Shower rod mount

Abstract

A shower rod mount specifically designed for curved shower rods that is a one-piece integral unit that has a protruding shaft that mates with the shower rod that is attached to a base. The base is for mounting on the wall to receive the shower rod with the protruding shaft. The base has a convex shape so that it can rock against the wall to accommodate different angles of approach of the shower rod and contain a sufficient amount of give. A sleeve fits over the base that can receive decorative covers to suit the design desires of the user.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to the field of shower rod mounts and particularly toward a shower rod mount designed to receive curved shower rods.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Standard shower rods are usually a tubular rod that is straight and that mounts directly on the walls surrounding the bathtub. Most bathtubs are either five feet or six feet long and the distance between the walls consistent with the length of the bathtub. When a straight shower rod is installed, there is no problem with give on the mounts that mount to the wall and that receive the rod because the mount are mounted straight to the wall and do not have to accommodate the rod meeting the mount at an angle.

Recently curved shower rods have been used in place of straight shower rods. The curved shower rods, while offering a unique look, also have the practical effect of creating more space in the shower because the curtain bows out beyond the area of the tub that is enclosed when using a straight shower rod.

Because the shower rod is curved, the mount will need to have some angular give against the wall so that it can receive the curved shower rod at the angle it approaches the wall. Prior art has included such mounts as those described in U.S. Pat. No. D552,455. Such a mount includes a flat base that is mounted directly against the wall. Then a second, moving part is attached to the flat base that is able to pivot at an angle to accommodate the angle of the shower rod.

Because the prior art involves the use of a two piece system and a moving part, there is an increased risk of malfunction and the two piece system is more cumbersome and expensive to produce than a mount that is one integral piece.

Accordingly there is a need for a shower rod mount that can accommodate a shower rod mount of any size bath tub and that is one integral piece. Furthermore, it should have no moving parts and should have an inherent flexibility to allow for variations in curvature when mounting in any environment, meaning mounting around a bathtub that is any one of a variety of sizes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The preferred embodiment of the present invention teaches an integral one-piece shower rod mount designed for a curved shower rod comprising a base portion having a first side, a second side, a top portion and a bottom portion. The bottom portion has a convex shape and is to be mounted to a wall at an angle in order to receive a curved shower rod. Attached to the base portion is a shaft portion integrally affixed to the base portion at an angle in order to receive the curved shower rod.

The above embodiment can be further modified by defining that the base portion further includes one or more apertures for the placement therein of mounting screws.

The above embodiment can be further modified by defining that the base further includes one or more recesses on the first end and on the second end, that mate with a protrusion found on a cover that covers the base.

A second embodiment of the instant invention is a method of mounting a curved shower rod comprising the steps of: determining the location on a first wall at which the curved shower rod will meet the first wall; determining the location on a second wall at which the curved shower rod will meet the second wall; mounting an integral one-piece shower rod mount on each wall. The integral one-piece shower rod mount further comprises a base portion having a first side, a second side, a top portion and a bottom portion. The bottom portion has a convex shape, and is in order to be mounted to a wall at an angle in order to receive the curved shower rod. Attached to the base portion is a shaft portion integrally affixed to the base portion at an angle to receive the curved shower rod; and attaching the shower rod to each of the shower round mounts mounted on each wall.

The above embodiment can be further modified by defining that the base portion further includes one or more apertures for the placement therein of mounting screws.

The above embodiment can be further modified by defining that the base further includes one or more recesses on the first end and on the second end that mate with a protrusion found on a cover that covers the base.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

This invention can better be understood by reference to the drawings, provided for exemplary purposes, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of how a curved shower rod would mount to walls with two different size bathtubs.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the curved shower rod mount of the instant invention.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the curved shower rod mount of the instant invention.

FIG. 4A is a side view of the cover that rests over the curved shower rod mount of the instant invention.

FIG. 4B is a side close up view of the base of the shower rod mount of the instant invention with a mounting screw attached to the base.

FIG. 5 is a side view that includes the views seen in FIGS. 4A and 4B but with the cover attached to the shower rod mount.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the standard cover that attaches to the shower rod mount.

FIG. 7 is a decorative square cover that attaches over the standard cover that attaches to the shower rod mount.

FIG. 8 is a decorative round cover that attaches over the standard cover that attaches to the shower rod mount.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The instant invention describes an adjustable shower rod mount that is one integral piece and that curves to slight angles to accommodate differing mounting angles of shower rods as a result of the use of a curved shower rod on a variety of different sized bath tubs.

FIG. 1 shows a top plan of a curved shower rod 10 that surrounds a bathtub (not shown) to be situated in the space 12 between the walls 14, 16, 18, 20. A standard bathtub that is five feet long can be demonstrated to fit between the walls 14, 16 at a distance L1. A standard bathtub that is six feet long can be demonstrated to fit between the walls 18, 20 at a distance L2.

The ends of the shower rod 22, 24 for a distance L1 attach to the mounts 26, 28 at a first angle α1 while the ends of the shower rod 30, 32 for a distance L2 attach to the mounts 34, 36 at a second angle α2. It is to be understood that while five foot and six foot long bathtubs are standard in the industry, it is within the scope of the invention to use the shower rod mounts for a curved shower rod for use on a bathtub of any length. By looking at FIG. 1, it is easy to note the problem that is created by attempting to mount a curved shower rod around different length bathtubs. The angle at which the rod mounts to the wall is slightly different depending on the length of the bathtub. It is this problem that the instant invention seeks to solve in a cost-effective, simple manner.

The shower rod mount 40 of the instant invention can be seen close up in FIGS. 2 and 3. The mount is one integral piece that allows for simplicity in manufacturing rather than being a two-piece mount with a moving part, which requires more complex tooling to manufacture and provides an extra area of possible malfunction. The mount 40 is composed of a base 42 that has a top portion 44 that includes one or more holes 46 that extend through the base 42 through the uniquely curved convex shape bottom 48. The slight convex curve in the base 48 is what gives the mount the flexibility to accommodate differing angles of mounting of the curved shower rod. The mount can flex with ease, once mounted due to this curved convex bottom. The mounting shaft 64 extends at an angle from the base 42 that receives the curved shower rod.

Referring to FIGS. 4-5, it is shown how the mount is mounted to the wall and covered with a decorative cover. When ready to mount on the wall, one or more screws 50 are placed through the one or more holes 46 in the base 42 and screwed to the wall. Referring back to FIG. 2, it can be seen that one or more bumps 52 are located on the side of the base 42 that are there to receive a standard cover (see FIG. 6) or a decorative cover (see FIGS. 7 and 8). No matter which cover is used, there exists a cavity 70 into which the standard cover attaches to the base 42. It is desirable to use the standard cover as a gasket between the base and the more decorative covers as the decorative covers are typically made of a less resilient material than the standard cover.

The decorative covers 54, 56 include a recess on the inside that corresponds to the shape of the standard cover 58 which includes one or more bumps 60 to correspond to the one or more recesses 52 in the base 42 of the mount 40. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4A, the decorative cover 54 that houses the standard cover 58 could be the square cover shown in FIG. 7 or the round cover shown in FIG. 8. The standard cover 58 includes a hole 62 through which the shaft 64 of the mount 40 extends. Furthermore, the decorative covers 54, 56 (seen in FIGS. 7 and 8) also include holes 66, 68 through which the shaft 64 of the mount 40 extends.

The instant invention can also be used on straight shower rods. Often walls are not perfectly parallel so the give provided by the instant invention is useful when such a situation occurs.

The illustrations and examples provided herein are for explanatory purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the appended claims. This disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the spirit and scope of the invention and/or claims of the embodiment illustrated. Those skilled in the art will make modifications to the invention for particular applications of the invention.

The discussion included in this patent is intended to serve as a basic description. The reader should be aware that the specific discussion may not explicitly describe all embodiments possible and alternatives are implicit. Also, this discussion may not fully explain the generic nature of the invention and may not explicitly show how each feature or element can actually be representative or equivalent elements. Again, these are implicitly included in this disclosure. Where the invention is described in device-oriented terminology, each element of the device implicitly performs a function. It should also be understood that a variety of changes may be made without departing from the essence of the invention. Such changes are also implicitly included in the description. These changes still fall within the scope of this invention.

Further, each of the various elements of the invention and claims may also be achieved in a variety of manners. This disclosure should be understood to encompass each such variation, be it a variation of any apparatus embodiment, a method embodiment, or even merely a variation of any element of these. Particularly, it should be understood that as the disclosure relates to elements of the invention, the words for each element may be expressed by equivalent apparatus terms even if only the function or result is the same. Such equivalent, broader, or even more generic terms should be considered to be encompassed in the description of each element or action. Such terms can be substituted where desired to make explicit the implicitly broad coverage to which this invention is entitled. It should be understood that all actions may be expressed as a means for taking that action or as an element which causes that action. Similarly, each physical element disclosed should be understood to encompass a disclosure of the action which that physical element facilitates. Such changes and alternative terms are to be understood to be explicitly included in the description.

Claims

1. An integral one-piece shower rod mount designed for a curved shower rod comprising:

a base portion, said base portion having a first side, a second side,

a top portion and a bottom portion, said bottom portion having a convex shape, said bottom portion to be mounted to a wall at an angle in order to receive said curved shower rod;

a shaft portion integrally affixed to said base portion at an angle on order to receive said curved shower rod.

2. The integral one-piece shower rod mount as defined claim 1 wherein said base portion further includes one or more apertures for the placement therein of mounting screws.

3. The integral one-piece shower rod mount as defined in claim 1 wherein said base further includes one or more recesses on said first end and on said second end, said recesses to mate with a protrusion found on a cover that covers said base.

4. A method of mounting a curved shower rod comprising the steps of:

determining the location on a first wall at which said curved shower rod will meet said first wall;

determining the location on a second wall at which said curved shower rod will meet said second wall;

mounting an integral one-piece shower rod mount on each of said first wall and said second wall, said integral one-piece shower rod mount further comprising: a base portion, said base portion having a first side, a second side, a top portion and a bottom portion, said bottom portion having a convex shape, said bottom portion to be mounted to a wall at an angle in order to receive said curved shower rod; a shaft portion integrally affixed to said base portion at an angle in order to receive said curved shower rod; and

attaching said shower rod to each of said one-piece shower round mounts mounted on said first wall and said second wall.

5. The method as defined claim 4 wherein said base portion further includes one or more apertures for the placement therein of mounting screws.

6. The method as defined in claim 4 wherein said base further includes one or more recesses on said first end and on said second end, said recesses to mate with a protrusion found on a cover that covers said base.