Abstract:
An apparatus is adapted to function as a towel rack access door set within a shower door. The apparatus is operatively mounted within the shower door on at least one hinge and has at least one towel rack on at least one (1) side such that the towel rack is generally kept on the outside of the shower door. The apparatus offers the user the ability open the towel rack access door to retrieve the towel without stepping out of the shower itself.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present invention was first described in and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/934,118, filed Jan. 31, 2014, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to a towel rack access door set within a shower door. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    A part of just about everyone&#39;s daily ritual is that of bathing. Whether done in a bath or shower, drying oneself off with a towel is an integral part of such an activity. Because such towels remain outside the shower or bath enclosure while bathing, the user must open the door, step out, and grab the towel. This action causes a large amount of water to be deposited on the floor leading to clean up tasks at the least, and perhaps generates a safety hazard of slipping and falling as well. Some users may place the towel over the top of the shower door before beginning a shower, but such action leads to at least a portion of the towel getting wet before use. Others seem to perpetually forget to place a towel in such a position beforehand. Accordingly, there exists a need for a means by which access to a towel after bathing can be provided, without the disadvantages as described above. The development of the shower door fulfills this need. 
         [0004]    The apparatus is a revolving door incorporated into the main shower door of a bathing enclosure, which allows a user to obtain a towel without opening the main shower door. A center portion of the main door is provided with an opening through which a separate revolving door is rotatingly attached. When in a closed state, the revolving door is held in position by a seal disposed about a perimeter of the opening of the main door, which also prevents water leakage and protects against incidental damage. At least one (1) surface of the revolving door is provided with a towel rack. Thus, when the user has completed their shower or bath, a simple push on the revolving door brings the towel within the enclosure. This happens without opening the main shower door, reaching outside the enclosure, or accessing the enclosure exterior in any manner. 
         [0005]    Prior art in this field consists of shower and bath enclosures provided with elaborate drain assemblies to capture water that escapes the enclosure and directs it to a drain. While these systems suppress water spillage onto the greater bathroom floor area, water still escapes onto the floor. Furthermore, users still must access the outside of the enclosure to obtain a towel. Other prior art exists having rotating doors placed within a partition wall or secondary door. These doors are pivotally attached to the partition wall/secondary door and are configured to swing away from the partition wall/secondary door and towards the user actuating the door. These doors are adapted to grant access to the opposing side of the partition wall/secondary door, but do so by creating an obstruction to users pulling the door towards them. These doors further require some sort of latch or tensioner to maintain the door in a closed position, which adds weight and complexity while also detracting from the functionality and aesthetics of the device. 
         [0006]    It is an objective of the present invention to provide a rotating door incorporated into a shower door that grants access to an exterior of the enclosure to which the shower door is attached without having to exit the enclosure. 
         [0007]    It is a further objective of the present invention to configure the rotating door to enable access to a towel hung on a towel bar attached to the rotating door while obviating the need to reach outside the enclosure. 
         [0008]    It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a seal disposed about a perimeter edge of an opening to which the rotating door is attached to obviate water exiting the enclosure, prevent incidental damage to either the rotating door or shower door, and to assist with holding the rotating door in a closed position. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The apparatus is a rotating towel door equipped with a handle and a towel bar set into an opening of a shower door. The towel door is a panel pivotally affixed to the shower door via at least one (1) pivot to enable three-hundred sixty degree)(360° rotation of the towel door about the pivot. Disposed about the perimeter edge of the opening is a seal to provide a water-tight gasket engagement between the shower door and towel door, as well as to assist with holding the towel door in a closed position. At least one (1) surface of the towel door is provided with a towel bar, which is configured to support a towel when hung upon it. The towel bar is further configured to enable three-hundred sixty degree)(360° rotation of the towel door about the pivot without creating an obstruction to such rotation. At least one (1) surface of the towel door is further provided with a handle to assist a user with manipulation of the towel door. 
         [0010]    Each pivot comprises a pivot knuckle, pivot pin, and pivot receiver. Each pivot knuckle is affixed to the shower door, and each pivot receiver is affixed to the towel door. The pivot pin is inserted into a pivot knuckle and corresponding pivot receiver to enable rotation about the pivot pin. 
         [0011]    Furthermore, the described features and advantages of the disclosure may be combined in various manners and embodiments as one skilled in the relevant art will recognize. The disclosure can be practiced without one (1) or more of the features and advantages described in a particular embodiment. 
         [0012]    Further advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    The advantages and features of the present disclosure will become better understood with reference to the following more detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is an environmental view of a towel access shower door  10  installed in a shower door  100  in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is an environmental view of the towel access shower door  10  pivoted to place a towel  110  inside an enclosure  105  in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a detail view of a panel  22  of the towel access shower door  10  illustrating the fastener apertures  36  in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a detail view of an upper pivot  60  and a lower pivot  80  of the towel access shower door  10  in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention; and, 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a section view along a line A-A as shown on  FIG. 4  cut through the upper pivot  60  of the towel access shower door  10  in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTIVE KEY 
       [0000]    
       
         
           
               10  towel access shower door 
               16  insert aperture 
               20  towel door 
               22  panel 
               24  panel adornment 
               25  exterior surface 
               26  interior surface 
               28  handle 
               32  handle stabilizer 
               34  handle fastener 
               36  fastener aperture 
               38  handle gasket 
               40  towel bar 
               42  bar 
               44  towel bar bracket 
               46  bracket stabilizer 
               48  bracket gasket 
               52  bracket fastener 
               60  upper pivot 
               62  pivot knuckle 
               64  pivot pin 
               65  shoulder 
               66  pivot receiver 
               67  receiver well 
               68  pivot stabilizer 
               72  pivot gasket 
               74  pivot fastener 
               80  lower pivot 
               90  aperture seal 
               92  web 
               94  side 
               96  lip 
               100  shower door 
               105  enclosure 
               110  towel 
           
         
       
     
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0054]    The best mode for carrying out the invention is presented in terms of its preferred embodiment, herein depicted within  FIGS. 1 through 5 . However, the invention is not limited to the described embodiment, and a person skilled in the art will appreciate that many other embodiments of the invention are possible without deviating from the basic concept of the invention and that any such work around will also fall under the scope of this invention. It is envisioned that other styles and configurations of the present invention can be easily incorporated into the teachings of the present invention, and only one particular configuration shall be shown and described for purposes of clarity and disclosure and not by way of limitation of scope. 
         [0055]    The terms “a” and “an” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced items. 
         [0056]    The present invention describes a towel access shower door (herein referred to as the “apparatus”)  10 , which provides a user who has just completed a shower or bath with convenient access to a bath towel  110  by pivotally rotating a door insert equipped with hardware to support such a towel  110 . This obviates the need to open the shower door  100  prior to drying themselves. 
         [0057]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , environmental views of the apparatus  10  installed in a shower door  100  according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, are disclosed. The apparatus  10  is configured to be a towel door  20  equipped with a handle  28  and a towel bar  40  set into an insert aperture  16  on a vertical, centrally aligned upper pivot  60  and lower pivot  80 . The insert aperture  16 , as well as any required fastener apertures  36 , must be cut into the glass of a shower door  100  prior to tempering that glass. The size of the insert aperture  16  is approximately twenty four square inches ( 24  in 2 ), however, the dimensions of the opening or the radius provided on any of the corners should not be seen a limitation of the scope of the apparatus  10 . The perimeter of the insert aperture  16  is preferably covered with an aperture seal  90  to prevent water leakage around the towel door  20  and to protect the edge against incidental damage. The aperture seal  90  is preferably configured to have generally a “U”-shaped cross-section with a web  92  in contact with the edge of the insert aperture  16  and a side  94  in contact with the interior face, as well as another symmetrical side  94  in contact with the exterior face of the shower door  100  as seen in  FIG. 4 . The aperture seal  90  has a lip  96  to create an enhanced contact with the exterior surface  25  as well as the interior surface  26  and the edge of the panel  22  to seal against the towel door  20  and to assist with holding the panel  22  in place in a closed position. It is envisioned for this lip  96  to be configured with contours complementing that of the engagement with the exterior surface  25 , interior surface  26 , and edge of the panel  25  for adequate abutment thereto. The aperture seal  90  is preferably composed of a resilient material such as nitrile which can be presented in several different colors. It is understood that other materials, such as neoprene, or rubber, may be utilized without limiting the scope of the apparatus  10 . 
         [0058]    The towel door  20  is preferably configured to be a tempered glass panel  22 , as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , having an exterior surface  25 , an interior surface  26 , and any necessary fastener apertures  36  as required for the attachment of ancillary hardware. Other materials, such as polycarbonate sheet material, may also be utilized. The panel  22  must be sized to fit into the insert aperture  16  and form a liquid-tight seal against the aperture seal  90 . The panel  22  may be transparent, translucent, or may be provided with any adornment  24  to suit the taste of a user. Such adornment  24  may include, but not be limited to, frosting or stippling in any pattern, deviations in the planar surface such as waves, ribs, or other embossment, or any appliqué as may suit the taste of a user. 
         [0059]    Disposed along an exterior surface  25  of the panel  22  and located near the upper edge thereof is a towel bar  40 . The towel bar  40  may be any horizontal bar  42 , of any cross-sectional shape or material, projecting from the panel  22  by means of towel bar brackets  44  capable of supporting a towel  110 . The towel bar  40  preferably comprises stainless steel, brass, plastic, or other noncorrosive material. The towel bar brackets  44  may be of any configuration or material and may be integral to the bar  42  or independent as may suit the taste of a user. The towel bar brackets  44  are attached to the panel  22  preferably by means of at least one (1) bracket fastener  52  inserted through appropriately sized and located fastener apertures  36 . The bracket fastener  52  is preferably configured to be a stainless steel, or brass, threaded fastener. The towel bar  40  is configured in overall length and amount of projection from the panel  22  such that an ample clearance will remain between the towel bar  40  and the perimeter of the insert aperture  16  when the towel door  20  is pivoted to the interior of the shower enclosure  105 . A bracket stabilizer  46 , preferably configured to be a metal, or rigid thermoplastic, plate is placed between the head of the bracket fastener  52  and the interior surface  26  of the panel  22  prior to securing the towel bar brackets  44  into position. The purpose of the bracket stabilizer  46  is to spread the stress of the clamping load of the bracket fasteners  52  over a greater area of the panel  22  thereby reducing the unit stress load. A bracket gasket  48 , preferably composed a stable, resilient, natural or synthetic rubber, is located between the bracket stabilizer  46  and the interior surface  26  of the panel  22  to form a seal against water leakage through the fastener aperture  36 . 
         [0060]    Disposed along an interior surface  26  of the panel  22  and located near a vertical edge thereof is a handle  28 . The handle  28  may be disposed along either the right vertical edge or the left vertical edge as either configuration will perform equally well. The purpose of the handle  28  is to assist a user in the manipulation of the towel door  20  to result in a rotational motion about the centrally located pivot points. The handle  28  is preferably composed of a metal; however, other materials, such as a rigid thermoplastic material, may be utilized. The handle  28  may be configured in many different styles to suit the taste of a user. The handle  28  is attached to the panel  22  by means of at least one (1) handle fastener  34 . The handle fastener  34  is preferably configured to be a stainless steel, or brass, threaded fastener. A handle stabilizer  32 , preferably configured to be a metal or rigid thermoplastic, plate is placed between the head of the handle fastener  34  and the exterior surface  25  of the panel  22  prior to securing the handle  28  into position. The purpose of the handle stabilizer  32  is to spread the stress of the clamping load of the handle fasteners  34  over a greater area of the panel  22  thereby reducing the unit stress load. A handle gasket  38 , preferably composed a stable, resilient, natural or synthetic rubber, is located between the handle stabilizer  32  and the exterior surface  25  of the panel  22  to form a seal against water leakage through the fastener aperture  36 . Since the door may be rotated equally well by a pushing force on the edge of the panel  22 , the towel door  20  could be configured without the handle  28 . 
         [0061]    Referring now to  FIG. 4 , a detail view of the upper pivot  60  and the lower pivot  80 , and  FIG. 5 , a section view along line A-A as seen in  FIG. 4 , of the apparatus  10 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, are disclosed. The apparatus  10  is supported on an upper pivot  60  and a lower pivot  80 . The upper pivot  60  and the lower pivot  80  are identical so the detailed description of one (1) applies to the other. For each pivot  60 ,  80 , a pair of pivot knuckles  62  is attached to the shower door  100  in proximity to the insert aperture by means of at least one (1) pivot fastener  74 . The pivot fastener  74  is preferably configured to be a stainless steel, or brass, threaded fastener. One (1) pivot knuckle  62  is located at a central point along the upper perimeter of the panel aperture  16  while another pivot knuckle  62  is located similarly along the lower perimeter of the panel aperture  16 . The pivot knuckle  62  is provided with a pivot pin  64  which is configured to be a short cylindrical shaft having an offset in the diameter at approximately the mid-length thereof with a demarcation being a shoulder  65 . The pivot pin  64  is preferably inserted, by means of a press fit, into an appropriately sized opening in the pivot knuckle  62 . The pivot knuckle  62  could alternately be a unitary fabrication with the pivot pin  64  so long as the features of the smaller diameter and the shoulder  65  are retained. A pivot receiver  66  is attached to an upper portion of the panel  22  at a central location on the exterior surface  25  thereof by means of at least one (1) pivot fastener  74 . Another pivot receiver  66  is attached similarly to a lower portion of the panel  22 . The pivot receivers  66  are configured to have a receiver well  67 , which is configured to be an aperture sized to accommodate the smaller diameter of the pivot pin  64  with a sliding fit. 
         [0062]    Contact between the shoulders  65  of the pivot pins  64  and the upper faces of the pivot receivers  66  of both the upper pivot  60  and the lower pivot  80  is intended to be the support and limit of vertical travel of the panel  22 . The pivot knuckle  62 , the pivot pin  64 , and the pivot receiver  66  are preferably composed of a thermoplastic material and formed in injection molding dies. It is understood; however, that other materials, such as stamped or molded metal, may be utilized without limiting the scope of the apparatus  10 . A pivot stabilizer  68 , preferably configured to be a metal or rigid thermoplastic, plate is placed between the head of the pivot fastener  74  and the interior surface  26  of the panel  22  prior to securing each of the pivot receivers  66  into position. Similarly a pivot stabilizer  68  is placed between the head of the pivot fastener  74  and the interior surface of the shower door  100  prior to securing each of the pivot knuckles  62  into position. The purpose of the pivot stabilizers  68  is to spread the stress of the clamping load of the pivot fasteners  74  over a greater area of the panel  22 , or of the shower door  100 , thereby reducing the unit stress load. A pivot gasket  72 , preferably composed a stable, resilient, natural or synthetic rubber, is located between the pivot stabilizers  68  and the material of the panel  22 , or of the shower door  100 , to form a seal against water leakage through the fastener apertures  36 . 
         [0063]    It is envisioned that other styles and configurations of the present invention can be easily incorporated into the teachings of the present invention, and only one particular configuration shall be shown and described for purposes of clarity and disclosure and not by way of limitation of scope. 
         [0064]    The preferred embodiment of the present invention can be utilized in a simple and straightforward manner with little or no training. After initial purchase or acquisition of the apparatus  10 , it would be installed as indicated in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0065]    The method of installing and utilizing the apparatus  10  may be achieved by performing the following steps: acquiring a model of the apparatus  10  having a desired style to suit the taste of a user; installing the shower door  100  to cover the enclosure  105 ; aligning the towel door  20  to face outward from the enclosure  105 ; hanging a towel  110  on the towel bar  40 ; entering the enclosure and taking a shower in the customary manner; turning off the water; pulling on the handle  28  to cause the towel door  20  to pivot on the upper pivot  60  and the lower pivot  80  so that the towel  110  enters the enclosure  105 ; removing the towel  110  from the towel bar  40 ; drying oneself in the customary manner; returning the towel  110  to the towel bar  40 ; rotating the towel door  20  so that the towel  110  is returned to the exterior of the enclosure  105 ; and exiting the enclosure. 
         [0066]    The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit to the precise forms disclosed and many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain principles and practical application to enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.