Patent Application
20240188742
The present invention relates to a device for removing clothing, specifically for removing a sock from a user's foot. Mobility issues such as arthritis may hinder someone's ability to remove their clothing. Socks may be particularly difficult to remove for people with mobility issues since sock removal requires more bending of certain joints than is required to remove other articles of clothing. Sock removal may also require lifting of a pant leg if long pants are worn whereby the top of the sock is covered by the pant leg.
The present invention relates to a device for removing clothing. Specifically, the device may be used to remove a sock from a user's foot. The device may have a handle end and a removing end opposite the handle end. Since the handle end and removing end are opposite one another, “extending away from the removing end” can also be considered as “extending towards the handle end” and vice versa. A handle may be configured at the handle end. A removing head may be configured at the removing end. A shaft may be configured between the handle end and removing end. A first flange may extend from the shaft away from the handle end. A second flange and third flange may be configured on the removing head. The second shaft may extend away from the handle end, and the third flange may extend towards the handle end.
The shaft may have a shaft length. The shaft length may be 6 inches or more, 12 inches or more, 24 inches or more, 36 inches or more, or any range between and including the shaft length values provided. The shaft may be made of any material, including but not limited to a plastic, metal, wood, or composite. The shaft may be straight. Alternatively, the shaft may have a curvature. In embodiments wherein the shaft has a curvature, “parallel to the shaft” may be defined as parallel to a shaft axis extending from a first end of the shaft to a second end of the shaft. Likewise, “perpendicular to the shaft” may be defined as perpendicular to the shaft axis extending from the first end of the shaft to the second end of the shaft. Likewise, “configured at an angle relative to the shaft” may be defined as configured at an angle relative to the shaft axis extending from the first end of the shaft to the second end of the shaft.
The handle may be made of any material, including but not limited to a plastic, metal, wood, or composite. The handle may be coated in an elastomer such as silicone or rubber in order to provide a user with a better grip when the user grasps the handle. The handle may have a curvature. The handle may be permanently attached to the shaft. Alternatively, the handle may be removably attached to the shaft by a buckle. The buckle may be a common pronged buckle, wherein two prongs are inserted into two openings whereby the prongs expand within the openings to secure the buckle together. The prongs may then be pressed towards one another to detach the buckle. In embodiments wherein the buckle is a common pronged buckle, the prongs may be configured on the shaft, and the openings may be configured on the handle. Alternatively, the buckle may any other type of buckle known in the art of buckles. The buckle may also be a variation of the common pronged buckle, whereby the buckle may have one or more prongs and one or more openings.
The first flange may be made of any material, including but not limited to a plastic, metal, wood, or composite. The first flange may extend from the shaft away from the handle end. The first flange may extend a first flange length. The first flange length may be 2 inches or more, 4 inches or more, or any range between and including the first flange length values provided. The first flange may be configured at a first flange angle relative to the shaft. The first flange angle may be 0 degrees or more, 3 degrees or more, or any range between and including the first flange angle values provided. Since the first flange angle may be 0 degrees, the first flange may be configured parallel to the shaft.
The removing head may be connected to an offset member whereby the removing head is configured an offset distance from the shaft. The offset distance may be perpendicular to the shaft. The offset member itself need not be perpendicular to the shaft in order to configure the removing head a perpendicular offset distance from the shaft. The second flange and third flange of the removing head may be connected at a removing head center point. The offset member may contact the removing head at the removing head center point, whereby the second flange, third flange, and offset member are connected at the removing head center point. The second flange, third flange, and offset member may be connected at additional points, whereby the removing head center point is the middle point of the connection between the second flange, third flange, and offset member. The removing head and offset member may be made of any material, including but not limited to a plastic, metal, wood, or ceramic.
The second flange may extend from the removing head center point away from the handle end. The second flange may extend a second flange length. The second flange length may be 2 inches or more, 4 inches or more, or any range between and including the second flange length values provided. The second flange may be configured at a second flange angle relative to the shaft. The second flange angle may be 0 degrees or more, 3 degrees or more, or any range between and including the second flange angle values provided. Since the second flange angle may be 0 degrees, the second flange may be configured parallel to the shaft.
The third flange may extend from the removing head center point towards the handle end. The third flange may extend a third flange length. The third flange length may be 2 inches or more, 4 inches or more, or any range between and including the third flange length values provided. The third flange may be configured at a third flange angle relative to the shaft. The third flange angle may be 0 degrees or more, 3 degrees or more, or any range between and including the third flange angle values provided. Since the third flange angle may be 0 degrees, the third flange may be configured parallel to the shaft.
The second flange length and the third flange length may be equal. The first flange length may be smaller than the second flange length. The second flange angle and the third flange angle may be equal. The first flange angle may be equal to the second flange angle and the third flange angle.
The third flange may be configured to catch a bottom of a pant leg of a user to lift the pant leg towards the user's knee. The first flange and second flange may be configured to catch a top of a user's sock to remove the sock from the user's foot.
To use the device to remove a sock from the user's foot, the user may grasp the handle. The user may catch the bottom of their pant leg between the third flange and the shaft. The user may lift the device whereby the pant leg is lifted towards the user's knee, thereby exposing the top of the user's sock. The user's leg may also be exposed when the pant leg is lifted. The user may catch the top of their sock between the first flange and second flange. The user may push the device whereby the sock is moved down the user's foot whereby the sock is removed from the user's foot.
The user's pant leg does not need to be lifted in order to use the device to remove a sock form the user's foot. The pant leg may be lifted in situations wherein the user is wearing long pants whereby the pant leg covers the top of the sock. The pant leg is thus lifted in order to access the top of the sock so that the sock may be removed from the user's foot.
The description provided herein describes example embodiments of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention to any particular embodiment, feature, component, shape, size, design, use, functionality, material, or any other property. Furthermore, the drawings provided herein show example embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the invention to any particular embodiment, feature, component, shape, size, design, use, functionality, material, or any other property.
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A first flange 60 extends from the shaft 40 towards the removing end 30. An offset member 120 extends from the shaft 40 at an angle to the first flange 60. The removing head 34 is configured on the offset member 120 whereby the removing head 34 is offset from the shaft 40. A second flange 70 and third flange 80 are configured on the removing head 34. The second flange 70 extends towards the removing end 30 and the third shaft 80 extends towards the handle end 20. The second flange 70, third flange 80, and offset member 120 are connected at a removing head center point 36.
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