GB2380669A

GB2380669A - Attaching wooden umbrella ribs to the canopy

Info

Publication number: GB2380669A
Application number: GB0124430A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Henry Lee
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-10-11
Filing date: 2001-10-11
Publication date: 2003-04-16
Also published as: GB0124430D0; US20030070699A1

Abstract

The outer end of each wooden rib (33) of an umbrella has a bore 331 which receives a non-wooden internally threaded fastening member 31. A sleeve 30, whose upper surface has a hole 305 aligned with the bore 331, fits over the end of the rib. The canopy 34 is attached to the rib by an externally threaded non-wooden fastener 32 passing through hole 341 in the canopy and into the fastener 31. A slit (42, Fig 5) may be provided between the upper surface (41) and main body of the sleeve, into which the canopy is placed before fastening.

Description

1 2380669

UMBRELLA WITH WOODEN RIBS

This invention relates to an umbrella, more particularly to an umbrella with a plurality of wooden ribs which are connected securely with a canopy and a plurality of sleeve 5 members by means of threaded tightening members.

Referring to Fig. 1, a conventional large umbrella, such as a garden umbrella, is shown to include a wooden elongate stem 10, a canopy 12 which is mounted on a top end of the stem 10, a plurality of wooden ribs 101 which are disposed 10 on the top end of the stem 10 at an underside of the canopy 12, and a plurality of sleeves 13 which are secured on a periphery of the canopy 12 and which are sleeved on ends of the ribs 101 respectively so as to secure the canopy 12 to the ribs 101.

15 Another conventional way of securing a canopy 22 to ribs 21 of an umbrella is shown in Fig. 2. A plate member 20 includes a connecting portion 203 which is mounted on each rib 21, and an abutting portion 204 which abuts against an endwall212Oftherib 21.A screw fastener202 passes through 20 holes 201,221 in the connecting portion 203 and the canopy 22, and engages threadedly a screw hole 211 in the rib 21 to secure the plate member 20 and the canopy 22 to the rib 21. In addition, the abutting portion 204 is secured to the end wall 212 by means of a screw fastener 205. In this way, 25 since the screw hole 211 is formed directly in the wooden rib 21, it may weaken the structural strength of the rib 21 and the threads therein are easily susceptible to wearing.

The object of the present invention is to provide an umbrella which can overcome the aforementioned problem of the prior art.

According to this invention, the umbrella includes a S wooden elongate stem extending along an axis, and having an upper end provided with a ferrule. A canopy includes an annular central portion which is mounted on the ferrule, and a surrounding portion which surrounds the central portion and which has a plurality of first through holes displaced 10 angularly from one another. A plurality of ribs are made of wooden material, and are disposed on the ferrule at an underside of the canopy. The ribs are displaced angularly from one another about the axis. Eachribincludesa proximate end portion which is pivotally mounted on the ferrule, and 15 a distal end portion which extends from the proximate end portion in a first direction radial to the axis. The distal end portion has an inner rib surface which abuts against the canopy, en outer rite surface opposite to the inner rite surface, and an annular inner peripheral wall which extends from the 20 outer rib surface through the inner rib surface and which defines a groove that is registered with a respective one of the first through holes in a second direction transverse to the first direction. A plurality of sleeve members have inner peripheral wall surfaces confining accommodating 25 chambers for sleeving on the distal end portions of theribs, respectively. Each rib has an outer surrounding wall surface surrounding the inner peripheral wall surface. The outer

surrounding wall surface includes an upper portion which defines a second through hole that extends through the inner peripheral wall surface to communicate with the accommodating chamber end thatis arranged at such a position 5 so as to register with end tee disposed between the respective first through hole and the groove in the second direction when the respective sleeve member is sleeved on the distal end portion. A plurality of tightening members are made of a material different from that of the ribs. Each tightening 10 memberincludes a first portion with a shankwhichis retained in the groove of the respective rib and which is formed with an internally threaded surface extending along the groove, and a second portion having a shaft formed with en externally threaded surface which passes through a pair of the first 15 and second through holes, and which engages threadedly the internally threaded surface of the first portion so as to secure the canopy and the upper portion of the respective sleeve member to the distal end portion of the respective rib. 20 Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description

of the preferred embodiments oftheinvention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional garden 25 umbrella; Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of another conventional umbrella;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of an umbrella according to this invention; Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the first preferred embodiment) and 5 Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of a second preferred embodiment of this invention.

Before the present invention is described in greater detail, it should be noted that same reference numerals have been used to denote like elements throughout the 10 specification.

Referring to Figs.3 and4,the first preferred embodiment of the umbrella according to the present invention is shown to comprise a wooden elongate stem 36 which extends along an axis and which has an upper end provided with a ferrule 15 31. A canopy 34 includes an annular central portion which ismounted on the ferrule31, and a surrounding portion which surrounds the central portion and which has a plurality of first through holes 341 that are displaced angularly from one another. A plurality of ribs 33 are made of wooden 20 material, and are disposed on the ferrule 31 at an underside of the canopy 34 to support the latter. The ribs 33 are displaced angularly from one another about the axis. Each rib33 includes a proximate endportion 331 whichis pivotally mounted on the ferrule31, and a distal end portion 332 which 25 extends from the proximate end portion 331 in a first direction radial to the axis of the stem 36. The distal end portion332 has an inner rite surface 3321 which abuts against

the canopy 34, an outer rib surface 3322 which is disposed opposite to the inner rib surface 3321, and an annular inner peripheral wall which extends from the outer rite surface 3322 through the inner rite surface 3321 and which defines a groove 5 331 that is registered with a respective one of the first through holes 341 in the canopy 34 in a second direction transverse to the first direction. Preferably, the groove 331 is in the form of a counterbore.

A plurality of sleeve members 30 are disposed on the 10 distal end portions 332 of the ribs 33, respectively. Each sleeve member 30 has an open end 304 and a closed end 301 opposite to each other in the first direction, an inner peripheral wall surface 306 which confines an accommodating chamber 303 for insertion of the distal end portion 332 of 15 the respective rib 33 from the open end 304 in the first direction, and an outer surrounding wall surface 302 which surrounds the inner peripheral wall surface 306. The outer surrounding wall surface 302 includes an upper portion 307 which defines a second through hole 305 that extends through 20 the inner peripheral wall surface 306 to communicate with the accommodating chamber 303 and that is arranged at such a position so as to register with and be disposed between the respective first through hole 341 and the groove 331 in the second direction when the sleeve member 30 is sleeved 25 on the distal end portion 332 of the respective rib 33.

A plurality of tightening members are made of a material different from that of the ribs 33. Each tightening member

includes first and second portions 31,32 which are in the form of a tubular insert 31 and a screw fastener 32, respectively. The tubular insert 31 is inserted into the groove 331, and includes an enlarged head 312 and a shank 5 311 formed with an internally threaded surface 313 which extends along the groove 331. The screw fastener 32 includes an enlarged head 322 end a shaft 323 formed with en externally threaded surface 321. In assembly, when the sleeve member 30 is sleeved on the distal end portion 332 of the respective 10 rib 33 to retain the tubular insert 31 in the groove 331, the screw fastener 32 passes through a respective pair of the first through hole 341 and the second through hole 305, and then engages threadedly the internally threaded surface 313 of the tubular insert 31 so as to secure the canopy 34 15 and the upper portion 307 of the sleeve member 30 to the distal end portion 332 of the respective rib 33.

As illustrated, since each tightening member is divided into first and second portions 31,32 which are made of a material different from that of the ribs 33, wearing of the 20 thread surfaces 313,321 can be avoided during assembly of the umbrella.

Referring to Fig. 5, the second preferred embodiment of the umbrella ofthisinventionis shown tohavea construction similar to that of the first preferred embodiment. However, 25 in this embodiment, each sleeve member 40 is made from a flexible material. The upper portion 41 of the sleeve member 40 is formed with a slit 42 which is communicated with the

accommodating chamber 403 and which extends to surround the second through hole 413 to form a clip 412 on the upper portion 41. As such, the canopy 34 can be inserted into the slit 42 to be held between the clip 412 and the distal end portion 5 332 of the respective rib 33. Further, each screw fastener 32 passes through the second through hole 413 and the first through hole 341, and engages threadedly the tubular insert 31 retained in the groove 331 of the distal end portion 332 so as to clamp securely the canopy 34 between the clip 412 10 and the respective rib 33.

Claims

CLAIMS:

l. An umbrella comprising: a wooden elongate stem extending along an axis, and having an upper end provided with a ferrule; 5 a canopy including an annular central portion mounted on said ferrule, end a surrounding portion surrounding said central portion and having a plurality of first through holes which are displaced angularly from one another; a plurality of ribs made of wooden material, and 10 disposed on said ferrule at an underside of said canopy, said ribs being displaced angularly from one another about the axis, each of said ribs including a proximate end portion pivotally mounted on said ferrule, and a distal end portion extending from said proximate end portion in 15 a first direction radial to the axis, said distal end portion having an inner rib surface abutting against said canopy, an outer rib surface disposed opposite to said inner rib surface, and an annular inner peripheral wall extending from said outer rib surface through said inner 20 rib surface and defining a groove which is registered with a respective one of said first through holes in said canopy in a second direction transverse to the first direction; a plurality of sleeve members, each having an inner peripheral wall surface which confines an accommodating 25 chamber of such a dimension for mating with said distal endportionofa respective one ofeaid ribs and for sleeving on said distal end portion in the first direction, and an

outer surrounding wall surface surrounding said inner peripheral wall surface, said outer surrounding wall surface including an upper portion which defines a second through hole that extends through said inner peripheral 5 wall surface to communicate with said accommodating chamber and that is arranged at such a position so as to register with and be disposed between the respective one of said first through holes and said groove in the second direction when the respective one of said sleeve members 10 is sleeved on said distal end portion; and a plurality of tightening members made of a material different from that of said ribs, each of said tightening members including a first portion having a shank retained in said groove 15 of a respective one of said ribs, and having an internally threaded surface extending along said groove, and a second portion having a shaft formed with an externally threaded surface which passes through a respective pair of said first through holes and said second 20 through holes, and which engages threadedly said internally threaded surface of said first portion so as to secure said surrounding portion of said canopy and said upper portion of said outer surrounding wall surface of the respective one of said sleeve members to said distal 25 end portion of the respective one of said ribs.
2. The umbrella of Claim 1, wherein said second portion of

each of said tightening members is a screw fastener.

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3. The umbrella of Claim 1, wherein each of said sleeve members is made from a flexible material, and said upper portion of each of said sleeve members is formed with a slit which is communicated with said accommodating S chamber and which extends to surround said second through hole to form a clip on said upper portion such that said surrounding portion of said canopy is insertable into said slit so es to tee heldbetween said clip end saiddistal end portion of the respective one of said ribs.

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4. The umbrella substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figs. 3 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.