DONNING AND DOFFING AID FOR A SUPPORT STOCKING

Abstract

A donning and doffing aid is used for donning and doffing a stocking, in particular a compression stocking. The donning and doffing aid comprises a support element (1) which is adapted in such a way that the stocking can be spanned on it in a tubular manner. Furthermore, the donning and doffing aid has at least one protrusion (4) on which the stocking (6) can be spanned for doffing.

Claims

1. A donning and doffing aid for donning and doffing a stocking, in particular a compression stocking, comprising: a support element; wherein the stocking can be spanned on the support element in a tubular manner for donning, at least one protrusion on which the stocking can be spanned for doffing.

2. The donning and doffing aid according to claim 1, wherein the support element has a guide with a first end and a second end, wherein the guide is adapted to at least partially enclose a body part, and wherein the first end of the guide is open, the second end of the guide is open, or the first end and the second end of the guide are open.

3. The donning and doffing aid according to claim 2, wherein during seated donning and doffing, the first end of the guide is directed upwards and the second end of the guide is directed downwards.

4. The donning and doffing aid according to claim 2, wherein the at least one protrusion is arranged at the second end of the guide, and extends in the direction of the guide.

5. The donning and doffing aid according to claim 2, wherein the at least one protrusion is directed downwards during seated donning and doffing.

6. The donning and doffing aid according to claim 2, wherein the donning and doffing aid comprises two protrusions, the guide has a semi-circular profile, and the two protrusions are arranged diametrically opposite each other at the second end of the guide with the semi-circular profile.

7. The donning and doffing aid according to claim 1, wherein the at least one protrusion comprises a cap made of an elastomer.

8. The donning and doffing aid according to claim 1 wherein at least one handle is arranged on the support element, which is extendable, is extendable to a length of at least 40 cm, is extendable to at least 50 cm, or has a latching device for fixing a length of the at least one handle.

9. The donning and doffing aid according to claim 8, wherein the at least one protrusion extends away from the support element in a first direction and the at least one handle extends away from the support element in a direction opposite to the first direction.

10. The donning and doffing aid according to claim 8, comprising two handles.

11. The donning and doffing aid according to claim 1, wherein the at least one protrusion has an extension of at least 10 mm, at least 20 mm, and of at most 60 mm, at most 40 mm, or at most 30 mm; wherein the at least one protrusion has a thickness of at most 20 mm or at most 10 mm; wherein the at least one protrusion has a width of at most 60 mm, at most 50 mm, or at most 40 mm.

12. The donning and doffing aid according to claim 1 further comprising support devices with undersides of the support devices adapted to support the donning and doffing aid on a plane while a donned stocking is spanned onto the donning and doffing aid.

13. A method of doffing a stocking by means of a donning and doffing aid according to claim 2, wherein the method of doffing comprises the following steps: spanning, in particular by hand, the stocking from below, over the at least one protrusion; moving the donning and doffing aid downwards or pulling up a leg while the opening of the stocking is being pulled downwards by the donning and doffing aid.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein during the spanning, the donning and doffing aid is supported on a floor.

15. The method according to claim 13 further including method steps for donning the stocking comprising: spanning the opening of the stocking on the first end of the guide; grasping handles; inserting a foot into the stocking and simultaneously supporting the donning and doffing aid with the lower sides of the support device on a floor.

16. The donning and doffing aid of claim 2 wherein the guide is trough-shaped, partially tubular, or semi-tubular.

17. The donning and doffing aid of claim 8 wherein the latching device is a snap head.

18. The donning and doffing aid of claim 10 wherein the at least one protrusion is arranged between the two handles.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] Further embodiments, advantages and applica-tions of the invention will be apparent from the dependent claims and from the description which now follows with reference to the figures.

[0037] FIG. 1 shows a first view of a donning and doffing aid;

[0038] FIG. 1a shows a detailed view of FIG. 1;

[0039] FIG. 2 shows a side view of the donning and doffing aid;

[0040] FIG. 3 shows a front view of the donning and doffing aid;

[0041] FIGS. 4a to 4d shows the donning of a stocking; and ing.

[0042] FIGS. 5a to 5d shows the doffing of a stocking.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0043] FIGS. 1 to 3 show a donning and doffing aid according to the invention. This comprises a support element 1 which is arranged centrally. The support element 1 comprises a guide 2 and support devices 3.

[0044] The guide 2 is partially tubular. I.e. it forms a half tube, which has a profile of a semicircle. The guide 2 extends from a first end 2a to a second end 2b. The first end 2a is directed upwards when used as intended and the second end 2b is directed downwards when used as intended. The first end 2a and the second end 2b are open, i.e. there are no walls that would close the ends of the guide 2. The guide 2 is also trough-shaped. The support devices 3 are arranged in such a way that their lower sides 3a can support the donning and doffing aid against a plane below.

[0045] A stocking can be spanned on the first side 2a of the guide for donning. The donning process is described in more detail in FIGS. 4a to 4d. When a leg is inserted into the stretched stocking, the guide 2 encloses half of the leg from behind.

[0046] Two protrusions 4 are arranged at the second end 2b of the guide 2. These have rubber caps 4a. The donned stocking can be fixed to these protrusions 4 in order to doff it from the leg by means of the donning and doffing aid. As shown in FIG. 1a, the protrusions comprise an extension 4b of about 25 to 40 mm, a width 4c of about 32 mm and a thickness 4d of about 6 mm.

[0047] Handles 5 are also arranged on the support element 1. These handles 5 are extendable and have latching devices 5a, in this case snap heads, to fix the length of the handles 5. The handles 5 can be removed from the support element 1.

[0048] FIGS. 4a to 4d show a stocking 6 being donned. The opening 6a of the stocking 6 is spanned onto the first end 2a of the guide 2. Subsequently, the stocking 6 is further fitted over the guide 2 until the foot part 6b of the stocking 6 arrives at the first, upper end 2a of the guide 2 and the opening 6a of the stocking is located at the lower, second end 2b of the guide 2. The fully spanned stocking 6 is shown in FIG. 4b.

[0049] The user grips the handles 5 with his hands while sitting or standing. This is shown in FIG. 4c. He brings his foot to the first, upper end 2a of the guide 2 and comes into contact with the foot part 6b of the stocking 6. At the same time, the user supports the donning and doffing aid on the floor with the lower sides 3a of the support device 3.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 4d, the user then moves his leg further down along the guide 3 and moves the foot part 6b of the stocking 6 into the opened stocking 6. The direction of movement is also illustrated with the arrow 7 and represents the direction of the guide 3. The user continues to move his foot until it reaches the ground or he is able to extend his leg. In order to pull the stocking 6 up completely, the user pulls the donning and doffing aid towards him, i.e. in the direction of the arrow 8. The stocking is then completely put on and the donning and doffing aid can be removed.

[0051] FIGS. 5a to 5d show the doffing of the stocking 6. In a first step, the user pulls the stocking 6 down to the middle of the calf, as shown in FIG. 5a. Then the stocking 6 is put over the two protrusions 4 from below. The protrusions 4 are marked in black. In addition, the protrusions 4 have rubber caps 4a which protect the stocking 6.

[0052] Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 5c, the user moves the donning and doffing aid downwards or pulls up his leg while the opening 6a of the stocking 6 is pulled downwards. This movement continues until the foot is completely removed from the stocking 6, as shown in FIG. 5d.

[0053] The orientation of the protrusions 4 downwards or away from the body has the advantage that the opening 6a of the stocking 6 reliably adheres to the protrusions 4 as it is moved downwards and remains adhered there while the user pulls his leg out of the stocking 6.

[0054] The protrusions 4 thus extend in a first direction 9a (shown in FIG. 3) away from the support element, while the handles 5 extend in a direction 9b opposite to the first direction.

[0055] While preferred embodiments of the invention are described in the present application, it should be clearly noted that the invention is not limited thereto and may also be carried out in other ways within the scope of the following claims.