An umbrella canopy that opens and closes not from a stick from within the interior of the umbrella canopy but from the exterior crown where a line is pulled to open the umbrella canopy and where a button is pushed to close the umbrella canopy. The interior of the umbrella canopy includes no stick to hold up the umbrella canopy. Taut edges of the umbrella canopy hold up the umbrella canopy, for instance, on the top edges of a playyard.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured to be carried on a vehicle and a method and a system for holding umbrella using the UAV are disclosed. The UAV and the vehicle are communicated with each other wirelessly. The UAV can be used for providing the service of holding umbrella for the occupant getting on/off the vehicle. The occupant does not have to manually hold the umbrella, so as to effectively solve the problem of getting wet when getting on/off the vehicle due to holding umbrella manually.

An umbrella frame structure for two-fold inverted umbrella includes an umbrella shaft assembly, and a plurality of rib assemblies each including a main rib, a sub rib, a stretcher and a tip that connects one end of the main rib and one end of the sub rib. The stretcher has one end thereof connected to a part of the main rib between the two opposite ends of the main rib, and an opposite end thereof disposed in one respective positioning groove of a lower nest of the umbrella shaft assembly and pivotally connected with an opposite end of the sub rib in the respective positioning groove. The main rib has an opposite end thereof pivotally connected to an upper nest of the umbrella shaft assembly.

An umbrella frame structure for two-fold inverted umbrella includes an umbrella shaft assembly, and a plurality of rib assemblies each including a main rib, a sub rib, a stretcher and a tip that connects one end of the main rib and one end of the sub rib. The stretcher has one end thereof connected to a part of the main rib between the two opposite ends of the main rib, and an opposite end thereof disposed in one respective positioning groove of a lower nest of the umbrella shaft assembly and pivotally connected with an opposite end of the sub rib in the respective positioning groove. The main rib has an opposite end thereof pivotally connected to an upper nest of the umbrella shaft assembly.

An umbrella frame structure for two-fold inverted umbrella includes an umbrella shaft assembly, and a plurality of rib assemblies each including a main rib, a sub rib, a stretcher and a tip that connects one end of the main rib and one end of the sub rib. The stretcher has one end thereof connected to a part of the main rib between the two opposite ends of the main rib, and an opposite end thereof disposed in one respective positioning groove of a lower nest of the umbrella shaft assembly and pivotally connected with an opposite end of the sub rib in the respective positioning groove. The main rib has an opposite end thereof pivotally connected to an upper nest of the umbrella shaft assembly.

An umbrella frame structure for two-fold inverted umbrella includes an umbrella shaft assembly, and a plurality of rib assemblies each including a main rib, a sub rib, a stretcher and a tip that connects one end of the main rib and one end of the sub rib. The stretcher has one end thereof connected to a part of the main rib between the two opposite ends of the main rib, and an opposite end thereof disposed in one respective positioning groove of a lower nest of the umbrella shaft assembly and pivotally connected with an opposite end of the sub rib in the respective positioning groove. The main rib has an opposite end thereof pivotally connected to an upper nest of the umbrella shaft assembly.

An umbrella includes an anti-inversion mechanism that is configured to apply to each rib assembly a force that counters an inversion force that is applied to the umbrella. The anti-inversion mechanism includes a flexible elongated structure that is disposed exteriorly along the second rib part and has a first bent end that is attached to the second rib part by passing through an opening formed in the second rib part and being anchored within a hollow interior of the second rib part. The mechanism further includes a flexible wire having a first end attached to the flexible elongated structure of the anti-inversion mechanism and a second end attached to a rib tip that is located at a free distal end of the rib assembly.

The present invention relates to an expandable shelter, the shelter includes an upright support and ribs for supporting a canopy. Stretchers are provided for stretching the ribs from the upright support. A runner is provided for moving downwards along the upright support so that the stretchers stretch the ribs from the upright support to expand the shelter. Advantageously, a shelter assembly whereby the runner moves downward to stretch the ribs may provide a compact collapsed shelter with more expansive sheltering when compared with other shelters where the runner instead moves upwards for expansion.

An automation attachment for an existing umbrella includes a housing having an opening in an interior of the housing, one or more couplers or connectors to connect the opening of the housing to a center support pole or umbrella of the existing umbrella, a motor and pulley assembly, located inside the housing, to connect to a rope of the existing umbrella and pull on or release the rope in order to expand or retract an umbrella frame of the existing umbrella; and a rechargeable power source assembly, located inside the housing, to transfer power to the motor and pulley assembly for operation of the motor and pulley assembly.

An automatically controlled umbrella system includes an existing non-automated umbrella including an umbrella base, an umbrella pole and an umbrella frame; an automation attachment connected to the umbrella frame to automate the opening or closing of the umbrella frame; and a mobile computing device, the mobile computing device comprising processor(s); memory device(s); wireless communication transceiver(s); and computer-readable instructions stored in the memory device(s), the computer-readable instructions executable by the processor(s) to communicate instructions, commands or messages to the automation attachment via the wireless communication transceiver(s) to open or close the umbrella frame. The automation attachment includes processor(s), memory device(s) and computer-readable instructions stored in the memory device(s), the computer-readable instructions executable by the processor(s) to control operation of the automation attachment.