Abstract:
An adjustable height rod support provides vertical support to rods, such as clothes closet rods, shower curtain rods, towel racks, etc. An embodiment of the rod support includes a housing, a spring, an insert, and a cradle. The spring and insert fit into the housing. The cradle is mounted on the insert. The apparatus is placed under the rod to provide vertical support. When the cradle receives the rod, the spring compresses commensurate with the weight of the rod and any items on the rod. The adjustable height rod support supports the weight of the rod and any items on the rod, thereby relieving stress on the rod itself, as well as the walls, brackets, etc., used to mount rod. The apparatus uses no mounting hardware for installation so it can be installed easily, without tools or fasteners. The apparatus is adjustable to various heights. The apparatus is light weight and thus portable.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The invention is related generally to closet rod supports and, in particular, to an adjustable height closet rod support. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Closets in older homes usually are supported by brackets mounted on the closet walls. One such support bracket is disclosed in U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 319, 573 to Rogers (“Rogers”). Using the support bracket in Rogers involves positioning the closet rod ends inside each of the support brackets. 
     A disadvantage of this configuration is that as more clothing is hung the closet rod may weaken. When weakened, the closet rod may sag. The sagging causes the clothing to move toward the center of gravity. As a result, the clothing can become wrinkled due to lack of sufficient spacing between items. The closet rod may even break. When this happens, all the clothing is spilled onto the closet floor. Cleaned and ironed clothes become soiled and wrinkled. This is particularly troublesome in older homes whose closet rods have lost some of their strength. 
     Alternatively, the brackets may be loosened from the closet walls. When this happens, the closet walls may become damaged. The closet rod leans and the clothes migrate to the new center of gravity on the closet rod, again resulting wrinkling of the clothes due to lack of sufficient spacing. 
     The brackets also may separate completely from the closet walls. This usually results in gaping holes in the walls. Additionally, the clothes fall to the closet floor and become soiled and wrinkled. This is particularly troublesome in homes whose walls are made from sheet rock. What is needed, therefore, is a closet rod support that overcomes these disadvantages. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Presented herein is a rod support. One embodiment includes an apparatus with a housing, a spring, an insert, and a cradle. The spring and insert fit into the housing. The cradle is mounted on the insert. The apparatus is placed under a rod to provide vertical support. When the cradle receives the rod, the spring compresses commensurately with the weight of the rod and any items on the rod. The rod supports the weight of the rod and any items on the rod, thereby relieving stress on the rod itself, as well as the walls, brackets, and other hardware used to mount rod. 
     Another embodiment includes a housing, an insert positioned inside the housing, and a rod cradle mounted to the insert. The insert and housing are threaded such that the insert screws into the housing. 
     One feature of the invention is that there is no mounting hardware needed to install the rod support. The advantage of this feature is that the rod support can be installed easily, without tools or fasteners. 
     Another feature of the invention is that it is adjustable to various heights. This is advantageous because closets are not all the same size. For example, in homes with high ceilings and correspondingly high closet rods, the apparatus height can be raised accordingly. The same is true for homes with low or average height ceilings. That is, the apparatus height can be lowered as needed. Thus, the rod support easily fits into most any space, whether within a closet in a home with cathedral ceilings, in a bungalow, a bath house, etc. 
     Another feature of the invention is its light weight. Its light weight adds to its portability. 
     Further features and advantages of the invention as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments are described in detail below. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
     The invention is best understood by reference to the figures wherein references of like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally equivalent elements. In addition, the leftmost digits refer to the figure in which the reference first appears in the accompanying figures, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a fragmentary front view of a closet suitable for use with an embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 also shows an exemplar connector for mounting a cradle to an insert; 
     FIG. 3 depicts an exemplar cradle; 
     FIG. 4 depicts an exemplar cradle; 
     FIG. 5 depicts example protuberances and openings in the rod support; 
     FIG. 6 depicts an example protuberances and recesses in the rod support; 
     FIG. 7 depicts an example embodiment where the height is adjusted using holes and pins; 
     FIG. 8 depicts an example embodiment where the height is adjusted using a block; and 
     FIG. 9 depicts an example embodiment where the height is adjusted using a handle  910 , and 
     FIG. 10 is an example riser according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Example Environment 
     An adjustable height closet rod support is described herein. In the following description, numerous specific details, relationships, and methods are set forth to provide a full understanding of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art, however, will readily recognize that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, etc. In other instances, well-known structures or operations are not shown in detail to avoid obscuring the invention. 
     FIG. 1 shows an environment of intended use for the rod support. FIG. 1 illustrates a front view of a closet  100  suitable for implementing an embodiment of the invention. For ease of explanation, the embodiments sometimes are described with respect to a clothes closet. However, it is to be understood that the invention can be implemented in various other environments, such as a bathroom, a laundry room, a beach house, etc. 
     The exemplar closet  100  has a rod  102 . The rod  102  holds suits, dresses, coats, skirts, blouses, shoe bags, sweater racks, pants, etc. A typical closet rod is about six feet long. 
     Of course, the rod  102  does not have to be a closet rod. For example, the rod  102  can be a shower curtain rod, a towel rack, a clothing rack, etc., to accommodate wet towels, bathing suits, etc., as will be readily apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art. 
     A pair of brackets  104 A and  104 B, respectively, are mounted on a pair of walls  106 A and  106 B, respectively. The rod  102  is positioned horizontally within the closet  100 , with its ends seated within the pair of brackets  104 A and  104 B. In this configuration, the closet  100  houses the suits, dresses, coats, skirts, blouses, shoe bags, sweater racks, pants, etc., that are hung on the rod  102 . Alternatively, towels, bathing suits, etc., are hung on the rod  102 . As more items are hung on the rod  102 , the rod  102 , the brackets  104 A and  104 B, and the walls  106 A and  106 B are stressed and strained because of the weight of the items. Alternatively, the rod  102  is weakened because of age and use. 
     Example Embodiments 
     An exemplar rod support  110  according to the invention minimizes the stress borne by the rod, brackets, and walls. The rod support  110  is placed under the rod  102  to provide vertical support therefor. 
     In one embodiment, the rod support  110  includes a housing  112 , an insert  114 , and a cradle  116 . The housing  112  admits and provides structural support for the component parts of the rod support  110 . The housing  112  typically is about three feet in height. 
     The housing  112  can be a variety of shapes. For example, the housing  112  can be round, square, pentagonal, rectangular, hexagonal, etc. The housing  112  also can be made from a variety of materials. For example, the housing  112  can be steel, aluminum, or other sufficiently strong metal. 
     The insert  114  fits inside the housing  112  such that its movement within the housing  112  is telescopic. In one embodiment, the insert is positioned loosely inside the housing  112 . That is, the insert  114  freely moves in and out of the housing  112  and may even wobble. 
     The insert  114  can be a variety of shapes, e.g., round, square, pentagonal, rectangular, hexagonal, etc. The insert  114  can be a tube or a solid rod. The shape of the insert  114  is limited only by the shape of the housing  112 . For example, the diameter of the insert  114  should be small enough to permit the insert  114  to be positioned inside the housing  112 . 
     It is not necessary that the insert  114  actually mate with the inner walls of the housing  112 . For example, the insert  114  can have a threaded tip that mates with threads inside the housing  112 . Accordingly, the insert  114  can be threaded to fit into the housing  112  for height adjustment. Moreover, the threaded connection can provide added structural support such that the insert  114  stands rigid within the housing  112 . 
     The cradle  116  is mounted to the insert  114 . The cradle  116  provides support for the rod  102 . The cradle  116  holds the rod  102  in place such that the rod  102  is perpendicular to the cradle  116  and the insert  114 . The cradle  116  can be a variety of shapes. The cradle  116  is described in further detail with reference to FIG.  2 . 
     The rod support  110  has an adjustable height, typically from about four feet in height at its shortest to about ten feet in height. To increase the height, simply raise the insert  114  from the housing  112  to the height where the cradle  116  contacts the rod  102 . Several embodiments implementing this feature are described below. 
     One embodiment includes a spring  118 . The spring  118  fits into the housing  112 . The spring  118  can be mounted to the cradle  116  or the insert  118 . According to this embodiment, when the rod  102  rests on the cradle  116 , the spring  118  compresses commensurately with the weight of the rod  102  and any items on the rod  102 . 
     In this embodiment, the rod support  110  typically is about three feet in height when fully compressed. The rod support  110  typically is about six feet in height when the spring  118  is relaxed. Of course, primarily the weight of the rod  102  determines the height of the rod support  110 . 
     The spring  118  can be any commonly available device of suitable length and tension that urges the insert  118  away from the housing  112  in a telescoping manner. 
     Still, another embodiment includes a base  130 . The base  130  is mounted to the housing  112 . The base  130  can be mounted permanently. Alternatively, the base  130  can be removable from the housing  112 . For example, when the base  130  is a plate, the housing  112  can be welded or soldered to the base  130 . Alternatively, the base  130  can have a threaded lip whereby the housing  112  can be threaded to fit into the base  130  for assembly and disassembly. 
     The base  130  enables the rod support  110  to maintain stability under a load. The base  130  can be a plate, a cup, a cap, etc., or any device suitable for maintaining stability. Moreover, the base  130  can be made from metal, rubber, plastic, etc., or any suitable material. 
     FIG. 2, which shows an exemplar cradle  116  that is U-shaped. FIG. 2 also shows a connector  202  used to mount the cradle  116  to the insert  114 . Of course, the connector  202  is not required for the invention. For example, the cradle  116  can be permanently mounted to the insert. Alternatively, the cradle  116  can be mounted to the housing  112 . 
     Other exemplar cradles are shown in FIG.  3  and FIG.  4 . FIG. 3 shows a cradle  310  that is in the shape of a semicircle. FIG. 4 shows a cradle  410  in the shape of a semirectangle. 
     The adjustable height feature can be implemented as shown in FIG. 5, which illustrates example protuberances and openings in the rod support  110 . For example, in this embodiment, the insert  114  has one or more protuberances that correspond to one or more openings or recesses in the housing  112 . The protuberances and openings permit the insert  114  to be raised and set into place in the housing  112  according to the positioning of the protuberances and corresponding openings or recesses. 
     FIG. 5 shows an insert  502  with four protuberances  510 A,  510 B,  510 C, and  510 D mating with a housing  504  with four openings  520 A,  520 B,  520 C, and  520 D. As FIG. 5 illustrates, the openings  520 A,  520 B,  520 C, and  520 D are designed such that the protuberances  510 A,  510 B,  510 C, and  510 D are visible on the outside of the housing  112 . The insert  114  is raised and set into place in the housing  112  by placing the protuberances  510 A,  510 B,  510 C, and  510 D into the openings  520 A,  520 B,  520 C, and  520 D, respectively. The protuberances  510 A,  510 B,  510 C, and  510 D are locked into place within the openings  520 A,  520 B,  520 C, and  520 D. 
     All four sets of protuberances  510 A,  510 B,  510 C, and  510 D and openings  520 A,  520 B,  520 C, and  520 D need not be engaged. For example, the sets of protuberances  510 A,  510 B,  510 C, and  510 D and openings  520 A,  520 B,  520 C, and  520 D can be uniformly spaced apart from each other such that when only the first or top set of protuberances  510 A,  510 B,  510 C, and  510 D and openings  520 A,  520 B,  520 C, and  520 D is engaged, the rod support  110  is at its maximum height. When only the first and second sets of protuberances  510 A,  510 B,  510 C, and  510 D and openings  520 A,  520 B,  520 C, and  520 D are engaged, the rod support  110  is shorter than the maximum height. 
     The height can be adjusted according to the number and position of sets of protuberances  510 A,  510 B,  510 C, and  510 D and openings  520 A,  520 B,  520 C, and  520 D being engaged. It follows that when all sets of protuberances and openings are engaged, the rod support  110  is at its minimum height. Although embodiments are described with respect to four sets of sets of protuberances  510 A,  510 B,  510 C, and  510 D and openings  520 A,  520 B,  520 C, and  520 D, the invention is not so limited. For example, the rod support  110  can have any number of protuberances and corresponding openings. 
     FIG. 6 shows an insert  602  with four protuberances  610 A,  610 B,  610 C, and  610 D mating with a housing  604  with four recesses  620 A,  60 B,  620 C, and  620 D. The embodiment in FIG. 6 operates similarly to the embodiment in FIG.  5 . As FIG. 6 illustrates, however, the recesses  620 A,  60 B,  620 C, and  620 D are closed such that the protuberances  610 A,  610 B,  610 C, and  610 D are not visible on the outside of the housing  112 . 
     FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment where an insert  702  has two or more openings  702 A and  702 B that correspond to two or more openings  704 A and  704 B in a housing  704 . A pin  710  is inserted into the openings  702 A and  702 B and  704 A and  704 B to hold the insert  114  to a particular height. 
     The rod support  110  can be easily manufactured. For example, all protuberances, recesses, and openings can be aligned such that regardless of the implementation all pieces fit together. For example, the protuberances  510 A,  510 B,  510 C, and  510 D can be located in the same place on the rod support  110  as the protuberances  610 A,  610 B,  610 C, and  610 D. Similarly, the openings  520 A,  520 B,  520 C, and  520 D can be located in the same place on the rod support  110  as the recesses  620 A,  620 B,  620 C, and  620 D. The result is that the pieces of these two embodiments are interchangeable. The same is true for the openings  702 A and  702 B and  704 A and  704 B. 
     FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment where the rod support  110  includes a block  850 . The block  850  is mounted to the housing  112 . The block  850  can be mounted permanently. Alternatively, the block  850  can be removable from the housing  112 . For example, when the block  850  is a plate, the housing  112  can be welded or soldered to the block  850 . Alternatively, the block  850  can have a threaded tip whereby the block  850  can be threaded to fit into the housing  112  for assembly and disassembly. 
     The block  850  provides the rod support  110  with more height flexibility to accommodate various rod  102  positioning and various ceiling heights. The block  850  can be metal, rubber, plastic, etc., or any material suitable for maintaining stability. 
     This embodiment can be used for height adjustment as well. In this embodiment, to increase the height, simply unscrew the block  850  from the housing  112  to the height where the cradle  116  contacts the rod  102 . 
     FIG. 9 illustrates an embodiment of a rod support  110  whose height is adjustable using a handle  910 . The handle  910  operates a well-known winding or ratchet-like device to raise and lower the insert  114  into and out of the housing  112 . 
     Similarly, in the embodiment where the insert  114  has a threaded tip that mates with threads inside the housing  112 , the height of the rod support  110  can be adjusted. For example, to increase the height, simply unscrew the insert  114  from the housing  112  to the height where the cradle  116  contacts the rod  102 . 
     Alternatively, height can be adjusted using a riser that is positioned inside the cradle. FIG. 10 illustrates a riser  1000  suitable for implementing this embodiment. The riser  1000  mates with the cradle  410  and the rod  102  to minimize any gaps between the cradle  410  and the rod  102  created by not being precisely aligned with each other. The riser  1000  also minimizes any slippage between the cradle  410  and the rod  102 . 
     Of course, the riser  1000  is not limited to the shape depicted in FIG.  10 . For example, depending on the shape, the riser  1000  can fit inside the cradle  116 , cradle  310 , or any other shape that permits proper mating to minimizes gaps between the cradle and the rod. 
     NAMES OF PARTS AND REFERENCE NUMBERS 
       100  closet 
       102  rod 
       104 A bracket 
       104 B bracket 
       106 A closet wall 
       106 B closet wall 
       112  housing 
       114  insert 
       116  cradle 
       118  spring 
       130  base 
       202  connector 
       310  semi-circle shaped cradle 
       410  semi-rectangular shaped cradle 
       502  insert 
       504  housing 
       510 A protuberance 
       510 B protuberance 
       510 C protuberance 
       510 D protuberance 
       520 A opening 
       520 B opening 
       520 C opening 
       520 D opening 
       602  insert 
       604  housing 
       610 A protuberance 
       610 B protuberance 
       610 C protuberance 
       610 D protuberance 
       620 A recess 
       620 B recess 
       620 C recess 
       620 D recess 
       703  insert 
       704  housing 
       702 A opening 
       702 B opening 
       704 A opening 
       704 B opening 
       710  pin 
       850  block 
       910  handle 
     CONCLUSION 
     The invention has been described in language more or less specific as to structure and method features. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the specific features described, since the means herein disclosed comprise example forms of putting the invention into effect. Various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the invention, as will be readily recognized by those skilled in the relevant art. Moreover, the invention is not intended to be limited except as by the claims.