Holster Thumb Lock via Ejection Port Engagement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing handgun holster safety devices with thumb-actuated unlocking mechanisms are prone to malfunction due to environmental variations affecting elastic materials and can be difficult to use due to anatomical variations, leading to unreliable and inconvenient operation.
Innovation Solution
A holster design featuring a pivotally movable locking element engaging the ejection port, actuated by a release lever with a torsion spring for reliable locking and unlocking, and an oversized, anatomically shaped push-button for easy operation, eliminating the need for supplementary tension regulators and simplifying production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single lever made of polymeric material is used to perform locking and releasing functions through elastic deformation, then the structure is simplified, but the reliability deteriorates due to environmental variations affecting elastic behavior
Solution Approach 1:
The single lever is divided into two separate components: a locking element (21) made of polymeric material that performs the locking function, and a release lever (22) made of metallic material that performs the releasing function. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function and material properties, resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
A metallic insert (23) is introduced as an intermediary component between the release lever and the locking element. This insert acts as a mediator that transmits the releasing force from the metallic release lever to the polymeric locking element, enabling reliable force transmission while maintaining the benefits of material segmentation.
2Volume of stationary object
If the actuating end is positioned on the lateral side near the top ridge wall, then the structure is compact, but the ease of operation deteriorates as the thumb must reach for a difficult point
Solution Approach 1:
The actuating end of the release lever is repositioned from a lateral position near the top ridge wall to a position on the rear face of the holster body. This dimensional relocation places the actuating point in a more accessible location that is naturally reachable by the thumb during the gripping motion, significantly improving ease of operation while maintaining compact overall dimensions.
3Ease of operation
If elastic deformation is used to assist reinsertion, then the extraction is facilitated, but the structural complexity increases due to the need for tension regulators
Solution Approach 1:
The tension regulator component is completely removed from the design. Instead of using a separate tension regulator to control the elastic behavior, the patent extracts this function and integrates it directly into the geometry and material properties of the locking element and release lever themselves, simplifying production while maintaining extraction facilitation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design ensures reliable and efficient thumb-actuated unlocking and relocking of handguns, improving usability and structural simplicity while maintaining operational reliability across varying conditions without relying on elastic deformations.
Implementation Method 1
actuated by a release lever with a torsion spring for reliable locking and unlocking
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~3a
AI summary
The present invention relates to the field of safety devices for weapons and, more specifically, it relates to a holster (1) for handguns (P) provided with ejection port (PI) for spent casings, provided with a locking device (21b) to prevent the accidental or unauthorised extraction of the handgun from the holster itself, of the type engaging with the aforesaid ejection port, which can be actuated in an improved manner making use of the thumb of the hand that grips the weapon.