Holster with Rotatable Ejection Port Locking Element

Abstract

A holster defining an at least partial holster cavity; and a release lever pivotably attached or coupled to the holster body and repeatably pivotable between a retention position and a release position, and wherein the release lever is capable of being pivoted to the release position when a pivoting force is applied to the release lever, wherein if the release lever is in the retention position, at least a portion of a handgun locking portion of the release lever is positioned so as to protrude into a portion of the holster cavity a sufficient distance to engage at least a portion of an ejection port of an inserted handgun, and wherein if the release lever in the release position, the handgun locking portion is withdrawn from the holster cavity to disengage from the ejection port of the handgun.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A holster for a handgun, comprising:
 a holster body defining an at least partial holster cavity;   a hood pivotably attached or coupled to said holster body, wherein said hood is repeatably pivotable between a closed position and an open position, wherein said hood is biased to said open position via interaction between a holster/hood biasing element attached or coupled between a portion of said holster body and a portion of said hood; and   a release lever pivotably attached or coupled to said holster body, wherein said release lever is repeatably pivotable between a retention position and a release position, wherein said release lever is biased to said retention position via interaction between a holster/lever biasing element attached or coupled to a portion of said holster body, and wherein said release lever is capable of being pivoted to said release position when a pivoting force is applied to said release lever, wherein if said release lever is in said retention position, at least a portion of a handgun locking portion of said release lever is positioned so as to extend through an aperture in a wall portion of said holster body, and protrude into a portion of said holster cavity a sufficient distance to engage at least a portion of an ejection port of an inserted handgun, and wherein if said release lever in said release position, said handgun locking portion is withdrawn from said holster cavity a sufficient distance to disengage from said ejection port of said handgun to allow said handgun to be withdrawn from said holster cavity, wherein if said hood is in said closed position and said release lever is in said retention position, a tab of said holster/lever biasing element protrudes into at least a portion of a hood locking recess of said hood, thereby maintaining said hood in said closed position, and wherein if said bias of said release lever is overcome and said release lever is pivoted from said retention position to said release position, said tab disengages from said hood locking recess and said hood is allowed to pivot to said open position.   
     
     
         2 . The holster of  claim 1 , wherein if said hood is in said open position, said hood does not hinder said handgun from being withdrawn from said holster. 
     
     
         3 . The holster of  claim 1 , wherein said at least partial holster cavity includes a holster frame top portion and a holster frame bottom portion. 
     
     
         4 . The holster of  claim 1 , wherein said at least partial holster cavity includes a holster slide portion and a holster trigger guard portion. 
     
     
         5 . The holster of  claim 1 , wherein said holster includes at least one holster frame attachment portion, which provides one or more areas, portions, or devices for fastening said holster to a belt loop or other holster holding device. 
     
     
         6 . The holster of  claim 1 , wherein said hood comprises a hood pivot stop, which corresponds to a hood stop surface formed in a surface portion of said holster body such that said hood pivot stop and said hood stop surface are aligned such that if said hood pivots towards said open position, said hood pivot stop contacts said hood stop surface to stop further rotation of said hood relative to said holster body. 
     
     
         7 . The holster of  claim 1 , wherein said release lever is pivotally connected to said holster body, via said release lever pivot pin, so that said release lever is repeatably pivotable between said retention position and said release position. 
     
     
         8 . The holster of  claim 1 , wherein a release lever pivot pin may extend either all or part of said way across a release lever extension portion, joining said thumb/finger engagement portion and said locking engagement portion. 
     
     
         9 . The holster of  claim 1 , wherein said handgun locking portion includes a substantially planar portion having a substantially planar surface formed so as to extend into at least a portion of said ejection port of an inserted handgun and engage a surface of said ejection port. 
     
     
         10 . A holster for a handgun, comprising:
 a holster body defining an at least partial holster cavity; and   a release lever pivotably attached or coupled to said holster body, wherein said release lever is repeatably pivotable between a retention position and a release position, wherein said release lever is biased to said retention position via interaction between a holster/lever biasing element attached or coupled to a portion of said holster body, and wherein said release lever is capable of being pivoted to said release position when a pivoting force is applied to said release lever, wherein if said release lever is in said retention position, at least a portion of a handgun locking portion of said release lever is positioned so as to extend through an aperture in a wall portion of said holster body, and protrude into a portion of said holster cavity a sufficient distance to engage at least a portion of an ejection port of an inserted handgun, and wherein if said release lever in said release position, said handgun locking portion is withdrawn from said holster cavity a sufficient distance to disengage from said ejection port of said handgun to allow said handgun to be withdrawn from said holster cavity.   
     
     
         11 . The holster of  claim 10 , wherein said at least partial holster cavity includes a holster frame top portion and a holster frame bottom portion. 
     
     
         12 . The holster of  claim 10 , wherein said at least partial holster cavity includes a holster slide portion and a holster trigger guard portion. 
     
     
         13 . The holster of  claim 10 , wherein said holster includes at least one holster frame attachment portion, which provides one or more areas, portions, or devices for fastening said holster to a belt loop or other holster holding device. 
     
     
         14 . The holster of  claim 10 , wherein said release lever is pivotally connected to said holster body, via said release lever pivot pin, so that said release lever is repeatably pivotable between said retention position and said release position. 
     
     
         15 . The holster of  claim 10 , wherein a release lever pivot pin may extend either all or part of said way across a release lever extension portion, joining said thumb/finger engagement portion and said locking engagement portion. 
     
     
         16 . The holster of  claim 10 , wherein said handgun locking portion includes a substantially planar portion having a substantially planar surface formed so as to extend into at least a portion of said ejection port of an inserted handgun and engage a surface of said ejection port. 
     
     
         17 . A holster for a handgun, comprising:
 a holster body defining an at least partial holster cavity; and   a release lever pivotably attached or coupled to said holster body, wherein said release lever is repeatably pivotable between a retention position and a release position, and wherein said release lever is capable of being pivoted to said release position when a pivoting force is applied to said release lever, wherein if said release lever is in said retention position, at least a portion of a handgun locking portion of said release lever is positioned so as to extend through an aperture in a wall portion of said holster body, and protrude into a portion of said holster cavity a sufficient distance to engage at least a portion of an ejection port of an inserted handgun, and wherein if said release lever in said release position, said handgun locking portion is withdrawn from said holster cavity a sufficient distance to disengage from said ejection port of said handgun to allow said handgun to be withdrawn from said holster cavity.   
     
     
         18 . The holster of  claim 17 , wherein said holster includes at least one holster frame attachment portion, which provides one or more areas, portions, or devices for fastening said holster to a belt loop or other holster holding device. 
     
     
         19 . The holster of  claim 17 , wherein said release lever is pivotally connected to said holster body, via said release lever pivot pin, so that said release lever is repeatably pivotable between said retention position and said release position. 
     
     
         20 . The holster of  claim 17 , wherein a release lever pivot pin may extend either all or part of said way across a release lever extension portion, joining said thumb/finger engagement portion and said locking engagement portion.