Hanger for use in combination with showers and the like

May 4, 1965 j. Raphael 3,181

HANGER FOR USE IN COMBINATION WITH SHOWERS AND THE LIKE

Filed March 25, 1963

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ΑΓΤΜΡΜΕΥ?.

May 4, 1965

J. RAPHAEL

3,181,702

HANGER FOR USE IN COMBINATION WITH SHOWERS AND THE LIKE

Filed March 25, 1963

Sheets-Sheet 2

<img file="US3181702A_D0002.tif" />

May 4, 1965 j. Raphael 3,181,702

HANGER FOR USE IN COMBINATION WITH SHOWERS AND THE LIKE

Filed March 25, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 3

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<img file="US3181702A_D0004.tif" />

INVENTOR.

JVL/US MPM4FL

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United States Patent Office

3,181,792

Patented May 4, 1965

3,181,702

HANGER FOR USE IN COMBINATION WITH SHOWERS AND THE LIKE

Julius Raphael, Altadena, Calif., assignor to AI-Ray Mfg.

Co., Pasadena, Calif., a partnership Filed Mar. 25,1963, Ser. No. 267,484

Claims. (Cl. 211—119)

The present invention relates to article holders, and more particularly to article holders for holding articles, such as bathsoap, shampoo, washcloths, bath-brushes, and the like in a shower stall.

There has long existed the need for the provision of a convenient manner of holding bath articles in a position readily accessible to the user of a shower. Conventional shower stalls do not provide shelves or receptacles for receiving articles, such as bottles of shampoo, bathbrushes, and the like. Also, it is common for the soapdish fitted in shower-equipped bathtubs to be installed at positions which are not conveniently reached by an adult using the shower. It is also common for shower stalls to have no towel and washcloth racks in their interior.

It is common for bathtubs and shower stall combinations to be devoid of apparatus for hanging clothes over the bathtub in cases where wash-and-wear and drip-dry clothes are to be dried following laundering. A common expedient, therefore, is to hang drying cloths on hangers which are supported directly on a showerhead of the shower. Since the conventional showerhead angles downwardly from the wall to a nozzle fixture, the hangers engaged thereon tend to bunch together, such that the damp garments are in contact with one another and rapid drying does not result. In order to achieve rapid drying, the garments should be spaced apart from each other for relatively dry air to circulate naturally between the garments.

The present invention provides simple, effective and economic apparatus for supporting bathers’ accessory articles in a position conveniently accessible to the bather, but out of the stream of a shower jet. The invention also provides simple, effective and efficient apparatus for supporting garment hangers in spaced apart relation relative to one another in a shower stall for drip-drying of garments supported on the hangers.

Briefly stated the present invention provides apparatus for holding bathers’ articles. The apparatus comprises a rust-resistant framework including a substantially planar base having an upper end. Means are disposed at the base upper end for supporting the framework. A plurality of article support means extend from the base out of the plane of the base. The apparatus further includes means extended from the base for supporting a plurality of garment hangers in spaced apart relation laterally of each other at locations spaced from the base. As used herein, the term “showerhead” includes both the shower nozzle fixture and any piping supporting the fixture in spaced relation from a wall defining a boundary of the shower stall.

The above mentioned and other features of the present invention will be more fully understood from a review of the following description and explanation of presently preferred embodiments of the invention, such description be- ⁶⁰ing taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the invention including an article holder connected to a showerhead and a drip-dry attachment therefor; ⁶⁵

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along line II—II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional elevation view of framework coupling means taken along line III—III of FIG. 4; 70

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary elevation view of a second pre- ferred embodiment of the invention illustrating the framework of the drip-dry accessory engaged with the framework of the article holder; and

FIG. 5 is a top plan cross-sectional view taken along line V—V of FIG. 4.

Referring initially to FIG. 1, a presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, comprising an article holder 10 and a dry-dry attachment or accessory 11 therefor, is shown connected to a showerhead 12. The showerhead includes a nozzle fixture 13 and a length of piping 14 which extends from a wall 15 (see FIG. 2) defining a boundary of a shower stall in which the showerhead is installed. FIG. 1 shows piping 14 having a substantially horizontal portion 16 extending from the wall with the piping and a downwardly angled portion extending to the fixture. This method of supporting the article holder 10 is merely illustrative and it should be noted that it is within the scope of the present invention to adapt such a device for mounting to other supporting members, such as a shower door, for example.

Article holder 10 is comprised of a rust-resistant, substantially open, framework 20 preferably fabricated from lengths of chromium plated metal rod or tubular elements. The tubular elements may, and preferably do, have different diameters in various parts of the structure. The framework is substantially rigid and is preferably of generally planar configuration. The framework includes a pair of coplanar side element portions 21 and 22 which converge extending upwardly to an upper end 23 of the framework. Extending downwardly from the upper end, the side portions diverge outwardly to inwardly opening knuckles 24 and 25 from which the side portions progress downwardly coplanar of one another in outwardly concave sections 26 and 27 to second concave inwardly knuckles 28 and 29. Below the second knuckles, the framework base sides extend parallel to one another in substantially vertical orientation and then. forwardly out of the plane of the framework base in parallel legs 30 and 31 to support a tubular towel or washcloth rack element 32 engaged between the cantilevered ends of portions 30 and 31. In a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, rack 32 is comprised of a length of plastic tubing having soft rubber end caps 33 and 34 engaged over the opposite ends thereof to retain rack 32 in confining coils or return-bend eyelets 35 and 36 at the cantilevered ends of framework base rod portions 30 and 31, respectively. A washcloth or towel 37 is shown in broken lines in FIG. 1 engaged with rack 32.

A plurality of cross stay braces are provided transversely of framework base 20. An upper stay brace 38 extends between knuckles 24 and 25 substantially coplanar with the plane of the base and has its opposite ends secured to the base at the respective knuckles. In connecting stay brace 38 to knuckles 24, 25, as well as in the other connections throughout the article holder and the drip-dry accessory, the connection preferably is by welding, although the connection may be made by brazing or by other conventional connecting means. A second or intermediate stay brace 39 extends transversely of the framework between the innermost sections of curved portions 26 and 27; stay brace 39 extends outwardly beyond curved portions 26 and 27 and has its opposite ends 40' disposed forwardly of the plane of framework base 20 and covered by soft rubber fittings 40. A third or lower stay brace 41 extends between knuckles 28 and 29 and has its opposite ends connected to the knuckles. Preferably, stay braces 38, 39, and 41 are parallel and coplanar to each other and are fabricated from a tubular rod element of diameter smaller than the diameter of the rod element used in base 20.

The framework of article holder 10 defines a plurality of article supporting means. As used herein the term :4 bathers’ article, such as a bar of soap 56 shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1.

The ends of side portions 21 and 22 terminate in a horizontal section 59 of framework base 20 at the upper end of the framework. Coupling means 60 are provided at the upper end of the frame for securing the article holder to a showerhead as illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 showing the coupling means in greater detail, illustrates that the coupling- means is fabricated from a length of U-shaped extrusion 61 having a pair of depending legs 62 extending along lateral extents of the extrusion and depending therefrom.. The legs are concave toward each other and are laterally resilient and deformable relative to one another. The legs define a cylindrical 15 interior of the . extrusion which is engagable with the cylindrical exterior of showerhead pipe 14 (see FIG. 1) . Preferably the extrusion is fabricated from A.B.S. (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) plastic resin, although other materials may be used with facility. A dip mem20 ber 63 is secured to the upper end of the extrusion on the side opposite, from legs 62,. the extrusion preferably being disposed with its U-shaped , cross-section inverted with respect to the article holder. The clip member is retained on the extrusion by fastening means 64, such, as 25 the rivets: illustrated, in FIG.-3. . Between the fastening means on the upper side of the extrusion, the clip defines a lateral extension 63' which provides journalling means for horizontal portion 59 of framework base 20. The extrusion is angularly movable, with respect to the base 30 so that the article holder may depend substantially vertically from the coupling means regardless, of the inclination of the axis of symmetry of the extrusion relative to the horizontal.

In article holder 10 described above, the diverging side 35 portions 21 and 22 of the .framework base are substantially immovable relative to one another in view of the provision of first, cross brace 38. FIG. 4 illustrates an article holder 65, according to a second presently preferred embodiment of the present invention wherein 40 cross braces 38 and 39 are omitted from the framework such that knuckles: 24, 25 are. movable relative to one another in the plane of the framework base.

The article holder according to the present invention includes means for positioning the article holder in a 45 preselected position relative to a wall of the shower stall adjacent to which the article holder is disposed. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a pair of suction cups 66 are secured to the frame work base and extend rearwardly from the base to engage wall 15. When coupling means 50 60 is engaged with showerhead 12, the engagement of the suction cups with the. wall of the stall secures the article holder in a predetermined position, such that it does not swing laterally like a pendulum with respect to the showerhead.

. The present invention. encompasses a drip-dry attachment accessory for the article holder described above. FIGS.. 1, 2, 4 and 5 illustrate., drip-dry accessory 11; structure of . the accessory is . independent of the variations in structure between article, holders 10 and 65. The 60 drip-dry accessory has a laterally extending arm 69 and a base framework 7®. As illustrated in FIG. 2, arm 69 preferably is fabricated from a single length of tubular rod or wire similar to the wire from which article holder 10 is fabricated. The arm has a hinged end de65 fining a substantially vertical, hinge pin portion 71. The arm extends forwardly of. the plane of article holder-10 in a horizontal· portion 72 and then downwardly in an off-set or vertical portion 73 (allowing the arm to clear nozzle fitting 13) to a substantially, horizontally dis70 posed garment hanger support section 74. The garment hanger support section is defined by a return-bend parallel legged* portion of the wire or tubular member from which the arm is fabricated. The lower leg 74' of the return-bend section extends upwardly and is secured to 75 .the tipper leg of the garment hanger section, as at 75,

3,181,’ / 4 ' 3 j &lt;&gt;' “article supporting means” includes towel rack 32, the forwardly extending parallel portions of intermediate stay brace 39, and central article support means 42 and 43 disposed adjacent the second , and third stay braces. Article support means 42 and 43 are fabricated from a pair 5 of identical parallel legged loops 44 and 45 of chromium plated metal wire or rod and from a similar third loop 46 which is similar to loops 44 and 45 except that the lateral spacing between the parallel portions of loop 46 is greater than in loops 44 and 45. Loop 46 is disposed between jq loops 44 and 45 and the three loops are disposed symmetrically with respect to a plane vertically bisecting the article holder perpendicular to the plane of base 20. Loops 44, 45, and 46 have upper concave downwardly return-bend ends below which the loops are exposed in vertical portions 44A, 45A, 46A (see FIG. 2) extending to below second stay brace 39. The vertical portions: are disposed parallel to and spaced from the plane of the framework base. At the location below the line i)f second stay brace 39, loops 44-46 have portions 44B, 45B, 46B which extend parallelly and horizontally into the plane of the framework base, and then downwardly substantially in the plane of the base in portions 44C, 45C, 46C to second parallel and. horizontal portions 44D, 45D, 46D disposed perpendicular to the plane of framework base and below lower stay brace 41. The lower horizontal portions 44D—46D. of loops 44—46 terminate in second return-bend portions which are concave toward the plane of the base. Lower ends 47 and 48 of loops 44 and 45,. respectively, are disposed farther from the plane of the base than the end of loop 46 and are angled upwardly slightly out of the horizontal plane to define retainer means for an article supported by the second horizontal portions of the respective loops. The first and second horizontal portions of loops 44, 45 and 46 define article supporting means 42 and 43. In FIG. 1, the respective portions of loops 44, 45 and 46 referred to above are not assigned character numerals in order to maintain clarity and understanding of the configuration of the framework.

Article retainer means 50 and 51 cooperate with article support means 42 and 43, respectively. Article retainer means 50 is fabricated from a closed loop of wire or rod .similar to the wire or rod from which the above described structure is fabricated. Loop 50 has a pair of returnbend ends 52, 53 and parallel intermediate leg portions. Between the ends of the loop the legs of loop 50 are disposed vertically with respect to one another. The extremities of return-bends 52, 53 of retainer means 50 are connected to stay brace 39 at locations on the stay brace spaced equidistantly about the plane of symmetry of the framework. Portions of the legs adjacent the returnbend ends of the loop extend forwardly parallel to the plane of symmetry of the framework and then parallel to the plane of base 20 across the forward extents of vertical portions 44A—46A of loops 44-46. The legs of retainer means 50 are also connected to loops 44-46 where they cross these loops. _r .

Retainer means 51 is fabricated from a closed loop of metallic rod or wire and has substantially parallel legs extending between return-bend ends 54, 55 thereof. The intermediate portions of the legs of retainer means loop 51 are disposed in a horizontal plane perpendicular to the plane of framework base 20 and are connected to the undersides of second horizontal portions 44D-46D of loops 44-46. The ends of loop 51 are disposed upwardly with respect to this horizontal plane at locations spaced apart laterally and outwardly of loops 44-46. The first vertical and first horizontal portions of loops 44-66, in combination with stay brace 39 and first retainer means 50, define an open lattice-work receptacle for an article, such as a bottle of shampoo: The second horizontal portions of loops 44-46, in combination with the second vertical portions of the loops and retainer means loop 51, define a second upwardly open lattice-like receptacle for a

3,181,702 adjacent vertical off-set portion 73. The connection between the two legs of the garment hanger section is to assure structural rigidity of the arm. A plurality of garment hanger detent means, such as balls 76, are disposed at spaced apart locations along the elongate extent of 5 garment hanger support section 74 of arm 69. Preferably balls 76 are secured to the upper extents of the lower one of the parallel legs of the return-bend garment hanger support section. When the arm is engaged within its supporting framework 70 and garment hang- io ers, each supporting a damp garment to be dried, are engaged with the arm, the balls or detent means assure that the hangers maintain a spaced apart relation one to another, even though the arm may deflect somewhat from the horizontal in response to the load disposed 15 thereon. Preferably, the garment hanger support section of arm 69 is disposed forwardly of the forwardmost portions of article holder 10 to assure that the garments supported on the hangers do not come into contact with the article holder. 20

Accessory framework 70 is in the form of an open substantially planar framework having spaced apart ends 78 and 79. As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, preferably the framework is fabricated from a pair of substantially parallel horizontal tubular elements 80, 81 having re- 25 turn-bend eyelet portions 82 at each of their opposite ends. The return-bend portions 82 extend forwardly from the horizontal elements and then back toward the central portions of the elements with the extreme ends of the rods being angled forwardly and inwardly toward 30 the plane of symmetry of accessory framework 70. The plane of symmetry of the accessory framework preferably corresponds to the plane of symmetry of the article holder when the two frameworks are engaged. The projecting ends of the return-bend loops or eyelets are covered 35 with soft rubber fittings 83. The upper and lower horizontal elements 8® and 81 of accessory framework 70 are secured relative to one another by a hinge clip member 84, preferably farbricated from a length of heavy gauge sheet metal having opposite ends disposed rearwardly from the plane in which the lateral elements 80 and 81 are disposed. The rearwardly eytending ends of pintle clip 84 define a pair of vertically spaced apart hinge bearings 85 and 86 (see FIG. 2) having apertures, such as aperture 87 in bearing 86, therethrough for receiving 45 hinge pin portion 71 of the drip-dry accessory arm 69. Preferably, hinge clip member 84 is disposed symmetrical with the plane of symmetry of the accessory framework.

Arm positioning means are provided in framework 70.

As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the arm positioning means 50 preferably takes the form of a circularly configured tubular element disposed concentric to hinge clip member 84 and preferably coplanar with elements 8® and 81. An off-set or recessed portion 89 of member 88 is provided at the upper extent thereof in the plane of sym- 55 metry of the accessory framework. Horizontal portion 72 of arm 69 is engageable in off-set 89 to maintain the arm in the plane of symmetry of the article holder and accessory framework to assure that eccentric loads are not imposed upon the article holder. Preferably loop 88 60 is fabricated from a tubular element having the same diameter as the tubular element from which the upper stay brace 38 of article holder 1® is fabricated.

Accessory retaining means are provided for retaining the accessory framework 70 relative to article holders 1® ⁶⁵or 65. When accessory framework 7® is used in conjunction with article holder 10, a portion of the accessory retaining means is provided by a lower extent 90 of loop member 88. The remainder of the article retaining means is provided by a pair of tubular members of ⁷⁰framework 20. Referring to FIG. 1, a loop 91 of tubular structural material is secured to the forward side of framework base 20 between stay braces 38 and 39. Loop 91 has an upper return-bend end 92 disposed above ₇₅ upper stay brace 39 and a lower return-bend end 93 disposed below second stay brace 39. Loop 91 also defines a portion of the upper article receptacle of the framework in conjunction with article retainer means 50. A second tubular element 94 is secured to the rear side of framework 2® and has a horizontal portion 95 disposed spaced apart from and parallel to stay brace 38 adjacent end 92 of loop element 91. Element 94 also has vertically disposed side portions 96 spaced laterally from the plane of symmetry of the article holder and extending downwardly to forwardly curved ends 96' which define additional article supporting means for the article holder.

It was noted above, that preferably the tubular element from which circular member 88 is fabricated has substantially equal dimensions horizontally of the plane of article holder base 2© as upper stay brace 38. Since a preferred form of connection of the tubular elements one to another in the present invention is through welding, the lateral distance between the rear and forward extremities of members 91 and 95, respectively, is less than the corresponding lateral dimension of stay brace 38.

Accessory framework 70 is engaged with the article holder substantially as shown in FIG. 1 with the eyelet or return-bend ends 82 of members 80 and 81 engaged with side portions 21 and 22 of article holder 10. The engagement of the side portions of the article holder within the eyelets is facilitated by deformation of rubber fittings 83 and by resilient deformation of the eyelets. Once engaged with the article holder, the accessory framework is moved toward the lower portion of the article holder such that lower portion 90 of circular member 88 is forcibly engaged between upper end 92 of loop member 91 and horizontal portion 95 of the member 94 (see FIG. 2) and is clamped therebetween.

It was noted above that the article holder has two embodiments. In FIG. 4 article holder 65 has no upper stay brace, betwen knuckles 24 and 25. Accordingly, the upper side portions 21 and 22 are movable toward and away from each other about the upper end of the framework by resilient deformation of the framework. Such deformation of side portion 22 relative to side portion 21 is indicated by dashed lines 97 in FIG. 4. In article holder 65 (shown in FIG. 4) the retaining means for the accessory framework is provided in the form of a detent means mounted on the upper side portions of the article holder framework adjacent knuckles 24 and 25, respectively. In. the. second presently preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 4, the detent means are provided by metal balls 98 and 99 secured to side portions 21 and 22, respectively, adjacent knuckles 24 and 25, respectively. To engage framework 70 of the dripdry accessory, knuckles 24 and 25 are moved toward each other against the resilient bias provided by the material from which the framework is constructed to the dotted line position shown in FIG. 4. Eyelet or return-bend loop 82 at ends 79 of framework element 81 is engageable with the right uper side portion 22 of framework base 20 below ball 99; the eyelet at the adjacent end of element 80 is. also engageable with article holder side portion 22. Similarly, eyelets 82 at end 78 of the framework base member 81 are engageable with side portion 21 below and above detent ball 98, respectively. Applied force between the knuckles is then released such that the side portions spring back into the positions illustrated in solid lines in FIG. 4, in which case the upwardly converging configuration of the side portions induces the accessory framework to slide upwardly. Such upward sliding movement of the accessory framework relative to the article holder framework is prevented by the presence of detents 98 and 99. Accordingly, the accessory framework is removably retained on the article holder framework.

In view of the above described structure, it is possible to sell the article holder and drip-dry accessory either as a unit, or to sell the article holder separately for addi3,181,702

10:

garment hangers in spaced apart relation laterally of each other. .

. 5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the coupling means ' comprises a U-shaped extrusion, having laterally resilient concave inwardly legs, and a clip member secured to the extrusion and journalling the framework upper end in cooperation with the extrusion. .

' 6. Apparatus, for positioning bathers’ accessories , in position accessible to a bather using a shower stall having a showerhead extended from a wall of the stall, the apparatus comprising a rust resistant substantially rigid open framework fabricated entirely from metal rods, the framework including a substantially planar open base haying an upper end, coupling means connected to the base upper end for releasably coupling the framework, to the. showerhead and comprising, a U-shaped extrusion having laterally resilient legs concave inwardly of each other, at least one article support means extended from the base out of the plane thereof, at least one article retainer means connected to the base and .cooperating with the article support means for. retaining an article supported oh the cooperating support means, and . means connected to the framework and extending, from the framework Opposite from the article support and .retainer means for securing: the framework in a fixed position below the showerhead by engagement with the wall.

7. An accessory for a bathers’; article holder, the article holder positioning- selected bathers’, supplies.in accessible position to a bather using a shower stall in which the article holder is disposed, , the-accessory having utility, in drying drip-dry garments hung in the shower stall, the article holder comprising an open framework dependent from a showerhead and including a pair of laterally spaced apart coplanar rod portions, an accessory, retaining means, the accessory comprising a framework having laterally spaced apart ends,..a substantially rigid arm extending substantially horizontally normal to the accessory framework intermediate the ends thereof, a plurality of garment hanger detent means spaced apart from each other along the arm remote from; the accessory framework the accessory framework including means for engaging the holder between the spaced apart article holder rod portions, said means .for engaging comprising a pair of return-bend elements extending from each end thereof and engageable with one of the article holder rod portions at spaced apart locations, therealong, the accessory engaging the. accessory retaining means, when the accessory^ engaged with the article holder.

8. An accessory for a bathers’ article holder, the article holder positioning selected bathers’ supplies in positions accessible to. a bather, the accessory having utility , m supporting damp drip-dry garments.for.,drying thereof, the article holder comprising a resiliently deformable framework including a pair of laterally spaced apart coplanar and. converging side portions, accessory retaining means on the; framework, the accessory comprising a framework having laterally. spaced apart ends, a substanma/to the accessory framework intermediate the ends thereof, a plurality of garment hanger detent means spaced apart from each other on the arm remote from the accessory . framework, the accessory framework inincluding; means.for engaging the holder between the spaced apart article holder side portions, said means for engaging comprising a pair of return-bend elements extending from each: end thereof and engageable with one of the article holder side portions at; spaced apart locations therealong, the side portions being deformable toward one another for engagement with the accessory retaining means comprising a projection on each side por'7 ......

tion of a drip-dry accessory thereto at a later , date. Similarly, the present invention encompasses a drip-dry accessory having its own showerhead coupling means and having a basic structure similar to that shown in FIG. 4.

The foregoing description of the present invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, lias presented simple, efficient, and economic means for supporting and holding bathers’ articles in position accessible to a bather. The invention further encompasses an accessory for such article holder which adapts the article holder for support of garment hangers for dripdrying wash-and-wear garments in a shower stall.