CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/723,266, filed Dec. 21, 2012, which is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/177,129, filed Jul. 6, 2011, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/361,735 filed Jul. 6, 2010, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to pole type shower caddies that can be configured to hold bath and shower accessories.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION Conventional shower pole caddies include a pole that extends vertically between two supporting surfaces, such as a floor and ceiling. In one known configuration the length of the pole can be adjusted by rotating a portion of the pole. Such pole caddies can be difficult to install, requiring many rotations to produce the desired pole length. Further, as the pole is tightened between the supporting surfaces, the ends of the pole can move from their intended position. This movement is often referred to as walking.
It would be desirable to overcome the cumbersome installation associated with conventional pole caddies.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one aspect, the present invention provides a pole caddy including a pole having first and second rods, each rod having an end cap adjacent an end thereof; one or more shelves coupled to the pole; and a locking mechanism for securing the second rod in a desired axial position with respect to the first rod, wherein at least one of the end caps is axially adjustable and comprises a contact member rotatably mounted on the at least one end cap, and configured to contact a supporting surface.
This and other aspects of the present invention will be more apparent from the following description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevation view of a pole caddy in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an isometric view of an end cap for a pole caddy in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an isometric view of an adjustable end cap for a pole caddy in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is an exploded view showing the components of an adjustable end cap for a pole caddy in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is an isometric view and FIG. 6 is an end view of the body of an end cap in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is an isometric view and FIG. 8 is an end view showing the opposite side of the end cap body of FIGS. 5 and 6.
FIGS. 9 and 10 are end views, and FIG. 11 is a side view, of a retainer that may be installed in an end cap in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 12 and 13 are end views, and FIG. 14 is a side view, of a rotatable contact disk that may be mounted on an end cap in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 15 is a side sectional view illustrating the rotatable contact disk of FIGS. 12-14 rotatably mounted on the retainer of FIGS. 9-11.
FIG. 16 is a side sectional view of the end portion of an end cap including a rotatable contact disk in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 17 is a side view, of a torsional locking mechanism for securing the position of a telescoping rod with respect to a stationary rod in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 18 is an isometric view of the locking cam sleeve of FIG. 17.
FIG. 19 is an end view of a locking cam sleeve.
FIG. 20 is an end view of a locking cam sleeve.
FIG. 21 is an isometric view of the locking cam sleeve of FIG. 20.
FIG. 22 is a side view of the locking cam sleeve of FIG. 20.
FIG. 23 is a side view of a portion of a torsional locking mechanism.
FIGS. 24 and 25 are isometric views of a locking cam mechanism including the elements of FIG. 23.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION In one aspect, the present invention provides improved pole caddies that are faster and easier to install in comparison with conventional pole caddies.
FIG. 1 illustrates a pole caddy 10 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The pole caddy includes a pole 11 and one or more shelves or baskets 12, 13, 14 coupled to the pole. The baskets are configured to hold a variety of bathing accessories. While three baskets are shown in this embodiment, the invention is not limited to any particular number of baskets or shelves, or by any particular basket shape or configuration of baskets or shelves.
The pole is configured to extend between top and bottom support surfaces 15, 16. End caps 18 and 20 are positioned adjacent to the ends of the pole. When the caddy is installed, each of the end caps makes contact with one of the supporting surfaces. In one embodiment, the pole includes two telescoping rods 70 and 72 and a locking mechanism that is used to fix the axial position of the rods with respect to each other.
In the embodiment of FIG. 1, a stationary end cap 18 is mounted on one end of the pole 11, while an adjustable end cap 20 is mounted on the other end of the pole 11. In other embodiments, adjustable end caps could be provided on both ends of pole 11. As more fully described below, each of the end caps has a contact member, which can be disk-shaped, and which is configured to contact one of the supporting surfaces.
FIG. 2 is a side view of the stationary end cap 18 of FIG. 1. This view shows a disk-shaped contact member 19 that is configured to contact the adjacent supporting surface when the caddy is mounted between two supporting surfaces.
FIG. 3 illustrates the adjustable end cap 20 and a portion of pole 11. A rotatable contact member in the form of a disk 50 is provided on the end cap. The end cap includes a stud or bolt (not shown in this view) having a threaded portion that is configured to be threadably engaged in a threaded hole at the end of the pole 11. Rotation of the body 22 of the end cap with respect to the pole causes the end cap to move axially with respect to the pole. Thus the length of the caddy can be adjusted by rotating the adjustable end cap to force the rotatable contact disk 50 against a supporting surface. Because the contact disk can rotate with respect to the body of the adjustable end cap, once the contact disk engages the supporting surface, it remains stationary with respect to the supporting surface, even as the body of the adjustable end cap is rotated. This prevents walking of the contact disk as the pole is tightened between the support surfaces.
FIG. 4 is an exploded view showing the components of one embodiment of the adjustable end cap 20. The adjustable end cap 20 includes a body 22 having an opening 23 for receiving an end of the pole, a threaded bolt 30, a retainer 40, and a rotatable contact disk 50. The bolt 30 includes a head 32 and threaded portion 34. Although a hex-head bolt is shown, it is to be understood that any other suitable bolt or mechanical fastener design may be used in accordance with the present invention. As more fully described below, the bolt 30 is held in a stationary position in relation to the cap body 22. The various components of the end cap 20 may be made of any suitable materials such as plastic, metal and the like. For example, the cap body 22 may be made of polypropylene and the bolt 30 may be made of metal. The body of the end cap forms the opening 23 that houses the attachment means and is sized to fit over an end of the pole. The body can rotate with respect to the pole, but the interior surface of the body can also form a seal with the pole to prevent or reduce the possibility of water entering the opening of the body.
Alternative coupling arrangements can include a threaded portion integrally formed in an interior surface of the end cap 20 with the threaded portion engaging a threaded portion of the pole, or the use of a threaded nut or threaded hole in the end cap 20 and a threaded shaft extending from the end of the pole 11. However, it is to be understood that any other suitable arrangement for coupling the adjustable end cap to the pole may be used in accordance with the present invention.
FIGS. 5-8 illustrate details of the cap body 22 of the adjustable end cap 20. FIGS. 5 and 6 show the outermost end of the cap body 22, while FIGS. 7 and 8 show the opposite end of the cap body 22 that is located adjacent to the pole 11 when the caddy is assembled. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a hexagonal bolt head holder 24 in the form of a recessed hexagonal pocket is provided at the center of the cap body 22. The holder 24 includes a central opening 25 through which the threaded portion 34 of the bolt 30 passes. Support arms 26 extend between the interior surface of the generally cylindrical cap body 22 to the exterior surface of the holder 24. Three openings 27 are provided in corresponding sides of the hexagonal holder 24 to provide engagement edges for the finger clips 44 of the retainer 40, shown in FIG. 4. After the head 34 of the bolt 30 is mounted inside the hexagonal holder 24, the retainer 40 is inserted through the outside end of the cap body 22 to thereby lock the bolt 30 in place. This is accomplished by the finger clips 44, wherein the arms 45 flex radially outward as the retainer 40 is inserted in the cap body 22 until the locking tabs 46 of the finger clips 44 snap into place in the openings 27 for engagement with the holder 24. In this manner, the retainer 40 is held in a stationary position and does not rotate or move in an axial direction with respect to the cap body 22.
As shown most clearly in FIGS. 4 and 9-11, the retainer 40 includes a generally disk-shaped cylindrical body 42 with three finger clips 44 extending from one surface thereof. Each finger clip 44 includes a flexible arm 45 and a locking tab 46. As shown most clearly in FIGS. 4 and 10, an annular projection with a central hole 48 is located at the center of the cap body 22. The annular projection and hole 48 are used to rotatably mount the end disk 50 thereon, as more fully described below.
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 12-14, the rotatable end disk 50 includes a support disk 52 made of relatively rigid material such as plastic or any other suitable material. For example, the support disk 52 may be made of polypropylene, polyethylene or the like. A mounting assembly 54 includes two flexible mounting fingers 56 that extend from the surface of the support disk 52. An elastomeric contact disk 58 is secured to one surface of the support disk 52 by any suitable means such as adhesive. The elastomeric contact disk may be made of any suitable elastomeric material such as natural rubber, synthetic rubber, foam, resilient polymers and the like. The contact disk 58 may have a relatively high friction coefficient to help secure the rod 10 in position when it is installed in a bath or shower stall.
FIG. 15 is a side sectional view illustrating the rotatable mounting arrangement of the end disk 50 on the retainer 40. In the position shown in FIG. 15, the flexible mounting fingers 56 of the end disk 50 have been inserted into the central hole 48 of the retainer 40 with their end tabs engaging the edge of the annular projection. In this position, the interior surface of the support disk 52 contacts the exterior surface of the retainer body 42. However, the end disk 50 is rotatable around its central axis with respect to the retainer 40 because the flexible mounting fingers 56 of the mounting assembly 54 have a sufficient tolerance with respect to the central hole 48 of the annular projection of the retainer 40, e.g., a clearance space is provided between the inner surface of the central hole 48 and the fingers 56, or any contact between the inner surface of the hole 48 and fingers 56 is of relatively minor force which permits the end disk to rotate. Thus, while the rotatable end disk 50 may be snap-fit onto the retainer 40, the fit is such that the end disk 50 is still able to rotate with respect to the retainer 40. As will be appreciated, when the assembled retainer 40 and rotatable end disk 50 as shown in FIG. 15 are installed inside the cap body 22, the retainer 40 is held in a stationary position in relation to the cap body 22 while the end disk 50 is free to rotate with respect to the cap body 22.
FIG. 16 is a side sectional view of the end portion of an end cap 60 that may be mounted on the end of rod 72 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The end cap 60 includes a generally cylindrical body 62 having an elastomeric contact disk 64 mounted thereon. The elastomeric contact disk 64 may be held in a stationary position in relation to the body 62. However, in a preferred embodiment, the elastomeric contact disk 64 is rotatable in relation to the body 62 the end cap 60. A mounting projection 66 extends from the inner surface of the contact disk 64. A mounting disk 68 having a central mounting hole 69 is secured to the body 62 of the end cap 60. Sufficient tolerance may be provided between the cylindrical outer surface of the mounting projection 66 and the mounting hole 69 such that the contact disk 64 is free to rotate with respect to the body 62 of the end cap 60. The elastomeric contact disk 64 may be made of any suitable material such as natural rubber, synthetic rubber, foam, resilient polymers and the like. The contact disk 64 may have a relative high friction coefficient to help secure the pole 11 in position when it is installed.
FIG. 17 is a side view of portions of the pole 11 of the pole caddy of FIG. 1. The pole includes a first rod 70 (also called a stationary rod) and a second rod 72 (also called a telescoping rod) having a slightly smaller outer diameter than the inner diameter of the first rod 70. The telescoping rod 72 is axially movable with respect to the first rod 70. The first and second rods may be made of any suitable material, such as metal or the like. A substantially cylindrical bushing 76 made of plastic or other suitable material is configured to be inserted inside the end of the first rod 70 within a portion of the rod 70 surrounding a portion of the telescoping rod 72. The bushing is configured to make contact with the internal surface of the rod 70 and is positioned over a cam such that when the rod 72 is rotated, the bushing is forced against the internal surface of rod 70 and the axial positions of rods 70 and 72 are locked with respect to each other.
FIG. 17 illustrates components of a torsional locking mechanism 71 for locking the stationary rod 70 and telescoping rod 72 together in a desired position in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The torsional locking mechanism 71 mounted on the end of the telescoping rod 72 is configured to be positioned inside the stationary tube 70 when the pole 11 is assembled. The torsional locking mechanism 71 includes a locking cam head 74 that is offset with respect to the central axis of the rod. A bushing 90 (also called a cam locking sleeve) is positioned on the cam head between an annular flange 80 and a support flange 86. The bushing has a varying thickness with a relatively thin end 76 and a relatively thick end 97. When the locking mechanism is inserted in rod 70, rotation of the cam head forces the bushing into the internal surface of rod 70 and thereby fixes the axial position of rod 70 with respect to rod 72.
The locking cam head 74 includes the annular flange 80 and an end flange 86. The locking head 74 includes two cam surfaces 82 extending between the annular flange 80 and end flange 86 having non-circular, helical or spiral surfaces. One of the cam surfaces 82 is shown in FIG. 17, with the other cam surface located 180° around the circumference of the locking head 74. The locking head 74 includes two stop surfaces 84 extending between the annular flange 80 and end flange 86. Each stop surface 84 lies substantially in a plane extending radially outward from the central axis of the locking head 74 and defining an interruption or transition between each of the cam surfaces 82.
As shown in FIG. 17, a locking cam sleeve 90 is mounted on the locking head 74 between the annular flange 80 and end flange 86. As shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, the locking cam sleeve 90 includes two cam members 92, each of which has an inner cam surface 94, an outer contact surface 96 and a stop edge 97. The cam members 92 are connected together by a thin web 98. The locking cam sleeve 90 may be made of any suitable flexible or elastomeric material such as natural rubber, synthetic rubber, flexible plastic or the like. The locking cam sleeve 90 preferably has a relatively high friction coefficient in order to help secure the telescoping rod 72 in a selected axial position with respect to the stationary rod 70, as more fully described below.
The torsional locking mechanism 71 operates as follows. The locking cam sleeve 90 is initially located in a radially retracted position on the locking cam head 74 in which the stop edges 97 of the sleeve 90 are in contact or adjacent to the corresponding stop surfaces 84 of the locking head 74. The thicker portions of the cam members 92 are adjacent to the radially recessed portion of the cam surfaces 82. In this radially retracted position, the telescoping rod 72 is free to move axially with respect to the stationary rod 70.
During installation, the telescoping rod 72 is extended from the stationary rod 70 to a desired position in which the rotatable end disk 19 and stationary end cap 18 are in initial contact positions against the supporting surfaces of the bath or shower stall. In this position, the telescoping rod 72 is then twisted around its longitudinal axis, which rotates the locking mechanism inside the stationary rod 70. Upon such a twisting motion, the outer contact surfaces 96 of the locking cam sleeve 90 contact the inner surface of the stationary rod 70 and frictional forces therebetween hold the locking cam sleeve 90 in a stationary position with respect to the stationary rod 70, i.e., the locking cam sleeve 90 does not rotate inside the rod 70 with the remainder of the torsional locking mechanism. As the locking cam head 74 rotates inside the stationary rod 70 with the locking cam sleeve 90 remaining in position, the inner cam surfaces 94 of the locking cam sleeve 90 slide in a generally circumferential direction on the cam surfaces 82 of the locking cam head 74. Due to this relative movement, the cam members 92 move radially outward and press against the inner surface of the stationary rod 70 with sufficient force to lock the cam head 74 into position within the stationary rod 70. Thus, the telescoping rod 72 and stationary rod 70 are held in position with respect to each other.
With the torsional locking mechanism 71 in the locked position, the adjustable end cap 20 may be rotated with respect to the pole 11, thereby extending the adjustable end cap 20 into the installed position in which the pole 11 is securely mounted between the supporting surfaces of the bath or shower stall.
FIG. 20 is an end view of another locking cam sleeve 100. FIG. 21 is an isometric view of the locking cam sleeve of FIG. 20. FIG. 22 is an elevation view of the locking cam sleeve of FIG. 20. The flexible locking cam sleeve 100 includes a slit 102 between ends 104 and 106. When the ends 104 and 106 are pushed together to touch each other, the locking sleeve has a generally cylindrical outer surface 108 and is shaped to define a generally cylindrical opening 110 having an axis 112 that is offset from an axis 114 of the generally cylindrical outer surface 108. The flexible locking cam sleeve 100 includes two cam portions 116, 118, each of which has an inner cam surface 120, 122, an outer contact surface 124, 126. The cam portions 116, 118 are connected together by a thin web 128. The end 130 shown in FIG. 20 forms a planar surface.
As shown in FIG. 21, at least a part of cam portion 116 includes a raised portion 132 that forms a stop 134. Cam portion 118 includes a raised portion 136 that forms a stop 138. The space 140 between stops 134 and 138 is recessed with respect to the top surfaces 142, 144 of raised portions 132 and 136. In addition, top surfaces 142 and 144 lie in a common plane. As shown in FIG. 22, the width 146 of cam portion 116 is larger than the width 148 of cam portion 118. The locking cam sleeve 100 may be made of any suitable flexible or elastomeric material such as natural rubber, synthetic rubber, flexible plastic or the like. The locking cam sleeve 100 preferably has a relatively high friction coefficient in order to help secure the telescoping rod 72 in a selected axial position with respect to the stationary rod 70, as more fully described below.
FIG. 23 is a side view of elements of another torsional locking mechanism. FIG. 23 shows a cylindrical pin 150 having a central axis 152 that is offset from a central axis 154 of rod 72. The pin extends between a hub 156 and a disk 158. The outside surfaces of hub 156 and disk 158 lie on a common cylinder. The hub includes a portion, not shown in this view, that extends into rod 72 and is secured in the rod 72 by, for example, indents (or spot welds) 160, 162. A tab 164 extends from the hub. Tab 164 extends in a radial direction from the pin 150. When the locking cam sleeve 100 is positioned on the pin 150, the tab 164 is positioned in a space 140 between the stops 134 and 138. The width of the disk 158 has a slight taper such that the portion 166 of the disk opposite the tab is thicker than the rest of the disk. Thus the distance between that portion 166 of the disk and the hub is smaller than the distance between the bottom portion 168 of the disk and the hub. This feature ensures engagement of the tab and the stops on the locking cam sleeve.
FIGS. 24 and 25 are isometric views of a locking mechanism 170 that includes the elements of FIGS. 20-23. FIGS. 24 and 25 illustrate a torsional locking mechanism 170 for locking the stationary rod 70 and telescoping rod 72 together in a desired position in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Although not shown in FIGS. 24 and 25, the torsional locking mechanism 170 mounted on the end of the telescoping rod 72 is positioned inside the stationary tube 70 when the pole 11 is assembled. FIG. 24 shows the locking mechanism with a first surface 172 of tab 164 adjacent to stop 134 on the locking sleeve. In this position, the outer surface 108 of the locking cam sleeve is positioned close to the cylinder containing the hub and disk such that the outer surface 108 slidably engages the inner surface of rod 70. FIG. 25 shows the locking mechanism with a second surface 174 of tab 164 adjacent to stop 138 on the locking sleeve. In this position, the outer surface 108 of the locking cam sleeve is forced outward such that the outer surface 108 securely engages the inner surface of rod 70.
The torsional locking mechanism 170 operates as follows. The locking cam sleeve 100 is initially located in a radially retracted position on the pin 150 in which the stop 134 of the sleeve 100 is in contact with or adjacent to the first surface 172 of tab 164. In this radially retracted position, the telescoping rod 72 is free to move axially with respect to the stationary rod 70.
During installation, the telescoping rod 72 is extended from the stationary rod 70 to a desired position in which the rotatable end disk 19 and stationary end cap 18 are in initial contact positions against the supporting surface of the bath or shower stall. In this position, the telescoping rod 72 is then twisted around its longitudinal axis, which rotates the locking cam mechanism 170 inside the stationary rod 70. Upon such a twisting motion, the outer contact surface 108 of the locking cam sleeve 100 contacts the inner surface of the stationary rod 70 and frictional forces therebetween hold the locking cam sleeve 100 in a stationary position with respect to the stationary rod 70, i.e., the locking cam sleeve 100 does not rotate inside the rod 70 with the remainder of the torsional locking mechanism 170. Thus, the telescoping rod 72 and stationary rod 70 are held in position with respect to each other.
The pole caddies of the present invention overcome the cumbersome installation associated with conventional pole caddies. The rotatable end disk 50 on the adjustable end cap 20 prevents the pole from walking on the wall during installation. The internal torsional locking mechanism provides improved stability.
An important benefit of the pole caddy of the present invention is much improved simplicity of installation. The caddies are suitable for residential use, hotels, hospitals and other institutions.
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.
