EP2027804A2

EP2027804A2 - Shower curtain system

Info

Publication number: EP2027804A2
Application number: EP08162748A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Antoni Harold Nikolas Gontar
Original assignee: Taylor Jonathan Robert
Current assignee: Taylor Jonathan Robert
Priority date: 2007-08-23
Filing date: 2008-08-21
Publication date: 2009-02-25
Also published as: GB2452075A; GB0716489D0; GB2452075B

Abstract

A shower curtain 6 is provided to retain water in a shower area 4. In the closed position, the shower curtain 6 is retained at two sides 14, 16 of the shower area 4. Tensioning means in the form of resiliently extendable bands 18, resiliently expendable connectors 50, or an elasticated part 102 of the shower curtain are provided to impart tension to the shower curtain in the width direction when the shower curtain is retained in the closed position. The tension maintains the shower curtain taut, thereby retaining water within the shower area and preventing the shower curtain from blowing into, or out of, the shower area.

Description

The present invention relates to a shower curtain and shower curtain system to provide improved water retention in a shower area such as a shower tray, bath or wet floor area when a person is showering.
Known shower curtains have a tendency to either blow out of, or into, the shower area of the shower tray, bath or wet floor area over which they are provided. As a result, water can escape past the shower curtain out of the shower area.
This problem is usually solved by surrounding the shower area with a plastic or glass shower enclosure instead of using a shower curtain.
However, such enclosures are considerably more expensive, and require considerably more time to install, than a shower curtain.
The present invention has been made with this in mind.
According to the present invention, there is provided a shower installation comprising a shower; a shower area in which a person may shower; a shower curtain for containing water within the shower area when a person is showering; retaining means for retaining the shower curtain, in use, in a closed position between first and second sides of the shower area; and tensioning means for imparting tension to the shower curtain in the width direction when the shower curtain is retained in the closed position, wherein the tensioning means comprises resiliently extendable means which, in use, is to be extended to, and maintained in, an extended condition when the shower curtain is retained in the closed condition between the first and second sides and which is arranged to return to a non-extended condition when the shower curtain is not so retained, so that the shower curtain is retained against the pull of the resiliently extendable means when it is retained in the closed condition.
The present invention also provides a shower curtain installation kit comprising a shower curtain; first retaining means for retaining the shower curtain at a first side of a shower area; second retaining means for retaining the shower curtain at a second side of the shower area; and tensioning means for imparting tension to the shower curtain when the shower curtain is retained between the first and second retaining means, wherein the tensioning means comprises resiliently extendable means which, in use, is to be extended to, and maintained in, an extended condition when the shower curtain is retained between the first and second retaining means and which is arranged to return to a non-extended condition when the shower curtain is not so retained, so that the shower curtain is retained against the pull of the resiliently extendable means when it is retained between the first and second retaining means.
The present invention also provides a shower curtain system, comprising a shower curtain; and tensioning means for imparting tension to the shower curtain in the width direction, wherein the tensioning means comprises resiliently extendable means which, in use, is to be extended to, and maintained in, an extended condition when the shower curtain is retained in a closed position and which is arranged to return to a non-extended condition when the shower curtain is not so retained, so that the shower curtain is retained against the pull of the resiliently extendable means when it is retained in the closed position.
The present invention further provides a shower curtain wherein at least part of a lower portion thereof is elasticated.
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numbers designate like parts, and in which:

Figure 1 shows a shower curtain system in a first embodiment viewed from the front, outside the shower area;
Figure 1a shows a cross-section of the ramp in the first embodiment in the direction X-X shown in Figure 1;
Figure 1b shows the rear of the side panel in Figure 1 to which the shower curtain is pulled in the closed position;
Figure 2 shows a rear view of the shower curtain system of the first embodiment from inside the shower area;
Figure 3 shows components of the shower curtain system of the first embodiment;
Figure 4 shows a cross-section through a pocket of the shower curtain and the ramp in the first embodiment;
Figure 5 shows the shower curtain system of the first embodiment applied to retain water within a shower tray;
Figure 6 shows a rear view of a shower curtain system in a second embodiment from inside the shower area;
Figure 7 shows a first design of a resiliently extendable connector in the second embodiment;
Figure 8 shows a second design of a resiliently extendable connector in the second embodiment;
Figure 9 shows a rear view of a shower curtain system in a third embodiment from inside the shower area;
Figure 10 shows a rear view of a shower curtain system in a fourth embodiment from inside the shower area, in which the shower curtain is in a partially closed position;
Figure 10a shows a rear view of the shower curtain system in the fourth embodiment from inside the shower area, in which the shower curtain is retained in the fully closed position;
Figure 11 shows a rear view of a shower curtain system in a fifth embodiment from inside the shower area;
Figure 12 shows components of the shower curtain system in the fifth embodiment;
Figure 13 shows a modified shower curtain; and
Figure 14 shows a modified ramp.

First Embodiment

Referring to Figures 1-4, a shower installation in a first embodiment comprises a shower 2, a shower area generally designated as 4 (comprising a wet floor area in Figure 1), and a shower curtain 6 suspended on a curtain pole 8 by means of curtain rings 10 above a ramp 12.
In this embodiment, the shower curtain is suspended between two side panels 14, 16, although the shower curtain 6 may be suspended in other ways, for example it may be suspended between one side panel and a wall or between two walls, as required by the type of shower area 4.
The ramp 12 prevents water running out of the shower area 4 on the floor, and is shaped to allow easy access by a wheelchair into and out of the shower area 4.
Referring to Figure 2, which shows a rear view of the shower curtain 6 and side panels 14, 16 from inside the shower area 4, the shower curtain 6 is connected to the side panel 14 or a wall (not shown) by resiliently extendable bands 18, which act as tensioning means to impart tension to the shower curtain in the width direction, as will be described below. The bands 18 are connected between connectors 20 on the shower curtain 6 and connectors (not shown) on the side panel 14 or wall. In this embodiment, the connectors 20 on the shower curtain 6 comprise reinforced eyelet holes through which the bands 18 are passed. As a result, the bands 18 may be easily removed for replacement or to facilitate washing of the shower curtain 6.
A rigid, lightweight end piece 22 is provided along the edge of the shower curtain 6 opposite to the edge to which the resiliently extendable bands 18 are connected.
The end piece 22 is connected to holes 24 (best seen in Figure 3) provided at the edge of the shower curtain 6 by means of connectors (not shown) inserted through the holes 24 and corresponding holes 26 in the end piece 22.
A handle 28 is provided on the end piece 22 to assist the user in opening and closing the shower curtain 6. The end piece 22 is provided along substantially the hole edge of the shower curtain so that a horizontal force is applied near the top of the shower curtain adjacent the curtain rings 10 and the bottom of the shower curtain when the user moves the shower curtain using the handle 28, thereby facilitating smooth movement of the shower curtain.
A plurality of holes 30 are provided along the length of the end piece 22 at positions to engage hooks 32 provided on the rear surface 34 of side panel 16 (best seen in Figure 1b).
In use, the shower curtain 6 is closed by pulling the handle 28 to draw the shower curtain to the side panel 16 and engage the holes 30 within the end piece 22 with the hooks 32 on the side panel 16, as shown in Figure 2. As a result, the resiliently extendable bands 18 are extended to an extended condition, and are maintained in the extended condition as a result of the connection of the shower curtain 6 to the side panel 16 via the holes 30 and hooks 32. Accordingly, the shower curtain 6 is retained against the pull of the resiliently extendable bands, so that tension is imparted to the shower curtain in the width direction. In this regard, the shower curtain has a width which ensures that the bands 18 are stretched to their elongated condition when the shower curtain 6 is closed and retained by the hooks 32.
In this way, the shower curtain, and in particular the bottom of the shower curtain, is maintained taut, thereby preventing it from blowing either out of, or into, the shower area 4, and facilitating the retention of water within the shower area 4.
The shower curtain 6 can be released from the hooks 32 by pulling the handle 28 in a direction away from the side panel 14 to extend the resiliently extendable bands 18 further. The shower curtain 6 can then be returned to its open position (as shown in Figure 1) with the resiliently extendable bands 18 in a non-extended condition.
To further improve the retention of water within shower area 4, the shower curtain 6 is provided with a plurality of pockets 36, each containing a magnetic ball 38 (best seen in Figures 3 and 4).
Each pocket 36 has a releasable flap 40 to permit the magnetic balls 38 to be removed from the pockets 36 in order to facilitate washing of the shower curtain 6. In this embodiment, each flap 40 can be closed and secured to the pocket 36 by means of Velcro 42 or any other form of releasable connector, such as a press-stud, zip, etc.
Referring to Figures 1a and 4, the ramp 12 includes a magnetic member 44 along its length.
In use, the magnetic member 44 attracts the magnetic balls 38 in the pockets 36 of the shower curtain 6 so that the magnetic balls 36 and the shower curtain 6 are retained against the top of the ramp 12. In this regard, the shower curtain has a length in the vertical direction (drop) so that the curtain contacts the ramp 12 as shown in Figure 4.
It should be noted that the member 44 is a magnet in this embodiment and that the balls 36 are formed from any material that is attracted to the magnet. However, the balls 36 may each be a magnet instead, and the member 44 may be formed from a material which is attracted to the ball magnets. Accordingly, the term "magnetic" used herein encompasses both a magnet and a material that is attracted to a magnet.
The spherical shape of the balls 36 permits the balls to roll along the top of the ramp 12 despite the magnetic attraction between the balls 36 and member 44 when the shower curtain 6 is moved to a closed position or an open position. Such movement would not be possible if a magnetic material in the shape of a strip or other non-rollable shape was provided in each of the pockets 36.
It should be noted that the shower curtain system described above can be used to retain water in all types of shower area 4 (including baths and shower trays), and not just a wet floor area.
For example, referring to Figure 5, the shower curtain system can be used to retain water within a shower area 4 comprising a shower tray.
More particularly, the shower curtain 6 is connected to a wall (not shown) on a first side of the shower tray via the resiliently extendable bands 18, and is then guided around a pole 36 to a wall (not shown) at a second side of a shower tray.
In the closed position, the shower curtain 6 is retained against the wall at the second side of the shower tray by hooks 32, with the resiliently extendable bands 18 in their extended condition. In this way, as in the system of Figures 1-4, the shower curtain 6 is retained against the pull of the resiliently extendable bands 18 so that tension is imparted to the shower curtain in its width direction. As a result of this tension, the shower curtain is maintained substantially taut and the tendency of the shower curtain to blow into, or out of, the shower area 4 is reduced.
In addition, magnetic balls within the pockets 36 on the shower curtain 6 are attracted to a magnetic member 44 provided along the top edge of the shower tray.
Whilst Figure 5 shows a shower curtain system to retain water along two sides of a shower tray, it will, of course, be appreciated that the system can be used to retain water along any number of sides of the shower tray.
In addition, although the magnetic member 44 is provided along the top edge of the shower tray in Figure 5, the magnetic member 44 may instead be provided on the inside of the shower tray. In this case, a shower curtain 6 of increased length would be provided so that the magnetic balls in the pockets 36 contact the magnetic member 44 and roll along the member 44 on the inside of the shower tray when the shower curtain 6 is opened or closed.

Second Embodiment

A second embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to Figures 6-8.
Referring to Figure 6, in the second embodiment, each of the resiliently extendable bands 18 in the first embodiment is replaced with a resiliently extendable connector 50.
The connectors 50 perform the same function as the bands 18.
Each connector 50 is attached to a wall (not shown) or the side panel 14. In addition, each resiliently extendable connector 50 is connected to an eyelet hole 20 or other form of connector on the shower curtain 6.
The other components of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment and so will not be described again here.
Many different designs of resiliently extendable connector 50 are possible.
For example, referring to Figure 7, each resiliently extendable connector 50 may comprise a housing 52 for connection to the wall or side panel 14, and a member 54 movable relative to the housing 52.
The member 54 is biased by a spring 56 so that the connector 50 returns to a non-elongated condition with the member 54 within the housing 52 (as shown in Figure 7).
A snap connector 58 is provided to connect the member 54 to an eyelet hole 20 on the shower curtain 6.
In use, when the shower curtain 6 is pulled to its closed position and retained by the hooks 32, the member 54 is pulled out of the housing 52 so that the connector 50 has an elongated condition. The force exerted by the spring 56 attempts to return the connector 52 to the non-elongated condition, but this is not possible when the shower curtain 6 is retained by the hooks 32. Accordingly, the shower curtain 6 is retained against the pull of the connector 50 so that tension is imparted to the shower curtain 6, thereby keeping the shower curtain taut.
Figure 8 shows an alternative design for the resiliently extendable connector 50.
In this alternative design, the spring 56 is replaced by an elastically compressible fluid 60.
In use, when the shower curtain 6 is pulled to its closed position, the fluid 60 is compressed. The tendency of the fluid 60 to expand again therefore exerts a force on the member 54 to return the member 54 into the housing 52. When the shower curtain 6 is retained by the hooks 32, this force is resisted so that the shower curtain 6 is retained in tension.
When the shower curtain 6 is released from the retaining hooks 32, the fluid 60 expands, returning the member 54 into the housing.

Third Embodiment

Figure 9 shows a third embodiment of the present invention.
In the first and second embodiments, the resiliently extendable bands 18 were provided between the edge of the shower curtain 6 and the side panel 14 or a wall.
In the third embodiment, the position of the resiliently extendable bands 18 is different. More particularly, in the third embodiment, the resiliently extendable band 18 are provided between the shower curtain 6 and the end piece 22.
Bands 64 are provided to connect the shower curtain 6 to the side panel 14 or a wall (not shown). The bands 64 may or may not be resiliently extendable.
The other components of the shower curtain system are the same as those in the first embodiment, and accordingly will not be described again here.
In use, with the shower curtain 6 retained in the closed position by hooks 32 (as shown in Figure 9), the resiliently extendable bands 18 are maintained in their extended condition so that the bands 18 act as tensioning means imparting tension to the shower curtain in the width direction. Similarly, if the bands 64 are also resiliently extendable, then these bands, too, are maintained in the extended condition when the shower curtain 6 is held in the closed position, thereby imparting further tension to the shower curtain 6 in the width direction.

Fourth Embodiment

Figures 10 and 10a show a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
In the fourth embodiment, resiliently extendable connection means are provided to connect the shower curtain 6 to the side panel 16 - that is, the side panel to which the shower curtain 6 is pulled in the closed position.
More particularly, the resiliently extendable bands 18 in the first embodiment are replaced with bands 64 to connect the shower curtain 6 to the side panel 14 or a wall (not shown). The bands 64 may or may not be resiliently extendable.
Resiliently extendable connectors 50, as in the second embodiment, are attached to a wall (not shown) or the side panel 16 at the other side of the shower area 4. Each connector 50 is also connected to a first end piece 70 via a plurality of eyelet holes therein. A handle 74 is provided on the end piece 70 to pull the end piece 70 in a direction towards the end panel 14, thereby extending the resiliently extendable connectors 50 to an extended condition.
Shower curtain 6 is provided with a second end piece 76 having a plurality of connectors 78, such as hooks, at positions which align with holes 72 in the first end piece 70. A hole 80 is provided in the second end piece 76 to act as a handle, which can be used by a user to pull the shower curtain 6 open and closed.
The other components of the fourth embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment, and accordingly will not be described again here.
In use, the shower curtain 6 is pulled to a substantially closed position using the handle 80. The first end piece 70 is then pulled using handle 74 to extend the resiliently extendable connectors 50 to an extended condition and engage each hole 72 within the first end piece 70 with a hook 78 on the second end piece 76.
Thereafter, when the handle 74 is released by the user, the shower curtain 6 is maintained in the closed position (as shown in Figure 10a), by the engagement of the hooks 78 with the holes 72. More particularly, the shower curtain 6 is maintained with the resiliently extendable connectors 50 in an extended condition, so that the shower curtain 6 is retained in tension against the pull of the resiliently extendable connectors 50.

Fifth Embodiment

Figures 11 and 12 show a fifth embodiment of the present invention.
In the fifth embodiment, a shower curtain 100 has elasticated parts 102 across its width, which act as tensioning means for imparting tension to the shower curtain in the width direction when the shower curtain is retained in the closed position.
More particularly, in the fifth embodiment, the shower curtain 100 is connected to the side panel 14 or a wall (not shown) by means of bands 64. The bands 64 may or may not be resiliently extendable.
The shower curtain 100 itself has elasticated parts 102. In this embodiment, a plurality of elasticated parts 102 are provided at different heights on the shower curtain 100, although it is possible to provide a single elasticated part at a low position on the shower curtain so as to provide tension at or near the bottom of the shower curtain.
Furthermore, although in the present embodiment each elasticated part 102 extends across the whole width of the shower curtain 100, each elasticated part 102 may be provided across only part of the width.
The other components of the fifth embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment, and accordingly these components will not be described again here.
In use, the shower curtain 100 is pulled to the closed position using handle 28, thereby extending each elasticated part 102. The shower curtain 100 is retained in the closed position by engaging the holes 30 within the end piece 22 with the hooks 32 on the side panel 16, as in the first embodiment.
When retained in the closed position, each elasticated part 102 is maintained in the extended condition, so that the shower curtain is retained against the pull of the elasticated parts 102. As a result, the elasticated parts 102 impart tension to the shower curtain in the width direction when the shower curtain is retained in the closed position.

Modifications and variations

Many modifications and variations can be made to the embodiments described above.
For example, in order to provide additional water retention in each of the embodiments described above, magnetic balls 38 are provided within pockets 36 on the shower curtain 6, 100 and a magnetic member 44 is provided at the edge of the shower area 4. However, the pockets 36, magnetic balls 38 and magnetic member 44 are optional, and may be omitted.
If the magnetic balls 38 and magnetic member 44 are included, then, instead of providing the magnetic balls 38 in releasable pockets 36, the magnetic balls 38 may be retained within pockets sewn, or otherwise formed, into the hem of the shower curtain 6, 100.
In each of the embodiments described above, tensioning means is provided to provide tension to the shower curtain in the width direction at different heights on the shower curtain. For example, in the first embodiment, the resiliently extendable bands 18 are provided at different heights along the edge of the shower curtain 6. However, instead, in each embodiment, tensioning means may be provided to impart tension to the shower curtain in the width direction at, or in the vicinity of, only the part of the shower curtain (typically the part at the bottom) which contacts the edge of the shower area 4, as this is the part of the shower curtain which needs to be maintained taut in order to prevent water from escaping from the shower area 4.
Referring to Figure 13, the shower curtain 6 (or the shower curtain 100) may be modified to extend below the pockets 36 to provide a splash flap 110 to further assist in the retention of water within the shower area 4. Such a splash flap 110 is particularly advantageous when the shower curtain system is used to retain water within a shower area 4 comprising a shower tray or bath. In this case, the splash flap 110 hangs inside the shower tray or bath.
Figure 14 shows an alternative arrangement for the ramp 12 at the edge of a shower area 4 comprising a wet floor area. More particularly, Figure 14 shows a cross-section through the alternative ramp 12 in the direction X-X shown in Figure 1. As will be seen from Figure 14, in the alternative ramp 12, magnetic members 44 are provided parallel to the sides of the ramp as well as parallel to the top surface. In this way, the magnetic balls 38 may contact the ramp along the top or either side. In a further variation, magnetic members 44 may be provided parallel to the top surface and a single side of the ramp 12 (the side innermost to the shower area).
In the embodiments described above, and in the modification of Figure 14, the magnetic member 44 is provided inside the ramp 12. However, instead, the magnetic member 44 may be attached on top of the ramp 12 (and on the side(s) of the ramp in the case of the Figure 14 modification).
In the embodiments described previously, the magnetic member 44 is a separate element from the ramp 12. However, instead, the ramp itself or a portion thereof (such as the top or innermost side) may be made of magnetic material or impregnated with magnetic material. Similarly, instead of a separate magnetic member 44 attached to a bath or shower tray, the bath itself or the shower tray itself may have at least a portion made of magnetic material or impregnated with magnetic material.
Other modifications and variations are, of course, possible.
It will be understood from the description above that the shower curtain system of the embodiments may be applied to existing wet floor areas, shower trays and baths, and therefore shower curtain installation kits comprising components of the shower curtain system may be sold for the installation of the shower curtain systems.

Claims

A shower installation comprising:
a shower (2);

a shower area (4) in which a person may shower;

a shower curtain (6; 100) for containing water within the shower area when a person is showering;

first retaining means (14, 18, 20; 14, 20, 50; 14, 20, 64) for retaining the shower curtain at a first side of the shower area;

second retaining means (16, 22, 30, 32; 16, 18, 22, 30, 32; 16, 50, 70, 72, 76, 78) for retaining the shower curtain at a second side of the shower area; and

tensioning means (18; 50; 102) for imparting tension to the shower curtain in the width direction when the shower curtain is retained between the first and second retaining means, wherein the tensioning means comprises resiliently extendable means which, in use, is to be extended to, and maintained in, an extended condition when the shower curtain is retained between the first and second retaining means and which is arranged to return to a non-extended condition when the shower curtain is not so retained, so that the shower curtain is retained against the pull of the resiliently extendable means when it is retained between the first and second retaining means.
A shower installation according to Claim 1, wherein the resiliently extendable means comprises an elasticated part (102) of the shower curtain (100).
A shower installation according to Claim 1, wherein the resiliently extendable means (18; 50) comprises part of the first retaining means (14, 18, 20; 14, 20, 50; 14, 20, 64) or the second retaining means (16, 22, 30, 32; 16, 18, 22, 30, 32; 16, 50, 70, 72, 76, 78).
A shower installation according to Claim 3, wherein the resiliently extendable means (18, 50) is provided between the shower curtain (6) and the first side of the shower area, and is arranged to be extended to the extended condition by pulling the shower curtain to the second side of the shower area.
A shower installation according to any preceding claim, wherein the shower curtain (6; 100) is provided with a handle (28; 80) for a user to open and close the shower curtain, the handle comprising part of the first retaining means or the second retaining means.
A shower installation according to any preceding claim, wherein the shower curtain (6; 100) is suspended for movement on a curtain pole (8).
A shower curtain installation kit, comprising:
a shower curtain (6; 100); and

tensioning means (18, 50, 102) for imparting tension to the shower curtain in the width direction, wherein the tensioning means comprises resiliently extendable means which, in use, is to be extended to, and maintained in, an extended condition when the shower curtain is retained in a closed position and which is arranged to return to a non-extended condition when the shower curtain is not so retained, so that the shower curtain is retained against the pull of the resiliently extendable means when it is retained in the closed position.
A shower curtain installation kit according to Claim 7, further comprising:
first retaining means (14, 18, 20; 14, 20, 50; 14, 20, 64) for retaining the shower curtain at a first side of a shower area; and

second retaining means (16, 22, 30, 32; 16, 18, 22, 30, 32; 16, 50, 70, 72, 76, 78) for retaining the shower curtain at a second side of the shower area;

and wherein the tensioning means (18; 50; 102) comprises resiliently extendable means which, in use, is to be extended to, and maintained in, an extended condition when the shower curtain is retained between the first and second retaining means and which is arranged to return to a non-extended condition when the shower curtain is not so retained, so that the shower curtain is retained against the pull of the resiliently extendable means when it is retained between the first and second retaining means.
A shower curtain installation kit according to Claim 7 or Claim 8, wherein the resiliently extendable means (102) comprises an elasticated part of the shower curtain (100).
A shower curtain installation kit according to Claim 8, wherein the resiliently extendable means (18; 50) comprises part of the first retaining means (14, 18, 20; 14, 20, 50; 14, 20, 64) or the second retaining means (16, 22, 30, 32; 16, 18, 22, 30, 32; 16, 50, 70, 72, 76, 78).
A shower curtain installation kit according to Claim 10, wherein the resiliently extendable means (18; 50) comprises means to be provided between the shower curtain and the first side of the shower area to be extended to the extended condition by pulling the shower curtain to the second side of the shower area.
A shower curtain installation kit according to Claim 8, 10 or 11, wherein the first retaining means (14, 18, 20; 14, 20, 50; 14, 20, 64) or the second retaining means (16, 22, 30, 32; 16, 18, 22, 30, 32; 16, 50, 70, 72, 76, 78) includes a handle (28; 80) for the shower curtain.
A shower curtain (100) wherein at least part (102) of a lower portion thereof is elasticated.
A shower curtain according to Claim 13, wherein the shower curtain has at least one connector (20) down a side.
A shower curtain according to Claim 14, wherein the connector comprises a hole (20).
A shower curtain according to any of Claims 13 to 15, wherein the shower curtain has a handle (20, 22; 76, 80) at a side thereof.