Auto open holster optic dust cover

Abstract

A holster for receiving and withdrawing a handgun has a first handgun retention mechanism. The mechanism having a first lever with a tab portion for actuation and release of the handgun, the lever having a snap fit into a lever region without a separate pin. A belt engaging member covers the lever region capturing the first lever therein. If a second retention mechanism is used, another lever with a tab portion is positioned so the tabs are stacked, depressing one also depresses the tab behind it, such that both mechanisms are released. An auto open red dot sight dust cover may be incorporated with the holster.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A holster, comprising:
 a holster body configured to receive a handgun equipped with a red dot sight (RDS), said holster body comprising a plurality of holster wall portions defining a handgun receiving cavity and a rearward opening, the holster body having a handgun receiving and withdrawal axis, the plurality of holster wall portions comprising a user proximal wall portion, a user distal wall portion and an upward wall portion having a projection to accommodate at least a portion of the RDS;   an auto open dust cover pivotal relative to the holster body and positioned and configured to cover at least a portion of the RDS not covered by the holster body when the auto open dust cover is in a second, closed position and to not cover the RDS when in a first, open position, the auto open dust cover further comprising a foot portion disposed at an end of the auto open dust cover distal from the upward wall portion of the holster body, wherein the foot portion is disposed on at least one of a user proximal side and a user distal side of the auto open dust cover;   a cantilever spring comprising a fixed end fixed to one of the holster body and the dust cover, and a free end slidingly received in the other of the holster body and the dust cover;   a first user actuable handgun retention mechanism at the user proximal wall portion for selectively preventing the handgun, when in the handgun receiving cavity, from being withdrawn from the handgun receiving cavity, the first actuable handgun retention mechanism comprising a handgun blocking portion movable from a handgun blocking position to a non-blocking position; and   a second user actuable handgun retention mechanism, the second user actuable handgun retention mechanism 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 handgun receiving 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, the shroud further comprising a channel disposed on an interior surface of the shroud and configured to engage the foot portion of the dust cover when the shroud is in the handgun retaining position,   wherein the cantilever spring biases the auto open dust cover to the open, first position, and wherein the dust cover is moved from the first, open position to the second, closed position by engagement of the foot portion with the channel of the shroud when the shroud is pivoted from the release position to the handgun retaining position.   
     
     
         2 . The holster of  claim 1 , wherein the foot portion comprises a laterally extending proximal portion and a hook-like distal portion extending from the laterally extending proximal portion, wherein the channel comprises a keyed channel configured to receive the foot portion. 
     
     
         3 . The holster of  claim 1 , wherein the cantilever spring is a flat cantilever spring. 
     
     
         4 . The holster of  claim 1 , further comprising an adapter bracket stationarily attached to the holster body and configured to pivotally mount the auto open dust cover to the holster body, wherein the adapter bracket comprises an offset length along the handgun receiving and withdrawal axis configured to pivotally mount the auto open dust cover further rearwardly along the handgun receiving and withdrawal axis with respect to the holster body. 
     
     
         5 . The holster of  claim 4 , wherein the adapter bracket further comprises:
 a holster proximal end;   a holster distal end;   a user proximal side;   a user distal side;   two first protrusions disposed at the holster proximal end of the adapter bracket, one first protrusion extending from a user proximal side of the adapter bracket and one first protrusion extending from a user distal side of the adapter bracket, the two first protrusions configured to attach the adapter bracket to the upward wall portion of the holster body; and   two second protrusions disposed at the holster distal end of the adapter bracket, one second protrusion extending from a user proximal side of the adapter bracket and one second protrusion extending from a user distal side of the adapter bracket, the two second protrusions configured to hingeably connect the auto open dust cover to the adapter bracket.   
     
     
         6 . The holster of  claim 5 , wherein the auto open dust cover further comprises a central slot, and wherein the fixed end of the cantilever spring is fixed to the adapter bracket, and the free end of the cantilever spring is slidingly received in the central slot of the dust cover. 
     
     
         7 . The holster of  claim 6 , the adapter bracket further comprising a central channel extending from the holster proximal end to the holster distal end on an exterior side of a central portion of the adapter bracket, wherein the cantilever spring is disposed within the central channel. 
     
     
         8 . The holster of  claim 6 , wherein the adapter bracket further comprises a molded post on the holster proximal end, and the cantilever spring further comprises a hole at the fixed end for receiving the molded post to fix the fixed end of the cantilever spring to the adapter bracket. 
     
     
         9 . The holster of  claim 6 , the auto open dust cover further comprising two holes, one hole in the user proximal side of the auto open dust cover and one hole in a user distal side of the auto open dust cover, the two holes configured to receive the two second protrusions at the holster distal end of the adapter bracket to hingeably connect the auto open dust cover to the adapter bracket. 
     
     
         10 . The holster of  claim 7 , wherein the central slot extends from a holster proximal end to a holster distal end of the auto open dust cover, wherein the auto open dust cover and cantilever spring are configured such that, when the auto open dust cover is moved to the second, closed position, the free end of the cantilever spring is flexed downwardly and slides within the central slot. 
     
     
         11 . The holster of  claim 1 , wherein the shroud comprises one or more flaps on at least one of a forward edge and a rearward edge of the shroud. 
     
     
         12 . The holster of  claim 1 , the user proximal wall portion comprising a thumb button recess with a thumb button edge portion defining the thumb button recess, the thumb button recess extending forwardly from the rearward opening, and the first user actuable handgun retention mechanism further comprising a first lever pivotally mounted on the user proximal wall portion of the holster body with a first axis of rotation, the first lever having an actuation tab rearwardly positioned on the first lever and positioned within the thumb button recess, the actuation tab having an upper margin, a rearward margin, and a lower margin, the first lever further having the handgun blocking portion forwardly positioned on the first lever, the first lever configured and positioned such that depression of the actuation tab rotates the first lever about its respective axis of rotation to move the handgun blocking portion from the handgun blocking position to the non-blocking position, wherein an upper portion of the thumb button recess edge portion extends rearwardly of the actuation tab along the upper margin of the actuation tab and a lower portion of the thumb button recess edge portion extends rearwardly of the actuation tab at the lower margin of the actuation tab. 
     
     
         13 . The holster of  claim 12 , the second user actuable handgun retention mechanism further comprising a second lever, the second lever having an actuation tab configured as a thumb button, the actuation tab of the first lever positioned behind the thumb button whereby depression of the thumb button also depresses the actuation tab of the first lever and actuates the first user actuable handgun retention mechanism and the second user actuable handgun retention mechanism. 
     
     
         14 . The holster of  claim 13 , wherein the holster further comprises a pair of thumb guides positioned above and below the thumb button, the thumb guides projecting laterally outward from the holster body user proximal wall portion beyond an undepressed position of the thumb button. 
     
     
         15 . The holster of  claim 14 , wherein the thumb guide positioned above the thumb button comprises a housing for the second user actuable handgun retention mechanism. 
     
     
         16 . The holster of  claim 15 , the second user actuable handgun retention mechanism further comprising a second lever, the second lever having an actuation tab configured as a thumb button, the actuation tab of the first lever positioned behind the thumb button and spaced therefrom such that the thumb button moves a range of rotary distance when depressed before the thumb button engages with the actuation tab of the first lever, whereby depression of the thumb button actuates the second user actuable handgun retention mechanism and, after moving the range of rotary distance and depressing the actuation tab of the first lever, actuates the first user actuable handgun retention mechanism. 
     
     
         17 . A holster, comprising:
 a holster body configured to receive a handgun equipped with a red dot sight (RDS), said holster body comprising a plurality of unitary holster wall portions defining a handgun receiving cavity and a rearward opening, the holster body having a handgun receiving and withdrawal axis, the plurality of holster wall portions comprising a user proximal wall portion, a user distal wall portion and an upward wall portion having a projection to accommodate at least a portion of the RDS;   an auto open dust cover positioned and configured to cover at least a portion of the RDS not covered by the holster body when the auto open dust cover is in a second, closed position and to not cover the RDS when in a first, open position, the auto open dust cover further comprising a foot portion disposed at an end of the auto open dust cover distal from the upward wall portion of the holster body, wherein the foot portion is disposed on at least one of a user proximal side and a user distal side of the auto open dust cover;   an adapter bracket stationarily attached to the holster body and configured to pivotally mount the auto open dust cover to the holster body, wherein the adapter bracket comprises an offset length along the handgun receiving and withdrawal axis configured to pivotally mount the auto open dust cover further rearwardly along the handgun receiving and withdrawal axis with respect to the holster body;   a cantilever spring comprising a fixed end fixed to one of the adapter bracket and the dust cover, and a free end slidingly received in the other of the adapter bracket and the dust cover;   a first user actuable handgun retention mechanism at the user proximal wall portion for selectively preventing the handgun, when in the handgun receiving cavity, from being withdrawn from the handgun receiving cavity, the first actuable handgun retention mechanism comprising a handgun blocking portion movable from a handgun blocking position to a non-blocking position; and   a second user actuable handgun retention mechanism, the second user actuable handgun retention mechanism 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 handgun receiving 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, the shroud further comprising a channel disposed on an interior surface of the shroud and configured to engage the foot portion of the auto open dust cover when the shroud is in the handgun retaining position,   wherein the cantilever spring biases the auto open dust cover to the open, first position, and wherein the dust cover is moved from the first, open position to the second, closed position by engagement of the foot portion with the channel of the shroud when the shroud is pivoted from the release position to the handgun retaining position.   
     
     
         18 . The holster of  claim 17 , wherein the foot portion comprises a laterally extending proximal portion and a hook-like distal portion extending from the laterally extending proximal portion, wherein the channel comprises a keyed channel configured to receive the foot portion. 
     
     
         19 . The holster of  claim 17 , wherein the cantilever spring is a flat cantilever spring. 
     
     
         20 . The holster of  claim 17 , wherein the auto open dust cover further comprises a central slot, and wherein the fixed end of the cantilever spring is fixed to the adapter bracket and the free end of the cantilever spring is slidingly received in the central slot of the auto open dust cover.