Foldable umbrella stand

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6598753
  • Patent Number
    6,598,753
  • Date Filed
    Friday, October 12, 2001
    22 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, July 29, 2003
    20 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Lev; Bruce A.
    • Harris; Erica B
    Agents
    • Troxell Law Office PLLC
Abstract
A foldable umbrella stand having two spaced apart upright posts with at least one grid frame and at least one water collecting tray pivotally connected to upper and lower ends of the upright posts. Connecting rods are provided on the lateral sides of the grid frames and the water collecting trays to movably connect them together. The umbrella stand thereby can be stretched and positioned for placing therein umbrellas, and can be folded into a flat form with a small volume for storage and transportation.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the invention




The present invention is related to an umbrella stand, and especially to such an umbrella stand able to be folded into a flat one with small volume when not in use.




2. Description of the Prior Art




An umbrella not only can shelter rain, but also can shade sunshine, when in a rainy day or a sunny day; it is general that people take umbrellas outdoors. However, umbrellas are used in abnormal weather, they are folded and stored in appropriate places indoors when not in use.




For convenience of storage, a house or a store generally prepares an umbrella stand for temporary insertion and placing of umbrellas. Umbrella stands used nowadays are mostly fixed; they occupy quite many spaces that can be useful otherwise when not in use. Not only common users have such a trouble, but also manufacturers of umbrella stands require larger packing volume for transportation after the umbrella stands are made by that the umbrella stands occupy larger spaces. Besides, sellers feel inconvenient in displaying and warehousing the umbrella stands.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The object of the present invention is to provide a foldable umbrella stand that is provided with two mutually opposite upright posts, the upper and lower ends of these upright posts are provided respectively with grid frames and water collecting trays. The grid frames and water collecting trays are provided on every lateral side respectively thereof with at least one connecting rod, and are rotatably connected respectively on the inner corners thereof with the inner surfaces of the upright posts. Thereby, when the umbrella stand is not in use, the grid frames and water collecting trays can be folded into a flat form with small volume taking advantage of the in connecting points.




In the preferred embodiment of the present invention just mentioned, the grid frames and water collecting trays used can be only one set provided on one side only of the two upright posts; alternatively, they can be two sets provided on both sides of the two upright posts.




In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the water collecting trays or corresponding frames for them can be provided on the bottoms thereof with positioning links, in order that when the umbrella stand is stretched, they can be firmly positioned by means of the positioning links.




The present invention will be apparent in its novelty and features after reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof in reference to the accompanying drawings.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of the present invention;





FIG. 2

is an exploded view of the elements of

FIG. 1

;





FIG. 3

is a side view taken in the direction of arrows I—I in

FIG. 1

;





FIG. 4

is a partial bottom view taken from

FIG. 3

;





FIG. 5

is a schematic view showing the folding motion and the folding state of the embodiment in

FIG. 3

; and





FIG. 6

is a perspective view showing another preferred embodiment of the present invention and the state of placing umbrellas therein.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




Referring to

FIGS. 1 and 2

, the present invention is provided with two mutually opposite upright posts


10


,


20


with a length slightly smaller than that of a common umbrella. In the preferred embodiment shown, the upper and lower ends of these upright posts


10


,


20


are provided on the two sides thereof with two sets of grid frames


30


and water collecting trays


40


. Taking one set thereof as an example, a grid frame


30


in opposition vertically to a water collecting tray


40


is a frame with a plurality of transverse rods


31


and a longitudinal rod


32


forming a plurality of umbrella inserting holes


33


. The water collecting tray


40


is a tray with an area in corresponding with that of the grid frame


30


for collecting rain drops. A plurality of corner ground connecting feet


41


are provided on the bottom of the water collecting the water collecting trays


40


are assembled each on a corresponding frame


400


.




The grid frames


30


and the water collecting trays


40


are connected by means of mutually opposite connecting rods


50


and


60


on the lateral edges thereof to the upright posts


10


,


20


. The connecting rods


50


and


60


are movably bolt connected on the upper and lower ends


51


,


52


thereof with the grid frames


30


and the water collecting trays


40


.




Referring simultaneously to

FIGS. 1-3

, the connecting areas of the inner corners of the grid frames


30


and the water collecting trays


40


with the inner surfaces of the upright posts


10


,


20


are provided with articular sheets


70


,


80


for movable connecting. In the preferred embodiment shown, the connecting areas of the inner corners of the grid frames


30


and the water collecting trays


40


are provided respectively with notches


39


and


49


for welding thereto correspondingly one end of an articular sheet


70


(


80


), while the other end of every articular sheet


70


,


80


is provided respectively with a hole


71


or


81


for insertion of a pin


78


from the outside of the upright post


10


or


20


correspondingly to movably connect the aforesaid other end of every articular sheet


70


,


80


.




In order to increase the positioning ability of the umbrella stand when it is stretched, one of the water collecting trays


40


can be provided on the bottom thereof, and most preferably on the bottom of its corresponding frame


400


, with positioning links


90


. The positioning links


90


are pin connected by means of pins


91


, and the other ends thereof each is provided with a hole


92


, so that when the umbrella stand is stretched, it is stretched by rotation taking the pins


91


as axes, then the holes


92


are connected by bolts


93


on the bottom of the other of the water collecting trays


40


to connect the latter (referring to FIG.


4


).




When the umbrella stand is not in use, it is folded about the movable connecting points


71


,


81


and


78


of the particular sheets


70


,


80


as shown in

FIG. 5

, toward the upright posts


10


,


20


into a flat one with small volume. Contrarily, when in use, it is stretched to the state shown in FIG.


1


.




In the preferred embodiment shown in

FIG. 6

, the umbrella stand has only one set of a grid frame and a water collecting tray. The grid frame


30


and the water collecting tray


40


on one side of the upright posts


10


,


20


can be folded and stretched in the same way as stated above, and umbrellas


100


can be inserted to stand therein.




The present invention thereby can have a fixed umbrella stand folded into a flat one with small volume when the umbrella stand is not in use. The user or the manufacturer or both can have it folded out for placing umbrellas therein or up for transportation; such an umbrella stand is really convenient and practical.



Claims
  • 1. A foldable umbrella stand comprising:a) two spaced apart upright posts; b) at least one grid frame, each including a longitudinal rod and a plurality of transverse rods forming a plurality of umbrella inserting holes, the at least one grid frame pivotally attached to upper portions of the upright posts so as to pivot about first pivot pins located above the at least one grid frame between extended and retracted positions; c) at least one water collecting tray located directly below the at least one grid frame and pivotally attached to lower portions of the upright posts so as to pivot about second pivot pins located above the at least one water collecting tray and below the at least one grid frame between extended and retracted positions; and, d) connecting rods, each having an upper end pivotally attached to one side of the at least one grid frame, and a lower end pivotally attached to one side of the at least one water collecting tray such that the at least one grid frame and the at least one water collecting tray move synchronously between the extended and retracted positions.
  • 2. The foldable umbrella stand of claim 1 further comprising two grid frames extending in opposite directions from the upright posts and two water collecting trays extending in opposite directions from the upright posts.
  • 3. The foldable umbrella stand of claim 2 further comprising a latching mechanism acting on the two water collecting trays to releasably latch the two water collecting trays in the extended positions.
  • 4. The foldable umbrella stand of claim 3 wherein the latching mechanism comprises:a) a bolt member extending from a first of the two water collecting trays; and, b) a positioning link pivotally connected to a second of the two water collecting trays, the positioning link having a slot located such that, when the bolt member engages the slot, the water collecting trays are latched in the extended positions.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Number Name Date Kind
253081 McKenzie Jan 1882 A
710790 Magerhans Oct 1902 A
3093247 Erickson Jun 1963 A
3834548 Cliffton et al. Sep 1974 A
6123207 Mast Sep 2000 A
6349962 Johanson Feb 2002 B1