Abstract:
A space-creating shower curtain hook hanging from a shower curtain rod. It includes a shower rod hook engaging the shower curtain rod; a neck disposed upwards and inwards from the shower rod hook; a first connector disposed along the neck engaging a shower liner; and a stem connected to the neck and disposed downwards. The weight of the shower liner causes the space-creating shower curtain hook to rotate about the shower curtain rod, contacting the stem to the shower liner, and disposing the shower liner outwards of the shower curtain rod.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/537,464 filed Sep. 21, 2011. The provisional application is incorporated herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a device for holding the shower curtain away from the body of a person taking a shower. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     When showers are taken in bathtubs, shower curtains are often used to retain the water within the confines of the bathtub. Typically, a shower curtain has up to 12 grommet holes at the top, and it hangs from a set of up to 12 hooks that each engage with a grommet hole, and collectively to a curtain rod located above the shower head. Because of the flow of water and air while showering, the shower curtain tends to swell inwardly, sometimes clinging to the body of the person taking the shower, which most people find unpleasant. The present invention provides a space-creating shower curtain hook for retaining a shower curtain away from the person&#39;s body during a shower. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The examples of the present invention are described with reference to the attached drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a side elevation view of the space-creating shower curtain hook; 
         FIG. 2  is a front elevation view of the space-creating shower curtain hook; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the space-creating shower curtain hook; 
         FIG. 4  is a front elevation view of another example of the space-creating shower curtain hook; 
         FIG. 5  is a side elevation view of the other example of the space-creating shower curtain hook; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the other example of the space-creating shower curtain hook; and 
         FIG. 7  is a force diagram of the space-creating shower curtain hook. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a space-creating shower curtain hook, in accordance with an example of the invention, can be made of any suitable material such as metal or plastic. A standard shower curtain arrangement is shown in phantom lines in  FIG. 1 . The shower curtain rod on which the curtain is hung is shown at  16  and the curtain itself at  18 . As is conventional, a multiplicity (up to 12) hooks retain shower curtain  18  on the rod  16 . 
     The effect of the space-creating shower curtain hook prevents the shower curtain from swelling inwardly toward the person&#39;s body when the shower is turned on. The space-creating shower curtain hook has a pair of spaced apart hooks  12  and  14  which engage onto the shower curtain rod  16 . The hooks  12  and  14  connect to a neck  15  that acts as a lever with shower curtain rod  16  as its fulcrum. The neck  15  includes a connector  11  which is located at or near the end of the neck  15 . The neck  15  is connected (through the connector  11 ) to a stem  10 , which is longer than the neck  15 . One of the grommet holes of the shower curtain  18  engages with the space-creating shower curtain hook at its connector  11 . Since the connector  11  is a distance away from the shower curtain rod  16 , the natural weight of the shower curtain  18 , when engaged with connector  11 , levers the neck  15  downward, and in so doing, forces the stem  10  to push against the shower curtain  18  and thus, away from the body of the person taking a shower. 
     The neck  15  and the connector  11  project inwards and upwards toward an interior of the shower and above a head of the user. Thus, the stem  10  is hidden from outside the shower by the shower curtain. In an example, the neck  15  and stem  10  can be designed as such so the base of the curtain  18  does not fall outside the wall of the shower/tub when used with shower/bath tub combination. In another example, a second connector can project from the base of the neck  10  and toward the outside of the shower. The second connector can be used to hang a second curtain in front of the curtain  18 . The second connector can be placed approximate to connector  11  or disposed down the neck, nearer to the hooks  12 ,  14 . This can space the typically heaver second curtain away from the curtain  18 , so as to not apply its weight to the curtain  18  and “tip” the space-creating shower curtain hook back. 
     An example of a two connector space-creating shower curtain hook is illustrated in  FIGS. 4-6 . As shown, a space-creating shower curtain hook  100  includes shower rod hooks  120  that engage the shower rod. The rod hooks  120  extend into a neck  150  that can project higher than the shower rod and rod hooks  120 . The neck  15  also extends somewhat inward of the shower curtain rod, i.e., into the shower area. The neck  150  can have a first connector  110  and a second connector  111 . The first connector  110  can engage the inner shower curtain, also called a liner, at one of the liner&#39;s grommet holes. The typically decorative outer shower curtain engages the second connector  111  at one of its grommet holes. 
     Extending past the neck  150  is the stem  101  which is directed downwards toward the floor of the shower, and in this example, extends past the shower rod and rod hooks  120 . Multiple space-creating shower curtain hooks  100  can be joined at the stems  101  by numerous methods. Multiple hooks  100  can be joined by physically joining the bottom of the stems  101  with adhesive or welding. Two hooks  100  can be formed at the opposite ends of a single length of material and bent at the proper location. Further, two hooks  100  can be permanently or non-permanently joined with a joiner  190 . In one example, the joiner  190  is a flexible piece of hollow tubing that can engage the stems  101  and bend so both rod hooks  120  can engage the shower rod. 
     As above, since the first connector  110  is a distance away from the shower curtain rod, the natural weight of the liner, when engaged with connector  110 , levers the neck  150  downward, and in so doing, forces the stem  101  to push against the liner and thus, away from the body of the person taking a shower. The second connector  111  can be disposed lower on the neck  150 , thus closer to the shower rod, than the first connector  110 . This puts the outer shower curtain closer to the shower rod and provides some, but less, force than the liner, because of the length of the fulcrum arm. Put simply, the torque generated around the shower rod to push out the liner is based on the mass of the liner/outer curtain and its distance from the shower rod. 
     The forces can be seen in  FIG. 7 . As illustrated, the rod hooks  120  can rotate around shower curtain rod  16 , which acts as a pivot or fulcrum point. The arm is the neck  150  and the distance from the shower curtain rod  16  to each of the first and second connectors  110 ,  111  defines the length over which the force acts. A first force F 1  is created by the weight of a liner  20  pulling down on the first connector  110  and second force F 2  is created by the weight of the shower curtain  18 . These forces F 1 , F 2  create a torque τ, which in  FIG. 7  acts clockwise and moves the stem  101  to the left of the page pushing the liner  20  and curtain  18  outward, toward the left, as well. 
     It is contemplated that the space-creating shower curtain hook will be approximately 2″ wide and 18″ long although obviously the dimensions are not a part of the invention. For packaging and storage purposes, the space-creating shower curtain hook may be sold as separate parts in the form of a kit which can be assembled by the user after purchase. The stem  10  of the space-creating shower curtain hook may also be removable and/or retractable using a stem joint  17 . It might also vary in length so as to provide customized utility. 
     Further, the hooks  12 ,  14 ,  120  can be closed, as to be slid on the shower rod before installation or open to allow for removability. Also, the hooks  12 ,  14 ,  120  can be beaded, coated, or plain, to allow for ease of movement along the shower rod. 
     While there are descriptions of examples as set forth above, the descriptions and drawings that form a portion of the disclosure are not to be understood to limit the present invention. A variety of alternate examples and operating technologies should be obvious to those skilled in the art.