Supports – Brackets – Specially mounted or attached
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-11
2004-04-27
Braun, Leslie A. (Department: 3632)
Supports
Brackets
Specially mounted or attached
C248S056000, C285S046000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06726161
ABSTRACT:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
None
Statement as to rights to inventions made under Federally sponsored research and development: Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
In a conventional shower stall installation, a decorative shower arm is connected to the water supply system behind the shower stall wall, and projects outwardly through the shower stall wall.
The present invention relates to an apparatus that slides over the shower arm so that the rear surface of the apparatus abuts the exposed surface of the shower stall wall. The apparatus is then attached to the exposed surface of the shower stall wall, and clamped to the exterior surface of the shower arm, so that the apparatus supports the shower arm from being loose or wobbly, and extends such support to the water supply system behind the shower stall wall.
2. Brief Description of Prior Art
It is conventional in shower installations for there to be a shower arm connected to the shower pipe of the water supply system behind the shower stall wall. The shower arm then connected to the shower pipe projects outwardly through the shower stall wall. The shower arm and the shower pipe of the water supply system often become loose and wobbly caused by the “on and off” water pressure which flows through the water supply system and shower arm. As a result, the threaded connections of the shower arm and the shower pipe will often weaken, and result in water leaks, often hidden leaks behind the shower stall wall.
Prior art methods for supporting the shower arm in efforts to avoid the shower arm from being loose, primarily involves anchoring the shower pipe of the water supply system to the wall framing behind the shower stall wall prior to installation of the shower stall, and then threadably connecting the shower arm to the mounted shower pipe of the water supply system. In the event the shower pipe of the water supply system behind the shower stall wall loosens or disconnects from the framing, or is not anchored during installation, the extending shower arm, as well as the water supply system behind the wall, becomes skewed, wobbly and/or loose thereby causing damages as previously described.
The property owner is then required to physically remove the shower stall in order to access the water supply system for repairs, or attempt to blindly repair the water supply system from an access opening normally in a closet or another room backing the shower stall wall. This repair process is both difficult and inconvenient.
The apparatus made in accordance with the present invention slides over the shower arm so that the rear surface of the apparatus abuts the exposed surface of the shower stall wall. The apparatus is then attached to the exposed surface of the shower stall wall, and clamped to the exterior surface of the shower arm, so that the apparatus supports the shower arm from being loose or wobbly, and extends such support to the water supply system behind the shower stall wall.
As will be seen from the subsequent descriptions, the preferred embodiment of the present invention overcomes shortcomings of prior art methods for supporting the shower arm and water supply system behind the shower stall wall.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The apparatus of the present invention supports the shower arm that projects outwardly through the shower stall wall from the water supply system, and extends such support to the water supply system behind the shower stall wall. The preferred embodiment includes a base sleeve that inwardly slides over the shower arm so that the rear surface of the base sleeve abuts the exposed surface of the shower stall wall. The base sleeve is then attached to the exposed surface of the shower stall wall, and clamped to the exterior surface of the shower arm, so that the base sleeve supports the shower arm from being loose or wobbly, and extends such support to the water supply system behind the shower stall wall that is connected to the shower arm.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1212797 (1917-01-01), Mueller
patent: 4385777 (1983-05-01), Logsdon
patent: 4516749 (1985-05-01), Sullivan
patent: 4739596 (1988-04-01), Cunningham et al.
patent: 5482329 (1996-01-01), McCall et al.
patent: 5548934 (1996-08-01), Israelson
patent: 6192529 (2001-02-01), Jones et al.
patent: 6378912 (2002-04-01), Condon et al.
Plump Randal A.
Tenhumberg Ray A.
Braun Leslie A.
Price, Esq. Gary K.
Wujciak, III A. Joseph
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