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A quick disconnect device for detachably holding a long gun or other elongated emergency tool (EET). The quick disconnect device receives and captures the ball of a ball-and-stem structure that is attached to the EET. The quick disconnect device may allow the EET to rotate about the central axis of

A quick disconnect device for detachably holding a long gun or other elongated emergency tool (EET). The quick disconnect device receives and captures the ball of a ball-and-stem structure that is attached to the EET. The quick disconnect device may allow the EET to rotate about the central axis of the stem, but otherwise prevents relative translational and rotational motion between the EET and the quick disconnect device. The quick disconnect device is especially suitable for mounting to clothing, such as a utility belt or a ballistic vest. the quick disconnect device allows the EET to be inserted without requiring the user to directly manipulate the quick connection device, but requires the user to manipulate some sort of mechanism on the quick connect device in order to release the EET.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A quick disconnect device configured to detachably mechanically capture a ball of a ball-and-stem structure, the quick disconnect device comprising: a back plate;a front plate, the front plate defining an opening;an intermediate plate positioned between said front plate and said back plate, the i

1. A quick disconnect device configured to detachably mechanically capture a ball of a ball-and-stem structure, the quick disconnect device comprising: a back plate;a front plate, the front plate defining an opening;an intermediate plate positioned between said front plate and said back plate, the intermediate plate defining: (i) a vertical chamber aligned with the front plate opening and comprising an upper ball-receiving chamber and a lower ball recess; and (ii) a horizontal chamber intersecting the vertical chamber and comprising a ball-locking member channel on a first side of the vertical chamber, and a biasing guide channel on a second side of the vertical chamber;anda ball-locking member positioned within said horizontal chamber, the ball-locking member comprising a base having a user actuation portion disposed at one end and a protrusion extending from an opposing end thereof, the protrusion comprising an angled ball-receiving guide surface facing the upper ball-receiving chamber and the first side of the vertical chamber and configured to receive a ball from the upper ball-receiving chamber, the user actuation portion and the protrusion defining a channel therebetween configured to enable the ball to pass therethrough into the lower ball recess, and further comprising, on a surface opposing the ball-receiving guide surface, a ball recess closure surface facing the lower ball recess;wherein said ball-locking member is configured to move within said horizontal chamber between: (i) an unlocked position in which the ball recess closure surface is positioned at least partially within the biasing guide channel, thereby allowing the ball to enter or withdraw from the ball recess; and (ii) a locked position in which the ball recess closure surface covers at least most of the lower ball recess and prevents the ball from leaving the lower ball recess;wherein said ball-locking member is biased against the unlocked position by a bias member located within the biasing guide channel; andwherein said ball-locking member is moved into said unlocked position by applying a force on the user actuation portion or on the angled ball-receiving guide surface of the ball-locking member to move the ball-locking member within the horizontal chamber against its bias. 2. The quick disconnect device of claim 1, wherein said quick disconnect device is rigidly mechanically attached to an article of clothing. 3. The quick disconnect device of claim 2, wherein the article of clothing is a vest. 4. The quick disconnect device of claim 1, wherein the front plate opening is configured in a cone shape to guide a ball-and-stem structure into the lower ball recess. 5. The quick disconnect device of claim 1, wherein said vertical chamber is configured to prevent rotation of the ball-and-stem structure when the ball is within the lower ball recess. 6. A quick disconnect system, the system comprising: an elongated emergency tool (EET) comprising a ball-and-stem structure having a ball disposed at a distal end thereof;a quick disconnect device configured to detachably mechanically capture the ball of the EET ball-and-stem structure, the quick disconnect device comprising:a back plate;a front plate, the front plate defining an opening;an intermediate plate positioned between said front plate and said back plate, the intermediate plate defining: (i) a vertical chamber aligned with the front plate opening and comprising an upper ball-receiving chamber and a lower ball recess; and (ii) a horizontal chamber intersecting the vertical chamber and comprising a ball-locking member channel on a first side of the vertical chamber, and a biasing guide channel on a second side of the vertical chamber; anda ball-locking member positioned within said horizontal chamber, the ball-locking member comprising a base having a user actuation portion disposed at one end and a protrusion extending from an opposing end thereof, the protrusion comprising an angled ball-receiving guide surface facing the upper ball-receiving chamber and the first side of the vertical chamber and configured to receive the ball from the upper ball-receiving chamber, the user actuation portion and the protrusion defining a channel therebetween configured to enable the ball to pass therethrough into the lower ball recess, and further comprising, on a surface opposing the ball-receiving guide surface, a ball recess closure surface facing the lower ball recess;wherein said ball-locking member is configured to move within said horizontal chamber between: (i) an unlocked position in which the ball recess closure surface is positioned at least partially within the biasing guide channel, thereby allowing the ball to enter or withdraw from the ball recess; and (ii) a locked position in which the ball recess closure surface covers at least most of the lower ball recess and prevents the ball from leaving the lower ball recess;wherein said ball-locking member is biased against the unlocked position by a bias member located within the biasing guide channel; andwherein said ball-locking member is moved into said unlocked position by applying a force on the user actuation portion or on the angled ball-receiving guide surface of the ball-locking member to move the ball-locking member within the horizontal chamber against its bias. 7. The quick disconnect system of claim 6, further comprising an article of clothing, wherein said quick disconnect device is rigidly mechanically attached to said article of clothing. 8. The quick disconnect system of claim 7, wherein the article of clothing is a vest. 9. The quick disconnect system of claim 7, wherein the article of clothing is a utility belt. 10. The quick disconnect system of claim 6, wherein the front plate opening is configured in a cone shape to guide a ball-and-stem structure into the lower ball recess. 11. The quick disconnect system of claim 6, wherein said vertical chamber is configured to prevent rotation of the ball-and-stem structure when the ball is within the lower ball recess. 12. The quick disconnect system of claim 11, wherein the ball of said ball-and-stem structure comprises a beveled surface. 13. A quick disconnect system, the system comprising: an article of clothing;an elongated emergency tool (EET) comprising a ball-and-stem structure having a ball disposed at a distal end thereof;a quick disconnect device rigidly mechanically attached to said article of clothing and configured to detachably mechanically capture the ball of the EET ball-and-stem structure, the quick disconnect device comprising:a back plate;a front plate, the front plate defining an opening;an intermediate plate positioned between said front plate and said back plate, the intermediate plate defining: (i) a vertical chamber aligned with the front plate opening and comprising an upper ball-receiving chamber and a lower ball recess; and (ii) a horizontal chamber intersecting the vertical chamber and comprising a ball-locking member channel on a first side of the vertical chamber, and a biasing guide channel on a second side of the vertical chamber; anda ball-locking member positioned within said horizontal chamber, the ball-locking member comprising a base having a user actuation portion disposed at one end and a protrusion extending from an opposing end thereof, the protrusion comprising an angled ball-receiving guide surface facing the upper ball-receiving chamber and the first side of the vertical chamber and configured to receive the ball from the upper ball-receiving chamber, the user actuation portion and the protrusion defining a channel therebetween configured to enable the ball to pass therethrough into the lower ball recess, and further comprising, on a surface opposing the ball-receiving guide surface, a ball recess closure surface facing the lower ball recess;wherein said ball-locking member is configured to move within said horizontal chamber between: (i) an unlocked position in which the ball recess closure surface is positioned at least partially within the biasing guide channel, thereby allowing the ball to enter or withdraw from the ball recess; and (ii) a locked position in which the ball recess closure surface covers at least most of the lower ball recess and prevents the ball from leaving the lower ball recess;wherein said ball-locking member is biased against the unlocked position by a bias member located within the biasing guide channel; andwherein said ball-locking member is moved into said unlocked position by applying a force on the user actuation portion or on the angled ball-receiving guide surface of the ball-locking member to move the ball-locking member within the horizontal chamber against its bias.