Abstract:
One customizable utility rod assembly includes a wall attachment member; a base rod; and a cross rod, hook, towel ring, shelving rod, or toilet paper rod extending from the base rod. The wall attachment member has threading and at least one hole. The base rod has a distal side and a threaded proximal side threadably coupling the base rod to the wall attachment member. A method of customizing a utility rod having: (a) a threaded wall attachment member with a hole, and (b) a base rod presenting a distal side and a threaded proximal side forming a cavity, includes the following steps. Step (1): securing the wall attachment member to a surface with a fastener extending through the hole. Step (2): threadably coupling the base rod proximal side to the wall attachment member such that the wall attachment member is at least partially enclosed within the cavity.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/028,891, filed Feb. 16, 2011, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/499,262, filed Jul. 8, 2009, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,900,334, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/018,674, filed Jan. 23, 2008, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,571,532, which is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/237,532 filed Sep. 28, 2005, now abandoned. Priority to each of these applications is claimed, and the disclosures of these applications are all incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The field of the invention is utility rods and racks that attach to walls. Specifically, the invention relates utility rods the wall mounts of which may be decorated with covers of a variety of shapes that hide screws and other wall attachments and the ends of which may be decorated with knobs, medallions, and end pieces, all of which may be easily changed to match room décor and style, or to conform to a seasonal, interest, or vanity theme. 
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     It is common practice to provide utility rods with caps, plates, or other covers to hide the fasteners with which the rods and racks are attached to a wall or other support. Similarly, it is common to provide the ends of rods and racks with caps or plugs that cover the ends of the rods and racks so as to hide the hollow interiors of the rods and racks and cover the exposed, often sharp edges at the ends of the rods and racks. 
     Unfortunately, the plates, caps, and covers typically require additional structure and attachments such as set screws, clips, or the like. As a result, wall plates and covers frequently do not attach easily and may project or loosen from the wall or other mounting surface, because they must incorporate additional parts that permit the cover to be secured. If the covers, caps, or plates are not themselves firmly secured, they may detach under use, causing the towel bar or rack to fall from its mount, expose the wall attachment and fasteners, and/or cause the towel bar or rack to loosen and move about when being used. It is also frequently the case that the wall covers must have a shape that matches the wall mount. 
     Due to insecure attachments, end caps for rods and bars may also loosen and fall off, exposing the hollow interior of the rod or rack and the sharp, unattractive ends of the rods or racks. 
     In addition, such end caps, plates, caps, and covers are usually made of the same materials as are the rods and attachments—i.e., they are made to match the utility rod or rack and do not have the flexibility to easily accommodate different shapes or different designs and/or artwork that may better suit the décor of a room, the interests of the users of the rods or racks, or seasonal themes. And, many such end caps cannot be changed without removing the rod or rack from the wall. 
     For example, Bell U.S. Pat. No. 6,371,423 discloses a wall mount cover arrangement that includes an escutcheon, a backing plate, a stud, seals and grommet, and the resulting wall mount sticks out some distance from the wall. The end cap also includes an assembly of several parts including a head, a hub, a shank, and insert, a ring, and a threaded shank, which is secure, but not easily changed. No provision or suggestion is made for decorative cover plates, decorative end caps, or advertising indicia. 
     Katz et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,276,648 includes a spacer that covers a threaded rod to attach the base to the mount, and a slot along the rear surface of the rod. A set screw is used to lock the towel bar in place. A cap covers the distal end of the towel bar. No provision or suggestion is made for decorative cover plates, decorative end caps, or advertising indicia. 
     Klein U.S. Pat. No. 5,385,248 shows a bulky wall attachment that encloses a set screw that is installed in an apparent separate wall mount. Additional set screws are mounted in the ends of the wall mount attachment to secure a cross rod to the wall mounts. No provision is made for changing decorative wall plates or rod end caps or for placing messages thereon. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     The present invention features a simple wall mount that may be screwed to the wall or a stud. A base mount extends outward from the wall mount. The bottom portion of the base is threaded. A cover plate, which may be any shape and decorated in any fashion, has a threaded central hole that slides on and over the base mount or rod and is screwed to the threading bottom portion of the base. A hole in the side of the base rod accommodates the end of a cross rod. Alternatively, a hole entirely through the base may accommodate a ring to hold a towel or other object. 
     The exposed end of any rod is closed and provided with a threaded hole into which a set screw is threaded; the outward or exposed end of the set screw is covered with an end cap which has a threaded central hole that is screwed onto the exposed end of the set screw. The end cap may be of any shape and decorated in any fashion. The set screw at the end of the rod may also be screwed into a threaded hole near the end of a cross rod to secure the cross rod to the base rod. 
     The decorative wall or mount cover plate may be changed by simply unscrewing it from the end of the base rod near the wall or other mounting surface and replacing it with another end cap embodying a different shape or decoration. Similarly, the decorative end cap may be replaced by simply unscrewing it and replacing it with another end cap embodying a different shape or decoration. 
     The cover plates and end caps of the invention may also be made of materials that are different from the balance of the utility rod. Such materials may be metal, plastic, wood, stone, or any other material into which a threaded hole may be formed or added. 
     The cover plates and end caps may also be made of nearly any shape or surface configuration to suit the desires of the user. They may be made of three dimensional shapes or shapes having flat surfaces that may contain logos, an initials, seasonal indicia, artwork, advertising indicia, and combinations thereof. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective exploded view of a utility rod assembly of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective exploded view of a second embodiment of a rod assembly; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective exploded view of the rod assembly from another perspective; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective partially exploded view of the second embodiment from another perspective; 
         FIG. 5  is a top exploded view of the second embodiment; 
         FIG. 6  is a top cross sectional view of the second embodiment; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the fully assembled utility rod assembly attached to a wall or other surface (not shown); 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective, partially exploded view of a towel ring assembly, another embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a partial, top cross sectional view of the towel ring assembly of  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective, partially exploded view of a toilet paper holder assembly, another embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 11  is a partial, top cross sectional view of the toilet paper holder assembly of  FIG. 10 ; 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective, partially exploded view of a hook assembly, another embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 13  is a side view of the embodiment of  FIG. 12  with a partial cross sectional view of the threaded attachments for an end cap and a hook; 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective exploded view of another embodiment of a utility rod assembly; 
         FIG. 15  is a perspective exploded view of yet another embodiment of a utility rod assembly; 
         FIG. 16  is a perspective exploded view of yet another embodiment of a utility rod assembly; 
         FIG. 17  is a perspective exploded view of another embodiment of a utility rod assembly; and 
         FIG. 18  is a perspective exploded view of yet another embodiment of a utility rod assembly. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the utility rod assembly  5  comprises a wall attachment plate  10 , a base rod  15 , a cover plate  20 , a cross rod  25 , a set screw  30 , and a knob or end cap  35 .  FIG. 2  shows the same basic parts, but has a knob or end cap  40  of a different style or shape. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the wall attachment plate  10  contains holes  45  through which the base rod  15  may be secured to a wall or stud (not shown) by screws  50 . 
     The base rod  15  is incorporated in the attachment plate  10 . As shown in  FIGS. 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6 , a proximal end  55  of the base rod  15  is slightly larger in diameter than the distal end  60  of the base rod  15 . As shown in  FIGS. 1, 3, and 6 , the proximal end  55  of the base rod  15  is threaded, containing threads  65 . The distal end  60  of the base rod  5  contains a solid end or plug  70 , which forms a threaded hole  75 . As shown in  FIGS. 3, 5, and 6 , the distal end  60  of the base rod  5  also contains a side hole  80  that is sized to receive an end  85  of the cross rod  25 . 
     The cover plate  20  forms a central hole  90  that is threaded. 
     The set screw  30  is completely threaded; if desired half of the set screw may be threaded in the reverse direction from the other half. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 6 , end caps  35  and  40  each form a threaded hole  95 . The set screw  30  is screwed about half way into the plug or solid end  70  of the base rod  15 , and the end cap  35  or  40  is screwed onto the half of the set screw  30  that remains outside of the plug or solid end  70  of the base rod  15 . 
     A typical utility rod assembly is attached to the wall or support surface at two locations as shown in  FIG. 7 . Such a utility rod assembly would of course contain one cross rod  25 , two wall attachment plates  10 , two base rods  15 , two cover plates  20 , two set screws  30 , and two end caps  35  or  40 . 
     The rod assembly  5  is assembled by screwing the wall attachment plates  10  into a wall. The cover plates  20  are then placed over their respective base rods  15  and screwed down over the wall attachment plate  10  to hide the attachment plate  10  and its screws  50 . 
     The cross rod  25  is then inserted into the side holes  80  of at the distal ends of the base rods  5 . The set screws  30  are then threaded into the solid end or plugs  70  at the distal ends  60  of the base rods  15 . The end caps  35  or  40  are then screwed onto the exposed ends of the set screws  30 . 
     As will be appreciated from the above, the cover plates  20  are not limited to the round shape show in the drawings. Indeed, the cover plates  20  may be made of any shape that permits a threaded central hole  90  to be placed therein. Thus, the cover plates may be made in such varied shapes as squares, hexagons, footballs, flowers, Thanksgiving turkeys, cartoon characters, or any other desirable shape. Alternatively, the cover plates  20  may be circular or rectangular and contain painted or raised scenes or decorations. 
     As will also be appreciated from the above, the end caps  35  or  40  are similarly not limited to the shapes shown in the drawings. They, too, may be made in such varied shapes as flowers, initials, animals, logos, cartoon characters, gems, or other objects. 
     Indeed, neither the cover plates  20  nor the end caps  35  or  40  need be made of the same material as the other parts of the utility rod assembly  5 . They may be made of any material into which a threaded hole such as  90  or  95  may be formed. Thus, the end caps and cover plates may be made of metal, wood, plastic, stone, or other substances which add to the theme, vanity, décor, or style desired by the user. The end caps and cover plates may also be made of a material such as metal or wood with a veneer of another material that may be painted or otherwise formed or decorated by the user. 
     Further, the end caps  35  or  40  and cover plate  20  may present a shape or surface configuration that is round, oval, square, octagonal, rectangular, triangular, octagonal, pentagonal, quadrilateral, any combination of the forgoing, or any other shape that permits a threaded hole to be formed therein. 
     The utility rod assembly  5  thus has maximum flexibility to suite the tastes of the users, allowing for different themes, styles, artwork, or seasonal expressions. Thus, the cover plate  20  or end caps  35  or  40  may contain paintings, drawings, messages, Christmas decorations, Independence Day decorations, flags, Thanksgiving decorations, logos, shields, medallions, or advertising indicia. In commercial establishments, the cover plate  20  and end caps  35  or  40  may contain advertising indicia of the commercial establishment or some other commercial venture. 
     As can be further appreciated from the above description, the end caps  35  or  40  may be changed very easily simply by unscrewing the end caps  35  or  40  and screwing on a differently decorated set without the necessity of removing the cross rod  25  or otherwise dissembling or removing the utility rod  5  or base rods  15  from the wall. Moreover, the cover plates  20  may be changed by removing only the cross rod  25  from the assembly  5 . 
       FIGS. 8 and 9  show another embodiment of the invention, a towel ring assembly  100 . The towel ring assembly  100  is similar to the utility rod  5  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , having a wall attachment plate  10 , a base rod  15 , a cover plate  20 , a set screw  30 , and end caps  35  and  40  (See  FIGS. 8 and 9 , respectively.) The wall attachment plate  10  contains holes  45  through which the base rod  15  may be secured to a wall or stud (not shown) by screws  50 . The base rod  15  is incorporated in the attachment plate  10 . A proximal end  55  of the base rod  5  is slightly larger in diameter than the distal end  60  of the base rod  15 . The proximal end  55  of the base rod  5  is threaded, containing threads  65 . 
     The distal end  60  of the base rod  15  contains a solid end or plug  70 , which forms a threaded hole  75 . The base rod  5  also contains a side hole  105  on both sides thereof, each of which is sized to receive an end  110  of a towel ring  115 . The cover plate  20  forms a central hole  85  that is threaded. The set screw  30  is completely threaded; if desired half of the set screw may be threaded in the reverse direction from the other half. End caps  35  and  40  each form a threaded hole  90  (see  FIG. 9 ). The set screw  30  is screwed about half way into the plug or solid end  70  of the base rod  15 , and the knob or end cap  35  or  40  is screwed onto the half of the set screw  30  that remains outside of the plug or solid end  70  of the base rod  15 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the ends of the towel ring  115  are fit into the holes  105  in the sides of the base rod  5 . A towel may be placed in the towel ring  115 . The end cap  35  or  40 , or another style of end cap, or an end cap made of other materials, may be placed on the end of the base rod  15 . As before, the cover plate  20  may be of a different design or made of different materials, as well. 
       FIGS. 10 and 11  show another embodiment of the invention, a toilet paper holder assembly  120 . The wall attachment plate  10  and cover plate  20  are the same as those shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , with the same parts and attachments. A toilet paper rod  125  has a proximal end  130  and a distal end  135 . The distal end  135  has a plug or solid end  140  with a threaded hole  145 . The end cap  35  or  40  (see  FIGS. 11 and 10 , respectively) is secured to the distal end  135  of the toilet paper rod  125  by a threaded set screw  150  that is the same as the set screw  30  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
     A distal end  155  of a base rod  160  has a threaded hole  170 . The proximal end  130  of the toilet paper rod  125  has a threaded insert  180 . The threaded insert  180  of the proximal end  130  of the toilet paper rod  125  is screwed into the threaded hole  170  in the base rod  160 . 
     Though not shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11 , an end cap  35  or  40 , or another style of end cap, or an end cap made of other materials, may be screwed on the end of the base rod  160  (similar to the interaction between end cap and rod  60  in  FIGS. 1-9 ). And as before, the cover plate  20  may be of various designs and materials. 
       FIGS. 12 and 13  show a hook assembly  185  comprising a wall attachment plate  10 , a cover plate  20 , a base rod  15 , a set screw  30 , a knob or end cap  40 , and a hook  190 . The wall attachment plate  10 , cover plate  20 , base rod  15 , set screw and end cap  40  are constructed and assembled, serve the same purposes, perform the same functions, and have the same decorative features and flexibility as the similar parts described above with respect to the utility rod of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
     The hook  190  has a threaded post  195  that screws into a hole  200  in the bottom of the base rod  15 . 
     The end cap or knob  40 , or another style of end cap, or an end cap made of other materials, may be screwed on the end of the hook assembly  185 . The cover plate  20  may also be of a different design or made of different materials. 
     With minor changes, the utility rod assembly  5  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  may be reconfigured as shelving with the cover plate  20  covering the wall attachment plate  10  and providing decorating flexibility and with the end caps or knobs  35  or  40  providing further decorating flexibility. As will be readily apparent, the utility rod assembly  5  of  FIGS. 1 and 2  may be converted to a shelving design by lengthening the base rods  15 , and providing threaded holes in the sides of and along the length of each base rod  15 . Multiply cross rods similar to cross rod  25  may then be inserted or screwed into the holes to provide shelving. The flexible, decorative aspects of the cover plate  20  and end caps  35  or  40 , or end caps or knobs with other desired shapes or styles or made from other materials, remain. Thus, such shelving serves the decorating styles and desires of the user. 
       FIG. 14  shows another embodiment of a utility rod assembly  200 , which includes a wall attachment member  202 , a base rod  204 , a cross rod  206 , and a knob (or “end cap”)  208 . While the assembly  200  is described in detail below, it is important to appreciate that the primary distinction between assembly  200  and the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 1 through 13  is the structure and method of attachment to a wall. More specifically, the wall attachment plate  10  and complementary structure in any of the preceding embodiments may be replaced by the attachment member  202  and complementary structure. 
     The wall attachment member  202  has an opening  212  which is configured to receive a screw  214 , and via the screw  214 , the wall attachment member  202  is secured to a wall  210  or other such surface to which the utility rod assembly  200  is to be secured. The opening  212  may have a stop  216 , against which a head  214   a  of the screw  214  abuts. Abutting of the head  214   a  of the screw  214  against the stop  216  prevents the wall attachment member  202  from rotating along with the base rod  204 , when the base rod  204  is secured to the wall attachment member  202 ; more specifically, the wall attachment member  202  may have external threading  218 , and the base rod  204  may have internal threading  220  that enables the base rod  204  to be screwed onto the wall attachment member  202 . In this way, the wall attachment member  204 , which may be unsightly if visible, is generally hidden by the base rod  204 . 
     The base rod  204  has a hole  222  which is configured to receive a proximal end  206   a  of the cross rod  206 . It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that an opposite (distal) end of the cross rod  206  (not shown) correspondingly fits into the opening  222  of a second base rod  204  (not shown). 
     The base rod  204  has a flat edge  224 , which is configured to receive a set screw  228 . The set screw  228  is completely threaded with threading  230 , and if desired, part of the set screw  228  may be threaded in the reverse direction from the other half. A portion of the set screw  228  is screwed into the flat edge  224  of the base rod  204 , while a portion of the set screw  228 , as shown in  FIG. 14 , protrudes from the flat edge  224 . 
     While not directly shown in  FIG. 14 , the end cap  208  has an opening  232 , which includes internal threading  234  that is configured to receive the set screw  228 . By virtue of the set screw  228 , the end cap  208  can be easily screwed onto the base rod  204 . As will be appreciated, the end cap  208  is not limited to the round shape shown in  FIG. 14 . Indeed, the end cap  208  may be made of any shape that permits a threaded central opening  232  to be placed therein. Thus, the end cap  208  may be made in such varied shapes as footballs, flowers, initials, Thanksgiving turkeys, and cartoon characters, for example. Alternatively, the end cap  208  may be circular or rectangular and contain painted or raised scenes or decorations, for example. 
     It will further be appreciated that neither the base rod  204 , nor the end cap  208  need be made of the same material as the other parts of the utility rod assembly  200 . Rather, the base rod  204  or the end cap  208  may be made of any material into which a threaded opening (e.g., opening  232 ) may be formed. Thus, the end caps  208  and connecting members  204  may be made of metal, wood, plastic, stone, or other substances which add to the theme, vanity, décor, or style desired by the user. The end caps  208  and connecting members  204  may also be made of a material such as metal or wood with a veneer of another material that may be painted or other wise formed or decorated by the user. 
     Further, the end caps  208  and base rod  204  may present a shape or surface configuration that is round, oval, square, octagonal, rectangular, triangular, octagonal, pentagonal, quadrilateral, any combination of the forgoing, or any other shape that permits a threaded hole to be formed therein. 
     The utility rod assembly  200  thus has maximum flexibility to suit the tastes of the users, allowing for different themes, styles, artwork, or seasonal expressions. For instance, in commercial establishments, the base rod  204  and end cap  208  may contain advertising indicia of the commercial establishment or some other commercial venture. 
     As can be further appreciated from the above description, the end caps  208  may be changed very easily simply by unscrewing the end caps  208  and screwing on a differently decorated set without the necessity of removing the cross rod  206  or otherwise disassembling or removing the base rod  204  or wall attachment  202  from the wall  210 . 
     An alternate embodiment  300  of a utility rod assembly is shown in  FIG. 15 , which is generally similar to embodiment  200  described above, except as specifically noted and/or shown, or as would be inherent. The embodiment  300  includes a wall attachment member  302 , a base rod  304 , a cross rod  306 , and a knob or end cap  308 . The primary difference between embodiments  200  and  300  pertains to threading  218 ,  318  in the wall attachment members  202 ,  302 , and corresponding threading  220 ,  320  in the base rods  204 ,  304 . More specifically, while the wall attachment member  202  of embodiment  200  has external threading  218  which is configured to allow the base rod  204  to be secured thereto via the internal threading  218  of the base rod  204 , in embodiment  300 , the wall attachment member  302  has internal threading  318 , via which the base rod  304  is secured to the wall attachment member  302 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 15 , the base rod  304  has an outer cylindrical portion  309  and an inner cylindrical portion  311  which is enclosed within the outer cylindrical portion  309 . A cylindrical gap  305  is formed between the outer and inner cylindrical portions  309 ,  311 . This gap  305  is configured to receive an outer surface  303  of the wall attachment member  302 . Once gap  305  is placed adjacent the outer surface  303  of the wall attachment member  302 , the base rod  304  is rotated (clockwise or counter clockwise as desired) to allow for the threading  320  in the base rod  304  to match with threading  318  in the wall attachment member  302 , thereby causing the outer surface  303  of the wall attachment member  302  to be fully or at least partially enclosed within the gap  305 , and for the securing of the base rod  304  to the wall attachment member  302 . 
     While the end cap  308  as shown in  FIG. 15  differs in shape from the end cap  208  of  FIG. 14 , it will be appreciated that the end cap  308  is secured to the base rod  304  via a set screw  330  in the same manner as the end cap  208  is secured to the base rod  204  via the set screw  230 . It will also be appreciated that the end cap  308  generally possesses similar qualities and flexibility as end cap  208 , for example, end cap  308  is easily removable and replaceable, may have indicia present on it, and may be made of a different material than the rest of the parts of the utility rod assembly  300 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 15 , the base rod  304  has a covering portion  333 . The covering portion  333  may also have indicia present on it, and may comprise one or more colors. When the base rod  304  is properly secured to the wall attachment member  302 , the covering portion  333  becomes adjacent wall  310  or other such surface to which the utility rod assembly  300  is secured to. The covering portion  333  provides an additional avenue for decoration and or advertisement etc. As shown, the covering portion  333  may be of unitary construction with the base rod  304 , however, it will be appreciated that the covering portion  333  may also be secured to the base rod  304  via other known methods, for example, via corresponding threading on the base rod  304  and the covering portion  333 . 
     An alternate embodiment  400  of a utility rod assembly is shown in  FIG. 16 , which is generally similar to embodiment  300  described above, except as specifically noted and/or shown, or as would be inherent. For uniformity and brevity, corresponding reference numbers may be used to indicate corresponding parts in  FIGS. 15 and 16 , though with any noted deviations. The primary difference between the embodiments  300  and  400  pertains to the covering portion  333  of the base rod  304 ; the covering portion  333  is absent from embodiment  400 . The absence of the covering portion  333  may allow for cheaper construction of the utility rod assembly  400 , as compared to the utility rod assembly  300 . While the end cap  308  of  FIG. 16  is the same as the end cap  308  of  FIG. 15 , it will be appreciated that either embodiment may have an end cap  308  that is shaped differently, so long as such shape allows for a threaded hole to conform and be secured to set screw  330 . 
       FIG. 17  shows another embodiment  500  of a utility rod assembly that includes a wall attachment member  502 , a wall attachment cover  504 , a base rod  506 , and a cross rod  508 . While the assembly  500  is described in detail below, it is important to appreciate that the primary distinction between assembly  500  and the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 1 through 13  is the structure and method of attachment to a wall. More specifically, the wall attachment plate  10  and complementary structure in any of those preceding embodiments may be replaced by the attachment member  502  and complementary structure. 
     The wall attachment member  502  has a connecting portion  510  and a protruding threaded portion  512 . The connecting portion  510  may have openings  514  through which screws  516  can be passed through. The wall attachment member is secured to a wall  519  or other such surface via the screws  516 . The number of openings  514  and screws  516  may vary. 
     Once the wall attachment member  502  is secured to the wall  519 , the wall attachment cover  504  is placed on the connecting portion  510 . As will be appreciated, the wall attachment cover  504  may include indicia and/or different colors, and hides the unsightly screws  514  and the connecting portion  510  from view. 
     The protruding threaded portion  512  of the wall attachment member  502  has external threading  517 , which is configured to receive internal threading  518  of the base rod  506 . As will be appreciated, the base rod  506  in  FIG. 17  is different than the connecting members shown in  FIGS. 14-16 , in part because the base rod  506  has a unitarily connected end piece  520 , i.e., a removable end cap is not shown secured to the base rod  506 . Of course, however, the base rod  506  may be manufactured such that it has a set screw for securing an easily removable end piece thereon. 
     As the base rod  506  is secured to the wall attachment member  502  via the respective threading  518 ,  517 , an end  522  of the base rod  506  may push against and generally prevent movement of the wall attachment cover  504  (which may or may not be threaded). 
     The base rod  506  has an opening  524 , which, much like the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 14-16  for example, is configured to receive a cross rod  508 . It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the cross rod  508  and the remaining elements of the embodiment  500  need not be of the same material, color, or texture etc. It will further be appreciated that the base rod  506  (and the wall attachment cover  504 ) may include various indicia or other thematic or ornamental designs, and that a user may easily unscrew the base rod  506  and remove the wall attachment cover  504 , and replace it with a wall attachment cover  504  and base rod  506  that is of a different color, or theme etc. Additionally, the base rod  506  and/or the wall attachment cover  504  need not appear as shown in  FIG. 17 , but may be of a different shape; for example, the base rod  506  may be generally cylindrical. 
       FIG. 18  shows yet another embodiment  600  of the utility rod assembly, which is generally similar to embodiment  200  of  FIG. 14 , except as specifically noted and/or shown, or would otherwise be inherent. As shown, the utility rod assembly  600  includes a wall attachment member  602 , a base rod  604 , and a cross rod  620 . The primary difference between assembly  600  and assembly  200  is that the assembly  600  has a unitarily connected end piece instead of a removable end cap. 
     The wall attachment member  602 , akin to the wall attachment member  202  of embodiment  200 , has external threading  606 , and an opening  608  generally at its center. Within the opening  608  is a stop  609 , against which a head  612  of a screw  610  abuts against; more specifically, the screw  610  is passed through the opening  608  to secure the wall attachment member  602  to a wall  614  or other such surface. Abutting of the head  612  of the screw  610  against the stop  609  prevents the wall attachment member  602  from rotating along with the base rod  604 , when the base rod  604  is being secured to the wall attachment member  602 . As shown in  FIG. 18 , the base rod  604  has a connecting portion  616  that has internal threading  618 , which correspond to and allow for the base rod  604  to be screwed onto the threading  606  of the wall attachment member  602 . 
     The base rod  604  has an opening  617  which is configured to hold a proximal end  622  of a cross rod  620 , and as will be appreciated, a corresponding wall attachment member  602  and base rod  604  are present and secure a distal end (not shown) of the cross rod  620 . Similar to other embodiments, the shape of the base rod  604  need not be as shown in  FIG. 18 , but could be any shape that can accommodate internal threading  618  that correspond to the external threading  606  of the wall attachment member  602 . Also, the base rod  604 , which hides the wall attachment member  602  from view, may have different indicia, and may be of different colors. For example, in commercial establishments, the connecting member may be of colors that are representative of that particular commercial establishment, and may include writing or other advertising indicia as desirable. 
     Many different arrangements of the various components depicted, as well as components not shown, are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, as with utility rod  5  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the utility rod assemblies  200 ,  300 ,  400 ,  500 , and  600  shown in  FIGS. 14-18  respectively may be converted to a shelving design by increasing the length of the respective attachment members, and/or by increasing the number of openings in said attachment members for the placement of additional cross rods. Of course, the flexible, decorative aspects of the various embodiments would remain regardless of whether the respective utility rods are being used as shelving, towel rods, or for other desirable purposes. 
     Embodiments of the present invention have been described with the intent to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art that do not depart from its scope. A skilled artisan may develop alternative means of implementing the aforementioned improvements without departing from the scope of the present invention. It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations and are contemplated within the scope of the claims.