Patent Grant
11278088
The present invention relates to a parasol that can be installed at eaves of a building or the like.
A parasol that is installed at eaves of a house or a store and used as a sunshade or a rain shield is known (refer to, for example, Non-Patent Literature 1).
However, such a parasol uses a base (a member that grips a lower end of a pole) to hold a pole in an upright position. An installation location is limited by volume and weight of the base, and labor required for installation is large.
An object of the invention is to provide a parasol that can be easily installed in various places and used as a sunshade or a rain shield.
A parasol of the invention includes:
only one tension rod-type pole including a telescopic portion and having an adjustable length;
a lower hub penetrated by the pole and configured to move in a vertical direction along the pole;
a locking member provided on the pole or the lower hub and configured to restrict downward movement of the lower hub;
an upper hub fixed to the pole;
three or more ribs joined to the upper hub and configured to rotate vertically and to not rotate horizontally;
struts respectively provided for the ribs and connecting the ribs and the lower hub; and
a sheet provided between the ribs.
Regarding an arrangement of the ribs in a top view,
two of the ribs are end ribs provided at an angle of approximately 180 degrees;
middle ribs, which are the ribs excluding the end ribs, exist only on one side of a straight line formed by the two end ribs; and
the sheet exists only on the one side.
According to this feature, the parasol can be installed without using a base, so that installation of the parasol at eaves of a building or the like only requires to install the only one pole between a ceiling surface and a floor surface, and the parasol can be installed easily without any labor. The parasol can be installed like a pent-roof by aligning the end ribs provided at the angle of approximately 180 degrees along a surface of the building.
A parasol of the invention includes:
only one tension rod-type pole including a telescopic portion and having an adjustable length;
a lower hub penetrated by the pole and configured to move in a vertical direction along the pole;
a locking member provided on the pole or the lower hub and configured to restrict downward movement of the lower hub;
an upper hub fixed to the pole;
ribs joined to the upper hub and configured to rotate vertically and to not rotate horizontally;
struts respectively provided for the ribs and connecting the ribs and the lower hub; and
a sheet provided between the ribs.
Regarding an arrangement of the ribs in the top view,
two of the ribs are end ribs provided at an angle of approximately 90 degrees;
middle ribs, which are the ribs excluding the end ribs, exist only within an angle of approximately 90 degrees between the two end ribs; and
the sheet exists only within the angle of approximately 90 degrees between the two end ribs.
According to this feature, the parasol can be installed easily without any labor by installing the only one pole between the ceiling surface and the floor surface. The parasol can be installed like a pent-roof at a corner of the building by aligning the end ribs provided at the angle of approximately 90 degrees along the corner of the building.
The parasol of the invention includes
two or more of the middle ribs, and in a state where the lower hub is locked by the protruding portion, four points, which are tips of the two end ribs and two of the middle ribs, are arranged at four vertices of a rectangle in the top view.
According to this feature, the parasol can be provided with a rectangular sheet, similar to an awning tent.
In the parasol of the invention,
the telescopic portion is provided on a lower side of the pole.
According to this feature, an upper side of the pole can be fixed to the ceiling surface and a length can be adjusted by the lower telescopic portion, and the pole can be easily installed between the ceiling surface and the floor surface.
In the parasol of the invention,
the middle ribs are arranged at an equal angle sequentially from one of the end ribs to the other one of the end ribs, and
all the ribs have an equal length.
According to this feature, a shape of the sheet of the parasol can be a fan shape (including a semicircular shape) in the top view.
In the parasol of the invention,
the pole includes a length adjustment portion in which an outer pipe and an inner pipe inserted into the outer pipe are locked by a bar that penetrates hole portions respectively provided on the outer pipe and the inner pipe; at least one of the outer pipe and the inner pipe is provided with two or more of the hole portions at different vertical positions; and the length of the pole is adjusted by selecting the hole portions into which the bar is inserted.
According to this feature, a telescopic degree of the pole is increased, so that the parasol can cope with a wide range of eave heights.
In the parasol of the invention,
the inner pipe includes two or more partial inner pipes configured to be connected and separated from each other, and
each of the partial inner pipes has a uniform thickness and is provided with the hole portions.
According to this feature, since the number of the partial inner pipes used can be changed, the telescopic degree of the pole is further increased, and the parasol can cope with a further wide range of the eave heights.
In the parasol of the invention,
both the outer pipe and the inner pipe have two or more of the hole portions;
one of the outer pipe and the inner pipe is provided with n of the hole portions at an equal interval, which is a first interval equal to or less than a telescopic length of the telescopic portion, in the vertical direction; and
the other one of the outer pipe and the inner pipe is provided with the hole portions at an equal interval, which is a second interval n times the first interval, in the vertical direction.
According to this feature, a length of the inner pipe inserted into the outer pipe can be adjusted in steps of the first interval. A length shorter than the first interval can be adjusted by the telescopic portion. That is, the length of the pole can be strictly adjusted for any eave height.
According to the parasol of the invention, the parasol can be installed without using a base, so that installation of the parasol at eaves of a building or the like only requires to install only one pole between a ceiling surface and a floor surface, and the parasol can be installed easily without any labor.
Hereinafter, embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
The upper hub 11 is joined to ends of four ribs 20 having an equal length. Each rib 20 is provided so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction and non-rotatable in a horizontal direction. The number of the ribs 20 may be designed as any number as long as the number is 3 or more.
The lower hub 12 and an intermediate portion of each rib 20 are connected with each other by one strut 30. When the lower hub 12 is moved along the pole 10, the rib 20 and the strut 30 rotate in the vertical direction in conjunction with the movement. The rib 20 and the strut 30 are made of, for example, stainless steel, aluminum, plated iron, or the like.
The pole 10 is provided with a protruding portion 13 that restricts a downward movement of the lower hub 12.
A slit (not shown) extending in the vertical direction is formed on an outer peripheral surface of the pole 10, and the protruding portion 13 is urged to protrude from the inside of the pole 10 to an outside through the slit by an elastic mechanism (not shown) provided in the pole 10.
In the state shown in
In a case where the lower hub 12 is below the protruding portion 13, and the lower hub 12 is moved upward, when the lower hub 12 reaches a position of the protruding portion 13, the protruding portion 13 is pressed by a cylinder inner wall of the lower hub 12 and enters the inside of the pole 10. Therefore, the lower hub 12 can be moved above the position of the protruding portion 13. When the lower hub 12 is moved above the protruding portion 13, the protruding portion 13 protrudes from the inside of the pole 10 to the outside, so that the lower hub 12 is locked by the protruding portion 13, and each rib 20 is arranged at a fixed position.
Here, a relation between the lower hub 12 and the protruding portion 13 is not limited to that shown in the drawings.
In this case, a push button 14 used for pushing the protruding portion 13 into the pole 10 is provided on the lower hub 12. As shown in
As shown in
By pressing the push button 14, as shown in
The wire 16 goes around a pulley 17a and is wound around a reel 17b. The reel 17b can be rotated by operating a handle 17c provided outside the pole 10. By operating the handle 17c so as to wind the wire 16 around the reel 17b, the lower hub 12 can be moved upward. By unwinding the wire 16 from the reel 17b, the lower hub 12 can be moved downward.
When the lower hub 12 is moved upward and the lower hub 12 is locked with the parasol opened, the wire 16 functions as a locking member that restricts the downward movement of the lower hub 12.
In order to prevent the lower hub 12 from being moved excessively upward, a stopper (a protrusion that locks the lower hub) may be provided on the pole 10.
The ribs 20 include two end ribs 201 provided at an angle of approximately 180 degrees in the top view and two middle ribs 202 other than the end ribs 201. As shown in
A sheet 40 is provided between the ribs 20. As shown in
Here, since the sheet 40 is provided so as to be inclined, the ribs 20 (the end ribs 201 and the middle ribs 202) are on an opposite side of the sheet 40. The drawings are drawn assuming that the sheet 40 is transparent and the ribs 20 (the end ribs 201 and the middle ribs 202) are visible. A lower edge of the sheet 40 is indicated by a dashed line. Of course, the sheet 40 may not be transparent and the ribs 20 (the end ribs 201 and the middle ribs 202) may not be visible.
The sheet 40 is not limited to one sheet, and three fan-shaped sheets having a central angle of 60 degrees may be used. In this case, edge portions corresponding to diameters of the fan-shaped sheets are connected to the ribs 20 along longitudinal directions.
A sheet 41 may be provided between the two end ribs 201 (see
Telescopic portions 101 and 102 are provided on an upper side and a lower side of the pole 10, respectively. When installing the pole 10 in a form of a tension rod under eaves of a building or the like, by expanding and contracting the telescopic portions 101 and 102, a length of the pole 10 can be adjusted so as to be equal to a distance between a ceiling surface and a floor surface.
Publicly known telescopic structures can be used as a telescopic structure of the telescopic portions 101 and 102. For example, a structure shown in
Hemispherical pads 101a and 102a are provided at tips of the telescopic portions 101 and 102. The pad 102a can freely rotate with respect to (a main body of) the telescopic portion 102 without a screw. According to this structure, the height of the parasol 1 can be adjusted by rotating the telescopic portion 102 while keeping the pad 102a in contact with and fixed to a ground. The pad 102a does not have to be hemispherical as long as a lower surface thereof is flat, and may be a disk shape or other shapes.
The telescopic portion 101 on the upper side is provided above the sheet 40 and the upper hub 11. Therefore, when installing the parasol 1 at the eaves, first, a length of the pole 10 above the sheet 40 (that is, a portion between the sheet 40 and the ceiling surface of the eaves) is adjusted to a desired length by using the telescopic portion 101 on the upper side, and then the length of the pole 10 is adjusted to be equal to the distance between the ceiling surface and the floor surface of the eaves of the building by using the telescopic portion 102 on the lower side.
Here, it is not necessarily to provide both the telescopic portions 101 and 102. For example, the telescopic portion 102 on the lower side may be provided alone, while providing only the pad 101a on the upper side. It is sufficient to keep a substantially constant length above the sheet 40, and to adjust the length of the pole 10 using only the telescopic portion 102 on the lower side.
Here, when only the pad 101a is used on the upper side, the pad 101a may be the same member as the pad 102a from a viewpoint of ease of production. Then, both the pad 101a and the pad 102a can rotate. In consideration of a danger that the pole 10 (and the parasol 1) may rotate, it is preferable to fix the pad 101a to the pole 10 by screwing or the like to stop the rotation of the pole 10.
A procedure for installing such the parasol 1 under the eaves of the building will be described. In the parasol 1 before installation, the lower hub 12 is located below the protruding portion 13, and the ribs 20 and the struts 30 are arranged close to the pole 10.
First, depending on a purpose of use or preference, the distance between the ceiling surface and the sheet 40 is determined considering whether the sheet 40 should be close to the ceiling surface under the eaves, or whether the sheet 40 should be sufficiently spaced from the ceiling surface. The length of the telescopic portion 101 on the upper side of the pole 10 is adjusted according to the determined distance between the ceiling surface and the sheet 40. However, the distance between the ceiling surface and the sheet 40 may be fixed, and the telescopic portion 101 on the upper side may not be provided.
Next, the length of the telescopic portion 102 on the lower side of the pole 10 is adjusted according to the distance between the ceiling surface and the floor surface under the eaves, and the pole 10 is installed between the ceiling surface and the floor surface in a tension rod state.
Next, the lower hub 12 is slid upward along the pole 10 above the protruding portion 13, and then the sheet 40 is opened with each rib 20 being horizontal, and the lower hub 12 is locked by the protruding portion 13. Thereby, the installation of the parasol 1 is completed.
In this way, installation of the parasol 1 on the eaves of the building or the like only requires adjusting the length of the pole 10 using the telescopic portions 101 and 102 (or the telescopic portion 102 only), installing the pole 10 between the ceiling surface and the floor surface, and then moving the lower hub 12 upward to lock the lower hub 12 to the protruding portion 13. Therefore, the parasol 1 can be easily installed without any labor.
Next, Embodiment 2 will be described. The configuration described in Embodiment 1 is used as it is. Differences from Embodiment 1 will be mainly described, and detailed description of common parts will be omitted.
Ribs 20a of the parasol 1a according to the embodiment include the two end ribs 201 and two middle ribs 202a. When the lower hub 12 is placed on top and the parasol is opened, as shown in
In this way, despite that the parasol 1a has only the one pole 10, a shape of the sheet 40a can be a wide rectangular shape by configuring the four points, which are the tips of the two end ribs 201 and the two middle ribs 202a, to be arranged at the four vertices of the rectangle in the top view.
Here, since the sheet 40a is provided so as to be inclined, the ribs 20a (the end ribs 201 and the middle ribs 202) are on an opposite side of the sheet 40a. The drawing is drawn assuming that the sheet 40a is transparent and the ribs 20a (the end ribs 201 and the middle ribs 202) are visible. A lower edge of the sheet 40a is indicated by a dashed line. Of course, the sheet 40a may not be transparent and the ribs 20a (the end ribs 201 and the middle ribs 202) may not be visible.
In order to prevent the sheet 40a from loosening, for example, when the parasol 1 is long in a lateral direction as shown in
Next, Embodiment 3 will be described. The configuration described in Embodiments 1 and 2 is used as it is. Differences from Embodiments 1 and 2 will be mainly described, and detailed description of common parts will be omitted.
Ribs 20b of the parasol 1b according to the embodiment include two end ribs 201b and two middle ribs 202b. The two end ribs 201b are arranged at an angle of 90 degrees. When the lower hub 12 is placed on top and the parasol is opened, the parasol has a quarter circle shape in the top view as shown in
In this way, the parasol 1b can be installed at a corner of a building by being a quarter circle shape in the top view.
Next, Embodiment 4 will be described. Embodiment 4 is for adjusting the length of the pole, and can be applied to any of the parasols described in Embodiments 1, 2, and 3. Parts other than the pole 10 have the same configurations as in Embodiments 1, 2, and 3. Description will be centered on the pole 10, and detailed description of the other parts will be omitted.
The inner pipe 10b is inserted into the outer pipe 10a, and a length of the inner pipe 10b extending from the outer pipe 10a is adjusted (see
One of the plurality of hole portions 18b is fixed by being fitted with the hole portion 18a. The length is adjusted depending on which of the plurality of hole portions 18b is fitted with the hole portion 18a. A plurality of hole portions 18a may be provided and the number of the hole portion 18b may be one.
The hole portion 18b to be fitted with the hole portion 18a is determined, and as shown in
In this case, the protruding portion 13 or the handle 17c is provided on the outer pipe 10a. The position of the lower hub 12 (the position of the protruding portion 13) when used as a parasol is fixed, and it is difficult to provide the protruding portion 13 or the handle 17c on the movable inner pipe 10b.
Here, the lower hub 12 moves around a periphery of the upper side of the pole 10. Since the inner pipe 10b is inserted into the outer pipe 10a when the pole 10 is expanded and contracted, it is preferable that the upper side of the pole 10 is the outer pipe 10a.
A lower end of the partial inner pipe 10c has a reduced diameter and can be inserted into the partial inner pipe 10b. Upper sides of the partial inner pipe 10b and the partial inner pipe 10c have the same diameter, and respectively have the hole portions 18b and hole portions 18c. That is, the partial inner pipe 10b can be used as an inner pipe alone (similar to
Significance of the partial inner pipe 10c will be described. During use as shown in
The partial inner pipe 10c is inserted into the outer pipe 10a as shown in
Therefore, it is necessary to devise connection between the partial inner pipe 10b and the partial inner pipe 10c. Although it is possible to connect using the bar 19 as shown in
The partial inner pipe 10c is not limited to one, and two or more may be used. The adjustable amount of the length of the pole 10 can be further increased.
The length of the pole 10 can be set in D1 increments by selecting the hole portion 18a and the hole portion 18b into which the bar 19 is inserted. Assuming that an insertion length when the hole portion 18b is fitted with the bottom hole portion 18a is L, insertion lengths of L+D1 and L+2D1 can be obtained by fitting the hole portion 18b with the other hole portions 18a. An insertion length of L+3D1 can be realized by selecting another hole portion 18b. That is, the length of the pole 10 can be set in the D1 increments. For example, assuming that D1=2 cm and D2=6 cm, the length of the pole 10 can be set in 2 cm increments.
In general, the number of the hole portions 18a is not limited to three, as long as D2=nD1, where n is the number.
Here, consider D1. The pole 10 can be expanded and contracted first to adjust an approximate length in D1 increments, and then the length can be finely adjusted by the telescopic portion 102. That is, if D1 is smaller than the length adjustable by the telescopic portion 102, the length of the pole 10 can be any length.
The parasol according to the invention can be easily installed not only at eaves but also at places between a ceiling surface and a floor surface, and can be used as a sunshade or a rain shield.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| JP2018-004053 U | Oct 2018 | JP | national |
| JP2018-226941 | Dec 2018 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2018/047405 | 12/24/2018 | WO | 00 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2020/079859 | 4/23/2020 | WO | A |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1126293 | Ryder | Jan 1915 | A |
| 3822850 | Elias | Jul 1974 | A |
| 4086931 | Hall | May 1978 | A |
| 4433699 | Schultes | Feb 1984 | A |
| 4836232 | De Rosa | Jun 1989 | A |
| 5056753 | Lunau | Oct 1991 | A |
| 5564453 | Steiner | Oct 1996 | A |
| 5924469 | Whittemore | Jul 1999 | A |
| 6273115 | Guggisberg | Aug 2001 | B1 |
| 6422252 | Pilz | Jul 2002 | B1 |
| 6745787 | Curtis | Jun 2004 | B1 |
| 8393343 | VanVonderen | Mar 2013 | B2 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 101044930 | Oct 2007 | CN |
| 202858069 | Apr 2013 | CN |
| 1207560 | Dec 1965 | DE |
| S62112801 | May 1987 | JP |
| H04117704 | Apr 1992 | JP |
| H06217813 | Aug 1994 | JP |
| H07232644 | Sep 1995 | JP |
| 2003210225 | Jul 2003 | JP |
| 2004065786 | Mar 2004 | JP |
| 2004132053 | Apr 2004 | JP |
| 2018050744 | Apr 2018 | JP |
| Entry |
|---|
| International Search Report (in Japanese and English) and Written Opinion issued in PCT/JP2018/047405, dated Apr. 2, 2019, 17 pages provided. |
| Parasol, Pocket Interior, Rakuten Shop for furniture, general merchandise and pet supply, found in https://item.rakuten.co.jp/at-ptr/fj-c-10217-20000/?scid=af_pc_etc&sc2id=af_113_0_10001868. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20210267328 A1 | Sep 2021 | US |
