Holster

Abstract

A holster for a handgun assembly that includes a handgun having a trigger guard with a lower surface. A support mechanism is on the holster bottom wall for supporting the handgun in the chamber in a direction toward the top wall. The support mechanism includes a non-circular rotary supported for rotation on the holster bottom wall about an axis of rotation. The rotary has a first position of rotation in which the engagement surface is presented toward the holster top wall for engagement with the lower surface of the trigger guard, thereby to support the handgun in the chamber in a direction toward the top wall. The rotary is rotatable about the axis of rotation out of the first position in response to engagement with a portion of the handgun assembly other than the trigger guard, during insertion movement of the handgun assembly into the holster chamber.

1 . A holster for a handgun assembly that includes a handgun having a trigger guard with a lower surface, the holster including:
 the holster having side walls, a top wall, and an opposite bottom wall, the holster walls together defining a chamber in the holster for receiving the handgun assembly;   the holster having an entranceway into the chamber through which the handgun is movable in an insertion direction to holster the handgun, the handgun being removable from the chamber in an opposite withdrawal direction to draw the handgun; and   a support mechanism on the holster bottom wall for supporting the handgun in the chamber in a direction toward the top wall;   the support mechanism including a non-circular rotary supported for rotation on the holster bottom wall about an axis of rotation, the rotary having a trigger guard engagement surface for engagement with the lower surface of the trigger guard when the handgun is holstered in the chamber, thereby to support the handgun in the chamber in a direction toward the top wall.   
     
     
         2 . A holster as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the rotary has a first position of rotation about the axis of rotation in which the engagement surface is presented toward the holster top wall for engagement with the lower surface of the trigger guard when the handgun is holstered in the chamber, thereby to support the handgun in the chamber in a direction toward the top wall;
 the rotary being rotatable about the axis of rotation out of the first position of rotation in response to engagement with a portion of the handgun assembly other than the trigger guard, during insertion movement of the handgun assembly into the holster chamber. 
 
     
     
         3 . A holster as set forth in  claim 1  including a spring that acts between the holster body and the rotary to resiliently maintain the rotary in the first position of rotation, the spring allowing the rotary to rotate about the axis of rotation against the bias of the spring thereby to move the engagement surface in a direction away from the holster top wall to allow passage of a taller portion of the handgun assembly. 
     
     
         4 . A holster as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the rotary is formed as one piece from molded plastic and includes two spaced flanges with a spring pin extending between them, and the support mechanism includes a tension spring connected between the spring pin and the holster bottom wall for controlling rotational position of the rotary. 
     
     
         5 . A holster as set forth in  claim 4  wherein the circumferential location of the spring pin is selected to cause the rotary, when the support mechanism is in its free state, to be in a position of rotation about the axis of rotation such that the engagement surface of the rotary is presented toward the top wall of the holster. 
     
     
         6 . A holster as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the non-circular configuration of the rotatory includes a longer first dimension from the axis of rotation that is selected to cause the engagement surface to be in a position to engage the trigger guard when the rotary is in the first position of rotation, and includes a shorter second dimension from the axis that is selected to enable passage of a taller portion of the handgun assembly past the rotary during insertion of the handgun assembly into the holster when the rotary is in the second position of rotation about the axis of rotation, the rotary rotating about the axis of rotation against the bias of a spring between the two positions during insertion of the handgun assembly into the holster and withdrawal of the handgun assembly from the holster. 
     
     
         7 . A holster as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the rotary is rotatable forward and backward about the axis of rotation during insertion and removal of the handgun assembly from the holster. 
     
     
         8 . A holster as set forth in  claim 3  wherein the spring is a tension spring.