Shower caddy attachment
A shower caddy attachment device has a hanging member that has an upper semicircular edge that hangs from a shower pipe above a shower head. A top stopper having a grip surface and a stopping face is disposed to face the hanging member. The bottom clamp pivots in connection with a pivot location on the hanging member so that it locks with location on the hanging member. The bottom clamp is preferably made as a half pipe. The shower caddy attachment device loop is preferably a flat structure. A flat portion on the top stopper defines an area between the shower head and the wall. The flat portion with the optional ridge portion provides a space between the wall and the shower head.
this invention relates to the field of mechanical connections in shower caddy apparatus.
DISCUSSION OF RELATED ARTThe Shower caddy is a ubiquitous household fixture that typically has a hook or loop mounted over a protruding showerhead from a water pipe. The loop or hook typically hangs on a relatively horizontal portion of the water pipe. The shower caddy thus has a connection to the water pipe at an upper and at a lower and has storage for a variety of articles such as soap, shampoo or miscellaneous toiletries. The shower caddy can be replaced with a wide variety of similar methods and devices such as storing soap and shampoo on the shower floor, or by using a waterproof shelf for storing the soap and shampoo. To date, the waterproof shower caddy has been the most cost-effective and simple structure to keep soap, shampoo and miscellaneous toiletries off the ground where a user may slip on them.
The shower caddy has the drawback of slipping from the hang connection to a horizontal portion of a water pipe. The horizontal portion of a water pipe typically slopes downward and forms a 30° or 60° elbow at an elbow area. The horizontal portion of the water pipe is also sometimes not exactly horizontal which may have some incline. The slight incline may urge or bias the hang connection of the shower caddy away from its preferred connection area. The shower caddy has traditionally been made of plastic or stainless steel. Being preferably light weight, the shower caddy is often loaded with heavier articles on one side such as the right or left side, and sometimes on the front or back side which causes with the caddy to dislodge from its preferred hanging position. The shower head pipe also comes in various sizes which makes universal sizing of a shower caddy hook or loop difficult.
Also, a shower caddy should have adjustable forward and rear position so that a flat shelf or wire shelf for holding soap can be oriented to allow secure placement of soap on the shower caddy. Placement of other articles such as shampoo bottles can also be improved when the shower caddy has adjustable position. Placement of articles such as shampoo bottles can also be improved when the shower caddy has improved stability.
The same callout numbers are used consistently in all figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTAs seen in
The loop or hook is a hanging member that hangs from the shower head pipe 18. The showerhead 16 is typically below the pipe 18. The shower caddy attachment device 100 has a lower clamp 30 that is pivotally connected to the hook 40 or loop 40. A user assembles the device 100 first by taking the top stopper 20 and adhering the top stopper to the top of the shower pipe 18. The loop or hook 40 fits over the top stopper 20 and the lower clamp 30 swivels to secure to the bottom of the shower pipe 18.
As seen in
As shown in
A wide variety of plastic connection means can connect the lower clamp connection area 31 to hanging the medium loop closure 46, or any of the other loop closures on the hanging member 40. For example, the plastic connection means can include a plug, a screw, a hook, a snap together piece, or button connection. The plastic connection means allows the bottom clamp to connect with the hanging member to form a circular or roughly circular cross-section attachment to a shower pipe. The circular attachment conforms with a circular cross-section of an outer diameter of a shower pipe.
The lower clamp is preferably formed as a half pipe having a cross-section defined by left and right edge in radial orientation to a top semicircular edge and a bottom semicircular edge. The upper portion of the lower clamp at the top semicircular edge has a smaller radius than the lower portion of the lower clamp at the bottom semicircular edge. The cross-section of the lower clamp preferably extends to an elbow of the shower pipe 18 contacting the inside elbow of the shower pipe 18. The lower clamp is preferably made of a plastic material. A wide variety of plastic swivel joints are widely known and can be used for constructing the swivel joint on swivel axis 32.
Although the drawings show that the swivel axis 32 is formed as a long hollow passage through the entire length of the lower clamp, it is also possible to make the swivel axis 32 as a hollow passage passing through only a portion of the lower clamp. Although the drawings shows that the lower clamp connection is a hollow opening passing through the entire length of the lower clamp, it is also possible to make the connection area 31 so that it is formed as a hollow passage passing through only a portion of the lower clamp.
As shown in
The flat portion 24 is between the shower head 16 and the wall 17. The flat portion 24 with the optional ridge portion 22 provides a space between the wall and the shower head 16. The flat portion 24 can also be positionally reversed with the ridge portion 22 so that the ridge portion 22 is behind the flat portion 24. In any case, an adjustment distance is defined between the tail end of the top stopper 20 and the stopping face 25. The distance provides an area where a user may adjust the shower caddy hanging position either forward toward the shower head 16 or backward toward the wall 17. The shower caddy hanging position should not move when it is set. The thickness of the loop 40 is preferably relatively thin to fit on the small ridges on the ridge portion 22.
In an second embodiment of the present invention, the lower clamp is formed as a flat planar member defined by a left edge, a right edge between a top semicircular edge and a bottom semicircular edge. The alternate embodiment lower clamp has the same thickness as the loop portion 40 that fits over the shower head pipe 18. In a third embodiment of the present invention, the lower clamp is missing and only the top stopper 20 that fits over the top of the shower head pipe 18 retains the loop portion 40 of the shower caddy.
The foregoing describes the preferred embodiments of the invention. Modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.
Claims
1. A shower caddy attachment device for attachment to a shower head pipe comprising:
- a. a hanging member having an upper semicircular edge adapted to hang from a shower pipe;
- b. a top stopper having a grip surface and a stopping face disposed to face the hanging member, wherein the hanging member hangs on the top stopper behind the stopping face;
- c. a bottom clamp in pivotal connection to a pivot location on the hanging member at a first end and fixable to a connection location on the hanging member at a second end.
2. The shower caddy attachment device of claim 1, wherein the hanging member is flat.
3. The shower caddy attachment device of claim 2, wherein the top stopper has ridges.
4. The shower caddy attachment device of claim 3, wherein the top stopper has a bottom portion that is fitted with double-sided tape.
5. The shower caddy attachment device of claim 4, wherein the top stopper is made of an elastomeric material.
6. The shower caddy attachment device of claim 1, wherein the top stopper is made of an elastomeric material.
7. The shower caddy attachment device of claim 1, wherein the top stopper has a bottom portion that is fitted with double-sided tape.
8. The shower caddy attachment device of claim 1, wherein the top stopper has an adjustment distance defined between a tail end of the top stopper and the stopping face of the top stopper.
9. The shower caddy attachment device of claim 1, wherein the top stopper has ridges.
10. The shower caddy attachment device of claim 9, wherein the top stopper has an adjustment distance defined between a tail end of the top stopper and the stopping face of the top stopper.
11. The shower caddy attachment device of claim 1, wherein the bottom clamp is formed as a half pipe.
12. The shower caddy attachment device of claim 11, wherein the bottom clamp is formed as a half pipe that is connected to the hanging member with a plug passing through the hanging member and snuggly fitting into a plug aperture formed on the hanging member.
13. The shower caddy attachment device of claim 1, wherein the bottom clamp is formed as a half pipe that is connected to the hanging member with a plug passing through the hanging member and snuggly fitting into a plug aperture formed on the hanging member.
14. The shower caddy attachment device of claim 1, wherein the bottom clamp connects with the hanging member to form a circular attachment to a shower pipe.
15. The shower caddy attachment device of claim 14, wherein the bottom clamp is formed as a half pipe that is connected to the hanging member with a plug passing through the hanging member and snuggly fitting into a plug aperture formed on the hanging member.
16. The shower caddy attachment device of claim 15, wherein the hanging member is flat.
17. The shower caddy attachment device of claim 16, wherein the top stopper has ridges.
18. The shower caddy attachment device of claim 17, wherein the top stopper has a bottom portion that is fitted with double-sided tape.
19. The shower caddy attachment device of claim 18, wherein the top stopper is made of an elastomeric material.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 14, 2007
Publication Date: Sep 18, 2008
Inventor: Lobo Chang (West Covina, CA)
Application Number: 11/724,098
International Classification: A47F 5/08 (20060101); A47G 29/087 (20060101); A47H 1/10 (20060101);