Patent Application
20100101969
The present invention relates to a containing device of folding umbrella bag installed at entrances of a hotel or a shop, for example, and configured to store a wet umbrella into an umbrella bag when it is raining, and to a containing device of folding umbrella bag configured to store specifically a folding umbrella into an umbrella bag.
A device configured to store a wet umbrella into an umbrella bag when it is raining is widely known. The device is configured to allow a folded stick umbrella to be introduced into a small-diameter substantially circular introduction port, constrict the diameter of the stick umbrella at the introduction port and store the same into an umbrella bag stored in a body, and allow the stick umbrella stored in the umbrella bag to be taken out by opening a guide member which constitutes a part of an outer edge of the introduction port horizontally, so that a user is able to achieve a storing action into the umbrella bag while holding a handle of the stick umbrella.
However, the above-described device is a device for storing the stick umbrella into the umbrella bag, and cannot store a folding umbrella into the umbrella bag. In other words, in order to store the folding umbrella having a short handle into the umbrella bag in the body, it is necessary to insert the folding umbrella deep inside the body, but since the introduction port which constricts the diameter of the umbrella is too small in diameter and hence the user's hand is hindered thereby, so that the folding umbrella cannot be inserted deep inside. Therefore, a specific device is required for storing the folding umbrella in the umbrella bag.
As a device for storing the folding umbrella into the umbrella bag, there is a device disclosed in JP-A-2006-151401. The device in JP-A-2006-151401 is configured in such a manner that a substantially rectangular introduction port is widely opened, and taper surfaces inclined from the introduction port inward and downward are formed in four directions, so that the folding umbrella is constricted in diameter gradually by the taper surfaces and is stored in the umbrella bag. When using the device, the user puts the folding umbrella from the introduction port, pushes a distal end of the handle inward to put the same deep inside the body, releases the hand once from the folding umbrella, and takes the folding umbrella stored in the umbrella bag from an outlet port provided on a lower side of a front cover.
However, according to the device in JP-A-2006-151401, the user is obliged to release the hand from the folding umbrella once and take out the folding umbrella stored in the umbrella bag again with the hand from the outlet port provided under the front cover, and hence the user cannot perform an action to store the folding umbrella into the umbrella bag while holding the handle thereof. In addition, since it is configured in such a manner that the folding umbrella is taken out from the outlet port located on the lower portion, it might be required to take out the folding umbrella in a half-sitting posture depending on the person. Therefore, a work that the user has to do for the storing action is increased, and hence the convenience is deteriorated and, at the same time, the time required for the storing action per user is increased, so that people might be jammed up near the entrance of the hotel or the shop.
In view of such problems as described above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a containing device of folding umbrella bag which requires a user to do less work for a storing action, is superior in convenience, and is devised to reduce the time required for the storing action per user.
A containing device of folding umbrella bag according to the present invention is a containing device of folding umbrella bag including an umbrella bag stored in a body and an opening operation member provided rotatably in the body for opening an opening of the umbrella bag and, the opening operation member rotating by being urged by a distal end of a folding umbrella coming into abutment therewith thereby opening the opening of the umbrella bag, including an introducing portion for the folding umbrella provided on an upper portion of the body and an outlet portion for the folding umbrella provided on a side portion of the body, the introducing portion and the outlet portion being continuously opened; a wing member which restrains the bulkiness of the folding umbrella being provided on the opening operation member so as to upstand on an outlet side of the folding umbrella, and the wing member is configured to be rotatable toward the outlet side of the folding umbrella and to be resiliently restorable from the rotated state.
Also, the containing device of folding umbrella bag according to the present invention is characterized in that the wing member is attached to the opening operation member with a spring hinge.
Also, the containing device of folding umbrella bag according to the present invention is characterized in that a wing portion of the wing member is provided so as to spread obliquely outward and upward.
Also, the containing device of folding umbrella bag according to the present invention is characterized in that the opening operation member is provided so as to be inclined downward toward the stored umbrella bag. A configuration in which the inclined wing portion, the inclined opening operation member or a rotating plate thereof, and an inclined surface provided on a lateral side of the body opposite from the wing portion constitute a guide portion which constricts the diameter of the folding umbrella and guides the same to the opening of the umbrella bag, and a configuration in which a substantially vertical restraining surface provided on a rear side on the side where the umbrella bags are stored in addition to the three members described above constitute the guide portion are also preferable.
Also, the containing device of folding umbrella bag according to the present invention is characterized in that a restraining member is provided on the lateral side of the opening operation member opposite from the outlet side and the opening operation member is arranged so as to be inclined by restraining the urge of the opening operation member in the direction of restoration from the rotation to open the opening of the umbrella bag by an abutment of the restraining member against an abutment surface of the body.
Also, the containing device of folding umbrella bag according to the present invention is characterized in that one end of a lever is supported by the opening operation member so as to be rotatable via a shaft, a weight is provided on the other end of the lever, so that the opening operation member is restored from the rotated state by a downward movement of the weight.
A containing device of folding umbrella bag according to the present invention is a containing device of folding umbrella bag including an umbrella bag stored in a body and an opening operation member provided rotatably in the body for opening an opening of the umbrella bag and, the opening operation member rotating by being urged by a distal end of a folding umbrella coming into abutment therewith thereby opening the opening of the umbrella bag, including a lever being supported at one end thereof by the opening operation member so as to be rotatable via a shaft, a weight being provided on the other end of the lever, and the opening operation member is restored from the rotated state by a downward movement of the weight.
In addition to the configurations in the respective inventions and the respective embodiment, the invention disclosed in this specification includes a configuration in which part of the configurations is modified in other configuration disclosed in this specification, a configuration in which other configurations disclosed in this specification are added to these configurations, or a configuration in which part of the configurations is eliminated to an extent which achieves part of the advantages and specified as a broader term are also included.
The containing device of folding umbrella bag according to the present invention is configured in such a manner that an introducing portion and an outlet portion for the folding umbrella are continued, a wing member for restraining the bulkiness of the folding umbrella is provided on the opening operation member so as to upstand therefrom, the wing member is configured to be able to rotate toward an outlet side of the folding umbrella and to be able to resiliently restore from the rotated state, whereby a user is able to store the folding umbrella in the umbrella bag in a series of actions while keeping holding a handle. In addition, since the introducing portion and the outlet portion for the folding umbrella are continued, the user is able to take out the folding umbrella stored in the umbrella bag in a comfortable posture. Therefore, the user is required to do less work for a storing action, the convenience is superior, and time required for the storing action per user is reduced.
Also, by attaching the wing member to the opening operation member by a spring hinge, desirable rotation and the resilient restoration of a wing plate is achieved at low cost.
Also, although the folding umbrella is bulky in comparison with a stick umbrella when closed, by providing a wing portion of the wing member so as to spread obliquely outward and upward, the wing portion serves as a guide portion, and the bulkiness of the folding umbrella is reduced by the wing portion, so that the easy storage in the umbrella bag is achieved.
Also, although the folding umbrella is bulky in comparison with the stick umbrella when closed, by providing the opening operation member obliquely so as to incline downward toward the stored umbrella bag, the opening operation member serves as the guide portion, and the bulkiness of the folding umbrella introduced obliquely along the direction of inclination of the opening operation member from the vertical direction is reduced by the opening operation member before rotation, so that the easy storage in the umbrella bag is achieved.
Also, by providing a restraining member on a lateral side of the opening operation member on the side opposite from the outlet side of the folding umbrella, and arranging the opening operation member so as to be inclined by an abutment of the restraining member, the opening operation member can be arranged so as to be inclined at a required angle of inclination in a simple structure while effectively utilizing a space on the opposite side from the outlet side.
Also, although the user's hand enters deep inside the body in the containing device for the folding umbrellas having a short handle, by the configuration such that one end of the lever is supported by the opening operation member so as to be rotatable via the shaft, the weight is provided on the other end of the lever, so that the opening operation member is restored from the rotated state by the downward movement of the weight, the hand or the finger entered into the body is prevented from getting caught by the opening operation member, so that the security is ensured.
An embodiment of the containing device of folding umbrella bag according to the invention will be described.
A containing device 1 of folding umbrella bag in the embodiment is, as shown in
The body 2 is a box member of a substantially square C-shape in plan view, and includes an introducing portion 21 for the folding umbrella 11 on an upper portion thereof, and an outlet portion 22 for the folding umbrella 11 stored in the umbrella bag 10 on a side portion thereof, and the introducing portion 21 and the outlet portion 22 are continuously opened. An upper surface of the body 2 includes a front cover 23, a rear cover 24 having a restraining surface 241 substantially vertical to a front surface, and an inclined surface 25 provided on a lateral side of the introducing portion 21 on the side portion of the body 2 on the opposite side from an outlet side of the folding umbrella 11. A plurality of the umbrella bags 10 in the body 2 are hanged on a hanger 26 below the rear cover 24 so that an opening 10a side comes to the front side, and is urged by a plate-shaped urging spring 27 provided behind to constantly move toward the front. Preferably, the width of the introducing portion 21 of the substantially square C-shape in plan view which corresponds to the distance between the front cover 23 and the rear cover 24 is approximately from 140 to 150 mm, and similarly the width of the outlet portion 22 is approximately from 140 to 150 mm.
The opening operation member 3 includes a rotating plate 31 being substantially square in plan view and substantially square C-shape in front view, and a tang strip 32 provided at a distal end of the rotating plate 31. The rotating plate 31 includes a bracket 311 formed by bending a front end thereof, and a first supporting shaft 28 is inserted through the bracket 311, so that the rotating plate 31 is rotatable about the first supporting shaft 28. The first supporting shaft 28 is a shaft of a hinge (not shown) having a return spring and an oil damper, and the rotated rotating plate 31 restores to a state before rotation gently while buffering resilient restoration by the return spring with the oil dumper, so that the hand or the finger of the user is prevented from getting caught by the opening operation member 3. In addition, a substantially triangular shaped restraining plate 312 is secured as a restraining member on a side portion on the opposite side from an outlet side of the rotating plate 31, and an upper surface of the restraining plate 312 comes into abutment with a horizontal surface 251 provided outside a substantially lower end of the inclined surface 25. The rotating plate 31 which constitutes the opening operation member 3 is disposed so as to be inclined downward toward the stored umbrella bags 10 by an abutment of the restraining plate 312 to the horizontal surface 251 as an abutment surface, and is brought into the inclined state by the abutment of the restraining plate 312 when it is resiliently restored.
A second supporting shaft 33 is supported in the vicinity of the front end of the rotating plate 31, and a rear end side portion 321 of the tang strip 32 is inserted onto the second supporting shaft 33 on the inner side of the rotating plate 31, and the tang strip 32 is rotatably connected thereto so as to be rotatable about the second supporting shaft 33. A helical spring 34 is wound around the second supporting shaft 33, and one end thereof is supported by a lower surface of the rotating plate 31 and the other end thereof is attached to a substantially center of the tang strip 32, and the tang strip 32 is rotationally urged upward by the helical spring 34 and is pivotable about the second supporting shaft 33. The tang strip 32 is arranged on an upper side of the opening 10a in abutment with the umbrella bag 10 of the frontmost row. Preferably, the width of the rotating plate 31 (the length in the longitudinal direction of the second supporting shaft 28) is approximately from 80 to 90 mm.
As shown in
Although it is possible to configure the wing portion 41 of the wing member 4 to extend vertically upward, it is preferable to provide the same in the inclined state as described above, and the angle of inclination is preferably from 10 to 30°, and more preferably, from 15 to 25°. Also, the minimum rotatable angle of the wing member 4 or the wing portion 41 may be set according to the angle of inclination described above, and the minimum rotatable angle of the wing member 4 is preferably 35 to 45° when the angle of inclination described above is 15 to 25°.
When the folding umbrella 11 is stored in the umbrella bag 10 by the containing device 1 according to the embodiment described above, the folding umbrella 11 in the folded state is introduced from the introducing portion 21 with a slight inclination so that the distal end is directed toward the umbrella bag 10, the distal end is brought into abutment with the rotating plate 31, and the folding umbrella 11 is pushed downward, so that the rotating plate 31 is rotated downward. In the above-described action, the bulkiness of the folding umbrella 11 in the folded state is restrained and reduced in diameter with the rotating plate 31 arranged so as to be inclined in advance and is further inclined by the rotation, the wing portion 41 arranged so as to be inclined, the inclined surface 25 of the side portion of the body 2, and the restraining surface 241 as guide portions. In addition, by the rotation of the rotating plate 31, a distal end of the tang strip 32 is moved downward so as to slip on a front surface of the frontmost umbrella bag 10 with which the distal end of the tang strip 32 abuts, and enters into the opening 10a of the frontmost umbrella bag 10. As the folding umbrella 11 is moved further downward to rotate the rotating plate 31, the tang strip 32 enters deeply inside the opening 10a and is moved apart from the front surface of the umbrella bag, whereby the opening 10a is opened widely and the folding umbrella 11 enters the interior of the umbrella bag 10 and is stored. The folding umbrella 11 stored in the umbrella bag 10 rotates the wing member 4 in the outlet side and is taken out from the outlet portion 22.
After the folding umbrella 11 has been stored into the umbrella bag 10 and taken out, the wing member 4 is restored by the rotational urge of the spring hinge 43, the next umbrella bag 10 is moved to the frontmost row by being urged by the urging spring 27, the tang strip 32 is restored by the rotational urge of the helical spring 34, the rotating plate 31 is restored by the rotational urge of the hinge having the return spring and the oil damper, and the tang strip 32 comes into abutment with the front surface of the umbrella bag 10 moved to the frontmost row.
According to the containing device 1 of folding umbrella bag in the embodiment described above, the introducing portion 21 and the outlet portion 22 for the folding umbrella 11 are continued, the wing member 4 for restraining the bulkiness of the folding umbrella 11 is provided on the opening operation member 3 so as to upstand therefrom, the wing member 4 is configured to be able to rotate toward the outlet side of the folding umbrella 11 and to be able to resiliently restore from the rotated state, whereby a user is able to store the folding umbrella 11 in the umbrella bag 10 in a series of actions while keeping holding a handle. In addition, the user is able to take out the folding umbrella 11 stored in the umbrella bag 10 in a comfortable posture. Therefore, the user is required to do less work for a storing action, the convenience is superior, and time required for the storing action per user is reduced. Also, by attaching the wing member 4 to the opening operation member 3 by the spring hinge 43, desirable rotation and the resilient restoration of the wing plate 4 is achieved at low cost. Also, by providing the wing portion 41 of the wing member 4 so as to spread outward and upward, the wing portion 41 serves as the guide portion, and the bulkiness of the folding umbrella 11 is reduced by the wing portion 41, so that the easy storage in the umbrella bag 10 is achieved. Also, by providing the opening operation member 3 so as to be inclined downward toward the stored umbrella bag 10, the opening operation member 3 serves as the guide portion, and the bulkiness of the folding umbrella 11 introduced obliquely along the direction of inclination of the opening operation member 3 from the vertical direction is reduced by the opening operation member 3 before rotation, so that the easy storage in the umbrella bag 10 is achieved.
Also, in the embodiment describe above, the buffered restoration of the rotating plate 31 from the rotated state is configured by a mechanism including the return spring and the oil damper, so that the rotating plate 31 in the rotated state is adapted to restore gently in comparison with the case of restoring simply by the return spring. However, the rotating plate 31 in the rotated state may be configured to be able to be restored gently by employing other configurations, such as, for example, a weight mechanism shown in
In the weight mechanism described above, when the rotating plate 31 is rotated by the folding umbrella 11, the lever 52 tilts in the direction indicated by an arrow in the drawing with the one end 521 as a power point and the other end 522 as a working point and moves while lifting the weight plate 53 upward. After the folding umbrella 11 is stored in the umbrella bag 10 and taken out, the weight plate 53 moves downward by its own weight, the lever 52 tilts in the opposite direction from the arrow in the drawing with the other end 522 as the power point and the one end 521 as the working point, and the rotating plate 31 is restored gently from the rotated state. The mechanism having the return spring and the oil damper is expensive and requires adjustment of the return spring which is deteriorated in resiliency due to a long time use, while the weight mechanism has advantages such that the weight mechanism is inexpensive and does not require the adjustment of the return spring. In addition, the weight mechanism is able to achieve the restoration of the rotating plate 31 from the rotated state gently, the hand or the finger entered into the body 2 is prevented from getting caught by the rotating plate 31 which constitutes the opening operation member 3 and hence the security is ensured.
The present invention can be used as the containing device of folding umbrella bag.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-052826 | Mar 2007 | JP | national |
| 2007-139969 | May 2007 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2008/053712 | 2/25/2008 | WO | 00 | 8/27/2009 |
