Abstract:
A shower curtain ring assembly, which is easy to open and close for easy access to a shower curtain and liner, which contains semi circular right and left ring members attached by a pivot pin through pivot pinholes at the top of each ring member. The ring members engage to magnets embedded within the bottom of ring members within a collar that prevents disengagement.

Description:
(1) FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates generally to a shower curtain ring assembly which includes the ability to easily attach or detach a shower curtain and a shower curtain liner. Shower curtain rings and hooks, which are utilized to hang shower curtains and shower curtain liners in a shower stall, are well known in the art. Hooks and rings are normally used to hang shower curtains to the shower enclosure. The hooks and rings tend to be cumbersome to install. Shower curtain liners and shower curtains are difficult to install and remove from rings and hooks, thereby making it difficult to change shower curtains for decorative purposes.  
       (2) DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART  
       [0002]     Thus, there remains a need for a shower curtain assembly which permits easy installation and removal of shower curtains and shower curtain liners.  
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
       [0003]     The present invention is directed to a shower curtain ring assembly, which is easy to open and close. The assembly comprises a semi-circular right ring member, a semi-circular left ring member which attaches to the right ring member at the top of said ring members, and an opposing pair of magnets located at the bottom of the right and left ring members. The right ring member is made of molded plastic and is no less than 5/16 inches in diameter. The right ring member further includes a collar located at the bottom of right ring member and the collar is no longer than ¾ of an inch with an outside diameter of 7/16 inches and an inside of 5/16 inches. The right ring member further includes a magnet embedded in the bottom of the right ring member and the magnet is glued in place with a water resistant glue into a recess molded into the right ring member. The right ring member further includes a male fitting at the top of the right ring member and a pivot pinhole at the top of the right ring member.  
         [0004]     The left ring member is made of molded plastic and is no less than 5/16 inches in diameter. The left ring member further includes a magnet embedded in the bottom of the left ring member and the magnet is glued with a water resistant glue into a recess molded into the left ring member. The left ring member further includes a female fitting at the top of the right ring member and a pivot pinhole. The right and left ring members are attached at the top through complimentary pinholes by a pivot pin. The pivot pin is made from the group consisting of metal or plastic. The pivot pin permits opening and closing of the right ring member. The opposing pair of magnets, in the right and left ring members, adheres to each other when the right and left ring members are in a closed position. When the right and left ring members are in a closed position, the distance between the right and left ring members is not less than 2 inches.  
         [0005]     The shower curtain ring assembly may further include slip on sleeves. The slip-on sleeves are made of a flexible plastic and are made in a plurality of colors. The sleeves include a right ring sleeve and a left ring sleeve, which are slipped over the right ring member and the left ring member of the shower curtain ring assembly.  
         [0006]     The shower curtain ring assembly may further include a decorative plate assembly. The decorative plate assembly is comprised of a decorative plate, which can be attached to the shower curtain ring assembly, a clip, and a clip support piece. The decorative plate may be made from a group of materials consisting of plastic, glass, metal or wood.  
         [0007]     One aspect of the present invention is to provide a shower curtain ring assembly, which provides easy attachment and detachment of a shower curtain liner for cleaning purposes without removing the entire assembly from the shower enclosure. Another aspect of the invention is to permit the assembly&#39;s user to easily change colors or designs of the shower curtain for aesthetic purposes.  
         [0008]     These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art after a reading of the following description of the preferred embodiment when considered with the drawings.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]      FIG. 1  is a frontal view of the preferred embodiment according to the present invention;  
         [0010]      FIG. 1A  is a top view of the right and left ring members;  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is a frontal view depicting the shower curtain ring assembly in an open position;  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is a frontal view depicting the shower curtain ring assembly with the collar detached;  
         [0013]      FIG. 4A  is a frontal view depicting the right and left ring members slip on sleeves;  
         [0014]      FIG. 4B  is a frontal view depicting the shower curtain ring assembly without the slip on sleeves;  
         [0015]      FIG. 4C  is a frontal view of the shower curtain ring assembly with the slip on sleeves attached;  
         [0016]      FIG. 5A  is a back view depicting the decorative plate assembly;  
         [0017]      FIG. 5B  is a back view depicting the decorative plate;  
         [0018]      FIG. 5C  is a side view depicting the clip and clip support of the decorative plate assembly; and  
         [0019]      FIG. 5D  is a side view of the decorative plate assembly attached to a shower curtain ring assembly.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0020]     In the following description, like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views. Also in the following description, it is to be understood that such terms as “forward,” “rearward,” “left,” “right,” “upwardly,” “downwardly,” and the like are words of convenience and are not to be construed as limiting terms.  
         [0021]     Referring now to the drawings in general and  FIGS. 1 through 5 D, it will be understood that the illustrations are for the purpose of describing a preferred embodiment of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention thereto. As seen in  FIGS. 1 through 3 , the shower curtain ring assembly  10  is comprised of a left ring member  14 , a right ring member  12 , a left ring member magnet  24 , and a right ring magnet  22 . The right ring member  12  and the left ring member  14  are semi-circular and are made of molded plastic. The diameter of the ring members  12  and  14  are no less than 5/16 inches in diameter. The right ring member  12  further includes a collar  20  located at the bottom of the ring member  12 . The collar  20  is no longer than ¾ of an inch with an outside diameter of 7/16 inches and an inside diameter of 5/16 inches. The right ring member  12  further includes a magnet  22 , which is embedded in the bottom of the right ring member  12 . The left ring member  14  is also made of molded plastic and is no less than 5/16 inches in diameter. The left ring member  14  further includes a magnet  24  embedded in the bottom of the left ring member  14  and the magnet  24  is glued with a water resistant glue into a recess molded into the left ring member  24 . The glue totally encases the magnets placed in the right ring member  12  or left ring member  14 , thereby making them resistant to water damage. Both the left ring member  14  and the right ring member  12  include a pivot pinhole  16  at the top of the ring members  12  and  14 .  
         [0022]      FIGS. 1 and 2  depict the shower curtain ring assembly  10  in an open and closed position. The left ring member  14  adheres with its magnet  24  to the right ring member&#39;s  12  magnet  22  within the collar  20 . In the preferred embodiment, the collar  20  is molded as part of the right ring member  12 . The collar  20  could however, be glued to the right ring member  12  after being separately molded.  
         [0023]     Referring to  FIG. 1A , the top of the curtain ring assembly  10  is depicted. The left ring member  14  includes a female fitting  30  molded into the top of the left ring member  14 . The right ring member  12  includes a male fitting  26  molded to the top of the right ring member  12 .  
         [0024]     Referring to  FIGS. 1, 1A  and  3 , a pivot pinhole  18  is depicted. The pivot pinhole  18  is in a complimentary position in the right ring member  12  and the left ring member  14 . When the right ring member  12  and left ring member  14  are attached at the top, and the right ring male fitting  26  and left ring female fitting  30  are complimentary attached, a pivot pin  16  is placed in the pivot pinhole  18  to hold the right ring member  12  and the left ring member  14  together. The pivot pin  16  can be made from a group consisting of metal or plastic.  
         [0025]     Again, referring to  FIGS. 1 through 3 , the shower curtain ring assembly  10  is placed on a shower bar (not shower) with the pivot pinhole  18  resting on the top of the shower curtain bar. The shower curtain ring assembly  10  is in an open position, and the shower curtain and shower curtain liner (not shown) are placed over the collar  20 .  
         [0026]     A sufficient number of shower curtain assemblies  10  should be utilized to match each hole in a shower curtain and shower curtain liner (not shown). After the shower curtain and shower curtain liner (not shown) are attached to a sufficient number of shower curtain assemblies  10 , so that each opening hole in the shower curtain and shower curtain liner (not shown) are filled with shower curtain ring assemblies  10 , the shower curtain ring assemblies  10  are closed and the right ring magnets  22  are engaged to the left ring magnets  24  within the collar  20  of each ring assembly. The collar  20  is designed to carry the weight of the affixed shower curtain and shower curtain liner (not shown). The collar  20  distributes the weight of the shower curtain and shower curtain liner (not shown) over the width of the collar  20 . The collar  20  further prevents the left ring magnet  24  and the right ring member  22  from disengaging because of the weight of the affixed shower curtain and shower curtain liner (not shown).  
         [0027]     In the preferred embodiment, the shower curtain ring assembly  10  is made of molded plastic, however, it may be made of metal, wood, glass or any other substance desired for decorative and aesthetic purposes. The shower curtain ring assemblies  10  of the preferred embodiment permits the shower curtain and shower curtain liner (not shown) to be easily attached to the bar and to be easily removed from the ring assembly  10 . Consequently, changing shower curtains for decorative purposes is facilitated by ease in which they can be placed on or off the shower ring assembly  10 . The shower curtain (not shown) may be left on the ring assembly  10  and the shower curtain liner may be easily removed for cleaning or replacement.  
         [0028]     Referring to  FIGS. 4A through 4C , the slip on sleeve is depicted. The slip on sleeves  32  and  33  are made of flexible plastic and are made in plurality of different colors or designs. The left ring sleeve  33  is affixed to the left ring member  14 . The right ring sleeve  32  is affixed to the right ring member  12 . The right ring sleeve  32  has an enlarged portion at one end to accommodate the increased size of the collar  20 . Use of the slip on sleeves  32  and  33  permit user to change colors or designs of the shower ring curtain assembly  10 , so that when the user changes the color or décor of the shower curtain (not shown) replacement and or addition of slip on sleeves  32 ,  33  will provide the necessary match with a replacement shower curtain (not shown).  
         [0029]     The shower curtain assembly  10  may further include a decorative plate assembly  42 . Referring to  FIGS. 5A through 5D , the decorative plate assembly  42  is comprised of a decorative plate  42 , a clip  38 , a clip support  36 , and a decorative plate holding bracket  44 . The decorative plate  42  may be made from a group of materials including plastic, glass, metal or wood. The decorative plate  42  may be made in different sizes and shapes and have various decorative themes. The decorative plate  42  further includes the decorative plate holding bracket  44 , which is the rectangular unshaped bracket affixed to the rear of the decorative plate  42 . The decorative plate holding bracket  44  may be glued, or welded to the decorative plate  42  or molded as part of the decorative plate  42  if the decorative plate  42  is a molded piece The clip  38  and the clip support  36  are made from molded plastic. The clip  38  and clip support  36  may be molded in one piece together, or the clip  38  and the clip support  36  may be glued together.  
         [0030]     Referring to  FIG. 5D , the decorative plate assembly  42  is depicted as attached to the shower curtain ring assembly  10 . The clip portion  38  fits around either the left or right ring members  12 ,  14 , and adheres to the member by tension. The clip  38  is a tension, molded clip, which snaps onto the right ring members  12  or left ring members  14  of the shower curtain ring assemblies  10 . The decorative plate  42  permits the user of the shower curtain ring assembly  10  to change themes for holidays or other events by use of an appropriate themed decorative plate  42 .  
         [0031]     Certain modifications and improvements will occur to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the foregoing description. By way of example, the pivot mechanism may be molded into the right ring member  12  and left ring member  14 . The right ring member  12  and left ring member  14  may be joined at the top with a snap lock device molded into the respective members. It should be understood that all such modifications and improvements have been deleted herein for the sake of conciseness and readability but are properly within the scope of the following claims.