Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6810895
-
Patent Number
6,810,895
-
Date Filed
Monday, July 22, 200222 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, November 2, 200419 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 135 28
- 135 38
- 135 39
- 135 40
- 135 41
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
An umbrella includes: a spring catch secured on an upper portion of a central shaft of the umbrella, and a runner slidably held on the central shaft to be engaged with the spring catch when opening the umbrella, with the spring catch juxtapositionally positioned and operated outside the central shaft without cutting a catch slit or slot through a tube of the central shaft as found in a conventional umbrella having the spring catch retained within the central shaft and protruding outwardly through the catch slit for locking the runner, thereby enhancing the strength of the tube of the central shaft and prolonging the service life of the umbrella.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The same inventor of this application had invented a safety umbrella runner ergonomically operated by sliding push button in his U.S. Pat. No. 6,371,141 having the push button slidably held in the runner; whereby upon depression of the push button, a spring catch as resiliently held in the central shaft of the umbrella and as outwardly protruding through the shaft will be disengaged from a catch slit formed through the shaft for unlocking the runner on the shaft in order for closing the umbrella.
However, the catch slit as cut through the tube of the central shaft may weaken the mechanical strength of the shaft to easily twist, deform, break or damage the umbrella, thereby shortening the service life of the umbrella.
The present inventor has found the drawbacks of the conventional umbrella and invented the present umbrella with safe runner and strong shaft tube.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide an umbrella including: a spring catch secured on an upper portion of a central shaft of the umbrella, and a runner slidably held on the central shaft to be engaged with the spring catch when opening the umbrella, with the spring catch juxtapositionally positioned and operated outside the central shaft without cutting a catch slit or slot through a tube of the central shaft as found in a conventional umbrella having the spring catch retained within the central shaft and protruding outwardly through the catch slit for locking the runner, thereby enhancing the strength of the tube of the central shaft and prolonging the service life of the umbrella.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is an exploded view showing the elements of the present invention.
FIG. 2
is a sectional drawing of the present invention when opening the umbrella.
FIG. 3
is a sectional drawing when depressing the push button for unlocking the runner when closing the umbrella.
FIG. 4
is a sectional drawing when unlocking the runner from FIG.
3
.
FIG. 5
is a cross sectional drawing when viewed from line
5
—
5
of FIG.
4
.
FIG. 6
is an exploded view of another preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7
is a sectional drawing of the present invention when opening of the umbrella.
FIG. 8
shows still another preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9
is a sectional drawing of the present invention when opening the umbrella.
FIG. 10
is a sectional drawing when unlocking the runner from the shaft following FIG.
9
.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
As shown in FIGS.
1
˜
5
, the present invention comprises: a central shaft
1
having at least an upper tube
11
telescopically engageable with a lower tube
10
and an upper notch
12
formed on a top of the upper tube
11
; a rib assembly
2
having at least a top rib
21
pivotally secured to the upper notch
12
and a stretcher rib
22
pivotally connected between the top rib
21
and a runner (or lower runner)
3
slidably held on the central shaft
1
; a push button
4
slidably formed on the runner
3
; and a spring catch
5
secured on an upper portion of the upper tube
11
of the central shaft
1
and protruding downwardly to be engaged with the runner
3
when opening the umbrella for locking the runner
3
and the rib assembly
2
at an opening state of the umbrella.
The spring catch
5
as formed on the upper or top portion of the central shaft
1
is juxtapositionally positioned outside the shaft
1
to be engaged with or disengaged from the runner
3
; and the spring catch
5
is not formed within the central shaft
1
so that there is no catch slit or slot cut through the upper tube
11
of the shaft
1
to influence or weaken the strength of the tube of the shaft
1
. In other words, the strength of the shaft tube can then be enhanced in comparison with the conventional umbrella.
The present invention may be used for multiple-fold umbrella, such as two folds, three folds and including multiple-fold tubes of the shaft
1
and multiple-fold ribs of the rib assembly
2
, not limited in this invention.
The runner (or lower runner)
3
includes: a cylinder
31
having a central hole
30
slidably engageable with the central shaft
1
, a ferrule
32
integrally formed on the cylinder
31
for pivotally securing the stretcher ribs
22
thereon, a button slot
33
transversely formed through the runner
3
to be slidably engageable with the push button
4
, an engaging shoulder portion
34
formed on an inner portion of the button slot
33
to be engaged with the spring catch
5
when opening the umbrella, a pair of lug slots
35
transversely formed in opposite side portions of the runner
3
to be slidably engageable with a pair of lugs
42
formed on opposite sides of the push button
4
, and a guiding slot
311
longitudinally formed in the cylinder
31
and tapered downwardly to guide the spring catch
5
downwardly inwardly to be engaged and locked with the engaging shoulder portion
34
of the runner
3
.
The runner
3
further includes a sloping groove
321
formed in the ferrule
32
and sloping downwardly inwardly to be communicated with the guiding slot
311
and communicated with the central hole
30
in the runner
3
to help a downward moving of the spring catch
5
to be engaged with the shoulder portion
34
of the runner
3
.
The push button
4
includes: a plunger
41
slidably engageable with the button slot
33
of the runner
3
, a pair of lugs
42
slidably engageable with the lug slots
35
in the runner
3
, and a button plate
43
formed on an outer portion of the plunger
41
, whereby upon an inward depression (D) of the push button
4
when unlocking the runner
3
for closing the umbrella, the button plate
43
will be retarded against an outer end wall of the button slot
33
of the runner
3
(FIG.
3
).
Naturally, the present invention may also be modified to eliminate the push button
4
; and the spring catch
5
may then be directly engaged with a lower rim or a catch groove as formed in the runner (not shown).
Other modifications of the runner
3
, the push button
4
and the spring catch
5
may be further made in accordance with the present invention, except the preferred embodiments as illustrated in the drawings accompanying herewith.
The spring catch
5
may be made of elastic materials including steel, plastic or any other metals or alloys having good resilience.
The spring catch
5
includes: a fixing base portion
51
secured on an upper or top portion of the upper tube
11
of the central shaft
1
, an arm member
52
protruding downwardly from the fixing base portion
51
to be juxtapositioned to a tube wall of the upper tube
11
, and a catch portion
53
formed on a lower end of the arm member
52
to be engaged with the engaging shoulder
34
of the runner
3
for locking the runner
3
and the rib assembly
2
at their opening state.
The fixing base portion
51
of the spring catch
5
includes: a pin hole
511
formed in the fixing base portion
51
to be inserted with a pin
512
through the upper tube
11
and the upper notch
12
for firmly fixing the base portion
51
on the upper portion of the upper tube
11
, and an embedding portion
513
transversely formed on the base portion
51
to be embedded in an upper end portion of the upper tube
11
.
The upper notch
12
further includes: a cap portion
121
for accommodating and limiting the base portion
51
of the spring catch
5
within the cap portion
121
.
Naturally, the base portion
51
of the spring catch
5
may also be directly secured to the upper notch
12
which is deadly fixed on the top of the shaft
1
.
When opening the umbrella by raising the runner
3
upwardly along the shaft
1
to allow the shoulder portion
34
of the runner
3
to be engaged with the catch portion
53
of the spring catch
5
(FIG.
2
), the runner
3
will be locked by the catch
5
for stably opening the umbrella.
Since the spring catch
5
is not provided in the interior in the shaft
1
, there is no need to cut a catch slit (or slot) through the shaft tube as usually done in a conventional umbrella. So, the shaft tube
11
of the present invention is not cut or broken, thereby maintaining its strong mechanical strength, including anti-twisting strength; and prolonging the service life of the umbrella.
Upon depression of the push button
4
to disengage the shoulder portion
34
from the catch portion
53
of the spring catch
5
, the runner
3
will then be unlocked in order to close the umbrella as shown in
FIGS. 3
,
4
.
As shown in
FIGS. 6
,
7
, a minor modification is made in this invention by forming a guiding tube portion
312
on the cylinder
31
of the runner
3
for guiding the catch portion
53
of the spring catch
5
downwardly through the tube portion
312
to be engaged with the shoulder portion
34
of the runner
3
when opening the umbrella. Similarly, a sloping groove
321
is taperingly formed in the tube portion
312
to guide the catch portion
53
downwardly in order to be smoothly engaged with the shoulder portion
34
of the runner
3
.
Still another preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS.
8
˜
10
.
The spring catch
5
includes: a lever arm member
52
having a pivotal portion
51
a
formed on a middle portion of the lever arm member
52
and pivotally mounted on a middle portion
310
of the runner
3
, a catch portion
53
formed on an upper end portion of the arm member
52
and operatively engaged with a catch cavity
122
formed in the upper notch
12
on a top of the central shaft
1
when opening the umbrella (FIG.
9
), and a lower end portion
54
of the arm member
52
secured thereon with a push button
4
slidably held in a button slot
33
formed in the runner; whereby upon depression of the push button
4
to bias the lever arm member
52
to disengage the catch portion
53
from the catch cavity
122
in the upper notch
12
, the runner
3
will then be unlocked from the spring catch
5
and lowered along the shaft
1
for closing the umbrella (FIG.
10
). The spring catch
5
is slidably juxtapositioned to the shaft without cutting a catch slit on the shaft for enhancing the shaft strength.
The present invention may be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Claims
- 1. An umbrella comprising:a central shaft including an upper notch formed on a top of said shaft; a rib assembly including at least a top rib pivotally secured to the upper notch, and a stretcher rib pivotally connected to said top rib; a runner pivotally connected with said stretcher rib and slidably held on said central shaft; and a spring catch secured to a top portion of said central shaft adjacent to said upper notch on said shaft; said spring catch protruding downwardly from said upper notch to be operatively engaged with said runner when opening the umbrella; and said spring catch juxtapositioned to said shaft as positioned outside said shaft for preventing cutting of a catch slit in said shaft for preventing weakening of mechanical strength of said shaft; and said runner including: a cylinder having a central hole slidably engageable with the central shaft, a ferrule integrally formed on the cylinder for pivotally securing the stretcher rib thereon, a button slot transversely formed through the runner to be slidably engageable with a push button, an engaging shoulder portion formed on an inner portion of the button slot to be engaged with the spring catch when opening the umbrella, a pair of lug slots transversely formed in opposite side portions of the runner to be slidably engageable with a pair of lugs formed on opposite sides of the push button, and a guiding slot longitudinally formed in the cylinder and tapered downwardly to guide the spring catch downwardly inwardly to be engaged and locked with the engaging shoulder portion of the runner.
- 2. An umbrella according to claim 1, wherein said runner further includes a sloping groove formed in the ferrule and sloping downwardly inwardly to be communicated with the guiding slot and with the central hole in the runner to help a downward moving of the spring catch to be engaged with the shoulder portion of the runner.
- 3. An umbrella according to claim 1, wherein said central shaft includes at least an upper tube, and a lower tube telescopically engaged with said upper tube, having said upper notch formed on a top of said upper tube, and having said runner slidably held on said shaft for engaging the spring catch for locking the runner and the rib assembly when opening the umbrella.
- 4. An umbrella according to claim 3, wherein said spring catch includes: a fixing base portion secured on an upper portion of said upper tube, an arm member protruding downwardly from the fixing base portion to be juxtapositioned to a tube wall of the upper tube, and a catch portion formed on a lower end of the arm member to be engaged with the engaging shoulder of the runner for locking the runner and the rib assembly at an opening state of the umbrella.
- 5. An umbrella according to claim 4, wherein said fixing base portion of the spring catch includes: a pin hole formed in the fixing base portion to be inserted with a pin through the upper tube and the upper notch for firmly fixing the base portion on the upper portion of the upper tube, and an embedding portion transversely formed on the base portion to be embedded in an upper end portion of the upper tube.
- 6. An umbrella according to claim 5, wherein said upper notch further includes: a cap portion for accommodating and limiting the base portion of the spring catch within the cap portion.
- 7. An umbrella according to claim 1, wherein said runner further includes a guiding tube portion formed on the cylinder of the runner for guiding a catch portion of the spring catch downwardly through the guiding tube portion to be engaged with the shoulder portion of the runner when opening the umbrella.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
232949 |
Mar 1911 |
DE |
619062 |
Dec 1926 |
FR |