Shelving system with obscurable shelving

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9943192-B2
Application number	US-201615060057-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 3, 2016
Priority date	Mar 13, 2014
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

Various shelving systems, such as shower caddies, are disclosed. In some embodiments, a shower caddy includes an elongate support member and a plurality of shelves, each of which can be supported by a clamping mechanism. The support member can have a telescoping configuration so that upper and lower ends of the support member can be pressed against upper and lower stationary objects. The shelving system can include a shroud configured to conceal, block, or surround a portion of a shelf in a closed position and allow access to the portion of the shelf in the open position.

First claim

The following is claimed:

1. A shower caddy comprising:
an elongate support member configured to be secured between a first support surface and a second support surface of a shower, the elongate support member comprising:
a first end configured to engage with the first support surface;
a second end configured to engage with the second support surface;
a first length adjustment mechanism comprising:
an inner tube;
an outer tube;
a locking mechanism configured to:
engage to couple the inner and outer tubes such that the inner and outer tubes move together as a unit; and
to disengage to decouple the inner and outer tubes such that the inner and outer tubes move relative to each other;

a second length adjustment mechanism comprising a foot unit that is configured to move relative to the first length adjustment mechanism;

a shelving assembly connected with the elongate support member, the shelving assembly comprising:
a shelf support member comprising an elongate tube with a longitudinal axis, the shelf support member being generally parallel with and spaced apart from the elongate support member;
a shelf connected with the shelf support member, the shelf being configured to hold bathing articles; and
a shroud configured to rotate relative to the shelf and about the longitudinal axis of the shelf support member between an open position and a closed position, wherein:
in the open position, the shroud is configured to allow access to the articles on the shelf; and
in the closed position, the shroud circumferentially extends around a portion of the shelf and substantially blocks the view of the articles on the shelf.

2. The shower caddy of claim 1 , wherein the locking mechanism comprises a pin that is configured to engage into one of a plurality of holes in at least one of the inner tube and the outer tube.

3. The shower caddy of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of holes and the shelf support member are positioned on opposite sides of the elongate support member.

4. The shower caddy of claim 2 , wherein the locking mechanism further comprises a lever configured to be actuated by a user to move the pin in and out of engagement with the hole.

5. The shower caddy of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the foot unit is slidingly received in the inner tube.

6. The shower caddy of claim 1 , wherein the second length adjustment mechanism further comprises a spring that biases the foot unit.

7. The shower caddy of claim 1 , wherein the inner and outer tubes are not configured to rotate relative to each other.

8. The shower caddy of claim 1 , wherein, in the installed position, the locking mechanism is on an upper portion of the shower caddy and a lowermost portion of the locking mechanism is at an elevation that is above the shelf.

9. The shower caddy of claim 1 , further comprising a second locking mechanism, wherein:
when the second locking mechanism is engaged, the shelving assembly is not slideable along the elongate support member; and
when the second locking mechanism is disengaged, the shelving assembly is slideable along the elongate support member.

10. The shower caddy of claim 9 , wherein the shelving assembly is connected with the elongate support member by an arm.

11. The shower caddy of claim 10 , wherein the elongate support member is received in an aperture of the arm.

12. A method of installing a shower caddy between a first support surface and a second support surface, the first support surface and the second support surface being a vertical distance apart, the method comprising:
engaging a first end of an elongate support member of the shower caddy against the first support surface;
pivoting the elongate support member about the first end, such that the elongate member is non-parallel with vertical;
disengaging a locking mechanism from substantially rigidly coupling an inner tube of the elongate support member with an outer tube of the elongate support member;
sliding the inner tube relative to the outer tube;
increasing the length of the elongate support member to an extended length, the extended length being greater than the vertical distance between the first surface and the second surface;
with a second end of the elongate support member adjacent the second support surface, engaging the locking mechanism to substantially rigidly couple the inner tube and the outer tube;
pivoting the elongate support member about the first end such that the elongate member is generally parallel with vertical; and
compressing the elongate support member between the first support surface and the second support surface such that the length of the elongate support member is about equal to the vertical distance between the first surface support and the second support surface.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein disengaging the locking mechanism comprises removing a pin from a hole in at least one of the inner and outer tubes.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein engaging the locking mechanism comprises inserting a pin into a hole in at least one of the inner and outer tubes.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein compressing the elongate support member comprises compressing a spring within the elongate support member.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein compressing the elongate support member comprises sliding a foot unit of the second end of the elongate member relative to the inner and outer tubes.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first support surface is lower than the second support surface.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein pivoting the elongate support member about the first end comprises pivoting the elongate support member until the second end is adjacent to the second support surface.

19. The method of claim 12 , further comprising sliding a second end of the elongate support along the second support surface.

20. The method of claim 12 , further comprising estimating an approximate length of the vertical distance.

21. A shower caddy comprising:
an elongate support member comprising a first end and a second end, and a longitudinal axis extending between the first and second ends, the first end configured to engage with a first support surface of the shower, the second end configured to engage with a second support surface of the shower;
a shelf assembly attached to the elongate support member, the shelf assembly comprising:
a shelf for holding bathroom articles; and
a shroud that extends around at least 45° of a perimeter of the shelf, the shroud configured to rotate between a first position and a second position, wherein:
the first position corresponds to a closed position in which the shroud surrounds a first circumferential portion of the shelf and blocks view of the articles positioned on the shelf;
the second position corresponds to an open position in which the shroud is configured to allow access to the articles on the shelf; and
a biasing assembly configured to bias the shroud toward the open position or the closed position such that, in response to a user rotating the shroud partly toward the open position or the closed position, the biasing assembly automatically rotates the shroud the remainder of the way to the open position or the closed position.

22. The shower caddy of claim 21 , wherein the shroud rotates about an axis that is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongate support member.

23. The shower caddy of claim 21 , wherein the shelf assembly further comprises a tubular suppo

Assignees

• Simplehuman Llc

Inventors

• Yang Frank
• Sandor Joseph
• Rapoport Zachary

Classifications

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title

• A47K3/281 Primary

  Accessories for showers or bathing douches, e.g. cleaning devices for walls or floors of showers (A47K3/30, A47K3/38, A47K3/40 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16B7/105

  locking in discrete positions, e.g. in extreme extended position · CPC title