Abstract:
A shower accessory that hangs from the shower rod and laterally displaces a hanging shower curtain to provide greater shoulder width for the user.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The invention relates to a shower accessory that will urge a freely hanging shower curtain outwardly and generate more room for the user of the shower. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Households commonly have bathing tubs that also double as a shower. Many use a freely hanging shower curtain suspended from a shower bar to retain water during use as a shower but which can be drawn to either side when used as a bathing tub. Soap, shampoo and hair conditioner products are often balanced on any sort of ledge in the tub area or in a shower products storage device hanging from the supply pipe of the shower head that extends from the wall. 
         [0003]    Such bath/shower combinations have a tub of a width, length and height to capture a volume of water that is adequate for bathing but which is not so excessive as to represent a source of waste. Such considerations typically form bathing tubs that are well suited for bathing small children but ill-suited for adults who prefer to take showers. The hanging shower curtain inside the tub wall effectively decreases already relatively narrow width of the tub and can serve as a source of discomfort by those of relatively broad shoulders who may need to stand sideways to soap and shower themselves adequately. 
         [0004]    It would be desirable to have an accessory that could be used with any shower curtain rod to provide the user with more space when showering. 
         [0005]    It would also be desirable to have a shower accessory that was designed to store shower and personal care products at a convenient height for the user bathing by shower. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    It is an objective of the invention to provide a shower accessory that will increase the space available while using the shower. 
         [0007]    It is also an objective of the invention to provide a shower accessory that will be useful with virtually any shower rod and curtain configuration. 
         [0008]    In accordance with these and other objectives that will become apparent from the description herein, a shower accessory according to the invention includes (a) a support frame having at least one suspending hook at a first end thereof and exhibiting an axis of rotation when said frame is suspended from a horizontally disposed shower bar, (b) a counterweight on said support frame and located below said at least one hook, and (c) a shower curtain displacement bar attached to said support frame, said displacement bar exhibiting an extended length along an axis that is substantially parallel to said axis of rotation, whereby said counterweight and said displacement are positioned on said support frame so as to generate a rotational moment about said axis of rotation and urge said counterweight into a resting position that is substantially below said shower bar and urge said displacement bar to a second resting position. 
         [0009]    The shower accessory of the present invention works with virtually any shower rod and curtain to displace the shower curtain laterally and provide greater width to the enclosed area when showering. Such additional width is more comfortable for the user, especially if the user has broad shoulders and/or prefers a greater width of space for bathing. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  depicts an embodiment according to the invention with two hooks, a basket for shower products that will act as a counterweight and a bar or tubular member that acts as a shower curtain displacement member. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  illustrates an embodiment with a single hanging hook, a centrally located counterweight and a lower curtain displacement member. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  shows a third embodiment with a bottom counterweight and a centrally located curtain displacement member. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    The invention is conveniently described with reference to the attached figures and using a spatial orientation as the device is oriented when in use, e.g., hanging downwardly from a horizontally extended shower rod that also carries or is adjacent to a freely hanging shower curtain. 
         [0014]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the shower accessory includes a support frame  1  having a pair of hooked arm members  2 ,  3  that will engage a shower rod (not shown) and allow the accessory to hang downwardly therefrom. Each hooked arm  2 ,  3  is connected with basket  4  by upper frame arms  5 ,  6 . Horizontal brace  7  extends between upper frame arms  5 ,  6  to provide support for frame  1 . Basket  4  may be integrally formed with upper arms  5 ,  6  as shown or may be connected to arms  5 ,  6  by a suitable fastener, weld, solder or adhesive connection. 
         [0015]    Lower arms  8 ,  9  are also integrally formed with the bottom base  10  of basket  4  or may be connected thereto by the same techniques as identified above for upper aims  5 ,  6 . Arms  8 ,  9  connected to curtain displacement member  11  which may take substantially any geometric cross section shape, e.g., square, rectangular, round, triangular, hexagonal, etc. Member  11  is preferably straight (as shown) or may itself be arcuate and bowing outwardly (not shown). One or more of upper arms  5 ,  6  or lower arms  8 ,  9  may be made of a rigid material (formed and coated metal, plastics, fiber reinforced composites, etc.) or of a deformable material that allows the user to bend such arms to suit personal tastes for shower curtain displacement or lack thereof. 
         [0016]    It is contemplated that a user of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  would place one or more personal care products (shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, and the like) in basket  4 . Such items add weight to basket  4  and allow it to serve as a counterweight for the accessory so that the downward pull of gravity  11  exerts a rotational force around axis  12 . Displacement member  11  is thus urged outwardly against the hanging shower curtain thereby forming a greater width to the shower area inside the curtain. 
         [0017]      FIGS. 2 and 3  depict embodiments having support frames  20 ,  30  having a single top hooked arm  21 ,  31  connected to or integrally formed with relatively straight upper arms  22 ,  32  and curved or arcuate lower arms  23 ,  33 . The  FIG. 2  embodiment has counterweight  24  in a central position above a downwardly arcuate lower arm  22  terminating in connected displacement member  25 . The  FIG. 3  embodiment uses displacement member  35  in a central position above an upwardly arcuate lower arms  33  that terminates in counterweight  34 . 
         [0018]    The size of counterweights  24 ,  34  are dependent on the type of material that is used in the counterweight member. Preferred materials include coated lead, zinc, brass, and similar high density materials that will exert an adequate rotational force to displace member  25 ,  35  outwardly against the hanging shower curtain and thereby provide a rotational force  26 ,  36  around the rotation axis of hook arm  21 ,  31 . 
         [0019]    It is understood that the embodiments illustrated in the present invention are preferred and are not intended to serve as substantive limitations on the scope of the appended claims.