US3831614A

US3831614A - Collapsible umbrella

Info

Publication number: US3831614A
Application number: US00860628A
Authority: US
Inventors: H Weber
Original assignee: Bremshey AG
Current assignee: KNIRPS INTERNATIONAL A GERMAN CORP GmbH; Bremshey AG
Priority date: 1969-09-24
Filing date: 1969-09-24
Publication date: 1974-08-27
Anticipated expiration: 1991-08-27

Abstract

An umbrella having a telescopic stick and shortenable dome ribs which can be stowed in a relatively small package; the dome ribs, struts and stretcher members being arranged such that they fit within each other.

Description

Unite States Patent 1191 111.1 3,831,614 Weber Aug. 27, 1974 COLLAPSIBLE RELLA 667,719 2/1901 MOUltOll 135 30 786,471 4/1905 [75] Inventor. Heinz Weber, 1-111den, Germany 1,902,774 3/1933 2,047,711 7/1936 [73] Ass1gnee. Bremshey AG, Solingen, Germany 1700,39] 1/1955 [22] Filed: Sept. 24, 1969 3,177,882 4/1965 7 1] pp o 8 8 3,439,690 4/1969 Weber 135/26 Primary Examiner-Peter M. Caun [52] US. Cl. 135/25 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Alan Swabey [51] Int. Cl A45b 19/00 [58] Field of Search 135/2231 57 ABSTRACT 56] References Cited An umbrella having a telescopic stick and shortenable dome ribs which can be stowed in a relatively small UNITED STATES PATENTS package; the dome ribs, struts and stretcher members 289,230 1 1/1883 Colby 135/28 being arranged Such that they fit Within each Other 437,287 9/1890 Cappel 135/28 633.584 9/1899 Marley 135/30 4 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PATENTL'ZMUQ 2 71974 SHEET 1 BF 3 m .E J. M WW mm M m NR 9W J mm m W i m Fi f N VE N TOR A F/A/Z W 95? A Tram/5y PAIENIEB AUG 2 71974 soiaalmsm SHEEI 2W 3 Y INVENTOR flrramvf Y PATENIEDMIBZTIW 3,831 .614 SHEEI 3 0f 3 5 INVEN TOR I HEM/z WZ'Hf/F COLLAPSIBLE UMBRELLA The present invention relates to a collapsible umbrella, particularly to an umbrella having a telescopic stick and telescopic dome ribs,

In conventional telescopic umbrellas, the length of the umbrella is effectively reduced by telescoping the stick and the dome ribs. However, although the axial length of the umbrella has been considerably reduced, it is normally found that thediameter of the closed umbrella is greater than, for instance, the diameter of the non-collapsible umbrella normally known as the fashion umbrella.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide a collapsible umbrella which has a reduced axial length when closed, as well as a relatively smaller diameter than the conventional telescopic umbrellas. In recent developments, it has been proposed to make the auxiliaryrunner of the telescopic umbrella as compact as possible by providing recesses in the runner to allow the dome ribs to be grouped in these recesses. For instance, in different types of umbrellas, the dome ribs fold in the same plane as the support structure of the dome rib and, therefore, as the dome rib is closed, it lies out of the recesses in the runner since the stretcher members and struts of the support system take up the space in the recess of the runner.

According to the present invention, the auxiliary runner is provided with individual separate projecting lugs to which the support struts are pivoted and the dome ribsand the stretcher means are so formed that the auxiliary strut nests within the stretcher member, for in-- stance. These stretcher members whichare U-shaped saddle the separate lugs of the auxiliary runner.

Further in a more specific embodiment of the present invention, the auxiliary runner is injection molded, including the lugs as well as the pivoting pivot pins, to which the auxiliary struts of the support system are hinged.

Still in a further embodiment of the present invention, the auxiliary struts are so formed that they curve slightly against the stick when the dome ribs are folded to a closed position, thereby reducing the diameter of the collapsed umbrella.

The fact that the auxiliary struts are slightly curved or deformed when in a folded position, they inherently tend to press the dome ribs outwardly whichis an advantage when opening the umbrella to initiate the upward swing of the dome ribs away from the umbrella stick towards an extended position.

Having thus generally described the nature of the invention, it shall be described in more detail, with particular reference to the drawings, showing by way of illustration, preferred embodiments thereof and in which:

FIG. I is a partial representation of the umbrella, approximately life size and in the open condition;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view showing a detail of the umbrella shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is section along the line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of another detail of the umbrella shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a section along the line 5-5 in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of thedetail shown in FIGS. 4 and 1;

FIG. 7 is a part-section of the umbrella in the folded and shortened condition;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged vertical section in the region of the auxiliary slide in the position. shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a section along the line 9-9 in FIG. 8; and

FIG. 10 shows the umbrella half open.

The umbrella according to FIGS. 1 to 10 has a telescoping umbrella stick 1 consisting of

tubular parts

2 and 3, of which part 2 is the inner tube. The umbrella stick may be locked in the extended position by means of the usual ball and spring catch.

At the end of tube 3 is a'carryi'ng handle 4 provided with an annular recess 5 for the reception of free ends 6' of dome-rib outer sections 6.

A main runner 7 is adapted to slide on the umbrella stick I and an auxiliary runner 8 is located between the main runner 7 and the crown 9 at the end of the stick portion 2.

Tube 2 carries a crown 9 and a cap 10, dome ribs 11 being hinged to the said crown.

Each dome rib 11 comprises two sections of approximately equal length, section .a attached to the crown and section b which is the outer section. Part a consists of a U-shaped cross section open towards the umbrella stick, while part .b guided therein is made of material of circular cross section.

A stretcher member 12 and a strut member 13 are components of the dome-rib spreading and folding support system.

Stretcher member 12 runs-from main runner 7 to which it is hinged by means of hinge pins 14, at one end and to geats 17 connected to the dome ribs at the other end. A strut member 13 is in turn pivoted to the auxiliary runner 8 at one end and to an intermediate portion of the stretcher member 12 at its other end. The runner is built up below the hinge area at 15 as shown in the drawings. The recesses 16, in which the stretcher members 12 are hinged, are closed towards the bottom of the enlarged portion 15.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 8 and 10, the geats 17 is of U- shaped construction with downwardly extending leg members subtending a hinge pin 18. The stretcher member 12 is pivoted to the hinge pin 18. The outer dome rib section b has a downwardly bent end portion 19 which is also hinged to the pivot pin 18. As can be seen, as the umbrella is open and the stretcher member extends downwardly from the stick, the dome rib outer part b is positively extended from its telescoped position in the inner section a.

The auxiliary runner 8 includes projecting lugs 20, one for every pivoting strut 13. Each lug 20 has a thickness which is less than the width 21 of the U-shaped stretcher member 12. Therefore, when the umbrella is closed, the lug fits within the opening 21 of the stretcher member 12 whereby the stretcher member is nested over the lug 20.

The lug 20 is of H-shaped construction with the pivoting pin portion 22 being integral with the lug. This lug is normally injection molded with the end of the strut 13 in position so that the plastic material flows through the opening 23 in the end of the struts 13. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the flattened end of the strut 13 provides a mold core forming the openings 24 in the lug 20. The opening 24 terminates at a distance Z from the outer wall 8' of the runner 8. This permits the thick ened collar in the area of the lugs 20 where it is neces sary to have reinforcement of the: runner. The runner 8 is made in the form of a tubular sleeve sliding over the stick 1, with a portion extending above and below the area of the lugs 20, The runner 8 also functions as a spacer locating the pivoting point of the strut 13 from thecrown 9. The hinge of the struts 13 are spaced apart from the hinge of the dome ribs 11 when the umbrella is in an extended position.

The other end of the auxiliary strut 13 is pivoted to a hinge pin 25 subtended between the legs of the stretcher member 12'. The hinge connection of the strut 13 to the stretcher member 12 is reinforced by means of an insert 26 between the legs of the U-shaped stretcher member 12 which is retained therein by means of

side depressions

27 and 28 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6. The hinge pin 25 is actually connected between the legs of the insert 26 rather than directly to the legs of the stretcher member 12 so as to prevent weakening of the stretcher member 12. The strut 13 is preferably made of spring-like wire material and includes a bent portion 29. As the umbrella is being folded to a'closed position, the bent portion 29 first engages within the insert 26 and causes the remaining length of the strut 13 to bow outwardly of the stretcher member 12 as shown in FIG. 7. The bowed strut l3 presses slightly against the stick'l as shown in FIG. 7, and of course provides for the initiating of the pivoting movement of the dome ribs when the umbrella is being opened. As can be seen from FIGS. 7 and 8, the strut 13 is partially within the confines of the U-shaped stretcher member in the area of the hinge 25 and also at its hinge point with the lug of the runner 8. The part of the stretcher member which nests over the hinge of the strut l3 and the lug 20 is that part which is hinged within the geats 17. As can be seen in FIG. 9, the geats 17 is nested over the stretcher member 12 and the stretcher member 12 is nested over the lug 20, providing a very compact folding arrangement in an area which is normally the thickest area in telescopic umbrellas. Referring back to the bow-shaped spring arrangement of the strut 13, when it is in a folded position as shown in FIG. 7 it can be noted that as the dome rib ends 6' leave the recess 5 in the handle, the dome ribs immediately spring out to the position as shown in FIG. 10, whereby it is now only necessary to press upwardly on the main runner 7 to fully extend the umbrella.

I claim: I

1. A collapsible umbrella frame comprising a telescopic stick having a handle at one end and a crown at the other, dome ribs pivoted from said crown for movement toward and away from said stick, said dome ribs comprising telescopically related sections, support means for orienting the dome ribs in an extended position, said support means comprising: a main runner reciprocably engaged on said stick above said handle,

main struts pivotally supported at one end in radially extending relation from said main runner for movement toward and away from said stick and pivotally connected at the other end to said dome ribs, the improvement comprising: a second auxiliary runner reciprocably supported on said stick for movement between said main runner and said crown, said second runner having a plurality of radial projections circumferentially spaced and at least equal in number to the number of dome ribs hinged to said crown, auxiliary struts pivoted in radially extending relation from said radial projections on said auxiliary runner and to an intermediate portion of said main struts, the main runner having a U-shaped cross section opening toward said auxiliary struts, the projections on said auxiliary runner being received in a U-shaped portion of a respective main strut when the frame is closed and the main struts lie along the stick, the auxiliary struts having a combined width with said projections of the auxiliary runner to which they are hinged which is less than the U-shaped cross section of the main struts opening toward the auxiliary struts so that the main struts nest over the auxiliary runner hinge connections to substantially reduce the umbrella frame cross section at the auxiliary runner when the umbrella frame is collapsed and closed.

2. An umbrella frame as set forth in claim 1 in which said auxiliary struts are of a spring material and include an intermediate angularly directed portion whereby the auxiliary struts are placed under compression between the main struts and the stick when the frame is closed, said handle including means for receiving terminal portions of the dome ribs for maintaining the frame closed whereby release of the terminal end portions of the dome ribs from the handle results in the compressed portions of said auxiliary ribs to urge the main ribs radially outwardly toward an open condinon.

3. An umbrella frame as set forth in claim 1 in which said main struts and dome ribs are connected by means of a geats embracingly engaged about said dome ribs and having a U-shaped cross section opening toward main struts for receiving the main struts therein at the projections on said second runner over which the main struts embrace when the frame is closed.

4. An umbrella frame as set forth in claim 1 in which at least said second runner includes a transverse hinge pin integral with said radial projections and comprising a one piece element therewith, said auxiliary struts having a transverse aperture through which said transverse hinge pins extend.

Claims

1. A collapsible umbrella frame comprising a telescopic stick having a handle at one end and a crown at the other, dome ribs pivoted from said crown for movement toward and away from said stick, said dome ribs comprising telescopically related sections, support means for orienting the dome ribs in an extended position, said support means comprising: a main runner reciprocably engaged on said stick above said handle, main struts pivotally supported at one end in radially extending relation from said main runner for movement toward and away from said stick and pivotally connected at the other end to said dome ribs, the improvement comprising: a second auxiliary runner reciprocably supported on said stick for movement between said main runner and said crown, said second runner having a plurality of radial projections circumferentially spaced and at least equal in number to the number of dome ribs hinged to said crown, auxiliary struts pivoted in radially extending relation from said radial projections on said auxiliary runner and to an intermediate portion of said main struts, the main runner having a U-shaped cross section opening toward said auxiliary struts, the projections on said auxiliary runner being received in a Ushaped portion of a respective main strut when the frame is ''''closed'''' and the main struts lie along the stick, the auxiliary struts having a combined width with said projections of the auxiliary runner to which they are hinged which is less than the U-shaped cross section of the main struts opening toward the auxiliary struts so that the main struts nest over the auxiliary runner hinge connections to substantially reduce the umbrella frame cross section at the auxiliary runner when the umbrella frame is collapsed and ''''closed.''''

2. An umbrella frame as set forth in claim 1 in which said auxiliary struts are of a spring material and include an intermediate angularly directed portion whereby the auxiliary struts are placed under compression between the main struts and the stick when the frame is ''''closed,'''' said handle including means for receiving terminal portionS of the dome ribs for maintaining the frame ''''closed'''' whereby release of the terminal end portions of the dome ribs from the handle results in the compressed portions of said auxiliary ribs to urge the main ribs radially outwardly toward an ''''open'''' condition.

3. An umbrella frame as set forth in claim 1 in which said main struts and dome ribs are connected by means of a geats embracingly engaged about said dome ribs and having a U-shaped cross section opening toward main struts for receiving the main struts therein at the projections on said second runner over which the main struts embrace when the frame is ''''closed.''''