US20090321594A1

US20090321594A1 - Shower curtain mounting device

Info

Publication number: US20090321594A1
Application number: US12/456,315
Authority: US
Inventors: Chuang-I Huang
Original assignee: Ryder International Co Ltd
Current assignee: Ryder International Co Ltd
Priority date: 2008-06-26
Filing date: 2009-06-15
Publication date: 2009-12-31

Abstract

A shower curtain mounting device includes: a pair of wall brackets each having a mounting body defining a recess having a concave surface; a pair of joints each of which is pivoted to a respective one of the wall brackets and each of which has a tubular rod connecting part, and a bracket connecting part protruding from the tubular rod connecting part into the recess, the bracket connecting part being rotatable about an axis relative to the mounting body and having a convex surface contacting rotatably the concave surface; and a shower curtain rod transverse to the axis and having two ends respectively extending into the rod connecting parts of the joints.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part (CIP) of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/146,509, filed on Jun. 26, 2008.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a shower curtain mounting device, more particularly to a shower curtain mounting device having a pair of wall brackets and a pair of joints pivoted respectively to the wall brackets.
2. Description of the Related Art
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a conventional shower curtain mounting device 1 includes two wall brackets 14 and a shower curtain rod 13. When mounting the conventional shower curtain mounting device 1 to two opposite walls 15 above a rim 16 of a bathtub 11, it is normally accomplished by mounting a shower curtain 12 on a shower curtain rod 13, fixing two ends of the shower curtain rod 13 to the two wall brackets 14, respectively, and then mounting the two wall brackets 14 to the opposite walls 15. The conventional shower curtain mounting device 1 is disadvantageous in that, since the wall brackets 14 and the shower curtain rod 13 cooperatively form a straight line-shaped structure, a shower space 17 enclosed by the shower curtain 12 suspended on the straight shower curtain rod 13 is limited. Furthermore, since the shower curtain rod 13 is required to be assembled with the wall brackets 14 prior to mounting of the shower curtain mounting device 1 to the opposite walls 15, the mounting of the shower curtain mounting device 1 is laborious and inconvenient due to the weight and size of the assembly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a shower curtain mounting device that can overcome the aforesaid drawbacks associated with the prior art.
Accordingly, a shower curtain mounting device of the present invention comprises: a pair of wall brackets each having a mounting body defining a recess having a concave surface; a pair of joints each of which is pivoted to a respective one of the wall brackets and each of which has a tubular rod connecting part, and a bracket connecting part protruding from the tubular rod connecting part into the recess, the bracket connecting part being rotatable about an axis relative to the mounting body and having a convex surface contacting rotatably the concave surface; and a shower curtain rod transverse to the axis and having two ends respectively extending into the rod connecting parts of the joints.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional shower curtain mounting device;

FIG. 2 is a top view to illustrate how the conventional shower curtain mounting device of FIG. 1 is mounted to two opposite walls above a bathtub;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary schematic side view of the conventional shower curtain mounting device in a state of use;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the preferred embodiment of a shower curtain mounting device according to the present invention in a state of use;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the shower curtain mounting device according to the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a schematic top view to show a space enclosed by a shower curtain on the shower curtain mounting device according to the preferred embodiment; and

FIG. 7 is a schematic top view of the shower curtain mounting device according to another preferred embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Before the present invention is described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying preferred embodiments, it should be noted herein that like elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the disclosure.
Referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, the preferred embodiment of a shower curtain mounting device 20 according to the present invention is shown to include a pair of wall brackets 3, a pair of pivot screws 45, a pair of joints 4, and a shower curtain rod 5 for suspending a shower curtain 21.
Each of the wall brackets 3 has a base 31 for mounting to one of two opposite walls 22, and a mounting body 32 protruding from the base 31 toward the other wall bracket 3. The base 31 of each of the wall brackets 3 has two through-holes 311 disposed respectively on two sides of the mounting body 32 and provided respectively for extension of screws 30 into one of the opposite walls 22. Each of the mounting bodies 32 defines a recess 321 having a concave surface 322, and has two opposite surfaces 324, 325, and a screw head receiving hole 323. In each of the mounting bodies 32, the screw head receiving hole 323 and the recess 321 are connected alignedly to each other and open respectively at the opposite surfaces 324, 325 (i.e., the recess 321 opens at the surface 324, whereas the screw head receiving hole 323 opens at the surface 325).
Each of the pair of joints 4 is pivoted to a respective one of the wall brackets 3. Each of the joints 4 has a tubular rod connecting part 41 and a bracket connecting part 42. Each of the tubular rod connecting parts 41 defines an inner space 411. Each of the bracket connecting parts 42 is rotatable about an axis (Y) relative to the respective mounting body 32.
The shower curtain rod 5 extends in a transverse direction (X) relative to the axis (Y) and has two ends 51 respectively extending into the inner spaces 411 of the rod connecting parts 41 of the joints 4. In this preferred embodiment, the shower curtain rod 5 is a straight rod, and the tubular rod connecting parts 41 of the joints 4 are in line with the mounting bodies 32 of the wall brackets 3.
Preferably, the tubular rod connecting part 41 of each of the joints 4 is formed with a screw hole 413 in spatial communication with the inner space 411, and is provided with a clamp screw 46 extending through the screw hole 413 and abutting against the shower curtain rod 5. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the bracket connecting part 42 of each of the joints 4 protrudes from the tubular rod connecting part 41 into the respective recess 321, and is constituted by a convex portion 421 having a convex surface 4210 and a protrusion 422 that protrudes along the axis (Y) from the convex portion 421, and that is formed with a screw hole 44 for extension of a respective one of the pivot screws 45. The screw hole 44 extends from one end 4220 of the protrusion 422 into the convex portion 421 along the axis (Y).
In detail, each joint 4 has the protrusion 422 thereof protruding from the convex portion 421 thereof into the respective recess 321, and being rotatable about the axis (Y) relative to the respective mounting body 32, and the convex surface 4210 thereof contacting rotatably the respective concave surface 322. Accordingly, the joints 4 can smoothly rotate relative to the wall brackets 3.
Each pivot screw 45 has a head 451 and a threaded stem 452. The threaded stem 452 of each pivot screw 45 extends through the respective screw head receiving hole 323, and threadedly into the respective screw hole 44 so as to engage threadedly the bracket connecting part 42. The head 451 of each pivot screw 45 is received within the respective screw head receiving hole 323.
Furthermore, the mounting of the shower curtain mounting device 20 can be conducted by mounting the wall brackets 3 to the opposite walls 22, respectively, attaching the joints 4 to the respective wall brackets 3 using the respective pivot screws 45, and inserting first one end 51 of the shower curtain rod 5 into one of the joints 4 before the pivot screws 45 are tightened. In this state, the pivot screws 45 and the convex portions 421 are rotatable within the respective screw head receiving holes 323 and recesses 321 so that the joints 4 are horizontally rotatable relative to the respective wall brackets 3 and so that the other end 51 of the shower curtain rod 5 can be aligned with and inserted into the other joint 4. After insertion, the pivot screws 45 can be tightened, and the shower curtain rod 5 can be fixed to the joints 4 by the clamp screws 46.
FIG. 7 illustrates a shower curtain mounting device 20 according to another embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment differs from the previous embodiment only in that the shower curtain rod 5 is a curved rod, and that the tubular rod connecting parts 41 of the joints 4 are inclined with respect to a line (L) that interconnects the mounting bodies 32 of the wall brackets 3. Accordingly, a larger shower space 23 can be enclosed by a shower curtain (not shown in FIG. 7) suspended on the shower curtain mounting device 20 of this embodiment.
While the present invention has been described in connection with what are considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.

Claims

1. A shower curtain mounting device comprising:

a pair of wall brackets each having a mounting body defining a recess having a concave surface;

a pair of joints each of which is pivoted to a respective one of said wall brackets and each of which has a tubular rod connecting part, and a bracket connecting part protruding from said tubular rod connecting part into said recess, said bracket connecting part being rotatable about an axis relative to said mounting body and having a convex surface contacting rotatably said concave surface; and

a shower curtain rod transverse to said axis and having two ends respectively extending into said rod connecting parts of said joints.

2. The shower curtain mounting device of claim 1, further comprising a pair of pivot screws, each of which extends rotatably through said mounting body of a respective one of said wall brackets and into said bracket connecting part of a respective one of said joints to engage threadedly said bracket connecting part.

3. The shower curtain mounting device of claim 2, wherein said mounting body further has two opposite surfaces, and a screw head receiving hole, said screw head receiving hole and said recess being connected alignedly to each other and opening respectively at said opposite surfaces, each of said pivot screws extending through said screw head receiving hole of one of said mounting bodies of said wall brackets and threadedly into said bracket connecting part of the respective one of said joints.

4. The shower curtain mounting device of claim 3, wherein each of said pivot screws has a head received within said screw head receiving hole, and a threaded stem extending threadedly into said bracket connecting part of the respective one of said joints.

5. The shower curtain mounting device of claim 1, wherein said tubular rod connecting part of each of said joints is formed with a screw hole, and is provided with a clamp screw extending through said screw hole and abutting against said shower curtain rod.

6. The shower curtain mounting device of claim 1, wherein said shower curtain rod is a straight rod, and said tubular rod connecting parts of said joints are in line with said mounting bodies of said wall brackets.

7. The shower curtain mounting device of claim 1, wherein said shower curtain rod is a curved rod, and said tubular rod connecting parts of said joints are inclined with respect to a line that interconnects said mounting bodies of said wall brackets.