WO2008151827A1 - Reusable self-inflating umbrella - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a reusable, self-inflating umbrella, comprising an inflatable cover (11) made of a flexible material and an inflating mechanism (12). The interior of the cover (11) can be connected to the inflating mechanism (12) by a gaseous substance being created by a chemical reaction. The gaseous substance then inflates the interior of the cover (11). The chemical reaction may comprise a soda granulate being dissolved in citric acid. The citric acid may be accommodated in a container that is caused to rupture by the application of pressure to the outside of the inflating mechanism (12) by a user such that the chemical reaction is triggered as a result.

Description

 Reusable self-inflating umbrella

The present invention relates to a reusable self-inflating umbrella having an inflatable shell and an inflation mechanism.

Conventional, everyday umbrellas are generally relatively bulky and often cumbersome to handle. They are particularly annoying when not in use, as long as the expected rain has not yet started, or when the rain has stopped. Due to the fact that they are not easy to transport, they are often left standing or forgotten. This in turn means that they are often not carried when no rain is expected. If, contrary to expectations, it is then used, it is largely unprotected or attempted to be temporarily protected from the rain by objects held over the head, such as bags or clothing, such as jackets and the like, which, however, affect these objects and clothing items become.

Since this basic problem has long been known, the partially collapsible umbrellas have been constructed a long time ago, which require much less space in the closed state than conventional umbrellas, but are still relatively large and bulky. Although it is possible to accommodate them in a compassionate bag or the like, but this makes the considerable weight of such umbrellas disturbing noticeable. If no bag is to be carried, these umbrellas can usually not be transported practical.

The problem outlined above is exacerbated by the fact that changing the global climatic conditions could cause local weather conditions to change more rapidly from one extreme to the other. Within a few hours or even shorter, the weather conditions and especially the rain probability can change fundamentally. This results in a need to to be able to protect against sudden onset of rain in any situation under open-air conditions.

The prior art document recognizes that a goal in improving the handleability of umbrellas is to reduce their bulkiness, i. reduce the number and / or size of bulky parts in umbrellas. The bulkiness of conventional umbrellas is based in particular on the handle part, the central support rod and the fabric screen spanning radial struts. It must therefore be a goal of further developments to replace these elements with other, functionally approximately equivalent elements.

It has therefore already been proposed in a plurality of publications to design an umbrella as an inflatable umbrella, which is inflated for use and otherwise can be transported in a practical manner in folded form. A gas-filled sheath replaces the cloth shield usually spanned by metallic struts, thus providing the necessary rigidity.

In the document DE 20 2004 002 172 Ul a rain or parasol is described, which has an inflatable and screen or disk-shaped air chamber which is coupled to a compressed air cartridge. Through a valve which is actuated with a push button, the air supply of the cartridge can be controlled to the air chamber. When the umbrella is no longer needed, the air is released from the air chamber by means of the valve and the umbrella is folded and stowed in a housing.

The document US-A-3,889,700 proposes a compact self-inflating umbrella for single use. The umbrella has a housing, the lower portion serves as a handle for the use of the umbrella. Within the housing, a pressure vessel is arranged near the bottom, which is filled with a pressurized boiling liquid. Above this, inside the housing, the inflatable umbrella is stowed in the folded state. For use a closure member of the pressure vessel is broken by mechanical action from outside, so that the liquid exiting through the opening thereby produced, is then introduced to relaxed and as a gaseous ^'' substance in the inflatable chambers of the screen. As a result of the ^" puffing up of the air chambers, the screen is removed from the upper part of the housing squeezed out and unfolds to its full size. The umbrella is thrown away after a single use.

US Pat. No. 1,206,616 teaches the use of chemical substances in the context of lifejacket design, and DE 198 13 579 A1 teaches the use of chemical substances to inflate a balloon. In US 3,889,700, a propellant unit is within the shell of a screen.

These various approaches to solving the above-discussed problem have not been successful in broad application for several reasons. On the one hand, the proposed umbrellas still have bulky elements such as grips, housing and gas generating facilities, so that they are still too bulky in the unclamped state and take up too much space. A decisive technical progress compared to the common collapsible pocket umbrellas can not be achieved. On the other hand, the gas generating means provided in them for inflating the umbrella are conceptually too costly and too expensive to manufacture, so that inflatable umbrellas made in accordance with the invention, especially those for single use, can not be offered at an attractive price.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a self-inflating umbrella, which is space-saving when not in use and can also be manufactured with less manufacturing effort. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a reusable, self-inflating umbrella, which has substantially no bulky elements.

These objects are achieved by the features of claim 1. Advantageous developments and refinements are the subject of dependent claims.

Accordingly, a self-inflating umbrella according to the present invention comprises an inflatable envelope of flexible material and an inflation mechanism, wherein in the interior of the inflation mechanism by a chemical reaction, a gaseous substance is generated, through which the inflatable envelope can be inflated.

The present invention is therefore based on the fundamental knowledge that the devices proposed in the printed prior art for providing or Creation of a gas to inflate the Scliirmliülle conceptually necessarily too bulky and thus are too bulky, since the medium which is to be used for inflation must be enclosed in a non-use state in a pressure-tight container, whether in the form of a compressed air cartridge or in a Containers included pressurized boiling liquid.

It is therefore an essential idea of the present invention to provide the gaseous substance for inflating the umbrella in other ways, in which no bulky containers have to be used. This is made possible by the present invention.

Namely, the inventive idea provides the basis for storing, without the use of rigid pressure vessels, certain starting substances with the aid of which the gaseous substance is to be produced. In particular, two or more chemical substances can be arranged as starting substances of the chemical reaction in the interior of the Aufblasemechanismusses spatially separated from each other and the chemical reaction can be triggered in the application by the chemical starting substances are brought into contact with each other. For this it is in principle not necessary that the chemical starting substances are housed in rigid, pressure-tight containers. It is not even necessary in principle that they are even housed in the original state in containers.

In an exemplary and advantageous embodiment, however, it is provided that at least one of the two chemical substances is accommodated in a container, which can be opened by pressure from the outside, so that the chemical substance contained therein is released and in contact with the respective other chemical substance can occur. It can then be provided, for example, that the container is arranged at a defined position in the interior of the Aufblasemechanismusses, and at a position closest to this position of the outer wall of the Aufblasemechanismusses a mark is attached. The marking serves to indicate to the user to press in the application on the marked position and thus to open the container by pressure. The container can, for example, ^'may have a flexible outer skin, so that mechanical pressure is applied to the container this can be brought to burst and thus the leaking therein chemical substance. The inflating mechanism can be connected in a preferred embodiment of the invention by means of a valve with the inflatable shell and separated after the inflation process of this. In this way it is possible for the gaseous substance generated by the chemical reaction to flow into the inflatable casing and to remain in the casing after the separation of the inflating mechanism.

In another embodiment, the inflation mechanism without valve may be releasably connected to the inflatable shell, in which case the inflation mechanism remains connected to the now inflated envelope after inflation to prevent leakage of the gaseous substance from the inflated envelope.

In both embodiments, it is possible to vent the gaseous substance from the shell after use of the umbrella by either opening the valve or disconnecting the inflation mechanism from the shell so that the gaseous substance can escape into the environment. The inflatable sheath may then be folded small until further notice and connected to a new inflation mechanism for the next use.

With regard to the starting substances of the chemical reaction, it may be provided that a first chemical substance contains or consists of a solid and a second chemical substance contains or consists of a liquid, and when the substances are in contact with each other, the chemical reaction is that the solid material passes through the liquid is dissolved, the gaseous substance being one of the reaction products. In a practical embodiment, the solid may contain or consist of sodium carbonate (soda) or sodium bicarbonate (soda) and the second chemical substance may contain an acid. As a reaction product in the dissolution of said solids in the acid, gaseous CO _{2 is formed} . As the acid citric acid, conveniently as a component of lemon juice, or tartaric acid can be used.

As an alternative to the above-proposed choice of material for the first and the second chemical substance, another solid soluble in a liquid may be selected such that upon dissolution of the solid in the ^" liquid, a gaseous substance such as CO ₂ or O ₂ For example, the solid can also be given by a kind of effervescent powder and the liquid in the simplest Fall by water, so that also the desired result of a chemical reaction can be achieved to form a gaseous substance.

The solid should preferably be in the form of a powder or granules, so that it has as many free surfaces as possible, on which the liquid can attack.

It may further be provided that a handle part in the form of a flexible loop is attached to a position of the outer wall of the shell.

With the present invention and optionally with the above developments and embodiments can be achieved that the self-inflating umbrella can be folded in its initial state or for storage when not in use to a very space-saving size, since it no longer has bulky bulky parts.

In folded form it can easily be carried in a jacket or trouser pocket. If necessary, it is activated by pressure on the marking of the outer skin of the Aufblasemechanismusses so that the internal chemical reaction is initiated. Since there is a vacuum in the shell or chambers to be inflated in the initial state, the gaseous substance produced by the chemical reaction flows very rapidly into the shell or chambers and thus inflates them very quickly, so that the umbrella is available within a very short time ,

In the following the invention will be explained in more detail by means of exemplary embodiments in conjunction with the drawing figures.

Show it:

1 is a perspective view (obliquely from above) of a first embodiment of a self-inflating umbrella in the inflated state.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view (from below) of the first embodiment of FIG.

1, Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the envelope of the self-inflating umbrella;

Fig. 4 is a section through the inflating mechanism in a preferred

embodiment; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view (obliquely from above) another

Ausfuhrungsförrn a self-inflating umbrella according to the invention.

1 shows a first embodiment of a self-inflating umbrella according to the invention in a perspective view from above. The self-inflating umbrella 10 consists essentially of an inflatable shell 11 of a flexible material, for example a suitable plastic material such as polypropylene or the like. Alternatively, a suitable film material may be used. In the non-use state, i. So before inflation or after draining the gaseous substance prevails in the interior of the shell 11, a vacuum, so that it can be folded to a very narrow space. The shell 11 is made such that it assumes the form of a hood shown in FIG. 1 in the inflated state, which can be held over the head to protect against rain. In the perspective view obliquely from below shown in Fig. 2 it can be seen that on the concave side of the hood at a central portion of a loop 13 is mounted made of a flexible material through which a hand can be pushed in use and thus the Umbrella 10 can be held firmly and safely above the head. The umbrella 10 can be produced in different sizes. In the smallest embodiment, the diameter of the hood is just large enough to cover the user's head. In slightly larger embodiments, the hood may have a diameter such that the shoulder areas of the user are still covered.

On the shell 11, an inflating mechanism 12 may be attached, which may have a circular or rectangular shape, for example, in plan view. In the inflator mechanism 12, the generation of the gaseous substance for activation and inflation of the umbrella 10 takes place.

FIG. 3 shows a cross-section of a preferred embodiment of the sheath 11. The inflator mechanism 12 may be attached to the connector 14. In a According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, connector 14 includes a valve which prevents the gaseous substance from flowing out of the inflated envelope after removal of the inflation mechanism 12. However, it is also conceivable that the connecting piece 14 essentially serves only the detachable connection with the inflating mechanism 12, for example by means of a screw connection, and the inflating mechanism remains connected to the casing as long as the gaseous substance is to remain in the casing. Furthermore, the connecting piece 14 does not have to be on the top side of the screen as shown in FIG. 3, but it can also be mounted centrally on the underside or, for example, on the edge of the screen.

In Figure 4, an embodiment of the Aufblasemechanismusses 12 is shown in cross section. Within a chamber or shell is a container 12.2, in which citric acid or lemon juice is contained. Laterally adjacent to the container 12.2 is a granulate or powder 12.3 of soda (sodium carbonate) or sodium (sodium bicarbonate) arranged. On the outside of the chamber or shell a mark is attached. At this mark, the outer wall of the shell or chamber can be pressed up to the container 12.2, so that the container 12.2 can be compressed and brought to bursting. Alternative to the marking

_*

12.4 can also be provided that the outer skin of the shell or chamber is completely transparent or in the area of the container 12.2, so that the user can visually recognize the container 12.2 and after the forced bursting of the container 12.2 can also observe the process of gas production.

The container 12.2 may consist of a small plastic molded envelope or bag filled with lemon juice or citric acid and having a rectangular shape and welded together at one or more of the lateral boundaries. Upon compression, the sheath preferably ruptures at one or more of these seams. As shown in Figure 4, therefore, suitable provisions can be made that the container 12.2 pops only on one side and thus its contents in one direction only, namely in the direction of the granules 12.3, exits. As shown, the container 12.2 may be additionally reinforced at three lateral boundaries. When squeezing the container bursts 12.2 thus only on the left side. There may be a production-related seam or "it may alternatively or additionally be provided a predetermined breaking point in the outer skin of the container 12.2 as a perforation or the like. After bursting of the container 12.2, the liquid contained therein exits very quickly, since there is a vacuum in the interior of the Aufblasemechanismusses 12. However, it is necessary to ensure that the lemon juice flows over the granules 12.3 in a targeted manner and as completely as possible in order to effect the chemical reaction, ie the dissolution of the soda granules 12.3. The inflator mechanism 12 includes a connector 12.1 for connecting to the shell 11 so that the gas released during the reaction can flow from the inflator into the shell 11. However, in order to prevent the liquid emerging from the container 12.2 and / or the granules 12.3 from getting into the interior of the envelope 11, the connecting piece 12.1 has a membrane 12.4. The membrane 12.4 consists of a material which is permeable to the gaseous substance produced in the chemical reaction, in the present exemplary embodiment thus gaseous CO ₂ , or alternatively has a dense network of pores, through which only the gaseous substance can pass. At the same time, the membrane 12.4 is impermeable to the liquid and granules. For example, the liquid may have a surface tension that prevents it from passing through the pores of the membrane 12.4.

In the chosen exemplary embodiment, the granules of soda, sodium carbonate so the chemical formula Na ₂ CO _3, or of soda, sodium hydrogen carbonate so with the chemical formula NaHCO _3. The acid used to dissolve the soda ash granules is in the present embodiment, citric acid having the chemical ^"short designation C ₆ H ₈ O ₇ is citric acid in lemon juice with a proportion of 5 -. Contain 7%, so that stored in the simplest case in the container 12.2 Lemon Juice The reaction product obtained by dissolving the soda granules with citric acid is gaseous CO _2. The chemical reaction equation is therefore as follows:

3 Na ₂ CO ₃ + 2 C ₆ H ₈ O ₇ => 3 H ₂ O + 3 CO ₂ + 2 C ₆ H ₅ O ₇ -3 + 6 Na +

or expressed in words

Soda + citric acid => water + carbon dioxide + sodium citrate

However, it is also possible to use another acid, for example wemic acid, to dissolve the granules. The gaseous CO ₂ thus generated penetrates very rapidly through the pores of the membrane 12.4 via the connection of the connectors 12.1 and 14 in the interior of the shell 11 and thus inflates the sheath 11. The bottom portion of the sheath 11 may have a slightly greater thickness than the remaining outer skin of the sheath 11 in a central region around the loop 13 so as to provide the necessary stability and strength in this region. As shown in Fig. 3, the outside of this bottom portion, the loop 13 is mounted made of flexible material. The loop 13 is preferably made of a thin space-saving layer of a suitable plastic material such as polypropylene. In Fig. 3, the outer edge of the shell 11 is also shown. As can be seen, in this area, an upper shell part 11.1 can be welded together with a lower shell part 11.2 along a seam 11.3 running along the circumference. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that corresponding welds and the connectors 12.1 and 14 must be designed so that they essentially do not permit escape of the gaseous substance.

After use of the screen, the gaseous substance can be discharged again from the interior of the shell 11 by the valve located in the connector 14 is opened or the connection between the shell and inflating mechanism is disconnected. After the discharge of the filling gas, the shell 11 can be folded again small, for example, to a square packet. The folding takes place so that the connecting piece 14 remains accessible in the folded state. A new outer shell mechanic may be attached to connector 14 either immediately or the next time the umbrella is used to allow for re-inflation. The inflating mechanisms are disposable, which can be disposed of after a single use. The example square pack and the trigger mechanism are so small that they can be easily carried in a pocket of a garment. If desired, however, the square pack may be stored with the triggering mechanism in a suitably adapted case, particularly to prevent the shield from being inadvertently released.

5, a second embodiment of a self-inflating umbrella according to the invention is shown in a perspective view obliquely from above. The self-inflating umbrella 20, unlike the first embodiment of FIG. 1, has a sheath 21 that has a number of radially from a central chamber 22 outgoing inflatable channels 21.1, between which each non-shell-shaped, single-layer areas 21.2 extend. Although such umbrella 20 is somewhat more expensive to manufacture, but can be inflated faster in use, since only the channels 21.1 and thus less volume must be filled with the generated gaseous substance. Instead of 7 channels 21.1 as shown in Fig. 5, more channels or fewer channels, such as only 2 or 3 channels, may be used. The connector 14 (not shown in Figure 5) for connection to the inflator mechanism may be mounted centrally on the top or bottom of the shield as in the previously described embodiment. But it is also possible to attach the connector at the end of one of the channels 21.1.

The invention also relates to an inflatable balloon in which the same principle as in the umbrella described above is used and all other details and features described above in connection with the umbrella can be used. Inside, there may be a vacuum before use. The balloon may have at any point thereof a connector 14 as described above. It may be connected to the inflation mechanism or inflator 12 by means of the same and then inflated or inflated automatically by means of the gaseous substance generated therein. For example, a simple toy balloon, in particular in the form of a foil balloon made of a sheet material, can be used.

In the simplest embodiment, the balloon may consist of two parts, in particular foils, which are each welded together at their peripheral edges and thus form a closed shell. The two films can be congruent to each other, ie be placed congruent to each other. Incidentally, the foils may give a figure like an animal or the like in the inflated state of the balloon. Various forms of the inflated balloon are conceivable. In the simplest case, the films may also be circular, so that the inflated balloon has substantially the shape of a ball. The balloon can also be used as an advertising medium by printing on the outer surface of the envelope an advertising message. In addition to the embodiments described above, the invention also relates to any other inflatable objects that can be inflated or inflated by means of the inflation mechanism or inflator 12. They may each have a connector 14 as described above at an arbitrary position thereof, be connected to the inflation mechanism 12 by the same, and then be inflated by the gaseous substance generated therein. Some exemplary use cases or examples of such objects are described below, the description being merely exemplary and not limiting. Basically, an inflated object can take any shape.

The object may be, for example, an inflatable packaging. It may or may not be preformed. The package can inflate automatically and put around an item to be packaged or placed around this. The object may also be an inflatable tire for a motor vehicle. Likewise, it may be an inflatable lifejacket or an inflatable life ring, these objects may each be maintenance-free. Other aids for emergency situations, especially outdoors, are feasible. For example, the object may be an inflatable large area garment (jackets, coats, gloves, shoes, etc.), protective tent, or sleeping bag for protection from the cold during temperature drops and accidents in remote areas in winter. Such utensils can also be used for unexpected, unplanned nights outdoors, especially in cold weather conditions. Namely, the gaseous substance used in inflating the object is a good heat insulator. This effect can be enhanced if the shell of the object is coated with at least one heat-insulating material. For example, a coating of metals, e.g. anodized aluminum, in question.

The object may be an inflatable beach ball or other dimensionally stable or non-dimensionally stable bath accessory accessory such as an air mattress. It can also be an inflatable swimming pool or an inflatable pool. Likewise, further applications in the home and garden area are conceivable. For example, the object may be a mattress, a pillow, etc. Such an object can be provided for guests and then, if there are no guests in the house, space saving stored. By the above-described heat-insulating effect of the gaseous substance used for inflation, in particular also this effect exploiting applications are conceivable. For example, the object may be an inflatable cooler box, an inflatable cooler bag, an inflatable thermal bag, etc., wherein the efficiency of the thermal insulation may in turn be increased by means of a coating by metals, eg an anodized coating. Thus, for example, a spontaneous purchase of frozen food or ice cream is possible even at higher ambient temperatures without having to constantly carry a place-taking utensil such as a conventional cool box. A thermo bag or a thermos can also replace a conventional thermos flask, if warm or cold drinks etc. are to be carried along. Many other applications are conceivable. For example, the object can also serve as fire protection, since the gaseous substance used for inflation can act as a quenching gas. This effect can be enhanced if the shell of the object consists of a fire-resistant or fire-resistant material.

The solutions described above are technically simple, inexpensive, reliable and maintenance-free. They allow a space-saving storage of objects when they are not used, and their efficiency in the application is high. In addition, various pressures can be generated by different dosages of the chemical substances used for gas generation, which makes it possible to realize objects with very high or less high dimensional stability.

Claims

claims A self-inflating umbrella comprising an inflatable envelope (11) of flexible material and an inflation mechanism (12) releasably and gas-tightly connectable to the inflatable envelope (11), wherein in an interior of the inflation mechanism (12) there are two or more chemical substances are spatially separated from each other, which trigger a chemical reaction upon contact with each other, whereby a gaseous substance for inflating the inflatable envelope (11) is generated, and wherein at least one of the two chemical substances in a container (12.2) is housed with a flexible outer skin , which can be opened by pressure. 2. A self-inflating umbrella according to claim 1, wherein the inflating mechanism (12) is connected to the inflatable sheath (11) via a valve and can be removed after inflation without the gaseous substance escaping from the inflated sheath. A self-inflating umbrella according to claim 1, wherein the inflation mechanism (12) can be connected without valve to the inflatable envelope (11) and remains connected to the envelope after inflation until the gaseous substance is to escape from the inflated envelope. A self-inflating umbrella according to any of claims 1-3, wherein a first chemical substance of the inflating mechanism contains or consists of a solid and a second chemical substance contains or consists of a liquid and the solid is dissolved by the liquid, the gaseous substance one of the resulting reaction products. A self-inflating umbrella according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein the first chemical substance is sodium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate and the second chemical substance contains an acid such that the reaction product formed in the chemical reaction is gaseous CO ₂ . A self-inflating umbrella according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein the second chemical substance contains or consists of citric acid. A self-inflating umbrella according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein the second chemical substance contains or consists of lemon juice. 8. Self-inflating umbrella according to one of claims 1-7, wherein the container (12.2) is arranged at a defined position in the interior of the Aufblasemechanismusses and at a position closest to this position of the outer wall of the Aufblasemechanismusses a mark is attached. A self-inflating umbrella according to any of claims 1-8, wherein the inflating mechanism can be centrally mounted on the top of the inflatable shell. A self-inflating umbrella according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein the inflating mechanism can be centrally mounted on the underside of the inflatable shell. A self-inflating umbrella according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein the inflating mechanism can be attached to the side edge of the inflatable shell. 12. Self-inflating umbrella according to one of claims 1-11, wherein at a position of the outer wall of the sheath (11), a grip part (13) is attached in the form of a flexible loop. 13. An inflating mechanism for inflating an inflatable object, which can be detachably and gas-tightly connected to an inflatable shell (11) of the inflatable object, wherein in an interior of the inflating mechanism (12) two or more chemical substances are arranged spatially separated from each other when in contact cause a chemical reaction with each other, whereby a gaseous substance for inflating the inflatable envelope (11) is generated, and wherein at least one of the two chemical substances in a container (12.2) is housed with a flexible outer skin, which can be opened by pressure. The inflating mechanism of claim 13, wherein the inflatable object is an umbrella. 15. Use of an inflation mechanism according to claim 13 or 14 in inflating an inflatable object.