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.

Claims

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.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of the rotary joint according to the present patent application, the inner body (3) being housed coaxially, according to an axis (Z), internally to a box-like body, the latter being formed of an annular base body (1) and of an upper disc-like flange (2); in the embodiment shown in this figure are visible the elastic means (6) which, in the present solution, consists of a conical helical spring. On the upper portion of the inner body (3) is centrally defined a cylindrical recess in order to facilitate the positioning of the lower end of the spring. This figure also shows the projecting elements (51), the latter being constituted of spheres partially housed in respective seats obtained in the lower portion of the outer tangential edge (31) of the internal body (3), whereas the cavities (41) are obtained in the upper portion of the inner tangential edge (12) of the base body (1). On the upper surface of the disc-like flange (2) are shown three cylindrical recesses equally angularly spaced away from each other, arranged in such a way as to facilitate the positioning of fixing means, such as press stud or the like.

[0028] FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of a second possible embodiment of the rotary joint according to the present patent application, wherein the projecting elements (51) are reliefs projecting from a male annular plate (5) above rotationally connected to said base body (1) and said cavities (41) are obtained in a female annular plate (4) below rotationally coupled with said internal body (3); it also shows the elastic means (6). In this embodiment too, the elastic means are formed of a conical helical spring whose inner end engages a respective recess centrally defined on the upper portion of the internal body (3).

[0029] FIG. 3 shows an exploded view of a further possible embodiment of the rotary joint according to the present patent application, wherein the projecting elements (51) are reliefs projecting from the outer lateral surface of a male annular plate (5) rotationally connected to said internal body (3) and said cavities (41) are cut on the inner lateral surface of a female annular plate (4) rotationally connected to said base body (1).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0030] The rotary joint according to the present patent application is suitable for associating an object (B), in particular a holster, with a support external element (A), the latter preferably being a planar element arranged internally to a bag, or a belt, a breast or cuisse support or another support element for holsters.

[0031] The rotary joint comprises an annular base body (1) and an upper disc-like flange (2), associated with each other to form a box-like body with a lower opening and internally to which is rotationally housed an internal body (3). The base body (1), the flange (2), and the internal body (3) are coaxial to each other since they are arranged on the same axis (Z).

[0032] The lateral surface of the annular base body (1) includes a raised perimetric edge (11) and whose lower surface presents an inner tangential edge (12).

[0033] The upper disc-like flange (2) is suitable for facing the upper surface of said base body (1) below and engaging itself internally to said raised perimetric edge (11); the upper surface of said flange (2) comprises association means for associating with an external support element (A).

[0034] The internal body (3), whose upper surface presents an outer tangential edge (31), comprises a lower portion (32) which rotationally engages internally to the inner tangential edge (12) of the base body (1) and which presents association means for associating with an object (B) below, such as a holster.

[0035] Very advantageously, the rotation of the internal body (3) around the axis (Z), induces one or several projecting elements (51), equally spaced from each other along a circumference internal to said box-like body, to reversibly and elastically engage themselves internally to a plurality of cavities (41), also equally spaced from each other along a circumference internal to said box-like body and whose number is equal to or greater than the number of said projecting elements (51).

[0036] In a very advantageous embodiment, the adjustable device comprises elastic countering means (6) formed of a conical helical spring interposed between the lower surface of said flange (2) and the upper portion of said internal body (3) which includes a special central recess for housing the lower end of the spring. Such elastic means (6) are suitable for engaging the projecting elements (51) internally to the cavities (41), so that in order to drive the internal body (3) into rotation with respect to the box-like body, it is necessary to overcome the contrast action exerted by the elastic countering means (6).

[0037] In accordance with a possible alternative embodiment of the joint according to the present patent application, the projecting elements (51) comprise one or several spheres, housed in respective overhanging seats cut below of the outer tangential edge (31) of the internal body, said spheres are arranged in such a way as to be partially projecting and free of rotating with respect to said seats; such spheres are suitable for engaging the cavities (41) cut in the upper portion of the inner tangential edge (12) of the base body (1).

[0038] In a second alternative embodiment, the present joint also comprises a male annular plate (5) and a female annular plate (4). The male annular plate (5) presents one or more projecting elements (51) above and facing the surface of the inner tangential edge (12) underneath the base body (1) with means that prevent a reciprocal rotation, such as for instance reliefs projecting from the lateral surface of the male annular plate (5) suitable for engaging respective cavities present on the inner lateral surface of the base body (1). The female annular plate (4) rests on the male annular plate (5) underneath and it faces the lower surface of the overhanging tangential edge (31) of the internal body (3), with means that prevent their reciprocal rotation, such as for instance reliefs projecting from the inner lateral surface of the female annular plate (4), suitable for engaging respective cavities present on the lateral surface of the lower portion (32) of the internal body (3); the plate (4) presents said cavities (41) below, suitable for engaging the projecting elements (51).

[0039] In a third possible alternative embodiment, the rotary joint according to the present invention comprises a male annular plate (5) integrally connected to the overhanging lower surface of said tangential edge (31) of the internal body (3) and from the outer lateral surface on which one or several projecting elements (51) project, and a female annular plate (4), facing the surface of the inner tangential edge (12) underneath of said base body (1) with means that prevent their reciprocal rotation, the inner lateral surface of said female annular plate (4) presenting said cavities (41) suitable for engaging said projecting elements (51). In this latter possible embodiment of the rotary joint, elastic countering means interposed between said internal body (3) and said disc-like flange (2) are not provided.

[0040] Preferably, the coupling means for coupling said flange (2) and said external upper element (A) and/or the coupling means for coupling said internal body (3) and said external lower element (B) are of a reversible type, such as, for instance, press stud, or “hook and loop” coupling elements” (Velcro®).