Holsters For Concealed Carry Of A Handgun

Abstract

A concealed carry holster for a small handgun is formed from a web of woven stretchable material in which one end is wrapped back around the web to form a flattened roughly conical pocket for receiving the handgun. A loop is formed at the other web end for holding the holster on a garment. In a first embodiment, adapted to be held to a bra, the web has an opposite end folded back to form stacked web layers, which are detachably secured to form the loop. In a belt supported inside the pants version of the holster, the opposite belt end is folded back and sewn to create two loops, one for the wearer's belt, the other exposed and sized to receive and hold a cell phone.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 61/665,432 filed on Jun. 28, 2012.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention concerns holsters for concealed carry of handguns.

Such holsters have heretofore generally been worn over clothing, such as over the shirt when worn beneath a suit coat.

With the increasing practice of concealed carrying of firearms, other types of holsters adapted to be worn in other locations on a person's body, such as in contact with the wearer's skin, as by a woman having a holster attached to a bra. Such holsters should desirably be breathable to be compatible with skin contact, as well as being compact and lightweight and to minimize any visible bulges.

For men also, other holster locations than beneath a suit coat are also desirable. Again, such holsters should also be light weight and compact, and low in cost to manufacture.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a light weight and compact holster which can be worn in contact with the skin or under clothes without discomfort.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above object and other objects which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the specification and claims are achieved by holsters constructed of a wide breathable web of a woven elastic synthetic material, which has one end wrapped back and around the web to a section of itself forming an angled open ended conical pocket web serving to provide a holster able to receive and hold the barrel end of a handgun. The end of the wrapped section aligns with one side of the web and is sewn thereto to be permanently secured thereto.

In a first bra strap mounted embodiment, the web is doubled over at its other end to form a flat pocket which can receive and hold a stiffening plastic panel.

The end of the doubled over web section has a hook and loop fastening strip sewn thereto mateable with a complementary hook and loop patch sewn to an exposed side of the belt section which forms the conical pocket. This allows forming of a closed loop to encircle a wearer's bra strap.

The exposed surface of the doubled over web sections can be coated with silicone to create a non slip surface for positional stability of the holster against the wearer's skin.

A handgun retainer strap can be sewn spaced from the handgun receiving pocket and releasably secured to the outside surface of the pocket with mateable hook and look fastener patches.

In a second “in the pants” embodiment of the holster, the far end of the web is doubled over towards the handgun pocket and then folded partially back to form two loops by stitching the end of the folded back web portion.

Complementary hook and loop patches are sewn to the facing sides of each loop allowing them to be moved up and held together.

The smaller second loop receives the belt of the wearer with the handgun pocket extending inside the wearer's pants. The first loop is larger and folds down out and over the second loop retained therein by the hook and loop patches and is exposed to the outside to hold a cell phone for ready access.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an external pictorial view of a bra strap mounted embodiment of a holster according to the invention being worn by a user.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged pictorial view of the outer side of the holster embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a pictorial reverse view of the holster shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4A is a plan view of a web prior to being folded and sewn to form the holster 10.

FIG. 4B is a plan view of the web showing the first stage of wrapping one end around an adjacent web section.

FIG. 4C is a plan view of the web after the final stage of wrapping and completion of the holster.

FIG. 5 is a pictorial view of an ankle strap used with the holster shown in FIGS. 1-3, with the initiation of a first stage roll up.

FIG. 6 is a pictorial view of the ankle strap showing an initiation of a second stage roll up of the ankle strap shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a pictorial view of the assembly of the ankle strap to the holster.

FIG. 8 is a pictorial view of the holster and ankle strap being worn.

FIG. 9 is a front external view of an inside the pants embodiment of a holster according to the invention being worn.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged pictorial view of the holster shown in FIG. 11 depicting a belt and cell phone in broken lines and with a cell phone holder loop in on up position away from the belt loop.

FIG. 11 is a reverse pictorial view of the holster as shown in FIG. 13.

FIGS. 12A-12E are successive plan views of a web with successive folding and sewing steps to form the second embodiment of a holster according to an invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, certain specific terminology will be employed for the sake of clarity and a particular embodiment described in accordance with the requirements of 35 USC 112, but it is to be understood that the same is not intended to be limiting and should not be so construed inasmuch as the invention is capable of taking many forms and variations within the scope of the appended claims.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, a first embodiment of a holster 10 invention is depicted being supported by a bra strap 12 worn by a user.

The holster 10 is constructed from a web 14 (FIG. 4A) of an elastic woven material such as DACRON to be breathable when contacting the skin of a wearer. Anti-fray stitching A,B is provided at either end

One end of the web 14 is wrapped back and around a web connected section (FIG. 4B) folded along line C (FIG. 4A) so as to form an open ended partially flattened cone which serves as a roughly conical pocket 16 receiving the barrel end of a small caliber semi automatic handgun 18. The handgun is inserted into the large end of the conical pocket 16 with the barrel protruding through the small end and secured therein with a strap 20.

The strap 20 is sewn at one end 22 to the web 14 at a point above the larger end of the conical 16. A strip 21 of hook and loop fastener material is on one side of the strap 20. A short strip 23 of a complementary hook and loop fastener is secured to the outer edge of the large end of the conical pocket 16, to enable holding of the strap 20 around the butt end of the handgun 18 in various adjusted positions.

The wrapped section of the web 14 is positioned to bring the end A flush and parallel to the far side F.

The end A is partially sewn to the side F, leaving unsown a portion which exposes a strip 30 of hook and loop fastener material (FIG. 4C).

The web 14 extends from the pocket 16 to a doubled section 24 formed by folding the other end of the web along fold line G over another section of the web 14 short of line D (FIGS. 4A,4B) and sewing the same together along the opposite sides thereof H,J. The inner end B and web section 14 are not sewn together to form an open ended pocket (FIG. 4C) to enable a stiffening sheet of plastic 26 to be inserted therein (FIG. 3).

The far end 25 of the folded double layer section 24 has a strip 28 of hook and loop fastener material attached thereto, while the exposed end A lying beneath the conical pocket 16 FIG. 4A has the strip 30 of a complementary hook and loop fastener material attached thereto (FIG. 4C).

Thus the double layer section 24 can be wrapped around the bra strap 12 and its free end 25 secured to the fastener strip 30 to be held encircling the bra strap 12 (FIG. 1) to hold the holster 10 thereto.

Strips of pure silicone plastic 32 can be molded to the inside of the double layer 24 to create a non slip surface in contact with the wearer's skin to stabilize the position of the holster 10 and handgun 18.

The holster 10 can also be used with an ankle strap 36 (FIGS. 5-8) to allow the holster 10 to be held on the ankle of a user.

The strap 36 has a first strip 38 of hook and loop fastener attached to one side 39 at one end and a second strip 40 attached to the opposite side 41 at the other end thereof.

A first pair of strips 42, 44 are attached to opposite edges at the middle of the one side 39 and a second pair of complementary strips 46, 48 to the edges at the middle of the opposite side 41 of the strap 36.

This allows any size diameter closed loop to be formed by rolling up the strap 36 to engage the strip 38 with the pair of strips 46, 48 and strip 40 with the pair of strips 42, 44 at desired point to be fit to the particular wearer's ankle size.

The strap 36 may be wound up to size and the double layer 24 inserted and then wrapped around to engage strips 24, 30 or vice versa, wrapping the strap 36 around the secured double layer 24.

FIG. 4A-4C show stages of forming the holster 10 from a length of a woven elastic web 14. Each end A, B has anti-fray stitching thereon.

The strip 30 of hook and loop fastener is attached along one edge adjacent the end A. The patch 23 is mounted on the reverse side extending along one edge.

The strap 20 is attached between first and second fold lines C, D.

The end 30 is first wrapped back over the web at the angle of fold line C and then folded over side edge E along fold C, so that end A becomes aligned with side edge F. End A is sewn to edge F so as to leave an exposed section of the edge F.

End B is folded under the web 14 along fold line G with aligned sides sewn together at H and J to complete the holster 10.

FIGS. 9-11 show a second embodiment of a holster 50 so according to the invention, particularly adapted for an inside the pants concealed carry of a handgun 70.

The second embodiment holster 50 is also constructed using a web preferably of synthetic elastic material such as woven DACRON™.

This holster 50 also includes a conical holster pocket 52 created by wrapping the web 54 back over itself in a similar manner as in the first described embodiment.

Additionally, a pair of oppositely extending loops 56, 58 are formed in a web section connected to the holster pocket 52 by stitching across the width of the web 54. The large loop 56 can held flipped down and held against the smaller loop 56 with complementary hook and loop strips 60, 62.

The smaller loop 58 receives the wearer's belt 64 with the conical pocket 52 suspended inside the wearer's pants 66.

The larger loop 56 is exposed outside the belt 64 and outside the wearer's pants 66 to allow ready access to a cell phone 68 held therein.

A handgun 70 inserted in the conical pocket 52 is likewise held inside the pants 66 just beneath the belt 64 for ready access.

By referring to FIGS. 12A-12E, typical construction steps in making a holster 50 may be understood.

A web A has one end B which is folded back along fold line C to position the end B about half way to an opposite end D.

The end B is than folded back along fold line E to a position less than half way back where it is sewn at F. This forms the larger loop 56 and smaller loop 58.

The holster conical pocket 52 is formed as in the first embodiment by wrapping end D around the web so as to bring end D to one edge G of the opposite side of the web A where it is sewn. The adjacent side H is sewn extending across the width of the web A to complete the holster.

Claims

1. A holster for concealed carry of a handgun comprising:

a woven elastic web having a first end wrapped back over one side edge of said web and across a rear side of said web to an opposite side edge thereof and secured thereto, thereby forming an open ended generally flattened conical pocket angled with respect to said web and configured to receive said handgun; a side edge adjacent said first end forming an outer edge adjacent said first end; and a second opposite end of said web folded over said web towards said conical pocket and secured so as to form a loop adapted to encircle an elongated clothing support item to support said holster thereon while said holster is concealed beneath a wearer's clothing.

2. The holster according to claim 1 wherein said second end of said web is folded back towards said conical pocket over another portion of said web to form a pair of stacked web layers which are releasably attachable to said side edge of said web adjacent said first end of said web to form said loop.

3. The holster according to claim 1 wherein a portion of said second end of said belt is folded back over said web towards said conical pocket and additionally folded back and extending partially over said portion of said first folded over portion and secured thereto to form said loop, said remaining folded back portion forming a second loop.

4. The holster according to claim 2 wherein a portion of said web adjacent said second end of said belt is folded back over said web and aligned with sides of said web.

5. The holster according to claim 4 wherein said aligned sides of said stacked layers are sewn together to form a pocket open on one side.

6. The holster according to claim 5 further including a stiffener panel is in said pocket.

7. The holster according to claim 1 wherein a back side of said conical pocket has a non-slip coating thereon.