Shower Caddy Clamp

Abstract

A shower caddy clamp for attachment to a shower rose stem includes a body with a bridge that extends partly around the stem in use. A movable shoe is attached to the body and bears against the stem opposite to the bridge. An activator is attached to the body and forces the moveable shoe into engagement with the stem. A shower caddy can depend from the clamp.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a device to assist in suspending a caddy from a shower rose stem in a shower recess. The invention more particularly, although not exclusively, relates to such a device including a clamp to prevent the device from slipping along the stem.

Shower caddies provide a convenient rack in a shower recess for soap and shampoo for example. Some caddies include a suction cup for attachment to a wall tile, while others have a hook by which the caddy can be suspended from a shower rose stem. Suction cups eventually detach from the wall tile and hooks are prone to sliding along the stem when the shower rose is adjusted in height.

SUMMARY

An improved shower caddy clamp is provided.

There is disclosed herein a shower caddy clamp for attachment to a shower rose stem, the clamp including:

a body;

a bridge attached to or formed integrally with the body for extending partly around the stem in use;

a movable shoe attached to the body to bear against the stem substantially opposite the bridge; and

an activator attached to the body and adapted to force the moveable shoe into engagement with the stem.

Preferably, the clamp further includes a fixed shoe attached to or formed integrally with the bridge to bear against the stem substantially opposite the movable shoe.

Preferably the activator includes a turn wheel rotatably mounted to the body and a threaded member extending from the turn wheel.

Preferably the claim further includes a carriage movable with respect to the body and to which the movable shoe is attached or formed integrally, the carriage including an internal thread with which the threaded member is threaded.

Preferably, the movable shoe is attached to the carriage in a manner allowing limited relative movement therebetween.

Preferably the clamp further includes a suspender attached to or formed integrally with the body and by which a shower caddy can be suspended from the clamp.

Preferably the suspender includes one or more hooks upon which a part of a caddy can rest.

There is further disclosed herein a combination including the above-disclosed clamp and a shower caddy which includes one or more racks and a part engaging said one or more hooks and by which the caddy is suspended from the clamp.

In an alternative configuration the suspender includes a tube forming part of a caddy or through which a part of the caddy passes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred forms of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic parts-exploded front elevation of a first shower caddy clamp;

FIG. 2 is a is a schematic parts-exploded cross-sectional elevation of the first shower caddy clamp;

FIG. 3 is a is a schematic perspective illustration of a second shower caddy clamp and a shower caddy 1;

FIG. 4 is a is a schematic perspective illustration of a third shower caddy clamp;

FIG. 5 is a is a schematic front elevation of the third shower caddy clamp;

FIG. 6 is a schematic side elevation of the third shower caddy clamp;

FIG. 7 is a schematic inverted plan of the third shower caddy clamp; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective parts-exploded illustration of the first shower caddy clamp.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In FIGS. 1, 2 and 8 of the accompanying drawings there is depicted schematically a shower caddy clamp 10. The clamp includes a body 11 and a bridge 12 both formed of moulded plastics. These fit together and clamp about a generally horizontal shower rose stem thus preventing a caddy hooked over the stem directly from sliding along the stem and possibly falling.

Fitted slidably within the body 11 is a carriage 18. The carriage is caused to move up and down by an activator 14. Activator 14 includes a threaded shaft 17 which engages with a threaded recess 19 of the carriage.

A turning wheel 16 is fixed to the activator 14 to present at the bottom of the body 11 so that when the turning wheel is rotated, the carriage 18 moved up or down depending on the direction of rotation. The carriage has a pair of opposed guide rails 29a and the inside of the body 11 has a corresponding pair of guide grooves 29b into which the guide rails fit and along which they slide. This maintains a true orientation of the carriage as it moves up and down.

The carriage 18 has attached to it a movable shoe 13 typically made of a flexible material such as PVC having good grip with the surface of a shower rose stem. The moveable shoe 13 is curved and has a pair of movement limiters 27 having barbed ends which fit through and are captured by attachment holes 28 of the carriage 18. Being flexible, the moveable shoe 13 can conform substantially to the surface of the underside of the stem as the turning wheel 16 is tightened and the movement limiters 27 prevent the moveable shoe 13 from detaching.

The bridge 12 contains a fixed shoe 15 which is curved and is also made of a flexible material such as PVC having good grip with the top surface of a shower rose stem. This conforms to and bears against the upper surface of the circumference of the shower rose stem.

The bridge 12 has a pair of opposed tabs 24 each having a transverse aperture 25. The body 11 at corresponding opposed locations has a pair of recessed clips 26 which can be resiliently depressed. The tabs 24 fit into the recesses and the clips 26 snap-engage into the respective transverse aperture 25 to thereby secure the bridge 12 to the body 11. The bridge can be removed from the body by inserting a pointed object such as the tip of a ball pen through one of the apertures 25 to depress one of the clips 26.

An alternative embodiment is shown in FIG. 3. In this case, rather than simply attaching to a shower rose stem to present a barrier past which a shower caddy can't slide, this version includes a caddy suspender 20 which forms part of a caddy 30 itself. The caddy suspender 20 would typically be metallic and has a horizontal tube 22 being part of the caddy frame or through which a part of the caddy frame passes in a pivotal manner so that the caddy 30 can swing as the angle of the shower rose stem is altered. The suspender 20 has a pair of upwardly projecting screw tabs through which screws pass to secure same to the body 11 of the clamp 10.

Another optional construction is shown in FIGS. 4 to 7. In this case there is a metallic plate suspender 23 screwed to the front face of the bridge 12 and extending past the bottom of the body 11 with a pair of hooks 21. A horizontal top bar of a caddy frame would rest upon these hooks to allow for pivotal movement of the caddy as the shower rose stem is adjusted.

Claims

1. A shower caddy clamp for attachment to a shower rose stem, the clamp including: a body;a bridge attached to or formed integrally with the body for extending partly around the stem in use;a movable shoe attached to the body to bear against the stem substantially opposite the bridge; andan activator attached to the body and adapted to force the moveable shoe into engagement with the stem.

2. The clamp of claim 1 further including a fixed shoe attached to or formed integrally with the bridge to bear against the stem substantially opposite the movable shoe.

3. The clamp of claim 1 wherein the activator includes a turn wheel rotatably mounted to the body and a threaded member extending from the turn wheel.

4. The clamp of claim 3 further including a carriage movable with respect to the body and to which the movable shoe is attached or formed integrally, the carriage including an internal thread with which the threaded member is threaded.

5. The clamp of claim 4 wherein the movable shoe is attached to the carriage in a manner allowing limited relative movement therebetween.

6. The clamp of claim 1 further including a suspender attached to or formed integrally with the body and by which a shower caddy can be suspended from the clamp.

7. The clamp of claim 6 wherein the suspender includes one or more hooks upon which a part of a caddy can rest.

8. In combination with the clamp of claim 7, a shower caddy including one or more racks and a part engaging said one or more hooks and by which the caddy is suspended from the clamp.

9. The clamp of claim 6 wherein the suspender includes a tube forming part of a caddy, or through which a part of a caddy can pass.