Adjustable umbrella canopy shade

Abstract

An adjustable umbrella canopy shade has a mounting post. The mounting post has a mounting post front side and a mounting post rear side. A cantilever support is mounted to the mounting post at a lower post hinge. A tension member is mounted to the mounting post at an upper post hinge. The tension member is mounted to the cantilever support at a cantilever support middle joint. A canopy is mounted to the cantilever support. A retainer system is mounted to the mounting post and coupled to the lower post hinge so that the retainer system moves with the lower post hinge. The lower post hinge is translationally mounted on the mounting post. A handle is formed on the retainer system, and the handle is mounted to a threaded handle shaft.

Claims

1. An adjustable umbrella canopy shade comprising: a. a mounting post, wherein the mounting post has a mounting post front side and a mounting post rear side; b. a cantilever support mounted to the mounting post at a lower post hinge; c. a tension member mounted to the mounting post at an upper post hinge, wherein the tension member is mounted to the cantilever support at a cantilever support middle joint; d. a canopy mounted to the cantilever support; e. a retainer system mounted to the mounting post and coupled to the lower post hinge so that the retainer system moves with the lower post hinge, wherein the lower post hinge is translationally mounted on the mounting post; f. a handle formed on the retainer system, wherein the handle is mounted to a handle shaft, wherein the handle shaft is threaded; g. a handle shaft retainer, wherein the handle shaft retainer retains the handle shaft, wherein the handle is mounted on the mounting post front side, wherein the handle shaft retainer is coupled to the lower post hinge, wherein the retainer system further includes a right guide member and a left guide member, wherein the right guide member fits into a right guide channel, and wherein a left guide member fits into a left guide channel, wherein the right guide member is mounted on a right guide arm, and wherein the left guide member is mounted on a left guide arm, wherein a stopper is mounted to the handle shaft; and a central tube formed within the mounting post, wherein the stopper is configured to tighten when the handle shaft thread rotates to press the stopper against a stopper contact face, wherein the stopper contact face is formed on the central tube.

2. The adjustable umbrella canopy shade of claim 1, further comprising a rear chamber formed adjacent to the central tube in the mounting post.

3. The adjustable umbrella canopy shade of claim 1, further comprising a left chamber and a right chamber formed adjacent to the central tube in the mounting post.

4. The adjustable umbrella canopy shade of claim 1, further comprising a handle shaft stopper frame made of aluminum holding a handle shaft stopper.

5. The adjustable umbrella canopy shade of claim 1, wherein the right guide member and the left guide member engage the right guide channel and the left guide channel when the handle shaft stopper engages the stopper contact face.

6. The adjustable umbrella canopy shade of claim 5, wherein the handle is mounted to a handle shaft, wherein the handle is formed as a knob.

7. The adjustable umbrella canopy shade of claim 5, wherein the canopy is formed as a cantilevered umbrella.

8. The adjustable umbrella canopy shade of claim 5, wherein a cantilevered umbrella has rib supports supporting ribs at rib support joints; wherein the ribs are hinged at an upper joint; wherein the cantilevered umbrella further includes a central support hinged to the ribs at the upper joint, and hinged to the rib supports at a lower joint, wherein the central support is vertically oriented.

9. The adjustable umbrella canopy shade of claim 5, wherein the right guide channel and the left guide channel are angled toward each other at a right post flange and a left post flange, wherein the right post flange is angled toward the left post flange to form a funnel shape so that the right guide member and the left guide member are biased toward each other when the stopper is engaged to the stopper contact face.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a side view of the cantilevered umbrella canopy shade.

(2) FIG. 2 is an external view of the retainer system.

(3) FIG. 3 is a top cross-section view of the retainer system.

(4) FIG. 4 is a close-up view of the cross-section view of the retainer system.

(5) The following call out list of elements can be a useful guide in referencing the element numbers of the drawings. 20 Canopy 21 Rib 22 Rib Support 23 Rib Support Joint 24 Upper Joint 25 Lower Joint 26 Central Support 27 Cantilever Support 28 Cantilever Support Middle Joint 29 Tension Member 30 Mounting Post 31 Mounting Post Base 32 Upper Post Hinge 33 Lower Post Hinge 34 Lower Post Hinge Bracket 35 Lower Post Hinge Joint 36 Mounting Post Rail 37 Mounting Post Front Side 38 Mounting Post Rear Side 39 Mounting Post Left Side 40 Retainer System 41 Knob Handle 42 Handle Grip 43 Handle Shaft 44 Handle Shaft Retainer 45 Handle Shaft Carriage 46 Handle Shaft Thread 47 Handle Shaft Stopper Frame 48 Handle Shaft Stopper 49 Central Tube 50 Post Cross Extrusion 51 Rear Chamber 52 Right Chamber 53 Left Chamber 54 Right Guide Channel 55 Left Guide Channel 56 Right Guide Member 57 Left Guide Member 58 Right Guide Arm 59 Left Guide Arm 60 Post Exterior Surface 61 Right Post Flange 62 Left Post Flange 63 Flange Opening 64 Stopper Frame Retaining Member 65 Stopper Contact Face 66 Central Tube Outside Surface 67 Stopper Inside Face 68 Handle Shaft Swivel

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(6) As seen in FIG. 1, a canopy 20 can be formed in the shape of an umbrella. The canopy has a number of ribs 21. Each rib 21 is supported by a rib support 22 and each rib support connects to each rib 21 at a rib support joint 23.

(7) A central support 26 can be formed as a short post that defines a triangle between the rib support 22 and the rib 21. The rib support 22 is pivotally hinged to the central support 26 at a lower joint 25 in the same way that the rib support 22 is pivotally hinged to the rib 21 at the rib support joint 23. The ribs 21 are hinged to each other radially at an upper joint 24 as well as to the central support 26. The central support 26 has an upper joint 24 connecting to the ribs 21 and a lower joint 25 connecting to the rib supports 22.

(8) One of the ribs 21 forms a cantilever support 27 that is connected to and extends away from the upper joint 24. The cantilever support 27 is hinged to a tension member 29 at a cantilever support middle joint 28. The tension member is hinged to an upper post hinge 32 mounting post 30 and the cantilever support is hinged to a lower post hinge 33. The upper post hinge 32 is mounted above the lower post hinge 33 on the mounting post 30. The mounting post 30 may be connected to a mounting post base 31 such as a flange for installation.

(9) As seen in FIG. 2, the cantilever support 27 pivots on a lower post hinge 33 and the lower post hinge 33 includes a lower post hinge bracket 34 having a lower post hinge joint 35. The lower post hinge bracket 34 is formed with a pair of extending flanges from a bracket base that is mounted to the mounting post 30. The lower post hinge 33 is height adjustable because the lower post hinge bracket 34 is mounted to a vertically oriented mounting post rail 36. The mounting post rail 36 has a mounting post front side 37, a mounting post rear side 38, and a mounting post left side 39. The retainer system 40 is preferably rigidly connected to the lower post hinge bracket 34. A handle shaft retainer 44 of the retainer system 40 extends upwardly and may be connected to the lower post hinge bracket 34 so that the retainer system 40 and the lower post hinge bracket 34 slide with each other.

(10) As seen FIG. 3, a retainer system 40 seen in cross-section view has a post cross-section extrusion 50, showing a central tube 49, a rear chamber 51 behind the central tube 49, and a right chamber 52, as well as a left chamber 53. The left right, front rear orientation is from the relative position of the umbrella portion of the canopy, where a user might sit.

(11) The central tube is preferably cylindrical and extending the length of the post. The retainer system 40 mounts to the post 30. The retainer system 40 has a knob handle 41 with handle grip 42 that connects to a handle shaft 43. The handle shaft 43 protrudes when a user rotates the knob handle 41. The handle shaft 43 is mounted to a handle shaft retainer 44 which acts as a frame. The handle shaft retainer 44 extends upwardly to the lower post hinge bracket 34.

(12) A handle shaft carriage 45 fits over the handle shaft retainer 44. The handle shaft carriage has a pair of extending ends, including a right end and a left end that extend to the right and left of the slot formed in the mounting post rail 36. The handle shaft has handle shaft thread 46 which is threadedly secured to the handle shaft retainer 44. The handle shaft thread 46 also continues to a handle shaft stopper frame 47 that retains a handle shaft stopper 48. The handle shaft stopper frame 47 can be made of aluminum and the handle shaft stopper is preferably elastomeric.

(13) As seen in FIG. 4, the slot is formed as a flange opening 63 which is defined between a right post flange 61 and a left post flange 62. Behind each post flange is a guide channel. A right guide channel 54 is formed between the right chamber 52 and the right post flange 61. A left guide channel 55 is formed between the left chamber 53 and the left post flange 62. The handle shaft retainer 44 branches with a right guide arm 58 extending to the right chamber 52 and a left guide arm 59 extending to the left chamber 53. A handle shaft carriage 45 covers the slot and handle shaft retainer 44. A right guide member 56 is mounted to the right guide arm, and the left guide member 57 is mounted to the left guide arm.

(14) The retainer system 40 engages to the central tube 49 as a user turns the knob handle 41. Turning the knob handle 41 locks a stopper contact face 65 to a central tube outside surface 66. When a user engages the knob, the stopper engages the central tube and the stopper inside face 67 presses against the stopper frame retaining member 64. The stopper contact face 65 can be flat or may have grooves that engage the central tube. As the stopper contact face 65 pushes against the central tube, the stopper contact face may deform due to its elastomeric nature. A post exterior surface 60 faces the handle shaft carriage 45.

(15) Additionally, an optional handle shaft swivel 68 can allow the stopper contact face 65 to stay at a particular orientation to the central tube outside face 66. When the stopper contact face 65 abuts the central tube outside face 66, a ridge and groove grip surface can improve friction.

(16) The guide arms are preferably slightly flexible so that the Y shaped prong configuration allows the right guide member and the left guide member to engage with the right guide channel 54 and the left guide channel 55. The guide members, namely the right guide member and the left guide member can be made as cylinders with elastomeric grippy surfaces. The guide member grip surfaces can be mounted on wheels shaped as spools with a spool axle so that the grip surfaces rotate when the stopper contact face engages with the central tube outside surface 66. Thus, the extending compression force of the stopper against the stopper contact face 65 causes the guide members, namely the right guide member and the left guide member to engage the guide channels and such engagement can be improved if the guide arms are slightly flexible and can be formed as cantilevered leaf springs. The guide arms can engage the underside of the right post flange 61 and the left post flange 62 which are angled so that the pair of guide members has a wedge engagement to the pair of post flanges. The wedge engagement is activated when the handle knob is turned to engage the grip surface of the stopper and the guide members.