Abstract:
A towel bar includes a retractable and extendable robe hook. The robe hook may be formed in a wall-mounted first base joined by a towel bar to a wall-mounted second base. A shaft may be extended from the base to reveal the robe hook. When extended, the robe hook provides a location from which objects may be hung. When not needed, the robe hook may be pushed into the base and reside within an internal cavity, thereby concealed from view.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to provisional application Ser. No. 62/353,319 titled Towel Bar with Integrated Robe Hook, filed on Jun. 22, 2016, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates to the field of bathroom accessories. More particularly, it relates to wall-mounted bathroom accessories including towel bars, towel rings, and robe hooks. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Bathroom accessories are commonly used for convenience to store towels or garments. For example, a typical bathroom includes a wall-mounted towel bar along with a robe hook. Bath towels and hand towels are commonly stored on the towel bar, while robes or additional towels are commonly hung from the robe hook. Therefore, a homeowner typically needs to utilize multiple, wall-mounted bathroom accessories. 
         [0004]    In addition to towel bars and robe hooks, many bathrooms are also equipped with other accessories such as soap dishes, soap dispensers, tumbler holders, toothbrush holders, mirrors, and the like. Each one of these bathroom accessories requires an additional fastener to secure the accessory to the bathroom wall. Each fastener creates a hole in the wall and requires time and labor for installation. 
         [0005]    Smaller bathrooms have limited, available wall space, thereby making it difficult for homeowner to find multiple places on their walls for each, desired accessory. As a result, many homeowners elect to install only some of their desired accessories and forego the rest. For example, the robe hook is commonly foregone in exchange for the more-popular towel bar, and, thus, when a need arises for a convenient bathroom robe hook, the homeowner is deprived of the robe hook experience. 
         [0006]    Furthermore, a homeowner may not install robe hooks in their bathroom because the robe hooks may be seldom-used. A homeowner may not want to clutter a bathroom wall with unused accessories, and, thus, detract from the aesthetic appeal of the wall. As a result, when a need arises for a convenient bathroom robe hook, the homeowner is again deprived of the robe hook experience. 
         [0007]    Some homeowners elect to use temporary hooks that attach to the top of a door or suction cup the side of a glass wall. These types of temporary solutions allow the homeowner to easily conceal the hook when not in use, but these solutions offer little utility for heavy items, such as wet towels or large robes, which may cause damage to the door and wall finish. 
         [0008]    What is therefore needed is a bathroom accessory that allows a homeowner to minimize the amount of time and holes in the wall necessary for installation of various bathroom accessories. What is further needed is a towel bar and a robe hook that minimizes the amount of wall space necessary for installation of both accessories. Lastly, what is needed is a robe hook that is secured to the wall, yet easily concealable when not in use. 
       SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    A wall-mounted bathroom accessory, such as a towel bar or towel ring, includes a first base configured for attaching to and extending from a wall. A second base may also be attached to the wall horizontally apart from the first base. A first and second receiver in each of the first base and second base, respectively, horizontally oppose one another on a common horizontal plane. The first and second receivers receive a straight and linear bar to form a towel bar. A shaft slidably engages one of a distal ends of the bar and the first base. Both by sliding, the shaft can extend a distance away from one of the first base as determined by the user, and the bar can also slidingly retract into one of the bar and the first base. 
         [0010]    The shaft may be spring-loaded such that it “pops” out of the first base or bar once depressed. The shaft may also have a twisted engagement, such as threaded or bayonet style engagement, with either base or the bar. The shaft may also extend from any one of the first base, second base, or either end of the bar. A cap on a distal end of the shaft can provide a decorative feature and also provide a stop to prevent an object, such as a hanger, from sliding off of the shaft. The cap extends away from either the first base or the second base when the shaft is extended, and the cap draws towards either the first base or the second base when the shaft is retracted. The shaft may extend and retract perpendicular from the bar or may extend and retract in the same axis as the bar. 
         [0011]    In another embodiment, the wall-mounted bathroom accessory may be formed of a first base that attaches to a vertical wall. A first receiver formed in the first base forms an orifice. Either a bar or a ring can be inserted into the orifice of the receiver to form a wall-mounted towel ring. A shaft extends from the first base and manually articulates to a vertical position to form a hook and also manually articulates to a horizontal position to eliminate the hook. 
         [0012]    The shaft may extend from and also articulate from either the end of the bar or from the first base. 
         [0013]    In either embodiment, the shaft can be retained in an extended or articulated vertically position by a detent to hold it in place. 
         [0014]    Additional features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the illustrated embodiment exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived. It is intended that all such additional features and advantages be included within this description and be within the scope of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    The present disclosure will be described hereinafter with reference to the attached drawings, which are given as non-limiting examples only, in which: 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a towel bar according to the present invention with robe hooks in a retracted and concealed position. 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is a sectional view of a base of the towel bar of  FIG. 1  along section line AA with the robe hook in a retracted position. 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is a sectional view of the base of  FIG. 2 , with the robe hook in an extended position. 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is a sectional view of the base of  FIG. 2 , with the robe hook in an extended position with an added support bushing for the extended robe hook. 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a towel bar with a robe hook in the extended position. 
       
    
    
       [0021]    In the drawings, some structural or method features may be shown in specific arrangements and/or orderings. However, it should be appreciated that such, specific arrangements and/or orderings may not be required. Rather, in some embodiments, such features may be arranged in a different manner and/or order than shown in the illustrative figures attached. Additionally, the inclusion of a structural or methodological feature in a particular figure is not meant to imply that such feature is required in all embodiments and, in some embodiments, may not be included or may be combined with other features. 
         [0022]    Corresponding reference characters in the drawings indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplification set out herein illustrates embodiments of the invention, and such exemplification is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0023]      FIG. 1  shows a towel bar  10  according to the invention. The towel bar  10  includes a straight bar  12  that is connected to a base  14  on each distal end  26 ,  28  of the bar  12 . While a straight bar  12  is shown, the bar  12  may be formed in any, other shape such as a curved bar. The bar  12  may also be in the form of a ring and require only a single base  14  to support the ring. In such an embodiment, the ring would attach to the base  14  in similar fashion as the bar  12  attaches to the base  14 . 
         [0024]    The bar  12  is used to support a towel (not shown) or similar article draped over the bar  12  at about the middle portion  30  of the bar  12 . The distal ends  26 ,  28  of the bar  12  are supported by each base  14 , respectively. The distal ends  26 ,  28  of the bar  12  are inserted into a receiver  22 . The distal ends  26 ,  28  may be held within the receivers  22 , with either a frictional fit or by attachment of each base  14  to a wall, while the bar  12  is supported by the receivers  22 . Alternatively, a set screw  24  may be located in each receiver  22  and tightened to prevent the bar  12  from rotating or otherwise moving to further secure any objects on the bar  12 . 
         [0025]    Each base  14  includes a pedestal  18  attached to a column  20 . The receiver  22  sits atop the column  20 . While the pedestal  18 , column  20 , and receiver  22  are formed into columnar and round shapes, they can be made into polygonal shapes as well. Other polygonal shapes include pyramidal, rectilinear, or abstract shapes. The abstract shapes may mimic things such as water, trees, animals, or any, other known object. The overall purpose of the base  14  is, simply, to support the bar  12  in a position that is offset from the pedestal  18  to accommodate for an object to be hung from the bar  12  at a distance from a wall. 
         [0026]    Alternatively, the base  14  may be mounted to a wall without any bar  12 . In this configuration, the base  14  would not require a receiver  22 . The base  14  can then act as a robe hook with a retractable and extendable extension as described below. 
         [0027]      FIGS. 2 and 3  show a sectional view of the base  14  described above. In the sectional view, the inside of the base  14  is shown with a robe hook  48  in a retracted position within an internal cavity  38  of the base  14 . The robe hook  48  is formed by a piston  34  that travels within the internal cavity  38  into a retracted position as shown in  FIG. 2  and may be extended into an extended position as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0028]    The piston  34  may be retracted or extended by manipulation of a cap  16  fastened to an end of a shaft  32 . In the extended position, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the piston  34  butts up against the receiver  22  forming a positive stop. In the retracted position, the cap  16  is pressed such that the piston is driven into the internal cavity  38  towards the pedestal  18  until the cap engages the receiver  22 . This sliding engagement of the piston  34  and the internal cavity  38  can also be supplemented with a spring within the internal cavity  38 . In such a configuration, a spring may be used to urge the piston  34  into the extended position when a user manipulates the cap  16 . The spring may be in the form of a compressed coil spring, rubber spring, foam spring, or air spring. The purpose of such a spring is to assist in the extension of the piston into the extended position when a user activates the robe hook  48  by manipulating the cap  16 . 
         [0029]    The piston  34  may also be extended with a threaded engagement such that rotating the robe hook  48  in one direction, i.e. counter clockwise, extends the shaft  32  from the internal cavity  38 , thereby placing the robe hook  48  in the extended position. Rotating the robe hook  48  in the opposite direction, i.e. clockwise, retracts the shaft  32  back into the internal cavity  38 . 
         [0030]    Preferably, the robe hook  48  is extended and retracted by simply pulling and pushing on the cap  16 , respectively. A frictional fit of the piston  34  with the internal cavity  38  may be used to help keep the robe hook  48  in the desired position. A bushing  42 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , may also be used to help stabilize the shaft  32  as it is pushed or extended into and from the internal cavity  38 . The bushing  42  may either add friction to the sliding engagement of the shaft  32  or reduce the frictional fit. 
         [0031]    When installing the base  14  to a wall, first, a retainer  44  may be secured. The piston  34  may be inserted into the internal cavity through access  40  in the pedestal  18 . A threaded engagement  36  may be used to attach the piston  34  to the shaft  32 . This assembly technique may also be used to manufacture the base  14 . After the piston  34  is threaded to the shaft  32 , the pedestal may be secured to the wall-mounted retainer  44  (see  FIG. 2  for example). The retainer  44  may be used to conceal the use of any fasteners as the fasteners are hidden from view. 
         [0032]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , after a first base  14  is attached to a wall with a retainer  44 , the distal end  26  of the bar  12  may be inserted into the receiver  22 . The opposing distal end  28  of the bar  12  may then be inserted into the receiver  22  of the other base  14 . The base  14  may then be attached to the wall in similar fashion, thereby securing the towel bar  10  to the wall. 
         [0033]    Looking to  FIG. 5 , the robe hook  48  is shown with the cap  16  and shaft  32  in the extended position. Once extended, the shaft may support an object such as a hanger, and the cap  16  may support a hung garment or towel. 
         [0034]    The figures and descriptions provided herein may have been simplified to illustrate aspects that are relevant for a clear understanding of the herein described devices, systems, and methods, while eliminating, for the purpose of clarity, other aspects that may be found in typical devices, systems, and methods. Those of ordinary skill may recognize that other elements and/or operations may be desirable and/or necessary to implement the devices, systems, and methods described herein. Because such elements and operations are well-known in the art, and because they do not facilitate a better understanding of the present disclosure, a discussion of such elements and operations may not be provided herein. However, the present disclosure is deemed to inherently include all such elements, variations, and modifications to the described aspects that would be known to those of ordinary skill in the art. 
         [0035]    References in the specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “an illustrative embodiment,” etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may or may not necessarily include that particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments, whether or not explicitly described. Additionally, it should be appreciated that items included in a list in the form of “at least one A, B, and C” can mean (A); (B); (C); (A and B); (A and C); (B and C); or (A, B, and C). Similarly, items listed in the form of “at least one of A, B, or C” can mean (A); (B); (C); (A and B); (A and C); (B and C); or (A, B, and C).