Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02316100 2000-08-10
10 SHOWER-CURTAIN HOLDER WITH ARTICLE SUPPORTING FIXTURE
,. ,.
The present invention relates generally to shower curtain holders for
retaining a shower curtain on a shower curtain rod and, more particularly,
concerns
such a holder which includes an article supporting fixture for supporting
bathing
objects and materials.
In practice, problems generally arise because the towels, bothrobes,
etc. needed for getting oneself dry after taking a shower are not hanging up
within
easy reach or are not right at hand -particularly if several people use the
same
shower. Another problem is posed by the fact that ordinary shelves and hooks
for
shower gel, shampoo, etc. are troublesome to fix, requiring glue or holes
drilled in
the wall tiles of the shower.
It is an object of the present invention to keep the things used during
a shower (shower gel, shampoo, etc.) within easy reach inside the shower,
without
requiring the effort of securing a fixture and without causing any damage to
the tiles
by drilling or gluing. In addition to this, it is necessary to keep the things
needed
immediately after a shower (towel, bathrobe, etc.) close at hand, without
having
to leave the shower before getting dry.
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Hooks for hanging shower curtains on shower curtain rails have been
available for some time and thus constitute the background of the invention.
Any
commercially traded shower curtain has ready punched eyelets for attaching
retaining hooks. As a rule, shower curtain rails have a diameter of between
2.5cm
(min) and 4cm (max), thus permitting standardized hooks to be made.
The desired object is attained with the present invention, because the
hooks with which the shower curtain is affixed to the shower curtain rail are
designed in such a manner that the respective supported objects are kept
seaprate
by the shower curtain itself. This ensures that shower gel, shampoo, etc. are
at
1,0 hand inside the shower, whilst towels, bathrobes, etc. are outside the
shower and
so are kept away from the shower's water and spray. Thus, they stay dry and
can
easily be reached when needed. With the fixture being pressed easily onto the
shower curtain rail, installation is not difficult, and neither the tiles nor
the tile joints
are damaged.
The foregoing brief description, as well as other objects, features and
advantages of the present invention will be understood more completely from
the
following detailed description of a presently preferred embodiment, with
reference
being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of a holder in
ccordance with the present invention;
Figure 2 is a front view showing two holders in accordance with the
present invention mounted on a shower curtain supporting rod and supporting a
shower curtain; and
Figure 3 is a side view of an alternate embodiment of a holder in
accordance with the present invention.
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Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, the holder 10 has a ring portion 12 at the
tvp, designed to mount onto and slide easily along a shower-curtain rail. It
is
attached to the rail by being forced open and by being pushed onto the rail 1
in
place of a conventional shower curtain hook, with the curtain 2 captured
between
legs 14, 14, which define an article supporting fixture. A portion 15 of the
holder
extends between the legs 14, 14 and through an aperture in the shower curtain,
to
support the curtain. As is conventional, portion 15 may be integral with one
of the
legs 14 and may be press-fitted into an aperture in the other leg, to prevent
the
curtain from corning loose.
Having the fixture as part of the shower curtain holder means that it
is automatically moved to and fro when the curtain is opened and closed. Since
one of the hooks 16, 16 on the fixture is on the inside of the shower (wet
side)
when the shower curtain is closed, any utensils required during a shower and
hanging on the inside hook of hooks 16, 16 are always at hand. Once the shower
curtain is closed, any objects which have been hung on the hook on the other
leg
of the fixture are outside the shower (dry side) and thus do not get wet from
any
spray coming from the shower: When the curtain is pulled open again, after a
shower, all the objects hanging on the outside hook are immediately within
easy
reach.
Any rust-proof material providing the necessary stability can be used
for manufacturing holder 10. Holder 10 may be made of a resilient material,
which
would permit it to be spread apart to fit over the shower curtain rail, or it
may
include a hinge 17.
Figure 3 is a side view of an alternate embodiment 10' of a shower
curtain holder in accordance with the present invention. FHolder 10' comprises
a
ring portion 12' and a fitting including the depending leg 14', with a hook
portion
16' at the lower end. The ring portion 12' is partially cut away at 12a' to
permit
the ring portion 12' to be spread and placed upon a shower curtain rail. The
curtain
CA 02316100 2000-08-10
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supporting portion 15', which extends into an aperture in the curtain is, in
this
embodiment, part of the ring portion 12'. Since the holder 10' only has one
hook,
it is preferred that two holders be used at the same time on adjacent curtain
apertures, with one positioned with its hook on the dry side and the other
with its
hook on the wet side.
Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed
for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that many
additions,
modifications and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope
and
spirit of the invention as defined by the accompanying claims.
