WO2008023209A1

WO2008023209A1 - Umbrella for protection from sunshine or rain

Info

Publication number: WO2008023209A1
Application number: PCT/HU2007/000078
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bence RÓKÁS
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-08-25
Filing date: 2007-08-21
Publication date: 2008-02-28
Anticipated expiration: 2009-02-25
Also published as: HU0600684D0; HUP0600684A2

Abstract

The object of the invention is umbrella for protection from sunshine or rain, comprising a support pole (1), a first crown (3) fixedly mounted on the support pole (1), and a second crown (4) slidably mounted on the support pole, where in specific cases the second crown (4) can be arrested on the support pole (1) in the open position of the umbrella. Support ribs (5) and stretching ribs (6) known per se are attached to the crowns (3, 4), and a canopy cover (2) is secured to the support ribs (5) and to the second crown (4). The invention is essentially characterised by that in the operating position of the umbrella the canopy cover (2) forms an open, concave body having an upwardly increasing cross-section.

Description

_ f_

Umbrella for protection from sunshine or rain

The object of the invention is umbrella for protection from sunshine or rain, comprising a support pole, a first crown fixedly mounted on the support pole, and a second crown slidably mounted on the support pole, where in specific cases the second crown can be arrested on the support pole in the open position of the umbrella. Support ribs and stretching ribs known per se are attached to the crowns, and a canopy cover is secured to the support ribs and to the second crown.

Sunshades and stand-up umbrellas are commonly utilized on beaches, in gardens and restaurants for protection from sunshine and rain. These umbrellas usually have a support pole secured to a base, with support and stretching ribs being hingedly mounted between a fixed and a sliding (running) crown. A canopy cover sheet is attached to the fixed crown and to the support ribs. Such umbrellas are described among others in the document CH 689 752. To open the umbrella according to this solution the slidable crown should be moved upwards on the support pole to a position where the crown is arrested by an arresting element disposed on the pole. In this position the cover forms a canopy with its tip facing upward. The canopy protects people under it from sunshine and from getting wet from rain. This solution has a number of disadvantages. First, the wind may easily "blow under" the umbrella and turn it inside out. Second, rainwater will trickle down the canopy cover and off the rim, wetting people sitting under the umbrella (even if they are sitting close to one another and more than one umbrellas are used).

The document with Hungarian publication No. P98 01644 discloses a parasol automatically closing as affected by the wind. The invention is aimed at preventing the canopy cover from being turned inside out by sudden gusts of wind. According to the invention a windbreak is disposed on the support pole of the parasol, with the windbreak being connected to a release disposed inside the support pole by cord. As the wind starts "filling" the windbreak it pulls the cord and operates the relase, resulting in the closing of the parasol. The main drawback of this solution is that it does not work reliably. Patent description DE 199 19 142 discloses a parasol structure for sun and/or rain protection. The invention has a support pole and a polygonal canopy cover attached thereto. By stretching the corners of the cover to various degree and in various manners with a stretching device attached to the support pole different three-dimensional surfaces may be produced. This construction is very spectacular but it is fairly complex and does not enable the fast opening and closing of the parasol.

Fixed, permanently installed devices for protecting larger open areas from sunshine or rain have long been part of architectural practice. These umbrellas or parasols usually have unique, special configuration and - being architectural art objects - offer aesthetic enjoyment but do not withstand the stress caused by frequent opening and closing.

Patent description FR 2 786 218 discloses a parasol comprising multiple sun protection "plates" slidable along a vertical support pole. The plates may also be rotated about the pole as an axis. Protecting cover sheets are installed over the plates. The disadvantage of the invention is that it cannot be closed in a simple manner.

The aim of the present invention is providing a structurally simple, easily producible umbrella for protection from sunshine or rain that can be operated easily, and withstands sudden gusts of wind without getting turned inside out. A further inventive objective is that larger areas may be protected from rain by multiple suitably arranged umbrellas.

The inventive objectives are achieved by providing an umbrella described in the introductory paragraphs; in such a manner that in the operating position of the umbrella the canopy cover forms an open, concave body having an upwardly increasing cross-section.

The inventive umbrella has a support pole that can be installed fixedly, either by driving it into the ground or by inserting it into a base or other holding device, such as a table. The support pole may be produced in a manner known from prior art, for instance from surface-treated metal or plastic. Preferably the support pole is made from a cylindrical tube but may also be produced from tubes of other cross-sectional shape or from a solid rod. In a manner known from prior art, a fixed and a slidable crown are disposed on the support pole, and the support pole comprises means for keeping the umbrella fixed in its open position. Support ribs are connected to the first crown in a hingedly rotatable manner, whereas to the second crown stretching ribs are joined also in a hingedly rotatable manner.

The fixed crown may be implemented as a ferrule pulled on the support pole, but the scope of our invention also includes solutions where the crown and the support pole form a single integral part.

The stretching ribs are applied for connecting the crown with the support ribs, and preferably consist of two hingedly joined portions rotatable about the connecting joint. Support and stretching ribs may also be implemented in other ways. In a further preferred embodiment the stretching ribs may be implemented as one-piece elements, hingedly and rotatably connected at one end to the crown and slidably connected to the support ribs at the other end. The configuration of the support pole, the crowns and the ribs follows the generally known solution applied for similar parasols and umbrellas.

The canopy cover of the umbrella is attached to the first crown and to the support ribs. Materials conventionally utilized for sunshades and umbrellas, such as waterproofed canvas, plastic sheets, or other waterproofed materials, can be considered as a material for the canopy cover. Similarly, the manner of securing the canopy cover to the umbrella is identical with solutions known in the art.

In the closed state of the inventive umbrella the support pole is surrounded by the support and stretching ribs and the canopy cover. To open the umbrella the slidable crown has to be slid on the support pole. This causes the ribs (and together with them, the canopy cover) to open into operating position. In the open, operating position the canopy cover may constitute a plane surface perpendicular to the support pole, or alternatively, a hollow body with upwardly increasing cross- section (a "dome" turned upside down). The spread of the canopy cover may be a circle, a polygon or another plane figure. The hollow body having an upwardly increasing cross section may preferably be constituted by a upside-down cone or pyramid. Naturally, the canopy cover may take the shape of other regular or irregular solids. The number, dimensions and configuration of support and stretching ribs should of course be chosen with respect to the shape of the canopy cover. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the umbrella is eqiupped with a gutter channel for draining water accumulating in the canopy cover. The gutter channel is realised by the interior of the tubular support pole, which interior communicates for draining water with the upper (in operating position) surface of the canopy cover. Other configurations of the gutter channel also fall into the scope of the invention. According to a further preferred implementation a flexible plastic tube adapted for draining rainwater can be connected to the bottommost portion of the outer surface of the canopy cover, which tube may be secured to the support pole and passed down alongside it. According to a further preferred embodiment the gutter channel is disposed on the outer surface of the support pole.

In a still further preferred embodiment of the invention the canopy cover is located below the support ribs and the stretching ribs in the open, operating position of the umbrella. In this embodiment the canopy cover and the support ribs are attached to a slidable crown, while the stretching ribs are supported by another crown fixedly mounted on the support pole. An arresting element adapted for retaining the sliding crown in its terminal position corresponding to the open state of the umbrella is also disposed on the support pole. According to yet another preferred embodiment the support pole extends above the bottommost point of the canopy cover, meaning that it extends into the reversed "dome" formed by the canopy. The water drain opening is disposed on the support pole in the vicinity of the lowest point of the canopy cover.

According to a still further preferred embodiment of the invention the canopy cover is located above the support ribs and the stretching ribs in the open, operating position of the umbrella. According to this embodiment the canopy cover and the support ribs are attached to the crown fixedly mounted on the support pole, while the stretching ribs are connected to the sliding crown. In this embodiment the bottom crown should be slid downwards on the support pole to open the umbrella (opening is advantageously assisted by gravity here). In case the canopy cover and/or the support ribs are of sufficiently large size, it may be unnecessary to arrest the movement of the bottom crown on the support pole. According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention the upper end of the support pole is located in the vicinity of the bottommost point of the canopy cover in the open, operating position of the umbrella.

Umbrellas produced according to the invention may be applied one by one but may also be installed in groups consisting of multiple umbrellas. In case multiple umbrellas are utilized simultaneously, the support poles of individual umbrellas may have different heights and umbrellas may be installed spaced apart such that they provide protection from sunshine coming from different directions. Positioning umbrellas of different support pole height in a manner that their canopies overlap each another may provide rain protection for larger areas.

Both the upper and bottom surfaces of the canopy cover of the inventive umbrellas can be advantageously utilized for advertising purposes.

The invention will now be described in more detail by referring to the accompanying drawings, where

Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of the inventive umbrella in half-open position, Fig. 2 shows the umbrella of Fig. 1 fully open,

Fig. 3 shows a magnified view of the slidable crown shown in Fig. 2, with the canopy cover removed,

Fig. 4 shows another embodiment of the umbrella according to the invention in half-open position, and Fig. 5 shows the umbrella shown in Fig. 4 fully open.

Fig 1 shows an embodiment of the umbrella according to the invention in half-open position, while in Fig. 2 the umbrella is shown fully open. The tubular support pole 1 of the umbrella is inserted into an umbrella base 9. Crown 4 may be freely slid along the support pole 1 between a lower (closed) terminal position and an upper (open) terminal position. A spring-actuated arresting element (not shown in the drawings) is disposed near the upper terminal position of crown 4. With the help of the arresting element the umbrella can be kept in its fully open position and can be prevented from closing accidentally. The arresting element is a solution known per se, conventionally applied in sunshades and umbrellas. Support ribs 5 are rotatably attached to crown 4, with a canopy cover 2 also being secured to the crown 4. The canopy cover 2 is also attached to the support ribs 5. In a preferred embodiment the canopy cover 2 is a circular sheet, stretched by eight support ribs 5. A crown 3 is attached to the upper end of the support pole 1. Crown 3 is not slidable along the support pole 1. Stretching ribs 6 are hingedly joined to crown 3. Each stretching rib 6 is composed of two pieces joined together by a hinge 8. The stretching ribs 6 are fixedly attached to the support ribs 5. The hinged connection of the stretching ribs 6 provides that the umbrella can be closed, and also that it can be properly stretched in the open position.

In Fig. 2 the umbrella is shown in a fully open position. An upward facing conical canopy is formed by the stretched canopy cover 2, the tip of the cone being located on the support pole 1. As it is shown in Fig. 2, the support pole 1 extends above the tip of the canopy cover 2 into the interior of the canopy. For draining (rain) water accumulating in the canopy a water drain opening 7 (shown magnified in Fig. 3) is disposed on the support pole 1. The opening 7 is located in the vicinity of the lowest point of the canopy cover 2, connecting the interior of the canopy of the umbrella with the interior of the support pole 1 so that rain water may be drained from the canopy.

Figs. 4, 5 show another embodiment of the umbrella according to the invention. The essential difference between this embodiment and the one described previously is that in the operating position of the umbrella the canopy cover is located above the support and stretching ribs. The support pole 11 is inserted into a base 19. A crown 13 is fixedly attached to the support pole 11 , with support ribs 15 being hingedly attached to the crown 13. Also, the canopy cover 2 is attached to the fixed crown 13 as well as to the support ribs 15. A slidable crown 14 is disposed on the support pole 11 below crown 13, with stretching ribs 16 being hingedly joined to the crown 14. The other end of the stretching ribs 16 is attached to the support ribs 15. According to this embodiment, in the closed position of the umbrella crowns 13, 14 touch each other. To open the umbrella, crown 14 should be slid downwards on the support pole 11.

Fig. 5 shows the umbrella fully open. The upper end of the support pole 11 is located near the lowest point of the canopy cover 12, with the upper opening 17 of the support pole being equipped with a dirt catch grate. The path of rain water in the canopy cover 2, in support pole 11 , in base 19 and further down in the gutter (not shown) is indicated by arrows in the drawing. In addition to simple construction and ease of use another advantage of the umbrella according to the invention is that either the upper or the bottom surface of the canopy cover may be utilized for advertising. A further advantage is that by installing multiple umbrellas beside one another relatively large areas can be protected from sunshine or rain. The inventive umbrella does not take up much space in its open position and therefore can be installed in a relatively confined location.

List of reference numerals

support pole canopy cover crown crown support rib stretching rib opening hinge base support pole canopy cover crown crown support rib stretching rib opening base

Claims

1. Umbrella for protection from sunshine or rain, comprising a support pole, a first crown fixedly mounted on the support pole, and a second crown slidably mounted on the support pole, where in specific cases the second crown can be arrested in the opened position of the umbrella, with support ribs and stretching ribs known per se being attached to the crowns, and with a canopy cover being secured to one of the crowns and to the support ribs, characterised by that in the operating position of the umbrella the canopy cover (2, 12) forms an open, concave body having an upwardly increasing cross-section.

2. The umbrella according to Claim 1 , characterised by that the canopy cover (2, 12) has a circular shape.

3. The umbrella according to Claim 1 , characterised by that the canopy cover (2, 12) has a polygonal shape.

4. The umbrella according to Claim 1, characterised by that it is eqiupped with a gutter channel for draining water accumulating in the canopy cover (2, 12).

5. The umbrella according to Claim 4, characterised by that the gutter channel is disposed inside the support pole (1, 11).

6. The umbrella according to Claim 1, characterised by that in the open, operating position of the umbrella the canopy cover (2) is located below the support ribs (5) and the stretching ribs (6).

7. The umbrella according to Claim 6, characterised by that in the open, operating position of the umbrella the support pole (1) extends above the lowest point of the canopy cover (2), and a water drain opening (7) is disposed on the support pole (1) in the vicinity of the lowest point of the canopy cover (2).

8. The umbrella according to Claim 1 , characterised by that in the open, operating position of the umbrella the canopy cover (2) is located above the support ribs (5) and the stretching ribs (6).

9. The umbrella according to Claim 8, characterised by that in the open, operating position of the umbrella the upper end of the support pole (11) is located in the vicinity of the lowest point of the canopy cover (12).