GB2421181A

GB2421181A - Unmbrella runner sleeve and safety runner

Info

Publication number: GB2421181A
Application number: GB0500399A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Chung-Kuang Lin; Jung-Jen Chang
Original assignee: Fu Tai Umbrella Works Ltd
Current assignee: Fu Tai Umbrella Works Ltd
Priority date: 2004-09-14
Filing date: 2005-01-10
Publication date: 2006-06-21
Anticipated expiration: 2025-01-10
Also published as: GB2421181B; GB0500399D0

Abstract

A multi-folding, telescopic umbrella has a runner sleeve 11 located around a central shaft 1. A protrusion 111 is resiliently formed in the surface of the sleeve for engaging with a socket 330 of a safety runner 3 that is slidable along the sleeve. The sleeve may form part of the central shaft. The runner has a ferrule for pivotally connecting stretcher ribs 22, a cylindrical portion 31 for slidably engaging with the shaft and a cylindrical coupling 33 slidably engagable with the cylindrical portion 31.

Description

UMBRELLA RUNNER SLEEVE AND SAFETY RUNNER THEREOF The present invention relates to a sleeve of an umbrella runner. It is a tendency to provide a safety runner slidably held on an umbrella central shaft in order to protect the user's hand from being injured by an acute spring catch as resiliently formed on the central shaft in the modern umbrella industry. Simultaneously, the central shaft for slidably engaging the safety runner thereon should also be considered for maintaining its safety and strength without cutting a slit in the shaft. The prior art, such as a U.S. patent No. 6,810,895 invented by the same inventors of this application, disclosed a safety runner having a push button (4) which is depressible for disengaging the catch portion (53) of the spring catch (5) when closing the umbrella, and the spring catch (5) is formed with a long arm member (52) secured to an upper portion of the central shaft, thereby protecting the central shaft without cutting a slit in the shaft. In other words, the slit for protruding the spring catch as usually formed in a conventional umbrella shaft is now eliminated so that the strength of the shaft tube is not influenced. However, such a prior art may still have the following drawbacks: 1. The arm member (52) of the spring catch (5) is preferably made as slim as possible especially for multiple-fold umbrella and such a long slim arm may have a great "force arm" to possibly increase a vibrational force when the umbrella is subjected to a strong external force (such as a strong wind force) to easily disengage the catch portion (53) from the runner (3) to thereby close the umbrella unexpectedly. 2. The slim arm (52) of the spring catch (5) may be easily deformed to influence the reliable engagement of the catch portion (53) with the runner (3) when opening the umbrella. 3. The arm of the spring catch (5) is externally formed outside the shaft to affect the ornamental appearance of an umbrella shaft. The present inventor has found the drawbacks of the prior art and invented the present umbrella sleeve disposed on an umbrella shaft for reliably engaging a safety runner slidably held on the umbrella shaft. According to the present invention, these is to provided an umbrella runner sleeve disposed, jacketed or formed on a central shaft of an umbrella, having a protrusion resiliently integrally formed on the sleeve for engaging a socket formed in a safety runner slidably held on the sleeve, thereby enhancing a reliable engagement of the safety runner with the protrusion integrally formed on the sleeve when opening the umbrella. Particular aspects and preferred features are set out in the claims, whose features may be combined with one another in any consistent combination. The present invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows an opening umbrella of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a partial enlarged sectional drawing of Fig. 1 showing the engagement of the runner with the runner sleeve; Fig. 3 shows the lowering of the runner when closing the umbrella from Fig. 2; Fig. 4 shows another preferred embodiment of the present invention when opene; Fig. 5 shows the engagement of the runner with the sleeve of the present invention as enlarged from Fig. 4; Fig. 6 shows the lowering of runner when closing the umbrella from Fig. 5; Fig. 7 shows a closed umbrella by retracting the tubes of the central shaft; Fig. 8 is a partially enlarged view from Fig. 7; Fig. 9 shows still another preferred embodiment of the present invention when opened; Fig. 10 is a partially enlarged view of the runner and the sleeve from Fig. 9; Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the runner of Fig. 9;Fig. 12 shows further preferred embodiment of the present invention when opened; Fig. 13 is a partially enlarged view of the runner and the sleeve from Fig. 12; Fig. 14 is a partially enlarged view of the runner when engaged with a lower sleeve secured on a lower portion of the shaft when closing the umbrella from Fig. 12; Fig. 15 is a perspective view of the runner of the present invention of Fig. 12; and Fig. 16 shows still further preferred embodiment of the present invention when opened. As shown in Figs. 1-3, a first preferred embodiment of the present invention of an umbrella sleeve means adapted to be formed on a multiple-fold umbrella, comprises: a runner sleeve 11 circumferentially disposed about the central shaft 1 and having an upper sleeve end 11u secured to an upper portion of the shaft 1. The multiple-fold umbrella is a triple-fold umbrella and comprises: a central shaft 1, a rib assembly 2 pivotally secured to a runner 3 and a top of the shaft for pivotally securing an umbrella cloth on the rib assembly 2. The central shaft 1 includes: an upper tube 12, a middle tube 13 and a lower tube 14 telescopically engageable with one another; and the runner sleeve 11 disposed about the upper tube 12, the middle tube 13 and the lower tube 14 about the longitudinal axis X of the shaft 1 when retracted and folded when closing the umbrella. Both the sleeve 11 and the upper tube 12 have their upper ends secured to an upper notch 20 of the rib assembly 2. The rib assembly 2 includes: a top rib 21 pivotally secured to the upper notch 20, a stretcher rib 22 having its inner portion pivotally secured to the runner 3 and having a middle portion of the stretcher rib 22 pivotally secured to an outer portion of the top rib 21, an intermediate rib 23 having its inner portion respectively pivotally secured to an outer portion of the stretcher rib 22 and pivotally secured to the top rib 21 by a connecting rib 24, and a tail rib 25 pivotally secured to the intermediate rib 23. However, the number of folds is not limited in this invention. The sleeve 11 and the upper tube 12 define an annular aperture S therebetween for receiving the middle tube 13 and the lower tube 14 into the aperture S when closing the umbrella. The upper end llu of the sleeve 11 may be secured with the upper notch 20. The sleeve 11 may be integrally formed with a resilient protrusion 111 on the sleeve 11 by cutting a slit 112 in the sleeve 11 along a partial contour of the protrusion 111. The resilient protrusion 111 normally protrudes outwardly from the longitudinal axis X of the central shaft 1 to be engaged with a socket 330 formed in the runner 3 for locking the runner for opening the umbrella. The resilient protrusion 111 may be depressed inwardly into the aperture (or slot) S between the sleeve 11 and the upper tube 12 when thrusted by the runner 3 for closing the umbrella such as shown in Fig. 3. The sleeve 11 may be made of plastic material or other suitable materials. The resilient protrusion 111 has its lower portion preferably formed as a sloping surface to be thrusted inwardly by a central ring 320 of the runner 3 when raising the runner 3 to allow the protrusion 111 to be engaged with the socket 330 in the runner 3 in order for opening the umbrella; and having the upper portion of the resilient protrusion 111 preferably formed as a right-angle or angled portion to be engaged with the socket 330 as recessed in the runner 3 when opening the umbrella. The runner 3 includes: a cylinder portion 31 having a central opening 310 slidably engageable with the sleeve 11, a ferrule 32 formed on an upper portion of the cylinder portion 31 for pivotally securing the stretcher ribs 22 of the rib assembly 2, and a cylindrical coupling 33 slidably engageable with and disposed about the cylinder portion 31 and having the socket 330 recessed in the cylindrical coupling 33 for engaging the resilient protrusion 111 formed on the sleeve 11 when opening the umbrella. The ferrule 32 has the central ring 320 disposed around the central opening 310 and slidably engageable with the sleeve 11, whereby when raising the runner 3 for opening the umbrella, the central ring 320 will depress the resilient protrusion 111 inwardly to allow the ferrule 32 to pass the protrusion 111 which will then resiliently protrude outwardly to engage with the socket 330 of the runner 3, thereby locking the runner 3 on the protrusion 111 for stably opening the umbrella. The cylinder portion 31 is formed with a cylindrical groove 312 for slidably engaging the cylindrical coupling 33 in the cylindrical groove 312, a bottom flange 311 formed on a bottom portion of the cylinder portion 31 for limiting the cylindrical coupling 33 without being downwardly released from the cylinder portion 31, and a slot 313 cut out through the cylinder portion 31 to protrude the resilient protrusion 111 outwardly from the sleeve 11 to be engaged with the socket 330 recessed in the cylindrical coupling 33 of the runner 3 when opening the umbrella (Fig. 2). The cylindrical coupling 33 includes: an inner extension 332 circumferentially formed on an inside wall of the coupling 33 and slidably engageable with the cylindrical groove 312 of the cylinder portion 31, a socket 330 recessed in the coupling 33 between the inner extension 332 and a sloping portion 331 inclined upwardly inwardly towards a longitudinal axis X of the central shaft 1 for thrusting the resilient protrusion 111 inwardly for disengaging the socket 330 from the resilient protrusion 111 when lowering the runner 3 for closing the umbrella (from Fig. 2 to Fig. 3); with the inner extension 332 downwardly limited by the bottom flange 311 of the cylinder portion 31 (Fig. 3) to prevent from separation of the cylindrical coupling 33 from the cylinder portion 31 of the runner 3 when lowered for closing the umbrella. The sleeve 11 has a length (between upper end 11u and bottom end 11b of the sleeve 11) approximating a length of each tube of the shaft such as the length of each tube 12, 13, 14. When closing the umbrella, the middle tube 13 and the lower tube 14 are retracted and received into the aperture (or slot) S between the runner sleeve 11 and the upper tube 12. The "runner sleeve" 11 is provided for smoothly slidably engaging or guiding the runner 3, and is therefore defined as "runner sleeve". As shown in Fig. 4-8, another preferred embodiment of the present invention is disclosed by shortening the runner sleeve 11 as aforementioned. The sleeve 11 as shortened as shown in Fig. 5 has a length which is enough to allow the resilient protrusion 111 formed on the sleeve 11 to engage with the socket 330 in the runner 3 for opening the umbrella, having a lower guiding portion llg formed on a lower portion of the sleeve 11 and tapered downwardly towards the longitudinal axis X for smoothly passing the runner 3 over the guiding portion llg in order to be engaged with the protrusion 111 when raising the runner 3 for opening the umbrella as from Fig. 7 to Fig. 4. As shown in Fig. 5, the lower guiding portion 11g formed on the sleeve 11 is tapered downwardly to extrapolatively intersect with the longitudinal axis X with a first acute angle A for smoothly guiding the runner 3 when raised for opening the umbrella; and having a tapered bottom end 11b formed on a bottom of the sleeve 11 tapered upwardly to extrapolatively intersect with the longitudinal axis X with a second acute angle B, with the bottom end 11b approximating or resiliently contacting an outer tubular surface of the upper tube 12 and having a plurality of cutting slits 11s cut out in the lower guiding portion llg (dotted line in Fig.6), whereby upon retraction of the middle tube 13 and the lower tube 14 into the aperture S between the upper tube 12 and the sleeve 11, the tube 13 or 14 will be smoothly guided by the tapered bottom end 11b to be received into the aperture S by slightly expanding the lower guiding portion 11g of the guiding sleeve 11 to act like a "chuck" due to the forming of the plural cutting slits 11s (Fig. 8, 7). When closing the umbrella from Fig. 4 to Fig. 7, the runner 3 is lowered to disengage the socket 330 from the resilient protrusion 111 to retract the rib assembly 2 towards the shaft 1. After retracting the tubes 13, 14 into the aperture S (Fig. 7), the umbrella will then be completely folded. When raising the runner 3 for opening the umbrella even fully grasping the coupling 33, the runner 3 will be no doubt reliably engaged with the protrusion 111 for stably opening the umbrella since the coupling 33 is downwardly pulled or upwardly raised, without inwardly (centripetally) depressing the protrusion 111. When closing the umbrella, just by lowering the runner 3, the umbrella can be quickly ergonomically closed without requiring any depression operation. The resilient protrusion 111 is directly integrally formed on the sleeve 11 for simplifying its production and lowering the cost. As shown in Figs. 9-11, the multiple-fold umbrella has been modified to be a penta-fold central shaft 1 and quadruple-fold rib assembly 2 as shown in Fig. 9. The central shaft 1 includes: an upper tube 12, a middle tube 13, a lower tube 14, a second lower tube 15 and a lowermost tube 16 telescopically engageable with one another. The rib assembly 2 includes: a top rib 21 pivotally secured to an upper notch 20 formed on a top of the shaft 1, a stretcher rib 22 pivotally secured to the top rib 21 and the runner 3 slidably held on the runner sleeve 11 having an upper end llu of the sleeve 11 secured to a top of the shaft 1 or secured with the upper notch 20, an intermediate rib 23 pivotally secured to the stretcher rib 22 and pivotally secured to the top rib 21 through a connecting rib 24, and a tail rib 25 respectively pivotally secured to the intermediate rib 23 through an auxiliary intermediate rib 23a and an outer spring rib 26, and an inner spring rib 24a juxtapositioned to the intermediate rib 23 and pivotally secured between the stretcher rib 22 and the auxiliary intermediate rib 23a. However, the multiple-fold rib assembly 2 may be further modified or arranged, not limited in the present invention. The sleeve 11 is modified to have the resilient protrusion 111 directly biasing outwardly from the sleeve 11 to be inclined upwardly outwardly as deviated from the longitudinal axis X of the central shaft 1 to be engaged with a socket 330a formed in the runner 3 when opening the umbrella. The resilient protrusion 111 is integrally formed on the sleeve 11 and is biased outwardly upwardly from the sleeve 11 along a slit 112 as cut in the sleeve 11. The protrusion 111 may also be integrally formed on the sleeve 11 by plastic molding process or by plastic processing, not limited in this invention. The runner 3, or the so-called safety runner 3, especially as shown in Fig. 10, is modified to include a push button 33a resiliently formed on the runner 3 by an elastic linking member 33b integrally formed on the runner 3, a socket 330a formed in the runner 3 for engaging the protrusion 111 which may be depressed inwardly by the push button 33a when closing the umbrella, a protective extension 33c circumferentially disposed around the push button 33a to retard an unexpected inward movement (big-area depression) by a user's hand to ensure a reliable engagement of the runner 3 with the resilient protrusion 111 when opening the umbrella, and a finger recess 33f recessed in a lower portion of the protective extension 33c adapted for a comfortable ergonomic upward thrusting (U) of the runner 3 by a user's fingers H when upwardly raised for opening the umbrella. When closing the umbrella, a user's thumb, for example, may depress (D) the push button 33a inwardly (Fig. 10) to disengage the resilient protrusion 111 from the socket 330a in the runner 3 to allow a free lowering of the runner 3 for closing the umbrella. As shown in Figs. 12-15, the push button 33a has been modified to be a push button 33a slidably held in a button hole formed in the runner for depressing the resilient protrusion 111 inwardly to disengage the runner 3 from the resilient protrusion 111 for lowering the runner for closing the umbrella; and the runner further includes a protective extension 33c circumferentially disposed around the push button 33a to prevent from an unexpected big-area depression on the button 33a by a user's hand, and a finger recess 33f recessed in the protective extension 33c for an ergonomic holding of the runner 3 when upwardly raised for opening the umbrella (Figs. 13, 15). The present invention further includes a lower sleeve 11' formed (disposed) on a lower portion (1d) of the shaft 1, having a lower resilient protrusion 111' resiliently formed on the lower sleeve 11' for engaging the push button 33a in the runner 3 when lowered for closing the umbrella (Fig. 14). By the way, the sleeve 11 formed on the upper portion lu of the shaft 1 is provided for engaging the runner 3 when raised for opening the umbrella; while the lower sleeve 11' on the lower portion Id of the shaft 1 provided for engaging the runner 3 when lowered for closing the umbrella. The shaft 1 as shown in Fig. 12 is a solid shaft. The umbrella as shown in Fig. 12 is a single fold umbrella having a single fold shaft 1 and a single fold rib assembly 2 consisting of a top rib 21 and a stretcher rib 22. Still further embodiment of the present invention is shown in Fig. 16, in which the central shaft 1 is a hollow shaft 1 and the sleeve 11 is disposed on the hollow shaft 1. The length of the sleeve 11 is not limited in the present invention. If the sleeve 11 is long enough, it will then be provided to substitute a hollow central shaft 1 for slidably guiding the runner 3 on the sleeve 11 for engaging the runner 3 with the protrusion 111 formed on the sleeve when opening the umbrella. Then the shaft 1 is eliminated and replaced by the sleeve 11 for saving cost. The present invention may be further modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The present invention is superior to the prior arts with the following advantages: 1. The resilient protrusion 111 for engaging the runner 3 for stably opening the umbrella is formed on the sleeve 11 to ensure a reliable engagement between the protrusion 111 and the socket 330 in the runner 3. Namely, there is not formed with any great aperture between the runner 3 and the sleeve 11, thereby increasing the reliability for engaging the runner 3 on the sleeve 11 for stably opening the umbrella. 2. The sleeve 11 may be adapted either for multiple-fold umbrella (Figs. 1-11), or for single-fold umbrella (Figs. 12-16), thereby increasing its commercial value. 3. The protrusion 111 of the present invention is quite small (having a shorter force arm) in comparison with a conventional spring catch so that it may not be easily influenced by an external force acting upon the umbrella and may stably open the umbrella. 4. The protrusion 111 may be integrally or directly formed on the sleeve 11. Therefore, the umbrella production cost can be greatly reduced. 5. The runner is really a safety runner which can be operated more safely and ergonomically. Many conventional mechanisms or devices for helping or facilitating the folding or retraction of the rib assembly 2 for quickly closing the umbrella have been developed in the art, being therefore not described in detail in the specification.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. An umbrella sleeve means comprising: a runner sleeve (11) circumferentially disposed about and secured to a central shaft (1) of an umbrella having a rib assembly (2) respectively pivotally secured to an upper notch (20) formed on a top of the central shaft (1) of the umbrella and pivotally secured to a runner (3) slidably held on the runner sleeve (11); said runner sleeve (11) including a resilient protrusion (111) resiliently formed on said sleeve (11), with said resilient protrusion (111) on said sleeve operatively engaged with a socket (330) formed in said runner (3) for locking the runner (3) for opening the umbrella.

2. An umbrella sleeve means according to Claim 1, wherein said central shaft (1) includes a plurality of tubes telescopically engaged with one another; said sleeve (11) defining an aperture (S) between said sleeve (11) and an upper tube (12) of said shaft (1); whereby upon retraction of said tubes of said central shaft (1) when closing the umbrella, said tubes will be received in said aperture (S) within said sleeve (11).

3. An umbrella sleeve means according to Claim 1, wherein said rib assembly (2) is a multiple-fold rib assembly including at least a top rib (21) pivotally secured to an upper notch (20) on said central shaft (1), a stretcher rib (22) respectively pivotally secured to said top rib (21) and said runner (3), an intermediate rib (23) respectively pivotally secured to said top rib (21) and said stretcher rib (22), and a tail rib (25) pivotally secured to said intermediate rib (23).

4. An umbrella sleeve according to Claim 1, wherein said resilient protrusion (111) is integrally formed on said sleeve (11) by cutting a slit (112) along a partial contour of said resilient protrusion (111) to protrude said protrusion (111) outwardly from a longitudinal axis (X) of said shaft (1) for engaging said socket (330) in said runner (3) for opening the umbrella.

5. An umbrella sleeve according to Claim 1, wherein said runner (3) includes: a cylinder portion (31) having a central opening (310) slidably engageable with the sleeve (11) of the shaft (1) , a ferrule (32) formed on an upper portion of the cylinder portion (31) for pivotally securing a stretcher rib (22) of the rib assembly (2), and a cylindrical coupling (33) slidably engageable with and disposed about the cylinder portion (31) and having said socket (330) recessed in the cylindrical coupling (33) for engaging the resilient protrusion (111) formed on the sleeve (11) when opening the umbrella.

6. An umbrella sleeve according to Claim 5, wherein said ferrule (32) has the central ring (320) disposed around the central opening (310) and slidably engageable with the sleeve (11), whereby when raising the runner (3) for opening the umbrella, the central ring (320) will depress the resilient protrusion (111) inwardly to allow the ferrule (32) to pass the protrusion (111) which will then resiliently protrude outwardly to engage with the socket (330) of the runner (3) for locking the runner (3) on the protrusion (111) of said sleeve (11) for stably opening the umbrella.

7. An umbrella sleeve according to Claim 5, wherein said cylinder portion (31) is formed with a cylindrical groove (312) for slidably engaging the cylindrical coupling (33) in the cylindrical groove (312), a bottom flange (311) formed on a bottom portion of the cylinder portion (31) for limiting the cylindrical coupling (33) without being downwardly released from the cylinder portion (31), and a slot (313) cut out through the cylinder portion (31) to protrude the resilient protrusion (111) outwardly from the sleeve (11) to be engaged with the socket (330) recessed in the cylindrical coupling (33) of the runner (3) when opening the umbrella.

8. An umbrella sleeve according to Claim 5, wherein said cylindrical coupling (33) includes: an inner extension (332) circumferentially formed on an inside wall of the coupling (33) and slidably engageable with a cylindrical groove (312) of the cylinder portion (31), said socket (330) recessed in the coupling (33) between the inner extension (332) and a sloping portion (331) inclined upwardly inwardly towards a longitudinal axis (X) of the central shaft (1) for thrusting the resilient protrusion (111) inwardly for disengaging the socket (330) from the resilient protrusion (111) when lowering the runner (3) for closing the umbrella.

9. An umbrella sleeve according to Claim 1, wherein said sleeve (11) includes a lower guiding portion (11 g) protruding downwardly from said resilient protrusion (111) for retracting a plurality of tubes of said central shaft (1) into an aperture (S) between said sleeve (11) and an upper tube (12) of said central shaft (1) when closing the umbrella.

10.An umbrella sleeve according to Claim 9, wherein said lower guiding portion (11 g) of said sleeve (11) is tapered downwardly to approximate said upper tube (12) to extrapolatively intersect with a longitudinal axis (X) of said shaft (1) with a first acute angle (A) for smoothly guiding the runner (3) when raised for opening the umbrella.

11.An umbrella sleeve according to Claim 10, wherein said sleeve (11) has a tapered bottom end (lib) tapered upwardly to extrapolatively intersect with said longitudinal axis (X) of said shaft (1) with a second acute angle (B), with the bottom end (lib) contacting an outer tubular surface of the upper tube (12) and having a plurality of cutting slits (lls) cut out in said lower guiding portion (11g) of said sleeve (11), whereby upon retraction of a plurality of tubes of said shaft (1) into an aperture (S) between an upper tube (12) of said shaft and the sleeve (11), the tubes will be smoothly guided by the tapered bottom end (lib) to be received into the aperture (S) by slightly expanding the lower guiding portion (llg) of the sleeve (11).

12.An umbrella sleeve according to Claim 1, wherein said resilient protrusion (111) is integrally formed on said sleeve (11) and directly biasing outwardly from said sleeve (11) to be inclined upwardly outwardly as deviated from a longitudinal axis (X) of said shaft (1) to be engaged with said socket (330a) in said runner (3) for opening the umbrella.

13.An umbrella sleeve according to Claim 1, wherein said runner (3) includes a push button (33a) formed in said runner (3), and said socket (330a) formed in said runner (3) to be engaged with the resilient protrusion (111) on said sleeve (11) when opening the umbrella, said protrusion (111) operatively depressed inwardly by said push button (33a) when closing the umbrella.

14.An umbrella sleeve according to Claim 13, wherein said runner (3) includes a protective extension (33c) circumferentially disposed around said push button (33a), and a finger recess (33f) recessed in a lower portion of the protective extension (33c).

15.An umbrella sleeve according to Claim 13, wherein said push button (33a) is resiliently formed in said runner (3).

16.An umbrella sleeve according to Claim 13, wherein said push button (33a) is slidably held in said runner (3).

17.An umbrella sleeve according to Claim 1, wherein said central shaft (1) includes a lower sleeve (11') formed on a lower portion of said shaft (1), having a lower resilient protrusion (111') resiliently formed on the lower sleeve (11') for engaging said runner (3) when lowering said runner (3) for closing the umbrella.

18.An umbrella 'sleeve according to Claim 1, wherein said central shaft (1) is a single-fold shaft; and said rib assembly (2) is a single-fold rib assembly having a top rib (21) respectively pivotally secured to an upper notch (20) of said shaft (1) and pivotally secured to the runner (3) slidably held on said sleeve (11).

19.An umbrella sleeve according to Claim 18, wherein said central shaft (1) is selected from the group consisting of a solid shaft and a hollow shaft.

20.An umbrella sleeve means comprising: a runner sleeve (11) having a resilient protrusion (111) resiliently integrally formed on said sleeve (11); said sleeve (11) forming a central shaft (1) of an umbrella having a rib assembly (2) pivotally secured to said sleeve (11) and pivotally secured to a runner (3) slidably held on sad sleeve (11); whereby upon opening of the umbrella, said protrusion (111) on said sleeve (11) is engaged with a socket (330) formed in said runner (3) for locking the runner (3) for opening the umbrella.

21. An umbrella having a sleeve arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 20.

22. An umbrella or umbrella sleeve arrangement substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.