AU2010257284A1 - A Towel Rail - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a shower assembly. The shower assembly includes a pair of hot water supply pipes in a wall that each terminate in a threaded terminus. A pair of hose assemblies are coupled to respective termini. The shower assembly also includes a towel rail including a bent tube defining a series water path. The towel rail can be coupled to the hose assemblies. Preferably, the tube is winding or serpentine in shape

Description

AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT A TOWEL RAIL The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to me: A TOWEL RAIL TECHNICAL FIELD 5 The present invention generally relates to a towel rail. BACKGROUND The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be 10 taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that the prior art forms part of the common general knowledge. A towel rail is a rail, or system of rails, in a bathroom on which towels are hung to dry. In winter, hung towels take longer to dry and can be wet or cold 15 when the towel is required for drying. Electric heated towel rails are known to address this problem, but can be undesirably expensive to run and invariably the user forgets to activate these towel rails prior to entering the shower. It is an object of the resent invention to provide an alternative towel rail. 20 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a towel rail including a bent tube defining a series water path. 25 Advantageously, the towel rail may be placed in series with the hot water supply of a bath or shower and is automatically heated when running the hot water tap. 30 The tube may be winding or serpentine in shape. The tube may define inwardly turned ends defining an inlet and an outlet. The ends may be threaded to facilitate attachment to a connector.

2 The tube may include a quartet of parallel portions which are horizontal in use, and over which a towel can be hung. The tube may include a triplet of curved portions each interconnecting a pair of adjacent parallel portions. 5 According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a towel rail assembly including: the towel rail; and one or more mounting bracket arrangements for mounting the towel rail to a wall. 10 The towel rail assembly may include a pair of like mounting bracket arrangements. Each mounting bracket arrangement may define a passage for receiving the towel rail. Each mounting bracket arrangement may include two bent sheet-like bodies each defining a recess and which can form the 15 passage upon fastening of the bodies together. The towel rail assembly may further include a pair of hose assemblies, each hose assembly including a hose and a threaded connector for connecting the hose in fluid communication with the towel rail. Each hose assembly may 20 further include another threaded connector for connecting the hose in fluid communication with a water pipe. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a shower assembly including: 25 a pair of hot water supply pipes in a wall and each terminating in a threaded terminus; the pair of hose assemblies for coupling to respective termini; and the towel rail for coupling to the hose assemblies. 30 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Preferred features, embodiments and variations of the invention may be discerned from the following Detailed Description which provides sufficient information for those skilled in the art to perform the invention. The Detailed 3 Description is not to be regarded as limiting the scope of the preceding Summary of the Invention in any way. The Detailed Description will make reference to a number of drawings as follows: 5 Figure 1 is a perspective view of a partial towel rail assembly including a towel rail in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 2 is a perspective view of a mounting bracket arrangement of the towel rail assembly of Figure 1. 10 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a towel rail 2 as can be seen in Figure 1. The towel rail 2 is in the form of a bent 15 tube defining a series water path that can be connected in fluid communication with the hot water supply of a bath or shower. The towel rail 2 is automatically heated when running the hot water tap during the shower or bath. A detailed description of the towel rail is described in detail below. 20 The towel rail 2 is simply formed by bending a straight stainless steel tube to be winding or serpentine in shape. The tube defines inwardly turned ends 4a, 4b defining a hot water inlet and a hot water outlet. The two ends 4a, 4b are threaded to facilitate attachment to a water connector. 25 The tube further includes a quartet of parallel portions 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d which are horizontal in use, and over which a towel can be hung. The tube may include a triplet of curved portions 8a, 8b, 8c each interconnecting a pair of adjacent parallel portions 6. 30 Figure 1 shows a towel rail assembly 10 including the towel rail 6. The towel rail assembly 10 also includes a pair of like mounting bracket arrangements 12 shown in Figure 2 and which mount the towel rail 2 to a bathroom wall.

4 Each mounting bracket arrangement 12 defines a round passage for receiving an outer straight portion 6 of the towel rail 2. Each mounting bracket arrangement 12 includes two bent bodies 14a, 14b formed from sheet steel. Each body 14 defines a recess 16 and the passage is formed upon fastening 5 the bodies 14a, 14b together with grub screws through holes 15. The main body 14a can be screwed or glued to the wall. Returning to Figure 1, the towel rail assembly further includes a pair of hose assemblies 18a, 18b. Each hose assembly 18 includes a flexible hose 20 and 10 a threaded connector 22 for connecting the hose in fluid communication with the end of the towel rail 2. Each hose assembly 18 further includes another threaded connector 24 for connecting the hose in fluid communication with a hot water pipe embedded in the wall. 15 According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a shower assembly. The shower assembly includes a pair of hot water supply pipes in a wall. Each hot water pipe terminates in a threaded terminus, prior to the water mixer which mixes cold and hot water. The pair of hose assemblies 18a, 18b is coupled to respective termini. The towel rail 2 is also coupled to 20 the hose assemblies 18a, 18b as previously mentioned. In use, the bather turns on the hot tap and the hot water serially flows from a first hot water supply pipe, through hose assembly 18a, through towel rail 2, through hose assembly 18b, through a second hot water supply pipe, through 25 the water mixer and then out through the shower head. The towel rail 2 is reliable and requires minimal maintenance. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that many embodiments and 30 variations can be made without departing from the ambit of the present invention. For example, in one embodiment, each flexible hose 20 may be replaced by a rigid pipe.

5 The towel rail 2 can have varying numbers of parallel portions 6 and curved portions 8. For example, another embodiment of the present invention may have five parallel portions 6 and four curved portions 8. 5 In compliance with the statute, the invention has been described in language more or less specific to structural or methodical features. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to specific features shown or described since the means herein described comprises preferred forms of 10 putting the invention into effect. The invention is, therefore, claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the proper scope of the appended claims appropriately interpreted by those skilled in the art.

Claims (15)

1. A towel rail including a bent tube defining a series water path.

2. A towel rail as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tube is winding or serpentine in shape.

3. A towel rail as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the tube defines inwardly turned ends defining an inlet and an outlet.

4. A towel rail as claimed in claim 3, wherein the ends are threaded to facilitate attachment to a connector.

5. A towel rail as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tube includes a quartet of parallel portions which are horizontal in use, and over which a towel can be hung.

6. A towel rail as claimed in claim 5, wherein the tube includes a triplet of curved portions each interconnecting a pair of adjacent parallel portions.

7. A towel rail assembly including: a towel rail as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6; and one or more mounting bracket arrangements for mounting the towel rail to a wall.

8. A towel rail assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein said mounting bracket arrangements include a pair of like mounting bracket arrangements.

9. A towel rail assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein each mounting bracket arrangement defines a passage for receiving the towel rail.

10. A towel rail assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein each mounting bracket arrangement includes two bent sheet-like bodies each defining a 7 recess and which can form the passage upon fastening of the bodies together.

11. A towel rail assembly as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 10, further including a pair of hose assemblies, each hose assembly including a hose and a threaded connector for connecting the hose in fluid communication with the towel rail.

12. A towel rail assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein each hose assembly further includes another threaded connector for connecting the hose in fluid communication with a water pipe.

13. A shower assembly including: a pair of hot water supply pipes in a wall and each terminating in a threaded terminus; a pair of hose assemblies for coupling to respective termini; and a towel rail as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 and for coupling to the hose assemblies.

14. A shower assembly as claimed in claim 13, wherein each hose assembly includes a hose and a threaded connector for connecting the hose in fluid communication with the towel rail.

15. A shower assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein each hose assembly further includes another threaded connector for connecting the hose in fluid communication with a water pipe. Dated this 17 th day of December 2010 BRIAN ARTHUR PETER IRELAND AND DARRYN WHELAN by my attorneys Cullens Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys