ANTI-SWAY SHOWER CADDY
A shower caddy includes a clamp assembly including a first portion configured to be positioned on a pipe, a fastener configured to restrict movement of the first portion with respect to the pipe, and a second portion pivotally coupled to the first portion; and a shelf assembly coupled to the second portion of the clamp assembly.
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This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/763,158, filed Feb. 11, 2013, and titled “Shower Caddy Grip”, which is incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates to shower caddy systems that are generally configured to hold shower and bath accessories.
BACKGROUND INFORMATIONConventional shower caddies that are supported by a pipe connected to a shower head tend to rotate and lose their center of balance when heavy objects are placed in the baskets to either side of a vertical plane extending downward from the pipe. Some models use rubber grips or suction cups to help control the tilting, but if the objects placed in the baskets are sufficiently heavy, in the end, even these designs are likely to tilt.
It would be desirable to have a shower caddy that resists tilting when supporting an uneven load, without the need to couple the lower portion of the shower caddy to a wall.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn a first aspect the invention provides a shower caddy including a clamp assembly including a first portion configured to be positioned on a pipe, a fastener configured to restrict movement of the first portion with respect to the pipe, and a second portion pivotally coupled to the first portion; and a shelf assembly coupled to the second portion of the clamp assembly.
In another aspect the invention provides a clamp assembly configured to be mounted to a pipe. The clamp assembly includes a first portion configured to be positioned on a pipe, a fastener configured to restrict movement of the first portion with respect to the pipe, and a second portion pivotally coupled to the first portion.
These and other aspects of the present invention will be more apparent from the following description.
Referring to the drawings,
In this embodiment, the rod extends along an axis 36 that extends downward from a point that is substantially aligned with the pipe 12. The clamp assembly includes several elements that are more clearly shown in
As shown in
When the shower caddy is mounted to a pipe 12, the pipe extends through the U-shaped member and makes contact with the resilient material. Fastening means, which can include screws 44 and 46, are used to secure the U-shaped member to the pipe. Additional screws, not shown in this view, can be included on the opposite side of the U-shaped member. By including screws on both sided of the U-shaped member, the clamp assembly can be easily centered on the pipe, with a balanced fastening force on each side. In one embodiment, the fastening means comprises rubber tipped Allen screws. However other well known fastening devices such as bolts, screws, clamps, adhesives, etc. can also be used.
The clamp assembly further includes a second member 48 that is structured and arranged to be coupled to the U-shaped member 38. In the embodiment of
The rod can be coupled to the second U-shaped member, for example by welding, or by a fastener 62 that extends through the rod and engages a protrusion, not shown, that extends from the second U-shaped member and into the rod.
As shown most clearly in
Adjustments may be made to the angle from the wall to the basket assembly by the pivotal coupling between the first and second U-shaped members. In the example of
When mounted to a pipe, the first portion is coupled to the pipe in a fixed manner, while the second portion can pivot in a plane substantially perpendicular to a plane of the first portion. The pivot pins can be tightened to fix the orientation of the basket assembly, or the second portion of the clamp assembly can be allowed to hang from the pins, without being rigidly fixed to the pins.
In this embodiment, the wires extend downward from the bottom of the clamp assembly and on opposite sides of an axis 94. The clamp assembly is substantially the same as the clamp assembly shown in
The shower caddy and clamp assembly may be made of any suitable materials, such as metal, plastic, and the like. For example, the components of the clamp and shelf assembly of the caddy may be made of stainless steel or other types of materials that resist corrosion.
In various embodiments, the invention provides an anti-sway shower caddy that resists forward and backward movement with respect to the pipe and also resists side-to-side movement of the shelf assembly.
Whereas particular embodiments of this invention have been described above for purposes of illustration, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that numerous variations of the details of the present invention may be made without departing from the invention as defined in the appended claims.
Claims
1. A shower caddy comprising:
- a clamp assembly including a generally U-shaped first portion configured to be positioned on a pipe, a fastener configured to restrict movement of the first portion with respect to the pipe, and a second generally U-shaped portion having first and second ends, each pivotally coupled to the first portion; and
- a shelf assembly coupled to the second portion of the clamp assembly.
2. The shower caddy of claim 1, further comprising:
- a resilient material positioned along an internal surface of the first portion.
3. The shower caddy of claim 2, wherein:
- the fastener secures the resilient material to the pipe.
4. The shower caddy of claim 2, wherein the resilient material comprises:
- a rubber layer.
5. The shower caddy of claim 1, wherein the first portion further comprises:
- a first pin extending from a end of the first portion and a second pin extending from a second end of the first portion; and
- wherein the second portion includes a first slot configured to receive the first pin and a second slot configured to receive the second pin.
6. The shower caddy of claim 5, wherein the first and second slots are angled upward such that when the clamp assembly is mounted on a pipe, the pins are positioned at an end of the slots.
7. The shower caddy of claim 1, wherein the shelf assembly is coupled to the second generally U-shaped member.
8. The shower caddy of claim 1, wherein the fastener comprises a rubber tipped screw.
9. (canceled)
10. The shower caddy of claim 1, wherein the second portion can pivot in a plane substantially perpendicular to a plane of the first portion.
11. The shower caddy of claim 1, wherein the shelf assembly comprises:
- a rod; and
- a plurality of baskets coupled to the rod.
12. The shower caddy of claim 1, wherein the shelf assembly comprises:
- first and second wires; and
- a plurality of baskets coupled to the first and second wires.
13. A clamp assembly configured to be mounted to a pipe, the clamp assembly comprising:
- a first generally U-shaped portion configured to be positioned on a pipe, a fastener configured to restrict movement of the first portion with respect to the pipe, and a second generally U-shaped portion having first and second ends, each pivotally coupled to the first portion, wherein the second portion can pivot in a plane substantially perpendicular to a plane of the first portion.
14. The clamp assembly of claim 13, further comprising:
- a resilient material positioned along an internal surface of the first portion.
15. The clamp assembly of claim 14, wherein:
- the fastener secures the resilient material to the pipe.
16. The clamp assembly of claim 14, wherein the resilient material comprises:
- a rubber layer.
17. The clamp assembly of claim 13, wherein the first portion further comprises:
- a first pin extending from a first end of the first portion and a second s in extending from a second end of the first portion; and
- wherein the second portion includes a first slot configured to receive the first pin and a second slot configured to receive the second pin.
18. The clamp assembly of claim 17, wherein the first and second slots are angled upward such that when the clamp assembly is mounted on a pipe, the pins are positioned at an end of the slots.
19. The clamp assembly of claim 13, wherein the fastener comprises a rubber tipped screw.
20. (canceled)
Type: Application
Filed: May 10, 2013
Publication Date: Aug 14, 2014
Applicant: Maytex Mills, Inc. (New York, NY)
Inventor: David M. Baines (Bedford, NY)
Application Number: 13/891,299
International Classification: A47K 3/28 (20060101);