Abstract:
A device for securely attaching a medical inhaler that dispenses medication required by people who have asthma or other respiratory diseases that can be removably attached to the inhaler and includes the use of a spring loaded clip with jaws that will firmly attach to a garment and not be released.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     This invention relates to an inhaler holder and securing device for securely attaching an inhaler to the garment or person of a user so that the inhaler is always available for instant use and, specifically, to an improved inhaler holder and fastener that allows the inhaler holder and inhaler to be securely fastened especially to garments of the user.  
         [0003]     2. Description of Related Art  
         [0004]     Individuals who suffer from asthma or other respiratory diseases must often have a medical inhaler close by. There are times when having the inhaler available during an asthma attack can mean the difference between life and death. The prior art shows a variety of holsters and pouches that are used to retain or secure an inhaler. U.S. Pat. No. 5,855,307 issued Jan. 5, 1999 shows an inhaler holster that can be used with a wrist band for securing the inhaler to your wrist. U.S. Pat. No. 6,360,929 issued Mar. 26, 2002 shows a medicinal inhaler that uses a fastener that attaches to a belt. There are many environments when the types of fasteners shown in the prior art are not effective. One example would be when wearing a bathing suit or garment without belts. The present invention overcomes these problems by providing a foolproof, universal inhaler fastener that can attach to any garment.  
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
       [0005]     A device for attaching an inhaler to a garment regardless of the garment configuration comprising a flexible, cylindrical housing that can be opened that includes hook and pile fasteners, the housing being sized to receive a conventional asthma inhaler. An alligator clip is tethered to the housing by a flexible cord that may include a D ring that attaches the alligator clip to the flexible cord. The body of the flexible, cylindrical housing may be made of plastic or fabric, either man-made or natural. One end of the cylindrical, flexible housing may be enclosed for securing the base of the inhaler within the cylindrical housing when the hook and pile fasteners have been closed together. The strap may be of a resilient plastic or fabric material that forms a strap that has closed connecting loops at each end.  
         [0006]     The purpose of the flexible, cylindrical housing is to encase or encompass a standard, conventional inhaler. The inhaler is a container that has a mechanism for dispensing a medicant that is inhaled into the lungs. The inhaler itself has usually a rigid body that allows a portion to be used in the mouth of the user and a removable container that contains the medication that upon depression squirts medicant in through the mouth opening portion for the user. This rigid plastic housing is enclosed in applicant&#39;s invention with a flexible, cylindrical encasement or housing that is made of plastic and may use hook and pile fasteners along two edges to adjust to different size inhalers. Permanently attached along one edge of the flexible housing is a metal D ring and a circular passage to hold the D ring to the flexible housing. A strap that is tethered is also connected to the D ring. Finally, an alligator clip or yet another garment clip may be attached to the tether strap.  
         [0007]     To use the present invention, the user would purchase an inhaler and wrap the invention and flexible housing around the inhaler body, securing the encasement firmly to the inhaler. At that point, the device is ready for use. By using an alligator clip or a garment clip with jaws, the device can be attached to virtually any part of a garment including a bathing suit or even underwear.  
         [0008]     It is paramount that for an inhaler to be properly secured that the inhaler is firmly attached to the garment so that the inhaler cannot fall off accidentally or become removed. It is believed by using a strong alligator clip, the inhaler is securely fastened.  
         [0009]     In an alternate embodiment, the flexible housing or encasement could be made in a rectangular strip sized in length to fit around the diameter of an inhaler and include an adhesive backing and a removable protective adhesive strip so that the flexible housing could be adhesively attached permanently to the inhaler body. The adhesive resilient housing would also include the D ring permanently attached thereto, a tether strap and the alligator clip attached thereto. This could be marketed in the stores so that each time an inhaler is discarded, a consumer could purchase the securing device and use it with a new inhaler.  
         [0010]     It is an object of this invention to provide a holder and securing device for use with a medical inhaler that can be firmly and securely attached to any garment worn by the user so that the inhaler is always available.  
         [0011]     It is yet another object of this invention to provide an inhaler encasement and fastener that allows the inhaler encasement to be readily attached to any inhaler body because the encasement is adjustable in size.  
         [0012]     In accordance with these and other objects which will become apparent hereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0013]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective exploded view of the invention.  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of the invention.  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  shows an exploded view of an alternate embodiment of the invention.  
         [0016]      FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of the invention.  
         [0017]      FIG. 5  shows a side elevational view of the invention which is an alternate embodiment. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0018]     Referring now to the drawings and, in particular,  FIG. 1 , the present invention is shown generally at  10  comprised of a rectangular, flexible strip of plastic or durable material  12  that includes an adhesive surface  12   a  and an adhesive protective covering which could be paper  14 . The length of the encasing strip  12  is sized so that the strip can extend around an inhaler body  18  which has an opening for the user to spray inhalant into the user&#39;s mouth  20  and a container and dispenser  16  that contains the medication. In the conventional operation, a container  16  is depressed which causes a nozzle to expel medicant out opening  20 . The present invention encasement strip  12  is attached by the adhesive  12   a  once the paper  14  is removed so that strip  12  is firmly affixed to the inhaler rigid body  18 . The present invention includes a carabiner clip fastener  22  that includes a moveable arm  22   a  hinged thereto that is attached to a tether strap  24  made of a flexible strong material that include a loop passage  24   a  permanently attaching the clip fastener  22  thereto. The tether strap  24  is attached to a D ring  26  through a loop  28  at one end. The D ring is permanently attached to the flexible encasement  12  through a loop passage  28  by a suitable fabric or plastic.  
         [0019]      FIG. 2  shows the present invention  10  firmly attached to the inhaler outer body  18  by the adhesive shown in  FIG. 1  at  12   a . Thus, the encasement  12  cannot be removed since it is glued all the way around the inhaler body  18 . To operate the invention, the carabiner clip fastener  22  can be fastened around any belt loop or through any type of aperture in clothing and secured thereto or around clothing straps which could be dress straps or the like. In this configuration, it would be difficult for the inhaler to be removed from the garment.  
         [0020]     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , a second embodiment of the invention is shown in which the flexible encasement is a flexible strip  32  that has hook and pile fasteners  34  and  36  at each end which is also sized to fit around the inhaler body  18  in a firm manner. In this embodiment, the encasement  32  can be removed and could be used with other inhalers as the inhaler is expended. The device would also include a loop  40  that fits around the opening  20  on the inhaler body  18  for firmly securing the entire encasement  32  to the inhaler body. Again, attached to the encasement is a loop fastener  42   a  that retains permanently a D ring  44  which is metal and is attached to the tether strap  46  which could fabric, plastic or leather for permanently holding the D ring  44  to another holder ring  48  attached to alligator clip  50 . The alligator clip has an aperture  50   a  that allows it to be permanently secured to the metal ring  48  which is rigid. Using the alligator clip  50 , the device can virtually be attached to any garment. Using the alligator clip  50  which is the preferred embodiment for the invention, users need not fear losing or misplacing their inhalers because they can be attached even to undergarments, thin garments, a bathing suit and literally worn any where. The jaws of the alligator clip  50  are spring loaded closed.  
         [0021]      FIG. 4  shows the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3  firmly attached around the inhaler body  18 . Note that loop  40  which is part of the encasement  32  is attached around the opening  20  of the inhaler body.  
         [0022]     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , an alternate embodiment is shown in which the inhaler body itself has a rigid lip  54  or protrusion that has an aperture  54   a  that is molded as part of the entire body  52  of the inhaler  64 . The mouth opening  62  is for spraying the medicant from container  60  mounted inside the rigid body  52 . Attached through the protrusion  54  aperture  54   a  is a ring fastener  56  which attached to the alligator clip  66 . In this embodiment shown in  FIG. 5 , there is no tether strap but a securing ring  56  to which the alligator clip  66  is attached directly thereto. Again, using the alligator clip  66 , there is no danger of losing the inhaler  64  because the clip  66  is firmly securable to any article of clothing at all times to give the user security that the inhaler is with the person of the user.  
         [0023]     In summary, using the present invention, a person with asthma or other debilitating disease that must have an inhaling medicine on their person at all times in case of an emergency can feel secure that the device will always be with them because of the attachment of using the present invention.  
         [0024]     The instant invention has been shown and described herein in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.