HK1051791B - Umbrella - Google Patents

Description

Umbrella

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an umbrella, and more particularly, to an umbrella having a structure for preventing raindrops on wet umbrella cloth from falling onto surroundings. The present invention also relates to a cylindrical umbrella shield for covering the entire umbrella cloth and fixing the umbrella cloth when the umbrella is closed, and an umbrella to which the shield is fixed, and more particularly, to a cylindrical umbrella shield which can be extended, which is fixed to a handle of the umbrella when the umbrella is used, and which is moved down from the handle and fixed to a portion of the umbrella on the ferrule side when the umbrella is closed and the umbrella cloth is fixed therein, and then slid from the ferrule to the handle, and an umbrella to which the umbrella shield is fixed.

Background

When a wet umbrella is brought into a train during rush hours, the surface of the umbrella wetted by rain comes into contact with the clothes of the passengers around the train, such as trousers, skirts, etc., thereby often wetting the clothes and bothering the passengers. When a new umbrella that is wetted by rain is placed in the umbrella frame, the umbrella may cause other umbrellas that have already been placed in the portion of the umbrella frame adjacent to the newly inserted umbrella to be wetted. When the umbrella is put into the umbrella frame portion on the rear side of the wet umbrella which has been inserted, and when the umbrella in the umbrella frame portion on the rear side of the wet umbrella is taken out from the umbrella frame, the wet surface of the umbrella wets the hands and clothes of the user of the umbrella frame, causing the user to feel unpleasant. Furthermore, when a person closes his umbrella and then gets on his car or a bus in rainy weather, a large amount of raindrops spread on his hands or expose him to a situation where both the floor and the seats in the car are wet with raindrops. Likewise, when he opens his umbrella after getting off the vehicle, raindrops inevitably fall on his hands.

Hitherto, it has been proposed to form an umbrella in which the wet umbrella cloth is not exposed to the outside, in order to eliminate such inconvenience. Japanese patent laid-open nos. 37005/1991, 67803/1992 and 37217/2000 disclose an umbrella in which the cloth of the umbrella is turned inward when the umbrella is closed. For example, according to the invention disclosed in japanese patent laid-open No.67803/1992, a center shaft having a ferrule at an upper end and a handle at a lower end has bearings slidable up and down, a retractable stopper is adapted to engage and disengage with these bearings, each of bottom end portions of a plurality of main ribs of the holder portion is pivotably connected to the upper bearing, and each of bottom end portions of a plurality of auxiliary ribs is pivotably connected to the lower bearing. The outer end portions of the auxiliary ribs bent toward the opposite main ribs are pivotably connected to the main ribs. An inversion assisting unit is provided which can change the length of the main rib or the auxiliary rib. Each of the reversal assisting units includes a guide box fixed to the main rib or the auxiliary rib relatively separated and adapted to slidably guide the other of the main rib and the auxiliary rib, and a compression spring between opposite end surfaces of the main rib separated or a tension spring between opposite end surfaces of the auxiliary rib separated. When the upper and lower bearings are free to move along the central axis by operating each of the upper and lower stoppers, the main rib connected to the upper bearing is contracted by a compression spring between the end surfaces thereof or expanded by pulling a tension spring connected to the lower bearing. Thus, the upper bearing approaches the lower bearing, so that the seat portion and ribs are reversed, in which case the canopy is closed.

The umbrella according to the above invention is formed such that a plurality of main ribs or auxiliary ribs are divided into several parts at predetermined places thereof, when the reverse assisting element is fixed to the divided parts, and the seat part and the ribs are reversed by the compression spring on the main ribs or the tension spring on the auxiliary ribs. Therefore, the structure of the umbrella becomes complicated, and the weight naturally becomes very large.

Also, when the umbrella on which a large amount of rainwater is deposited when closed is shaken to remove the deposited raindrops, the complicated member of the umbrella rib hinders the flow of the raindrops along the umbrella rib. Therefore, a greater shaking force than necessary is required to shake off the water. In this case, centrifugal force acts on the ferrule-side end in the related art umbrella without being sufficiently imparted to the handle-side end, and therefore water cannot be shaken off truly satisfactorily as the user desires.

The above structure effectively eliminates the inconvenience of the umbrella cloth from wetting the surface, although the complexity of the remaining ribs and the considerable weight of the umbrella are not solved. However, the flow of the raindrops along the main rib or the support rib to the free end portion of the umbrella cannot be completely stopped even if the raindrops are shaken off as sufficiently as possible by the centrifugal force generated by the umbrella shaking operation. Although the wet surface of the umbrella cloth is located on the inside of the umbrella, the rear surface of the main rib or the support rib is partially exposed to the outside. Therefore, further improvements in the ribs, for example, have been required to take measures to cover these rear surfaces.

Under such circumstances, a cylindrical umbrella protection cover has recently been proposed and put on the market, which is formed in a collapsible structure by telescopically connecting a plurality of resin cylinders of short lengths and different diameters, fixed to a metal head with the large-diameter cylinder facing a handle, and slid toward the handle when the umbrella is closed, so that the entire umbrella cloth is fixed inside the cover. (refer to Japanese patent No. 2676418.)

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the present invention includes preventing in advance the above-mentioned bad influence of raindrops on a wet umbrella on people and things around the wet umbrella, and more particularly, to provide an umbrella which has a structure free from fear of raindrop spreading, can fix a wet surface of an umbrella cloth inside by a very simple structure and a simple operation, has no bad influence of raindrops on surroundings, and can reduce the number of umbrella-shaped component parts to a required minimum amount, thereby reducing the weight and manufacturing cost of the umbrella and satisfactorily throwing away raindrops.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide an umbrella protection cover which eliminates the inconveniences encountered in the related art umbrella protection covers. The above-mentioned related art umbrella protection cover is tightly fixed to a metal head, and covers the entire umbrella cloth and protects the umbrella cloth when the cylindrical fitting portion of the cover is slid. Thus, the wet umbrella cloth is completely fixed within the cover and raindrops leaking along the ferrule are completely isolated. However, the protective cover of this construction cannot be both fixed to and removed from the umbrella because the cover is fully fixed to the metal head. For example, such a shield secured to the portion of the umbrella adjacent the ferrule constitutes an unexpected obstacle when the umbrella is inserted into and removed from the umbrella frame. Further, even when the umbrella is used, a large moment acts on the shield cover fixed to the portion of the umbrella near the ferrule, and a large inertial force acts on the cover, thereby making the user feel that the umbrella is unexpectedly heavy. These are all big problems to be solved.

The present invention provides an umbrella, comprising: a shaft having a ferrule at one end and a handle at the other end, a wheel assembled around the shaft and adapted to slidably move toward the ferrule when the umbrella is opened and slidably move toward the handle when the umbrella is closed, a plurality of elastic support ribs pivotally connected to the wheel at one end and symmetrically extending with respect to an axis of the shaft, auxiliary support ribs pivotally connected to the ferrule at one end and respectively extending along the respective elastic support ribs and pivotally connected to the elastic support ribs at the other end, an umbrella cloth extending to cover outer sides of the auxiliary support ribs and the elastic support ribs, and an umbrella cover fixed to a lower end of the wheel, the umbrella cover having a plurality of short cylinders having different diameters and telescopically connected together, the short cylinder having a larger diameter being directed toward the ferrule so that the umbrella cover can be unfolded in a long cone shape having a size enough to cover the folded umbrella cloth, and the extended umbrella shroud may be folded into a truncated cone shape adjacent the lower end of the wheel when the umbrella is open.

Preferably, a collar is formed on the outermost wall of the umbrella hood, and jaws are formed on the collar for guiding the insertion of the umbrella cloth into the umbrella hood by tightening the umbrella cloth as the collar is rotated relative to each other.

Preferably, the jaws are formed integrally with the collar.

Preferably, the pawl is formed separately from the collar.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an umbrella comprising: a stem having a ferrule at one end and a handle at the other end, a lower wheel fitted around the stem and adapted to slide toward the ferrule under the action of a compression coil spring when the umbrella is open and to slide toward the handle when the umbrella is closed, an upper wheel fitted around the stem and adapted to slide in a vertical direction in accordance with the opening and closing of the umbrella, a plurality of main ribs pivotally connected at one end to second fulcrums on the upper wheel and extending symmetrically with respect to the axis of the stem, first support ribs pivotally connected at one end to first fulcrums on the lower end of the ferrule, extending along the respective main ribs and pivotally connected at the other end to first support shafts on the main ribs, second support ribs pivotally connected at one end to third fulcrums on the lower wheel, extending along the respective main ribs and pivotally connected at the other end to second support shafts closer to the stem with respect to the first support shafts, an umbrella cloth extended to cover the outside of the first support rib and the main rib, and an umbrella cover fixed to the lower end of the wheel, the umbrella cover having a plurality of short cylinders of different diameters telescopically coupled together, the short cylinder of the umbrella cover having a larger diameter directed toward the ferrule, so that the umbrella cover can be unfolded in a long cone shape, having a size sufficient to cover the folded umbrella cloth, and the extended umbrella cover can be folded in a truncated cone shape adjacent to the lower end of the wheel when the umbrella is unfolded.

Preferably, a collar is formed on the outermost wall of the umbrella hood, and jaws are formed on the collar for guiding the insertion of the umbrella cloth into the umbrella hood by tightening the umbrella cloth as the collar is rotated relative to each other.

Preferably, the jaws are formed integrally with the collar.

Preferably, the pawl is formed separately from the collar.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an umbrella comprising: a stem having a ferrule at one end and a handle at the other end, a lower wheel fitted around the stem and adapted to slide toward the ferrule under the action of a compression coil spring when the umbrella is open and to slide toward the handle when the umbrella is closed, an upper wheel fitted around the stem and adapted to slide in a vertical direction in accordance with the opening and closing of the umbrella, a plurality of main ribs pivotally connected at one end to second fulcrums on the upper wheel and extending symmetrically with respect to the axis of the stem, first support ribs pivotally connected at one end to first fulcrums on the lower end of the ferrule, extending along the respective main ribs and pivotally connected at the other end to first support shafts on the main ribs, second support ribs pivotally connected at one end to third fulcrums on the lower wheel, extending along the respective main ribs and pivotally connected at the other end to second support shafts closer to the stem with respect to the first support shafts, a umbrella cloth extending to cover the outside of the first support rib and the main rib, and an umbrella cover fixed to a handle portion adjacent to the shaft, the umbrella cover having a plurality of short cylinders of different diameters telescopically coupled together, the short cylinder of the umbrella cover having a larger diameter directed toward the ferrule, so that the umbrella cover can be unfolded in a long cone shape having a size sufficient to cover the folded umbrella cloth, and when the umbrella is opened, the extended umbrella cover can be folded in a truncated cone shape adjacent to the handle portion adjacent to the shaft.

Preferably, a collar is formed on the outermost wall of the umbrella hood, and jaws are formed on the collar for guiding the insertion of the umbrella cloth into the umbrella hood by tightening the umbrella cloth as the collar is rotated relative to each other.

Preferably, the jaws are formed integrally with the collar.

Preferably, the pawl is formed separately from the collar.

According to the present invention having this structure, when the umbrella is closed from the open position, the wheel is released from the locking force of the elastic locking means, and the elastic support rib elastically deformed toward the handle in the recessed state is elastically reversed at a predetermined position toward the handle in the projected state with the movement of the wheel toward the handle. Therefore, the elastic support ribs and the auxiliary support ribs are folded such that the free end portions of the front ribs and the rear ribs approach the support shaft as a center. The umbrella cloth between the free end portions of the elastic support ribs and the auxiliary support ribs is also folded into a substantially W-shaped cross-section so that the wet surface of the umbrella is not located on the outside of the closed umbrella.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a side view of an embodiment of an umbrella of the present invention in an open configuration;

FIG. 2 is a side view showing the structure of the embodiment in the initial closed state;

FIG. 3 is a side view showing the structure of the embodiment in an intermediate closed state;

fig. 4 is a side view showing the structure of the embodiment in the final closed state, in which: fig. 4A is a side view, and fig. 4B is a partially enlarged view.

FIG. 5 is a side view, partly in section, of an example of a resilient locking means for an umbrella according to the invention;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged side view showing the embodiment in a resiliently locked condition in the unlocked condition of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a side view illustrating the secured position of the umbrella shield in use, in one embodiment of the umbrella shield of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a side view showing the secured state of this embodiment of the umbrella shield of the present invention with the umbrella closed;

FIG. 9 is a side view showing the use of this embodiment of the umbrella shield of the present invention with the umbrella closed;

FIG. 10 is a side elevational view of another embodiment of the umbrella canopy of the present application in use;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged view illustrating an assembled state of the cylindrical umbrella shield of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a side view of the umbrella shield in an alternative embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 13 is a side view showing the use of the umbrella shield with the umbrella closed in this embodiment;

FIG. 14 is a side view of an umbrella shield in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention shown in a secured position with the umbrella open;

FIG. 15 is a side view showing the use of the umbrella shield with the umbrella closed in this embodiment;

FIG. 16 is a side view of an umbrella shield in an open position according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 17 is a side view showing the use of the umbrella shield with the umbrella closed in this embodiment;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing the main parts of another embodiment of the umbrella canopy of the present invention, wherein: FIG. 18A shows an example of a collar on the outermost wall of an umbrella hood having a catch formed integrally with the collar; and fig. 18B is a view of separately formed jaws on the collar.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in more detail based on the accompanying drawings. The present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and design changes can be freely made within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

As shown in fig. 7 to 18, an umbrella protection cover 4 of the present invention is formed by telescopically coupling a plurality of short cylinders having different diameters. The shield has a cylindrical telescopic configuration which transforms into a cylinder of a length large enough to cover the entire canopy when the shield is extended as shown in figures 9, 10, 13, 15 and 17, and into a short cylinder of partially truncated conical shape when the shield is retracted as shown in figures 7, 8, 12, 14 and 16. In the cylindrical umbrella protection cover 4, the cylinder of the smallest diameter has female threads 28 on its inner circumferential surface for releasable engagement with corresponding male threads 27a, 27b formed on the umbrella handle 3 and ferrule 2, respectively. The shield 4 is typically mounted on the umbrella handle 3 so that the cover faces in the direction shown in figure 7. When the protective cap 4 is fitted to the ferrule 2, the cap is removed from the handle 3 and then fitted to the ferrule so that the cap faces in the direction shown in figure 8.

An embodiment of the umbrella of the present invention will now be described in which the umbrella is opened for use. As shown in fig. 1, a ferrule 2 is provided at one end of a tubular shaft 1, and a plurality of auxiliary support ribs 10 extending symmetrically with respect to the axis of the shaft are pivotably connected to the ferrule 2. A handle 3 for a user to hold the umbrella is fixed to the other end of the shaft 1.

The wheel 5 is slidably fitted around a portion of the shaft 1 between the ferrule 2 and the handle 3, and a plurality of elastic support ribs 8, which are longer in size than the auxiliary support ribs 10, are pivotally connected at one end to the wheel 5. These elastic support ribs 8 extend along the auxiliary support ribs 10 symmetrically with respect to the axis of the shaft 1, so that they are recessed with respect to the shaft portion on the side of the handle 3.

The support shaft 11 is fixed to the extended end portions of the plurality of auxiliary support ribs 10, while the auxiliary support ribs 10 are pivotably connected to the intermediate portions of the plurality of elastic support ribs 8 by the support shaft 11. A canopy 24 extends at the portion of the rib 10 outside the elastic support rib 8, outside the auxiliary support rib 10 and outside the support shaft 11, so that the canopy 24 extends from the ferrule 2 to the free end portion of the elastic support rib 8. The umbrella cloth 24 is fixed at its proper portion to the auxiliary support ribs 10 and the elastic support ribs 8 by strings or the like.

As shown in fig. 5, a fixed retainer 7-1 is tightly fitted around the end of the shank 1 on the side of the ferrule 2, and a movable retainer 7-2 is fitted around the portion of the shank 1 on the side of the wheel 5 opposite the fixed retainer 7-1 so that the movable retainer 7-2 can engage with the wheel 5 but is not fixed to the wheel 5. Between the fixed collar 7-1 and the movable collar 7-2, a spring 7 is wound around the shaft 1.

The tubular spindle 1 has an opening 26 in the side wall portion closer to the handle 3 than the movable collar 7-2 of the spring 7. A locking element 6, which is urged outwardly by springs 25-1, 25-2, is located on the inner surface portion of the shaft 1 corresponding to the opening 26, such that the locking element 6 projects from the opening 26 towards the outer end portion when the umbrella 1 is not fully opened.

In the portion of the shaft 1 near the handle 3 there is a locking element 6' identical to the locking element 6 but in the opposite direction. When the umbrella is closed, the locking member 6 'fits into a slot 5' in the wheel 5 to maintain the closed state of the umbrella (see fig. 4B).

When the umbrella thus constructed according to the invention, as shown in fig. 1, is in the fully open position, the wheel 5 remains in the fully open position, since the locking member 6 projects from the opening 26. That is, when the umbrella is fully opened by moving the wheel 5 upwards, the upward movement of the wheel 5 causes the locking member 6 protruding from the opening 26 to be forced into the interior of the opening 26 against the elastic force of the springs 25-1, 25-2. The wheel 5 passes over the locking member 6 and is slidingly moved towards the ferrule 2. The wheel 5 passing over the locking member 6 as shown in fig. 1 is locked and fixed by means of the locking member 6 protruding from the opening 26 by means of the elastic force of the springs 25-1, 25-2, at which time the wheel 5 is properly pressed toward the handle 3 by the elastic force of the spring 7 compressed as shown in fig. 6.

In this case, a plurality of elastic support ribs 8 pivotably connected to the wheel 5 are maintained in a substantially horizontal position, and the canopy 24 is stretched by the elastic support ribs 8 and the auxiliary support ribs 10. This protects the user who uses the umbrella by holding the handle 3 from rain.

In order for the user to close the umbrella after using it, the wheel 5 is moved slightly so that it is closer to the ferrule 2 against the force of the spring 7, the locking member 6 being forced into the opening 26 by the finger so that the wheel 5 moves over the locking member 6 and slides towards the handle 3. Thus, the umbrella starts to close as shown in fig. 2, and the elastic support ribs 8 are elastically deformed to approach the shaft 1.

In this case, when the wheel 5 is further slidably moved to be closer to the handle 3, as shown in fig. 3, the auxiliary support rib 10 is turned around the support shaft 11 by the elastic force of the elastic support rib 8 at the movement position corresponding to the predetermined wheel. Therefore, the elastic support rib 8, which has been elastically deformed in the recessed state with respect to the direction of the handle 3, is elastically reversed in the projected state toward the handle 3 at a predetermined position, and the free end portion of the elastic support rib 8 is reversed upward and then moved in the direction in which the free end approaches the auxiliary support rib 10. This causes the umbrella cloth 24 to begin to fold, substantially W-shaped in cross-section.

When the wheel 5 is further slidingly moved toward the handle 3 to gradually approach the umbrella, the auxiliary support rib 10 is turned around the support shaft 11, and the elastic support rib 8 is folded to approach the auxiliary support rib 10 as shown in fig. 4. When the umbrella completes the closing process, the umbrella cloth 24 is folded and fixed between the free end portion of the elastic support rib 8 and the auxiliary support rib 10, the locking piece 6 'near the handle 3 is fitted in the groove 5' of the wheel 5, and the closed state of the umbrella is thereby maintained.

Thus, according to the present invention, the elastic support rib 8, one end of which is pivotally connected to the wheel 5, is extended symmetrically with respect to the axis of the stem 1, while the auxiliary support rib 10 is located between the ferrule 2 on one end of the stem 1 and the middle portion of the elastic support rib 8. Each auxiliary support rib 10 has one end fixed to the ferrule 2 and the other end fixed to the elastic support rib 8 by a support shaft 11. Accordingly, a plurality of auxiliary support ribs 10 are provided along the respective elastic support ribs 8, and the umbrella cloth 24 is stretched over the elastic support ribs 8 and the auxiliary support ribs 10.

Therefore, when the umbrella is gradually closed by moving the wheel 5 toward the handle 3 fixed to the lower end of the shaft 1, the auxiliary support rib 10 is turned around the support shaft 11 by the elastic force of the elastic support rib 8, and the free end portion of the elastic support rib 8 is turned upward and moved toward the direction in which the end portion approaches the auxiliary support rib 10. Thus, the umbrella cloth 24 is folded into a substantially W-shaped cross-section. When the umbrella is completed in the closing process and the locking member 6 'is fitted in the groove 5', the umbrella cloth 24 is folded and fixed between the free end portion of the elastic support rib 8 and the auxiliary support rib 10. Accordingly, when the umbrella is closed, the wet umbrella cloth 24 is not exposed to the outside, which makes it possible to completely prevent the wet umbrella cloth 24 from wetting the clothes of the surrounding persons and the surrounding disposed articles. Further, when the umbrella is rotated in an arc shape by holding the handle 3, the umbrella cloth 24 folded into a substantially W-shaped cross section at the free end portion thereof around the support shaft 11 is subjected to a large centrifugal force, and exhibits an excellent drainage effect.

The embodiment of the invention (2) described above will be described more specifically based on the embodiments shown in fig. 7 to 9. A ferrule 2 is located at one end of a shaft 1 and a handle 3 for holding the umbrella is located at the other end. Male threads 27a, 27b are provided on the parts of the ferrule 2 and the handle 3 adjacent to the shank 1. When the umbrella is opened for use, the female thread 28 of a collapsed umbrella shroud 4 engages with the male thread 27a on the handle 3. When the umbrella is closed and the sheet 24 is folded after use, the shield 4 is removed from the male thread 27a of the handle 3, and engages with the male thread 27b of the ferrule 2 with the large diameter cylindrical portion facing the handle 3 as shown in fig. 7. When the cylindrical part of the umbrella protection cover 4 is then slid towards the handle 3, the protection cover 4 forms a protective support for the entire umbrella cloth, as shown in fig. 9.

Another inventive embodiment form in the present application will be described on the basis of what is shown in fig. 10. The female thread 28 of the umbrella shield 4 engages with the male thread 27a on the portion of the handle 3 adjacent the shaft 1 with its large diameter cylindrical portion facing the ferrule 2. The free end portion of the main rib 9 of the umbrella used is folded towards the ferrule 2, the outer surface of the canopy facing inwards, and the cylindrical portion of the shield 4 is then slid towards the ferrule 2. The hood 4 thus forms a protective support for the entire canopy, as shown in figure 10. Thereby, protection of the umbrella cloth of the so-called reverse closing type umbrella is achieved.

Although the umbrella protection cover 4 preferably used in the present invention is generally formed of a resin, various other materials such as light aluminum alloy may be selectively used as long as it is a raw material having considerable mechanical strength, light weight, and excellent workability. The umbrella protection cover 4 of the above-described invention in this application is formed detachably by adopting a screw type structure. Thus, when the umbrella is in use, the shield engages with the male thread 27a on the handle 3, whereby the shield moves integrally with the umbrella. However, the shield is not necessarily limited to this structure. The resultant bag can be freely selected when the detached hood 4 is inserted into a separate holder, i.e., a bag, and the bag is moved.

The canopy 4 in the above-described embodiment form of the present invention is a retractable canopy 4 for fixing and protecting the entire canopy when the used canopy is closed and the canopy is folded. The shield is formed as a detachable umbrella shield which is adapted to be secured to the handle 3 when the umbrella is in use and to be removed from the handle when the canopy is within the shield, secured to the ferrule 2, covering the entire canopy and thereby securing the canopy. Therefore, compared with the known umbrella with the protective cover fixed on the metal ferrule, the moment required when the umbrella is opened and used is reduced, and the heaviness caused by the inertia force is eliminated, so that the comfortable use feeling is actually obtained. A shield secured to the ferrule is an unexpected obstacle to both insertion and withdrawal of the umbrella from the frame. However, the umbrella protection cover of the present invention employs a detachable structure, thus eliminating the aforementioned inconvenience.

Furthermore, the umbrella protection cover 4 in the above-described embodiment of the present invention has a collapsible structure by telescopically coupling a plurality of cylinders of small length and different diameters, as shown in fig. 11, so that the protection cover becomes a cylinder of a length large enough to cover the entire folded umbrella cloth when the cover is extended, and becomes a short cylinder of a truncated cone shape when the cover is collapsed. A female thread 28 is formed in the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder of smallest diameter and is adapted to detachably engage with a male thread 27 formed on the two respective parts, i.e. the handle 3 and ferrule 2 of the umbrella.

The preferred embodiment of the umbrella protection cover 4 of the above-mentioned invention (2) of the present application will be described below. When the umbrella is closed after use, with the umbrella cloth held in the cylindrical detachable umbrella shield 4 removed from the handle 3, the shield 4 engages with the male thread 27b on the ferrule 2 and its large diameter cylindrical portion faces the handle 3. The protective cover thus covers the folded umbrella cloth and slides towards the handle 3, whereby the umbrella cloth is fixed in the cover. Thus, the operation of fixing the umbrella cloth in the detachable umbrella cover can be performed by a so-called one-push button operation, which can prevent raindrops from spreading to the user's hand and the surrounding placed things.

The umbrella of another invention in this application is a so-called reverse-close type umbrella, in which when the umbrella is closed, the free end portions of the main ribs 9, over which the cloth extends, are folded towards the ferrule 2, with the outer surface of the cloth facing inwards. When the cylindrical umbrella shield 4 is fixed to the handle 3, the former engages with the latter with the large diameter cylindrical portion facing the ferrule 2 and the shield 4 sliding toward the ferrule 2. This enables the entire canopy to be folded in the opposite direction and secured within the shroud 4. Thus, the fixing of the umbrella cloth in the hood 4 is smoothly performed by an operation of literally pressing a button in the same manner as in the above-described invention.

In another form of embodiment of the invention of the present application, the umbrella protection cover 4 is placed on the wheel 5 of a so-called reverse-close umbrella, so that the cover and wheel are integral as shown in fig. 12. The umbrella of the present invention comprises a shaft 1 having a ferrule 2 at one end thereof and a handle 3 at the other end thereof, a wheel 5 fitted around the shaft 1 and adapted to slidably move toward the ferrule 2 when the umbrella is opened and fixed to the shaft 1 by an elastic locking member and slidably move toward the handle 3 when the umbrella is closed, a plurality of elastic support ribs 8 having one ends pivotally connected to the wheel 5 and symmetrically extended with respect to the axis of the shaft 1, auxiliary support ribs 10 having one ends connected to the ferrule 2 and extended along the respective elastic support ribs 8 and the other ends connected to the elastic support ribs 8, a umbrella cloth extended to cover the auxiliary support ribs 10 and the elastic support ribs 8, a cylindrical umbrella cover 4 located at the lower end of the wheel 5 and having a large-diameter cylindrical portion facing the ferrule.

In the umbrella having the above-described structure, the umbrella protection cover 4 is slidably moved toward the ferrule 2 together with the wheel 5 as the umbrella is opened, and is fixed to the ferrule 2 by the locking member 23 formed of an elastic locking means to maintain the opened state of the umbrella. When the umbrella is closed, the shield 4 is slidingly moved with the wheel 5 towards the handle 3 over the locking member 23. At this time, the elastic support ribs 8 are reversed at the support shafts 11 as the azimuth base points according to the downward movement of the wheels 5, the umbrella is closed such that the free ends of the elastic support ribs 8 approach the ferrule 2, and the umbrella cloth stretched and covering the auxiliary support ribs 10 and the outside of the elastic support ribs 8 is folded into a substantially W-shaped structure. The cylindrical umbrella shield 4 is then slid towards the ferrule 2 to secure the umbrella cloth within the shield 4 and to be protected by the shield 4. Although the means for fixing the umbrella protection cover 4 to the wheel 5 preferably use a screw thread structure, as in the above-described invention, there is also a free choice of engagement means using annular grooves and projections, fixing means using rivets, adhesives, etc.

In the above-described embodiment forms, the protective cover 4, with the umbrella in the open state, is integrally fixed to the wheel 5. Thus, the securing of the umbrella cloth is simplified and can be accomplished comfortably without fear of getting the user's hand wet. Moreover, the entire length of the umbrella including the protective cover 4 in which the umbrella cloth is completely fixed is shortened, in which case the umbrella can be compactly put in a bag.

In another embodiment form of the present invention, a so-called reverse-closing umbrella is formed by giving its bouncing function by a push button operation and integrally fixing an umbrella cover 4 thereto, as shown in fig. 14. In particular, as far as the preferred constructional requirements are concerned, the umbrella comprises a shaft 1 having a ferrule 2 at one end and a handle 3 at the other end, a lower wheel 13 fitted around the shaft 1 and adapted to be slidingly moved towards the ferrule 2 under the action of a compressed coil spring 21 when the umbrella is open and towards the handle 3 when the umbrella is closed, an upper wheel 12 fitted around the shaft 1 and adapted to be slidingly moved in a vertical direction in accordance with the opening and closing of the umbrella, a plurality of main ribs 9 ' pivotally connected at one end to a second fulcrum 19 on the upper wheel 12 and extending symmetrically with respect to the axis of the shaft 1, a first support rib 14 pivotally connected at one end to a first fulcrum 18 on the lower end of the ferrule 2, extending along a respective main rib 9 ' and pivotally connected at the other end to a first support shaft 16 on the main rib 9 ', a first support rib 14 pivotally connected at one end to a third fulcrum 20 on the lower wheel 13, A second support rib 15 extending along the corresponding main rib 9' and having the other end pivotally connected to a second support shaft 17 closer to the shaft 1 than the first support shaft 16, and a canopy extending to cover the first support rib 14 and the outside of the main rib 9, a cylindrical canopy guard 4 fixed to the lower end of the lower wheel 13 with a large-diameter cylindrical portion facing the ferrule 2.

In this embodiment form of the umbrella, the locking pieces 23-1, 23-2 are designed to be pressed by the elastic locking means in accordance with the operation of an operation button 22 on the portion of the shaft 1 near the handle 3, so that the locking pieces are projected and retracted by the operation of the operation button 22. In order to open the umbrella in the closed state for use in practice, the umbrella protection cover 4 is slid toward the handle 3 to be retracted, and the locking members 23-1, 23-2 are brought into the shaft 1 by pressing the operation button 22. At the same time, the lower wheel 13 is slidably moved toward the ferrule 2 by the elastic force of the coil spring 21, and finally the locking member 23-2 is inserted into the opening 26 of the lower wheel by the lifting force of the hand, and thus the opened state of the umbrella is maintained. The predetermined purpose can be achieved by adopting the reverse operation to the above operation in order to close the umbrella. However, in this embodiment form, the one-push-button bounce function of the coil spring 21 is defined as a so-called initial operation, and the opening and closing of the umbrella is finally achieved by manual operation. When the umbrella is closed as the shield 4 slides towards the ferrule 2, the umbrella cloth is secured within the shield 4 and protected by the shield 4, as shown in figure 15.

A further form of embodiment of the invention of the present application is substantially the same as the previous form of embodiment, except that the position in which the umbrella protection cover 4 is fixed is changed from the lower wheel 13 to the handle 3, as shown in fig. 16. That is, the umbrella cover 4 is fixed to the portion of the handle 3 of the reverse closing umbrella having a push button bounce function close to the shaft 1, with the large diameter cylindrical portion facing the ferrule 2. According to this arrangement, an operating button 22' is located in a varying position, i.e. on the upper part of the handle 3 as shown in fig. 16 and 17, so as not to hinder the operation of the button by the protective shield 4.

In the embodiments of both inventions of the present application, the fixing of the umbrella cloth in the hood 4 can be substantially simultaneously accomplished only by a relatively simple operation of sliding the hood 4 fixed to the lower wheel 13 or the handle 3 toward the ferrule 2 after the closing of the umbrella just completed and then folded, plus an operation of opening and closing the umbrella by pressing the operation button 22 or 22' with a push button bounce function.

In order to easily fix the umbrella cloth in the hood as well as wind the umbrella cloth, a collar 4-1 may be formed on the outermost wall of the umbrella hood 4, a claw 4-1a may be integrated with the collar 4-1, or a separate movable claw 4-1b may be formed thereon. A separately formed movable jaw 4-1b is slidably fitted in a cross-sectioned hook-shaped rail 4-1' on the side wall of the collar 4-1, as shown. When the claws are thus located in the collar 4-1 of the outermost wall of the umbrella hood 4, the claws 4-1a or 4-1b serve as guides during the insertion of the umbrella cloth into the hood by tightening the umbrella cloth with the relative rotation of the collar 4-1, so that the umbrella cloth can be fixed in the hood simply and quickly.

As described in detail above, when the umbrella of the present invention in the open state is gradually closed by unlocking the lock on the wheel, the elastic support rib elastically deformed in a recessed manner with respect to the handle is reversed in a projected state toward the handle 3 at a predetermined position as the wheel moves toward the handle. Thus, the free end portions of the elastic support ribs and the auxiliary support rib portions are folded to approach each other centering on the support shaft, and the umbrella cloth between the free end portions of the elastic support ribs and the auxiliary support ribs is also folded to be substantially W-shaped in cross section. Thus, the wet outer surface of the umbrella cloth is not positioned outside the closed umbrella, so that the outer surface of the wet umbrella cloth can be prevented from contacting with surrounding people and objects. In addition, since the umbrella has a light and simple structure, rainwater can be well thrown out.

The umbrella protection cover according to the present invention (2) to (4) above adopts a detachable structure. That is, the shield, which is typically secured to the ferrule in the related art umbrella, is secured to the handle when the umbrella is opened and used. Accordingly, a moment effect generated by the shield cap fixed to the ferrule is prevented, and a sense of heaviness generated by an inertia moment is eliminated, thereby ensuring a comfortable use feeling. Since the umbrella protection covers according to these inventions are detachable, they can be kept separate from the umbrella, and if necessary, the manner of use of the umbrella without the umbrella protection cover fixed thereto can be practically achieved.

According to the invention (5) described above, the umbrella shield is integrally screwed to the handle of a so-called reverse-close type umbrella with the large diameter cylindrical portion of the shield facing the ferrule. Thus, the umbrella cloth can be satisfactorily secured within the umbrella shroud simply by sliding the shroud towards the handle. Accordingly, the fixing of the umbrella cloth in the protective cover is rather simple and smooth.

The present invention (6) described above has a structure in which the present invention shield is fixed to the lower end of the wheel of the umbrella according to the present invention (1) described above. The umbrella according to the present invention (6) is an umbrella in which the umbrella stretched on the outside of the elastic support rib and the auxiliary rib is inverted in accordance with the vertical movement of the wheel to which the elastic support rib is pivotably connected. This is done smoothly without wetting the user's hands when the umbrella shield is integrally fixed to the wheel to close the freshly used umbrella and secure it within the shield. At the same time, the overall length of the umbrella can be reduced to the minimum required, and the umbrella can be compactly fixed in the cover.

The above inventions (7) and (8) are an umbrella which adds a so-called one-push button bounce function to a reverse close type umbrella. The former invention is formed by integrally securing an umbrella shield to a lower wheel having a support rib pivotally attached thereto and adapted for sliding movement in a vertical direction to control the opening and closing of the umbrella. The latter invention is formed by integrally fixing the umbrella shield to the handle. With this structure, the opening and closing of the umbrella and the fixing of the umbrella cloth in the umbrella hood can be accomplished substantially at the same time, and further, the length of the umbrella as a whole can be set to such an amount that the umbrella is fixed in the hood very compactly. The simplified structure also enables a significant weight reduction.

Further, the umbrella protection covers of these inventions in the present application can be applied substantially equally to a normal type umbrella and a so-called reverse close type umbrella only by vertically changing the fixing direction of the cylindrical umbrella protection cover. The whole umbrella cloth is stably fixed in the protective cover through the action of pressing the button.

In addition, when a so-called reverse-close type umbrella is closed after use, its main rib is inverted. Therefore, the outer surface of the wet umbrella cloth is folded inward but a problem is left in that the rear side portion of the main rib is exposed to the outside. Since the umbrella protection covers according to these inventions wrap and hold the umbrella cloth therein, the problem can be effectively solved.

The structure of the umbrella itself on which the umbrella protection cover according to the inventions described in this application is fixed is not particularly limited, but may be arbitrarily determined within the scope of the object to be achieved by the present invention, that is, the structure of the umbrella may be freely selected.

Claims (12)

1. An umbrella, comprising: a shaft having a ferrule at one end and a handle at the other end, a wheel assembled around the shaft and adapted to slidably move toward the ferrule when the umbrella is opened and slidably move toward the handle when the umbrella is closed, a plurality of elastic support ribs pivotally connected to the wheel at one end and symmetrically extending with respect to an axis of the shaft, auxiliary support ribs pivotally connected to the ferrule at one end and respectively extending along the respective elastic support ribs and pivotally connected to the elastic support ribs at the other end, an umbrella cloth extending to cover outer sides of the auxiliary support ribs and the elastic support ribs, and an umbrella cover fixed to a lower end of the wheel, the umbrella cover having a plurality of short cylinders having different diameters and telescopically connected together, the short cylinder having a larger diameter being directed toward the ferrule so that the umbrella cover can be unfolded in a long cone shape having a size enough to cover the folded umbrella cloth, and the extended umbrella shroud may be folded into a truncated cone shape adjacent the lower end of the wheel when the umbrella is open.

2. An umbrella as claimed in claim 1, wherein a collar is formed on the outermost wall of the umbrella hood, and jaws are formed on the collar for guiding the insertion of the umbrella cloth into the umbrella hood by tightening the umbrella cloth as the collar is rotated relative to each other.

3. An umbrella as claimed in claim 2, wherein the catch is integrally formed with the collar.

4. An umbrella as claimed in claim 2, wherein the catch is formed separately from the collar.

5. An umbrella, comprising: a stem having a ferrule at one end and a handle at the other end, a lower wheel fitted around the stem and adapted to slide toward the ferrule under the action of a compression coil spring when the umbrella is open and to slide toward the handle when the umbrella is closed, an upper wheel fitted around the stem and adapted to slide in a vertical direction in accordance with the opening and closing of the umbrella, a plurality of main ribs pivotally connected at one end to second fulcrums on the upper wheel and extending symmetrically with respect to the axis of the stem, first support ribs pivotally connected at one end to first fulcrums on the lower end of the ferrule, extending along the respective main ribs and pivotally connected at the other end to first support shafts on the main ribs, second support ribs pivotally connected at one end to third fulcrums on the lower wheel, extending along the respective main ribs and pivotally connected at the other end to second support shafts closer to the stem with respect to the first support shafts, an umbrella cloth extended to cover the outside of the first support rib and the main rib, and an umbrella cover fixed to the lower end of the wheel, the umbrella cover having a plurality of short cylinders of different diameters telescopically coupled together, the short cylinder of the umbrella cover having a larger diameter directed toward the ferrule, so that the umbrella cover can be unfolded in a long cone shape, having a size sufficient to cover the folded umbrella cloth, and the extended umbrella cover can be folded in a truncated cone shape adjacent to the lower end of the wheel when the umbrella is unfolded.

6. An umbrella as claimed in claim 5, wherein a collar is formed on the outermost wall of the umbrella hood, and jaws are formed on the collar for guiding the insertion of the umbrella cloth into the umbrella hood by tightening the umbrella cloth as the collar is rotated relative to each other.

7. An umbrella as claimed in claim 6, wherein the catch is integrally formed with the collar.

8. An umbrella as claimed in claim 6, wherein the catch is formed separately from the collar.

9. An umbrella, comprising: a stem having a ferrule at one end and a handle at the other end, a lower wheel fitted around the stem and adapted to slide toward the ferrule under the action of a compression coil spring when the umbrella is open and to slide toward the handle when the umbrella is closed, an upper wheel fitted around the stem and adapted to slide in a vertical direction in accordance with the opening and closing of the umbrella, a plurality of main ribs pivotally connected at one end to second fulcrums on the upper wheel and extending symmetrically with respect to the axis of the stem, first support ribs pivotally connected at one end to first fulcrums on the lower end of the ferrule, extending along the respective main ribs and pivotally connected at the other end to first support shafts on the main ribs, second support ribs pivotally connected at one end to third fulcrums on the lower wheel, extending along the respective main ribs and pivotally connected at the other end to second support shafts closer to the stem with respect to the first support shafts, a umbrella cloth extending to cover the outside of the first support rib and the main rib, and an umbrella cover fixed to a handle portion adjacent to the shaft, the umbrella cover having a plurality of short cylinders of different diameters telescopically coupled together, the short cylinder of the umbrella cover having a larger diameter directed toward the ferrule, so that the umbrella cover can be unfolded in a long cone shape having a size sufficient to cover the folded umbrella cloth, and when the umbrella is opened, the extended umbrella cover can be folded in a truncated cone shape adjacent to the handle portion adjacent to the shaft.

10. An umbrella as claimed in claim 9, wherein a collar is formed on the outermost wall of the umbrella hood, and jaws are formed on the collar for guiding the insertion of the umbrella cloth into the umbrella hood by tightening the umbrella cloth as the collar is rotated relative to each other.

11. An umbrella as claimed in claim 10, wherein the catch is integrally formed with the collar.

12. An umbrella as claimed in claim 10, wherein the catch is formed separately from the collar.