Sliding shower panel assembly

Abstract

We provide a shower enclosure, typically a temporary shower enclosure. Embodiments may include a rod that includes an insert. The insert has at least two tracks. Each track includes a panel that has a top portion that may be placed within the track and the rod. The panel then slides within the track. The rod may be held in a shower enclosure by friction. This allows the creation of an inexpensive and easily-cleaned and replaced shower enclosure.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A shower panel enclosure comprising:
 a rod, said rod having a first end, a second end, a wall aperture and a slot, said slot running along the length of the rod;   an insert, said insert comprising two tracks and at least one groove, each track having a separate opening running along the length of the insert, wherein said insert is disposed within the rod and oriented such that separate openings are oriented to allow access to the tracks through the slot, wherein said wall aperture and said groove have shapes corresponding to a cross section of said tracks; and   two opposite panels, each of said panels corresponding to a separate track, and each of said panels having a header, a bottom portion, front face, back face, inner edge, and outer edge, wherein said header has a cross-section corresponding to the cross section of said tracks, wherein said header of each panel may be inserted through the wall aperture and the groove and into a separate track, said track retaining said top portion of each of said panels and allowing said panels to depend from the insert and slide along the length of the rod.   
     
     
         2 . The shower panel enclosure of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first end and said second end of said rod is adjustable to vary the length of said rod. 
     
     
         3 . The shower panel enclosure of  claim 1 , further comprising friction pads on the first end and second end of the rod. 
     
     
         4 . The shower panel enclosure of  claim 1 , further comprising magnets on the outer edges of said panels, said magnets oriented to secure said outer edges to an opposing surface. 
     
     
         5 . The shower panel enclosure of  claim 1 , further comprising magnets on the inner edge of each of said panels, said magnets on the first panel oriented to engage the magnets on the inner edge of the second panel. 
     
     
         6 . The shower panel enclosure of  claim 1 , wherein the inner side of each panel is angled inward toward the other panel. 
     
     
         7 . The shower panel enclosure of  claim 1 , wherein the header of each panel is integral with that panel. 
     
     
         8 . The shower panel enclosure of  claim 1 , wherein the header of each panel is a separate article joined to that panel. 
     
     
         9 . The shower panel enclosure of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the panels bears ornamentation. 
     
     
         10 . The shower panel enclosure of  claim 1 , wherein the cross-section of the header is “T” shaped. 
     
     
         11 . The shower panel enclosure of  claim 1 , wherein the rod has a circular cross-section.