Movable Umbrella Base

Abstract

A movable umbrella base comprises a housing (1), a wheel frame (2) disposed under the bottom of the housing (1), at least three wheels (3) connected at intervals to the wheel frame (2) and located partially under the wheel frame (2), a plurality of air bags (4) located inside a space defined by the wheel frame (2) and the housing (1), and a plurality of elastic members (6) limit displacement of the wheel frame (2) and the wheels (3) from the housing (1); when the air bags (4) are inflated, the housing (1) is lifted up relative to the wheel frame (2) and the wheels (3) from the ground; when the air bags (4) are deflated, the housing (1) is lowered relative to the wheel frame (2) and the wheels (3) and contacts the ground. The umbrella base can be moved by the air bags (4), the whole operation process is easier, and it saves more time and effort.

Claims

1. A movable umbrella base, comprising: a housing (1) having a bottom; a wheel frame (2) disposed under the bottom of the housing (1); at least three wheels (3) connected at intervals to the wheel frame (2) and the at least three wheels (3) located partially under the wheel frame (2); a plurality of air bags (4) located inside a space defined by the wheel frame (2) and the housing (1); wherein, when the air bags (4) are inflated, the housing (1) is lifted up relative to the wheel frame (2) and the wheels (3) from the ground; when the air bags (4) are deflated, the housing (1) is lowered relative to the wheel frame (2) and the wheels (3) and contacts the ground; a plurality of elastic members (6) limit displacement of the wheel frame (2) and the wheels (3) from the housing (1) to contact the ground when the air bags are deflated.

2. The umbrella base of claim 1, wherein each air bag (4) has an air pipe (41) for air circulation, and each air pipe (41) is exposed partially outside the wheel frame (2).

3. The umbrella base of claim 2, wherein the number of the air bags (4) are at least two, the air pipes (41) on the air bags (4) are connected with each other by a connecting pipe (42), and the connecting pipe (42) has a nozzle (45) for communicating with an external inflator, the nozzle (45) is exposed outside the wheel frame (2).

4. The umbrella base of claim 3, wherein the wheel frame (2) is a quadrilateral frame, and four wheels (3) disposed at intervals at four corners at the bottom of the wheel frame (2).

5. The umbrella base of claim 4, wherein the wheel frame (2) has a first frame plate (21) and a second frame plate (22); two air bags (4) disposed in parallel and at intervals, and disposed respectively on the first frame plate (21) and the second frame plate (22); each air pipe (41) extends downward, the first frame plate (21) and the second frame plate (22) respectively have a first hole (211) and a second hole (221) for the corresponding air pipe (41) to extend outside; the air pipes (41) of the two air bags (4) are connected with each other by the connecting pipe (42) located at the bottom of the wheel frame (2), the connecting pipe (42) has the air nozzle (45), and the housing (1) has a gap (11) for allowing the air nozzle (45) to be exposed.

6. The umbrella base of claim 5, wherein the wheel frame (2) has a supporting member (23) for supporting the connecting pipe (42) at the bottom of the wheel frame (2).

7. The umbrella base of claim 6, wherein a third frame plate (24) is connected between the first frame plate (21) and the second frame plate (22), the supporting member (23) is a U-shaped ring disposed at the bottom of the third frame plate (24), and the air nozzle (45) extends out of the U-shaped ring from inside.

8. The umbrella base of claim 1, wherein the wheel frame (2) and the housing (1) respectively have four mounting holes for receiving four connecting pieces (5) each of which has an extension rod (52); the housing (1) has two inner plates (14); the extension rod (52) of each connecting piece (5) runs upward through the corresponding mounting hole of the wheel frame (2) and the housing (1), so as to make the wheel frame (2) be mounted on two inner plates (14) of the housing (1).

9. The umbrella base of claim 8, wherein each connecting piece (5) has an enlarged end (51) at bottom of the extension rod (52), and the elastic member (6) is a spring sleeved on each extension rod (52) and disposed between the enlarged end (51) and the wheel frame (2).

10. The umbrella base of claim 8, wherein each connecting piece (5) is an adjusting bolt, and correspondingly, four threaded holes fitted to the adjusting bolts are disposed on the housing (1).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a movable umbrella base according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of FIG. 1;

[0026] FIG. 3 is a front view of the movable umbrella base according to the embodiment of the present invention (when the wheels are hidden in an housing);

[0027] FIG. 4 is a section view of part of FIG. 3;

[0028] FIG. 5 is a front view of the movable umbrella base according to the embodiment of the present invention (when the wheels partially come out from the housing);

[0029] FIG. 6 is a section view of part of FIG. 5;

[0030] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of FIG. 1 from another bottom view;

[0031] FIG. 8 is an exploded view of FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0032] The present invention will be further described in detail by embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0033] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, a movable umbrella base is provided according to an embodiment of the present invention. The movable umbrella base comprises an housing 1, a wheel frame 2, a plurality of wheels 3, a plurality of elastic members 6 and a plurality of air bags 4.

[0034] The housing 1 has a socket 12 for receiving a column disposed on the top of the housing 1, and has two mounting grooves 13 for receiving the two air bags 4 disposed at the bottom of the housing 1.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 7, the wheel frame 2 is a quadrilateral frame, and comprises a first frame plate 21 and a second frame plate 22 spaced in parallel, and a third frame plate 24 and a fourth frame plate 25 spaced in parallel for connecting the first frame plate 21 and the second frame plate 22. At least three wheels 3 are connected at intervals to the wheel frame 2 and the wheels 3 located partially under the wheel frame 2. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, there are four wheels 3 disposed at four corners of the bottom of the wheel frame 2, each wheel 3 is disposed at the bottom of the joint of two adjacent frame plates, and the wheels 3 in this embodiment are casters.

[0036] The wheel frame 2 is disposed under the bottom of the housing 1 and is mounted on the housing 1 by four connecting pieces 5, and the four connecting pieces 5 are circumferentially disposed at intervals around the wheel frame 2. Specifically, the third frame plate 24 of the wheel frame 2 is mounted at a proper position on the housing 1 by two connecting pieces 5 while the fourth frame plate 25 of the wheel frame 2 is mounted at a proper position on the housing 1 by the other two connecting pieces 5, and four mounting holes for receiving four connecting pieces 5 are correspondingly disposed on the third frame plate 24, the fourth frame plate 25 and two inner wall plates 14 of the housing 1. The inverted T-shaped connecting piece 5 has an extension rod 52 runs upward through the corresponding mounting hole of the wheel frame 2 and the housing 1, so as to make the wheel frame 2 be mounted on two inner plates 14 of the housing 1, and an enlarged end 51 is disposed at bottom of each extension rod 52. In this embodiment, each connecting piece 5 is an adjusting bolt, and correspondingly, four threaded holes fitted to the adjusting bolts are disposed on the housing 1, each adjusting bolt runs upward through the mounting hole on the wheel frame 2 and is threaded into the threaded hole of the housing 1, so that the wheel frame 2 and the housing 1 are mounted. In addition, the elastic member 6 limits displacement of the wheel frame 2 and the wheels 3 from the housing 1 to contact the ground when the air bags are deflated. In this embodiment, the number of the elastic member 6 is four, each elastic member 6 is a spring sleeved on each extension rod 52 and disposed between the enlarged end 51 and the wheel frame 2, both ends of the spring respectively press against corresponding positions of the enlarged end 51 and the wheel frame 2.

[0037] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 7, each air bag 4 is located in a space enclosed by the wheel frame 2 and the mounting groove 13 of the housing 1, and an air pipe 41 for air circulation, which at least partially comes out from the wheel frame 2, is disposed on each air bag 4. The number of the air bags 4 is at least two. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, there are two air bags 4 which are in strip and disposed in parallel, and disposed respectively on the first frame plate 21 and the second frame plate 22. Specifically, a connector 43, by which the air bag 4 is mounted on the corresponding frame plate of the wheel frame 2, is disposed at both ends of the two air bags 4 respectively. As shown in FIG. 2, each air pipe 41 extends downward, the first frame plate 21 and the second frame plate 22 respectively have a first hole 211 and a second hole 221 for the corresponding air pipe 41 to extend outside; the air pipes 41 of the two air bags 4 are connected with each other by the connecting pipe 42 located at the bottom of the wheel frame 2, the connecting pipe 42 has an air nozzle 45 is capable of communicating with an inflator. In this embodiment, the connecting pipe 42 comprises a first pipe section 421 and a second pipe section 422, the air nozzle 45 is connected to the first pipe section 421 and the second pipe section 422 through an adapter 44, and the housing 1 has a gap 11 for allowing the air nozzle 45 to be exposed.

[0038] When the air bags 4 are inflated, the housing 1 is lifted up relative to the wheel frame 2 and the wheels 3 from the ground. When the air bags 4 are deflated, the bottom of the housing 1 is located below the wheels 3 and the wheels 3 can be hidden in the mounting groove 13 of the housing 1.

[0039] To support the connecting pipe 42, the wheel frame 2 has a supporting member 23 for supporting the connecting pipe 42 at the bottom of the wheel frame 2. The supporting member 23 varies in shape, which may be U-shaped or L-shaped and may also be in other structural forms. In this embodiment, the supporting member 23 is a U-shaped ring disposed at the bottom of the third frame plate 24, the adapter 44 is located in the U-shaped ring and mounted on a bottom plate 231 of the U-shaped ring by a joint pin, and the air nozzle 45 extends out of the U-shaped ring from inside.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, when there is a need to move the umbrella base, the external inflator is connected to the air nozzle 45 to inflate the air bags 4 through the air nozzle 45. The inflation of the air bags 4 enables the wheel frame 2 and the wheels 3 to move down synchronously with respect to the housing 1. When the air bags 4 inflate until the bottom of the wheels 3 is located below the housing 1, the inflation stops. In this case, the wheels 3 touch the ground while the housing 1 is off the ground, and the inflator is removed, thus allowing the displacement of the umbrella base.

[0041] When the wheels 3 need to be retracted after the umbrella base is moved to a proper position, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the air bags 4 are deflated through the air nozzle 45. During the deflation of the air bags 4, the wheel frame 2 and the wheel 3 move up synchronously with respect to the housing 1 under the elastic recovery of the elastic member 6. When the air bag 4 is deflated to a certain extent, the wheels 3 are hidden in the housing 1, that is., the bottom of the wheels 3 is located above the bottom of the housing 1, and the housing 1 touches the ground. In this case, the wheels 3 are off the ground to fix the umbrella base.