Device for taking off a therapeutic elastic sock.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:
Field of the invention
The invention relates to a device for taking off a therapeutic elastic sock, comprising a strip, which when being used, can be put at least partially between a sock and a leg of a person wearing the sock for pushing the sock off, and is provided with a first side which when being used faces the leg of the person wearing the sock and a second side on the opposite side of the first, which device, furthermore, comprises a handle which is connected to one end of the strip. The handle may also form one whole unit with the strip. Therapeutic elastic socks are worn for the most part by people who have a physical defect. Taking off therapeutic elastic socks is a well-known problem.
Prior art
Such a device is known from the British patent application GB 2338 172 A. The strip of this known device is flat. Because of this, there is a risk that when putting the strip between the sock and the leg of the person wearing the sock and when pushing the strip downwards between the sock and the leg, the leg of the person wearing the sock will be injured.
Summary of the invention
An objective of the invention is to provide a device for taking off a therapeutic elastic sock of the type described in the preamble, in which taking off a therapeutic elastic sock is done more easily than when using the known device. For this purpose, the device according to the invention is characterized in that the strip is flexible over at least a part of its length and the surface of the strip's first side displays a bend or curving near the strip's end, such that when being used, this surface, in a direction towards
the end of the strip, moves away from the leg of the person wearing the sock. Because of this, the end of the strip while being used does not come into contact with the leg of the person wearing the sock, as a result of which the risk of injuring the leg is much smaller than it would be when using the known device. In addition, should the end still come into contact with the leg of the person wearing the sock, the strip will bend because of its flexibility, as a result of which the risk of injury will be smaller than it would be when using the known device which has a rigid strip.
The strip of the device according to the invention is slid downwards at the back of the leg between the leg and the sock until the strip's end comes into the sock's heel. At this point, the end of the strip strikes the sock's heel, taking the sock along with it. The device is then pushed forcefully further downwards. By doing this, the sock is taken along by the end of the strip, as will be elucidated later by means of the figures. Because the strip is flexible in the longitudinal direction, it will bend round the heel of the person wearing the sock while the sock is being pushed off. Because of this, the force on the sock is exerted more in the direction the sock is being taken off (that is, towards the toes) than in the direction of the leg, as a result of which taking off the sock is done easily.
The curving of the surface of the first side of the strip can be in the form of a bulge with a rounded form at the end of the strip. Preferably, however, the strip is bent or curved near its end, as seen in the strip's longitudinal direction. When the device is being used, the curved or bent part of the strip bends away from the leg of the person wearing the sock, as a result of which there is less risk of injuring the skin of the person wearing the sock. In addition, the bent or curved end of the strip sticks into the sock the moment the end of the strip comes into contact with the heel of the sock. Because of this, when the strip is pushed further downwards, the sock is taken along with it better by the end of the strip. The strip is preferably curved at least at the end in a transverse direction.
Because of this when being used, contact between the strip and the leg of the person wearing the sock is better and the strip also passes between the leg and the sock better. When doing this, ϋa.e end of the strip, as seen in a longitudinal direction, bends away from the concave side of the curved form. When taking off a therapeutic elastic sock, the person wearing the sock usually rests his heel on something, for example the floor or a stool. When pushing the end of the strip round the heel, the strip encounters more resistance at the heel. Because of this,
the strip must be pushed downwards harder, as a result of which the risk of damaging the sock is also increased.
In order to reduce this risk of damage and to be able to take off the therapeutic elastic sock more easily, an embodiment of the device according to the invention is characterized in that the device further comprises a support which is connected to the strip and has a form such that this support rests with one end on the floor when taking off a sock.
While taking off a therapeutic elastic sock the support comes onto the floor and the heel of the person wearing the sock is lifted up from the floor when the device is pushed further downwards. Because of this, the end of the strip can easily bend round the heel of the person wearing the sock, as a result of which the risk of damaging the sock is considerably smaller and taking off the therapeutic elastic sock is made easier.
A further embodiment is characterized in that the support comprises a profiled support which preferably is situated mainly parallel to the strip and has a free end which is near one end of the strip and is connected to the strip at the other end. Preferably, the profiled support extends at its free end a little beyond the end of the strip.
Furthermore, this profiled support also is preferably flexible in the longitudinal direction. In this last case, the profiled support is preferably less flexible than the strip. While taking off a therapeutic elastic sock, the free end of the profiled support comes into contact with the floor and when the device is pushed further downwards the heel of the person wearing the sock is lifted up a little from the floor or at least enough so that it presses a little less hard on the floor. Because of this, the end of the strip can bend more easily round the heel of the person wearing the sock.
In order to strengthen the profiled support so that it will be able to carry the leg of the person wearing the sock better, the profiled support has a curved form, as seen in a transverse direction, preferably at least at its free end.
Brief description of the drawings
The invention will be elucidated more fully below on the basis of drawings in which embodiments of the device according to the invention are shown. In these drawings:
Figure 1 shows a view from above of the first embodiment of the device
according to the invention;
Figure 2 shows a longitudinal section at II-II of the device shown in Figure 1 ;
Figure 3 shows a cross-section at III-III of the device shown in Figure 1;
Figure 4 shows the free end of the strip in perspective; Figure 5 shows a view from above of a second embodiment of the device according to the invention provided with a profiled support;
Figure 6 shows a longitudinal section at VI-VI of the device shown in Figure 5;
Figure 7 shows a cross-section at VII-VII of the device shown in Figure 5; Figure 8 shows how the device shown in Figures 5 - 7 is placed in order to take off a therapeutic elastic sock;
Figure 9 shows how the therapeutic elastic sock is pushed off with the help of the device.
Detailed description of the drawings
In Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, a first embodiment of the device according to the invention is shown in a view from above, a longitudinal section, a cross-section and a perspective view respectively. The device 1 has a strip 3 for pushing off an elastic sock and a handle 5 which is connected to one end 7 of the strip 3. The strip 3 is of a flexible material, for example plastic, and has a curved form in its cross-section, see Figures 3 and 4. The strip 3 is flexible particularly in the longitudinal direction and to a lesser degree in the transverse direction.
The strip 3 is provided with a first side 3a which when being used faces the leg of the person wearing the sock and a second side 3b on the opposite side of the first. These sides of the strip 3 are smooth in order to be able to put the strip easily between a sock and the leg of a person wearing the sock.
In order to avoid contact between the end 9 of the strip 3 and the leg of person wearing the sock, the surface of the first side 3 a of the strip 3 displays a bend or curve, such that when being used this surface moves away from the leg of the person wearing the sock in the direction towards the end 9 of the strip. This form of the surface of the first side 3 a of the strip 3 is realized due to the fact that the strip 3 is curved or bent near
the end 9.
The bent or curved part 13 bends away from the convex side of the strip 3, see Figure 2. Because of this, this part 13, when being used, moves away from the leg of a person wearing the sock, as a result of which his skin will not be injured. In order to reduce damage and wear to the sock, the end 9 of the strip 3 is rounded.
In order to be able to take the sock along with it easily, when the sock is being taken off, the strip is provided with two projections 11 at the end 9 which are a part of the strip 3. The projections 11 extend into the plane of the curved or bent free end 9. The strip 3 is executed in various widths, preferably 3, 4 and 6 cm. The width W of the strip 3, see Figure 1, preferably should be less than the width of the heel of the person wearing the sock who is using the device.
In Figures 5, 6 and 7 a second embodiment of the device according to the invention is shown in a view from above, a longitudinal section, and a cross-section respectively. This embodiment of the device 15 also has a strip 17 with a handle 19. In this embodiment, the strip 17 and the handle 19 form one whole unit. The free end 21 of the strip
17 is also curved or bent here and the bent part 22 also has two projections 23. In addition, this device 15 also has a support which is formed by a profiled support 25. The profiled support 25 is parallel to the strip 17 and has a free end 27 situated near the free end 21 of the strip 17. The profiled support 25 is connected to the strip 17 at the other end 29. The profiled support 25 has a curved form in the transverse direction like the strip 17, see Figure
7.
In Figures 8 and 9, taking off a therapeutic elastic sock 31 with the help of the device 15 is shown in various stages. Preferably, the person wearing the sock first places his foot with the heel 33 on the floor 35. Before the device 15 is placed, the end 37 of the sock 31 is first pulled by hand downwards until it is over the heel 33 of the person wearing the sock. Then the device 15 is slid between the sock 31 and the leg 39 until it reaches the inside of the heel 41 of the sock 31, see Figure 8. Here, the bent part 22 of the strip 17 is turned away from the leg 39 of a person wearing the sock and this part 22 sticks into the sock 31. Next the device 15 is slid further downwards until the end 27 of the profiled support 25 reaches the floor 35. After that the device 15 is pushed forcefully downwards, as a result of which the heel 33 of the person wearing the sock comes up off the floor 35 and the strip 17 bends round the heel 33, see Figure 9. Here, the force 43 the strip 17 exerts on
the sock 31 is practically in the direction 45 the sock 31 is being taken off. The free end of the strip 17 is pushed into the sock 31 taking the sock along with it .
It is not necessary to pull the end of the sock over the heel first. The device will also work if this is not done first. However, more force is necessary and the therapeutic elastic sock will be strained more.
Although in the above the invention is explained on the basis of the drawings, it should be noted that the invention is in no way limited to the embodiments shown in the drawings. The invention also extends to all embodiments deviating from the embodiments shown in the drawings within the context defined by the claims.