US 8,671,545 B1Granted

Decoratable utility rod assemblies

AssigneeNifty Nob, Inc.

InventorSusan C. Zimmerman

Life of this patent

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Abstract

One customizable utility rod assembly includes a wall attachment member; a base rod; and a cross rod, hook, towel ring, shelving rod, or toilet paper rod extending from the base rod. The wall attachment member has threading and at least one hole. The base rod has a distal side and a threaded proximal side threadably coupling the base rod to the wall attachment member. A method of customizing a utility rod having: (a) a threaded wall attachment member with a hole, and (b) a base rod presenting a distal side and a threaded proximal side forming a cavity, includes the following steps. Step (1): securing the wall attachment member to a surface with a fastener extending through the hole. Step (2): threadably coupling the base rod proximal side to the wall attachment member such that the wall attachment member is at least partially enclosed within the cavity.

Claims4

Dependent claims

A method of customizing a utility rod having a base rod and a generally cylindrical wall attachment member, the base rod presenting proximal and distal sides, the base rod proximal side forming a cavity and being threaded, the wall attachment member having threading complementary to the threading of the base rod proximal side and having at least one hole for receiving a fastener, the method comprising the steps of:

a) securing the wall attachment member to a surface with a fastener that extends through the at least one hole of the wall attachment member and into the surface;
and
b) threadably coupling the base rod proximal side to the wall attachment member such that the wall attachment member is at least partially enclosed within the cavity;
wherein a threaded set screw extends from the base rod distal side opening, and wherein the method further comprises the steps of:
c) threadably coupling an internally threaded first end cap to the base rod distal side via the set screw;
d) removing the first end cap from the set screw;
and
e) threadably coupling a second internally threaded end cap to the base rod distal side via the set screw;
the second end cap having an aesthetic configuration that is different than an aesthetic configuration of the first end cap;
the second end cap being functionally equivalent to the first end cap.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/028,891Filed 16 Feb 2011 · continuation in part
Priority: 28 Sep 2005
Granted: 18 Mar 2014
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

F16M 13/02
Other supports for positioning apparatus or articles ; Means for steadying hand-held apparatus or articles: for supporting on, or attaching to, an…
A47G 25/0635
Clothes hooks: comprising a separate wall plate
A47H 1/142
Brackets for supporting rods or rails: for supporting rods
A47K 10/10
Towel racks; Towel rails; Towel rods; Towel rolls, e.g. rotatable: characterised by being mounted on cabinets, walls, doors, or the like

Family

Application11/237,532Parent of this division · filed 28 Sep 2005
Application12/018,674Parent of this continuation · filed 23 Jan 2008
Application12/499,262Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 8 Jul 2009
US 7,900,334 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 7,571,532 B2Parent of this continuation
Application12/499,262Parent of this continuation
Application12/018,674Parent of this division
US 2007/0069091 A1Published application
US 2008/0178452 A1Published application
US 2009/0271968 A1Published application
US 8,671,545 B1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.