US20020148495A1

US20020148495A1 - Umbrella

Info

Publication number: US20020148495A1
Application number: US10/115,119
Authority: US
Inventors: Shoichiro Usui
Original assignee: Usui Kokusai Sangyo Kaisha Ltd
Current assignee: Usui Kokusai Sangyo Kaisha Ltd
Priority date: 2001-04-17
Filing date: 2002-04-02
Publication date: 2002-10-17

Abstract

An umbrella includes a shaft rod having a ferrule fixed to one end thereof and a handle fixed to the other end thereof, a wheel fitted around the shaft rod and adapted to be moved slidingly toward the ferrule and retained on the shaft rod by a resilient locking device when the umbrella is opened, and toward the handle when the umbrella is closed, a plurality of elastic support ribs connected pivotably at one end of each thereof to the frame and extended symmetrically with respect to the axis of the shaft rod, auxiliary support ribs connected pivotably at one end of each thereof to the ferrule, extended along the corresponding elastic support ribs respectively, and connected pivotably at the other end of each thereof to the elastic support ribs, and an umbrella cloth extended so as to cover outer sides of the auxiliary support ribs and elastic support ribs.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to an umbrella, and more particularly to an umbrella having a structure for preventing raindrops on a wetted umbrella cloth from being deposited on surroundings.

2. Description of the Prior Arts;

When a wetted umbrella is brought into an electric car particularly during rush hours, an outer surface wetted with rainwater of an umbrella cloth contacts the clothes, such as the trousers, skirts and the like of the surrounding passengers to cause the clothes to be wetted with the rainwater, and these passengers to be put to trouble in some cases.

When an umbrella wetted with rainwater is newly inserted into an umbrella stand, a wetted outer surface of the umbrella wets in some cases other umbrella which were adjacently put in the umbrella stand in which the wet umbrella is inserted. When an umbrella is inserted into the portion of an umbrella. stand which is on the rear side of the portion thereof in which a wet umbrella stands, or when an umbrella standing on the rear side of a wetted umbrella is taken out of an umbrella stand, a wetted outer surface of the umbrella wetted the hands and clothes of a user of the umbrella stand in some cases.

When a related art umbrella closed with a large quantity of rainwater deposited thereon is shaken so as to remove the rainwater therefrom, a centrifugal force is exerted on a free end of the umbrella but not much on a handle thereof, so that the rainwater could not be shaken off sufficiently against a user's will.

The present invention has been made in view of the bad influence which the raindrops on such a wet umbrella as mentioned above exert on the clothes of surrounding persons or surrounding arranged objects, and provides an umbrella which has a structure capable of preventing the wetted outer surface of an umbrella used outdoors on a rainy day, wetted with rainwater and then closed from exerting a bad influence upon the surroundings, and which enables the rainwater on such an umbrella to be shaken off sufficiently.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The umbrella according to the present invention having these characteristics includes a shaft rod having a ferrule fixed to one end thereof and a handle fixed to the other end thereof, a wheel fitted around the shaft rod and adapted to be moved slidingly toward the ferrule and retained on the shaft rod by a resilient locking device when the umbrella is opened, and toward the handle when the umbrella is closed, a plurality of elastic support ribs connected pivotably at one end of each thereof to the frame and extended symmetrically with respect to the axis of the shaft rod, auxiliary support ribs connected pivotably at one end of each thereof to the ferrule, extended along the corresponding elastic support ribs respectively, and connected pivotably at the other end of each thereof to the elastic support ribs, and an umbrella cloth extended so as to cover outer sides of the auxiliary support ribs and elastic support ribs.

When the umbrella according to the present invention having such a structure in an opened state is closed gradually, the frame is released from a locking force of the locking device. As the frame is moved toward the handle, the elastic support ribs which have theretofore been elastically deformed and in a recessed state with respect to the handle are reversed elastically in a predetermined position in a projecting state with respect to the handle. The elastic support ribs and auxiliary support ribs are then folded around support shafts so that the free end portions of the former ribs and the latter ribs approach each other. The umbrella cloth is also folded to a substantially W-shaped cross-section between the free end portions of the elastic support ribs and the auxiliary support ribs. Accordingly, a wetted outer surface of the umbrella cloth is not positioned on the outer side of the closed umbrella.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an explanatory drawing in side elevation showing the construction of a first mode of embodiment of the umbrella in an opened state according to the present invention; [0010]
FIG. 2 is an explanatory drawing in side elevation showing the construction of the same embodiment in an initial closing condition thereof; [0011]
FIG. 3 is an explanatory drawing in side elevation showing the construction of the same embodiment in an intermediate closing condition thereof; [0012]
FIG. 4 is a drawing showing the construction of the same embodiment in a final closing condition, wherein: [0013]
FIG. 4A is an explanatory drawing in side elevation; and [0014]
FIG. 4B is a partial enlarged view; [0015]
FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway view in side elevation of an example of a resilient locking device used for the umbrella according to the present invention; and [0016]
FIG. 6 is an enlarged side view showing a resiliently locked state of an embodiment of the present invention in an opened state.[0017]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

An embodiment of the umbrella opened in use according to the present invention will now be described. As shown in FIG. 1, a [0018] tubular shaft rod 1 has on one end thereof a ferrule 3 fixed thereto, and a plurality of auxiliary support ribs 10 extended symmetrically with respect to the axis of the ferrule 3 are connected pivotably to the ferrule. The shaft rod 1 also has at the other end thereof a handle 2, which a user holds, fixed thereto.
Between the [0019] ferrule 3 and handle 2, a frame 5 is fitted slidably around the shaft rod 1. A plurality of elastic support ribs 8 having a length larger than that of the auxiliary support ribs 10 are connected pivotably at one end of each thereof to this frame 5. These elastic support ribs 8 are extended symmetrically with respect to the axis of the shaft rod 1, and along the above-mentioned auxiliary support ribs 10 so that the elastic support ribs are recessed with respect to the handle 2.
[0020] Support shafts 11 are fixed to extended end portions of the plural auxiliary support ribs 10, and via support shafts 11 a plurality of auxiliary support ribs 10 are connected pivotably to intermediate portions of the plural elastic support ribs 8. The umbrella cloth 12 is extended at the portions thereof which are on outer sides of the auxiliary support ribs 10 and support shafts 11 therefor on an outer side of the elastic support ribs 8 so that the umbrella cloth 12 is extended from the ferrule 3 to free end portions of the elastic support ribs 8. The umbrella cloth 12 is fixed at suitable portions thereof to the auxiliary support ribs 10 and elastic support ribs 8 by a string and the like.
As shown in FIG. 5, a fixed retainer ring [0021] 7-1 is fitted firmly around an end portion on the side of the ferrule 31 of the shaft rod 1, while a movable retainer ring 7-2 is fitted around the portion of the shaft rod which is on the side of the frame 5 so as to be opposed to the fixed retainer ring 7-1 so that the movable retainer ring 7-2 can be engaged with but not fixed to the frame 5. Between the fixed retainer ring 7-1 and movable retainer ring 7-2, a spring 7 is wound around the shaft rod 1.
The [0022] tubular shaft rod 1 is provided with an opening 15 in the portion of a side wall thereof which is closer to the handle 2 than to the movable retainer ring 7-2 for the spring 7. On an inner surface of the shaft rod 1 which corresponds to the opening 15, a locking member 6 urged outward by springs 13-1, 13-2 is fixed to the shaft rod 1 so as to project at a free end portion thereof from the opening 15 with the umbrella not in a fully opened state.
The [0023] shaft rod 1 is provided at the portion thereof which is in the vicinity of the handle 2 with a locking member 6′ formed similarly to the above-mentioned locking member 6 but directed contrariwise with respect thereto. The lock member 6′ fits in a slit 5′, which is provided in the frame 5, when the umbrella is closed, the locking member 6′ working so as to retain a closed state of the umbrella (refer to FIG. 4B).
When the umbrella according to the present invention thus formed is in a fully opened state as shown in FIG. 1, the [0024] frame 5 is retained in a fully umbrella opening position by the locking member 6 projecting from the opening 15. Namely, when the umbrella is fully opened by moving up the frame 5, the locking member 6 projecting from the opening 15 is forced into the opening 15 against the resilient force of the springs 13-1, 13-2, in accordance with the upward movement of the frame and the frame gets over the locking member 6 and moves slidingly toward the ferrule 3. The frame 5 which has got over the locking member 6 as shown in FIG. 1 is locked and retained as shown in FIG. 6, by the locking member 6 projecting from the opening 15 by the resilient force of the springs 13-1, 13-2, and urged suitably toward the handle 2 by the resilient force of the compressed springs 7.
In this condition, the plural [0025] elastic support ribs 8 connected pivotably to the frame 5 are retained in a substantially horizontal position, and the umbrella cloth 12 is extended by the elastic support ribs 8 and auxiliary support ribs 10 to protect a user holding the handle 2 against the rainwater.
In order that the user close the just-used umbrella, the [0026] frame 5 is moved slightly against the resilient force of the springs 7 so as to bring the frame 5 closer to the ferrule 3, and the locking member 6 is forced into the interior of the opening 15 by a finger so that the frame 5 gets over the locking member 6 and moves slidingly toward the handle 2. As a result, the umbrella starts being closed as shown in FIG. 2, and the elastic support ribs 8 are elastically deformed so as to approach the shaft rod 1.
When the [0027] frame 5 in this condition is further moved slidingly so that the frame 5 approaches the handle 2, the elastic support ribs 8 which were turned in a predetermined position of travel of the frame 5 owing to the elastic force of the ribs 8 around the support shafts 11 as shown in FIG. 3, and which were thereby elastically deformed in a recessed state with respect to the handle 2, are elastically inverted in a predetermined position in a projecting state with respect to the handle 2. At the same time, the free end portions of the elastic support ribs 8 are directed upward, and the free end portions of the elastic support ribs 8 are moved toward the auxiliary support ribs 10, so that the umbrella cloth 12 starts being folded to a substantially W-shaped cross section.
When the umbrella is closed gradually by further moving the [0028] frame 5 slidingly toward the handle 2, the auxiliary support ribs 10 are turned around the support shafts 11 as shown in FIG. 4, to cause the elastic support ribs 8 to be folded so as to approach the auxiliary support ribs 10. When the umbrella finishes being closed, the umbrella cloth 12 is folded and held between the free end portions of the elastic support ribs 8 and the auxiliary support ribs 10, and the locking member 6′ in the vicinity of the handle 2 fits in the slit 5′ of the frame 5 and retain the closed state of the umbrella.
Thus, according to the present invention, the plural [0029] elastic support ribs 8 connected pivotably at one end of each thereof to the frame 5 are extended symmetrically with respect to the axis of the shaft rod 1, and auxiliary support ribs 10 are provided between the ferrule 3 fixed to one end of the shaft rod 1 and intermediate portions of the elastic support ribs 8. The auxiliary support ribs 10 are fixed at one end of each thereof to the ferrule 3, and at the other end of each thereof to the elastic support ribs 8 via the support shafts 11. Therefore, the plural auxiliary support ribs 10 are arranged along the corresponding elastic support ribs 8, and the umbrella cloth 12 are extended over the elastic support ribs 8 and auxiliary support ribs 10.
Accordingly, when the umbrella is closed gradually by moving the [0030] frame 5 toward the handle 2 fixed to the other end of the shaft rod 1, the free end portions of the elastic support ribs 8 are directed upward and moved toward the auxiliary support ribs 10 owing to the elastic force of the same ribs 8 and the turning movement of the auxiliary support ribs 10 around the support shafts 11, and the umbrella cloth 12 is folded to a substantially W-shaped cross section. When the umbrella finishes being closed with the locking member 6′ fitted in the slit 5′, the umbrella cloth 12 is folded and held between the free end portions of the elastic support ribs 8 and the auxiliary support ribs 10. Therefore, when the umbrella is closed, the wetted umbrella cloth 12 is not exposed to the outside, so that it becomes possible to perfectly prevent the wetted umbrella cloth 12 from wetting the clothes of the surrounding persons and the surrounding arranged articles. When the umbrella is moved arcuately with the handle 2 gripped, a large centrifugal force is exerted on the umbrella cloth 12 folded on the side of the free end of the umbrella to a substantially W-shaped cross section around the support shafts 11, and an excellent rainwater shaken off ability of the umbrella is displayed.
According to the present invention described above, when the umbrella in an opened state is closed gradually by unlocking the frame, the elastic support ribs which were theretofore elastically deformed in a recessed state with respect to the handle as the frame were moved toward the handle are elastically inverted in a predetermined position so as to project toward the handle. As a result, the free end portions of the elastic support ribs and the auxiliary support ribs are folded around the support shafts so that the same free end portions and auxiliary support ribs approach each other, and the umbrella cloth is also folded to a substantially W-shaped cross section between the free end portions of the elastic support ribs and the auxiliary support ribs. Therefore, the wetted outer surface of the umbrella cloth is not positioned on the outer side of the closed umbrella, and it becomes possible to prevent the same surface from contacting the surrounding persons and objects. This invention thus enables an umbrella adapted to shake off the rainwater excellently to be provided. [0031]

Claims

1. An umbrella comprising a shaft rod having a ferrule fixed to one end thereof and a handle fixed to the other end thereof, a wheel fitted around the shaft rod and adapted to be moved slidingly toward the ferrule and retained on the shaft rod by a resilient locking device when the umbrella is opened, and toward the handle when the umbrella is closed, a plurality of elastic support ribs connected pivotably at one end of each thereof to the frame and extended symmetrically with respect to the axis of the shaft rod, auxiliary support ribs connected pivotably at one end of each thereof to the ferrule, extended along the corresponding elastic support ribs respectively, and connected pivotably at the other end of each thereof to the elastic support ribs, and an umbrella cloth extended so as to cover outer sides of the auxiliary support ribs and elastic support ribs.