Rotary stepped joint

Abstract

A rotary stepped joint for associating an object, such as, for instance, a holster, with an external support, such as an element internal to a bag or a handbag, so that the object can be rotated by the user in order to be positioned in a preferred angle.

1 - 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . A rotary stepped joint for associating an object with an external support element comprising:
 a base shaped as an annular body having a lateral surface, a lower surface, an upper surface and an inner surface wherein the lateral surface of said base features a raised perimetric edge that extends beyond the upper surface of said base and the lower surface of said base features an inner tangential edge that extends beyond the inner surface of said base;   an upper flange shaped as a disc-like flange and having an outer tangential edge, an upper surface and a lower surface wherein the lower surface of said upper flange faces at least partially the upper surface of said base, the outer tangential edge of said upper flange stays inside said raised perimetric edge of said base and the upper surface of said upper flange comprises coupling means for associating with an external support element; wherein he upper surface of said flange comprises means for reversibly coupling it with said external support element (A);   an axially symmetrical internal body having an upper surface, a lower portion and an outer tangential edge wherein the upper surface of said an axially symmetrical internal body features an outer tangential edge and the lower portion of said an axially symmetrical internal body comprises coupling means below for associating with an object; wherein the lower surface of said internal body comprises means for reversibly coupling it with said object (B);   one or several projecting elements,   
       wherein said base and said upper flange form a box-like body internally to which said axially symmetrical internal body is rotationally housed according to a first axis and the lower portion of said axially symmetrical internal body stays inside said inner tangential edge of said base body, wherein said inner tangential edge of said base features a plurality of cavities that are equally spaced from each other along a circumference, the number of cavities being equal to or greater than the number of said projecting elements; wherein each one of said projecting elements is shaped as a sphere and is equally spaced from each other along a circumference, wherein said outer tangential edge of said upper flange features seats and further wherein each one of said projecting elements is partially housed in a seat of the outer tangential edge while each one of said projecting elements partially projects and is free of rotating with respect to said seats; wherein the rotation of said axially symmetrical internal body about said first axis makes said projecting elements reversibly and elastically engage themselves internally to said cavities; Wherein the rotary stepped joint it comprises elastic countering means interposed between the lower surface of said flange and the upper surface of said internal body, elastic countering means being suitable for engaging said projecting elements internally to said cavities, so as to make it necessary to overcome the countering action exerted by said elastic countering means to put the internal body into rotation with respect to said box-like body. 
     
     
         12 . The rotary stepped joint of  claim 11  wherein said object (B) is a firearm holster. 
     
     
         13 . The rotary stepped joint of  claim 11  wherein said support element (A) is internal to a bag. 
     
     
         14 . The rotary stepped joint of  claim 11  wherein said elastic countering means comprise a conical helical spring whose lower end is housed in a circular cavity centrally defined on the upper portion of said internal body. 
     
     
         15 . A rotary stepped joint for associating an object with an external support element comprising:
 a base shaped as an annular body having a lateral surface, a lower surface, an upper surface and an inner surface wherein the lateral surface of said base features a raised perimetric edge that extends beyond the upper surface of said base and the lower surface of said base features an inner tangential edge that extends beyond the inner surface of said base;   an upper flange shaped as a disc-like flange and having an outer tangential edge, an upper surface and a lower surface wherein the lower surface of said upper flange faces at least partially the upper surface of said base, the outer tangential edge of said upper flange stays inside said raised perimetric edge of said base and the upper surface of said upper flange comprises coupling means for associating with an external support element; wherein he upper surface of said flange comprises means for reversibly coupling it with said external support element (A);   an axially symmetrical internal body having an upper surface, a lower portion and an outer tangential edge wherein the upper surface of said an axially symmetrical internal body features an outer tangential edge and the lower portion of said an axially symmetrical internal body comprises coupling means below for associating with an object, wherein the lower surface of said internal body comprises means for reversibly coupling it with said object (B);   one or several projecting elements,   
       wherein said base and said upper flange form a box-like body internally to which said axially symmetrical internal body is rotationally housed according to a first axis and the lower portion of said axially symmetrical internal body stays inside said inner tangential edge of said base body, 
       wherein the rotary stepped joint further comprises
 a male annular plate, having a lower surface facing the surface of said inner tangential edge that extends beyond the inner surface of said base body with means that prevent a reciprocal rotation, and having an upper surface from which said one or several projecting elements project above; 
 a female annular plate, resting on the upper surface of said male annular plate underneath and which the lower surface of the overhanging tangential edge of said internal body faces, with means that prevents their reciprocal rotation; 
 
       wherein lower surface of said female annular plate features a plurality of cavities that are equally spaced from each other along a circumference, the number of cavities being equal to or greater than the number of said projecting elements of said male annular plate, 
       wherein the rotary stepped joint further comprises elastic countering means, interposed between the lower surface of said flange and the upper surface of said internal body, which are suitable for engaging said projecting elements internally to said cavities, so as to make it necessary to overcome the countering action exerted by said elastic countering means to put said internal body into rotation with respect to said box-like body, 
       wherein the rotation of said axially symmetrical internal body about said first axis makes said projecting elements reversibly and elastically engage themselves internally to said cavities. 
     
     
         16 . The rotary stepped joint of  claim 15  wherein said object (B) is a firearm holster. 
     
     
         17 . The rotary stepped joint of  claim 15  wherein said support element (A) is internal to a bag. 
     
     
         18 . The rotary stepped joint of  claim 15  wherein said elastic countering means comprise a conical helical spring whose lower end is housed in a circular cavity centrally defined on the upper portion of said internal body. 
     
     
         19 . A rotary stepped joint for associating an object with an external support element comprising:
 a base shaped as an annular body having a lateral surface, a lower surface, an upper surface and an inner surface wherein the lateral surface of said base features a raised perimetric edge that extends beyond the upper surface of said base and the lower surface of said base features an inner tangential edge that extends beyond the inner surface of said base;   an upper flange shaped as a disc-like flange and having an outer tangential edge, an upper surface and a lower surface wherein the lower surface of said upper flange faces at least partially the upper surface of said base, the outer tangential edge of said upper flange stays inside said raised perimetric edge of said base and the upper surface of said upper flange comprises coupling means for associating with an external support element; wherein he upper surface of said flange comprises means for reversibly coupling it with said external support element (A);   an axially symmetrical internal body having an upper surface, a lower portion and an outer tangential edge wherein the upper surface of said an axially symmetrical internal body features an outer tangential edge and the lower portion of said an axially symmetrical internal body comprises coupling means below for associating with an object, wherein the lower surface of said internal body comprises means for reversibly coupling it with said object (B);   one or several projecting elements,   
       wherein said base and said upper flange form a box-like body internally to which said axially symmetrical internal body is rotationally housed according to a first axis and the lower portion of said axially symmetrical internal body stays inside said inner tangential edge of said base body, 
       wherein the rotary stepped joint further comprises
 a male annular plate, having an outer lateral surface, a lower surface, an upper surface and an inner lateral surface, integrally connected to the overhanging lower surface of said tangential edge of said internal body and from the outer lateral surface on which said one or several projecting elements project, 
 a female annular plate, having an outer lateral surface, a lower surface, an upper surface and an inner lateral surface, whose lower faces the surface of the inner tangential edge underneath of said base body with means that prevent their reciprocal rotation, the inner lateral surface of said female annular plate features a plurality of cavities that are equally spaced from each other along a circumference, the number of cavities being equal to or greater than the number of said projecting elements, 
 
       wherein that said male annular plate, said female annular plate, or both said male annular plate and said female annular plate, are elastically deformable so as to make it necessary to overcome the countering action exerted by their elastic properties to put said axially symmetrical internal body into rotation with respect to said box-like body, wherein the rotation of said axially symmetrical internal body about said first axis makes said projecting elements reversibly and elastically engage themselves internally to said cavities. 
     
     
         20 . The rotary stepped joint of  claim 19  wherein said object (B) is a firearm holster. 
     
     
         21 . The rotary stepped joint of  claim 19  wherein said support element (A) is internal to a bag.