Patent Publication Number: US-2020288884-A1

Title: Collapsible Reaching Device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM. 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention. 
     (2) Description of Related Art including information disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98. 
     The disclosure and prior art relates to reaching devices and more particularly pertains to a new reaching device for folding a passenger side mirror assembly. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a rod that comprises a plurality of nested sections so that the rod is selectively extensible. A hook is coupled to and extends from a first end of the rod, positioning a second end of the rod to be grasped in a hand of a user who is positioned in a driver&#39;s seat of a vehicle. The user can then position the hook on a mirror assembly that is coupled to a passenger side of the vehicle to selectively manipulate the mirror assembly between an extended configuration and a folded configuration. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric perspective view of a collapsible reaching device according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is an in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 4  thereof, a new reaching device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 4 , the collapsible reaching device  10  generally comprises a rod  12  that comprises a plurality of nested sections  14  so that the rod  12  is selectively extensible. The rod  12  is shown collapsed in  FIG. 2  and extended in  FIG. 3 . The rod  12  is substantially circularly shaped when viewed longitudinally. The plurality of nested sections  14  comprises a plurality of medial sections  16  that is positioned between a proximal section  18  and a distal section  20 . The plurality of medial sections  16  comprises from one to five medial sections  16 . The plurality of medial sections  16  comprises from two to four medial sections  16 . The plurality of medial sections  16  comprises two medial sections  16 . 
     A hook  22  is coupled to and extends from a first end  24  of the rod  12 , positioning a second end  44  of the rod  12  to be grasped in a hand of a user who is positioned in a driver&#39;s seat of a vehicle. The user can then position the hook  22  on a mirror assembly that is coupled to a passenger side of the vehicle to selectively manipulate the mirror assembly between an extended configuration and a folded configuration, as shown in  FIG. 4 . The device  10  is particularly useful when parking a vehicle in a garage, during which activity mirror assemblies on the vehicle are susceptible to damage from impacting the sides of the garage opening. The device  10  allows the mirror assembly on the passenger side of the vehicle to be folded and extended without requiring the user to exit the vehicle, which is particularly desirable in inclement weather and for users who are physically challenged. 
     The hook  22  is coated with at least one of rubber and silicone so that the hook  22  is configured to position on the mirror assembly without scratching the mirror assembly. The hook  22  is pivotally coupled to the rod  12  so that the hook  22  is selectively positionable in an extended configuration, as shown in  FIG. 3 , and a folded configuration, as shown in  FIG. 2 . In the extended configuration the hook  22  extends from the first end  24  and is configured to position on the mirror assembly. In the folded configuration the hook  22  is positioned adjacent to the rod  12  and the hook  22  and the rod  12  are configured to be stowed. 
     The hook  22  comprises a first section  26 , a second section  28 , and a third section  30 . The first section  26  is coupled to and extends substantially perpendicularly from the rod  12 . The second section  28  is coupled to the first section  26  distally from the rod  12  and extends substantially perpendicularly from the first section  26  so that the second section  28  is substantially parallel to the rod  12 . The third section  30  is coupled to the second section  28  distally from the first section  26  and extends transversely from the second section  28  so that the hook  22  is C-shaped. The first section  26 , the second section  28 , and the third section  30  each is substantially circularly shaped when viewed longitudinally. 
     A handle  32  that is coupled to the rod  12  proximate to the second end  44  of the rod  12  is configured to be grasped in the hand of the user. The user can then position the hook  22  on the mirror assembly to selectively manipulate the mirror assembly between the extended configuration and the folded configuration. 
     The handle  32  comprises at least one of rubber, silicone, and plastic. The handle  32  comprises a tube  34  that is positioned around and coupled to the rod  12  proximate to the second end  44 . Each of a plurality of indentations  36  that is positioned in the tube  34  is configured to insert a respective digit of the hand as the hand grasps the tube  34 . 
     A grip  38  that is coupled to the rod  12  proximate to the first end  24  is configured to be grasped in a first hand of a user, positioning the user to grasp the rod  12  proximate to the second end  44  with a second hand. The user then is positioned to selectively extend and collapse the rod  12 . 
     The grip  38  comprises at least one of rubber, silicone, and plastic. The grip  38  comprises a cylinder  40  that is positioned around and coupled to the rod  12  proximate to the first end  24 . Each of a plurality of recesses  42  that is positioned in the cylinder  40  is configured to insert a respective digit of the first hand as the first hand grasps the cylinder  40 . 
     In use, the user seated in the driver&#39;s seat grasps the handle  32  in one hand and the grip  38  in the other hand to extend the rod  12 . The user then can position the hook  22  through the passenger side window onto the mirror assembly to selectively manipulate the mirror assembly between the extended configuration and the folded configuration without having to exit the vehicle. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.