Patent Publication Number: US-2011072578-A1

Title: Rod Structure for Shower Curtain

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a shower equipment, and more particularly to a rod structure for shower curtain that can be slid by moving its hooks freely along the rod. The shower curtain is a single piece which can be slid open or slid close. Thereby, it reduces the installation cost and enhances an easy operation. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     To prevent the ground of bath room from getting wet during taking a shower, a shower curtain is suspended along a shower area to prevent water from spraying on the ground, keeping bath room dry and clean. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , a conventional rod structure for shower curtain is a rod  10  which is formed in a round, or rectangle shape, or other shape. One end of the rod is connected with a riser tube  201  of a shower hose  20 , the other three sides thereof are suspended to a ceiling by using a ceiling support  30  respectively, the rod  10  includes a plurality of annular hooks  40  to hang a number of bores on a top end of the shower curtain so that as pulling the shower curtain, the hooks  40  slide along the rod  10 . 
     Also, the rod  10  is formed in a circular, oval, trapezoid, rectangular, L-shape, towel rack shape, or other shapes and is suspended to the ceiling by using the ceiling support  30 . 
     However, such hooks  40  can not slide freely along the rod  10  because they are limited by the riser tube  201  of the showering equipment and by the ceiling supports  30 , thereby having an inconvenient operation. Besides, to pull the shower curtain completely along the rod  10 , it needs at least two shower curtains to be installed to the rod, increasing installation cost. 
     The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary object of the present invention is to provide a rod structure for shower curtain that can slide the hooks freely on the rod, and the shower curtain is a single piece which can be slid open and close, thereby lowering installation cost and enhancing an easy operation. 
     A rod for shower curtain in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, is formed in a closed rectangular shape with rounded corners or formed in other shapes, and one side thereof includes a connector to connect or not to connect with a riser tube of a showering equipment, the other three sides thereof are suspended to the ceiling by using three ceiling supports respectively, the rod also includes a plurality of roller ball curtain rings to slide freely thereon, and each ceiling support is comprised of a coupling member, a post, and a fixing mount. The coupling member includes a C-shaped piece, a receiving seat extending upward from one end thereof, and a semicircular holder disposed on another end thereof and having an opening facing upward, and an arcuate length of the semicircular holder is more than a semicircle, the semicircular holder includes a screw hole disposed on the middle section thereof to drive a screw, such that the semicircular holder is fitted and locked to the rod by using this screw. One end of the post is inserted to the receiving seat of the coupling member so as to be fixed by a bolt, or a pin, or a screw; another end thereof is inserted to a fitting pipe of the fixing mount to be fixed to the ceiling. Each roller ball curtain ring is twisted from an elongate strap and includes a fitting segment and a fastening portion, the fitting segment includes a number of balls attached thereon, an opening mounted on a connection of the fastening portion and the fitting segment, and two semicircular flat members to prevent the balls from rolling downward, such that the roller ball curtain ring is fitted to the rod to slide the hooks freely. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing the exploded components of a conventional rod structure for shower curtain; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing the operation of a rod structure of shower curtain according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing the exploded components of the rod structure for the shower curtain according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing the assembly of the rod structure for shower curtain according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view showing the assembly of the rod structure for the shower curtain according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing the roller ball curtain ring sliding across the coupling member. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention will be clearer from the following description when viewed together with the accompanying drawings, which show, for purpose of illustrations only, the preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2-5 , a rod  1 , for shower curtain in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, is formed in a closed rounded rectangular shape or other shapes. One side thereof includes a connector  11  to connect or not to connect with a riser tube  21  of a showering equipment  2 , the other three sides thereof are suspended to a ceiling by using three ceiling supports  3  respectively. The rod  1  also includes a plurality of roller ball curtain rings  4  to slide freely thereon, and each ceiling support  3  is comprised of a coupling member  31  and a ceiling post  32 , and a fixing mount (not shown). The coupling member  31  includes a C-shaped piece  311 , a receiving seat  312  extends upward from one end thereof, and a semicircular holder  313  disposed on another end thereof and having a mouth facing upward, and an arcuate length of the semicircular holder  313  is more then a semicircle, the semicircular holder  313  includes a screw hole  3131  disposed on a middle section thereof to drive a screw  3132 , such that the semicircular holder  313  is fitted and locked to the rod  1  by driving the screw  3132 . One end of the ceiling post  32  is inserted to the receiving seat  312  of the coupling member  31  so as to be fixed by a bolt, or by a pin, or by a screw; another end of post thereof (not shown) is to be fixed to the ceiling. Each roller ball curtain ring  4  is twisted from an elongate strap and includes a big hook segment  41  and a small hook portion 42 , the big hook segment  41  includes a number of balls  43  installed thereon, an opening  411  on one side of the top of the small hook portion  42  and under the big hook segment  41 , and two semicircular flat members to prevent the balls  43  from rolling downward, such that the big hook segment  41  is fitted to the rod  1  to slide the roller ball curtain rings  4  freely. 
     In operation, the small hook portions  42  of the roller ball curtain rings  4  are used to hang the shower curtain  5  by using bores on a top end of the shower curtain  5  so that when pulling the shower curtain  5 , the roller ball curtain rings  4  slide on the rod  1 , and as the roller ball curtain rings  4  slide to the coupling member  31  of the ceiling support  3 , as shown in  FIG. 6 , the opening  411  of the big hook segment  41  keeps away from the C-shaped piece  311  of the coupling member  31  to slide across the coupling member  31 , hence the roller ball curtain rings  4  slide freely on the rod  1  without being stopped by the ceiling supports  3  when pulling the shower curtain  5 . Also, the rod  1  is formed in a circular, oval, trapezoid, rectangular, L-shape, towel rack shape, or other shape and is suspended and fixed to the ceiling by using the ceiling supports  3 . 
     The coupling member  31  is comprised of an one-piece element or a plurality of assembled parts. 
     From above description, the coupling member  31  includes the C-shaped piece  311 , the receiving seat  312 , and the semicircular holder  313 , and the roller ball curtain ring  4  includes the big hook segment  41  having the opening  411  so as to keep away from the C-shape piece  311  of the coupling member  31  to slide the roller ball curtain rings  4  on the rod  1  freely. It is to be noted that the shower curtain  5  is a single piece to be opened and closed, thereby lowering installation cost and enhancing easy operation. 
     While we have shown and described various embodiments in accordance with the present invention, it is clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.