GB1233564A - - Google Patents

Abstract

1,233,564. Upwardly closing umbrella. S. VANZINI. 31 May, 1968 [14 Feb., 1968], No. 26318/68. Heading A4P. In an umbrella which closes by upwards pivoting of the ribs 7 and struts 9 on a support shaft 3, to close over the cover (not shown), the cover assembly then being drawn downwards into a tubular case 2, opening of the umbrella is facilitated by the support shaft being movable to an extended position as shown in Fig. 6 beyond the normal open position shown in Fig. 7 to pull out the cover, the shaft then returning to said normal position to tension the cover. The umbrella comprises a tubular body 2, a support shaft 3 with a fixed top-notch 5 and a slidable collar 6, ribs 7 pivoted to the top-notch, and struts 9 each pivoted at one end to the collar and at the other to a point 8 on a rib. The pivot-point 8 is nearer to the top-notch 5 than in a conventional umbrella to achieve the upward closing movement of the ribs. The shaft and frame assembly is slidable within the case by means of a ring 18 mounted to slide along the outside of the tubular case and having a short arm 22 passing through an axial slit 13 to connect with a piston 21 on the lower end of the shaft. The topnotch is enlarged at its lower part 24 to form a second piston so that both ends of the frame assembly are smoothly guided when sliding in the case. The shaft 3 is rotatable in the piston 21. There are preferably notches at each end of the axial slit 13 to engage the arm 22 and hold it in the open or closed position of the umbrella. The case is closed at the bottom by a removable base 11 having a carrying loop 12, and is open at the top where it has a ring-shaped border 19 with an internal lip or other means for stopping the upward movement of the frame assembly. The border is made smooth and frictionless, and may be a metal band turned over the end of the case, or formed of plastics material and screwed or otherwise secured to the case. An elastic band 23 is attached between the base 11 and the lower end of the shaft, and there is a compression spring 25 between the top-notch and the collar 6. When opening the closed umbrella, the ring 18 is moved manually upwards, sliding the shaft and frame assembly up within the case until the collar 6 abuts the stopping lip on the border 19. The ribs, which are now outside the case, are splayed open by the pressure of the spring 25 urging the top-notch away from the collar. Further movement of the ring fully extends the shaft through the collar as in Fig. 6, so that the piston 21 rests against piston 24. The ring is then released, when the tension produced in the rubber band 23 draws back the shaft to the position in Fig. 7 and hence tensions the struts and cover. In an alternative embodiment, the rubber band is replaced by a compression spring acting between the two pistons 21 and 24. The umbrella may include means for rotating the frame assembly and shaft' during closing so that the cover is rolled up as it enters the case. In one such arrangement, a helical rod of polygonal cross-section (e.g. square) projects upwards from the base 11 inside the shaft 3 which is tubular and of sufficient diameter to rotate freely around the rod. The piston 21 contains a pawl and a toothed wheel, the latter being mounted on the rod by a central engagingly polygonal hole so that the wheel rotates when moving axially along the rod. When closing the umbrella, the pawl engages the teeth of the wheel so that the piston, the shaft and the frame rotate and roll up the cover; on opening, the pawl runs freely over the teeth and no rotation occurs. An alternative mechanism is described wherein the piston 21 has a similar pawl and ratchet arrangement, but is rotated by spiral ribbing on the inside of the tubular case which engages with axial grooves in the outer face of the piston. The umbrella may incorporate a lighting unit consisting of a bulb covered by a transparent cap in the tip of the shaft 3 which encloses batteries, a switch being mounted in the ring 18. The case 2 may be made sufficiently long to use as a cane, in which case a removable plug or ferrule may be inserted in the end. The case is preferably perforated to allow the cover to dry when the umbrella is closed.