US20060124161A1

US20060124161A1 - Stretcher base with a buffer for an umbrella

Info

Publication number: US20060124161A1
Application number: US11/006,554
Authority: US
Inventors: Chia-Chen Lee
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-12-08
Filing date: 2004-12-08
Publication date: 2006-06-15

Abstract

A stretcher base has a tubular body, a rod connecting portion and a buffer. The tubular body is adapted to be slidably mounted on the shank of the umbrella and has a top and a bottom. The rod connecting portion is formed on the bottom of the tubular body and is adapted to pivotally connect the rods of the stretcher. The buffer is made of resilient material and is formed on the top of the tubular body. Accordingly, the stretcher base can provide an excellent shock-absorbing efficiency with the buffer.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a stretcher base, and particularly a stretcher base for an umbrella and having a buffer to provide a shock-absorbing efficiency when the umbrella opens.
2. Description of Related Art
With reference to FIG. 4, a conventional umbrella is composed of a frame (50) and a canopy (60) mounted on the frame (50). The frame (50) has a shank (52) with a top end, a sliding ring (54), a stretcher base (544), a spreader (542), a stretcher (56), a rib set (58) and a ferrule (522). The sliding ring (54) is movably mounted on the shank (52) and has an enlarged round top and a telescoping tube extending from the round top. The stretcher base (544) is slidably mounted on the shank (52) and is connected to the telescoping tube of the sliding ring (54). The spreader (542) is composed of multiple rods pivotally and radially formed around the enlarged round top of the sliding ring (54). The stretcher (56) is composed of multiple rods pivotally and radially attached around the stretcher base (544). The rib set (58) is composed of multiple rods pivotally and radially attached at the top end of the shank (52) to support the canopy (60). Each rod of the spreader (542) movably connects one corresponding rod of the stretcher (56) at a middle portion of the stretcher (56), and each rod of the stretcher (56) further has a distal end to pivotally connect to one corresponding rod of the rib set (58). In addition, a limiting tube (70) is mounted on the shank (52) and is secured under the top end of the shank (52) to selectively abut the stretcher base (544). Whereby, the limiting tube (70) enables the sliding ring (54) to stop in a preferred position to fully extend the stretcher (56) and keep the umbrella open.
However, the limiting tube (70) is made of rigid plastic and easily broken when the sliding ring (54) impacts against the limiting tube (70) whereby the umbrella malfunctions and the entire device instrument must be thrown away. This is especially so when the umbrella is automatically extended by means of securing a restituting spring around the telescoping tube of the sliding ring (54).
With reference to FIG. 5, to avoid the vibrations and damage caused by the described impact, a spring (80) is mounted on the shank (52) between the top end of the shank (52) and the stretcher base (544). Although the spring (80) provides a shock-absorbing efficiency to the umbrella, it is difficult to secure the spring (80) under the top end of the shank (52) whereby the spring (80) slides along the shank (52) when the sliding ring (54) does not abut against the spring (80).
The present invention has arisen to provide a stretcher base for an umbrella to overcome and obviate the drawbacks of the conventional umbrellas.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main objective of the present invention is to provide a stretcher base with a buffer for an umbrella to provide an excellent shock-absorbing efficiency. The stretcher base has a tubular body, a rod connecting portion and a buffer. The tubular body is adapted to be slidably mounted on the shank of the umbrella and has a top and a bottom. The rod connecting portion is formed on the bottom of the tubular body and is adapted to pivotally connect the rods of the stretcher. The buffer is made of resilient material and is formed on the top of the tubular body.
Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description in accordance with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a stretcher base with a resilient buffer in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an umbrella with the stretcher base in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional side plane view of the umbrella with the stretcher base in FIG. 2 showing the shock-absorbing situation of the buffer;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a conventional umbrella in accordance with the prior art; and
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a conventional umbrella in accordance with the prior art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a stretcher base for an umbrella composed of a frame (10) and a canopy (20), which is adapted to mount on the frame (10) of the umbrella. The frame (10) of the umbrella has a shank (12) with a top end, a sliding ring (14), a spreader (142), a stretcher (16), a rib set (18) and a ferrule (122). The sliding ring (14) is movably mounted on the shank (12) and has an enlarged round top and a telescoping tube extending from the round top. The spreader (142) is composed of multiple rods pivotally and radially formed around the enlarged round top. The stretcher (16) is composed of multiple rods. The rib set (18) is composed of multiple rods pivotally and radially attached at the top end of the shank (12) to support the canopy (20). Each rod of the stretcher (16) pivotally connects one corresponding rod of the spreader (142) at a middle portion and further has a distal end to pivotally connect to one corresponding rod of the rib set (18).
The stretcher base (30) is slidably mounted on the shank (12) and connects to the telescoping tube of the sliding ring (14). The stretcher base (30) has a tubular body (32) with a top and a bottom, a rod connecting portion (34) and a buffer (36). The rod connecting portion (34) is formed on the bottom of the tubular body (32) to pivotally connect rods of the stretcher (16). The buffer (36) is integrally formed on the top of the tubular body (32) and is made of resilient material. The buffer (36) is a tube (362) with multiple through holes (364) defined through the outer periphery of the tube (362) in an alternating manner. With the arrangement of the through holes (364), a further resilient effect is provided to the buffer (36).
With further reference to FIG. 3, when the umbrella is opened, the sliding ring (14) and the stretcher base (30) will move along the shank (12). When the canopy (20) is completely expanded, the stretcher base (30) will move to near the top of the shank (12) and the buffer (36) will abut against the ferrule (122) and be compressed. Accordingly, a shock-absorbing effect is provided with the compression to the buffer (36). Therefore, the vibration and the damage to the frame (10) of the umbrella can be minimized to a non-damaging magnitude.
According to the above description, because the buffer (36) is integrally formed on the stretcher base (30), to assemble the stretcher base (30) with the buffer (36) onto the shank (12) of the umbrella is easy and convenient. Additionally, the buffer (30) can be compressed to damp the shock caused by impact of the ferrule (122). Therefore, malfunction and damage to the umbrella are avoided.
Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Claims

1. A stretcher base for an umbrella having a shank and a stretcher composed of multiple rods, and the stretcher base comprising a tubular body adapted to be slidably mounted on the shank of the umbrella and having a top and a bottom;

a rod connecting portion formed on the bottom of the tubular body and adapted to pivotally connect the rods of the stretcher; and

a buffer made of resilient material and formed on the top of the tubular body.

2. The stretcher base for an umbrella as claimed in claim 1, wherein the buffer is a tube having an outer periphery and multiple holes defined through the outer periphery in an alternating manner.