Towel bar with integrated robe hook

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10813508-B2
Application number	US-201715629512-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 21, 2017
Priority date	Jun 22, 2016
Publication date	Oct 27, 2020
Grant date	Oct 27, 2020

Abstract

A towel bar includes a retractable and extendable robe hook. The robe hook may be formed in a wall-mounted first base joined by a towel bar to a wall-mounted second base. A shaft may be extended from the base to reveal the robe hook. When extended, the robe hook provides a location from which objects may be hung. When not needed, the robe hook may be pushed into the base and reside within an internal cavity, thereby concealed from view.

First claim

We claim:

1. A wall-mounted accessory comprising:
a first base configured for attachment to and extending from a wall with a first retainer within an internal cavity of the first base, thereby concealing the first retainer from view;
a second base configured for attachment to the wall horizontally apart from the first base with a second retainer within an internal cavity of the second base, thereby concealing the second retainer from view;
a first receiver in the first base formed along a horizontal plane;
a second receiver in the second base formed along the horizontal plane;
a bar joining the first and second receivers along the horizontal plane;
a first shaft slidingly engaging the first base configured to slidingly extend between an extended position in which the first shaft extends a user-definable distance from the first base and a retracted position in which at least a portion of the first shaft is slidingly retracted into the first base such that an end of the first shaft is further from the bar in the extended position than in the retracted position; and
a second shaft slidingly engaging the second base configured to slidingly extend between an extended position in which the second shaft extends a user-definable distance from the second base and a retracted position in which at least a portion of the second shaft is slidingly retracted into the second base such that an end of the second shaft is further from the bar in the extended position than in the retracted position;
wherein the first shaft and the second shaft are slidably independent from the bar, the first shaft being slidably independent from the second shaft.

2. The wall-mounted accessory according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second shafts are spring loaded into the first base and second base, respectively.

3. The wall-mounted accessory according to claim 2 , further comprising a cap on a distal end of each one of the first and second shafts configured to extend away from the first base and second base, respectively, when the first and second shafts are extended, and are drawn towards the first base and second base, respectively, when the first and second shafts are retracted.

4. The wall-mounted accessory according to claim 3 , wherein both the first and second shafts are perpendicular to the bar.

5. The wall-mounted accessory according to claim 1 , wherein the bar is a towel bar and the shaft is a retractable hook.

6. The wall-mounted accessory according to claim 1 , wherein the first shaft slidingly engages a distal end of the first base with a threaded engagement.

7. A wall-mounted accessory comprising:
a first base configured for attachment to a vertical wall with a first retainer within an internal cavity of the first base, thereby concealing the first retainer from view;
a first receiver formed in the first base forming an orifice;
a bar configured for engagement with the first receiver;
a shaft extending from the first base configured to manually slide to an extended position in which the shaft extends a user-definable distance from the first base and manually slide to a retracted position in which at least a portion of the shaft is slidingly retracted into the first base such that an end of the shaft is further from the bar in the extended position than in the retracted position; and
a piston movable within the internal cavity of the first base, wherein in the extended position, the piston butts up against an end of the first receiver, and in the retracted position, the piston is located entirely within the internal cavity of the first base;
wherein the shaft is slidably independent from the bar such that the distance between a distal end of the shaft and any bars along the horizontal plane changes based on the user-definable distance.

8. The wall-mounted accessory according to claim 7 , wherein the shaft extends from a distal end of the bar.

9. The wall-mounted accessory according to claim 7 , wherein the shaft extends from a portion of the first base opposite the wall.

10. The wall-mounted accessory according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a second base configured for attachment to the wall with a second retainer within an internal cavity of the second base, thereby concealing the second retainer from view; and
a second receiver formed in the second base forming an orifice;
wherein the bar is inserted into the orifice of the second base and joins the first and second receivers.

11. The wall-mounted accessory according to claim 7 , wherein the shaft is retained in the extended position by a detent.

12. The wall-mounted accessory according to claim 10 , further comprising a second piston movable within the internal cavity of the second receiver, wherein in the extended position, the piston butts up against an end of the second receiver, and in the retracted position, the piston is located entirely within the internal cavity of the second receiver.

Assignees

• Spectrum Brands Inc

Inventors

• Heuer Darin Lane
• Tung Victor
• Van Leyen Jan Christopher

Classifications

• A47K10/10 Primary

  characterised by being mounted on cabinets, walls, doors, or the like · CPC title

• A47B61/02 Primary

  with extensible garment-holders · CPC title

• A47K10/04

  Towel racks; Towel rails; Towel rods; Towel rolls, e.g. rotatable · CPC title

• A47G25/0685

  Collapsible clothes racks, e.g. swingable, foldable, extendible (A47G25/0671 takes precedence; wardrobes with extensible garment holders A47B61/02) · CPC title