The present invention relates to bath curtain rod assemblies for installation in bath and shower stalls.
Bath curtain rods in the market are typically installed by drilling into bathroom walls and using screws to secure the rods, or using adhesives to secure the rods. The bath curtain rod assemblies of the present invention avoid such use of screws and adhesives.
The present invention provides adjustable bath curtain rod assemblies that can be installed faster and easier than conventional rods.
An aspect of the present invention is to provide a bath curtain rod assembly comprising a first tube, a second tube axially movable with respect to the first tube and lockable into an axial position with respect to the first tube, and an extendable contact end extendably mounted on an end of the first or second tube to engage a support structure.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a bath curtain rod assembly comprising means for axially moving first and second tubes of the assembly to a locked position, and means for extending an extendable contact end from at least one of the first and second tubes to press the extendable contact end against a bath structure to thereby secure the bath curtain rod assembly in a desired position.
A further aspect of the present invention is to provide a method of installing a bath curtain rod assembly comprising axially moving first and second tubes of the assembly to a first position, locking the first and second tubes together in the first position, and extending an extendable contact end from at least one of the first and second tubes to press the extendable contact end against a bath structure to thereby secure the bath curtain rod assembly in a desired position.
These and other aspects of the present invention will be more apparent from the following description.
The overall length of the bath curtain rod assemblies 10, 110 and 210 may typically range from 24 to 90 inches. The tubes and other components of the assemblies may be made from any suitable materials, such as corrosion-resistant metals and plastics.
The bath curtain rod assembly 110 shown in
The outer tube 120 includes an elevated sidewall portion 122 having a radial thickness greater than the radial thickness of the remainder of the outer tube 120. Threaded holes 123 extended through the elevated sidewall portion 122 into the interior of the outer tube 120. The additional thickness of the elevated sidewall portion 122 provides increased length for the threaded holes 123. Fasteners 124 may be threaded into the holes 123 to lock the inner tube 130 into a desired axial position with respect to the outer tube 120. As used herein, the terms “lock”, “locked” and “lockable”, when referring to the various inner and outer tubes of the present assemblies, mean that the tubes are held in substantially fixed axial positions with respect to each other. The use of bolts extending through the sidewall of one of the tubes and engaging the outer surface of another tube is primarily described herein. However, any other type of mechanical fastener, latch, frictional engagement, crimping, press fitting, etc. may be used in accordance with the present invention to lock the tubes together. The fasteners 124 are shown in the form of threaded alien bolts, however, it is to be understood that any other suitable type of mechanical fastener could be used.
The inner tube 130 is also generally cylindrical with a circular cross section. The outer diameter of the inner tube 130 is slightly less than the inner diameter of the outer tube 120 in order to provide sufficient clearance to allow the tubes to move axially with respect to each other. An optional cylindrical plastic sleeve or gasket (not shown) may be inserted in the space between the inner and outer tubes 130 and 120 in order to avoid direct contact therebetween and/or in order to provide a seal against water or other liquids entering the space between the tubes. While the inner tube 130 shown in the figures has a circular cross section, any other suitable shape may be used, as described above for the outer tube 120. The inner tube 130 may be made of the same material as the outer tube 120, or a different material.
The inner tube 130 has a threaded end 132 having a square hole 134 extending axially through its center. In the embodiment shown, the threaded end 132 has a larger outer diameter than the outer diameter of the inner tube 130 in order to provide clearance between the outer surface of the inner tube 130 and the inner surface of the tightening sleeve 140. The threaded end 132 may be provided as a separate part, such as a cast and/or machined piece of non-corrosive metal, fastened to the end of the inner tube 130 by any suitable means such as press fitting, crimping, mechanical fasteners, adhesives or the like. However, the threaded end 132 may alternatively be provided as an integral part of the inner tube 130, for example, by cutting threads into the outer diameter of the tube 130 at its end.
The tightening sleeve 140 has interior threads 142 at one end that threadingly engage the threaded end 132 of the inner tube 130. The tightening sleeve 140 also has interior threads 143 at the opposite end that engage a threaded pivot anchor 160, as more fully described below. The interior threads 142 and 143 are provided in different directions such that rotation of the tightening sleeve 140 around its axis either draws the inner tube 130 and anchor 160 toward each other, or away from each other, as more fully described below. The tightening sleeve 140 may be made from the same material as the outer and inner tubes 120 and 130, or a different material.
The extendable contact end 150 comprises a paddle or base 152 with two extended tabs 153. The cover 158 of the extendable contact end 150 is shown in
As shown in
For example, the contact surface area of the base 152 may be at least 2 or 3 times greater than the cross-sectional area of the outer tube 120, typically at least 5 times greater. In certain embodiments, the surface contact area of the base 152 is at least 1 or 2 square inches, typically greater than 5 square inches.
The pivot anchor 160 includes a threaded end 162 engageable in the threaded end 143 of the tightening sleeve 140. A threaded hole 163 extends radially through the threaded end 162 and receives a threaded fastener 164. In the embodiment shown, the threaded fastener 164 is an alien bolt, however, any other suitable type of fastener may be used. At the end of the pivot anchor 164 opposite the threaded end 162, a pivot hole 165 is provided for attachment to the extendable contact end 150, as more fully described below. Another hole 166 extends axially through at least a portion of the threaded end 162. In the embodiment shown, the axial hole 166 is round, however, any other suitable hole shape may be used.
An alignment rod 170 with an anchor-engaging end 171 is inserted in the axial hole 166 of the pivot anchor 160. The alignment rod 170 may be made of any suitable material, such as non-corrosive metal. Tightening of the threaded fastener 164 secures the alignment rod 170 into position with respect to the pivot anchor 160 such that the alignment rod 170 is held against axial and rotational movement with respect to the anchor 160. The alignment rod 170 also has a tube-engaging end 172 that slidingly fits in the hole 134 in the threaded end 132 of the inner tube 130. The alignment rod 170 ensures that the pivot anchor 160 and threaded end 132 of the inner tube 130 are substantially aligned along the same longitudinal axis. Such alignment facilitates relative movement when the tightening sleeve is rotated and the pivot anchor 160 and threaded end 132 are drawn toward or away from each other along their longitudinal axes. In the embodiment shown, the cross sectional shapes of the alignment rod 170 and hole 134 prevent relative rotation between the alignment rod 170 and the inner tube 130. The alignment rod 170 and hole 134 may have square cross sections as shown, however, any other suitable cross sectional shapes may be used that allow the bar 170 to slide along its longitudinal axis inside the hole 134 of the inner tube 130.
As shown most clearly in
In accordance with embodiments of the invention, the use of extended tabs 153 or other mounting fixtures that are separated from each other on a relatively wide base 152 spreads out the pressing force when the assemblies are installed in a bath or shower stall. The distance between the extended tabs 153, as measured between the centers of the holes 154 shown in
Although the stationary contact end 151 mounted on the opposite end of the outer tube 120 is not shown in
In the embodiment shown in
In
After the fasteners 24 are loosened as shown in
Next, as shown in
Thus, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention, by using axially movable tubes, the rod assemblies are extended so that the contact members at the ends of the tubes are placed in their desired positions. Allen bolts or other mechanical fasteners are used to fix the relative axial positions of the tubes. The non-slip contact members may grip the walls in this position. At least one tightening sleeve is then rotated to apply additional force to hold the assembly firmly in place. In accordance with embodiments of the invention, the tightening sleeve(s) are rotated by hand without the use of tools.
The assemblies are capable of withstanding significant loads. For example, when a single-rod assembly as shown in
The adjustable bath curtain rods of the present invention provide several benefits. They may be installed in little time without drilling or adhesives, and there is no risk of drilling holes in the wrong place. Rather than being permanently installed, the assemblies are easily removable and can be repositioned at any time.
Whereas particular embodiments of this invention have been described above for purposes of illustration, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that numerous variations of the details of the present invention may be made without departing from the invention as defined in the appended claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/412,223 filed Nov. 10, 2010 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/448,257 filed Mar. 2, 2011, both of which are incorporated herein by reference.
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