GB2320893A - Umbrella with canopy-receiving handle - Google Patents

Abstract

The telescopic shaft 9,10,11 of a collapsing umbrella is received in a hollow handle 2 which serves to store the canopy when the umbrella is folded. The end of the shaft is secured to the inner end of the handle by a rotary connection 12. A spacer disc 13 connected to the second shaft section 10 slides upwards on opening to maintain the shaft centrally within the handle. The handle flares outwardly at its open end and a cap 5 on the top of the shaft seals the handle in the closed position.

Description

Umbrella The present invention relates to umbrellas, and in particular to telescopic umbrellas having a handle which serves as a storage compartment for the umbrella canopy when it is not in use.

Conventional umbrellas have a collapsible cover, comprising a frame and a fabric canopy, mounted to one end of a shaft. At the other end of the shaft, a handle is provided for holding and supporting the umbrella in use. One disadvantage with such umbrellas is that when the cover is retracted after use, the canopy remains exposed. This is unsatisfactory when the canopy is wet, as moisture is free to drip on or contact other articles such as clothing, shopping, paperwork, etc. The exposed canopy can also be untidy if allowed to hang loosely from the collapsed frame.

One attempt at solving this problem is to provide a separate waterproof sheath for the umbrella which can be placed over the collapsed cover after use, and which serves to contain the moisture and make the overall appearance of the collapsed umbrella more tidy. A problem with such sheaths is that they are often difficult to fit over the cover. Also, the sheath frequently becomes mislaid.

Instead of using such sheaths, telescopic umbrellas have been designed which store the umbrella cover in a rigid storage compartment attached to the umbrella shaft. The compartment acts as a handle when the umbrella is extended and in use. Once the cover is collapsed, it is pushed into the storage compartment in the handle and sealed with a cap which is fixed to the top end of the shaft, above the cover. Examples of such umbrellas are known from US-A-4456023 and WO-A-8703460.

The present invention aims to provide an improved umbrella of this general type.

Viewed from one aspect, the present invention provides a collapsible umbrella having a telescopic shaft and an elongate handle portion in which the umbrella canopy may be stored when not in use, the telescopic shaft being connected to the bottom of the handle portion and having a spacer element provided thereabout which moves axially within the handle portion with the telescoping of the shaft and maintains the shaft in a central position.

Viewed from a further aspect, the present invention provides an umbrella comprising: a telescoping shaft comprising at least a first section disposed inside a second section; a hollow elongate handle having a closed end attached to the first section of the shaft and having an open end through which the shaft projects when extended; a collapsible cover attached at the opposite end of the shaft from that of the handle and comprising a canopy and a frame therefor, the umbrella being movable between a retracted configuration in which the shaft and cover are located within the handle and an extended configuration in which the shaft projects from the handle and the cover is substantially open; and means for closing the open end of the handle when the shaft and cover are located inside the handle; the umbrella further comprising a support member attached to the second section of the shaft and adapted to move axially therewith within the handle, the support member maintaining the shaft substantially centrally in relation to the handle when the umbrella is in the extended configuration.

When the umbrella is in its closed configuration, the spacer element/support member is towards the bottom closed end of the handle, and when the umbrella is in the extended configuration, the spacer element/support member moves with for example the second telescopic section so as to be spaced from the closed end of the handle.

Through this configuration, the present invention is able to provide a more stable umbrella than the prior art umbrellas of e.g. US-A-4456023 and WO-A-8703460. In contrast to the prior art, the shaft is held in place at two spaced points, when the umbrella is open. Further, in the prior art, the shaft is only indirectly connected to the handle, e.g. via an intermediate plunger, and this can introduce instability into the umbrella. In the present invention, however, the shaft is attached directly to the handle.

It should be noted that on closing the umbrella, as the spacer element/support member moves towards the bottom of the handle, the element does not hinder the reinsertion of the collapsed cover into the handle.

The umbrella of the present invention allows for a simpler design of umbrella than the prior art designs discussed above which use slots and ribs to try to provide stability, and is simpler and less expensive to manufacture. The shaft and cover of the umbrella of the present invention may be conventional in design.

Preferably, the support member is in the form of a plate or disc preferably having a similar outer crosssection to the inner cross-section of the handle, e.g.

circular. The plate or disc may have holes therein to allow air to pass through it to allow easier extension or retraction of the umbrella in the handle. In an alternative embodiment, the support member could comprise radially-projecting fingers which serve to space the shaft from the interior of the handle.

The umbrella shaft has at least two and preferably three telescoping sections. More are possible, if desired. Three sections allow the umbrella to have a shorter retracted length than a two section umbrella for a similar or longer extended length.

With three sections, the first section is connected to the handle, the second section is disposed outside the first and has the spacer element/support member attached thereto, and the third section is disposed outside the second section and has the cover attached thereto.

It should be noted that this arrangement of having the outermost telescopic member at the top of the umbrella shaft and the innermost member at the bottom of the shaft is not usual for normal umbrella designs, but is known in designs which spring open automatically.

Preferably, the handle portion is flared at or towards its open end. This allows the handle to be wider at the top where the canopy is retracted into the handle portion than at the bottom where the user holds the handle. The flaring allows for easier insertion of the canopy into the handle portion.

The flaring allows the opening of the handle to be wider than the hand-grip portion of the handle, and so, with a wider opening, it is not so necessary for the fabric canopy to be fully wound around the telescopic shaft before retraction into the handle. Also, the flaring tends to "funnel" the umbrella cover into the handle.

In addition to facilitating the retraction of the umbrella, the wider open end portion of the umbrella can accommodate the bulkier part of the cover mechanism when it is fully inserted into the handle. This allows the rest of the handle to be thinner, making the overall design more compact.

When a flared portion is provided, the spacer element/support member is configured so as to only move up the handle to a position below the flared portion.

Three telescopic sections allow the spacer element/support member to remain below the flared portion of the handle whilst still allowing the cover to emerge with room to grip the slider and extend the umbrella without requiring the handle length to be excessively long.

Preferably, the umbrella shaft is able to rotate in relation to the handle on retraction of the canopy therein. This facilitates retraction of the canopy into the handle portion, as the user can assist insertion of the cover by rotating the cover in the opposite direction to the folds of the collapsed canopy. This helps to wrap the canopy around the spines of the collapsed canopy frame and prevents bunching up of the canopy fabric.

The shaft may be connected to the handle in any suitable manner which allows for their relative rotation, e.g. with a screw inserted through a hole in the base of the handle into a nylon bush in the end of the shaft. Alternatively, a ball and socket connection may be used.

The means for closing the open end of the handle may take any suitable form. It may be separate from the handle, but is preferably continuously attached to the umbrella e.g. by a flexible attachment. This would allow the closing means to be removed from the end of the handle prior to extending the umbrella, whilst preventing the closing means from becoming separated from the umbrella and subsequently lost.

The closing means may comprise a flexible cap, e.g.

of fabric, with e.g. an elasticised rim which is placed over the open end of the handle. Alternatively, it may comprise a rigid cap which suitably engages the end of the handle, e.g. in a push-fit, clip-fit or screw thread engagement.

Preferably, the closing means is a cap, which is attached to the telescopic shaft above the cover, and is preferably rigid.

Preferably, the cap and handle are provided with corresponding screw threads and engage each other by rotation of the cap relative to the handle. If the umbrella shaft is non-rotatable, then the cap may rotate relative to the shaft. A rotating shaft allows the cap to be fixed relative to the cover and shaft, and so allows a user to easily grip the cap and to rotate and push the cap, shaft and cover into the handle. Once the umbrella is in the retracted configuration, rotation of the cap may be continued in order to engage the screw threads and close the open end of the handle.

The screw thread may be on the inside surface of the handle, but is preferably located on the outside surface of the handle.

Preferably, the closing means provides a watertight seal with the handle, and may include for example an o-ring suitable for sealing purposes. This prevents water escaping from the interior of the handle when the umbrella is retracted in a wet condition.

The handle may be removably mounted on the shaft, so that different styles and colours of handle may be used with the same design of umbrella. For example, the handle may have a fixing hole in the bottom though which a screw extends into the bottom of the telescopic shaft to screw it in place. Suitable play may be provided to allow for the above-mentioned rotation of the shaft relative to the handle, and washers may be provided to assist rotation.

The handle may have any suitable cross-section, such as oval, square, rectangular or some other polygonal form. Preferably, however, the handle is substantially circular in cross-section.

The handle may be provided with a grip to assist in the holding of the umbrella during use. A carrying loop may also be provided for use in carrying the umbrella when in the retracted configuration. This may be attached to the closed end of the handle.

The umbrella may be provided with a spring means to allow the shaft and cover to be self-opening. Suitable self-opening mechanisms are known in the art, and might, for example, involve spring means internal to the telescoping shaft which serves to extend the shaft, together with spring means external to the shaft which serves to extend the canopy.

As the present invention uses the same type of telescopic arrangement as spring-loaded self-opening umbrellas (the outermost telescopic section is uppermost), the invention is particularly applicable to such umbrellas.

Preferably, the closing means, e.g. cap, and the handle are made from a plastics material, such as for example polythene or polypropylene, although other materials, such as metal, could be used. The telescoping shaft is preferably formed from metal, as in conventional umbrellas, as this allows the shaft to be sufficiently strong but radially small.

Only the part of the handle up to the limit of the spacer element movement, or the start of the flared section, need be rigid. The remainder of the handle may take any suitable form, and, in one embodiment, may be formed from flexible material, such as plastics material for example. The handle may include a bulbous hood above the rigid section which is provided with a closure means such as, for example, a zip to allow access to the umbrella cover. In an alternative embodiment, the flare may extend above the top of the retracted umbrella to allow the end of the flare to form the top closure, for example by being folded inwards.

The flaring of the handle is in itself inventive, and viewed from a further aspect, the invention provides a collapsible hand-held umbrella having a telescopic shaft and an elongate handle portion in which the umbrella canopy is stored when not in use, the handle portion being flared at or towards its top.

Preferably, the telescopic shaft is connected to the bottom of the handle portion, and further preferably has a spacer element provided thereabout to maintain the shaft in a central position, the element moving axially within the handle portion with the telescoping of the shaft.

Flaring and rotation of the canopy on insertion of the umbrella into the handle is particularly advantageous, and, viewed from a further aspect, the present invention provides a hand-held umbrella comprising: a telescoping shaft; a collapsible cover attached to one end of the shaft and comprising a fabric canopy and a frame therefor; a hollow elongate handle having a closed end attached to the opposite end of the shaft from that of the cover and an open end through which the shaft projects when extended, the umbrella being movable between a retracted configuration in which the shaft and cover are located within the handle and an extended configuration in which the shaft projects from the handle and the cover is substantially open; and means for closing the open end of the handle when the shaft and cover are located inside the handle; wherein the cover is able to rotate relative to the handle and wherein the internal cross-sectional area of a portion of the handle reduces in an axial direction from the open end towards the closed end of the handle, such that during movement of the umbrella from the extended configuration to the retracted configuration, the cover is urged radially inwardly towards the shaft and is able to rotate relative to the handle such that retraction of the cover and shaft into the handle is facilitated.

The invention also extends to a collapsible handheld umbrella having a telescopic shaft and an elongate handle portion in which the umbrella canopy is stored when not in use, the shaft being rotatably connected to the handle portion.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1A shows in cross-section an umbrella in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 1B shows the umbrella of Fig. 1, with the canopy frame removed for clarity; Fig. 2 shows a radial cross-sectional view across line 2-2 of Fig. lB; Fig. 3 shows a radial cross-sectional view across line 3-3 of Fig. lB; Fig. 4 shows in axial cross-section the outer shaft member and cap of the embodiment of Fig. 1; Fig. 4A shows the outer shaft in radial crosssection along line 4A-4A in Fig. 4; Fig. 5 shows in cross-section the middle shaft member and support member of the embodiment of Fig. 1; Fig. 5A shows the middle shaft in radial crosssection along line 5A-5A in Fig. 5; Fig. 6 shows in cross-section the inner shaft member and part of the handle of the embodiment of Fig.

1; Fig. 6A shows the inner shaft in radial crosssection along line 6A-6A in Fig. 6; and Fig. 7 shows the umbrella of Fig. 1 in extended form.

In all of the figures, it should be noted that the fabric canopy of the umbrella has been omitted, in order that the handle and mechanism can be clearly viewed.

The canopy would in practice be attached to the umbrella frame by any conventional manner known in the art.

With reference to Figs. 1A and 1B, umbrella 1 comprises a hollow flared cylindrical handle 2, telescopic shaft 3, canopy frame 4 and cap 5.

Handle 2 has a lower section 6 of substantially constant cross-section and a flared upper section 7 in which the cross-section enlarges towards the top of the handle. The top end of the handle 2 is open. The bottom end of the handle 2 is closed and is provided with a carrying loop 8. The handle may additionally be provided with hand-grip projections or mouldings (not shown). Examples of approximate dimensions are: length of handle, 300mm; length of flared upper section, 125mm; diameter of constant cross-section, 40mm; maximum diameter of flared upper section, 60mm.

Telescopic shaft 3 comprises an inner shaft section 9, middle shaft section 10 and outer shaft section 11 which are able to slide in an axial direction relative to each other. Outer shaft section 11 is slightly longer than the middle and inner shaft sections.

Inner shaft section 9 is attached to the bottom end of the handle 2 by means of a connection 12 which allows rotation between the handle 2 and the shaft 3.

Connection 12 is such that the telescopic shaft (and cover) can be easily detached from the handle 2 to allow interchangeability of handles and shafts/covers. The connection comprises a bush, formed from nylon for example, which is inserted into the end of the outer shaft section 11, together with a screw which is driven into the bush and which fixes the handle to the shaft, while allowing relative rotation between the handle and shaft. Washers on either side of the handle may also be provided to aid rotation.

A support member/spacer element 13 is attached to the lower end of middle shaft section 10. Support member 13 comprises a circular disc of approximately the same radius as the inner radius of the constant crosssection portion 6 of handle 2. Support member 13 is provided with cut-out portions 14 (see Fig. 3) which allow air and moisture to pass through the support member when the umbrella is being extended and retracted.

A slider 15 for opening and collapsing the frame 4 is mounted on outer shaft section 11 and is connected to cover frame 4 in a conventional manner.

Cap 5 is attached to the top end of the outer shaft section 11, in such a manner that it does not rotate relative to the shaft. The cap 5 is provided with a screw thread 16 which engages a corresponding screw thread 17 on the outside of handle 2 in order to form a close-fitting and preferably water-tight seal with the handle. Alternatively, the cap could be a push-fit into or over the end of handle 2. The cap 5 may be provided with a compressibly resilient O-ring which engages the handle 2 to form the seal.

Fig. 2 shows a radial cross-section of the handle 2 and telescopic shaft 3 through line 2-2 of Fig. 1B, showing inner shaft section 9, middle shaft section 10 and outer shaft section 11. Fig. 3 shows a radial cross-section of the handle 2 and support member 13 as attached to middle shaft section 10. Cut-out portions 14 are also shown.

Figures 4, 5 and 6 show in axial cross-section outer shaft section 11, middle shaft section 10 and inner shaft section 9 respectively. Figs. 4A, 5A and 6A show the radial cross-sections of the respective shaft sections. The horizontal dimensions in these figures have been exaggerated to show the detail more clearly.

The cross-sections of middle shaft 10 and inner shaft 9 are provided with indentations which engage projections (not shown) on the inside of outer shaft 11 and middle shaft 10 respectively. This prevents relative rotation between the shafts.

Outer shaft section 11 is provided with a conventional spring-loaded catch 18 which engages slider 15 when the slider reaches the top end of its travel to fully open the frame 4. When the umbrella is required to be retracted, catch 18 is disengaged from slider 15 by the user pressing the catch 18 inwards. The slider 15 may then be moved down the shaft section 11.

Middle shaft section 10 has the support member 13 attached to it as previously described, and is provided at its upper end with a spring-loaded catch 19 which engages an opening 20 in the lower end of the outer shaft section 11 when the telescopic shaft is extended.

Catch 19 is automatically disengaged from opening 20 when slider 15 travels down the outer shaft section 11 and over the catch 19, pressing it inwards.

Inner shaft section 9 is also provided with a spring-loaded catch 21 which engages an opening 22 in the lower end of middle shaft section 10 when the telescopic shaft is extended. Catch 21 is automatically disengaged from opening 22 when outer shaft section 11 passes over the catch and presses it inwards.

Operation of the umbrella will now be described with reference to Figures 1A, 1B and 7.

Initially, the umbrella is in the retracted state, with the cap 5 engaged with the handle 2. To erect the umbrella, the user unscrews or otherwise disengages the cap 5 from the handle 2, and then pulls the cap 5 in an axial direction away from the handle 2. This extends the telescopic shaft 3, with the outer shaft section 11 and the middle shaft section 10 travelling axially relative to the inner shaft section 9. The inner shaft section 9 remains fixed to the handle 2.

The shaft 3 is extended until catches 19 and 21 engage openings 20 and 22 in the outer shaft section 11 and the middle shaft section 10 respectively. At this point, the telescopic shaft 3 is locked in its extended state.

Finally, the user grips the slider 15, which is now accessible above the open end of the handle 2, and pushes it upwards until the slider 15 engages catch 18 to open out the frame 4, so that the umbrella is in its extended state as shown in Fig. 7.

During the extension of the shaft 3, the support member 13, which is fixed to the middle shaft section 10, travels from the bottom of the handle 2 as shown in Fig. 1A to the top of the constant cross-section portion 6 of the handle 2, as shown in Fig. 7. In this way, the telescopic shaft 3 is supported in its extended position at two axially spaced points, and so is held stably in position.

To retract the umbrella, catch 18 is pressed inwards and slider 15 is moved down outer shaft section 11 causing cover frame 4 to assume its collapsed state about the outer shaft section 11. During this movement, the fabric canopy (not shown) falls about outer shaft section 11 in a somewhat haphazard fashion as is usual.

To insert the canopy and frame 4 back into the handle 2, the user simply grips the cap 5 and pushes it towards the handle 2, rotating the cap 5, and so the cover frame 4, as he/she does so, in the opposite direction to the folds of the canopy, in order to cause the canopy to wind itself around the collapsed frame 4. The outer tips of the cover frame 4 and the canopy are guided into the handle by the "funnel"-like profile of the upper section 7 of the handle.

It should be noted that as the support member 13 is mounted on the middle telescopic shaft section 10, it moves to the bottom of the handle 2 when the shaft 3 is retracted, and so does not obstruct the insertion of the frame 4 and canopy into the handle 2.

Once the telescopic shaft 3, cover frame 4 and canopy are fully inside the handle 2, the cap 5 is then screwed onto the top end of the handle to close the umbrella.

The above is only one embodiment of the present invention, and variations on the above are possible.

Claims (23)

Claims:

1. A collapsible umbrella having a telescopic shaft and an elongate handle portion in which the umbrella canopy may be stored when not in use, the telescopic shaft being connected to the bottom of the handle portion and having a spacer element provided thereabout which moves axially within the handle portion with the telescoping of the shaft and maintains the shaft in a central position.

2. The umbrella according to claim 1, wherein the spacer element is in the form of a disc.

3. The umbrella according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the spacer element has openings therein to allow air to pass through it.

4. The umbrella according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the umbrella shaft has at least two telescoping sections.

5. The umbrella according to claim 4, wherein the spacer element is attached to the second telescoping section which is disposed outside the first telescoping section.

6. The umbrella according to any preceding claim, wherein the umbrella shaft has three telescoping sections.

7. The umbrella according to claim 6, wherein the first telescoping section is connected to the handle, the second telescoping section is disposed outside the first and has the spacer element attached thereto, and the third telescoping section is disposed outside the second section and has the cover attached thereto.

8. The umbrella according to any preceding claim, wherein the handle portion is flared at or towards its open end.

9. The umbrella according to claim 8, wherein the spacer element moves up the handle to a position below the flared portion when the umbrella is opened.

10. The umbrella according to any preceding claim, wherein the umbrella shaft is able to rotate in relation to the handle on retraction of the canopy therein.

11. The umbrella according to any preceding claim, further comprising means for closing the open end of the handle when the shaft and cover are located inside the handle.

12. The umbrella according to claim 11, wherein the closing means is continuously attached to the umbrella.

13. The umbrella according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the closing means is attached to the telescopic shaft above the cover.

14. The umbrella according to claim 11, 12 or 13, wherein the closing means comprises a rigid cap.

15. The umbrella according to claim 14, wherein the cap and handle are provided with corresponding screw threads and engage each other by rotation of the cap relative to the handle.

16. The umbrella according to any of claims 11 to 15 wherein the closing means provides a water-tight seal with the handle.

17. The umbrella according to any preceding claim, wherein the umbrella is provided with spring means to allow the shaft and cover to be self-opening.

18. The umbrella according to any preceding claim, wherein the portion of the handle from the its base to the limit of the spacer element movement is rigid, and a portion of the handle above the spacer element movement limit is flexible.

19. An umbrella comprising: a telescoping shaft comprising at least a first section disposed inside a second section; a hollow elongate handle having a closed end attached to the first section of the shaft and having an open end through which the shaft projects when extended; a collapsible cover attached at the opposite end of the shaft from that of the handle and comprising a canopy and a frame therefor, the umbrella being movable between a retracted configuration in which the shaft and cover are located within the handle and an extended configuration in which the shaft projects from the handle and the cover is substantially open; and means for closing the open end of the handle when the shaft and cover are located inside the handle; the umbrella further comprising a support member attached to the second section of the shaft and adapted to move axially therewith within the handle, the support member maintaining the shaft substantially centrally in relation to the handle when the umbrella is in the extended configuration.

20. The umbrella according to claim 19, wherein the telescoping shaft has a third section between the second section and the cover.

21. A hand-held umbrella comprising: a telescoping shaft; a collapsible cover attached to one end of the shaft and comprising a fabric canopy and a frame therefor; a hollow elongate handle having a closed end attached to the opposite end of the shaft from that of the cover and an open end through which the shaft projects when extended, the umbrella being movable between a retracted configuration in which the shaft and cover are located within the handle and an extended configuration in which the shaft projects from the handle and the cover is substantially open; and means for closing the open end of the handle when the shaft and cover are located inside the handle; wherein the cover is able to rotate relative to the handle and wherein the internal cross-sectional area of a portion of the handle reduces in an axial direction from the open end towards the closed end of the handle, such that during movement of the umbrella from the extended configuration to the retracted configuration, the cover is urged radially inwardly towards the shaft and is able to rotate relative to the handle.

22. A collapsible hand-held umbrella having a telescopic shaft and an elongate handle portion in which the umbrella canopy is stored when not in use, the handle portion being flared at or towards its top.

23. A collapsible hand-held umbrella having a telescopic shaft and an elongate handle portion in which the umbrella canopy is stored when not in use, the shaft being rotatably connected to the handle portion.