US20110219533A1

US20110219533A1 - Shower curtain ring assembly

Info

Publication number: US20110219533A1
Application number: US12/721,306
Authority: US
Inventors: Wen-Hsing Hu; Sheng Ying Hsu
Original assignee: Ching Feng Home Fashions Co Ltd
Current assignee: Ching Feng Home Fashions Co Ltd
Priority date: 2010-03-10
Filing date: 2010-03-10
Publication date: 2011-09-15

Abstract

A shower curtain assembly includes a shower curtain having multiple slits defined between the through holes and the top edge of the shower curtain. Multiple ring units are connected to the shower curtain and located corresponding to the connection areas respectively. Each ring unit includes a first part and a second part. The first part is a ring-shaped part with a gap defined radially therethrough and the gap is located corresponding to the slit. The second part is a substantially horseshoe-shaped part having a first end and a second end. The first end is bent to form a first closing portion and the second end is bent to form a second closing portion which is overlapped on the first closing portion so as to close the second passing hole. A shower rod separates the slits, the gaps and the overlapped closing portions when installed to the shower curtain.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a, and more particularly, to a shower curtain ring assembly which is able to be directly connected to or removed from the shower rod without removing the shower rod from the wall.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A conventional combination of shower curtain 80 and shower rod 95 is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, wherein the shower curtain 80 includes several holes 81 which are located at even distance from each other and multiple apertures 82 are located around each of the holes 81. Multiple inner disks 90 are connected to the inside of the shower curtain 80 and located corresponding to the holes 81 respectively. Multiple outer disks 93 are connected to the outside of the shower curtain 80 and located corresponding to the holes 81 respectively. Each inner disk 90 includes protrusions 91 which extend through the apertures 82 and are engaged with the reception holes 94 of the outer disk 93. Ultra-sonic welding is used to secure the connection of the protrusions 91 and the reception holes 94. The same way can be used to secure the curtain 80 and the inner disks 90. The curtain rod 95 extend through the outer disks 93, the holes 81 and the inner disks 90 so as to hang the shower curtain 80 on the shower rod 95. The two ends of the shower rod 95 are securely against the walls and the shower curtain 80 can be shifted along the shower rod 95.
It is noted that the shower rod 95 extend through all of the inner and outer disks 90, 93 so that the when replacing the shower curtain 80, the shower rod 95 has to removed from the inner and outer disks 90, 93 one by one. Similarly, when installing the shower rod 95 on the walls in the bath room, the shower curtain 80 has to be connected to the shower rod 95, and this makes the installation of the shower rod 95 be difficult.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,186,232, 6,189,597 and 6,494,248 respective provide different ring assembly for shower curtains and improve the inconvenience of the conventional ring assembly disclosed in FIGS. 6 and 7.
The present invention intends to provide a shower curtain ring assembly which allows the user to fix the shower rod directly by pushing the first and second parts on the shower curtain against the shower rod.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a shower curtain assembly that comprises a shower curtain having a first side and a second side, and a shower rod is connected to the shower curtain. A plurality of connection areas are defined in the shower curtain and located close to a top edge of the shower curtain. Each connection area includes through hole and a slit which communicates between the through hole and the top edge of the shower curtain. A plurality of ring units are connected to the shower curtain and located corresponding to the connection areas respectively. Each ring unit includes a first part and a second part. The first part is a ring-shaped part and includes a gap defined radially therethrough. The first part is connected to the first side of the shower curtain and the gap is located corresponding to the slit corresponding thereto. A first passing hole is defined through the first part and located in communication with the through hole corresponding thereto. The second part is connected to the second side of the shower curtain and is a substantially horseshoe-shaped part having a first end and a second end. The second part includes a second passing hole which is located in communication with the through hole and the first passing hole corresponding thereto. The first end is bent to form a first closing portion and the second end is bent to form a second closing portion which is overlapped on the first closing portion so as to close the second passing hole. The first and second closing portions are located corresponding to the slit corresponding thereto.
The shower rod passes through the first and second passing holes and the through holes, wherein the first and second closing portions are separated from each other when the shower rod passes between the first and second ends. The gaps and the slits are widened when the shower rod passes through the gaps and the slits.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a shower curtain ring assembly which is able to be directly connected to or removed from the shower rod without removing the shower rod form the wall.
The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view to show the shower curtain is connected to the shower rod by the shower curtain ring assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view to show the shower curtain is connected to the shower rod by the shower curtain ring assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view to show the shower curtain, the shower rod and the shower curtain ring assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the connection of the shower curtain, the shower rod and the shower curtain ring assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 5 shows that the shower rod is to be connected with the shower curtain and the shower curtain ring assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 6 shows the shower curtain is connected to the shower rod by the conventional shower curtain ring assembly, and

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of the connection of the shower curtain, the shower rod and the conventional shower curtain ring assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, the shower curtain assembly of the present invention comprises a shower curtain 10 having a first side 14 and a second side 15, and a plurality of connection areas 11 are defined in the shower curtain 10 and located close to a top edge of the shower curtain 10. Each connection area 11 includes a through hole 13 and a slit 131 communicates between the through hole 13 and the top edge of the shower curtain 10. Each of the connection areas 11 includes multiple apertures 12 defined through the shower curtain 10 and the apertures 12 are located in a circular form. The through hole 13 is located at the center of the apertures 12.
A plurality of ring units are connected to the shower curtain 10 and located corresponding to the connection areas 11 respectively. Each ring unit includes a first part 20 and a second part 30, wherein the first part 20 is a ring-shaped part and includes a gap 25 defined radially therethrough. The first part 20 is connected to the first side 14 of the shower curtain 10 and includes a plurality of protrusions 23 extending from a side thereof The protrusions 23 extend through the apertures 12 and the gap 25 is located corresponding to the slit 131 corresponding thereto. A first passing hole 24 is defined through the first part 20 and located in communication with the through hole 13 corresponding thereto.
The second part 30 is connected to the second side 15 of the shower curtain 10 and is a substantially horseshoe-shaped part having a first end 32 and a second end 33. The first and second ends 32, 33 are bent toward opposite directions. The second part 30 includes a second passing hole 35 which is located in communication with the through hole 13 and the first passing hole 24 corresponding thereto. The first end 32 is bent to form a first closing portion 321 and the second end 33 is bent to form a second closing portion 331 which is overlapped on the first closing portion 321 so as to close the second passing hole 35. The first and second closing portions 321, 331 are located corresponding to the slit 131 corresponding thereto and the first and second ends 32, 33 of each of the second parts 31 are located below the top edge of the shower curtain 10. Each of the second parts 31 includes reception holes 34 defined therethrough and the protrusions 23 of the first part 21 are securely engaged with reception holes 34 of the second part 31 so that the shower curtain 10 is clamped between the first and second parts 21, 31.
When installing the shower rod 50, the users push the shower rod 50 between the first and second closing portions 321, 331 which arc forced to be separated from each other, and the slits 131 together with the gaps 25 are widened. The shower rod 50 then passes through the first and second passing holes 24, 35 and the through holes 13. The first and second closing portions 321, 331 are bounced back to be the overlapped status to close the second passing hole 35 and the shower curtain 10 is hanged on the shower rod 50. When removing the shower curtain 10 from the shower rod 50, the users simply pull the shower curtain 10 away from the shower rod 50, the first and second closing portions 321, 331 are forced to be separated from each other, and the slits 131 together with the gaps 25 arc widened, and the shower rod 50 is separated from the shower curtain 10.
There is no need to use any tool to install the shower curtain 10 to the shower rod 50, and the shower rod 50 does not disengaged form the wall while removing the shower curtain 10. The first and second ends 32, 33 of each of the second parts 31 are located below the top edge of the shower curtain 10 so that the top edge of the shower curtain 10 is maintained to be straight. The second parts 31 are connected to the second side 15 of the shower curtain 10 and the first and second closing portions 321, 331 can be seen from outside of the shower curtain 10 so that the users can easily check the connection of the second parts 31 and the shower rod 50.
While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A shower curtain assembly comprising:

a shower curtain having a first side and a second side, a plurality of connection areas defined in the shower curtain and located close to a top edge of the shower curtain, each connection area including a through hole and a slit communicating between the through hole and the top edge of the shower curtain;

a plurality of ring units connected to the shower curtain and located corresponding to the connection areas respectively, each ring unit including a first part and a second part, the first part being a ring-shaped part and including a gap defined radially therethrough, the first part connected to the first side of the shower curtain and the gap located corresponding to the slit corresponding thereto, a first passing hole defined through the first part and located in communication with the through hole corresponding thereto, the second part connected to the second side of the shower curtain and being a substantially horseshoe-shaped part having a first end and a second end, the second part including a second passing hole which is located in communication with the through hole and the first passing hole corresponding thereto, the first end being bent to form a first closing portion and the second end being bent to form a second closing portion which is overlapped on the first closing portion so as to close the second passing hole, the first and second closing portions located corresponding to the slit corresponding thereto, and

a shower rod passing through the first and second passing holes and the through holes, the first and second closing portions being separated from each other, when the shower rod passes between the first and second ends, the gaps and the slits being widened when the shower rod passes through the gaps and the slits.

2. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second ends are bent toward opposite directions.

3. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the connection areas includes multiple apertures defined through the shower curtain and the apertures are located in a circular form, the through hole is located at the center of the apertures, each of the first parts includes a plurality of protrusions extending from a side thereof and the protrusions extend through the apertures and are securely engaged with reception holes defined in the second part.

4. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second ends of each of the second parts are located below the top edge of the shower curtain.