Rotating lock lever

Abstract

A rotating lock lever assembly configured as an additional security feature for a holster and may be useable in combination with a first user actuable handgun retention mechanism and a second user actuable handgun retention mechanism. The rotating lock lever assembly may include a housing, a pivot portion pivotally mounted to the housing and an elongate member extending from the pivot portion. The elongate member may include a lever button portion and a blocking projection extending from the pivot portion. The blocking projection may have an engagement surface configured to engage with a protrusion portion of a thumb button of the second user actuable handgun retention mechanism when in the protrusion portion blocking position. The rotating lock lever assembly is configured for manual movement of the rotating lock lever assembly between a protrusion portion blocking position and a protrusion portion non-blocking position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A holster, comprising:
 a holster body configured to receive a handgun, the holster body comprising,
 a handgun receiving and withdrawal axis; 
 a user proximal wall portion; 
 a cavity; 
 a rearward opening of the cavity 
   a first user actuable handgun retention mechanism located at the user proximal wall portion for selectively preventing the handgun, when in the cavity, from being withdrawn from the cavity, the first actuable handgun retention mechanism comprising a trigger guard blocking portion movable from a trigger guard blocking position to a non-blocking position;   a second user actuable handgun retention mechanism, the second user actuable handgun retention mechanism comprising a housing and a hood assembly, the hood assembly comprising:    a shroud that is pivotally supported by the holster body so that the shroud selectively pivots between a handgun retaining position in which the shroud extends across a portion of the rearward opening of the cavity of the holster body and a release position in which the shroud is displaced from the portion of the rearward opening so a withdrawal path of the handgun is unobstructed by the shroud;    a bracket comprising a lug portion; and    a thumb button, the thumb button comprising a thumb receiving tab configured for receiving a user's thumb and a pivot portion pivotally attached to the holster and comprising a protrusion portion comprising an angled locking surface configured to engage the lug portion of the bracket when the shroud is in the handgun retaining position, wherein the pivot portion of the thumb button is configured to pivot the thumb button about an axis parallel to the handgun receiving and withdrawal axis between an undepressed position and a depressed position depressed inwardly towards the user proximal wall portion, the protrusion portion further comprising an outwardly facing blocking surface and a ramp surface sloped downwardly and inwardly from the blocking surface;
 a rotating lock lever assembly comprising:
 a housing coupled to the user proximal wall portion and comprising a fastener boss extending from the housing; 
 a pivot portion pivotally mounted to the fastener boss and comprising an axis of rotation transverse to the handgun receiving and withdrawal axis, a surface of the pivot portion facing inwardly towards the user proximal wall portion and defining a first plane; 
 an elongate member extending from the pivot portion of the rotating lock lever assembly, the elongate member comprising a lever button portion; and 
 a blocking projection extending from the pivot portion of the rotating lock lever assembly inwardly towards the user proximal wall portion beyond the first plane, the blocking projection comprising an engagement surface, wherein the engagement surface defines a second plane spaced inwardly towards the user proximal wall portion from the first plane, the blocking projection further comprising a ramp surface sloping upwardly and outwardly from the engagement surface; 
 
   wherein the rotating lock lever assembly is configured for movement of the rotating lock lever assembly between a protrusion portion blocking position, an intermediate handshake position, and a protrusion portion non-blocking position, wherein the engagement surface of the blocking projection is configured to engage with the blocking surface of the protrusion portion when in the protrusion portion blocking position to block rotation of the protrusion portion of the thumb button when in the blocking position allowing the trigger guard blocking portion of the first user actuable handgun retention mechanism to be in the trigger guard blocking position and the shroud to be in the retaining position, and wherein the blocking projection is configured to allow rotation of the protrusion portion of the thumb button when in the non-blocking position allowing the trigger guard blocking portion of the first user actuable handgun retention mechanism to be in the trigger guard non-blocking position and the shroud to be in the release position;   wherein the elongate member is configured to block user access to the thumb receiving tab of the thumb button by covering at least part of the thumb button when the rotating lock lever assembly is in the protrusion portion blocking position; and wherein the elongate member is configured to be pivoted by actuation of the lever button portion by the user about the pivot portion of the thumb button such that the thumb receiving tab is accessible by the thumb of a user extending forwardly in the direction of the handgun receiving and withdrawal axis;   wherein the rotating lock lever assembly further comprises a coil spring on the fastener boss, and wherein the pivot portion of the rotating lock lever is pivotally mounted to the fastener boss such that the coil spring biases the rotating lock lever assembly to the protrusion blocking position;   wherein the elongate member comprising the lever button portion is pivotable about the pivot portion of the rotating lock lever assembly by a user's thumb moving forwardly and parallel to the handgun receiving and withdrawal axis engaging the lever button portion of the elongate member, wherein the elongate member rotates from a position blocking at least a portion of the thumb receiving tab of the thumb button about a first angular range of rotary motion to a position not blocking the thumb receiving tab of the thumb button and allowing the user's forwardly extending thumb to be positioned over the thumb receiving tab of the thumb button and to be able to press the thumb button inwardly; and   wherein the ramp surface of the blocking projection is configured to engage with the ramp surface of the protrusion portion when the rotating lock lever assembly is in the intermediate handshake position, wherein the ramp surface of the protrusion portion is pivoted outwardly away from the user proximal wall portion beyond the first plane defined by the inwardly facing surface of the pivot portion of the rotating lock lever assembly when the thumb button is depressed inwardly;   wherein when the rotating lock lever assembly is moved to the protrusion portion non-blocking position, the elongate member is not able to return to the protrusion portion blocking position until the thumb button pivots back to the undepressed position, such that until the thumb button pivots back to the undepressed position, the ramp surface of the protrusion portion blocks the ramp surface of the blocking projection of the rotating lock lever assembly, and therefore blocks the return of the rotating lock lever assembly to the blocking position.   
     
     
         2 . The holster of  claim 1 , wherein the rotating lock lever assembly housing further comprises a fastener extending through the fastener boss attaching the housing to the holster body. 
     
     
         3 . The holster of  claim 2 , wherein the coil spring is configured to return the rotating lock lever assembly to the protrusion blocking position when force is removed by the user's thumb on the lever button portion, and wherein the thumb button allows the return of the rotating lock lever assembly to the protrusion blocking position when the thumb button is in the undepressed position. 
     
     
         4 . The holster of  claim 3 , wherein the engagement of the ramp surface of the protrusion portion and the ramp surface of the blocking projection of the rotating lock lever assembly assists the elongate member in moving towards the non-blocking position when the thumb button is depressed by the user. 
     
     
         5 . The holster of  claim 1 , wherein the shroud comprises a U-shaped member. 
     
     
         6 . The holster of  claim 5 , further comprising a hood spring that biases the U-shaped member to pivot toward the release position. 
     
     
         7 . The holster of  claim 6 , wherein the hood spring biases the lug portion of the hood assembly against the protrusion portion of the thumb button while the U-shaped member is in the handgun retaining position. 
     
     
         8 . The holster of  claim 7 , wherein the angled locking surface of the protrusion portion is configured for engagement with the lug portion when the hood assembly is closed, wherein rotation of the thumb button through a first range of rotary motion causes the angled locking surface of the protrusion portion to disengage from the lug portion of the hood assembly, wherein the rotating lock lever assembly is configured to block the thumb button from rotation of the thumb button through the first range of rotary motion when the rotating lock lever assembly is in the protrusion portion blocking position, wherein motion of the hood assembly is blocked when the rotating lock lever assembly is in the protrusion portion blocking position. 
     
     
         9 . The holster of  claim 8 , wherein, in order for the hood assembly to close, the thumb button is configured to rotate to allow the lug portion of the hood assembly to travel past the back of the thumb button, wherein when the rotating lock lever assembly is at rest in the blocked position, it blocks all motion of the thumb button and does not allow the lug portion to rotate past the backside of the thumb button causing the need for the rotating lock lever assembly to move to the non-blocking position prior to closing the hood assembly. 
     
     
         10 . The holster of  claim 9 , wherein the protrusion portion further comprises an engagement surface on a rear surface thereof facing the holster body; wherein moving the hood assembly from an open position to a closed position causes the lug portion to engage with the engagement surface and be blocked by the engagement surface until the user rotates the thumb button inwardly towards the proximal wall portion to unblock the lug portion from the engagement surface; wherein, once the lug portion has moved past the engagement surface, lug portion rests on the angled locking surface corresponding to the hood assembly being in the retaining position.