Patent Application
20180184833
The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present disclosure. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art nor material to the presently described or claimed inventions, nor that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
The present invention relates generally to the field of bathroom accessories of existing art and more specifically relates to shower curtains.
While showering, water can leak around the shower curtain and liner. Excessive water leaks can cause serious-injury if a person slips and falls in the bathroom. Further, these leaks, if left untreated for an extended period, can allow for mold and mildew to form and force individuals to have to excessively clean their bathroom. Even further, water may penetrate the flooring through cracks around the bathtub or shower and cause damage and mold to form in areas that cannot be seen.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,639,919 to Richard E. White relates to a shower curtain holder. The described shower curtain holder comprises a holder for a pair of bathroom shower curtains comprising a pair of flexible seal strips permanently adhered to a bathroom wall and extending downwardly from adjacent the shower curtain rod. A pair of corner blocks permit the strip to be bent and extend across the top of the tub. Each strip has a keyhole slot extending for its entire length. The outer edge of each curtain contains a cord which is pressed into the seal strip slot to make permanent waterproof connections between the outer edges of the curtains and the bathroom walls and tub. An extension provides overlapping of the inner edges of the curtains where they meet to prevent leakage between them.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known shower curtains art, the present disclosure provides a novel no leak shower system and method. The general purpose of the present disclosure, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide an effective and efficient no leak shower system and method.
A curtain rod is disclosed herein. The curtain rod includes a first curtain section, a second curtain section, and a transition section. The first curtain section may include a first support end and a first extension member; the first end defining a first point on a curtain rod axis, the first extension member extending from the first support end, and is configured to support a first curtain. The second curtain section may include a second support end and a second extension member, the second end defining a second point on the curtain rod axis; the second extension member extending from the second support end, and configured to support a second curtain. The transition section may include a first transition end and a second transition end, the transition section coupled to the first curtain section at the first transition end, opposite the first support end, and further coupled to the second curtain section, opposite the second support end at the second transition end; the first transition end overlapping the second transition end, relative to the curtain rod axis and the transition section may be ‘S’ or ‘Z’ shaped.
The curtain rod may be designed to allow a user to enter the shower/bath stall from the center of the stall instead of the left or right side of the shower/bath stall. The curtain rod may also allow a user to ‘seal’ the left and ride curtain sides to the shower/bath stall walls providing a substantially water-tight seal. The user may open the shower curtains from the center, stepping into the shower/bath stall which may prevent any water from escaping the shower through the left or right sides. Once inside, the user may close the shower curtains toward the center which may prevent water from escaping any section of the shower.
According to another embodiment, a method of using a curtain rod is also disclosed herein. The method includes installing the curtain rod described herein to a shower wall, installing a shower liner to the curtain rod, fastening the shower liner to the shower wall providing an opening to enter the shower in the center of the curtain rod, closing the shower liner to prevent water leakage during use, installing a second shower curtain to a curtain rod and disposing of a shower liner when desired.
For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed description.
The figures which accompany the written portion of this specification illustrate embodiments and methods of use for the present disclosure, a no leak shower system, constructed and operative according to the teachings of the present disclosure.
The various embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements.
As discussed above, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to shower curtains and more particularly to a no leak shower system as used to minimize leaks while showering which may damage the surrounding area of a bathroom.
Generally, water leaks can cause damage to the floor and wall area in a bathroom because of water that escapes while showering. The shower curtain rod described has a bend in the center so that a person can enter from the center instead of from the sides. The shower curtain rod holds two separate shower curtains expressly for this purpose to provide the desired solution.
Referring now more specifically to the drawings by numerals of reference, there is shown in
The first transition end 132 and the second transition end 134 are positioned off of the curtain rod axis, and are positioned on opposite sides of the curtain rod axis. The transition section 130 may be ‘S’ or ‘Z’ shaped 140. The first support end 112 and the second support end 112 may be configured to support a combined weight of the curtain rod 100, the first curtain 10, and the second curtain 15. The curtain rod 100 may further comprise a center extension member 150 (not shown) configured to vary a curtain rod length 102 between the first support end 112 and the second support end 122, relative to the curtain rod axis. The first support end 112 and the second support end 122 may be even further configured to form a friction couple with opposing walls opposite each other relative to the curtain rod axis.
The first support end 112 of the curtain rod 100 may include a first rubber support 116 configured to resist downward slipping when pressed against a first wall 50; wherein the second support end 122 of the curtain rod 100 may include a second rubber support 126 configured to resist downward slipping when pressed against a second wall 55 opposite the first wall 50. The first rubber support 116 may include a first suction cup 118 (not shown), and the second rubber support 126 may include a second suction cup 128 (not shown). The curtain rod 100 may even further comprise the first curtain 10; the second curtain 15; and a shower liner 25. The shower liner 25 may include a left and a right adhesive attachment 142 configured to removably attach to a left wall 35 and a right wall 45 of the shower, respectively. The shower liner 24 may be disposed of when no longer suitable for use.
According to one embodiment, the curtain rod 100 may be arranged as a kit 105. In particular, the curtain rod 100 may further include a set of instructions 107. The instructions 107 may detail functional relationships in relation to the structure of the curtain rod 100 such that the curtain rod 100 can be used, maintained, or the like, in a preferred manner.
The second curtain section 120 may include a second support end 122 and a second extension member 124, the second support end 122 defining a second point on the curtain rod axis, the second extension member 124 extending from the second support end 122, and configured to support a second curtain 15.
It should be noted that step 507 is an optional step and may not be implemented in all cases. Optional steps of method of use 500 are illustrated using dotted lines in
The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and numerous modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application.
The present application is related to and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/441,964 filed Jan. 3, 2017, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62441964 | Jan 2017 | US |
