes in the size or shape of the various components may be made, and all such modifications are within the scope of the present disclosure.

Referring now to FIGS. 5-8, support member 110 is shown according to an exemplary embodiment. Support member 110 is generally similar to support member 10, and may include a body portion 112, a first extension 118, and a second extension 120. Body portion 112 is coupled to first extension 118 via a top portion 114 and to second extension 120 via a bottom portion 116. Support member 110 may further include apertures 124, 126, and/or 128. As shown in FIGS. 5-8, first extension 18 may be substantially the same width as the remainder of support member 110, such that support member 110 has a substantially constant width.

Referring to now FIG. 9, support member 110 is shown attached to PALS grid 40. According to an exemplary embodiment, body portion 112 of support member 110 is slid from a top position beneath one or more of strips 42. Top portion 114 of support member 110 is a curved portion that wraps downward around the upper edge of one of strips 42, preventing downward movement of support member 110. Bottom portion 116 of support member 110 is a curved portion that wraps upward around a lower edge of one of strips 42, preventing upward movement of support member 110. Lateral movement of support member 110 is limited to the clearance between the width 52 of support member 110 and width 48 between the stitchings on grid 40. While support member 110 is shown in FIG. 9 without any additional mounting adapters, accessory holders, etc., for the sake of clarity, it should be understood that support member 110 may be coupled to grid 40 as detailed herein in a similar fashion with any such devices attached to support member 110. Furthermore, support 10 may be coupled to a grid such as grid 40 in a similar fashion.

Referring to FIG. 10, a support assembly 70 is shown according to an exemplary embodiment. Support assembly 70 includes support member 10 and an accessory support 72. Accessory support 72 may include an accessory holder 74 and a mounting adapter 76. Accessory support 72 may be used to hold or support a wide variety of devices such as flashlights, spray canisters, firearms, ammunitions, etc. As shown in FIG. 10, support assembly 70 is shown coupled to a PALS or other grid (e.g., a grid or webbing such as grid 40 shown in FIG. 9). As discussed with respect to FIG. 9, top portion 14 of support member 10 is configured to be supported by one of the strips of the PALS grid, and bottom portion 16 is configured to wrap around another, lower strip of the PALS grid, and prevent support member 10 from coming loose after being attached. It should be noted that as shown in the FIGURES, it is not required, as in many other conventional attachment systems, that a user weave support member 10 in and out of either the PALS grid or a corresponding strap or straps provided on the device (e.g., a device similar to support assembly 70 or a different device) to be supported. Rather, body portion 12 of support member 10 is positioned to one side of the strips of webbing and first and second extensions 18, 20 are positioned to an opposite side of the strips of webbing. Furthermore, any of a wide variety of mounting adapters, accessory holders, or other devices may be coupled to support member 10 prior to coupling support member 10 to a PALS or other type of grid. This provides an easier and faster way of attaching/detaching a variety of devices using a grid such as a PALS grid compared to some conventional techniques.

According to an exemplary embodiment, support member 10 is slidably received within mounting adapter 76, which is in turn coupled to accessory holder 74 (e.g., via a threaded fastener, by a rotatable coupling, etc.). According to various alternative embodiments, other or additional means of fastening the components of support assembly 70 may be used (e.g., rivets, indents/detents, snap-fits, etc.).

Support member 10 and/or support member 110 may include mounting features (e.g., apertures, etc.) such that support members 10, 110 may be secured to a variety of support assemblies configured to support devices such as radios, firearms, flashlights, or mounting structures for such devices. According to one embodiment, first extensions 18, 118 may be configured to be slid at least partially into a mounting adapter or component to be supported (see FIG. 10), after which support member 10 may further be secured in place by a fastener (e.g., via an aperture in first extension 18).

As noted above, in addition to accommodating a grid system such as a PALS grid, support assembly 70 and support member 10 may further accommodate a duty belt (e.g., a non-Molle or non-PALS belt or item of apparel) such as a duty belt worn by military, police, or security personnel. For example, referring to FIG. 11, support assembly 70 is shown coupled to a duty belt 58 such that top portion 14 of support member 10 is generally supported by duty belt 58. One or more fasteners such as fastener 60 may be used to secure the duty belt relative to support member 10. As shown in FIG. 11, fastener 60 extends through body portion 12 of support member 10 (e.g., through aperture 24 shown in FIG. 1), and into a threaded aperture in mounting adapter 76. Fastener 60 may be adjusted to provide different amounts of tension to the opposing sides of duty belt 58.

According to an exemplary embodiment, support member 10 may be formed from a single piece of a metal material, such as a spring steel. This reduces material and labor costs relative to supports that may require different types of materials and/or multiple components. According to other embodiments, other suitable materials may be used that provide the proper strength, rigidity, and other characteristics to properly support a wide variety of devices.

It is important to note that for purposes of this disclosure, the term “coupled” shall mean the joining of two members directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary in nature or movable in nature. Such joining may be achieved with the two members or the two members and any additional intermediate members being integrally formed as a single unitary body with one another or with the two members or the two members and any additional intermediate member being attached to one another. Such joining may be permanent in nature or alternatively may be removable or releasable in nature. Such joining may also relate to mechanical, fluid, or electrical relationship between the two components.

It is also important to note that the construction and arrangement of the elements of the support assembly and support member shown in the exemplary embodiments are illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments have been described in detail in this disclosure, those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter disclosed herein. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and/or omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the exemplary embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A support assembly comprising:

a support member, the support member comprising: a generally rigid and planar body portion; a first extension extending generally parallel to and offset to a first side of the body portion; a second extension extending generally parallel to and offset to the first side of the body portion; and

an accessory holder coupled to the support member at a first location and configured to support an accessory;

wherein the body portion is configured to be selectively coupled to the accessory holder at a second location.

2. The support assembly of claim 1, wherein the first extension extends from a first end of the body portion and the second extension extends from a second end of the body portion generally opposite from the first end.

3. The support assembly of claim 1, further comprising a fastener, wherein the fastener is configured to extend through the body portion to selectively couple the body portion to the accessory holder at the second location.

4. The support assembly of claim 1, further comprising a mounting adapter coupled to the accessory holder, wherein the first extension is slidably received within the mounting adapter, and the support member is coupled to the accessory holder via the mounting adapter.

5. The support assembly of claim 4, wherein the mounting adapter is rotably coupled to the accessory holder.

6. The support assembly of claim 1, wherein the body portion is configured to be received between a plurality of strips of webbing and an item of apparel to a first side of the plurality of strips of webbing, and the first and second extensions are configured to be positioned to a second side of the plurality of strips of webbing, the body portion and the first and second extensions thereby coupling the support member to the item of apparel.

7. The support assembly of claim 1, wherein the support member is selectively coupleable to (i) an item of apparel having a plurality of strips of webbing secured to the item of apparel and (ii) a belt.

8. The support assembly of claim 1, wherein the support member comprises spring steel.

9. A method of utilizing a clip to secure an accessory holder to an item of apparel, comprising:

providing a clip having a generally planar body portion and a pair of extensions extending parallel to and to one side of the body portion;

securing the clip to an accessory holder;

securing the clip and the accessory holder to one of (i) an item of apparel having a plurality of generally parallel strips of material attached to the item of apparel and (ii) a belt;

removing the clip and the portable device from the one of the item of apparel and the belt; and

securing the clip and the portable device to the other of the item of apparel and the belt;

wherein securing the clip and the portable device to the belt comprises positioning the clip and accessory holder to extend about at least a portion of the periphery of the belt.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein securing the clip and the portable device to the item of apparel comprises

positioning the body portion of the clip to a first side of the plurality of generally parallel strips of material; and

positioning the first and second extensions of the clip to a second side of the plurality of generally parallel strips of material.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein securing the clip to the belt comprises passing a fastener through the body portion and into the accessory holder.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the accessory holder includes a mounting adapter that rotatably couples the accessory holder to the support member, and the fastener extends into the mounting adapter.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the support member comprises spring steel.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the first extension has a width wider than a width of the body portion.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein securing the clip to the item of apparel comprises deforming the item of apparel to reduce the distance between the strips of material.

16. A support member, comprising:

a generally rigid and planar body portion having a plurality of apertures defined therein;

a first extension extending from a first end of the body portion, the first extension extending generally parallel to and offset to a first side of the body portion, the first extension including a mounting surface, the mounting surface defining at least one aperture in the first extension and configured to be coupled to an accessory holder; and

a second extension extending from a second end of the body portion opposite the first end, the second extension extending generally parallel to and offset to the first side of the body portion, the second extension extending generally toward the first extension.

17. The support member of claim 16, wherein the mounting surface has a width greater than the body portion.

18. The support member of claim 16, further comprising an adapter member coupled to the first extension at a first location and configured to support an accessory holder, wherein the body portion is configured to be selectively coupled to the adapter member at a second location.

19. The support member of claim 18, wherein the body portion and first extension are configured to be received on opposite sides of a belt, and wherein the body portion is configured to be coupled to the adapter member via a fastener adjacent an edge of the belt, thereby securing the belt between the body portion, the first extension, and the fastener.

20. The support member of claim 18, wherein the adapter member is rotably coupled to the accessory holder.