US2923013A - Shower bar attachment - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 2, 1960 M. WASSERMAN 2,923,013

SHOWER BAR ATTACHMENT Filed Dec. 18, 1957 2,923,013 SHOWER BAR ATTACHMENT Morris Wasserman, Miami Beach, Fla.

Application December 18, 1957, Serial No. 703,626

Claims. (Cl. 4-154) The present invention relates to rods and/or bars on which shower-curtains are slidably hung, and more particularly to a new and novel shower bar attachment.

In modern bathroom installations the bathtub is usually walled in at the ends and along one side and a shower provided over the faucet end of the tub at such a height as to be above the head of a person standing in the tub. This arrangement necessitates use of a curtain to prevent the shower spray and splashed water from going over the side of the tub and on to the floor. The curtain is removably hung on hooks slidably supported on a bar located above and paralleling the open side of the tub.

This bar, in most instances, is a straight piece of round tubing supported at its ends in suitable sockets secured to opposite walls of the room.

Normally the curtain is drawn to one end of its supporting bar and in this folded condition is draped outside the tub so that the bottom will not become wet when the tub itself is used for bathing. When a person is showering the curtain is lapped inside the tub and drawn the full length, or nearly so, of the bar. It so happens however that the side edge of the curtain seldom makes a sufficiently elfective seal with the wall adjacent to the shower head to prevent water from splashing between it and the wallonto the floor. Consequently the floor not only becomes wet and dangerously slippery but this condition causes inconveniences not the least of which is that of mopping up the water. 7

To prevent water from splashing around the side edge of a shower curtain is the main object of the instant invention.

Another purpose of the invention is to accomplish the aforesaid object by providing a shower bar attachment which allows a portion of the curtain being drawn laterally of the bar and thus provide a pocket with the side edge of the curtain engaging the wall along a line approximately six to eight inches inwardly from the open side of the tub.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shower bar attachment for supporting a laterally turned portion of a shower curtain, in the manner and for the purpose described, and retaining it in such position irrespective of how often and to what extent the remaining part of the curtain is drawn back and forth on the bar.

And, a further object of the invention is the provision of a shower bar attachment which, as an article'of manufacture, is of simple practical and inexpensive construc tion and which, without removing a shower bar from its supports or a curtain from the bar, may be attached to the bar in but a few minutes time and in the do-ityourself manner.

To these and other ends the invention consists of a shower bar attachment as will be fully set forth in the following more detailed description and particularly defined in the appended claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention are as follows:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a shower bar having nited States Patent O 2,923,013 Patented Feb. 2, 1960 Fig. 4 is a side view of the attachment only as viewed from the right of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an end view of the attachment and parts associated therewith as shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 shows in plan view a fragmentary portion of a shower bar with a modified form of the attachment there In the drawings similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

construction may be made as do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claimsf Referring first to Fig. 1, the numeral 7 represents a shower bar which is shown as a straight length of round metal tubing removably supported at its ends in sockets.

8 projecting axially of the bar 7 from plates 9 secured to opposite side walls 10 and 11 of a bathroom, only the plate 9 on wall 10 beingshown. This wall 10 is at the faucet end of a bathtub and theone from which the pipe carrying the usual swivel showerhead projects, no showing of the tub and shower being made as they form no part of the invention. It may be stated however that the bathtub from end to end would extend the full distance between walls 10 and 11 with its inner side in abutment with the wall seen at 12, the inner edge of the opposite side of the tub being substantially in vertical alignment with the shower bar 7. The lower part of the walls 10, 11 and 12 are shown as having a tile facing 13. The shower head would of course be directly over the tub.

A shower curtain 14 of flexible material is provided along its top edge with regularly spaced eyelets 15 for receiving books 16 depending from split rings 17 slidable on the bar 7. v

The shower bar attachment, which constitutes the instant invention is," in the illustrated embodiment thereof, a length of rigid tubing indicated generally by number 18 and preferably about the same in diameter as the shower bar 7. This tubing 18 is formed intermediate its ends with abend 19 to provide two arms 20.and 2 1 lying in the plane of the bend 19 and at'an angle to each other, the included angle between the arms 20 and 21 being not less than and preferably not more thanabout A preferred angle is 110. It should be noted that the angle is measured between arms 20 and I 21 and the angle between bar 7 and arm 20 is equal to 180 less the angle between arms 20 and 21.. V

The arm20 remains tubular but the arm 21 throughout its length is by any suitable forming tool made concavo-convex in cross section so as to conform to the curvature of the bar 7 as shown in Figure 3. The arm 21 extends lengthwise of the bar 7 and is rigidly secured thereto by any suitable means, the fastening means shown in the drawings being two longitudinally spaced self threading screws 22. A clamp or other means could also be used but screws are preferred. A set screw 23 in the socket 8 prevents rotation of the bar 7. Bar 7 is shown as circular in cross section but could also be of other cross-section as square, in which case arm 21 would correspond in cross section.

The curtain 14 is suspended from the bar 7 by the rings 17. At least one and preferably two or more of the rings 17 are placed on the attachment arm 20 for suspending a portion 14a of the curtain 14 which is turned laterally inward with respect to the shower, thus It is to understood that the drawings are for the purpose of" illustration only and that such changes in design and;

forming a; curved pocket .14b.in the curtain shbst antially q insids it w t t e he na n h mem h Water prevented from entering the f ree end: of the,

arm 20 by a plug 24. This plug 24 which may be made of plastic or metal is formed with an outwardly turned ari'nular lfla ge 25; which functions as a stop in preventing rings 11 from sliding off the arm 20., And, these rings arestopped at the opposite end of the arm 29' by its juncture with the bar 7. In; place of the annular flange 25 functioning asa stop for rings 17, a similar result can be obtained by flaring the open end of arm 2,0. to,a substantially' larger diameter than that of arm 'lhus it will be. observed that n o matter how. often or to what extent the curtain is drawn back and forth qn. he hqw r barfhthe tsr l wr d l r 14a will always remain in position to functionln the manner; and

for the purpose set forth, Splashed water will be, caught in the, curtain; pocket 14!; and any that should escape behind the curtain edge 140 will be contained within the tub.

It will of coursebe understood that the attachment l s maiy be made of material other than metal, such as plastic, that it maybe molded instead of. being shaped by forming tools, and that it may be of solid rather than tubular stock and not necessarily round in cross section, h H

In Fig, 6 the arm 20q is at a greater angle. to the shower bar 7 than the corresponding bar 29 of Fig., 2. Inthis. instance the wall 10 engaged by the outer end of arm 20a acts as a stop to prevent rings 17 from slipping off the end of the bar, thus eliminating the need for annular flange 25. While the invention has been shown and described for use with a shower bar associated with a shower located above a bathtub, it will be understood th atit is also adaptable as an attachment to like bars of a shower stall.

1. The combination with a shower bar of means axially thereof for suppor ing an end of said bar on a wall, of a rigid attachment to the bar adjacent said wall, said attachment comprising an intermediate curved portion and two arms in the plane of saidcurved portion and at an angle slightly greater than a right angle to each other, and means for securing one of said arms and said bar togethenin parallel relation.

2. The combinationwith a shower bar connected at its ends to supportingmeans on opposite walls of a shower compartment ofa rigid angular member in the plane of'said bar and formed of first and second arm portions and a bend connecting said portions, the first of said arm portions being attached to a side of said has with said bend in proximity to one of said Walls and such arm portion extending parallel to the bar in a direction from the wall, curtain attaching hooks slidable axially on said bar, and at least one such hook slidable on the second of said arms, and means prevent 4 mg the said hook or hooks on said second arm against sliding therefrom, one such means being a laterally protruding shoulder at the free end of such second arm, and another means being the point of juncture of said angular member with said shower bar.

3. The combination with a shower bar extending from wall to wall of a shower compartment and adapted at either of its ends to support a rigid angular corner member in the plane of said bar, said member comprising first and second" arm portions and having a curved portion connecting said first and second arm portions the first of said arm portions being attached to a side of said bar near one of its ends by means of a clamp with said curved portion in proximity to one of said walls and said first arm portion extending parallel to the bar in a direction extending approximately at right angles to the wall, a shower curtain, curtain attaching hooks slidable axially on said bar and on the first arm portion of the angular member and atleast' one suchhook slidable on to the second portion of said" angular member whereby to. cause a portion of the shower curtain to be slid around the curved portion of said angular corner member in proximity to .the shower compartment wall.

4. An; article of manufacture comprising a rigid angular tubular member adapted to be connected to a shower bar said shower bar being connected at its ends to opposite walls ota shower compartment, said angular member being adapted to be attached to said shower bar and said member being formed. of first and second arm portions and a bend connecting said portions, the first of said arm, portions being attached to a side of said bar with said bendin proximity to one of said walls and such arm portions extending parallel to said bar in a direction from the wall, a shower curtain attached to hooks slidable axially on said bar, and at least one such hook slidable upon the second of said'arms.

5. An article of manufacture comprising a rigid angular tubular corner member adapted to be connected to a shower bar said shower bar being'connected at its ends to support means on opposite walls of a shower compartment, said angular corner member being adapted to be attached to said shower bar and said member being formed of first and second arm portions being connected by a curved portion the first of said arm portions being attached to a side of said bar with said curved portion in proximity mom of said walls, with one of such arm portions extending parallel to the bar in a direction from the Wall, curtain attaching hooks' slidable axially on said bar, at least one such hook slidable from one of said arms to .the other, said angular member being attached to said bar by means of a clamp.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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