Retractable shower expander assembly

• US 7,987,532 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2010
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: David B. Bathurst, Veronica L. Bathurst
• Original Assignee: David B. Bathurst, Veronica L. Bathurst
• Inventors: Bathurst, David B., Bathurst, Veronica L.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TUAN N
• Application Number:
  US12/661,283
• Publication Number:
  US 20100170034A1
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• Field of Search: 455/7, 455/8, 460/7, 460/8, 461/0, 494/25
• US Class Current: 4/558
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 3/30 Screens or collapsible cabinets for showers or baths A47K3/283 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 3/38 Curtain arrangements curtains, curtain suspension devices A47H

Abstract

A shower curtain support system consists of a support guide member having a center portion, two opposing ends, two holders, and an attached shower curtain. The two holders are fixedly attached to the two opposing end walls of a shower stall or tub enclosure, and are usably adjoined, one on each end, to the support guide member. Each holder consists of a roller bracket having rollers and spacers attached to the roller bracket. The rollers communicate with the longitudinal slots on each of the two opposing ends of the support guide member. The support guide member is movable between a first extended position wherein the support guide member, with an attached shower curtain, is extended out at the top creating a maximum amount of space inside the shower stall or tub enclosure. In the second position the support guide member is retracted within the space defining the shower stall or tub enclosure.

Claims

1. A shower curtain support system adapted to temporarily increase the space inside of a shower stall or bathtub enclosure so as to not permanently intrude into the space surrounding said shower stall or bathtub enclosure and thereby being more aesthetically pleasing when not in use, said shower curtain support system comprising:

a support guide member having opposing ends laterally extending from a center portion for supporting a shower curtain between at least two positions, said opposing ends further having a longitudinal slot the length thereof;

a pair of support guide holders, each one of said pair of support guide holders having a side face mounted to opposing walls of said shower stall or bathtub enclosure for holding said support guide member at said at least two positions;

each of said support guide holders having;

at least one aperture;

at least one fastener mounted in said at least one aperture;

a roller member mounted to said at least one fastener; and

a spacer member mounted between said roller member and said support guide holder whereby said roller member extends in a direction away from said support guide holder to ride into said longitudinal slot of said hollow support guide member as said support guide member moves from one of said at least two positions to the other of said at least two positions such that at said one of said at least two positions said center portion of said hollow support guide member temporarily intrudes into said space surrounding said shower stall or bathtub enclosure and at said other of said at least two positions said center portion of said hollow support guide member is within said space defining said shower stall or bathtub enclosure to provide increased space to the user of said shower stall or bathtub enclosure during use thereof;

means for mounting said side face of said of pair of support guide holders to a respective one of said opposing walls surrounding said shower stall or bathtub enclosure.

2. The shower curtain support system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said pair of support guide holders further comprises:

a pair of elongated brackets, each one of said pair of elongated brackets configured for mounting to a respective one of said opposing walls surrounding said shower stall or bathtub enclosure; and

each one of said pair of elongated brackets having at least one through aperture therein such that said at least one fastener, mounted in said at least one aperture of each respective one of said support guide members extends into said through aperture of a respective one of each of said pair of elongated brackets for mounting each one of said pair of elongated brackets to a respective one of said opposing walls surrounding said shower stall or bathtub enclosure.

3. The shower curtain support system as claimed in claim 1 further comprises said roller member being fixedly adjoined to said spacer member to form a unitary structure, said unitary structure having a through aperture therein.

4. The shower curtain support system as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said pair of support guide holders is configured so as to be interchangeable as right or left hand.

5. The shower curtain support system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said support guide member further comprises:

a tubular member having;

opposing ends;

a hollow interior;

at least one aperture at each of said opposing ends;

an adjustable center portion;

means for fixedly positioning said support guide member on said pair of support guide holders; and

means for retaining said support guide member on said pair of support guide holders.

6. The shower curtain support system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a shower curtain liner and wherein said support guide member further comprises:

said center portion for supporting said shower curtain having;

a slotted aperture; and

at least two hanger members, each hanger member having one end communicating with one of said shower curtain liner and said shower curtain for supporting and an opposing end extending into said slotted aperture to enable traversing of said one of said shower curtain liner and said shower curtain.

7. The shower curtain support system as claimed in claim 6 wherein said support guide member further comprises means for moving said shower curtain and said shower curtain liner independently of each other on said support guide member.

9. The shower curtain support system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said spacer member is fixedly adjoined to said support guide holder to form a unitary structure, said unitary structure having a through aperture.

8. A shower curtain support system adapted to temporarily increase the space inside of a shower stall or bathtub enclosure so as to not permanently intrude into the space surrounding said shower stall or bathtub enclosure and thereby being more aesthetically pleasing when not in use, said shower curtain support system comprising:

a support guide member having opposing ends laterally extending from a center portion for supporting a shower curtain between at least two positions, said opposing ends further having a longitudinal slot the length thereof;

a pair of support guide holders, each one of said pair of support guide holders having a side face mounted to opposing walls surrounding said shower stall or bathtub enclosure for holding said support guide member at said at least two positions;

roller means engaging said longitudinal slot in said opposing ends of said support guide member for movably rolling said support guide member from a first position to a second position, said first position temporarily intruding into said space surrounding said shower stall or bathtub enclosure, said second position being within said space defining said shower stall or bathtub enclosure to provide increased space to the user of said shower stall or bathtub enclosure during use thereof.