Patent Application
20200315306
Any and all applications for which a foreign or domestic priority claim is identified in the Application Data Sheet as filed with the present application are hereby incorporated by reference under 37 C.F.R. ยง 1.57.
This application relates to apparatuses and methods that facilitate efficient assembly of ribs and hubs of umbrellas and other structures with a plurality of elongate structural members that extend from a central portion of the hub.
Large umbrellas, such as market umbrellas, generally include a frame that is used to support and distribute the weight of an upper portion of the umbrella as well as to enable the umbrella to be opened and closed as desired by the user. The frame of such umbrellas can take various forms, but often includes one or more hubs connected with a plurality of movable structural members, sometimes called ribs and/or struts.
Prior art methods of assembly of umbrella hubs and ribs are too labor intensive. The process involves inserting a pin through an end portion of each rib of a set of ribs, positioning all of the rib ends in a lower portion of a hub, and then placing an upper portion of the hub over the rib ends so positioned. Finally, screws are advanced through upper and lower hub portions to attach the upper portion to the lower portion of the hub. While achieving the result of a secure assembly of hub and ribs, this process is tedious and sometimes requires rework, for example if the ends of any of the ribs become misaligned before the upper hub portion is attached to the lower hub portion.
It would be beneficial to provide structures that enable quicker and less labor intensive assembly of umbrella assemblies, e.g., rib and hub assemblies. An aspect of at least one of the embodiments disclosed herein is the realization that connection devices used in the assembly of shade structures, such as pavilions and outdoor umbrellas, can be improved to provide a more secure, quicker, and more reliable connection. Such devices can be advantageously configured with fewer parts, making them easier to manufacture than devices in the prior art. Such improved connection devices can be particularly advantageous for large shade structures.
Another aspect of at least one of the embodiments disclosed herein is the realization that umbrella rib structures can be improved to provide a more resilient retention with less friction during operation by providing a pivot member with a larger transverse dimension than pivot members of prior art umbrella rib structures. Such devices can have a longer usage life and may improve user experience by reducing noise caused during operation of the umbrella assembly.
Yet another aspect of at least one of the embodiments disclosed herein is that umbrella rib structures can be improved by integrating a removable pulley structure to provide quicker assembly and removal than existing pulley structures. A removable pulley structure can include a slot accessible from the exterior of the umbrella rib structure that can be used to insert a pulley. A removable pulley can be retained inside a slot by using a trapping member that can trap the pulley in the slot and preventing the pulley from being removed during operation. A removable pulley can provide users the freedom to determine whether or not to install a pulley to aid in operation of the umbrella assembly. Removable pulley devices can be advantageously configured with fewer parts than, for example, integrated pulley devices, making them easier to manufacture than devices in the prior art.
In one embodiment, an umbrella assembly is provided that includes a hub and a rib. The hub has a passage configured to be disposed about an umbrella pole. The hub also has an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper portion includes a top surface that extends between the passage and an outer periphery of the hub. The lower portion includes a bottom surface that extends between the passage and the outer periphery of the hub. The hub also includes a rib engagement section comprising a groove that extends radially inwardly from the outer periphery and an annular bearing zone disposed on each side of the groove. The annular bearing zone may be disposed between two facing walls of the hub. The annular bearing zones have an outward surface and an inward surface. The inward surface is disposed on a protrusion that extends toward the groove. The protrusion has a major dimension and a minor dimension. The rib has an elongate body and a pivot member. The elongate body has a longitudinal axis that extends between an inner end and an outer end. An inner portion of the elongate body disposed adjacent to the inner end is disposed in the groove. The pivot member has a central portion that extends through the inner portion of the elongate body, a first free end, and a second free end. The first free end is disposed away from the central portion and has a first recess formed therein. The second free end is disposed opposite the first free end and away from the central portion. The second free end has a second recess formed therein. Each of the first recess and the second recess has an assembly access path on one side thereof. The assembly access pathway has a width that is greater than the minimum dimension and less than the major dimension.
In another embodiment, an umbrella hub is provided. The umbrella hub includes a passage configured to be disposed about an umbrella pole, an upper portion, and a lower portion. The upper portion includes a top surface that extends between the passage and an outer periphery of the hub. The lower portion includes a bottom surface that extends between the passage and the outer periphery of the hub. The hub includes a rib engagement section that has a groove that extends radially inwardly from the outer periphery and an annular bearing zone disposed on each side of the groove. The annular bearing zone has an outward surface and an inward surface. The inward surface disposed on a protrusion that extends toward the groove. The protrusion has a major dimension and a minor dimension. The annular bearing zone is configured to support an end portion of a pivot member of an umbrella rib.
In another embodiment, an umbrella assembly is provided that includes a hub and a rib. The hub has an outer periphery and a groove extending radially inwardly from the outer periphery. A protrusion with a support surface is disposed in the groove. The protrusion has a width less than a length. The rib has an elongate body and a pivot member. The elongate body has a longitudinal axis that extends between an inner end and an outer end. An inner portion of the elongate body disposed adjacent to the inner end thereof is disposed in the groove. The pivot member has a free end disposed away from the elongate body. The free end has a recess formed therein and an assembly access portion. The assembly access portion has a width greater than the width of the protrusion and less than the length of the protrusion.
In another embodiment, an umbrella hub is provided that includes a central portion, a body extending between the central portion and an outer periphery of the hub, and a capture member. The central portion is configured to be disposed about a longitudinal axis of an umbrella pole. The body has an engagement section adjacent to the outer periphery. The engagement section is configured to receive an end portion of an umbrella structural member. The capture member extends into the engagement section. The capture member is configured to accept a pivot member coupled with the end portion of the umbrella structural member at an insertion angle. The insertion angle can be at about 90 degrees to about 180 degrees, where the angle is measured between the longitudinal axis of the elongate member and the longitudinal axis of the umbrella hub. The insertion angle can be at about 100 degrees to about 160 degrees from the longitudinal axis of the elongate member to the longitudinal axis of the umbrella hub. The insertion angle can be at about 110 degrees to about 150 degrees from the longitudinal axis of the elongate member to the longitudinal axis of the umbrella hub. The insertion angle can be at about 120 degrees to about 140 degrees from the longitudinal axis of the elongate member to the longitudinal axis of the umbrella hub, including the foregoing values and ranges bordering therein.
In another embodiment, an umbrella hub is provided that includes a central portion configured to receive an umbrella pole. The umbrella hub also includes a body that extends between the central portion and an outer periphery of the hub. The body has an engagement section adjacent to the outer periphery. The engagement section is configured to receive an end portion of an umbrella structural member. A retention structure is disposed within the engagement section. The retention structure has an elongate channel comprising a first portion comprising an access path and a second portion comprising at least one capture member that extends into the elongate channel. The capture member has a protruding surface. The protruding surface is configured to slidably accept the end portion of the umbrella structural member, such that the structural member can be directed through the first portion of the elongate channel toward the second portion thereof. In a first position, the umbrella structural member can be inserted or removed from the retention member. The umbrella structural member can be placed in a second position by rotating the umbrella structural member relative to the retention structure. In the second position, the protruding surface rotatably secures the structural member.
The abovementioned and other features of the inventions disclosed herein are described below with reference to the drawings of the preferred embodiments. The embodiments are intended to illustrate, but not to limit the inventions. The drawings include the following figures.
While the present description sets forth specific details of various embodiments, it will be appreciated that the description is illustrative only and should not be construed in any way as limiting. Furthermore, various applications of such embodiments and modifications thereto, which may occur to those who are skilled in the art, are also encompassed by the general concepts described herein. Each and every feature described herein, and each and every combination of two or more of such features, is included within the scope of this application provided that the features included in such a combination are not mutually inconsistent.
In accordance with embodiments described herein, there are provided various configurations of a hub and hub assembly that can be used with an umbrella support structure, such as an umbrella frame or pavilion frame, to facilitate the rapid and secure fastening of structural ribs with a hub or other structure. As described in greater detail herein, the hub and hub assembly can incorporate various features such that a secure connection between an umbrella rib and a hub of an umbrella frame can be obtained. Additional details and features of related umbrella rib connectors and assemblies are illustrated and described in Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 7,703,464, issued Apr. 27, 2010, entitled Quick Connector for Shade Structure, the entirety of the contents of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The rib 108 has an elongate body 484 that can be coupled with the pivot member 440. The elongate body 484 can have a longitudinal axis 424 that extends between an inner end 108A and an outer end 108B. An inner portion 256 of the elongate body 484 disposed adjacent to the inner end 108A can be disposed in a groove 428 of the hub 120. The inner portion 256 can comprise an aperture 740, as shown in
The free ends 480A, 480B can be disposed away from the elongate body 484 of the rib 108. The free ends 480A. 480B can also include an assembly access portion 492. The assembly access portion 492 can comprise a width 524 less than the major dimension 452 and greater than the minor dimension 456 of the protrusion 444.
As shown in
The pivot member 440 can be disposed in the annular bearing zone 412 with an inward surface 438 of the pivot member 440 facing, adjacent to, and/or engaging the inward surface 436 of the annular bearing zone 412 and an outward surface 446 of the pivot member 440 facing, adjacent to, and/or engaging an outward surface 432 of the annular bearing zone 412. This configuration provides two sets of annular interfaces between the pivot member 440 and the hub 120 which provides for smooth pivoting of the rib 108 in the hub 120.
The trapping member 604 of the upper portion 508 can be advanceable into a trapping position. In the trapping position, the pulley 648 disposed in the pulley mounting zone 600 can be prevented from coming out of the pulley mounting zone 600. The trapping member 604 can be in the trapping position when the upper portion 508 is assembled to the lower portion 512. The lower portion 512 can comprise a trapping slot 608 and in some cases a plurality of, e.g., two, slots configured to accept and align the trapping member 604. The trapping member 604 can comprise a plurality of, e.g., two projections. In some embodiments, the trapping slot 608 can be disposed in the upper portion 508 instead of the lower portion 512. In an assembled state, the two protections can extend across a horizontal plane extending between the pulley 648 and the outer periphery 520, the two projections disposed between the pulley 648 and the outer periphery 520 of the hub 120. Thus, the trapping members 604 prevent the pulley from being dislodged laterally or radially out of the hub 120 when the upper and lower hub portions 508, 512 are assembled.
The pulley mounting zone 600 can comprise a wheel slot structure 636 and a bearing slot structure 640. The wheel slot structure 636 can be shaped and sized to accept the wheel member 624 of the pulley 648. The wheel slot structure 636 can comprise a wheel slot dimension 644 extending parallel to longitudinal axis of the passage 416. The bearing slot structure 640 can be shaped and sized to accept the bearing member 628 from the outer periphery 520 towards the passage 416 and can extend transversely from the wheel slot dimension 644. The dimension 644 of the wheel slot can be greater than two times the radius 632 of the wheel member 624. The two projections of the trapping member 604 can be configured to trap the bearing member 628 and not the wheel member 624.
The upper portion 508 can be aligned with the lower portion 512 such that the trapping member 604 located between the outer periphery 520 and the passage 416 is aligned with the trapping slot 608. The trapping member 604 of the upper portion 508 can be inserted through the trapping slot 608 and into the pulley mounting structure 600. The trapping slot 608 can be disposed near the pulley mounting zone 600, e.g. directly above the bearing slot structure 640 as shown in
As shown in
The pivot member 440 can comprise a locking member 684 to secure the projection 672 in the recess 676. The locking member 684 can comprise a deflectable member 684. The locking member 684 can have a deflectable surface 688. The deflectable surface 688 can move to a low profile position during insertion of the projection 672 into the recess 676. The surface 688 of the locking member 684 can move to a high profile position when the projection 672 is fully inserted. When in the high profile position, the disengagement of the first lateral portion 720 from the second lateral portion 724 can be prevented.
The deflectable locking member 684 can comprise a resiliently mounted structure. That is the locking member 684 can be deflected and can return to a free state (e.g., an undeflected state) when not deflected. The locking member 684 can be disposed on the projection 721 of the first lateral portion 720. The second lateral portion 724 can comprise an aperture 692 sized to permit the deflectable locking member 684 to move such that the surface 688 is in the high profile position. The deflectable locking member 684 can be at least partially received in the aperture 692 with the surface 688 abutting an edge of the aperture 692.
As shown in
The rib 108 can be positioned adjacent to a groove 428 of the hub 120. A relative movement can be provided between the rib 108 and the hub 120 in a direction of insertion as indicated by the arrow 496, e.g., upward and laterally toward the passage 416 such that the pivot member 440 is disposed in the groove 428. In the case of the lower hub 116, the movement would be in a direction of insertion, e.g., downward and laterally toward a passage corresponding to the passage 416. The pivot member 440 can mate with one or more structures on or in the groove, such as the protrusion(s) 444. The direction of insertion 496 can be at an angle from the longitudinal axis 424 of the rib 108. The rib 108 can be pivotably coupled with the hub 120, for example, by rotating the rib 108 beyond the non-operational angle 580, e.g., into any angle in an operational range.
The rib 108 can be decoupled from the hub 120 at a non-operational orientation. A user can rotate the rib 108 such that the longitudinal axis of the rib 424 is at an angle 580 from the longitudinal axis 584 of the rib 108. The rib 108 can be decoupled from the hub 120 by moving the rib 108 at a direction opposite the direction of insertion 496. Because the rib 108 will not be at the non-operational configuration during use there is no risk of the rib inadvertently being disconnected. Also, the rib 108 is joined to the hub 120 when the hub is fully assembled without requiring fasteners to be used to secure the connection of components of the hub after the ribs are coupled to the hub.
As shown in
Although these inventions have been disclosed in the context of certain preferred embodiments and examples, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present inventions extend beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodiments and/or uses of the inventions and obvious modifications and equivalents thereof. In addition, while several variations of the inventions have been shown and described in detail, other modifications, which are within the scope of these inventions, will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art based upon this disclosure. It is also contemplated that various combination or sub-combinations of the specific features and aspects of the embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope of the inventions. It should be understood that various features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments can be combined with or substituted for one another in order to form varying modes of the disclosed inventions. Thus, it is intended that the scope of at least some of the present inventions herein disclosed should not be limited by the particular disclosed embodiments described above.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62218400 | Sep 2015 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 15759773 | Mar 2018 | US |
| Child | 16857658 | US |
