Abstract:
A clip to assist a user in pulling up a zipper is particularly suited for zippers located on the back of garments. The clip attaches to a zipper puller portion of a zipper and is provided with a spring-loaded clamping mechanism that grasps the puller. The clip is also provided with an extending elastic cord. The clip is installed upon the garment prior to donning and the cord is then grasped and pulled to close the zipper. A pair of release arms on the side of the clip is pressed together to install and release the clip from the zipper puller.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present invention was first described in and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/055,194 filed Sep. 25, 2014, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to a clip to assist a user in pulling up a zipper. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     People with physical disabilities, such as the elderly, the handicapped, or those recovering from injuries or surgery know all too well of the difficulties that they encounter while performing tasks that most of us take for granted. What comes easily to those that are not physically challenged, such as climbing stairs, or bending down to tie one&#39;s shoes, requires extreme physical exertion, or worse yet, is altogether impossible to accomplish without assistance for those otherwise enabled. Among these difficulties, getting dressed is perhaps the most common. 
     In fact, there is perhaps no other article of clothing that poses more of a problem than a dress with the zipper in the rear. Even the most physically fit and agile among us have difficulty with dress zippers simply because of their awkward location. Accordingly, there is a need for a means by which the elderly, physically disabled, or virtually anyone can be provided with the ability to easily operate zippers on a dress. The use of the zipper pull assist tool allows dress zippers to be more easily operated by all regardless of agility in a manner which is quick, easy, and efficient. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The inventor has recognized the aforementioned inherent problems and lack in the art and observed that there is a need for a clip to assist a user in pulling up a zipper. 
     It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a zipper assist device, comprising a clamp assembly adapted for removable attachment to a zipper puller, an adapter attached to the clamp assembly and a tether attached or removably attached to an adapter aperture of the adapter. The clamp assembly further comprises a first release arm, having a first aperture at a proximal end thereof and a first jaw at a distal end thereof and a second release arm, having a second aperture at a proximal end thereof and a second jaw at a distal end thereof. The first and second jaws are capable of removable attachment to the zipper puller and the second release arm is hingedly attached to the first release arm to bias the first jaw and second jaw together. 
     The device further comprises a torsion spring; hingedly attaching the first release arm to the second release arm. The adapter is attached to the first and second apertures. The tether is made of elastic or fabric. The first and second jaw each comprises a plurality of teeth. The plurality of teeth is disposed along an inward-facing surface of each jaw. The plurality of teeth is integrally molded with each jaw. The adapter comprises a member having a cut-out consisting of one (1) of the following shapes: a circle, an oval and a rectangular. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following more detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a rear view of a zipper pull assist device  10 , according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2 a    is a top sectional view of the zipper pull assist device  10  taken along section line A-A (see  FIG. 1 ), according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and, 
         FIG. 2 b    is a sectional view of the zipper pull assist device  10  taken along section line B-B (see  FIG. 2 a   ), according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTIVE KEY 
     
         
         
           
               10  zipper pull assist device 
               20  clamp assembly 
               22   a  first jaw 
               22   b  second jaw 
               23   a  first tooth 
               23   b  second tooth 
               24  hinge 
               25  spring 
               26   a  first release arm 
               26   b  second release arm 
               27   a  first upper aperture 
               27   b  second upper aperture 
               30  adapter 
               32  tether strap 
               34  adapter aperture 
               100  zipper 
               105  puller 
               110  garment 
               115  user 
           
         
       
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The best mode for carrying out the invention is presented in terms of its preferred embodiment, herein depicted within  FIGS. 1 through 2   b . However, the invention is not limited to the described embodiment, and a person skilled in the art will appreciate that many other embodiments of the invention are possible without deviating from the basic concept of the invention and that any such work around will also fall under scope of this invention. It is envisioned that other styles and configurations of the present invention can be easily incorporated into the teachings of the present invention, and only one particular configuration shall be shown and described for purposes of clarity and disclosure and not by way of limitation of scope. 
     The terms “a” and “an” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced items. 
     The present invention describes a zipper pull assist device (herein described as the “device”)  10 , which provides a means to assist a user  115  in pulling up a zipper  100  on a garment  110 . The device  10  is envisioned to be especially useful when used to pull up a rear-positioned zipper  100  upon a dress or similar garment  110 . Furthermore, the device  10  is envisioned to be useful when used by elderly, physically disabled or other persons who experience difficulty while reaching and operating a zipper  100 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a rear view of the device  10 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, is disclosed. The device  10  includes a plastic clamp assembly  20  that is removably attached to a zipper puller portion  105  of an existing zipper  100  located along a rear panel of a garment  110 . The clamp assembly  20  includes features which also enable attachment of an elastic tether strap  32 , via an adapter portion  30 , to enable operation of the device  10  by the user  115 . The device  10  is affixed to the zipper puller  105  prior to donning the garment  110 , and then operated by the user  115  by reaching over their shoulder or around a waist area, and grasping and pulling upwardly upon the tether strap  32  to close the zipper  100 . The clamp assembly  20  includes a pair of release arms  26   a ,  26   b  which may be pressed upon to release the device  10  from the zipper puller  105 . The process may be reversed to allow the device  10  to also pull the zipper  100  down, if desired. The tether strap  32  is envisioned being made using a flexible rubber and/or fabric material, thereby applying a more consistent force to the clamp assembly  20  as tension is applied to close the zipper  100 . 
     It is understood that the device  10  may be introduced for purchase in different sizes which correspond to different zipper pullers  105  having different widths, and may be sold separately or as a set. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 2 a  and 2 b   , top and rear sectional views of the device  10 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, are disclosed. The clamp assembly portion  20  of the device  10  includes a first jaw  22   a , a second jaw  22   b , a hinge  24 , and a pair of release arms  26   a ,  26   b . As seen in  FIG. 2 b   , the clamp assembly  20  includes two (2) unitary and mirror-image half portions joined by the hinge  24 , each half portion includes a bottom-positioned jaw  22   a ,  22   b  and an upper-positioned release arm  26   a ,  26   b . Each jaw  22   a ,  22   b  includes a plurality of integrally-molded and pointed teeth  23   a ,  23   b  being arranged in an equally-spaced manner along an inward-facing surface. Each jaw  22   a ,  22   b  provides a channel-shaped cross-sectional form to surround and contain the puller  105  as seen in  FIG. 2   a.    
     The hinge  24  further includes a torsion-type spring  25  which acts to bias the jaws  22   a ,  22   b  toward each other, thereby securely clamping upon respective side edge portions of the puller  105 . The jaws  22   a ,  22   b  may be opened and the puller  105  released by pressing the release arms  26   a ,  26   b  together. The hinge  24  pivotingly joins the jaws  22   a ,  22   b  and release arms  26   a ,  26   b  together to form an effective clamping device  20 . 
     Each release arm  26   a ,  26   b  includes an upper aperture  27   a ,  27   b  located adjacent to an upper end portion, which provides inserting and rotating attachment of a plastic ring-shaped adapter  30  which provides a means to join the clamp assembly  20  and the tether strap  32  together. The adapter  30  is an open-center plastic member having a decorative shape such as circular, ovular, rectangular, or other like. The adapter  30  in turn includes an integrally-molded adapter aperture  34  along an upper edge portion which provides a means to attach the elastic tether strap  32 . 
     It is envisioned that other styles and configurations of the present invention can be easily incorporated into the teachings of the present invention, and only one particular configuration shall be shown and described for purposes of clarity and disclosure and not by way of limitation of scope. 
     The preferred embodiment of the present invention can be utilized by the common user in a simple and effortless manner with little or no training. After initial purchase or acquisition of the device  10 , it would be installed as indicated in  FIG. 1 . 
     The method of installing and utilizing the device  10  may be achieved by performing the following steps: procuring a model of the device  10  having particularly sized jaws  22   a ,  22   b  which clamp securely onto a correspondingly sized zipper puller portion  105  of the garment zipper  100 ; affixing the device  10  to the puller  105  prior to donning the garment  110  by pressing the release arms  26   a ,  26   b  together to separate the jaws  22   a ,  22   b ; inserting the zipper puller  105  between the jaws  22   a ,  22   b ; releasing the release arms  26   a ,  26   b ; allowing the teeth portions  23   a ,  23   b  of the jaws  22   a ,  22   b  to grip respective side edge portions of the puller  105 ; donning the garment  110  in a normal manner; reaching over the shoulder or along a waist area of the user  115  to grasp the tether strap portion  32  of the device  10 ; pulling upward upon the tether strap  32  until the zipper  100  is completely closed; reaching behind a user&#39;s neck area and pressing the release arms  26   a ,  26   b  together to free the tooth portions  23   a ,  23   b  of the jaws  22   a ,  22   b  from the puller  105 ; removing and storing the device  10  until needed again; and, benefiting from reduced effort and strain required while donning a garment  110  which has a zipper  100  located along a rear panel portion, afforded a user  115  of the present invention  10 . 
     The device  10  may be utilized to pull the zipper  100  down on a previously donned garment  110  if desired by reaching behind a user&#39;s neck area and attaching the device  10  to the zipper puller  105  as previously described; pulling downwardly on the tether strap  32  to open the zipper  100 ; removing the garment  110  from one&#39;s bodice in a normal manner; and, pressing the release arms  26   a ,  26   b  together to remove the device  10  from the garment  110 . 
     The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.