TOWEL RACK

In one aspect there is provided a towel rack having a width and comprising a wall mounting bracket and a towel support frame. The wall mounting bracket is for fastening the towel rack to a wall. The towel support frame is supported by the wall mounting bracket and defines a perimeter thereabout and a plane therebetween. The length of the perimeter is longer than the width of the towel rack. The towel support frame may be secured in a drying configuration so as to orient said plane substantially perpendicular to the wall. When in the drying configuration, a towel may be positioned on the towel support frame substantially around said perimeter.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The field of present invention relates generally to bathroom fixtures, and, more particularly, to a towel rack.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Conventional towel bars are generally mounted permanently to a wall. In its simplest form, a towel bar is a bar connected at each end to a mounting member, wherein the mounting members are then connected to the wall so as to locate the bar about two to three inches, or so, from the wall. One problem with conventional towel bars is that they are intended, at best, to only hang a single unfolded bath towel. At best, two bath towels may be hung on a single bar in a folded or bunched-up state.

For example, 80% or more of standard bath towels are 27 inches or 30 inches wide and a standard bath sheet width is 35 inches. However, approximately 80% or more of standard towel bars are only 18 inches to 24 inches long. These dimensions have not been purposefully engineered of designed to correspond to standard towel widths. As such, in order to hang a 27 inch towel without being bunched up, an oversized 30 or 36 inch bar is required. However, most towel bars are not long enough to accommodate a standard towel without the towel having to be folded into itself, bunched-up or overlapped, therefore greatly reducing the ability to dry quickly and encouraging mildew growth. Two 27 inch towels do not fit on a 36 inch towel bar without folding them in half or needing to bunch them. Hanging a multiple towels bunched or folded will not allow them to dry as quick as would being stretched fully and draped once over a bar, as air could not circulate as freely around the towel.

Standard towel bars, as described above, also take up a great amount of wall space. Most household bathrooms have limited wall space and usually have one or two towel bars. Households with more than two family members have to stack towels over one another on bars due to limited wall and towel bar space or use hooks to hang towels which cause the towels to bunch together from the hook and prevent the full surface of the towel to be open for drying. This presents a problem of unpleasant smell as a wet towel is more susceptible for mildew, mold and bacteria than a dry towel.

Finally, some home owners prefer to display towels in different and unique ways, for aesthetic reasons. However, a simple straight towel bar does not provide many different options to visually display a towel in different or unique configurations.

Accordingly, what is needed is a towel rack that takes up less area of a wall than a standard towel rack, still supports a standard bath towel in an unfolded configuration, provides greater air flow through and around a hanging towel and provides a home owner or user with different and additional display configurations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In an embodiment of the invention, there is provided a towel rack having a width and comprising a wall mounting bracket and a towel support frame. The wall mounting bracket is for fastening the towel rack to a wall. The towel support frame is supported by the wall mounting bracket and defines a perimeter thereabout and a plane therebetween. The length of the perimeter is longer than the width of the towel rack. The towel support frame may be secured in a drying configuration so as to orient said plane substantially perpendicular to the wall. When in the drying configuration, a towel may be positioned on the towel support frame substantially around said perimeter.

In another embodiment, the towel rack comprises a wall mounting bracket, a towel support frame, pivoting means and position locking means. The towel support frame is supported by the wall mounting bracket which, in turn, fastenes the towel rack to a wall. The pivoting means to allow the towel support frame to pivot within the wall mounting bracket between a drying configuration and a display configuration. The position locking means to releasably secure the towel support frame in either the display configuration or the drying configuration.

Various embodiments of the pivoting means are provided, including a clamp which may loosely support the towel support frame and a void in the wall mounting bracket, through which the towel support frame may be positioned. Various embodiments of the position locking means are provided, including a clamp which may tightly fasten around the towel support frame in a friction fit and a polygonal fitting on the towel support frame that may be biased into a corresponding polygonal socket on the wall mounting bracket in a mated arrangement.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following description is of preferred embodiments by way of example only and without limitation to the combination of features necessary for carrying the invention into effect. Reference is to be had to the Figures in which identical reference numbers identify similar components. The drawing figures are not necessarily to scale and certain features are shown in schematic or diagrammatic form in the interest of clarity and conciseness.

Referring to the figures, embodiments of a towel rack10for hanging a towel T thereon are shown. The towel rack10preferably comprises a wall mount bracket12and a towel support frame14connected thereon. Wall mount bracket12facilitates mounting of the towel rack10to a wall A in a conventional manner (e.g. via screws). Wall mount bracket may therefore be provided with screw openings12o

Having reference toFIG. 1, the towel support frame14may be provided in a variety of shapes including but not limited to an oval, rectangle, square or any other polygonal shape (e.g. triangle as shown inFIG. 10). The embodiment of the towel rack10provided inFIG. 1shows the towel support frame14having a substantially oval shape. The towel support frame14comprises a proximal section or proximal member16in which a portion thereof engages the wall mount bracket12, at least one intermediate section or intermediate member17,17′, and a distal section or distal member18spaced from the proximal member16by means of the at least one intermediate member17,17′. The terms proximal member16and distal member18are used for convenience, to designate the spatial relationship of said members16,18relative to the wall mount bracket12. These members16,17,18, may also be referred to as a first member16second member17and third member18.

Towel support frame14may also be constructed of one continuous unit, rather than discrete members, in which case the towel support frame14will have a proximal section16, at least one intermediate section17,17′ and a distal section18, rather than discrete members. As such, it will be understood that when referring to proximal, intermediate or distal “members”, the invention will also encompass embodiments where the towel support frame14is a single unit having proximal, intermediate and distal sections.

The proximal member16, intermediate member(s)17,17′, and distal member18define a plane P therebetween. The length (or radius of curvature) of the at least one intermediate member17,17′ substantially determines the amount of space D between the proximal member16and distal member18, such as when the various components16,17,17′,18are assembled into the towel support frame14. When D is equal to zero, the towel support frame14substantially simulates a bar style towel rack as is known in the art. Benefits of the present embodiment may be realized when D is at least a size so that, when a towel is hung substantially around the perimeter R of the plane P, the surfaces of the towel are not in contact, thereby allowing air more easily to flow therebetween.

A towel T may be hung about the perimeter R of the plane P (e.g. seeFIGS. 11-12). Advantageously, upon hanging a towel T about the perimeter R of the plane P, air is able to flow more easily past adjacent surfaces of the towel T as compared with traditional bar, or hook style towel racks, where such adjacent surfaces are more likely to be bunched or clumped together. More advantageously, towel rack10, with proximal member16, intermediate member(s)17,17′, and distal member18, provides a perimeter R about which a towel T may be supported; said perimeter R having a width W that is less than half the length of the overall perimeter R. For example, if the length of each of the proximal and distal members16,18is the conventional 24 inches, and the length of the intermediate members17,17′ is 1 inch, then the perimeter R of the towel support frame14will be approximately 50 inches, while the width W of the towel rack10will be only 24 inches. Advantageously, a towel rack10with such dimensions will be able to support a large unfolded bath towel (with a width of up to 50 inches) along the perimeter R, while only requiring 24 inches of width along a wall A or other structure upon which the towel rack10is mounted.

The towel rack10is preferably provided with pivoting means100, to allow the towel support frame14to pivot along the longitudinal axis L of the proximal member16, about a pivot point within wall mount bracket12. Preferably towel rack10can pivot between a drying configuration (FIG. 7) wherein the plane P of the towel support frame14is substantially perpendicular to a wall A, and a display configuration (FIG. 8) wherein the plane P of the towel support frame14is substantially parallel to the wall A.

Position locking means110are preferably provided to releasably secure towel support frame14at the display configuration, the drying configuration, or at additional pivotable positions therebetween. Advantageously, the embodiments provided herein allow a towel support frame14to pivot providing for multiple configurations in which to hang and display a towel T. Furthermore, the distance between the wall A and the distal member18of the towel support frame14decreases as the angle of the towel support frame14changes from any position other than being substantially perpendicular to the wall, providing the user to increase space in a bathroom when the towel moved to the display position (e.g. when the towel T is dry).

Various preferred embodiments of the pivoting means100and position locking means110are shown by having reference toFIGS. 2-6.FIG. 2is an exploded view of the embodiment of the towel rack10inFIG. 1. The towel rack10comprises a wall mount bracket12having a wall surface engagement end20for fastening the wall mount bracket12to a wall, and an attachment end21for accepting the proximal member16of the towel support frame14therethrough. The proximal member16preferably comprises a center section24for slidably connecting through the attachment end21of the wall mount bracket12. The center section24preferably comprises a polygonal fitting26for engaging a corresponding polygonal socket40(seeFIG. 3) for releasably securing the towel support frame14at various angles relative to the wall mount bracket12(and any wall A on which the towel rack10is mounted).

Preferably, the proximal member16further comprises a first end16aand a second end16bextending in opposing directions along the longitudinal axis L of the proximal member's center section24. More preferably, the towel support frame14further comprises a first intermediate member17having a first end17aand a second end17band a second intermediate member17′ having a first end17a′ and a second end17b′. The first and second intermediate members17,17′ preferably have a substantially similar cross section as the first and second ends of the proximal member16and the distal member18. The area of the cross section of the first and second intermediate members17,17′ are preferably sized to accept the first end and the second end16a,16bof the proximal member16therein. In a similar manner, a distal member18is preferably provided having a center section19, first end18aand a second end18bextending along distal member's longitudinal axis L′ and sized to engage the second ends17b,17b′ of the first and second intermediate members17,17′ therein. The length of the proximal member16and the distal member18may be similar.

The distance between the first and second ends16a,18a,16b,18bof the proximal member16and the distal member18dictate any expansion and contraction of the towel support frame14. The towel support frame14is in its smallest position (with the smallest perimeter R) when the first intermediate member17and the second intermediate member17′ are adjacent the center sections19,24respectively. The towel support frame14is in its largest position (with the greatest perimeter R) when the first intermediate member17and the second intermediate member17′ are only placed over the ends16a,16b,18a,18b.Towel support frame size locking means200is preferably provided to selectively and securably lock the towel support frame14in a desired sized configuration. Towel support frame size locking means200, preferably comprises conventional buttons202mounted on flexible tabs203and a series of corresponding opening or holes204suitable to accept buttons202therein and lock the towel support frame14in a desired size.

FIG. 3provides a partial cutaway view of the wall mount bracket12of the embodiment ofFIG. 1. The wall mount bracket12comprises a wall surface engagement end20for securing the wall mount bracket12to a wall A and an attachment end21opposite the wall mount bracket12for connecting the towel support frame14thereon. In the present embodiment the attachment end21comprises a void V therethrough for accepting the center section24therein. A first portion46of the attachment end21may have a circular cross section of a specified diameter for allowing the center section24to slidably connect thereto. A second portion48of the attachment end21may be a polygonal socket22, having a cross section in the shape of a polygon for accepting the polygonal fitting26in a mating configuration and thereby preventing the towel support frame14from pivoting about the attachment end21(i.e. when the fitting26is mated with the socket22).

The wall mount bracket12may also comprise a light source42for creating an esthetically pleasing glow about the towel rack and towel hanging therefrom. The light source42may act as a nightlight in a bathroom to replace a traditional night light. The light source42may have an on and off switch or it may have a motion sensor to react to movement in a room within the parameters of the motion sensor. A battery compartment44may be provided to accept a power source, such as a battery, for powering the light source42. The wall mount bracket12may also comprise an air flowing apparatus such as a fan for assisting ambient air to flow past the surface of the towel hanging therefrom.

Having reference toFIG. 4, a cutaway view of the wall mount bracket12having the proximal member16located therein is provided. The center section24slidably engages the first portion46of the attachment end21and the polygonal fitting26slidably engages the second portion48of the attachment end21. Preferably, an O-ring fitting50having an inner diameter and an outer diameter is provided and friction fit into the end of the first portion46of the attachment end46. The inner diameter of the O-ring fitting50is sized to allow the center section24to slide therethrough but prevents the polygonal fitting26from sliding out or through. The O-ring fitting50allows the proximal member16to be displaced within the attachment end21to disengage the polygonal fitting26from the polygonal socket22for pivoting the proximal member16and the towel support frame14.

In operation, and having reference toFIGS. 5 and 6, a biasing means60having a first end62and a second end64is provided. The biasing means60may be a spring or any other apparatus known in the art. In the present embodiment the first end62engages the inner surface of the O-ring fitting50. The biasing means60slidably fits over the diameter of the center section24where the second end64engages the polygonal fitting26. The biasing means60is naturally biased for exerting a force against the polygonal fitting26thereby assisting in maintaining engagement between the polygonal fitting26and the polygonal socket end22.

FIG. 6illustrates one embodiment of the pivoting means100when shows the proximal member16being displaced within the attachment end21. Pivoting means100of this embodiment comprises center section24and void V of the attachment end21. InFIG. 6, the biasing means60is compressed between the O-ring fitting50and the polygonal fitting26. The center section24is displaced through the O-ring fitting50and out of the attachment end21. The polygonal fitting is displaced out of the polygonal socket end22and is positioned within the first portion of the attachment end21adjacent the polygonal socket end22wherein the proximal member16may pivot the towel support frame14into different positions relative to the wall mounting bracket12and any wall A. Upon locating the desired position of the towel support frame14, relative to the bracket12and any wall A, the biasing means60exerts a force on the proximal member16and the polygonal fitting26re-engages with the polygonal socket end22thereby securably supporting the towel support frame14in the new orientation. As such, biasing means60, polygonal fitting26and polygonal socket48comprise the position locking means110of this embodiment.

Having reference toFIGS. 7 and 8, an alternate embodiment of pivoting means100and position locking means110is illustrated. As in the other embodiments, the towel rack10comprises wall mount bracket12and a towel support frame14. However, in the present embodiment, the wall mount bracket12further comprises a clamp70shaped to engage the proximal member16of the towel support frame14in a friction fit when said clamp is tightened and in a pivoting configuration when clamp is loosened. Thus, in this embodiment, clamp70functions as both the pivoting means100and position locking means110. The clamp70may be tightened about the proximal member16with a clamp tightener72. The clamp tightener72may be a screw or bolt wherein it engages two arms74a,74bof the clamp70to releasably secure the towel support frame14in the desired position.

Having reference toFIG. 9, another embodiment of a wall mount bracket12is provided. This embodiment of the wall mount bracket12comprises a wall surface engagement member20, at least one bracket clamp90connected thereto for holding an extension member92. The extension member92comprises an attachment end21. The extension member92engages the at least one bracket clamp90for adjusting the positioning of the attachment end21relative to the wall mount bracket12. The attachment end21in the present embodiment comprises the polygonal socket22configuration as described above, but one skilled in the art would understand that any style of an attachment end such as the clamp embodiment (FIGS. 7 and 8) could also be substituted on this embodiment of wall mount bracket12.

Having reference toFIG. 10, another embodiment of a towel rack10is provided. The towel rack10comprises yet another embodiment of a wall mount bracket12. The wall mount bracket12comprises a pair of wall engagement surface ends12a,12bfor abutting to two planer intersecting walls. The pair of wall engagement surface ends12a,12bprovide convenient means to secure the towel rack10to the corner of a room such as a bathroom, allowing a user more options for locating the towel rack10.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that various modifications to the invention as described herein will be possible without falling outside the scope of the invention. In the claims, the word “comprising” is used in its inclusive sense and does not exclude other elements being present. The indefinite article “a” before a claim feature does not exclude more than one of the features being present.