Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6360759
-
Patent Number
6,360,759
-
Date Filed
Friday, June 2, 200024 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, March 26, 200222 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
- Friedman; Carl D.
- Yip; Winnie
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 135 22
- 135 24
- 135 23
- 135 251
- 135 253
- 135 254
- 135 40
- 135 41
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A multiple-fold automatic umbrella includes a penta-fold rope having its inner rope end secured with a locking head locked in a grip of a central shaft and defining a first rope section of the penta-fold rope from the locking head through an interior of the shaft to an upper guiding roller rotatably mounted in an upper portion of the shaft; a second rope section of the penta-fold rope from the upper guiding roller to a first lower guiding roller rotatably mounted on a lower runner slidably held in the shaft; a third rope section of the rope from the first lower guiding roller towards at least an uppermost guiding roller rotatably mounted in a top portion of the shaft; a fourth rope section from the uppermost guiding roller towards a second lower guiding roller rotatably mounted on the lower runner opposite to the first guiding roller; and a fifth rope section from the second lower guiding roller towards an outer rope end secured to an upper notch formed on the top of the shaft, thereby providing a rope dynamically balanced on opposite sides of the shaft for enhancing a smooth opening and closing operation of the umbrella.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
U.S. Patent application entitled “Automatic Penta-fold Umbrella” filed by the same inventors of this application on Dec. 15, 1998 with a Ser. No. of: 09/215,635 disclosed an automatic umbrella having penta-fold central shaft (
1
) consisting of five tubes (
11
,
13
,
13
a
,
13
b
,
14
) and penta-fold rib assembly (
2
) for obtaining a shortened length of the shaft (
1
) when folded.
However, it still has a large diameter for the folded tubes of the shaft (
1
) when closing and folding the umbrella of the prior application due to the total thickness summed up by the five tubes (
11
,
13
,
13
a
,
13
b
,
14
) of the shaft (
1
). It is therefore difficult to make a “slim” umbrella after being folded.
The present inventors have found that a penta-fold rope mechanism may be provided for forming a slim automatic umbrella having quadruple-fold central shaft in accordance with the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a multiple-fold automatic umbrella including a penta-fold rope having its inner rope end secured with a locking head locked in a grip of a central shaft and defining a first rope section of the penta-fold rope from the locking head through an interior of the shaft to an upper guiding roller rotatably mounted in an upper portion of the shaft; a second rope section of the penta-fold rope from the upper guiding roller to a first lower guiding roller rotatably mounted on a lower runner slidably held in the shaft; a third rope section of the rope from the first lower guiding roller towards at least an uppermost guiding roller rotatably mounted in a top portion of the shaft; a fourth rope section from the uppermost guiding roller towards a second lower guiding roller rotatably mounted on the lower runner opposite to the first guiding roller; and a fifth rope section from the second lower guiding roller towards an outer rope end secured to an upper notch formed on the top of the shaft, thereby providing a rope dynamically balanced on opposite sides of the shaft for enhancing a smooth opening and closing operation of the umbrella.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is an illustration showing an open umbrella of the present invention.
FIG. 2
is a partial enlarged view of the umbrella from FIG.
1
.
FIG. 3
shows the umbrella as folded from FIG.
1
.
FIG. 4
shows another preferred embodiment of the present invention when opened.
FIG. 5
is a partial enlarged view of the umbrella from FIG.
4
.
FIG. 6
is a cross sectional drawing of the tubes of the central shaft of the present invention when folded.
FIG. 7
is an exploded view of the present invention of FIG.
4
.
FIG. 8
shows a folded umbrella when closed from FIG.
4
.
FIG. 9
shows the anti-false operation safety means of the present invention upon depression of the push button in order for opening the umbrella from FIG.
8
.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
As shown in FIGS.
1
˜
3
, a preferred embodiment of the multiple-fold automatic umbrella of the present invention comprises: a central shaft
1
, a rib assembly
2
, an opening spring
3
retained in the central shaft
1
, a plurality of closing springs
4
respectively held in the rib assembly
2
, and a control means
5
.
The central shaft
1
includes: a lower tube
11
, a grip
12
secured to a lower portion
111
of the lower tube
11
, a first middle tube
13
telescopically engageable with the lower tube
11
, a second middle tube
13
a
telescopically engageable with the first middle tube
13
, an upper tube
14
telescopically engageable with the second middle tube
13
a
, an upper notch
15
formed on a top end of the shaft
1
, and a central sleeve
17
a
secured to an inner block
151
formed in a top portion of the shaft
1
, thereby forming a quadruple-fold central shaft
1
consisting of four tubes
11
,
13
,
13
a
and
14
.
The rib assembly
2
includes: a top rib
21
pivotally secured to the upper notch
15
, a stretcher rib
22
pivotally secured to the top rib
21
and a lower runner
23
slidably held on the shaft
1
, an intermediate rib
24
pivotally secured to the stretcher rib
22
and also pivotally secured to the top rib
21
by means of an inner connecting rib
25
, a tail rib
26
pivotally secured to the intermediate rib
24
respectively through an outer connecting rib
28
and an outer spring rib
27
, and an inner spring rib
27
a
pivotally secured between the stretcher rib
22
and the outer connecting rib
28
, thereby forming a quadruple-fold rib assembly.
The control means
5
includes: a push button
51
resiliently held in a button hole formed in the grip
12
; an upper latch
52
a
integrally formed on an inner ring portion of the push button
51
, a tensioning spring coil
50
resiliently urging the upper latch
52
a
towards a center of the shaft
1
for engaging the upper latch
52
a
with a slot
231
formed in the lower runner
23
when closing the umbrella, whereby upon depression of the push button to disengage the upper latch
52
a
from the runner
23
, the umbrella will be opened; a closing controller
53
including a lower latch
54
resiliently formed on an anti-false operation safety means
57
having an elongate cylinder
571
slidably held in the lower portion
111
of the lower tube
11
; with the elongate cylinder
571
having an upper rim
572
of the cylinder
571
operatively depressed downwardly as urged by the middle tubes
13
,
13
a
when closing the umbrella and folding the tubes of the central shaft
1
to thereby lower the lower latch
54
without being falsely actuated during the opening operation when depressing the button
51
for opening the umbrella for preventing a false closing operation; with the cylinder
571
normally resiliently urged upwardly by a restoring spring
573
retained in the grip
12
to raise the lower latch
54
to face and approximate a locking head
551
secured with a penta-fold rope
56
of the present invention, whereby upon a depression of the push button to disengage the locking head
551
from a protrusion
111
a
formed in the lower tube
11
, the umbrella will be closed from its opening state as shown in FIG.
1
.
The penta-fold rope
56
includes: an inner (or lower) rope end
561
secured to the locking head
551
which is engaged with the protrusion
111
a
formed on the lower tube
11
when closing and folding the umbrella (
FIG. 3
) as downwardly urged by the inner sleeve
17
a
; a first rope section S
1
directed from the inner rope end
561
secured on the locking head
551
when closing the umbrella towards (and to be wound on) an upper guiding roller
563
rotatably mounted by an upper pivot
16
on the inner block
151
formed in an upper portion of the shaft
1
; a second rope section S
2
directed from the upper guiding roller
563
along one side of the upper tube
14
of the shaft
1
towards (and to be wound on) a first lower guiding roller
564
rotatably mounted on the lower runner
23
; a third rope section S
3
directed from the first lower guiding roller
564
towards (and to be wound on) an uppermost guiding roller means (or an uppermost guiding means)
565
rotatably mounted in (or formed in) a top portion of the shaft
1
; a fourth rope section S
4
directed from the uppermost guiding roller means
565
along the other side of the upper tube
14
towards (and to be wound on) a second lower guiding roller
564
′ rotatably mounted on the lower runner
23
opposite to the first lower guiding roller
564
; and a fifth rope section S
5
directed from the second lower guiding roller
564
′ towards an outer (or upper) rope end
562
fixed on the upper notch
15
.
The uppermost guiding roller means
565
may be a pair of uppermost guiding rollers
565
respectively rotatably mounted on the top position of the shaft
1
disposed on opposite sides of a longitudinal center of the shaft
1
by a pair of uppermost pivots
161
.
The uppermost guiding rollers
565
may be modified to be an arcuate guiding groove arcuately formed in the top portion of the shaft
1
to wind the rope
56
thereon. Therefore, the arcuate guiding groove will become an alternative design choice of the uppermost guiding (roller) means.
The penta-fold rope
56
is continuously directed from an interior in the shaft to be disposed on opposite sides of the shaft
1
to be dynamically balanced on the two sides of the shaft
1
to well distribute the stress at the center and on opposite sides of the shaft
1
, thereby providing a well balanced stroke of the rope for smoothly pulling the rope
56
during the umbrella opening and closing operations.
The uppermost guiding roller
565
is positioned above the upper guiding roller
563
as shown in the drawing figures. However, the uppermost guiding roller
565
may also be modified to other suitable locations on the upper or top portion of the shaft
1
in order to well accommodate the rope for the two lower guiding rollers
564
,
564
′ and the other rollers.
The uppermost guiding roller means may also be an uppermost guiding roller having a large diameter (not shown) generally equal to a diameter of the upper tube
14
of the central shaft
1
.
As shown in FIGS.
1
˜
3
, even the rope
56
is a penta-fold rope including five rope sections S
1
˜S
5
, the rope
56
may still be adapted for quadruple-fold shaft
1
and quadruple-fold rib assembly
2
. Naturally, the number of folds of the umbrella shaft and rib assembly are not limited for the uses of the penta-fold rope in accordance with the present invention.
Another preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS.
4
˜
9
having the same umbrella structure and the same penta-fold rope
56
as aforementioned adapted for use as quadruple-fold shaft
1
and rib assembly
2
, but having modifications for some elements as hereinafter described.
The inner sleeve
17
a
has been eliminated and substituted with a slim fine solid guiding rod
17
b
having a small diameter greatly smaller than the diameter of the inner sleeve
17
a.
The guiding rod
17
b
has its upper end fixed in the inner block
151
formed on an upper portion of the shaft
1
and having a guiding collar
17
c
formed on a bottom end of he guiding rod
17
b
for passing or sliding the rope
56
through the guiding collar
17
c
, whereby upon closing of the umbrella from
FIG. 4
to
FIG. 8
, the guiding collar
17
c
and the guiding rod
17
b
will push the locking head
551
downwardly in order to be engaged with an engaging hole
111
b
formed in a bottom sleeve
11
a
in the grip
12
.
The upper latch
52
a
and the coil spring
50
have also been modified to be a “slim” structure by replacing the coil spring
50
with an elongate spring plate
50
a
having a longer length with a larger force of arm (thereby shortening the spring stroke and making the grip slimmer) for urging an upper latch
52
towards a front side A of the grip
12
.
The control means
5
includes: a push button
51
slidably held in a button hole
12
b
adjacent to a front side A of the grip
12
and having a protrusion portion
51
u
on the button
51
showing an opening mark for opening the umbrella and a recess portion
51
d
in the button
51
showing a closing mark for closing the umbrella; an upper latch
52
having a sloping latch portion
522
and made of metal including steel and other strong materials formed on a rear portion of a sliding ring member
511
slidably held in a sliding groove
120
a
formed in a bottom plug
120
fixed in the grip
12
; an elongate spring plate
50
a
having a base portion
501
secured in the bottom plug
120
adjacent to a rear side B of the grip
12
, and a convex portion
502
formed on an upper portion of the spring plate
50
a
for resiliently urging the sliding ring member
511
and the push button
51
forwardly ready for a depression of the push button
51
, with the elongate spring plate
50
a
resiliently urging the upper latch
52
for engaging an engaging hole
100
formed in the middle tube
13
a
,
13
and in the upper tube
14
for “locking” the tubes of the shaft
1
when lowered through a central ring hole
511
a
formed in the ring member
511
for closing the umbrella as shown in
FIG. 8
; a closing controller
53
having a lower latch
54
resiliently secured to an elongate cylinder
571
of an anti-false operation safety means
57
resiliently slidably held in the bottom plug
120
as upwardly urged by a tension spring
573
, whereby upon inward depression on the push button
51
when opening the umbrella from
FIGS. 8
,
9
to
FIG. 1
to push the ring member
511
rearwardly to disengage the upper catch
52
from the engaging hole
100
formed in the tubes
14
,
13
a
,
13
and to allow a latch slot
511
b
formed in a front bottom portion of the ring member
511
to be engaged with the lower latch
54
, an upward rising of the lower latch
54
will be retarded by the ring member
511
(
FIG. 9
) to prevent a false operation as accidentally depressing the lower latch
54
during the operation for opening the umbrella; and a penta-fold rope
56
having five rope sections S
1
˜S
5
as aforementioned secured between a locking head
551
and an upper notch when the locking head
551
is locked in the grip
12
when closing the umbrella (FIG.
8
). The detailed description for the penta-fold rope
56
is omitted accordingly.
The bottom plug
120
includes: a central hole
120
b
for a sliding movement of the elongate cylinder
571
within the central hole
120
b
and allowing a downward movement of the tubes of the shaft
1
to depress the elongate cylinder
571
downwardly and to engage the locking head
551
with an engaging hole
111
b
formed in a bottom sleeve
11
a
jacketed in the lower tube
11
secured in a bottom portion
120
c
of the plug
120
when closing the umbrella; with a spring plate
58
secured on the bottom sleeve
11
a
for resiliently guiding the locking head
551
to be engaged with the engaging hole
111
b
in the bottom sleeve when closing the umbrella. The bottom sleeve
11
a
has a top rim provided for retaining the opening spring
3
.
The upper latch
52
is secured to the ring member
511
by a pin
521
, or the upper latch
52
may be integrally formed with the ring member.
For closing the umbrella from
FIGS. 4
,
5
, the push button
51
is depressed to inwardly thrust the ring member
511
and the lower latch
54
through a hole
112
in the tube
11
to disengage the locking head
551
from the engaging hole
111
b
to release the tension force on the rope
56
, the closing springs
4
will restore to retract the rib assembly
2
for closing the umbrella. For opening the umbrella from
FIG. 8
to
FIG. 4
, the push button
51
is depressed to disengage the upper latch
52
from the engaging hole
100
in the tubes, the opening spring
3
will extend the tubes of the shaft
1
and the rib assembly
2
for opening the umbrella.
The central shaft
1
when folded as shown in
FIG. 6
includes: a lower tube
11
having a cross section of circular shape; a first middle tube
13
having a cross section of hexagonal shape; a second middle tube
13
a
having a cross section of partially flattened circular shape having three convex portions X and three flat portions F around the periphery of the second middle tube
13
a
, and an upper tube
14
having a cross section of circular shape.
The present invention, especially as shown in FIGS.
4
˜
9
, has the following advantages superior to the prior arts:
1. The penta-fold rope
56
is continuously directed from the interior in the shaft
1
through the plural rollers to be finally secured to the upper notch, disposing the rope on opposite sides of the shaft
1
for a dynamic balancing for the rope stroke for enhancing a smooth operation for opening and closing the umbrella.
2. The guiding rod
17
b
is fine in volume and light in weight, helpful for making a slim shaft for a compact umbrella.
3. The elongate spring plate
50
a
with a shorter stroke for urging the upper catch
52
has substituted the coil spring having a longer spring stroke when compressed or restored, thereby being helpful for making a slim grip and slim umbrella.
4. When closing the umbrella, the locking head
551
is engaged with a hole
111
b
directly cut out in the bottom sleeve
11
a
(without forming an inwardly extended protrusion
111
a
), thereby making a slim grip and slim umbrella.
The present invention may be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Claims
- 1. A multiple-fold automatic umbrella comprising:a central shaft consisting a plurality of tubes telescopically engageable one another for making multiple folds of the central shaft; a rib assembly including at least a top rib pivotally secured to an upper notch formed on a top of said central shaft, a stretcher rib pivotally secured to said top rib and pivotally secured to a lower runner slidably held in said central shaft, and a plurality of ribs pivotally secured with one another and pivotally connectable to said top rib and said stretcher rib; an opening spring retained in said central shaft for opening the umbrella; a plurality of closing springs retained on said rib assembly for closing the umbrella; and a control means including a push button resiliently slidably held in a grip formed on a lower portion of said shaft, an upper latch resiliently held in said grip for engaging said shaft and said runner when folded when closing the umbrella and operatively disengaged from said shaft and said runner upon depression of said push button for opening the umbrella, a closing controller having a lower latch resiliently held in said grip and operatively disengaging a locking head for closing the umbrella; said locking head connected with a penta-fold rope having an inner rope end secured to said locking head when closing the umbrella and an outer rope end secured to said upper notch; said penta-fold rope defining a first rope section directed from said inner rope end, and then directed from a guiding collar formed on a bottom portion of a guiding rod having a fine diameter and secured to an upper portion in said shaft, towards and to be wound on an upper guiding roller rotatably mounted on an upper portion of said shaft; a second rope section directed from said upper guiding roller towards and to be wound on a first lower guiding roller rotatably mounted on said lower runner slidably held on said shaft along one side of said shaft; a third rope section directed from said first lower guiding roller towards and to be wound on an uppermost guiding means formed in a top portion in said shaft; a fourth rope section directed from said uppermost guiding means towards and to be wound on a second lower guiding roller rotatably mounted on said runner opposite to said first lower guiding roller along the other side of said shaft; and a fifth rope section directed from said second lower guiding roller towards the outer rope end to be fixed on said upper notch, thereby dynamically balancing said rope on opposite sides of said shaft for enhancing a smooth opening and closing operation of the umbrella.
- 2. A multiple-fold automatic umbrella according to claim 1, wherein said control means includes an elongate spring plate having a base portion secured to a bottom plug fixed in said grip, and a convex portion formed on an upper portion of said elongate spring plate for resiliently urging said upper latch and said push button forwardly; and said upper latch integrally formed with a sliding ring member slidably held in said grip and operatively depressed by said push button.
- 3. A multiple-fold automatic umbrella according to claim 1, wherein said push button includes a protrusion portion served as an opening mark on said button, and a recess portion served as a closing mark on said button.
US Referenced Citations (10)