Abstract
There have been attempts to create a folding umbrella so that once folded the wet side of the canopy folds upon itself containing any residual water on the canopy within allowing the user to handle the dry side when furling the canopy closed. This prevents the residual water on the canopy dripping on the floor or wetting the user. The design is also to facilitate folding of the frame away from the user allowing it to close through small spaces, such as the close gap of a doorway. The present innovation achieves the intended objectives whilst maintaining the size and weight of the umbrella comparable to conventional single fold folding umbrellas.
Claims
1. An inside out folding umbrella, comprising: a. a shaft; b. a canopy; c. a first or top slider, a second slider and a third slider each located along the shaft, each of the first or top, second and third sliders being provided with coupling and uncoupling features, wherein each of the first or top, second and third sliders are configured to control a tension coupling and uncoupling mechanism; d. a frame comprising a plurality of primary spokes, secondary spokes, tensioning spokes, and top supporting spokes; e. each of the primary and secondary spokes being configured to be connected together with a first sliding connector, wherein the primary spokes are configured to support the canopy and the secondary spokes are configured to support the corresponding primary spokes, wherein the first sliding connector is configured to allow the primary spoke to extend through the first sliding connector; f. a second sliding connector located on the secondary spoke which is connected to the corresponding top supporting spoke which is supported by the first or top slider on the shaft and which is connected to a linkage mechanism, wherein the linkage mechanism is configured to actuate a movement of the corresponding tensioning spoke that is configured to control the position of the corresponding primary spoke; and g. an actuating mechanism configured to be actuated by the rotation of the secondary spoke and the second sliding connector, which is located on the secondary spoke, relative to the corresponding top supporting spoke that is supported by the first or top slider on the shaft at one end and connected to the second sliding connector located on the secondary spoke at the other end thereof.
2. The inside out folding umbrella as claimed in claim 1 wherein the shaft is telescopic.
3. The inside out folding umbrella as claimed in claim 1 wherein the shaft is formed from a single piece.
4. The inside out folding umbrella as claimed in claim 1 wherein a fourth or bottom slider is provided and wherein the fourth or bottom slider is configured to control the movement of the first or top slider.
5. The inside out folding umbrella as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a frame closure mechanism, the frame closure mechanism comprising a rotating component configured to rotate up towards the shaft to close the frame and the canopy to contain and lock the frame in position.
6. The inside out folding umbrella as claimed in claim 5 further comprising a canopy furling mechanism, the canopy furling mechanism comprising a circumferential component attached to the rotating component configured such that as the rotating component rotates and closes onto the shaft the canopy furls around the frame as well as the shaft.
7. The inside out folding umbrella as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a spring latch mechanism, the spring latch mechanism comprising a two-piece elastic spacer and a spring wherein the first piece of the two-piece elastic spacer is connected to the first or top slider located on the shaft and supports one end of the spring and the second piece two-piece elastic spacer contains a latch at one end and the other end supports the other end of the spring, wherein the spring latch mechanism is configured to create a returning spring force which allows the frame to move from its open configuration to minimize the wind force and return to its equilibrium position.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0030] The present invention will now be described by way of reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
[0031] FIG. 1 shows one of the options of the configuration of the sliders along the shaft. Although on these drawings the shaft is shown in one piece it can also be telescopic.
[0032] FIG. 2 shows the shaft and the sliders same as in FIG. 1 but also shows the primary spoke, secondary spoke and spokes and linkages involved in the tensioning and inversion mechanism.
[0033] FIG. 3 shows in detail the linkage mechanism involved in the tensioning and inversion mechanism.
[0034] FIGS. 4 and 5 show the primary spokes, secondary spokes, the inversion and tensioning mechanism in two stages of opening. FIG. 4 is an intermediate stage, and FIG. 5 shows the frame close to final stage of the opening and tensioning.
[0035] FIG. 6 is same as FIG. 5 and only shown for comparison on this page with FIG. 7 and FIG. 8.
[0036] FIGS. 7 and 8 show two further alternatives to the tensioning mechanism shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. These are some examples of tensioning mechanism but there are others.
[0037] FIGS. 9 and 10 show one of the mechanisms that can be utilized to achieve substantial closing of the frame and winding of the canopy in close configuration.
[0038] FIGS. 11 and 12 show an alternative method to achieve substantial closing of the frame and winding of the canopy in close configuration.
[0039] FIG. 13 shows a typical shape of the canopy in the process of closing and the mechanism that substantially facilitates the winding of the flaps of the canopy around the shaft.
[0040] FIG. 14 shows a spring mechanism which allows the primary support sliders to move along the shaft retracting the primary spokes supporting the canopy.
[0041] FIG. 15 shows another alternative to tensioning mechanism.
[0042] FIG. 16 shows another embodiment of this invention.
[0043] FIG. 17 shows another embodiment of this innovation.
[0044] FIG. 18 shows the arrangement of the canopy over the frame in open configuration.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0045] The present aspects and embodiments represent currently the best ways known to the applicant of putting the inventions into practice. However, these are not the only ways in which this could be achieved. They are illustrated referring to the drawings, and they will now be described, by way of example only.
[0046] FIGS. 1 and 2 should be observed together. The marking is done on two figures for clarity. FIG. 1 shows the sliders movable along the shaft marked 10 which can either be telescopic or non-telescopic. In this example, the slider 14 and slider 11 are connected with an outer shaft marked 15. This may be required if the position of the top slider marked 11 is not fixed. In this example, the sliders 13 and 14 have coupling mechanisms which allow them to be coupled and uncoupled depending on their relative position along the shaft. To open the canopy, the sliders 13 and 14 are pushed up the shaft from their starting positions until the slider marked 11 reaches the end stop at the top of the shaft. The sliders marked 12 and 13 are also coupled or uncoupled to connect and disconnect to facilitate the turning of the canopy inside out, facilitate the tensioning of the canopy as well as closing the folded frame and facilitating the furling of the canopy around the frame and the shaft. The secondary spoke 19 supports the primary spoke 18 via sliding pivotal support 23 which allows primary spoke 18 slide through it. The secondary spoke 19 is also connected to the rest of the frame via sliding connection 24 which is free to slide along spoke 19. This unique arrangement allows the frame to expand and tension the canopy and contract sliding the primary spoke 18 along the secondary spoke 19 closing the frame in a compact configuration where the pivot joining the spoke 20 and 18 which also support the canopy is contracted to the bottom of the spoke 19 close to the slider 13. This facilitates the best way of compacting the frame minimizing the size of its close configuration, so that the frame can be pull through confined spaces such as the closing car door. The compactness of the frame holds the canopy substantially firm minimizing the risk of water spilling out of the canopy. The relative movement of sider 13 to slider 12 facilitates the rotation of spoke 18 and 19 and relative movement of 12 and 11 facilitates tensioning or releasing tension in the canopy. There are a number of different ways the internal framing structures can be arranged to mobilize the spoke 20 which is pivotally connected to primary spoke 18 and spoke 21 pivotally connected via the sliding support 24 to supporting spoke 18. These are explained in the following text referring to the drawings.
[0047] FIG. 2 shows the main spokes of the frame. The primary spokes support and tension the canopy are marked 18 and 20. The secondary spoke which supports the primary spoke marked 19. Spoke marked 21 facilitates the rotation of the secondary spoke 19 to open and closed configuration. Spoke marked 22 rotates the spoke marked 21 to open and closed configuration. The movement of the sliders 11,12 and 13 relative to each other facilitates turning of the canopy inside out, opening the frame, tensioning the canopy, releasing the canopy tensioning, turning the canopy outside which is the wet side of the canopy inwards so that dry side of the canopy is on the outside ready to furl around the frame and the shaft.
[0048] FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 should be observed together. The marking is done on three figures for clarity. FIG. 3 is a larger view of the parts shown in FIG. 4 for clarity. It is a unique feature of the present invention that the primary spoke 118 can slide through the connector 123 which is attached to the secondary spoke 119. The connector 123 can rotate in the plane of the movement of spokes 118 and 119. This invention also uniquely has a sliding connector marked 124 which can move along the secondary spoke 119. This sliding connector connects the Spokes 119 and 121 as well as the spokes 119 and 127. When the frame is in closed configuration, the slider 113 is latched to the shaft in location close to the handle. When the latch is released and the slider 113 is pushed along the shaft away from the handle, the slider 14 shown in FIG. 1 is pulled along because the sliders 14 and 113 are coupled together. The movement of 14 pushes the top slider 111 up the shaft because 111 and 14 are attached with the connector 15. When slider 111 reaches a stopper close to the top of the shaft, the coupling between 14 and 113 is released and 113 moves up the shaft towards slider 112. This movement facilitates a rotation of the secondary spoke 119 relative to spoke, which also rotates the primary spoke 118 so that the tip of the spoke is close or beyond the horizontal relative to the shaft. The tip of the primary spokes is connected to the circumference of the canopy marked 125.
[0049] The relative rotation between spokes 119 and 121 also pulls the connector 127 which in turn pulls the link 128 between 121 and 120. In this example, the connector 126 allows the spoke 120 slide through it. The link 128 is attached to spoke 121 so that it can rotate in the plane of the opening frame relative to 121. This rotation lifts the spoke 120 away from 121 which also lift the primary spoke 118. The lengths of 120 and 121 is selected to fully stretch the canopy 125 to the curvature required.
[0050] Movement of slider 113 which at this stage is coupled with 112 and together they are pushed towards the slider 111 tensioning the canopy in the open configuration. The spring 129 facilitates auto rotation of the spokes 121 towards 122 pulling the sliding connector 124 along the secondary spoke 119 towards the shaft facilitating the auto closing mechanism. To close the frame, the sliders 112 and 113 are pulled downwards along the shaft towards the handle. This movement initiates the closing mechanism of the frame, pulling the primary spoke inwards towards the shaft so that it can flip pass the horizontal configuration of the frame turning the canopy dry side out which is also referred to inside out. When the frame and canopy is beyond this stage, the sliders 112 and 113 are uncoupled. Further movement of slider 113 towards the slider 14 at this stage is latched to the shaft. This movement rotates the secondary spokes 119 and primary scopes 118 upwards toward the shaft closing the frame. Further movement of slider 113 couples with slider 14 and disengages it from the shaft and moves toward the close configuration of the frame and the canopy which have the dry side of the canopy on the outside and wet enclosed on the inside.
[0051] There are several ways the linkage systems can be achieved, and further alternatives are shown with examples on FIGS. 6, 7, 8 and 15.
[0052] FIG. 6 is the same as FIG. 5 and it is only shown on for comparison with FIGS. 7 and 8 which show two other ways of organizing the linkage system. In FIG. 7, the spoke 220 is in two parts 220 and 220a. These two parts are connected so that they can rotate relative to each other with the plane of the frame. The connector 232 does not allow the spoke 220 to slide through it but it allows the link 128 rotate with relative to 220. On the other end, the link 128 is same as explained in FIG. 3. It is attached to spoke 121 and it rotates relative to it lifting and up and forward the spoke 220 and 220a. In this option, the length of 220a expands as it rotates from close to open configuration lifting and pushing the connection between 220 and 218 further. In FIG. 8 another option is shown which achieves the same as the configuration in FIG. 7 by keeping the spoke 220 one piece and making the connector 231 sliding type which allows the spoke 121 slide through it.
[0053] FIG. 9 shows the mechanism that help fully close the frame and help furl the canopy around the frame and the shaft. On this option when the sliders 312 and 313 are uncoupled, the slider 312 is restrained by the frame or an obstacle on the shaft to that it cannot slide downwards towards the handle, the slider 313 which is being pulled by the user moves along the shaft. The closure and furling frame which is made from rotating component 332 which is supported by 331 with a connector 333 which allows 332 to slide through it. When the slider 313 moves down away slider 312 the rotating component 332 rotates upwards being pulled in towards the shaft by 331. The rotating component 332 can have an arc shaped part which is shown in FIG. 13 as 538. As 332 rotates up towards to the shaft, the secondary spoke and primary spoke and all other linkages makes up the umbrella frame are enclosed within being pushed towards the shaft. The hook 538 also facilitates the furling of the canopy around the frame and the shaft. Once the slider 313 is pulled as far as possible and latched on to the shaft. The closed configuration will remain.
[0054] FIG. 10 shows the closure and furling mechanism in partly closed configuration. It also shows a spring 334 which can make the process of closing the mechanism automatic. This is achieved because when the slider 313 is pushed up towards the stationary slider 312 which is someway attached to the shaft, the spring is energized. When 313 and 312 are coupled together, the energized spring energy is locked in within the coupled 312 and 313 sliders until it is released again on the way down when the sliders are uncoupled. This is an innovative process of closing the frame and furling the canopy and holding it in closed configuration without using the industry standard method of using hands to hold the frame and furling the canopy using hands and using a wrapping a strap around the canopy to hold it in closed configuration.
[0055] FIGS. 11 and 12 show a different option of achieving the same objective as demonstrated in FIGS. 9 and 10. In this case, the slider 412 extends through the slider 413 and it is shaped to extend outwards as shown marked 436. The rotating component 432 with and arc shaped part marked 435 is connected to slider 413. When 413 and 412 are uncoupled and 413 moves downwards, the handle the rotating component 432 pushes against the part 436 which is part of the slider 412. This rotates 432 up towards the shaft rotating and pushing the secondary spoke 419, primary spoke 418 and all other associated frame parts towards the shaft to their closed configuration. The rotation of the component 432 and the connected part 435 which can also have an arc shaped part in circumferential direction as shown in FIG. 13 marked 538 contains the frame in its closed configuration as well as the arc 538 furling the canopy around the frame and the shaft. In closed configuration the slider 413 is also latched to the shaft which ensures that the frame remains enclosed and the canopy furled.
[0056] FIG. 13 shows the closing canopy marked 537 and furling component 538.
[0057] FIG. 14 shows the spring latch mechanism. This is an innovation to latch the slider 612 in fully open configurations with the canopy in tension. In this innovation, the latch is not connected to the shaft but it is able to move down the shaft against the spring 639. As the canopy and the frame is pushed upwards by the wind, the frame pushes the sliders 612 and 613 which are coupled at this stage downwards. The downward movement of the sliders 612 and 613 retracts the frame and the canopy inwards reducing the size of the canopy exposed to the wind which in turn reduces the wind force. The shape of the canopy also changes reducing the wind force. The sliders move downwards against the spring force which pulls back the sliders to their equilibrium position stretching the canopy back to its open configurations. The spacer between 612 and 611 is in two parts. Part 640 which contains the latch 642 and connected to one end of the spring and part 641 which can be part of 611 which also supports the other end of the spring.
[0058] FIG. 15 is another alternative option in the framing mechanism. It shows the same frame as shown in FIG. 5 but in this case the connector 726 do not allow the spoke 720 to slide through it. However, the connection 726a which is connection between 728 and 721 allows 721 to slide through it. When 727 moves the slider 726a, the link between 720 and 721 alters the position of 726 either lifting it up to open configuration or brings it down to closed configuration.
[0059] FIG. 16 is another alternative option in the framing mechanism. In this figure, another frame configuration is presented that achieve the same objectives with simple framing arrangement. In this case, the spoke 1822 that rotates the spoke 2821 to tension the canopy in its open configuration and rotates the spoke 1821 towards the shaft to close the frame, sliding the sliding connection 1824 long the spoke 1819 towards the shaft. When the frame is in closed configuration, the sliding support 1824 is at the bottom end of the spoke 1819 and close to slider 1813. The spoke 1822 is pivotally supported by the spoke 1821 and the slider 1812 but uniquely extends beyond the pivotal connection on 1821 to the pivotal connection connecting 1822 to 1820. The part of the 1822 spoke extending beyond the pivotal connection to 1821 is marked as 1822a. This configuration actuates a movement in the spoke 1820 as a function of the angular movement of 1822 relative to 1821. The spacer connector 1827 which is pivotally connected to 1821 and 1820 ensures that the spoke 1820 is in the right orientation to tension and give the canopy required shape. 1827 also ensures that the spoke 1820 is pulled back towards 1821 which consequently pulls back the primary slider 1818, collapsing the frame into closed configuration with the inner end of the primary spoke which is attached to the canopy pulling into a position close to slider 1813. In closed configuration, all the frame spokes are compacted close to the shaft. When slider 1813 pushed towards 1812, the secondary support spoke 1819 rotates away from the shaft opening the frame with the tip of the primary spoke and the canopy edge it is attached rotating away from the shaft. The initial distance between 1813 and 1812 is important to ensure that as 1813 and 1812 are coupled and moving together up the shaft the tip of the primary spoke and the edge of the canopy has rotated more than 90 degrees from the shaft so that the canopy edge does not restrain further movement. As the two sliders 1813 and 1812 continue moving up the shaft 1822 rotates, moving 1820 extending the primary spoke and with the slider 1824 being pushed up the secondary slider towards 1823 fully tensions the canopy. Further movement upwards is prevented by the spring 1811a or 1819a or both. The spacers 1813a and 1813b are telescopically connected to the slider 1813. As the slider 1813 pulled down the shaft to close the frame and the canopy, the slider 1812 also moves down and the spacing between the sliders 1813 and 1812 when the frame is in closed configuration is defined by the lengths of the telescopic spacers 1813a and 1813b. The slider 1812 is designed to be movable along the spacers but being restrained by the spacer 1813b near the top end of the spacer in closed configuration. The stiffness of the spring 1811a and spring 1819a when used in combination or when using either 1811a or 1819a alone defines the stiffness of the frame to uplifting force in open configuration. This feature can be used to minimize the possibility of the primary spokes and canopy turning inside out by the wind when the umbrella is being used in open configuration.
[0060] FIG. 17 is another alternative option in the framing mechanism. In this figure, yet another frame configuration is presented that achieve the same objectives with simple framing arrangement. This configuration is similar to framing shown in FIG. 16 accept the spoke 822 is only pivotally connected between slider 812 and spoke 821 and does not extend beyond 821. The connector 827 is also pivotally connecting spoke 820 and the slider 824 which can slide along the spoke 819. This arrangement creates a further coupling between the primary spoke 818 and secondary supporting spoke 819. This arrangement alters the way the frame reacts to the wind forces.
[0061] FIG. 18 shows the canopy 1841 over the framing arrangement presented in FIG. 16 but it is also applicable to other framing arrangements presented.
