Shower curtain incorporating an amplifier and speakers

Abstract

A shower curtain is provided with spaced apart stereo speakers, an amplifier, and a pocket adapted to receive a personal stereo, preferably an iPod or the like. The speakers and the amplifier are contained in a compartment which runs substantially the entire width of the curtain below the curtain hook eyelets. The compartment may be opened to remove the speakers and amplifier so that the curtain can be washed. The amplifier is connected to an eighth-inch stereo mini-plug by a stereo cable which extends out of the compartment and down through a sleeve and into a pocket on the outside of the curtain. The pocket is dimensioned to receive an iPod or similar device. The compartment is preferably provided with fasteners which allow it to be opened and closed. The curtain and compartment are optionally waterproof or water-resistant.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates broadly to a shower accessory. More particularly, this invention relates to an amplifier and speakers removably incorporated in a shower curtain.

2. State of the Art

It is supposed that the idea of music in the shower is almost as old as the idea of a warm shower itself. It is well known that it is common for people to sing in the shower. In modern showers, the combined effects of ceramic tile and water have an interesting, pleasant affect on musical sound waves.

In recent years, it has been possible to obtain a waterproof musical appliance such as a radio, tape player, or even a CD player. These devices are not only waterproof but they are also battery powered, thereby eliminating the possibility of electrical shock from power cords running through water. Typical among these devices is the “shower head radio” described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,879,818. See also the devices described in the patents cited in U.S. Pat. No. 6,879,818.

Most of the shower audio devices are located beneath the shower head and if they even are stereo, the speakers are so close to each other that the stereo effect is lost.

One of the most significant innovations in audio technology was the personal stereo, in particular the Sony Walkman which appeared in the late 1970s and was promptly copied by almost every audio manufacturer throughout the world. More recently, digital technology has replaced the traditional personal stereo with the MP3 Player. The extremely successful Apple iPod is ubiquitous in most major cities of the world and has radically changed the way people acquire and listen to audio. Through the use of many popular accessories, the iPod has become not only a personal stereo, but a car stereo and a home or office stereo.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an apparatus for adapting a personal stereo for use in a shower.

It is another object of the invention to provide an apparatus which creates a quality stereo sound in a shower.

In accord with these objects, which will be discussed in detail below, a shower curtain is provided with spaced apart stereo speakers, an amplifier, and a pocket adapted to receive a personal stereo, preferably an iPod or the like. The speakers and the amplifier are contained in a compartment which runs substantially the entire width of the curtain below the curtain hook eyelets. The compartment is preferably provided with means which allow it to be opened and closed. When opened, the speakers and amplifier may be removed so that the curtain can be washed. The amplifier is connected to an eighth-inch stereo mini-plug by a stereo cable which extends out of the compartment and down through a sleeve located on the inside of the curtain and then into a pocket on the outside of the curtain. The pocket is dimensioned to receive an iPod or similar device. The pocket is optionally transparent on the inside so that the screen of the iPod can be seen. It is also optionally made of a material which will allow the iPod controls to be operated from inside the shower.

It will be appreciated that when the shower curtain is extended so as to close a tub area, the speakers are spaced sufficiently apart to achieve a true stereo effect.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the detailed description taken in conjunction with the provided figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the outside of a shower curtain according to the invention showing the location of the pocket;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the inside of a shower curtain according to the invention with the speaker and amplifier compartment opened; and

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the inside of a shower curtain according to the invention with the speaker and amplifier compartment closed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Turning now to the Figures generally, a shower curtain 10 according to the invention has an upper edge 12, a lower edge 14, two side edges 16 and 18, inside surface 20, and an outside surface 22. The outside and/or inside surfaces are often provided with designs and graphics (not shown). The edges are generally straight, although they need not be. A plurality of eyelets 24 are arranged just below (i.e., adjacent) the upper edge 12 in a reinforcement area of the shower curtain. These eyelets are designed to receive means (e.g., hooks or loops) which couple the curtain to a shower rod. A rectangular flap of material 26 extends down below the eyelets and runs substantially the entire width of the inside of the curtain. The flap is preferably sewn to the curtain at the reinforced area and below the eyelets, although it may be otherwise attached. The flap 26 is preferably provided with three pairs of fasteners 28 and 30, 32 and 34, and 36 and 38; preferably Velcro hooks and loops respectively.

It will be appreciated that the fasteners permit the flap 26 to form a substantially closed compartment 27 which can be opened. FIG. 3 shows the compartment closed with the fasteners mating. FIG. 2 shows the flap opened such that there is effectively no (i.e., an opened) compartment. According to the invention, a first loudspeaker 40 is located at one end of the compartment and a second loudspeaker 42 and amplifier 44 with batteries 45 are located at the other end of the compartment. The speakers and the amplifier are preferably held in place on the flap 26 by additional Velcro fasteners 46, 48 which are fixed to the flap (with mating Velcro fasteners (not shown) fixed to the speakers and amplifiers). The speakers are preferably arranged so that when fixed to the flap with the flap in a closed position, the speaker openings (not shown) face inside the shower. The battery-powered amplifier is electrically connected to speaker 40 by wire(s) 50 and is electrically connected to speaker 42 by wire(s) 52 which are all located within the compartment 27 when the flap 26 is closed. In addition, the amplifier is electrically connected to an eighth-inch stereo mini-plug 54 (shown in phantom in FIG. 2) by wires 56 which extend through a sleeve 58 formed along the edge 18 of the curtain and through a small hole 60 from the inside 20 of the curtain to the outside 22 of the curtain. A pocket 62 is formed on the outside 22 of the curtain in the vicinity of the hole 60.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that a personal stereo placed in the pocket 62 outside the shower can be connected to the amplifier 44 by plugging the mini-plug 54 into the earphone jack of the stereo. Activation of the stereo and the amplifier will result in audio being produced by the loudspeakers inside the shower protected by the flap compartment.

Preferred aspects of the invention include a shower curtain of approximately 72 inches by 72 inches and a location of the pocket approximately 30 inches from the top edge and 4 inches from the side edge. The shower curtain may be made of a non-waterproof or non-water-resistant material, in which case a shower liner is preferably utilized in conjunction with the shower curtain. Alternatively, the shower curtain may be made of waterproof or water resistant material (e.g., a polyester, nylon, or other fabric), or other material treated with an agent to make it waterproof or water resistant. The amplifier and speakers are preferably of a water-resistant or waterproof design, and are also preferably slim (e.g., one inch thick or less) and relatively small (e.g., three inch square or smaller), although thicker and larger speakers and amplifier may be utilized if desired. The portion of the inside surface of the curtain which faces the pocket 62 is optionally replaced with clear plastic which allows the stereo controls to be seen and/or operated.

There have been described and illustrated herein embodiments of a shower curtain incorporating an amplifier and speakers. While particular embodiments of the invention have been described, it is not intended that the invention be limited thereto, as it is intended that the invention be as broad in scope as the art will allow and that the specification be read likewise. Thus, while a shower curtain has been disclosed, it will be appreciated that the concept of mounting speakers inside some other type of curtain is within the breadth of this disclosure. In addition, while a flap which is sewn into the shower curtain has been described, it will be appreciated that the compartment can be a totally separate unit which can be mounted or mated to fasteners which are provided on the shower curtain. Thus, for example, the shower curtain can be provided with snap halves, and the compartment can be provided with mating snap halves. Or, the shower curtain can be provided with buttons and the compartment with button holes, or each may be provided with zipper parts. As another alternative, the compartment may be sewn, glued, or formed as an integral part of the shower curtain and a zipper may be provided to gain access to the compartment for removing the speakers, amplifier, and wires. While it is preferred that the compartment be closed on all sides, it will be appreciated that the compartment may be open on one or more sides. Thus, for example, one or both ends of the compartments may be open or partially open so that the speakers and amplifier may be removed. Also, while it is preferred to have a single rectangular compartment, it will be appreciated that the compartment may take different shapes and that more than one compartment may be utilized. Thus, for example, one speaker can be located in a first partially or totally enclosed compartment, another speaker can be located in a second partially or totally enclosed compartment, the amplifier can be located in the first, second, or a third partially or totally enclosed compartment, and the wires connecting the speakers and the amplifier may be sent through other compartments or tubes. Further, while a shower curtain of a certain size (72 by 72 inches) has been disclosed it will be appreciated that the shower curtain could be smaller or longer in length or height, although it will typically have at least dimension of at least 60 inches. It will therefore be appreciated by those skilled in the art that yet other modifications could be made to the provided invention without deviating from its spirit and scope as claimed.

Claims

1. A curtain, comprising:

a sheet of generally rectangular material having an upper edge, a lower edge, and two side edges;

a compartment formed on one side of the sheet; and

at least one speaker located inside the compartment.

2. A curtain according to claim 1, further comprising:

a pocket formed on the other side of the sheet; and

a wire extending out of the pocket to the compartment and coupled to the speaker.

3. A curtain according to claim 2, further comprising:

an amplifier coupled to said wire and the speaker.

4. A curtain according to claim 3, further comprising:

a mini-plug coupled to said wire and residing in the pocket.

5. A curtain according to claim 4, wherein:

said curtain is waterproof or water-resistant.

6. A curtain according to claim 5, wherein:

a plurality of eyelets are formed adjacent said upper edge, said eyelets being adapted to receive means for hanging the curtain from a rod.

7. A curtain according to claim 1, wherein:

said compartment comprises a piece of material attached to said sheet and having fastening means for fastening said piece of material to itself.

8. A curtain according to claim 7, wherein:

said fastening means comprises at least one of snaps, hooks and loops, buttons, and a zipper.

9. A curtain according to claim 7, wherein:

said fastening means permit said compartment to be totally enclosed.

10. A curtain according to claim 1, wherein:

said speaker and said compartment each include means for releasably fixing said speaker in said compartment.

11. A curtain according to claim 1, wherein:

said compartment is removably attached to said sheet.

12. A shower curtain, comprising:

a generally rectangular sheet of material having an upper edge, a lower edge, and two side edges, at least one edge having a dimension of at least 60 inches;

at least one compartment formed on one side of the sheet; and

two spaced apart speakers located inside the at least one compartment.

13. A shower curtain according to claim 12, further comprising:

a pocket formed on the other side of the sheet; and

a wire extending out of the pocket to the compartment and coupled to the speakers.

14. A shower curtain according to claim 13, further comprising:

an amplifier coupled to said wire and the speakers.

15. A shower curtain according to claim 14, further comprising:

a stereo mini-plug coupled to said wire and residing in the pocket.

16. A shower curtain according to claim 12, wherein:

a plurality of eyelets are formed adjacent the upper edge, said eyelets being adapted to receive means for hanging the curtain from a rod.

17. A shower curtain according to claim 12, wherein:

said compartment comprises a piece of material attached to said sheet and having fastening means for fastening said piece of material to itself.

18. A curtain according to claim 17, wherein:

said fastening means comprises at least one of snaps, hooks and loops, buttons, and a zipper.

19. A shower curtain according to claim 17, wherein:

said fastening means permit said compartment to be totally enclosed.

20. A curtain according to claim 12, wherein:

said speakers and said at least one compartment each include means for releasably fixing said speaker in said at least one compartment.

21. A curtain according to claim 12, wherein:

said at least one compartment is removably attached to said sheet.