US20090321600A1

US20090321600A1 - Shower curtain mounting device

Info

Publication number: US20090321600A1
Application number: US12/146,509
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: 2008-06-26
Publication date: 2009-12-31

Abstract

A shower curtain mounting device includes: a pair of wall brackets; a pair of joints, each of which is pivoted and is rotatable about an axis relative to a respective one of the wall brackets and each of which has a tubular rod connecting part; and a shower curtain rod extending in a transverse direction relative to the axis into the rod connecting parts of the joints.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a shower curtain mounting device, more particular 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; a pair of joints, each of which is pivoted and is rotatable about an axis relative to a respective one of the wall brackets and each of which has a tubular rod connecting part; and a shower curtain rod extending in a transverse direction relative to the axis 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 embodiment 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 an exploded perspective view of the preferred embodiment of a shower curtain mounting device according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an assembled perspective view of the preferred embodiment in a state of use;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary partly cross-sectional view of the preferred embodiment in a state of use;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary schematic side view of the preferred embodiment illustrating how a shower curtain rod is pivoted relative to a wall bracket;

FIG. 8 is a schematic top view to show a comparison between spaces enclosed respectively by shower curtains on the shower curtain mounting device of the preferred embodiment and on the conventional shower curtain mounting device of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary schematic side view of the preferred embodiment in a state of use.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 4 to 9, the preferred embodiment of a shower curtain mounting device 2 according to the present invention is shown to include a pair of wall brackets 21, a pair of joints 22, and a shower curtain rod 13 for suspending a shower curtain 12. Each of the joints 22 is pivoted and is rotatable about an axis (Y) relative to a respective one of the wall brackets 21. Each of the joints 22 has a tubular rod connecting part 222. The shower curtain rod 13 extends in a transverse direction (X) relative to the axis (Y) into the rod connecting parts 222 of the joints 22. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, each of the joints 22 can pivotally rotate relative to the respective one of the wall brackets 21, which are mounted to two opposite walls 15. Insertion of the shower curtain rod 13 into the rod connecting parts 222 of the joints 22 can be conducted after the wall brackets 21 and the joints 22 are mounted to the opposite walls 15, respectively.
In this embodiment, each of the wall brackets 21 includes a semi-spherical body 213 protruding axially relative to the axis (Y) therefrom as shown in FIG. 4. Each of the joints 22 further has a bracket connecting part 221 defining a recess 224 for extension of the semi-spherical body 213 therein so as to permit the joint 22 to be sleeved rotatably on the respective wall bracket 21.
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the shower curtain mounting device 2 further includes a pair of pivot screws 24. Each of the pivot screws 24 extends through the bracket connecting part 221 of a respective one of the joints 22 and into the semi-spherical body 213 of a respective one of the wall brackets 21 to engage threadedly the semi-spherical body 213 so as to permit rotation of the respective joint 22 about the pivot screw 24 as shown in FIG. 7. Hence, after the wall brackets 21 and the joints 22 are mounted to the opposite walls 15, the rod connecting parts 222 of the joints 22 on the opposite walls 15 can be rotated a small angle so as to receive end portions of the shower curtain rod 13 therein.
In the preferred embodiment, the rod connecting part 222 of each of the joints 22 is formed with a screw hole 25′, and is provided with a fastening screw 25 extending into and through the screw hole 25′ to abut against the shower curtain rod 13.
Each of the wall brackets 21 further includes a base 211. The semi-spherical body 213 protrudes axially from the base 211. The bracket connecting part 221 of each of the joints 22 has an end face 223. The shower curtain mounting device 2 further includes a pair of gaskets 26, each of which is sandwiched between the base 211 of a respective one of the wall brackets 21 and the end face 223 of the bracket connecting part 221 of the respective one of joints 22. Preferably, the base 211 of each of the wall brackets 21 and each of the joints 22 are L-shaped as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6.
In the preferred embodiment, each of the wall brackets 21 is formed with two screw holes 23′ in the base 211 and is provided with two screws 23 extending into and through the screw holes 23′ so as to fasten the wall brackets 21 to the opposite walls 15.
As shown in FIG. 8, since the shower curtain mounting device 2 has a U-shaped structure, the shower space 18 enclosed by the shower curtain 12 suspended on the shower curtain mounting device 2 is larger than the shower space 17 enclosed by the conventional shower curtain mounting device 1.
With the inclusion of the joints 22, that can rotate relative to the wall brackets 21, in the shower curtain mounting device 2 of this invention, the aforesaid drawbacks associated with the prior art can be alleviated.
While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment 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;

a pair of joints, each of which is pivoted and is rotatable about an axis relative to a respective one of said wall brackets and each of which has a tubular rod connecting part; and

a shower curtain rod extending in a transverse direction relative to said axis into said rod connecting parts of said joints.

2. The shower curtain mounting device of claim 1, wherein each of said wall brackets includes a semi-spherical body protruding axially relative to said axis therefrom, each of said joints further having a bracket connecting part defining a recess for extension of said semi-spherical body therein so as to permit each of said joint to be sleeved rotatably on the respective one of said wall brackets.

3. The shower curtain mounting device of claim 2, further comprising a pair of pivot screws, each of which extends through said bracket connecting part of a respective one of said joints and into said semi-spherical body of a respective one of said wall brackets to engage threadedly said semi-spherical body so as to permit rotation of the respective one of said joints about said pivot screw.

4. The shower curtain mounting device of claim 1, wherein said rod connecting part of each of said joints is formed with a screw hole, and is provided with a fastening screw extending into and through said screw hole to abut against said shower curtain rod.

5. The shower curtain mounting device of claim 2, wherein each of said wall brackets further includes a base, said semi-spherical body protruding axially from said base, said bracket connecting part of each of said joints having an end face, said shower curtain mounting device further comprising a pair of gaskets, each of which is sandwiched between said base of a respective one of said wall brackets and said end face of said bracket connecting part of a respective one of said joints.

6. The shower curtain mounting device of claim 2, wherein each of said wall brackets further includes an L-shaped base, said semi-spherical body protruding axially from said base, each of said joints being L-shaped.