Abstract:
A strap shaped coiled mandrel of resilient material, which mandrel is expanded against the connected elastic base (connected bra straps) of a bra whereby the mandrel with bra held thereon can be slid down over a females shoulder to position the bra on the breasts, and wherein releasable stop means are provided on the mandrel for adjusting and temporarily maintaining the circumferential dimension of the coiled mandrel and bra base thereon.

Description:
FIELD 
     This invention is an assist device for use by women in donning their bra where the wearer has lost an arm or whose arm or hand is non-functional as the result, e.g., of stroke or injury. 
     PRIOR ART 
     Applicant knows of no device which resembles the present one for assisting in the donning procedure described herein in detail. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,123,601 and 4,879,766 and publication US 201310065483A1, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties, are examples of prior devices which are designed for assisting women who have some disability such as diminished hand dexterity, to fasten their bra at the back, but no devices are known which are constructed and which function in totally in such wearer friendly manner as applicants devices. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention in one preferred embodiment is summarized as a bra donning assist device comprising a substantially linear strap like mandrel of semi-rigid, flexible resilient plastic material of a length sufficient when coiled to have at least about 1½ whorls to its adjusted circumference with the bra elastically held onto the coil periphery to be easily slid down over the wearers shoulders and encircle the upper torso breast area of a female, wherein cooperating releasable locking elements are provided on one end portion of an outer whorl of said coil and on an intermediate portion of an adjacent inner whorl of said coil, whereby the coiled and locked mandrel can be nested within the flexible fastened straps (bra base) of a bra and then the lock released to allow the coiled mandrel to radially snap expand against the fastened bra straps (bra base) to tightly hold the bra onto the mandrel whereby the mandrel with bra attached can be further circumferentially expanded if necessary and placed with one hand over the head and breast area of the wearer and brought down to a desired position, wherein the mandrel can then be slid easily down and away from the bra and from the wearers torso. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present device is shown in the accompanying drawings wherein the various figures are not drawn to scale or consistent proportions and some of the structures are shown with enlarged thickness for clarity, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a top edge view showing the present coiled mandrel nested within the layed out—unstretched—bra in preparation for release of the circumference locking means (anchor lock), which release will allow the coiled mandrel to uncoil and expand against the bra base and hold the bra in that position or in a manually circumferentially expanded adjusted position as the mandrel with the bra frictionally held thereon is placed down over the wearers head and shoulders; 
         FIG. 2  is a plan view of the inner side (when coiled) of the present mandrel in its relaxed state and showing typical dimensions of its components; 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged cross-sectional (for clarity) view of the intermediate section of the mandrel of  FIG. 1  showing the initial anchor positions of the coil whorls and locking means; 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the coiled mandrel circumference adjustment lock in operating position; 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the guide means area taken along line  5 - 5  in  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 6  shows the outwardly sprung proximal end portion of the outer whorl just after the starting locking tab (anchor tab) has been released. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to the drawings and the claims herein,  FIG. 1  shows the mandrel as a coiled plastic band  10  of, for example, ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene moieties) having in preferred dimensions a side width “W” of about 2-7 inches, a thickness “T” of about 1/32″ to about ⅛″ depending on the resiliency properties of the plastic, and a linear length  15  of about 3-7 ft or greater. When coiled up to at least about 1½″ whorls to an initial functional state for placing within a layed-out substantially circular arranged bra  11  the coiled band (mandrel) typically would be about 7-12 inches in diameter for most wearers and when expanded to the circumference ready for placing over the wearers shoulders the diameter would typically be between about 11-16 inches. The band is of resilient sheet material such as the ABS, a polyolefin, polybutyrate, polyamide, polyurethane, polyester or the like plastic sheeting and preferably having a resiliency sufficient to allow the coil to restore itself to its initial relaxed linear state as shown in  FIG. 2  or to its alternative initial relaxed coiled state also as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     The mandrel has a proximal end section  12  having a terminal end  13 , a distal end section  14  and an intermediate (neutral) section  18 , and in its coiled state has an inner whorl  20  and an outer whorl  22 . An anchor slot  26  is formed through said mandrel from outer side  17  to inner side  19  wherein an edge portion of the slot provides, with reference to  FIG. 1 , an anchor stop shoulder  28  on inner whorl  20 . A resilient locking anchor tab  30  on said proximal end section  12  of outer whorl  22  of said mandrel is adapted to extend radially inwardly through said anchor slot  26  when said mandrel is coiled up to releasably lock said outer whorl  22  to said inner whorl  20  which prevents inopportune release of the mandrel from its coiled initial anchor state. A guide means  32  is provided on proximal end section  12  of said mandrel, wherein said distal end section  14  and intermediate (neutral) section  18  of said mandrel can easily slide longitudinally within said guide means to form the coiled configuration of said mandrel. The locking anchor tab  30  is formed integrally with said mandrel body and is adapted to be resiliently flexed in the direction  34  ( FIG. 3 ) to release itself from said anchor stop shoulder  28  and allow the mandrel body to uncoil and circumferentially expand itself against the elastic base (connected bra straps)  36  of bra  11 . The guide means  32  as shown, e.g., in  FIG. 1  is curved longitudinally to further assist in guiding the mandrel body into a coiled state wherein the whorls lie closely adjacent to each other which further insures that the circumference adjustment locking tab  38  ( FIG. 4 ) will lock into one of the circumference adjusting slots  40  and prevent collapsing of the coil by the radially inward forces generated by the stretched elastic bra base  36 . It is noted that where the normal expansion forces of the coiled band  10  of  FIG. 2  are insufficient to expand the bra base  36  to go over the wearer shoulders, the wearer must manually expand the coil whereby tab  38  will ratchet into the desired slot  40 . 
     The two embodiments of the present invention as shown in the drawings are (1) the mandrel is substantially linear ( FIG. 2 ) in its relaxed uncoiled, initial state, and (2) the mandrel is pre-coiled in its relaxed state to provide inner whorl  20  and outer whorl  22  and wherein the distal end section  14  of the mandrel is already slidably mounted through the guide means  32  to the extent which gives a circumference to the mandrel slightly less than the circumference of the layed-out bra base  36  as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     Circumference adjusting lock tab  38  has a longitudinal axis  39  and extends radially inwardly sufficiently to insure that adjustment lock shoulder means  41  engages stop surface  43  of tab  38  when and if inner whorl  20  begins to rotate in a coil contracting direction  46 . It is noted that when inner whorl  20  is slid through guide means  32  in the direction of arrow  48  to expand the mandrel, adjustment slot shoulders  41  will slidingly engage surface  52  of tab  38  and flex it out of the way in the direction of arrow  54  ( FIG. 4 ) in a ratcheting manner. 
     A relief slot  42  is provided in the mandrel band (inner whorl  20 ) to receive tab  38  as shown in  FIG. 3  when the mandrel is in its starting (initial) coiled state with the anchor tab  30  locked into anchor slot  26  in whorl  20 . Anchor slot  26  and locking anchor tab  30  are wider than both relief slot  42  and adjusting tab  38  in order to prevent anchor tab  30  from locking into relief slot  42  during the initial coiling of the mandrel to its designed starting (initial) circumference state. 
     In embodiment (1) the wearer bends the mandrel into a loop and inserts the distal end section through the guide means and continues coiling the mandrel until its circumference is slightly less than the circumference of the generally circular elastic layed out bra base  36  ( FIG. 1 ). The mandrel is then locked in its coiled state by anchor tab  30  and the bra base is then placed over the mandrel. The mandrel is then unlocked (item  30 ) and allowed to circumferentially expand against the elastic bra base  36  to the resiliency limit of the combination of mandrel and base or alternatively to the manually adjusted mandrel coil circumference wherein tab  38  locks the mandrel and bra into the desired expanded circumference to frictionally hold the bra onto the mandrel. The mandrel with the bra attached is then placed down over the wearers head and shoulders until stopped by the bra shoulder straps contacting the wearers shoulders. The tab  38  is then unlocked by the wearer by simply pulling the mandrel down and out of the bra base whereby the mandrel automatically resumes its linear state free of the wearer. It is noted that pulling down the coil by gripping one of the ears  44  will easily dislodge adjustment tab  38  from its slot  40 . 
     In embodiment (2), the pre-coiled circumference of the mandrel is dimensioned preferably such that it will fit within the circular formed unstretched base of any bra as shown in  FIG. 1 . The coiled mandrel is then expanded by force provided by the wearer to engage against the bra base as shown in the embodiment of (1) above. The mandrel is then, along with the attached bra, locked into a desired circumference by tab  38  and slot  40  which prevents inopportune recoiling (contraction) of the mandrel away from the bra base  38 . The subsequent procedures are the same as in (1) above. In this embodiment the provision of anchor tab  30  and slot  26  is not necessary in many situations. 
     The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to preferred embodiments thereof, but it will be understood that variations and modifications will be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention.