Concealable Shoulder Holster

Abstract

A concealable shoulder holster assembly is used to support and to carry an implement in a holster. The shoulder holster assembly includes the holster, which may be worn under an arm of the user, a main strap integral to or coupled to the holster and configured to be worn around the midsection or torso of the user, and a support strap disposed over a shoulder of the user.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A holster assembly for carrying an implement, comprising:
 a holster including:
 a flexible, substantially planar backer having a predefined perimeter shape; and 
 a flexible cover coupled to the backer along a bottom edge of the cover to form a pocket, the pocket formed between the backer and the cover and configured to receive and to retain an implement; 
   a main strap comprising two separate main strap sections that are coupled to or integral to opposite ends of the holster, the two main strap sections are configured to attach to each other to form a loop configured to be wrapped around a torso of a user; and   an adjustable length support strap coupled at a first end of the support strap to the holster and removably and adjustably coupled at a second end of the support strap to one of the two main strap sections, the support strap configured to be disposed over a shoulder of a user.   
     
     
         2 . The holster assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a protective layer overlaying and bonded to at least part of the cover, the protective layer comprises one or more layers of substantially stiff material. 
     
     
         3 . The holster assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a protective layer that lines and is bonded to at least part of the pocket, the protective layer comprises one or more layers of substantially stiff material. 
     
     
         4 . The holster assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a retention strap coupled to the backer, which extends over the pocket of the holster to the cover and is configured to block a holstered implement from exiting the pocket unintentionally when engaged. 
     
     
         5 . The holster assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the predefined perimeter shape of the backer includes one or more intentional curves at a top edge and/or at a bottom edge of the backer, and wherein a perimeter shape of the cover includes at least one of the one or more intentional curves at a top edge and/or at a bottom edge of the cover, and wherein the perimeter shape of the cover is stacked and aligned to the perimeter shape of the backer, including the at least one of the one or more intentional curves of the cover aligned to one or more of the intentional curves of the backer, defining a size and a shape of the pocket. 
     
     
         6 . The holster assembly of  claim 1 , wherein a perimeter shape of the cover comprises a truncated silhouette of the perimeter shape of backer, and wherein the perimeter shape of the cover is aligned and stacked with a matching portion of the perimeter shape of the backer. 
     
     
         7 . The holster assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the cover is coupled to the backer along one or more predefined lines across a middle section area of the cover, wherein the one or more predefined lines define a size and a shape of the pocket. 
     
     
         8 . The holster assembly of  claim 1 , wherein one of a first main strap section and a second main strap section includes a surface with hook material disposed thereon and the other of the first main strap section and the second main strap section includes a surface with loop material disposed thereon, the hook material and the loop material arranged to mate to removably secure the first main strap section to the second main strap section when the first main strap section and the second main strap section are brought together. 
     
     
         9 . The holster assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the holster comprises a thin-profile holster, an overall thickness of the holster, without an implement, being less than 2.5 cm. 
     
     
         10 . The holster assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the second end of the support strap includes a connection device with hook material on a first surface of the connection device and loop material on an opposite surface of the connection device. 
     
     
         11 . The holster assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the cover, the backer, or the cover and the backer are comprised of multiple stacked layers of materials, at least one layer of the multiple stacked layers being a different material than another layer of the multiple stacked layers. 
     
     
         12 . The holster assembly of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least two main strap sections is comprised of multiple stacked layers of materials, at least one layer of the multiple stacked layers being a different material than another layer of the multiple stacked layers. 
     
     
         13 . A holster assembly for carrying an implement, comprising:
 a holster including:
 a flexible, substantially planar backer having a predefined perimeter shape with one or more intentional curves at a top edge and a bottom edge of the backer; and 
 a flexible cover having a perimeter shape that includes at least one of the one or more intentional curves at a top edge or a bottom edge of the cover, wherein the perimeter shape of the cover is stacked and aligned to the perimeter shape of the backer, including the at least one of the one or more intentional curves of the cover being aligned to one or more of the intentional curves of the backer, and wherein the cover is coupled to the backer along a bottom edge of the cover to form a pocket, the pocket formed between the backer and the cover and configured to receive and to retain an implement; 
   a main strap comprised of two separate main strap sections that are coupled to or integral to opposite ends of the holster, the two main strap sections are configured to attach to each other to form a loop configured to be wrapped around a torso of a user; and   an adjustable length support strap coupled at a first end of the support strap to the holster and removably and adjustably coupled at a second end of the support strap to one of the two main strap sections, the support strap configured to be disposed over a shoulder of a user.   
     
     
         14 . The holster assembly of  claim 13 , further comprising a protective layer bonded to at least part of the cover, the protective layer comprising one or more layers of substantially stiff material. 
     
     
         15 . The holster assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the cover, the backer, or the cover and the backer are comprised of multiple stacked layers of materials, at least one layer of the multiple stacked layers being a different material than another layer of the multiple stacked layers. 
     
     
         16 . The holster assembly of  claim 15 , wherein at least one layer of the multiple stacked layers comprises a protective layer comprising one or more layers of substantially stiff material. 
     
     
         17 . The holster assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the second end of the support strap is arranged to couple to the one of the two main strap sections in a plurality of locations on the one of the two main strap sections, using one or more adjustable and removable fasteners. 
     
     
         18 . The holster assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the first end of the support strap is coupled to the backer. 
     
     
         19 . A holster assembly for carrying a firearm, comprising:
 a holster including:
 a flexible, substantially planar backer having a predefined perimeter shape with one or more intentional curves at a top edge and a bottom edge of the backer; and 
 a flexible cover having a perimeter shape that includes at least one of the one or more intentional curves at a top edge or a bottom edge of the cover, wherein the perimeter shape of the cover is aligned to the perimeter shape of the backer, including the at least one of the one or more intentional curves of the cover being aligned to one or more of the intentional curves of the backer, and wherein the cover is coupled to the backer to form a pocket, the pocket formed between the backer and the cover and configured to receive and to retain a firearm; 
   a main strap comprised of two separate main strap sections that are coupled to or integral to opposite ends of the holster, the two main strap sections extend from the opposite ends of the holster and form a loop as distant ends of the two main strap sections contact each other and are attached to each other in a length adjustable connection; and   an adjustable length support strap coupled at a first end of the support strap to the holster and removably and adjustably coupled at a second end of the support strap to one of the two main strap sections, the support strap configured to be disposed over a shoulder of a user.   
     
     
         20 . The holster assembly of  claim 19 , further comprising a protective layer bonded to at least part of the cover, the protective layer comprising one or more layers of a thermo-plastic elastomer (TPE), a polymer, a natural or synthetic leather, a natural or synthetic rubber, a paper or a cardboard with or without natural or synthetic textile fibers or coatings, a composite, or an aramid.