Shower curtain hanger device

Abstract

A hanger device adapted for mounting over an elongated rod member to suspend and hang a sheet of material therefrom, the hanger device comprising: (a) a body potion of a springable resilient material having a generally circular configuration and having an open portion sufficient in size to encircle a portion of the rod member when the hanger is coupled over the rod member and wherein the body portion has a first end, a top circular portion and a second end; (b) an ornamental decorative body has an ornamental exterior and the back has a recessed area where the second end of the body portion is fitted; whereby the first end of the body portion of the hanger is passed through an opening in the sheet material and the hanger device is positioned onto the rod member allowing the sheet material to be held in place and drape from the rod member.

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION

The invention relates to a hanger device in particular a hanger device for a shower curtain for a shower enclosure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In a typical bathroom having a bathtub shower, the bathtub shower is enclosed with three walls with the fourth side being open to allow for entering and exiting the bathtub shower. A shower nozzle is placed above the tub on one side of the enclosure. Typically, a shower curtain is hung on a rod over the open side to prevent water from splashing into the bathroom while the shower is in use.

A wide variety of hanger devices have been used to hang the shower curtain on the rod and each of these devices has its own problems. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,308,637, 4,750,243 and 5,367,742 show shower curtain hangers having different closing mechanisms which are not decorative and can be difficult to open once snapped in place to hold the shower curtain.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,339,884 and 7,296,609 show other hanging devices for shower curtains. U.S. 2007/0277355 shows a decorative hanger device which is not simple to install since it requires the attachment of a second decorative element.

There is a need for a simple decorative hanging device that can be easily attached to a shower curtain and installed on a shower curtain rod as provided herein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A hanger device adapted to be mounted over an elongated rod member and adapted to suspend and hang a sheet of material from the rod member, the hanger device comprising:

(a) a body potion of a springable resilient material having a generally circular configuration and having an open portion where the open portion is smaller than the diameter of the rod member to fit onto the rod member and having an inside diameter sufficient in size to encircle a portion of the rod member when the hanger is coupled over the rod member when the rod member is suspended in a horizontal position and wherein the body portion having a first end, a top circular portion and a second end;

(b) an ornamental decorative body having a front and back; wherein the front has an ornamental exterior and the back has a recessed area wherein the second end of the body portion being fitted into and attached to the recessed area of the decorative body;

whereby the first end of the body portion of the hanger is passed through an opening in the sheet material and held on the body portion of the hanger device by the ornamental decorative body and whereby the hanger device is positioned onto the rod member thereby allowing the sheet material to be held in place and drape from the rod member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the hanger device.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the hanger device.

FIG. 3 is side view of the hanger device.

FIG. 4 is a cross section view of the hanger device taken along section A-A′ of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the hanger device being position on a hanger rod.

FIG. 6 is a partial front perspective view of the hanger device positioned on a rod holding a shower curtain.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The hanger device has the advantage that it can be easily threaded or passed through an opening in a shower curtain and clipped onto a horizontally suspended shower curtain rod. Typically, the hanger device is passed through the opening in the shower curtain and clipped onto the shower curtain rod and then the second, third and the like hanger devices are each added and each hung on the shower curtain rod as above until the curtain is completely hung. The shower curtain hangs over the a bathtub or shower area to form a shower enclosure.

The body portion of the hanger device preferably is made of a spring steel metal rod of a material, such as stainless steel, chrome coated steel, steel/brass/chrome, and the like. The hanger device can also be made of a rigid polymeric material but having spring like properties, such as including but are not limited to, polypropylene, high density polyethylene, polyolefin plastomers, enhanced polyethylene, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers, ionomers, polyamides, such as nylon 6,6, nylon 6, nylon 12 and the like; polyesters, such as, poly(ethylene terephthalate), ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH), and poly(vinylidene chloride) (PVDC).

The ornamental decorative body of the hanger device preferably is a thermoplastic or thermosetting plastic material. An ornamental or decorative design can be impressed or molded into outer surface of the decorative body. Any of the aforementioned polymeric materials can be used to form the decorative body.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the hanger device. The hanger device 1 comprises the body portion 2 that is attached to the ornamental decorative body 3. The outer surface of the ornamental decorative body 3 can have an ornamental design impressed or molded into its surface or the surface can be plain.

FIG. 2 shows a top view of the hanger device 1 having the body portion 2 attached to the ornamental decorative body 3. A cross section view along A-A′ is shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 3 shows a side view of the hanger device 1. The body portion 2 has a generally circular configuration with an opening portion. The inside diameter 5 of the circular configuration of the body portion 2 is sufficient in size to encircle the rod member that holds the shower curtain as shown in FIG. 5. The opening 4 in the body portion 2 is smaller than the diameter of the rod member thereby when the body portion 2 of the hanger device 1 is coupled or snapped in place on the rod member the hanger device 1 will remain in place holding the shower curtain as shown in FIG. 6. The body portion 2 has a first end 2A, a top circular portion 2B and a second end 2C. The second end 2C of the body portion 2 is fit into the circular protruding area 6 positioned on the back side of the decorative body 3. The protruding area 6 can be threaded or the second end 2C of the body portion 2 can be force fitted or glued into the protruding area 6.

FIG. 4 is a cross section view of the hanger device 1 taken along A-A′ of FIG. 2. The body portion 2 of the hanger device 1 is inserted into the protruding area 6 attached to the back side of the ornamental decorative body 3.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the hanger device 1 being positioned over a hanger rod 7 shown as a cross section. As shown in FIG. 3, the opening in the body portion 2 of the hanger device 1 is smaller that the diameter of the rod 7 and the inside diameter of the of the circular section of the body portion 2 of the hanger device 1 is essentially that of the exterior diameter of the rod 7 such that the hanger device can be coupled over the rod 7 and held thereon. The body portion 2 of the hanger device 1 is positioned in the protruding area 6 of the ornamental decorative body 3.

FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view of four of the hanger devices 1 being positioned on rod 7 holding shower curtain 8. The first end of the body portion of the hanger device is passed through the opening 9 of the shower curtain 8 and then the hanger device 1 is position on the rod 7. The ornamental decorative body 3 holds the shower curtain 8 in place on the rod 7.

The above is directed to preferred embodiments of the invention. The follow claims determine the full scope of the invention

Claims

1. A hanger device adapted to be mounted over an elongated rod member and adapted to suspend and hang a sheet of material from the rod member, the hanger device comprising:

(a) a body potion of a springable resilient material having a generally circular configuration and having an open portion where the open portion is smaller than the diameter of the rod member to fit onto the rod member and having an inside diameter sufficient in size to encircle a portion of the rod member when the hanger is coupled over the rod member when the rod member is suspended in a horizontal position and wherein the body portion having a first end, a top circular portion and a second end;

(b) an ornamental decorative body having a front and back; wherein the front has an ornamental exterior and the back has a recessed area wherein the second end of the body portion being fitted into and attached to the recessed area of the decorative body;

whereby the first end of the body portion of the hanger is passed through an opening in the sheet material and held on the body portion of the hanger device by the ornamental decorative body and whereby the hanger device is positioned onto the rod member thereby allowing the sheet material to be held in place and drape from the rod member.

2. The hanger device of claim 1 wherein the body portion the hanger device is spring steel.

3. The hanger device of claim 2 wherein the decorative body is a plastic material.

4. The hanger device of claim 3 wherein the decorative body is in the shape of a block having a decorative front and back.

5. The hanger device of claim 4 wherein the back of the decorative block comprises a circular protruding area into which the second end of the body portion is fitted.

6. The hanger device of claim 5 wherein the back of the decorative block comprises a threaded circular protruding area and the second end of the body is threaded and the decorative block is screwed into place on the second end of the body portion.

7. An assembly comprising a multiplicity of the hanger devices of claim 1 firmly positioned on an elongated rod member having each of the hanger devices passed through an individual opening in a sheet material and the sheet material being held in place by the ornamental body of the hanger device thereby holding the sheet material in place on the rod member and allowing the sheet material to drape from the rod member.

8. The assembly of claim 7 wherein sheet material comprises a shower curtain.

9. The assembly of claim 8 enclosing a bathtub thereby forming a shower area.