Attachment mount system for removably securing articles to molle/pals-compliant garments

1. An attachment mount for removably securing an article to a garment comprising:

a substantially planar attachment member having a rear surface and a front surface and including an upper portion and an inner tine body narrower in width than said upper portion, said inner tine body extending generally laterally from said upper portion;

said front face between said upper portion and said inner tine body having a raised surface parallel to said front face;

a spaced pair of generally parallel inner tines for removably securing said attachment member to a garment, said inner tines formed integrally with said inner tine body and extending generally laterally therefrom in substantially the same plane; a spaced pair of generally parallel outer tines for removably securing said attachment member to a garment, said outer tines formed integrally with said upper portion of said attachment member and extending generally laterally therefrom in substantially the same plane and bracketing said inner tines and said inner tine body, with each said outer tine spaced from said inner tine body and a proximate one of said inner tines, each said outer tine having an upper portion proximate said upper portion of said attachment member that is wider than a remaining portion of said outer tine for lodging snugly within a loop of a garment, said outer tines being resiliently compressible toward each other, each said outer tine further including a lower portion distal from said upper portion of said outer tine and containing a barb extending generally laterally from an outer edge of said lower portion opposing said inner tines for removably securing said attachment member to a garment; and

means for attaching an article to said raised surface of said attachment member.

2. The attachment mount as defined in claim 1 , wherein:

said raised front surface of said upper portion of said attachment member includes a plurality of spaced slots and round holes extending therethrough; and

said raised surface of said inner tine body of said attachment member includes a slot extending therethrough.

3. The attachment mount as defined in claim 1 , wherein:

said front surface includes a pair of spaced attaching holes extending therethrough, and a locking spline formed integrally with said front surface and surrounding a first said attaching hole; and

said means for attaching said article to said attachment member include said pair of spaced attaching holes of said inner tine body and said spline of said inner tine body for affixing said article to an attachment member at a plurality of angles relative thereto.

4. The attachment mount as defined in claim 1 , wherein:

each said outer tine includes a tip at an end distal from said upper portion of said attachment member;

each said inner tine includes a tip at an end distal from said inner tine body of said attachment member; and

said tips of said outer tines extend downwardly beyond said tips of said inner tines.

5. The attachment mount as defined in claim 4 , wherein:

said raised surface of said upper portion of said attachment member includes a plurality of spaced slots and round holes extending therethrough;

said raised surface of said inner tine body of said attachment member includes a slot extending therethrough; and

said means for attaching an article to said attachment member include said plurality of slots and holes of said upper portion of said attachment member and said slot of said inner tine body for affixing an article to said attachment member at a plurality of angles relative thereto.

6. The attachment mount as defined in claim 4 , wherein:

wherein said raised surface includes a pair of spaced attaching holes extending therethrough, and a locking spline formed integrally with said front surface and surrounding a first said attaching hole; and

said means for attaching said article to said attachment member include said pair of spaced attaching holes of said inner tine body and said spline of said inner tine body for affixing an article to said attachment member at a plurality of angles relative thereto.

7. The attachment mount as defined in claim 6 , wherein said attachment member, said inner tines, said outer tines and said locking spline are all integral and formed of hard plastic, said inner tines and said outer tines being generally parallel to each other.

8. A system for removably securing articles to a garment comprising:

a garment having a plurality of spaced, substantially horizontal webbings, each said webbing secured to said garment at equally spaced apart locations, each said webbing containing a plurality of equally spaced apart, equally sized loops, said loops of a first said webbing being substantially aligned vertically with said loops of remaining said webbings;

a substantially planar attachment mount for removably securing articles to said garment including:

an attachment member including an upper portion and an inner tine body narrower in width than said upper portion, said inner tine body extending generally laterally from said upper portion;

a spaced pair of generally parallel inner tines for removably securing said attachment mount to said garment, said inner tines formed integrally with said inner tine body and extending generally laterally therefrom;

a spaced pair of generally parallel outer tines for removably securing said attachment mount to said garment, said outer tines formed integrally with said upper portion of said attachment member and extending generally laterally therefrom and bracketing said inner tines and said inner tine body with each said outer tine spaced from said inner tine body and a proximate one of said inner tines, each said outer tine having an upper portion proximate said upper portion of said attachment member that is wider than a remaining portion of said outer tine for lodging snugly within said loop of said garment, said outer tines being resiliently compressible toward each other, each said outer tine further including a lower portion distal from said upper portion of said outer tine and containing a barb extending generally laterally from an outer edge of said lower portion opposing said inner tines for removably securing said attachment mount to said garment; and

means for attaching an article to said attachment member; and

said pair of outer tines being disposed through a pair of adjacent said loops of a first said webbing and through a pair of adjacent said loops of a second proximate said webbing substantially aligned vertically with said pair of adjacent loops of said first webbing, said barb of each said outer tine catching upon a lower edge of said second webbing upon passing of said barbs beyond said lower edge of said second webbing, said pair of inner tines being disposed over said first webbing and through said pair of adjacent loops of said second webbing, an upper portion of said inner tine body of said attachment member distal from said inner tines overlaying said first webbing.

9. The system as defined in claim 8 , wherein:

each said outer tine of said attachment mount includes a tip at an end distal from said upper portion of said attachment member of said attachment mount;

each said inner tine of said attachment mount includes a tip at an end distal from said inner tine body of said attachment member of said attachment mount; and

said tips of said outer tines extend downwardly beyond said tips of said inner tines.

10. The system as defined in claim 9 , wherein:

said upper portion of said attachment member of said attachment mount includes a plurality of spaced slots and holes extending therethrough;

said inner tine body of said attachment member of said attachment mount includes a slot extending therethrough; and

said means for attaching an article to said attachment member include said plurality of slots and holes of said upper portion of said attachment member and said slot of said inner tine body for affixing an article to said attachment mount at a plurality of angles relative thereto.

11. The system as defined in claim 9 , wherein:

said inner tine body of said attachment member of said attachment mount includes a front surface, a pair of spaced attaching holes extending therethrough, and a locking spline formed integrally with said front surface and surrounding a first said attaching hole; and

said means for attaching an article to said attachment member include said pair of spaced attaching holes of said inner tine body and said spline of said inner tine body for affixing an article to said attachment mount at a plurality of angles relative thereto.

12. The system as defined in claim 8 , wherein:

said upper portion of said attachment member of said attachment mount includes a plurality of spaced slots and holes extending therethrough; said inner tine body of said attachment member of said attachment mount includes a slot extending therethrough; and

said means for attaching an article to said attachment member include said plurality of slots and holes of said upper portion of said attachment member and said slot of said inner tine body for affixing an article to said attachment mount at a plurality of angles relative thereto.

13. The system as defined in claim 8 , wherein:

said inner tine body of said attachment member of said attachment mount includes a front surface, a pair of spaced attaching holes extending therethrough, and a locking spline formed integrally with said front surface and surrounding a first said attaching hole; and

said means for attaching an article to said attachment member include said pair of spaced attaching holes of said inner tine body and said spline of said inner tine body for affixing said article to an attachment mount at a plurality of angles relative thereto.

14. The system as defined in claim 8 , wherein said attachment mount is formed of hard plastic, said inner tines and said outer tines being generally parallel to each other.

15. A method for removably securing articles to a garment, said method comprising the steps of:

A) affixing an article to an attachment mount by passing a fastener through an opening in the attachment mount and using the fastener to secure the article thereto;

B) inserting tips of outer tines of the attachment mount into an adjacent pair of spaced loops in a first horizontally disposed webbing of a garment;

C) angling outwardly tips of inner tines of the attachment mount such that the inner tines pass over the top of the first webbing as the attachment mount is moved toward adjacent loops of a second proximate webbing;

D) moving the attachment mount to position the outer tines through the adjacent loops of the first webbing and into and through the pair of adjacent loops of the second webbing that are aligned vertically with the pair of loops of the first webbing; and

E) guiding the tips of the inner tines into the adjacent pair of loops of the second webbing, until a barb of each of the outer tines springs outwardly to catch upon a lower edge of the second webbing at a respective stitch area, thereby securing the attachment mount and the affixed article to the garment.

16. The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein step E includes straddling the stitch area between the adjacent loops of the second webbing by the space between the inner tines.

17. The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein step A includes the step of:

F) providing a plurality of spaced slots and holes in an upper portion of the attachment member of the attachment mount and a slot in an inner tine body of the attachment member of the attachment mount through which fasteners can be passed and used to secure the article to the attachment mount at a plurality of angles relative thereto.

18. The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein step A includes the step of:

F) providing in an inner tine body of the attachment member of the attachment mount a pair of spaced attaching holes and a locking spline surrounding one of the attaching holes through which fasteners can be passed and used to secure the article to the attachment mount at a plurality of angles relative thereto.

19. The method as recited in claim 15 , further comprising the step of:

F) compressing inwardly a lower portion of each outer tine of the attachment mount such that the barb of the outer tine clears a respective proximate stitch area at the lower edge of the second webbing, and then withdrawing the attachment mount upwardly out of both the second and first webbings.

20. The method as recited in claim 19 , wherein step F includes the step of:

G) maintaining the compression of the outer tines until the outer tines and barbs are located in the loops of the first webbing.