TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to a control structure for an automatically opened and closed umbrella, and more particularly to such a control structure where a one-way wheel is employed to protect the safety of an operator by preventing the umbrella from sudden opening during the closing operation.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
A conventional control structure for an automatically opened and closed umbrella is shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. As illustrated, the control structure is installed in a handle 20 of the umbrella and mainly contains a hollow main body 10 with a control ring 11 inside. The control ring 11 has a control rod 12 configured to a side under the control ring 11. A push button 13 is configured on the same side of the main body 10 and is exposed out of the handle 20 to control the operation of a shaft 30.
As shown in FIG. 1, a small spring 111 is configured to a side of the control ring 11 opposite to the control rod 12. The small spring 111 presses the control ring 11 towards the push button 13. Inside the control ring 11, a block 112 is configured adjacent to the small spring 111 to engage a sliding tube 40 so that the umbrella is fixed at specific configurations. In addition, the control rod 12 is joined to the control ring 11 by a pin 121 and a coil spring 122 maintains the control rod 12 in a lateral state. When the umbrella is closed, the sliding tube 40 is locked by the block 112 of the control ring 11. In the mean time, the control rod 12 is slanted downward by a second tube 32 of the shaft 30 and, together with a bullet head 50 connected to the sliding tube 40, is locked in a hole on a first tube 31 of the shaft 30. As further shown in FIG. 2, when the push button 13 is pressed, the control ring 11 is pushed inward so that the block 112 releases the sliding tube 40. By the driving of an opening spring 60 inside the shaft 30, the umbrella is opened. The control rod 12 returns to the lateral state and presses against the bullet head 50. To close the umbrella, the push button 13 is pressed again and the control rod 12 pushes the bullet head 50 so that the bullet head 50 escapes the locking by the first tube 31. Then, under the driving of the closing springs of the ribs 70, the ribs 70, together with the attached fabric, are collapsed and the shaft 30 is moved downward by an operator towards the handle 20. The umbrella is thereby closed as shown in FIG. 1.
A substantial problem with the conventional umbrella is that, when the umbrella is closed as described above, the opening spring 60 inside the shaft 30 has to be compressed with significant force. If the operator is not careful, the compressed opening spring 60 may abruptly expand to thrust the shaft 30, causing damage to the operator's hand or other body parts.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, an improved control structure for automatically opened and closed umbrella is provided herein. The gist of the present invention lies in the adoption of a one-way wheel linked to a string of the bullet head. When an operator mistakenly releases the shaft during the umbrella's closing operation, the one-way wheel is locked and therefore the linked bullet head does not shift either. The shaft is thereby positioned and does not thrust by the expansion of the opening spring. An umbrella according to the present invention is therefore much safer to operate.
The foregoing objectives and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts.
Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1 to 3 are sectional diagrams showing the various configurations of a conventional control structure when the umbrella is collapsed, when it is opened, and when it is closed again.
FIGS. 4 and 5 are perspective diagrams showing the various components of a control structure according to an embodiment of the present invention before and after they are assembled.
FIG. 6 is a sectional diagram showing the control structure of FIGS. 4 and 5 when the umbrella is closed.
FIG. 7 is a sectional diagram showing the control structure of FIGS. 4 and 5 when the umbrella is opened.
FIG. 8 is a sectional diagram showing the control structure of FIGS. 4 and 5 when the umbrella is closed again.
FIGS. 9 and 10 are sectional diagrams showing the control structure of FIGS. 4 and 5 in a scenario of closing the umbrella.
FIGS. 11 and 12 are perspective and sectional diagrams showing a control structure according to another embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The following descriptions are exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, a control structure for an automatically opened and closed umbrella according an embodiment of the present invention is installed in a handle 20 of the umbrella and mainly contains a main body 10 whose upper and lower halves are hollow. A control ring 11 having a control rod 12 is installed in the upper hollow space. The control rod 12 is configured to a side and below the control ring 11. A push button 13 is configured to the same side of the control ring 11. On the other hand, a block 112 is configured inside the control ring 11 at the side opposite to the control rod 12. A small spring 111 outside the control ring 11 adjacent to the block 112 pushes the control ring 11 towards the push button 13. In the lower hollow space of the main body 10, a one-way wheel 14 is installed and pivots around an axle 141 running perpendicular to the main body 10. Ratchets 142 are provided on a left half of a circumferential surface of the one-way wheel 14. On a right half of the circumferential surface, a wire groove 143 is provided to receive a lower string 81 from a bullet head 50. A circular indentation 144 is provided on a left side of the one-way wheel 14, within which a winding spring 146 is installed. A driving wheel 145 is positioned on a right side of the one-way wheel 14. An inner end of the winding spring 146 is joined to a left end of the axle 141 while an outer end of the winding spring 146 is joined to a side wall of the circular indentation 144. A positioning arm 16 and a locking arm 15 are pin-joined to a middle section of the main body 10 by a rod 18. A small spring 153 is positioned between the locking arm 15 and the handle 20. A vertical section 151 of the locking arm 15 is positioned tangentially above the ratchets 142 of the one-way wheel 14. A lateral section 152 sticks through the upper hollow space of the main body 10. The positioning arm 16 also has a lower vertical section 161 with an engaging piece 164 for interaction with a coil spring supporting the control rod 12. The lower vertical section 161 is positioned above and within the rotational range of the driving wheel 145. The positioning arm 16 further has an upper vertical section 162 running through the center of the main body 10. A small spring 163 supports the upper vertical section 162 from below. A top end of the upper vertical section 162 and a front end of the lateral section 152 are joined together. In addition, a small pulley 17 pivots around a positioning axle 19 running perpendicularly through the main body 10 is positioned above the wire groove 143 of the one-way wheel 14.
FIG. 6 is a sectional diagram showing the control structure after the umbrella is closed. As illustrated, a sliding tube 40 is locked by the block 112 of the control ring 11 and is thereby positioned. In the mean time, the control rod 12 is pushed downward and slanted by a second tube 32 of a shaft 30. A bullet head 50 linked to the sliding tube 40 by an upper string 80 is locked in a hole on a first tube 31 of the shaft 30. The lower string 81, on the other hand, is connected to a bottom end of the bullet head 50 and then runs through the wire groove 143 of the one-way wheel 14 through the small pulley 17. At the moment, the winding spring 146 inside the one-way wheel 14 is at a completely relaxed state. The top end of the upper vertical section 162 and the front end of the lateral section 152 are joined together. The vertical section 151 of the locking arm 15 is positioned tangentially above the ratchets 142, and the lower vertical section 161 is positioned above and within the rotational range of the driving wheel 145 of the one-way wheel 14.
As shown in FIG. 7, when the push button 13 is pressed to open the umbrella, the control ring 11 is pushed inward so that the block 112 releases the sliding tube 40. By the driving of an opening spring 60 inside the shaft 30, the umbrella is opened. The control rod 12 returns to the lateral state and presses against the bullet head 50. The one-way wheel 14, the locking arm 15, and the positioning arm 16 all have no action.
As shown in FIG. 8, when the push button 13 is pressed again to close the umbrella, the control rod 12 pushes the bullet head 50 so that the bullet head 50 escapes the locking by the first tube 31 of the shaft 30. Then, under the driving of the closing springs of the umbrella's ribs 70, the ribs 70, together with the attached fabric, are collapsed and the bullet head 50 is pulled upward by the upper string 80. Then, through the lower string 81, the one-way wheel 14 is turned clockwise and the winding spring 146 is twisted tight. The driving wheel 145 of the one-way wheel 14 is thereby turned clockwise as well. The engaging piece 164 of the lower vertical section 161 of the positioning arm 16 is flipped without causing the positioning arm 16 to spin.
As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the last move of closing an umbrella is to compress the shaft 30. When the shaft 30 is compressed by external force, the bullet head 50 and the upper and lower strings 80 and 81 are relaxed. The one-way wheel 14, under the driving of the winding spring 146, rotates counterclockwise. The driving wheel 145 of the one-way wheel 14 is turned counterclockwise as well and locks the engaging piece 164. The lower vertical section 161 of the positioning arm 16 is twisted towards a left side and the upper vertical section 162 of the positioning arm 16 is twisted towards a right side and thereby escapes the locking of the vertical section 151 of the locking arm 15. Under the push from the small spring 153, the vertical section 151 of the locking arm 15 moves towards and presses against the ratchets 142 of the one-way wheel 14. As such, if the umbrella is accidentally released during its closing operation, the one-way wheel 14 is locked by the locking arm 15 and the bullet head 50 linked to the one-way wheel 14 is therefore locked as well. The compressed shaft 30 is then immediately positioned without being affected by the opening spring 60. If the umbrella is closed successfully as shown in FIG. 6, the control rod 12 is pushed downward and slanted by the second tube 32 of the shaft 30. The bullet head 50 is locked in a hole on the first tube 31 of the shaft 30. The lower string 81 connected to the bottom end of the bullet head 50 is pulled downward by the winding spring 146 and winds around the wire groove 143 of the one-way wheel 14 through the small pulley 17. The lateral section 152 of the locking arm 15, pushed by the sliding tube 40's bottom rim, is locked with the upper vertical section 162 of the positioning arm 16 again.
As shown in FIGS. 11 to 12, a control structure for an automatically opened and closed umbrella according another embodiment of the present invention is installed in a handle 20 of the umbrella and mainly contains a main body 10 whose upper and lower halves are hollow. A control ring 11 having a control rod 12 is installed in the upper hollow space. The control rod 12 is configured to a side and below the control ring 11. A push button 13 is configured to the same side of the control ring 11. On the other hand, a block 112 is configured inside the control ring 11 at the side opposite to the control rod 12. A small spring 111 outside the control ring 11 adjacent to the block 112 pushes the control ring 11 towards the push button 13. In the lower hollow space of the main body 10, a one-way wheel 14 is installed and pivots around an axle 141 running perpendicular to the handle 20. Ratchets 142 are provided on a left half of a circumferential surface of the one-way wheel 14. On a right half of the circumferential surface, a wire groove 143 is provided to receive a second string 81 whose one end is fixedly connected to an upper nest 90. A circular indentation 144 is provided on a left side of the one-way wheel 14, within which a winding spring 146 is installed. A driving wheel 145 is positioned on a right side of the one-way wheel 14. An inner end of the winding spring 146 is joined to a left end of the axle 141 while an outer end of the winding spring 146 is joined to a side wall of the circular indentation 144. A positioning arm 16 and a locking arm 15 are pin-joined to a middle section outside the handle 20 by a rod 18. A small spring 153 is positioned between the locking arm 15 and the handle 20. A vertical section 151 of the locking arm 15 is positioned tangentially above the ratchets 142 of the one-way wheel 14. A lateral section 152 sticks through the upper hollow space of the main body 10. The positioning arm 16 also has a lower vertical section 161 with an engaging piece 164 for interaction with a coil spring supporting the control rod 12. The lower vertical section 161 is positioned above and within the rotational range of the driving wheel 145. The positioning arm 16 further has an upper vertical section 162 running through the center of the main body 10. A small spring 163 supports the upper vertical section 162 from below. A top end of the upper vertical section 162 and a front end of the lateral section 152 are joined together. In addition, a small pulley 17 pivots around a positioning axle 19 running perpendicularly through the main body 10 is positioned above the wire groove 143 of the one-way wheel 14. The small pulley 17 is to support and guide the second string 82.
While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.
Patent Application
20110048479
