AU633056B2 - Sectional umbrella - Google Patents

Description

11~0~ I S F R 123688 FORM COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE: Class Int Class Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority: Related Art: *000 *0 *o Name and Address of Applicant: Address for Service: Masao Kurimoto 978 Koizumi-chou Yamatokouriyama Nara

JAPAN

Spruson Ferguson, Patent Attorneys Level 33 St Martins Tower, 31 Market Street Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia Complete Specification for the invention entitled: Sectional Umbrella The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us 0 0 0 000*00 5845/3 I -I C III I ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A sectional umbrella includes an umbrella part comprising a stem-top piece, an upper boss, a lower boss slidably fitted in the stem-top piece 1, n main ribs having their bottoms radially connected to the upper boss, n supporting ribs having their bottoms radially connected to the lower boss, n hinge members 6 individually connecting tips of the main ribs to tips of the supporting ribs, n extension ribs having bottoms connected to the hinge members by pins such that they can be freely folded, and an umbrella cloth covering an upper surface formed by the n o main ribs and the n extension ribs, and a stem part detachably mounted on a lower part of the stem-top piece, o~ooe comprising a latch for preventing the lower boss from o S returning to the upper part and having construction such oe that the stein is divided into a plurality of numbers or it can be telescopic by a plurality of stages.

o •e or eoeeeo IA SECTIONAL UMBRELLA FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a sectional umbrella which can be folded and disassembled to be convenient to carry or store.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, as shown in Japanese Utility Model Laid Open No. 60-180522, there is proposed a sectional umbrella comprising a rib part, a stem and a cloth which can be disassembled so as to be easily carried or stored.

In addition, there are proposed various two-stage or three-stage telescopic umbrellas.

According to a conventional telescopic umbrella or sectional umbrella, since a length of a supporting rib is 1/3 1/4 of a radius of an umbrella cloth in a state where the umbrella is assembled and opened, it is rather short to bear strong wind pressure. In addition, its assembling operation is complicated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a compact umbrella.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter; it should be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific embodiment are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

''LMM/1784m -2- Accordingly, there is provided as a preferred embodiment, an umbrella comprising: a stem; an upper boss having a means for stem attachment a plurality of vertical slots formed therein; each vertical slot receiving a lower end of a main rib, the main ribs pivotable in the vertical slots; a lower boss having a plurality of vertical slots formed therein; each lower boss vertical slot pivotally receiving a lower end of a supporting rib; a plurality of hinges pivotally connecting the main ribs to tip portions of supporting ribs; each main rib having an extension rib hinge pivotally supporting a lower end of an extension rib, the extension rib hinge further comprising means for preventing the extension ribs from over-extending; an umbrella cloth provided on a surface defined by the main ribs and the extension ribs; the umbrella having a folded position in which, relative to a deployed position, tips of the extension ribs are folded inwardly toward the upper boss, each of the main and supporting ribs folding away from the stem.

e 99 LMM/1784m -3- Since there may be n vertical through trenches for suhstantially pivoting the main ribs and the supporting ribs over 1800 formed in the upper boss and the lower boss, the umbrella part pivots upper than the stem-top piece in its Folded state as shown in Fig. 1 or Fig. 3(a) as compared with a case where the umbrella part is positioned lower than the stem-top piece in its used state as shown in Fig. 4. In addition, n extension ribs may be Folded on the side opposite to the side on which it is bent in a used state. Furthermore, one stem can be disassembled into a plurality of numbers as shown in Fig. 1. As a result, the umbrella part and the plurality of stem constituents may have the same length as the main rib and the supporting rib from the stem-top piece to the hinge member when they are folded and disassembled, which length is about 1/4 of a diameter of the opened umbrella cloth.

In addition, when it is opened, the supporting rib may be provided over about 1/2 of the radius of the umbrella cloth, so that it is nearer to an outer periphery of the *ee e r LMM/1784m

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9O 99999 9 *e *9 09 9 umbrella cloth as compared with 1/3 1/4 in the prior art, with the result that resistance to external force such as wind pressure can be increased.

Furthermore, it is very easy to handle because it can be prepared for use only by connecting the plurality of disassembled stem constituents to the stem-top piece of the umbrella part shown in Fig. 1 or expanding to form one stem and then drawing the lower boss downward until the lower boss is caught by the latch.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is an exploded view showing a disassembled and folded state of a sectional umbrella in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged view showing II part in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view showing a method for assembling the sectional umbrella; and Fig. 4 is a view showing the sectional umbrella of the present invention when it is used.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Fig. 1 is an exploded view showing a sectional umbrella in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

An umbrella part A comprises a boss member in which an upper boss 2 is integrally formed on an upper part of a stem-top piece I, a lower boss 3 slidably fitted in the 1I Ih. p-sm~-~P-LI~ stem-top piece 1, n main ribs 4 having their bottoms radially connected to the upper boss 2, n supporting ribs having their bottoms radially connected to the lower boss 3, n hinge members 6 individually connecting tips of the main ribs 4 to tips of the supporting ribs 5, n extension ribs having bottoms connected to the hinge members by pins such that they can be freely folded, and an umbrella cloth 8 covering an upper surface formed by the n main ribs and the n extension ribs.

N vertical through trenches are formed in the upper boss 2 and the lower boss 3 to pivot the main ribs 4 and the supporting ribs 5 over an angle of 180" or slightly s* less than that. In addition, as shown in Fig. 2, the hinge member 6 has a pin 9 connecting the main rib 4 to the supporting rib 5 and a pin 10 connecting the extension rib 7 at its upper end and comprises an extension rib supporting part 11 integrally formed at its end, which prevents the extension rib from pivoting lower than the extension direction of the main rib when the umbrella is e o used.

A stem B comprises a first stem 14 having a male screw 12 connected to a female screw at a lower part of the stem-top piece 1 and a latch 13 preventing the lower boss from returning to an upper part, a second stem 15 connected to a lower end of the first stem 14 by a screw, a third stem 17 having a length adjuster. 16 which fixes the second stem at any position and a fourth stem 19 connected to a lower end of the third stem 17 by a screw and having a shoe 18 at its lower end.

When a sectional umbrella in accordance with the above embodiment of the present invention is assembled, first, the lower part of the stem-top piece 1, the first, second, third and fourth stems 14, 15, 17 and 19 are connected as shown in Fig. 3 to be one stem while the umbrella part A is still folded. Then, the lower boss 3 is drawn downward and the extension rib 7 is opened. Then, the lower boss 3 is further drawn downward against tension of the umbrella cloth 8 until it is caught by the latch 13 and the main rib 4 and the extension rib 7 are roundly bent as shown in Fig.

.4.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a stem part B can be telescopic in which a second stem is housed in a first stem and its lower stem is s housed in it and so forth. Although the shoe 18 is used in 60 0 the above embodiment, a grip can be used instead of it.

According to the present invention, an umbrella can be easily assembled to be used only by connecting the stem-top .o piece of the umbrella part in a folded state to the stem part and drawing the lower boss until it is caught by a latch and it can be disassembled by a reversed order of 6 Prm~ l- ra~s~CI"Li~~~~ that procedure, whereby assembling and disassembling operation can be easily performed. In addition, the number of constituents is reduced because a spring and the like can be dispensed with, with the result that its constitution is simple and solid and its production costs can be reduced. Furthermore, since the main rib, the supporting rib and the extension rib have almost the same size, the hinge member is arranged at a middle position of 0.00 a radius of the umbrella cloth or nearer to an outer periphery than that, so that resistance to external force ooooo S such as wind pressure can be increased.

*0a**t SAlthough the present invention has been described and illustrated in detail, it is clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only and is not to be taken by way of limitation, the spirit and scope of the present invention being limited only by the terms of t pe.

the appended claims.

o• i

Claims (9)

1. An umbrella comprising: a stem; an upper boss at the top end of said stem having a means for stem attachment and a plurality of vertical slots formed therein; each vertical slot receiving a lower end of a main rib, the main ribs being pivotable in the vertical slots; a lower boss slidable along said stem relative to said upper boss and having a plurality of vertical slots formed therein; each lower boss vertical slot pivotally receiving a lower end of a supporting rib; a plurality of hinges pivotally connecting the main ribs to tip portions of supporting ribs; each main rib having an extension rib hinge pivotally supporting a lower end of an extension rib, the extension rib hinge further comprising means for limiting the pivotting extension ribs relative to respective main ribs; an umbrella cloth provided on a surface defined by the main ribs and the extension ribs; 20 the umbrella having a folded position in which, relative to a deployed position, tips of the extension ribs are folded inwardly toward the upper boss, each of the main and supporting ribs folding away from the stem.

2. The umbrella of claim 1, wherein the 'lower boss includes a S 25 central bore which slidably receives the upper boss.

3. The umbrella of either of claims 1 or 2, wherein the stem is formed in sections or is telescopic.

4. The umbrella of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each of the ribs is approximately the same length.

5. The umbrella of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the hinges connecting the main ribs to the tip portions of the supporting ribs and the extension rib hinges are formed from a plurality of hinge members, each hinge member further comprising an axis extending in the direction of a longitudinal axis of a main rib, an extension rib hinge point located on one side of the axis and a supporting Oib hinge point located on another side of the axis.

6. The umbrella of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the lower end of the extension ribs are hinged so as to pivot through about 180. 784m rap-~a~ 9

7. The umbrella of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the stem is detachably mountable to the means for stem attachment.

8. The umbrella of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the stem further comprises means for releasably restraining the lower boss so that the umbrella can be maintained in the deployed position.

9. The umbrella of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the number of main, supporting and extension ribs is equal. An umbrella, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawing figures. DATED this SECOND day of NOVEMBER 1992 Masao Kurimoto Patent Attorneys for the Applicant SPRUSON FERGUSON r o j L RLF/1784m