U.S. patent application number 11/654018 was filed with the patent office on 2008-07-17 for adjustable shower caddy.
Invention is credited to Christopher D. Govrik.
Application Number | 20080169254 11/654018 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39616959 |
Filed Date | 2008-07-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080169254 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Govrik; Christopher D. |
July 17, 2008 |
Adjustable shower caddy
Abstract
A shower caddy is made up of a hanger section which is mounted
within a shower stall to extend downwardly and has parallel
transversely spaced legs which are telescopically engaged with
corresponding legs on an extension member with adjustable stops
such that the extension member can be selectively moved up and/or
down to be placed at desired elevations.
Inventors: |
Govrik; Christopher D.;
(Mendota Heights, MN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
JACOBSON & JOHNSON
ONE WEST WATER STREET, SUITE 285
ST. PAUL
MN
55107
US
|
Family ID: |
39616959 |
Appl. No.: |
11/654018 |
Filed: |
January 17, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
211/103 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47K 3/281 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
211/103 |
International
Class: |
A47F 5/06 20060101
A47F005/06 |
Claims
1. An adjustable shower caddy comprising: a) a hanger member
comprising a pair of rigid laterally-spaced elongated parallel legs
joined together at one end by an arch; b) means on said arch for
engaging and resting on a shower head pipe, said legs thereby
extending downward from said arch; c) an extension member
comprising a pair of rigid laterally-spaced elongated parallel legs
with a shelf attached between said legs; d) said extension member
legs telescopically engaged with said hanger member legs for
selectively moving said extension member vertically; and e) a latch
mechanism releasably locking said extension member to said hanger
member at different elevated locations.
2. An adjustable shower caddy as described in claim 1 wherein said
hanger member legs and said extension member legs are tubular.
3. An adjustable shower caddy as described in claim 1 wherein said
hanger member legs and said extension member legs are U-shaped
channels in cross-section.
4. An adjustable shower caddy as described in claim 1 wherein said
latch mechanism comprises a series of detent openings
longitudinally spaced on a leg and a stop member in the
telescopically engaged other leg biased to engage said detent
openings, said stop member selectively manually adjustable for
disengaging the stop member from the detent opening.
5. An adjustable shower caddy as described in claim 1 wherein said
hanger member and said extension member are made out of a suitable
plastic.
6. An adjustable shower caddy comprising: a) a hanger member having
a pair of rigid laterally-spaced elongated parallel legs joined
together at one end said hanger member adaptable for mounting in a
shower stall to hang downward from said one end; b) an extension
member comprising a pair of rigid laterally-spaced elongated
parallel legs with a shelf attached between said legs; c) said
extension member legs telescopically engaged with said hanger
member legs for selectively moving said extension member
vertically; and d) a latch mechanism releasably locking said
extension member to said hanger member at different elevated
locations.
7. An adjustable shower caddy as described in claim 6 wherein said
hanger member legs and said extension member legs are tubular.
8. An adjustable shower caddy as described in claim 6 wherein said
hanger member legs and said extension member legs are U-shaped
channels in cross-section.
9. An adjustable shower caddy as described in claim 6 wherein said
latch mechanism comprises a series of detent openings
longitudinally spaced on a leg and a stop member in the
telescopically engaged other leg biased to engage said detent
openings, said stop member selectively manually adjustable for
disengaging the stop member from the detent opening.
10. An adjustable shower caddy as described in claim 6 wherein the
extension member legs are telescopically engaged within the hanger
member legs.
11. An adjustable shower caddy as described in claim 6 wherein the
hanger member legs are telescopically engaged within the extension
member legs.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention is directed toward shower caddies which extend
downward along or parallel to a wall of a shower stall and which
contain shelves or hooks or similar members for holding accessories
normally used in a shower stall. More particularly, the invention
is aimed at providing a vertically adjustable shower caddy whereby
the shelves or hooks or the like can be selectively placed at
different heights or elevations to accommodate the height of the
user of the shower and/or provide suitable distance between shelves
on the shower caddy to accommodate different sized containers or
the like.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
[0002] U.S. Pat. No. 6,520,351 by Zadro illustrates a shower caddy
which is supported by the shower head pipe and hangs down therefrom
and has shelves and other items which are attached to the
descending legs or stanchions by tubular members which are welded
to the back of the shelves with appropriate thumb screws used for
selectively sliding the shelves on the descending legs to
appropriate or selected locations. This design appears to be
somewhat awkward and can result in the shelves being skewed or
slanted.
[0003] U.S. publication 2005/0072748 dated Apr. 7, 2005 by Shai
also illustrates a pair of transversely spaced legs or stanchions
with a set of shelves coupled thereto by rubber O-rings to stop the
shelves from sliding down the vertically oriented legs. No mention
is made nor is there any suggestion about selectively adjusting the
location or height of the shelves but even if, speculatively, they
can be, it is questionable how reliable it would be considering the
amount of water and soap, shampoo, etc. that would be used
frequently in the shower.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The shower caddy of the present invention comprises two
members, a hanger member which has an upper end and two
transversely spaced rigid parallel downward extending legs and an
extension member having a pair of transversely spaced rigid legs
with at least one shelf attached between its legs with the hanger
and extension member legs slidably engaged or telescoped with one
another so that the extension member can be selectively adjusted
vertically to different heights. Means are provided to releasably
latch the extension member with respect to the hanger member to
suitably position the shelf on the extension member to accommodate
the height of the person using the shower and to accommodate the
height of containers which are commonly found in a shower stall on
the shelf such as containers for shampoo, liquid soap, etc. In one
form the hanger and extension legs are generally U-shaped channels
slidably engaged with one another and in another form the
telescopically engaged legs are cylindrical or tubular.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1 is an illustration of an embodiment of the invention
as it would normally appear in use;
[0006] FIG. 2 is a break-apart back or rear perspective view
illustrating the telescopic arrangement of the two sections of an
embodiment of the invention;
[0007] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a latching mechanism for use
in an embodiment of the invention;
[0008] FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 3 illustrating in part an
embodiment wherein the telescoped legs are tubular;
[0009] FIG. 5 is an alternate embodiment of the invention;
[0010] FIG. 6 illustrates the hanger section of the embodiment
shown in FIG. 5; and
[0011] FIG. 7 illustrates the extension section of the embodiment
shown in FIG. 5.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0012] Referring initially to FIGS. 1-4, a shower caddy 10
comprises an upper or hanger member 11 having a pair of
transversely spaced vertical rigid legs 11A and 11B joined together
at one end which, in use, is referred to as the upper end, by a
rigid arch 12, preferably an arcuately-shaped arch. One way in
which the caddy is mounted so that it will hang down along a wall
of the shower stall is by virtue of a cutout or recess 13 on arch
12 for engaging and resting on a pipe, not shown, for a showerhead,
not shown. Typically hanger member 11 may have a shelf 16 attached
between parallel transversely spaced legs 11A and 11B on which
shower paraphernalia, such as soap, shampoo, lotion, etc. (not
shown) rests for use by the person using the shower. Typically,
with no limitation thereto intended, shelf 16 is fixedly attached
to legs 11A and 11B. The manner in which the shelf 16 is attached
to hanger 11 is not considered to be an essential element of the
instant invention but after it is attached, it is considered to be
a permanent attachment, not adjustable with respect to legs 1 1A
and 1 1B.
[0013] Coupled to hanger member 11 at its open or lower end is an
extension member generally designated by reference numeral 18.
Extension member 18 comprises a pair of transversely spaced
parallel rigid legs 18A and 18B with at least one shelf 19 fixedly
held between legs 18A and 18B. For illustrative purposes, no
limitation intended, the embodiments illustrated in the drawings
show the hanger element as having a pair of shelves 19. Typically
at the lower end a set of hooks 20 may be attached to extension
member 18.
[0014] As seen most clearly in the break-apart views in FIG. 2 and
FIG. 3, hanger member 11 and extension member 18 are designed so
that the respective legs 11A and 11B and 18A and 18B are
telescopically or slidably engaged with one another. This permits
extension member 18 to be adjustable with respect to hanger member
11 to place the shelves 19 or any other element contained on the
extension member at different elevations or heights. This is
especially handy when the shower is being used. In this fashion the
shower caddy can be adjusted to accommodate the height of the user
and/or to accommodate the size of any container or other article
for use in the shower. In FIGS. 2 and 3 legs 18A and 18B and 11A
and 11B are shown as channels which are U-shaped in cross section
for slidable engagement with one another. FIG. 4 illustrates the
corresponding legs 1 1A, 1 1B and 18A and 18B as tubular or
cylindrical construction for slidable telescopic engagement.
[0015] A mechanism for locking the hanger and extension members at
various locations is illustrated in greater detail in FIGS. 3 and
4. A series of detent openings 21 may be formed on the outwardly
facing wall of leg 18A on extension member 18 and an outwardly
biased resilient stop member 22 is integrally formed with leg 11A
on hanger 11. Conventionally, as the two sets of legs are engaged
and slidably moved with respect to one another when stop member 22
reaches one of the detent openings 21 it springs outward to engage
the opening 21 to stop the further sliding movement between the two
sections and to hold them secured at that position or location. To
release the locking mechanism stop member 22 is depressed far
enough to allow the edge of the opening 21 to slide over stop
member 22 so that extension member 18 can then be slidably moved to
another location or height.
[0016] Preferably the caddy members are made out of a suitable
molded or extruded plastic although they may be made out of a
suitable, preferably lightweight, metal such as aluminum or
stainless steel.
[0017] The adjustable caddy illustrated in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 is very
similar to the caddy illustrated in FIGS. 14 so the same reference
numerals are used in FIGS. 5-7. The caddy 10 which is illustrated
in FIGS. 14 has the legs 1 1A and 11B of hanger member 11
telescoped within the corresponding legs 18A and 18B of extension
member 18, i.e., legs 1 1A and 11B are the inner legs and legs 18A
and 18B are the outer legs. The caddy 10 illustrated in FIGS. 5-7
has the respective legs reversed, i.e., extension legs 18A and 18B
are telescoped within legs 11A and 11B so that the latter are the
outer legs and the former are the inner legs in the telescopic
arrangement. Correspondingly, stop member 22 is located on a leg of
the extension member 18 and the corresponding detent openings 21
are located on a leg of hanger member 11.
* * * * *