Patent Document

This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 08/579,665 filed on Dec. 27, 1995, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,192. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to bathroom accessories, and more particularly, to bathroom accessories securable to a bathroom wall having at least one chamber for toiletry items and orifices for receiving toothbrushes. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A typical household bathroom is a small and confined place. Accordingly, there is a limited amount of available storage space for items needed while in the bathroom. As a result, most household bathrooms quickly become disorganized and cluttered, making it difficult, time-consuming and inconvenient to locate items that are needed while in the bathroom. Moreover, the bathroom becomes increasingly difficult to maintain and clean. 
     The present invention overcomes these and other drawbacks and provides accessories which can be conveniently stored in a bathroom and which allow for efficient use of existing bathroom space. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the present invention, there is provided a bathroom accessory securable to a generally vertical surface. The accessory comprises a wall member locatable adjacent to the generally vertical surface to which the accessory is to be secured, and one or more suction cups engageable with the wall member for securing the accessory to the generally vertical surface. The suction cups have a head portion attachable to the wall member and a resilient, concave member having a circular projection. The suction cups are compressable against the generally vertical surface to secure the bathroom accessory to the generally vertical surface. The invention according to this application is a bathroom accessory which is made from plastic, and includes walls defining at least one chamber for holding toiletry items, transverse walls defining orifices for toothbrush handles or razor handles, and a rear engagement wall for holding suction cups to secure the accessory to a vertical wall. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide bathroom accessories which make efficient use of space available in a bathroom. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide bathroom accessories which are suitable for use inside a shower. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide bathroom accessories which can be conveniently relocated within a bathroom. 
     An object of the invention is to provide a bathroom accessory for attachment to a vertical surface having at least one chamber for holding toiletry items and vertical orifices for holding toothbrushes and/or razors. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a shower basket for holding various bathroom items, which is conveniently securable to a generally vertical surface. 
     It is still another object of the present invention to provide a shower and tub caddy which is conveniently securable to a generally vertical surface. 
     It is still another object of the present invention to provide a shower and tub organizer which is conveniently securable to a generally vertical surface. 
     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a toothbrush storage unit which is conveniently securable to a generally vertical surface. 
     These and other objects will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments of the present invention taken together with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangement of parts, preferred embodiments of which will be described in detail in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a front plan view of a squeegee member illustrating a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a side plan view of the squeegee shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a rear plan view of the squeegee shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is an end plan view taken along line  4 — 4  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a basket illustrating another preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a front plan view of the basket shown in FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 7 is a side plan view of the basket shown in FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 8 is a top plan view of a first tray illustrating another preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 9 is a front plan view of the tray shown in FIG. 8; 
     FIG. 10 is a bottom plan view of the tray shown in FIG. 8; 
     FIG. 11 is a side plan view of the tray shown in FIG. 8; 
     FIG. 12 is a top plan view of a second tray illustrating another preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 13 is a front plan view of the tray shown in FIG. 12; 
     FIG. 14 is a bottom plan view of the tray shown in FIG. 12; 
     FIG. 15 is a side plan view of the tray shown in FIG. 12; 
     FIG. 16 is a top plan view of a corner shelf illustrating another preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 17 is a side plan view along the direction of line  17  of FIG. 16; 
     FIG. 18 is a bottom plan view of the corner shelf shown in FIG. 16; 
     FIG. 19 is a top plan view of a holding member illustrating another preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 20 is a rear side view of the holding member shown in FIG. 19; 
     FIG. 21 is a bottom plan view of the holding member shown in FIG. 19; and 
     FIG. 22 is a side view of the holding member shown in FIG.  19 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawings wherein the showing is for the purpose of illustrating preferred embodiments of the invention only, and not for the purpose of limiting same, FIGS. 1-4 show a T-shaped squeegee  10  according a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Squeegee  10  is generally comprised of handle portion  20 , an arm portion  30 , and a wiper blade  40 . Handle portion  20  is comprised of a generally planar elongated upper section  22  and a generally planar lower section  28 . Upper section  22  and lower section  28  are at a slight angle relative to each other (see FIG.  2 ). Upper section  22  includes an annular depression  24 , as best seen in FIG. 1. A hole  26  is provided at the center of annular depression  24 , the hole dimensioned to receive suction cup  50 , which will be discussed in greater detail below. It will be appreciated that annular depression  24  is formed on both the front side of upper section  22  shown in FIG. 1, as well as the rear side of upper section  22  shown in FIG.  3 . Annular depressions  24  reduce the depth of hole  26 . In addition, upper section  22  has a curved top  23 . 
     Lower section  28  extends between upper section  22  and arm portion  30 . While lower section  28  is generally coplanar with arm  30 , it is at a slight angle relative to upper section  22 , as best seen in FIG.  2 . Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, handle portion  20  tapers from the top of upper section  22  to the bottom of lower section  28 . 
     Arm portion  30  is comprised of an arched section  32  and a rectangular blade-receiving section  34 . Arm portion  30  extends transversely to handle portion  20 . Blade-receiving section  34  includes a slot  36  for receiving a wiper blade  40  (see FIG.  4 ). 
     Suction cup  50  is a conventional suction cup used to support squeegee member  10  on a generally vertical surface. The vertical surface is preferably a smooth flat surface such as glass, mirror (e.g., a bathroom mirror), tile (e.g., a bathroom wall), fiberglass, or metal. 
     Suction cup  50  is comprised of a concave member  52  and a head  56 . Concave member  52  includes a tab  54 . By lifting and pulling tab  54 , suction cup  50  can be easily removed from a vertical surface. Concave member  52  has a diameter of approximately 2-¾ inches. Head  56  has a generally cylindrical shape and has a length sufficient to extend through hole  26  of handle portion  20 . Head  56  has a diameter dimensioned to be receivable by hole  26  of handle portion  20 . Handle portion  20  is removable from suction cup  50  by disengaging hole  26  from head  56 . Accordingly, squeegee member  10  can be removed from suction cup  50  during use, and returned thereto for convenient storage. 
     The preferred dimensions in each of two sizes of squeegee member  10  will now be described. In the smaller version of squeegee member  10 , handle portion  20  has a length of approximately  6  inches and a width of approximately 1-{fraction ( 1 / 2 )} inches; arm portion  30  has a length of approximately 1-½ inches, and a width of approximately 8 inches; wiper blade  40  has a length of approximately 1 inch and a width of approximately 8 inches. However, it should be noted that only approximately ½ inch of wiper blade  40  extends outward from slot  36 . The total weight of the smaller version of squeegee member  10 , not including suction cup  50 , is about 35 ounces. In its larger version, squeegee member  10  has a handle portion  20  of a length of approximately  6  inches and a width of approximately 1-½ inches; its arm portion  30  has a length of approximately 1-½ inches and a width of approximately 12 inches. Blade  40  has a width of approximately 1 inch and a width of approximately 12 inches. The other dimensions are the same for both the small and large versions of squeegee member  10 . The weight for the larger squeegee member  10  without the suction cups is about 4.0 ounces. Squeegee member  10  is preferably constructed of plastic. 
     Squeegee member  10  has a variety of uses, including the removal of water and fog from glass or mirrored surfaces. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 5-7, there is shown a basket  60 , particularly suitable for use as a shower basket for storage of items, such as shampoo, conditioner, soap and sponges. Basket  60  is generally comprised of a front side wall  62   a , rear side wall  62   b , end walls  72 , and a floor  76 . Front side wall  62   a  includes a plurality of apertures  66 . Apertures  66  allow water to drain from basket  60 , and allow items stored inside basket  60  to be identified. Rear side wall  62   b  includes a plurality of holes  64 . Holes  64  are dimensioned to receive a suction cup  50 ′, which is similar to suction cup  50  described above. Suction cup  50 ′ is generally comprised of a concave member  52 ′ and a head  56 ′. Concave member  52 ′ is the same as concave member  52 , except it lacks the optimal tab  54 . Head  56 ′ is similar to head  56 ′, but includes a locking portion  58 ′ at the end of heat  56 ′ opposite concave member  52 ′. Locking portion  58 ′ has a diameter greater than the other parts of head  56 ′. Accordingly, locking portion  58 ′ engages with the inner surface of rear side wall  62   b  to secure suction cup  50  to basket  60 . Accordingly, if basket  60  is removed from a flat surface to which it is attached, basket  60  will not become separated from suction cup  50 ′. Furthermore, the force exerted to remove basket  60  will also remove suction cup  50  from the flat surface. Therefore, tab  54  is not required. 
     End walls  72  are generally U-shaped and connect side walls  62   a  and  62   b . A rim  75  is formed along the upper perimeter of walls  62   a ,  62   b  and  72 . Floor  76  includes drainage apertures  78  which allow fluid to drain out from the interior of basket  60 . 
     It will be appreciated that basket  60  is mountable to a generally vertical surface using suction cups  50 ′, the surface preferably being a smooth flat surface, such as glass, mirror, tile, fiberglass or metal The preferred dimensions of basket  60  will now be described. Side walls  62   a  and  62   b  have a width of approximately 6-¾ inches and a height of approximately 6 inches; end walls  72  have a width of approximately 3-½ inches and a height of approximately 6 inches. The interior dimensions of basket  60  are approximately 10 inches×3 inches×6 inches. The total weight of basket  60 , excluding the weight of suction cups  50 ′, is approximately 11 ounces. Basket  60  is preferably constructed of plastic. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 8-11, there is shown a tray  80 , particularly suitable for use as a shower and tub caddy, for storing items such as shampoo, conditioner, soap and sponges. Tray  80  is generally comprised of a front side wall  82 , a rear side wall  84 , an engagement wall  86 , and a floor  100 . End walls  94  are generally U-shaped and connect front side wall  82  to rear side wall  84 . A rim or lip  98  is arranged along the upper perimeter of front side wall  82 , rear side wall  84  and end walls  94 . 
     Engagement wall  86 , as best seen in FIG. 10, is a generally planar wall arranged adjacent and generally parallel to rear side wall  84 . Holes  88  are formed in engagement wall  86  to receive head  56 ′ of suction cups  50 ′. Connecting member  90  connects engagement  86  with rear side wall  84 . 
     Floor  100  includes a plurality of drainage apertures  102  and a plurality of dimples  104 . Drainage apertures  102  provide an opening for the drainage of fluid from the interior of tray  80 . Dimples  104  provide a friction surface for floor  100 . 
     Front side wall  82 , rear side wall  84 , end walls  94  and floor  100  define a chamber  108 . Chamber  108  preferably has a height of approximately 2 inches, a maximum length of approximately 15 inches, and a maximum width of approximately 3-½ inches. The dimensions of chamber  108  are best suited for the storage of toiletry items, such as shampoo bottles, conditioner bottles, sponges and soap. 
     Tray  80  is mountable to a generally vertical surface by engaging suction cups  50  with holes  88  in engagement wall  86 . Suction cups  50 ′ are then placed adjacent to the vertical surface and an appropriate pressure is applied thereto by pressing suction cups  50 ′ against the surface. 
     The preferred dimensions of tray  80  will now be described. Front side wall  82  and rear side wall  84  preferably have a width of approximately 10-½ inches and a height of approximately 2 inches (including the height of lip  98 ); and end walls  94  have a width of approximately 4 inches and a height of approximately 2 inches (including lip  98 ); engagement wall  86  has a width of approximately 10-¾ inches and a height of approximately 2 inches. The approximate interior volume of chamber  108  is 84 cubic inches. The total weight of tray  80  (excluding suction cups  50 ) is approximately 8.0 ounces. Tray  80  is preferably constructed of plastic. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 12-15, there is shown a second tray  110  particularly suitable for use as a shower and tub organizer, for storing items such as shampoo, conditioner, shaving cream, toothbrushes, razors and soap. Tray  110  is generally comprised of two side chambers  148  and a center chamber  143 . Side chambers  148  are defined by front side wall portions  112 , rear side wall portions  114 , end walls  124 , center walls  130 , and floors  132 . End walls  124  are generally U-shaped, and connect front side wall portions  112  with rear side wall portions  114 . Center walls  130  are generally transverse to front side wall portions  112  and rear side wall portions  114 , and connect side wall portions  112  and  114  with each other. Furthermore, center walls  130  define a center chamber  143 , which will be described in detail below. Floors  132  include a plurality of drainage apertures  134  and dimples  136 . Drainage apertures  134  provide openings for the drainage of fluid from the interior of side chambers  148 . Dimples  136  provide a high friction surface. 
     Center chamber  143  includes an upper horizontal wall  138  and a U-shaped wall  142 . Upper horizontal wall  138  includes a plurality of holes  140 . Holes  140  are preferably dimensioned to receive the handle end of a toothbrush or razor. U-shaped wall  142  includes a plurality of slots  144  for drainage of fluid from center chamber  143 . The portion of center chamber  143  defined by U-shaped wall  142  is preferably dimensioned to receive a bar of soap. 
     It should be appreciated that a lip  128  extends around the outer edge of chambers  148  and  143 , as best seen in FIGS. 12 and 13. 
     An engagement wall  116  is arranged adjacent and generally parallel to rear side wall portions  114  (see FIG.  14 ). Engagement wall  116  has a generally planar surface and includes holes  118  which are dimensioned to receive head  56 ′ of suction cup  50 ′. Engagement wall  116  has a preferred width of approximately 10-¾ inches and a preferred height of approximately 2 inches. A connecting member  120 , as best seen in FIGS. 14 and 15, connects engagement wall  116  with rear side wall portions  114 . 
     Tray  110  is mountable to a generally vertical surface in the same manner as tray  80 . 
     Side chambers  148  are preferably 4-½ inches by approximately 3-½ inches, and has a depth of approximately 2 inches (including lip  128 ). Center chamber  143  is preferably a length of approximately 4-½ inches by approximately 3-½ inches, with a maximum depth of approximately 1-¾ inches (including lip  128 ). Tray  110  has a weight of approximately 7.5 ounces and is preferably constructed of plastic. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 16-18, there is shown a corner shelf  150 , particularly suitable for the storage of items such as shampoo, conditioner, shaving cream, toothpaste and razors. Corner shelf  150  is generally comprised of a first side wall  152 , a second side wall  154 , engagement walls  156 , a front wall  160  and a floor  170 . First side wall  152  and second side wall  154  are arranged generally perpendicular to each other as shown in FIGS. 16 and 18. Front wall  160  is a curved wall, and connects first side wall  152  with second side wall  154 . A pair of generally planar engagement walls  156  are arranged adjacent and generally parallel to first and second walls  152  and  154 , as best seen in FIG.  18 . Each engagement wall  156  has Three holes dimensioned to receive a suction cup  50 ′. 
     A lip  168  is arranged along the perimeter of first side wall  152 , second side wall  154  and front wall  160 . Engagement walls  156  are integrally attached to lip  168 , as shown in FIG.  1 &amp; 
     First side wall  152 , second side wall  154 , front wall  160  and floor  170  define a chamber  178 . Floor  170  includes drainage apertures  172  and  172 ′, as well as dimples  174 . Drainage apertures  172  and  172 ′ provide a means for draining fluid from the interior of chamber  178 . It should be appreciated that drainage aperture  172  may also be dimensioned to receive the handle end of a razor for storage of the razor inside chamber  178 . In this respect, drainage apertures  172  may have a larger diameter than drainage aperture  172 ′. Dimples  174  provide a high friction surface. 
     Corner shelf  150  is mountable to a pair of generally perpendicular vertical surfaces using suction cups  50 ′. Accordingly, corner shelf  150  is arrangeable within a corner area formed by the two generally perpendicular vertical surfaces. 
     Side walls  168  and engagement walls  156  preferably have a width of approximately 9 inches. Curved front wall  160  has a height of approximately 1-½ inches (including lip  168 ) and is along a radius of curvature of approximately 9 inches. Side walls  168  and  169  and curved front wall  160  preferably have a height of approximately 1-½ inches (including lip  168 ). Corner shelf  150  preferably has a weight of approximately 8 ounces (without suction cups  50 ′). Corner shelf  150  is preferably constructed of plastic. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 19-22, there is shown a holder  180  particularly well suited for storage of items such as toothpaste and toothbrushes. Holder  180  is generally comprised of a front side wall  182 , a rear side wall  184 , end walls  186 , floor  188  and an extension portion  200 . Front side wall  182 , rear side wall  184 , end walls  186  and floor  188  define an oval-shaped chamber  218 . Front side wall  182  and rear side wall  184  are curved walls which are connected to each other by end walls  186 . Floor  188  includes holes  190  for draining fluid from chamber  218 . 
     A generally planar horizontal extension portion  200  extends from the upper perimeter of walls  182 ,  184  and  186 . Extension portion  200  includes holes  202 , which are preferably dimensioned to receive the handle end of a toothbrush. A generally planar engagement wall  206  attaches to extension portion  200 , as best seen in FIG.  21 . Openings  208  and  208 ′ are formed in engagement wall  106 . Openings  208  and  208 ′ are dimensioned to receive, respectively, suction cups  50 ′ and  50 ″. 
     It should be appreciated that suction cup  50 ″ is a modified version of suction cup  50 ′. In this respect, suction cup  50 ″ has a diameter of approximately 1-¾ inches and an enlarged locking portion  58 ″. The widest portion of opening  208 ′ (see FIG. 20) is dimensioned to receive locking portion  58 ″ therethrough. 
     Holder  180  is mountable to a generally vertical surface using suction cups  50 ′ and  50 ″. 
     Chamber  218  preferably has a height of approximately 3 inches, a maximum length of 3 inches, and a maximum width of approximately 2-¼ inches. Furthermore, holder  180  has a weight of approximately 2.5 ounces. Holder  180  is preferably constructed of plastic. 
     The foregoing description is directed to specific embodiments of the present invention. It should be appreciated that these embodiments are described for purposes of illustration only, and that numerous alterations and modifications may be practiced by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is intended that all such modifications and alterations be included insofar as they come within the scope of the invention as claimed or the equivalents thereof.

Technology Category: 4