The present invention relates to an operation collar which is movably mounted on the shaft of an umbrella which is opened and collapsed by moving the operation collar relative to the runner.
A conventional mechanism for opening and collapsing an umbrella generally includes a button which is located at the runner. The button has a spring strip which is hooked to the shaft to position the runner when the umbrella is opened. When the umbrella is to be folded, the user pushes the button and the spring strip is disengaged from the shaft so that the umbrella is folded. However, the button is located on the runner which might be rotated during use of the umbrella so that when the user wants to push the button, he or she has to rotate the umbrella to find out where the button is. Besides, the button might be touched unintentionally so that this is not convenient to the users.
Another conventional mechanism for opening and collapsing umbrellas known to applicant is shown in
The runner 7 has to be made larger so that the operation member 5 and the spring plate 6 are able to be cooperated with the runner 5. The larger runner increases the space that the collapsed umbrella occupies. Besides, fatigue will be a main concern for the spring plate 6 after frequent uses and once the spring plate 6 cannot be precisely positioned as desired, the umbrella is in an unstable status.
The present invention intends to provide a mechanism for opening and collapsing an umbrella wherein the user can simply pull or push an operation collar to achieve the opening or collapsing of the umbrella.
The present invention relates to a mechanism for opening and collapsing an umbrella and the mechanism comprises a runner to which two lockers are pivotably connected thereto. Each locker is a curved member and pivotably connected to the runner by a pivot. Two ends of the each locker can be pivotable relative to the pivot in a direction perpendicular to an axis of the runner. An operation collar is removably connected to the runner so as to pivot the lockers to open or collapse the umbrella.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism for opening and collapsing an umbrella, wherein an operation collar is removably connected to the runner to pivot two lockers which are pivoted about two respective pivots and the two wings of each locker are horizontally pivoted about the pivot.
The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.
Referring to
The runner 2 has two C-shaped slots 21 defined therein and two lockers 3 are pivotably engaged with the slots 21. The lockers 3 are connected to the runner 2 symmetrically. Each of the lockers 3 is a curved member and pivotably connected to the runner 2 by two respective pivots 31. Each locker 3 includes a first wing 32, a second wing 33 and the pivot 31 which is located between the first and second wings 32, 33. Each of the lockers 3 has a positioning hole 110 and the pivot 31 is located in the positioning hole 110, two ends of the pivot 31 are engaged with two of the slots 21 of the runner 2. A first protrusion 34 extends from a first side of a top edge of the first wing 32 of each of the lockers 3 and an engaging portion is formed on a second side of the first wing 32 of the locker 3 and located corresponding to the first protrusion 34. The engaging portion is formed on the second side of the locker 3 and is a stepped area. A second protrusion 37 extends from a first side of a low edge of the second wing 33 of each of the lockers 3 and an engaging portion is formed on a second side of the second wing 32 of the locker 3 and located corresponding to the second protrusion 37. A first recess 35 is defined in the second side of the first wing 32. A second recess 36 is defined in the second side of the second wing 33. The second wing 33 has a contact surface 38 extending from the second side thereof and located at top edge of the second wing 33. The first protrusion 34 of the first wing 31 is higher than the first side of the first wing 33.
The operation collar 4 includes insertions 41 extending from an inner periphery of a top thereof and an inner diameter of a space partially enclosed by the insertions 41 is less than an outer diameter of a lower end of the runner 2. The runner 2 has two ridges 22 extending from an outer periphery thereof and the two ridges 22 are located between the lockers 3. The operation collar 4 has gaps 42 defined in an inner periphery thereof and the gaps 42 so that the ridges 22 are engaged therewith, this ensures that the operation collar 4 will not shake in horizontal direction. Each of the ridges 22 has a notch 23 and the operation collar 4 has ribs 43 which are engaged with the notches 23. By the engagement of the ridges 22 and the notches 23, the operation collar 4 is not moved easily.
The first recess 35 allows the operation collar 4 not to be tangled with the locker 3. The first protrusion 34 includes a stepped portion about 0.2 mm high so that when the operation collar 4 moves to the positioning holes 110, the insertions 41 on the operation collar 4 are engaged with the stepped portion of the first protrusions 34 of the two lockers 3 such that the operation collar 4 can be positioned and the umbrella is not collapsed unintentionally. The insertions 41 compress the first protrusions 34 of the first wings 32 and the contact surface 38 of the first wing 32 is engaged with the positioning holes 110 to ensure that the umbrella is opened.
As shown in
When collapsing the umbrella, referring to
While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2006 1 0063180 | Oct 2006 | CN | national |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20080087311 A1 | Apr 2008 | US |