This invention relates to a weapon concealment system, and a garment incorporating the same. More particularly, the invention relates to a system for carrying a weapon such as a pistol concealed in an article of clothing, such as a jacket, yet permitting ready access to the weapon as may be needed.

BACKGROUNDS AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION The substantial increase in crime in the United States, coupled with the changing nature of criminal investigative work, has created an unprecedented demand for undercover investigations by police, governmental officials and private security firms. In such instances, it is imperative to have convenient, effective methods of carrying a concealed weapon, since open display of the weapon would immediately compromise the officer's undercover status and failure to carry a weapon could compromise the officer's safety.

A variety of holsters are currently available for police or government officers, but most have great drawbacks for undercover work. The most familiar is a belt-mounted holster, and a variety of such holsters are available for carrying either inside or outside the belt, mounted either high or low relative to the belt. While a belt attached holster is often used in undercover work in conjunction with a long jacket, it is largely unsuited for undercover application. First, police and military typically carry belt mounted holsters, thus criminals

routinely examine the waist area for weapons. Also, anyone discovered carrying a weapon in this fashion would be immediately considered a law enforcement officer, a charac¬ terization that can be lethal in the context of undercover work.

Second, a weapon carried on the hip invariably creates a noticeable bulge in the profile of the jacket, thus disclosing the presence of the weapon. This is particu¬ larly so in the case of weapons of size normally used for duty weapons such as 9 mm, 40 or 45 caliber, semi-automatic handguns.

Third, the covering jacket may shift position or even blow in the wind and reveal the presence of the weapon, thus revealing the 'concealed, weapon and possibly compro- mising the officer's safety. While a jacket may be se¬ curely fastened in front to prevent the weapon from being seen, this precaution also restricts the quick access to the weapon that is such a necessity in undercover work, and tends to accentuate the bulge referred to above. Another type of holster commonly used is the shoulder holster. This type of holster includes a harness worn by the user, and the weapon is carried in a holster attached to the harness beneath one arm, generally in the area of the armpit of the user. Generally, firearms mounted in shoulder holsters are "cross drawn", that is a right handed user carries the weapon in the region of his left armpit. When fitted under a jacket, the shoulder holster provides improved concealment and wearer comfort. However, shoulder holsters do have some significant drawbacks. The shoulder holster must be used in conjunction with a jacket, and thus is still subject to the drawback that it might open due to wind or even normal body movement to reveal the weapon. In addition, removing the weapon from the holster sometimes requires an awkward cross-body arm movement. A third type of holster is the ankle holster. This design offers a high degree of flexibility and concealment. However, access is particularly problematic. In many

undercover investigations, violence is such a real possi¬ bility that the officer would prefer to have his hand a short distance from the weapon at all times. While this is difficult with a shoulder holster, it is almost impossible with an ankle holster. In addition, ankle holster can usually be used only with small caliber, small frame hand¬ guns which often have limited magazine capacity and fire¬ power.

A drawback which exists with all prior concealed weapon holsters is the discomfort associated with them.

The belt mounted holsters in particular are uncomfortable for a user sitting down, running or driving a vehicle. The present invention is a system for carrying a concealed weapon such as a revolver or semi-automatic pistol, along with other items such as, for example, addi¬ tional magazines for the weapon.

A primary object of the invention is to provide an improved type of concealment for weapons such as revolvers and semi-automatic pistols. Another object is to provide a concealment system which is a lightweight, inexpensive alternative to conven¬ tional holsters.

Still another object is to provide a weapon carrying system which offers a high degree of concealment, and has the size and capacity to accommodate even large bore hand¬ guns, while being easily accessible to the officer.

A further object of the invention to provide a con¬ cealment device which can be used alone or, preferably, incorporated into a garment. The carrying device should be amenable to being manufactured from differing materials so as to be appropriate for the wide variety of settings in which undercover operations might need to be conducted.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention comprises a system for carrying and concealing a weapon, and additionally spare magazines or additional ammunition for the weapon. The invention comprises first and second flexible fabric panels. The

panels are preferably joined along one edge which serves to hingedly connect the two panels, and the panels are releas ably secured to one another in an overlying relationship along at least one additional edge thereof. Preferably the releasable securing is accomplished by means of a hook-and- loop fastener. A holster is secured to one of the panels and the other of said panels, and the other panel thus overlies the weapon, concealing it from view. When the weapon is needed, a pull strap is used to separate the panels and reveal the holster containing the gun.

The panels are so shaped as to conform to the front panel of a jacket or coat, and are intended to be attached to the inside of an article of clothing such as a jacket. The panel may be removably attached or permanently secured inside the garment. This may be accomplished, for example, by sewing the first panel to the inside of the garment. Alternative fastening systems may be used such as snaps, buttons, adhesives or hook-and-loop fasteners. In this manner, the garment, the holster and the inner panel all cushion the outer side of the weapon, and with different thicknesses of panel, the cushioning may be such as to not merely hide the weapon from view, but also to mask the shape thereof.

In addition, this arrangement provides a far greater degree of wearer comfort than is available with prior holster systems. The weapon is directly in front of the wearer, rather than to one side, making access easy.

The holster itself is secured to the inner panel by means of two attaching straps, orthogonally arranged, which securely hold the holster in position inside the sheath formed by the two panels. These straps enable positioning the holster to be carried with the weapon in a variety of positions, pointing up, down or to one side, making the position of the weapon a matter of choice for the wearer. In addition, further straps may be provided for securing spare magazines, speed loaders, ammunition, etc. adjacent the holster and readily available.

Thus, the present invention overcomes the disadvan¬ tages of the prior concealment devices, and offers high degree of concealment as well as comfort and security. The device may be incorporated into a jacket or may be used as a separate carrying device. The device may be incorporated into any type of jacket, for example "bomber jackets," sportcoats, windbreakers, etc., thus allowing its use in a variety of undercover operations, depending on the social setting. The device is large enough to accommodate large frame weapons such as .45 caliber automatics. Thus, the device is highly versatile, lightweight and comfortable and allows effective concealment, and can be manufactured at low cost.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention having been described in its general form, the objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the detailed description of the inven¬ tion which follows, in reference to the accompanying draw¬ ings which show by way of nonlimiting example, one embodi- ment of the invention, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a concealment system according to the present invention incorporated into a vest, with one of the panels partially pulled down to reveal a holster; FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of an alternative form of the invention incorporated into a vest, with one of panels drawn back to reveal spare magazines;

FIGURE 3 is an exploded perspective view of the con¬ cealment system of FIGURE 1 showing the holster removed from the inner one of the panels;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the carrying device of FIGURE 3 showing the holster secured in position therein;

FIGURE 5 is an exploded perspective view of the con- cealment device of FIGURE 2 for carrying magazines;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the device of FIGURE 5 with the magazine carrier secured in position.

FIGURE 7 is an exploded perspective view of another embodiment of the concealment system; and

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of the carrying device of FIGURE 7 showing the holster secured in position there- in.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to FIGURE 1 wherein a concealment device generally designated 10 is incorporated into a vest 12. While a vest has been shown, it will be clear that the system may be incorporated into any sort of garment, formal or informal, male or female, thus allowing the user to adopt the sort of attire best suited to the needs of a particular user. A first flexible fabric panel 14 is incorporated into the vest 12 by any sort of conven¬ tional sewing or attachment means.

A second flexible fabric panel 16 is in an overlying relationship with the first panel 14. In normal use, the two panels overlie one another in order to conceal the weapon, and are retained in overlying relationship by strips of hook-and-loop fastener materials 18, 18, along one edge and 19, 19, along a second edge. A fabric loop 20 may be provided to assist opening the concealment device. The panels 14 and 16 may be separate pieces of fabric, secured as by sewing along a common edge 21, or may be made of one piece of material folded along the edge 21.

In FIGURE 1, the second panel 16 has been shown par¬ tially drawn back or open to reveal the holster in which the weapon is carried. Snaps closures (not shown) may also be used to releasably secure the two panels in overlying relationship. Pulling on the loop 20 separates the second panel 16 from the first panel 14, thus to allow access to the weapon in the holster.

With reference to FIGURE 3, the concealment device 10 is shown removed from the garment. The holster 32 is shown to be retained by two generally orthogonal pairs of cooper¬ ating straps, 24, 26 and 28, 30. one pair of straps 24, 26

fits through the belt loop of the holster 32 and provides a first point of attachment between the holster 28 and the flexible fabric panel 14. The second pair of straps 28, 30 fit over the holster and provides a second point of attach- ment to the panel 14.

As shown in FIGURE 4, the holster 32 is positioned so that the handgrip of a pistol (not shown) will be generally parallel to the straps 28, 30, and the fastener strip 19 in the carrying device 10. In this particular embodiment, the securing straps 24, 26, 28 and 30 are of hook and loop material. The holster may also include a safety retention strap 36 which secures a pistol in the holster and is made of a hook and loop material that attaches to a side of the holster also bearing hook and loop fabric. The safety strap of the holster acts to prevent the weapon from slid¬ ing out of the holster during rapid movement. In the present embodiment, the second strap 26 fits over the holster.

FIGURE 2 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the concealment system according to the invention. In this embodiment, first and second panels 40, 42 are provided, and the inner panel 40 is secured to the inside of a gar¬ ment 44, again as by sewing or the like. Instead of a holster, a carrier for spare magazines 46 has been pro- vided.

As shown in FIGURE 5, the magazine holder 46 is se¬ cured again by securing straps 48, 50 threaded through the magazine holder 46 and retained together by buckles 52. However, fastening devices may be used here as well, such as the hook-and-loop type of fastener shown above.

FIGURE 6 depicts the carrying device 10 fitted with the magazine holder 46. Spare magazines are inserted into the holder in a transverse fashion, so as to allow easy access to the magazines should they be needed. Similar strap arrangements may be provided to secure other devices such as handcuffs, speedloaders, ammunition or the like in the concealment system. Clearly the versatility of the

concealment system described herein adds to the signifi¬ cance of the present invention.

FIGURES 7 and 8 illustrate a slightly different ver¬ sion of the concealment system which provides a greater degree of adjustment of the holster. Here, a first flexi¬ ble panel 60 is again provided. This panel 60 comprises a panel or section 62 which is one side of a hook-and-loop fastener material, and is sewn into position on the panel 60. Preferably the section 62 is octagonal in shape as this has been found to provide maximum versatility. Fur¬ ther, this section 62 is preferably made up of a plurality, for example 5, parallel, side-by-side strips of hook-and- loop material, rather than one large piece, as this con¬ struction provided for greater flexibility of the material. The section 62 also includes four additional straps 64 of hook-and-loop material, each of which is stitched at one end to the section 62, but removably securable to the panel or section 62 at the other end.

A holster 66 is provided with a pair of orthogonal strips 68, 70 of double sided hook-and-loop material. These strips 68, 70 are configured such that they are removably attachable both to the section 62 as well as to the underside of the straps 64. In this manner, a great deal of flexibility is provided in the positioning of the holster on the section 62, but additionally the holster is held secure against the section 62, and thus the panel 60 and the inside of a garment, regardless of the exact posi¬ tioning of the holster. For example, the holster may be moved in each direction of each of the straps 70, and may also be rotated on the section 62. In other words, while the position may be that shown in FIGURE 8, there is sig¬ nificant latitude in positioning the holster and the hol¬ ster may be moved to a position of greater comfort for the wearer, while still firmly securing the holster and weapon in the chosen position.

Of course the panel 72 folds over the panel 60 as in the previous embodiments for concealing the presence of the holster 66 as well as any weapon in that holster.

While this invention has been described as having certain preferred features and embodiments, it will be understood that it is capable of still further variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention, and this application is intended to cover any and all variations, modifications and adaptations as may fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.