Patent Abstract:
A device for supporting bathroom accessories and the like, comprising a suction cup element including a suction part and a holding part adapted to hold a bathroom accessory and the like, and a mounting element including an engaging formation formed to engage and retain the suction part of the suction element and member adapted to attach to a wall.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to a device for supporting bathroom accessories, such as for example towel bars, soap holders, hand showers, etc.  
           [0002]    Devices of the above mentioned general type are known in the art. It is believed that the existing devices can be further improved.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device for supporting bathroom accessories and the like which is a further improvement of the existing devices.  
           [0004]    In keeping with these objects and with others which will become apparent hereinafter, one feature of the present invention resides, briefly stated, in a device for supporting bathroom accessories and the like, comprising a suction cup element including a suction part and a holding part adapted to hold a bathroom accessory and the like; and a mounting element including an engaging formation formed to engage and retain said suction part of said suction element and member adapted to attach to a wall.  
           [0005]    When the device is designed in accordance with the present invention it constitutes a further improvement of the existing devices.  
           [0006]    The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the present invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    [0007]FIGS. 1 and 2 are views showing a suction cup element of the invention device in inoperative and operative portions;  
         [0008]    [0008]FIGS. 2 and 3 are a side view and a front view of a mounting element of the inventive device; and  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 4 is a view showing the device after mounting.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0010]    A device for supporting bathroom accessories and the like includes a suction element which is identified as a whole with reference numeral  1 . The suction element has a holding part  2  which is provided for holding a bathroom accessories, such as for example a soap-holder  3 , a not shown towel bar, etc.  
         [0011]    The suction element further has a suction part which is identified as a reference numeral  4  and formed as known in the art. In particular, the suction part  4  can include a diaphragm  5  which is connected to a central disk  6  connected in turn to the projection  7 . The holding part  2  has two legs  8  which surround the projection  7  and are turnably connected with it. The pivot axis  9  for pivoting the holding part relative to the suction part  4  is selected so that the when the holding part  2  is turned from an inoperative position shown in FIG. 1 in which the holding part  2  extends perpendicular to the axis of the suction part  4 , into an operative position shown in FIG. 2 in which the holding part  2  is coaxial with the axis of the suction part  4 , the legs  8  pull the projection  7  with the disk  6  and the diaphragm  5  inwardly and therefore create a suction under the diaphragm  5  which is arranged in a conical casing  10 , thus creating suction.  
         [0012]    The device further has a mounting element which is identified as a whole with reference numeral  1   1 . The attaching element has a disk  12  provided with two projections  13  which form a groove  14  therebetween. At the opposite side the attaching element  11  has an adhesive layer  15  which is originally closed by a non adhesive covering member for example paper  16 .  
         [0013]    The device operates in the following manner:  
         [0014]    The holding element  1  is first assembled with the attaching element  11  by sliding the casing  10  with the diaphragm  5  into a slot  14  between the projections  13  so that the holding element  1  is reliably held in the attaching element  11 , for example by friction. Since the diaphragm  5  is compressible it compresses and provides a tight connection of the elements  1  and  11 . The holding member  2  is turned from the position shown in FIG. 1 to the position shown in FIG. 2 so that a suction is generated in the suction member  4  and additionally reliably holds the holding part  11  in the attaching part  1 . The protective layer  16  is removed, and the attaching element  1  is attached by the adhesive layer  15  to a wall and the like. In this position the device supports for example a soap-holder  3 , for example in bathroom and the like, and for example, in a position near a sink and the like.  
         [0015]    If however it is necessary to move a soap-holder to another location, for example for bathing a child in a bathtub or the like, the holding part  2  is turned relative to the suction part  4  from the position shown in FIG. 2 to the position shown in FIG. 1 so that a suction under the diaphragm  5  is removed, and then the holding element  1  is moved out from the gap  14  so that the holding element  1  is removed from the attaching element  11 . Then the holding element  1  can be moved to another location, for example near the bathtub. The left side of the holding element  1  can be placed against the wall, and the holding member  2  is then turned from the position shown in FIG. 1 to the position shown in FIG. 2 so that the holding element  1  becomes attached to the wall and the like to support the soap-holder  3  at a location near the bathtub. Thus, in accordance with the present invention a bathroom accessory can be held with the device in one location, relatively permanently, and then when necessary its parts can be disassembled and the part of the device, in particular the holding element, can be moved to another location to support a bathroom accessory at the other location.  
         [0016]    It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above.  
         [0017]    While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.  
         [0018]    Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.  
         [0019]    What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 5