Patent Application
20250017336
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The disclosure relates to pole brace devices and more particularly pertains to a new pole brace device for retaining an umbrella in a horizontal orientation when a pivoting mechanism in a pole of the umbrella has failed. The device includes a pair of half pipes that are hingedly coupled together such that the pair of half pipes forms a sleeve when the pair of half pipes are in a closed position. Additionally, the device includes a pair of latches for retaining the pair of half pipes in the closed position around the pivoting mechanism of the pole to inhibit the pivoting mechanism from pivoting.
The prior art relates to pole brace devices including various pivoting locks for umbrella frames and a sleeve, formed by a pair of half pipes pivotally attached together, that are positionable around a hose to stopping a leak in the hose. In no instance does the prior art disclose a pair of half pipes hingedly coupled together which forms a sleeve which is positionable around a pole of an umbrella to support a failed pivoting mechanism in the pole.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising an umbrella that has a pole and a pivoting mechanism for facilitating a top portion of the pole to be oriented at an angle with a bottom portion of the pole thereby facilitating the umbrella to be retained in a tilted orientation. A pair of half pipes is hingedly coupled together such that the pair of half pipes forms a sleeve which is positionable around the pole of the umbrella for covering the pivoting mechanism. Each of the pair of half pipes is comprised of a rigid material thereby facilitating the sleeve formed by the pair of half pipes to inhibit the pivoting mechanism from pivoting for retaining the umbrella in a horizontal orientation.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A pair of half pipes 22 is provided and each of the pair of half pipes 22 is hingedly coupled together. The pair of half pipes 22 is positionable in a closed position such that the pair of half pipes 22 forms a sleeve 24 which is positionable around the pole 14 of the umbrella 12 having the sleeve 24 covering the pivoting mechanism 16. Furthermore, each of the pair of half pipes 22 is comprised of a rigid material thereby facilitating the sleeve 24 formed by the pair of half pipes 22 to inhibit the pivoting mechanism 16 from pivoting. In this way the umbrella 12 is retained in a horizontal orientation when the pivoting mechanism 16 has failed and is no longer capable of retaining the umbrella 12 in the horizontal orientation.
Each of the pair of half pipes 22 has a first end 26 and a second end 28 and each of the pair of half pipes 22 has a first lateral edge 30 and a second lateral edge 32 each extending between the first end 26 and the second end 28. Each of the pair of half pipes 22 has an inwardly facing surface 34 and an outwardly facing surface 36 and the inwardly facing surface 34 of each of the half pipes 22 is concavely arcuate between the first lateral edge 30 and the second lateral edge 32. The pair of half pipes 22 includes a first half pipe 38 and a second half pipe 40 and the first half pipe 38 has a plurality of first tubes 42 each disposed on the second lateral edge 32 of the first half pipe 38. The plurality of first tubes 42 is evenly spaced apart from each other and each of the plurality of first tubes 42 is spaced from a respective one of the first end 26 and the second end 28 of the first half pipe 38. Additionally, each of the plurality of first tubes 42 is oriented to extend longitudinally along the second lateral edge 32 of the first half pipe 38.
The second half pipe 40 has a plurality of second tubes 44 that is each disposed on the first lateral edge 30 of the second half pipe 40. The second tubes 44 are evenly spaced apart from each other and each of the second tubes 44 is spaced from a respective one of the first end 26 and the second end 28 of the second half pipe 40. Additionally, each of the plurality of second tubes 44 is oriented to extend longitudinally along the first lateral edge 30 of the second half pipe 40 and the plurality of first tubes 42 is interlaced with the plurality of second tubes 44. A pin 46 extends through each of the plurality of first tubes 42 and each of the plurality of second tubes 44 for hingedly retaining the first half pipe 38 on the second half pipe 40. Furthermore, the pin 46 has a pair of heads 48 each disposed on opposing ends 50 of the pin 46 to inhibit the pin 46 from being removed from the plurality of first tubes 42 and the plurality of second tubes 44.
A pair of pads 52 is provided and each of the pads 52 is bonded to a respective one of the pair of half pipes 22. Each of the pads 52 is comprised of a resiliently compressible material thereby facilitating each of pair of pads 52 to compressed against the pole 14 when the pair pads 52 is positioned in the closed position around the pole 14. In this way the pair of pads 52 is inhibited from sliding on the pole 14. Each of the pads 52 has a bonded surface 54 which is bonded to the inwardly facing surface 34 of the respective half pipe 22 and each of the pair of pads 52 extends a substantial distance between the first end 26 and the second end 28 of the respective half pipe 22. Each of the pair of pads 52 extends a substantial distance between the first lateral edge 30 and the second lateral edge 32 of the respective half pipe 22 and each of the pair of pads 52 is centrally located on the inwardly facing surface 34 of the respective half pipe 22.
A pair of engagements 56 is provided and each of the pair of engagements 56 is coupled to a respective one of the pair of half pipes 22. Each of the pair of engagements 56 is positioned on the outwardly facing surface 36 of the second half pipe 40 and each of the pair of engagements 56 is aligned with the second lateral edge 32 of the second half pipe 40. Additionally, each of the engagements 56 has a finger 58 which curls away from the second lateral edge 32 of the second half pipe 40. A pair of latches 60 is included and each of the latches 60 is movably attached to a respective one of the pair of half pipes 22. Each of the latches 60 is urgeable into a locking condition having each of the latches 60 engaging a respective one of the pair of engagements 56 for retaining the pair of half pipes 22 in the closed position. Conversely, each of the latches 60 is urgeable into an unlocking condition having each of the latches 60 being disengaged from the respective engagement 56 for facilitating the pair of half pipes 22 to be positioned in an open position.
Each of the latches 60 is positioned on the outwardly facing surface 36 of the first half pipe 38 and each of the latches 60 is aligned with the first lateral edge 30 of the first half pipe 38. Each of the pair of latches 60 is aligned with a respective one of the pair of engagements 56. Additionally, each of the latches 60 includes a lever 62 pivotally attached to the outwardly facing surface 36 of the first half pipe 38 and a loop 64 movably attached to the lever 62. The loop 64 extends around the finger 58 associated with the respective engagement 56 and urges the second lateral edge 32 of the second half pipe 40 to compress against the second lateral edge 32 of the first half pipe 38 when the lever 62 is pivoted into a closing position. The loop 64 is displaced from the finger 58 associated with the respective engagement 56 to facilitate the second lateral edge 32 of the second half pipe 40 to be spaced from the first lateral edge 30 of the first half pipe 38.
In use, the pair of half pipes 22 is positioned in the closed position around the pole 14 of the umbrella 12 such that the sleeve 24 formed by the pair of half pipes 22 encloses the pivoting mechanism 16. Additionally, each of the latches 60 is urged into the locking condition for retaining the sleeve 24 around the pole 14. In this way the umbrella 12 can be retained in a horizontal orientation when the pivoting mechanism 16 in the pole 14 is no longer capable of retaining the umbrella 12 in the horizontal orientation. Thus, the umbrella 12 can continue to be utilized without the need to purchase a new umbrella when the pivoting mechanism 16 has failed.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
Not Applicable
