Rotatable Locking Element Holster with Helical Ramp
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional holsters often rely on friction or complex strap arrangements, which are inadequate for secure and quick handgun retention and release, especially in situations with significant movement, and may require time-consuming operations to secure or release the firearm.
Innovation Solution
A holster with a rotatable locking element and release bar system, featuring a helical ramp surface and flute guide projections, allowing for secure handgun retention and quick release through slidable movement of the release bar, which rotates the locking element between locked and unlocked positions, interacting with the handgun's trigger guard for secure engagement and release.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If friction alone is used to secure the handgun, then the holster structure is simple, but the handgun may lose retention under significant movement
Solution Approach 1:
The locking element is designed to be rotatable between locked and unlocked positions, allowing the system to dynamically adapt to retention needs. The helical ramp surface enables automatic engagement when the handgun is inserted, and manual rotation can release it, providing dynamic control over retention strength without permanent structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism is segmented into distinct functional components: the locking element with locking projection, the helical ramp surface, and the release bar with flute portion. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, achieving reliable retention through coordinated action rather than a monolithic complex structure.
2Reliability
If strap or flap arrangements are used to prevent removal, then handgun retention is secure, but the time to release and re-secure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking element transitions from a static retention mechanism to a dynamic one with quick-release capability. The rotatable locking element can be rapidly switched between locked and unlocked states through the release bar mechanism, enabling secure retention during normal use but rapid release when needed, eliminating the time-consuming manual unfastening required by strap arrangements.
Solution Approach 2:
The helical ramp surface on the locking element automatically engages with the release bar's flute portion during the insertion process, providing self-servicing retention without requiring manual fastening operations. The system secures the handgun automatically upon insertion and can be quickly released by rotating the locking element, eliminating the need for complex manual strap manipulation.
3Device complexity
If a release lever pivoting about a pivot pin is used, then the mechanism is simple, but the operation requires precise alignment and may be cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The release bar is designed with linear slidable movement rather than pivoting motion, providing a more intuitive and easier-to-operate release mechanism. The user simply pushes the release bar linearly to rotate the locking element, eliminating the need for precise angular alignment required by pivot-pin mechanisms while maintaining mechanical simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a pivoting lever that requires rotational movement about a pin, the invention inverts the approach by using a linearly slidable bar that rotates the locking element through its own translation. This inversion of the motion type simplifies the operation by replacing complex pivoting alignment with straightforward linear movement.
4Productivity
If the locking element is made rotatable with helical ramp surface, then quick release is enabled, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The release bar combines multiple functions into a single component: it provides linear guidance for insertion, engages the flute portion during rotation, and enables quick release through slidable movement. By merging the guide, lock, and release functions into one integrated bar rather than separate components, the patent achieves quick release capability without proportionally increasing overall device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A locking holster having a side wall portion for receiving at least a portion of a handgun; a locking element with a locking projection extending from a helical ramp surface of the locking element, a central aperture is formed through the locking element with one or more flute guide projections extending into the central aperture; and a release bar having a flute portion with one or more spiral or helical grooves formed therein to interact with at least a portion of the flute guide projections, such that slidable movement of the release bar relative to the locking element produces rotational movement of the locking element, and wherein at least a portion of the locking projection retains the handgun in the holster in an engaged position, via interaction between at least a portion of the locking projection and an interior surface of a trigger guard of the handgun.