EP3219222B1

EP3219222B1 - Slider positioning device, umbrella support device and umbrella

Info

Publication number: EP3219222B1
Application number: EP16186795.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jianping Xie
Original assignee: Yotrio Group Co Ltd
Current assignee: Yotrio Group Co Ltd
Priority date: 2016-03-18
Filing date: 2016-09-01
Publication date: 2020-08-26
Anticipated expiration: 2036-09-01
Also published as: ES2823026T3; EP3219222A1; EP3219222B8; CN205432475U

Description

The invention refers to a slider positioning device on an umbrella pole, an umbrella support device and an umbrella. It belongs to the technology field of umbrellas; it particularly involves a slider positioning device on the umbrella pole.
In some umbrellas, sliding positioning mechanisms are used, e.g. to connect the umbrella pole and a pole that supports the canopy. The relative position between the umbrella pole and the supporting pole can be adjusted with the help of this positioning mechanism, e.g. in order to achieve opening and closing of the umbrella and adjusting the umbrella canopy's inclination. The traditional positioning mechanism usually opens a row of holes on the standing pole and combines them through inserting pins. Moving the pin may be enabled through a lever or an arbitrary force transmission mechanism. As a result, the operation is complicated and inconvenient and involves loss of force during transmission. The umbrella is inconvenient to assemble and to dismantle and the positioning mechanism is bulky, unsightly and difficult to operate.
EP 2 556 767 A1 describes an umbrella with a slider positioning device.
The problem to be solved by this invention is to provide a safer, easier to operate, simpler structured and smaller slider positioning device on the umbrella pole as well as an umbrella support device and an umbrella with a slider positioning device.
The problem is solved by the slider positioning device as claimed in claim 1, the umbrella support device as claimed in claim 6 and the umbrella as claimed in claim 7. Advantageous embodiments of the slider positioning device are described in claims 2-5 and an advantageous embodiment of the umbrella is described in claim 8.
A first aspect of the invention is a slider positioning device on an umbrella pole, comprising a slider with a locking mechanism, an umbrella pole and a positioning item. A groove is arranged axially on the umbrella pole and the positioning item is arranged and fixed inside the groove. The positioning item located on the umbrella pole allows the locking mechanism of the slider to lock and unlock, so that the slider can slide axially and be positioned on the umbrella pole.
In other words, a slider positioning device on the umbrella pole is provided, including an umbrella pole which has a groove axially, inside the groove is a positioning item, the positioning item is fixed with the umbrella pole. The special feature is that the positioning item located on the umbrella pole can allow the locking mechanism of the slider to lock and unlock, so that the slider can slide axially and position on the umbrella pole.
During use as intended, the umbrella pole with the groove is aligned essentially vertically. The positioning item is particularly a bar with locking positions such as a toothed rack. It is arranged and fixed inside the groove and, thus, fixed on the umbrella pole. Typically, the slider can be positioned and fixed in various positions on the umbrella pole by engaging the respective part of the locking mechanism with a desired locking position of the positioning item.
Although the pole is referred to as umbrella pole, the slider positioning device according to the invention may obviously also be used for sunshades. This refers to all described embodiments and claims.
The slider may comprise further operating elements, such as a crank for folding and unfolding of the umbrella's canopy.
In one embodiment, the locking mechanism on the slider comprises a left shell and a right shell. Between the left shell and right shell is a guiding device, and a locking device is mechanically connected to the guiding device. This locking device is suitable to engage with the positioning item in order to achieve positioning, locking and unlocking of the slider accordingly to the positioning item on the umbrella pole. The locking device is mechanically connected with a sliding device through a connecting rod and a resetting device is located between the locking device and the guiding device.
The guiding device is typically attached between the left shell and the right shell. Particularly, it is realized as a handle or knob suitable for manual handling and may be fixed on one or both shells and/or clamped between them. It is at least partly arranged between the shells; however, obviously, parts of the guiding device may protrude from the shells. The locking device is particularly suitable to engage at least partly with the positioning item. This means, it comprises a part which is suitable to engage with the locking positions. This achieves an exact positioning of the slider and, particularly, a fixation in the desired position. The locking device may be partly positioned inside the guiding device to achieve a guide-like effect when a relative movement is realized between guiding device and locking device. The sliding device is particularly slidable relative to the guiding device by a manual pulling movement. The connecting rod may e.g. provide an at least one-sided positive connection between sliding device and locking (stuck) device, acting at least in the pulling direction. The resetting device is e.g. a spring and it is particularly suitable to re-position the sliding device and the locking device after a pull-out movement.
A typical adjustment would comprise manually grabbing the guiding device and pulling out the sliding device relative to the guiding device against the force exerted by the resetting device to release the locking device from the positioning item. The slider can then be moved axially on the umbrella pole to adjust the height and/or inclination angle of the canopy. Finally, the slider is released and the resetting device re-positions the sliding device and the locking device and engages the locking device in the respective locking position of the positioning item. The slider is fixed again.
In this technical solution, the described locking mechanism on the slider consist of left shell and right shell, between the left shell and right shell is a guiding device, inside the guiding device is a locking device that allows the positioning item to work with locking mechanism in order to achieve positioning. The locking device is combined with the sliding device through a connecting rod, a resetting device is located between the locking device and guiding device, the locking device is connected with the resetting device through sliding device, which allows the slider to be locked and unlocked accordingly to the positioning item on the umbrella pole. In another embodiment of the invention, the positioning item provides the umbrella pole with several axially located cavities which can be locked with the locking device.
The cavities may be pits, blind or through holes, recesses between teeth of a toothed rack or arbitrary shaped contours with which the locking device can be engaged to achieve a locking of the slider on the umbrella pole. They particularly comprise structures which are aligned perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the umbrella pole such as horizontal edges which are suitable to provide a fixation basis.
In another embodiment, the sliding device is arranged around the guiding device so that it can slide axially.
Particularly, the knob or handle comprises two parts, the guiding device and the sliding device. The guiding device comprises a hollow protrusion aligned in the direction of the locking device. Inside the protrusion, the resetting device and the locking device are arranged. On the outside, the sliding device is slidably arranged.
Particularly, the sliding device is arranged around the guiding device, so that it can slide axially. The sliding axis may be essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the umbrella pole.
Compared with current technology, the slider positioning device according to the invention is safer, easier to operate and simpler structured. The force is transmitted directly through the sliding device in combination with the guiding device. The slider positioning device can achieve an automatic locking function and is widely applicable. The components involved are standard components and easy to manufacture. Combinations with other techniques are simple and the solution reduces the size of the sliding item which can largely reduce production costs.
The slider may be arranged around the umbrella pole and there may be a slide ring located between the slider and the umbrella pole.
The slider positioning device comprises at least one locking device, at least one resetting device and an operating unit. The positioning item is a bar with locking positions and the resetting device is suitable to exert a force on the locking device, engaging the locking device with a locking position of the positioning item. The operating unit comprises a guiding device and a sliding device, wherein the sliding device is in operative connection with the locking device. The locking device is releasable from the locking position against the force exerted by the resetting device by pulling out the sliding device of the operating unit.
The bar with locking positions particularly extends in longitudinal direction of the pole. It may be realized as a toothed rack. The resetting device is particularly a spring. The guiding device makes up the stationary part of the operating unit, i.e. the part which cannot be pulled out. The locking device is mechanically coupled with the sliding device.
Engaging in the context of the invention means realizing or maintaining an engagement, particularly between the locking device and a locking position of the positioning item.
Through the operating unit which is subdivided into two parts according to the invention, the operation becomes much easier and more convenient. The operation can be performed with one hand, as the operating unit, e.g. the knob, can simply be moved on the umbrella pole while maintaining the force against the resetting device that holds the lock released.
A second aspect of the invention is an umbrella support device, comprising a slider positioning device according the invention. Particularly, the umbrella support device further comprises an umbrella stand.
A third aspect of the invention is an umbrella, comprising a slider positioning device according to the invention or an umbrella support device according to the invention.
In one embodiment of the umbrella, the slider positioning device is arranged between the umbrella pole and a pole that supports an umbrella canopy. The slider is suitable for realizing a modification of an inclination angle and/or an opening and closing of the umbrella. Particularly, the sliding of the slider on the umbrella pole changes the relative position between the umbrella pole and the supporting pole, resulting in a modification of the canopy's inclination angle. The slider positioning device is used to position and fix the slider on the umbrella pole.

Figure 1 is the installation schematic of a slider positioning device according to the invention.
Figure 2 is a sectional view of one embodiment of the umbrella pole according to the invention.
Figure 3 is a schematic view of a positioning item according to the invention.
Figure 4 is a 3D exploded schematic of a slider positioning device according to the invention.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal section of the umbrella pole with the slider positioning device according to the invention.
Figure 6 is a transverse section of the umbrella pole with the slider positioning device according to the invention.
Figure 7 is a sectional view of another embodiment of the umbrella pole according to the invention.
Figure 8 is a schematic view of another positioning item according to the invention.

Below is an example and brief description of the invention in order to further explain the technical solution of the invention. However, the application of the invention is not limited to this example.
Figure 1 shows the installation schematic of a slider positioning device according to the invention. The slider 1 with the sliding positioning mechanism connects the umbrella pole 2 and the supporting pole that supports the canopy. The slider 1 is suitable for realizing a modification of the canopy's inclination angle. Particularly, a sliding movement of the slider 1 on the umbrella pole 2 changes the relative position between the umbrella pole 1 and the supporting pole.
Figures 2 and 7 are sectional views of different embodiments of the umbrella pole 2 according to the invention. The axially aligned grooves 2a are differently shaped to receive different positioning items 4, as shown in figures 3 and 8. Fig. 3 shows a toothed rack in which the cavities 4a are realized as recesses between the teeth, whereas Fig. 3 shows a bar with cavities 4a realized as essentially rectangular locking positions. The positioning item 4 is attached to the umbrella pole's groove through at least one fastener, e.g. a screw.
Fig. 4 shows a slider positioning device on the umbrella pole according to the invention in an exploded view. It comprises a slider 1 which is subdivided into a left shell 1a and a right shell 1b with a locking mechanism combined with a positioning mechanism on the umbrella pole 2. The positioning mechanism includes the umbrella pole 2, a positioning item 4, fasteners, etc.
The slider lock mechanism comprises a guiding device 3, realized as knob, a resetting device 8, realized as spring, a locking device 5, a sliding device 7 and a connecting rod 6. The spring is located between the guiding device 3 and the locking device 5; the sliding device 7 is arranged around the guiding device 3 and is able to slide axially, performing a movement towards or away from the umbrella pole 2. In addition, the connecting rod 6 connects the sliding device 7 and the locking device 5. The locking device 5 is suitable to slide within a hollow protrusion inside the guiding device 3, the sliding device 7 can slide axially with a one-hand operation movement pulling out the sliding device 7 towards the guiding device 3. The sliding device 7 is connected to the locking device 5 with a connecting rod 6 which can slide axially on the guiding device 3. Guiding device 3 and sliding device 7 form a compact operation unit which can be operated easily with one hand. The guiding device 3 is fixed between the left and right shell.
The presented slider positioning device on the umbrella pole 2 provides a safer and easier way to adjust the relative position between the umbrella pole 2 and the standing pole in order to achieve opening and closing and adjusting the umbrella canopy's inclination. When adjusting the umbrella canopy's inclination, one only needs to pull out the sliding device 7, which leads the connecting rod 6 to move backwards, then the connecting rod 6 causes the locking device 5 to move backwards. After the locking device 5 and the positioning item 4 unlock, the sliding device 7 can slide axially on the umbrella pole 2. When locking the umbrella canopy's inclination, as long as there is no external force on the sliding device 7, the return spring located between the guiding device 3 and locking device 5 causes the locking device 5 and the positioning item 4 to lock with each other, thus achieving an automatic locking function. The locking device 5 can lock in any cavity 4a of the positioning device 4.
Fig. 5 shows a longitudinal section of the umbrella pole with the slider positioning device according to the invention. The interlock or engagement of the locking device 5 within a cavity 4a of the positioning item 4 and the fixation of the lock by the resetting device 8, realized as a spring, can be seen. The guiding device 3 and the sliding device 7 make up two parts of an operation unit which can be easily operated with one hand. Slide rings 9 are arranged on the upper and the lower contacting areas of slider 2 and umbrella pole 2.
Figure 6 is a transverse section of the umbrella pole 2 with the slider positioning device according to the invention. The ergonomic operating unit, comprising the sliding device 7 and the guiding device 3, is visible.

The detailed application described in this document is merely an example in order to illustrate the idea of this invention.

List of reference signs

slider

	1
left shell	1a
right shell	1b
umbrella pole
	2
groove	2a
guiding device
	3
positioning item	4
cavity	4a
locking device
	5
connecting rod	6
sliding device	7
resetting device	8
slide ring	9

Claims

Slider positioning device on an umbrella pole comprising a slider (1) with a locking mechanism, an umbrella pole (2) and a positioning item (4), wherein a groove (2a) is arranged axially on the umbrella pole (2), the positioning item (4) is arranged and fixed inside the groove (2a), wherein the positioning item (4) located on the umbrella pole (2) allows the locking mechanism of the slider (1) to lock and unlock, so that the slider (1) can slide axially and be positioned on the umbrella pole (2), wherein said slider positioning device comprises at least one locking device (5), at least one resetting device (8) and an operating unit, wherein the positioning item (4) is a bar with locking positions and the resetting device (8) is suitable to exert a force on the locking device (5), engaging the locking device (5) with a locking position of the positioning item (4), wherein the operating unit comprises a guiding device (3) and a sliding device (7), wherein the sliding device (7) is in operative connection with the locking device (5), and the locking device (5) is releasable from the locking position against the force exerted by the resetting device (8) by pulling out the sliding device (7) of the operating unit.
Slider positioning device according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking mechanism on the slider (1) comprises a left shell (1a) and a right shell (1b), between the left shell (1a) and right shell (1b) is the guiding device (3) and the locking device (5) is mechanically connected to the guiding device (3) which is suitable to engage with the positioning item (4) in order to achieve positioning, locking and unlocking of the slider (1) accordingly to the positioning item (4) on the umbrella pole (2), wherein the locking device (5) is mechanically connected with the sliding device (7) through a connecting rod (6) and the resetting device (8) is located between the locking device (5) and the guiding device (3).
Slider positioning device according to claim 1, characterized in that the positioning item (4) provides the umbrella pole (2) with several axially located cavities (4a) which can be locked with the locking device (5).
Slider positioning device according to claim 2, characterized in that the sliding device (7) is arranged around the guiding device (3), so that it can slide axially.
Slider positioning device according to claim 1, characterized in that the slider (1) is arranged around the umbrella pole (2) and there is a slide ring (9) located between the slider (1) and the umbrella pole (2).
Umbrella support device, characterized in that it comprises a slider positioning device according to at least one of the claims 1-5.
Umbrella, characterized in that it comprises a slider positioning device according to at least one of the claims 1-6 or an umbrella support device according to claim 6.
Umbrella according to claim 7, characterized in that the slider positioning device is arranged between the umbrella pole (2) and a pole that supports an umbrella canopy, wherein the slider (1) is suitable for realizing a modification of an inclination angle and/or an opening and closing of the umbrella.