Umbrella

Abstract

An improved umbrella (10) comprising: a shaft (11); a plurality of ribs(13) spaced around the shaft (11) arranged to be capable of extending outwardly of the shaft (11) in a deployed condition; a canopy (12) supportable by the ribs (13); and a tensioner (19) comprising a filamentary material which extends around the perimeter of the umbrella (10), wherein the filamentary material (19) is arranged to tension the perimeter of the umbrella (10) and resist inversion of the umbrella (10) by pulling a distal end of each rib (13) towards the shaft (11) when in the deployed condition.

Claims

1. An umbrella comprising: an umbrella frame comprising a shaft; a plurality of ribs spaced around the shaft, arranged to be capable of extending outwardly of the shaft in a deployed condition; a canopy supportable by the ribs; and a tensioner comprising filamentary material which contacts a perimeter of the canopy and extends around said perimeter, wherein the filamentary material is connected to a distal end of each rib so that the filamentary material connects the distal end of each rib to the distal end of each adjacent rib and pulls the distal ends of the ribs towards the shaft and reduces a circumference at the perimeter of the canopy to tension the perimeter of the canopy so as to resist inversion of the umbrella by pulling a distal end of each rib towards the shaft when in the deployed condition.

2. An umbrella according to claim 1, wherein the filamentary material is flexible and inextensible.

3. An umbrella according to claim 1, wherein the filamentary material forms a continuous loop around the perimeter of the canopy.

4. An umbrella according to claim 1 wherein the filamentary material is incorporated into the perimeter of the canopy.

5. An umbrella according to claim 1, further comprising a slider movable along the shaft to deploy or stow the canopy, wherein a plurality of stretchers are connected to the shaft via the slider.

6. An umbrella according to claim 1, wherein each rib comprises at least one hinge arranged so that the umbrella canopy can be folded.

7. An umbrella according to claim 1, wherein the filamentary material is attached to an eye at the distal end of each rib.

8. An umbrella according to claim 1, wherein the filamentary material forms a closed loop with a circumference smaller than the circumference of the ends of the ribs so that when the filamentary material is attached to the ribs it pulls the ends of the ribs towards the shaft.

9. An umbrella according to claim 1, wherein the canopy is shaped so that it fits the umbrella frame when ends of the ribs are pulled towards the shaft by the filamentary material.

10. An umbrella according to claim 1, wherein said shaft and/or said ribs are arranged to be foldable from a stowed condition to a deployed condition and vice versa.

11. An inversion-resistant umbrella comprising: a shaft; a plurality of ribs spaced around the shaft, arranged to be capable of extending outwardly of the shaft in a deployed condition, wherein each rib has a distal and proximal end and a hinge wherein said ribs are foldable; a canopy supportable by the ribs; and a tensioner comprising a flexible and inextensible filamentary material which contacts a perimeter of the canopy and extends around said perimeter, wherein the filamentary material tensions the perimeter of the canopy by pulling the distal end of each rib towards the shaft when in the deployed condition to bend each rib towards the shaft to reduce a circumference at the perimeter of the canopy.

12. An umbrella comprising: a shaft; a plurality of ribs spaced around the shaft, arranged to be capable of extending outwardly of the shaft in a deployed condition; a canopy supportable by the ribs; and a tensioner comprising a flexible and inextensible filamentary material which contacts a perimeter of the canopy and extends around said perimeter, wherein the filamentary material is arranged to tension the perimeter of the canopy so as to resist inversion of the umbrella by pulling a distal end of each rib towards the shaft when in the deployed condition wherein each rib bends towards the shaft so that a circumference at the perimeter of the canopy is smaller than it would be without the tensioner, wherein said filamentary material has a tenacity of at least 23 lbs.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) There now follows, by way of example only, a detailed description of various embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which;

(2) FIG. 1 shows a cross-section view of an embodiment of the invention;

(3) FIG. 2a shows a cross-section view of an embodiment of the invention showing the change in shape of the ribs when the tension in the filamentary material bends them;

(4) FIG. 2b shows view from the upper side of the umbrella;

(5) FIG. 3 shows a view how sections of canopy may be cut from a piece of fabric;

(6) FIG. 4 is a partial view of a one tensioner embodiment;

(7) FIG. 5 is a partial view of another tensioner embodiment; and

(8) FIG. 6 is a partial view of another tensioner embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(9) FIG. 1 shows a portable umbrella 10, for protection against weather, for example, rain, sun or wind. In FIG. 1 the umbrella is shown in a deployed position where it is in use but the umbrella may also be moved into a stowed position where the canopy is collapsed.

(10) Referring to the FIG. 1, an umbrella 10 comprises a shaft 11 and a canopy 12. The shaft comprises a rigid pole or tube and that is used to support the canopy and may be made from any rigid material, conveniently metal such as steel or aluminium or may be made from wood or plastic. The shaft 11 may be hollow in order to make it lighter and may also be telescopic or foldable so that it can be shortened when the umbrella is stowed. A ball spring 16 is shown in FIG. 1 that joins component parts which form a telescopic arrangement. The canopy 12 may be made from a flexible material and may be waterproof, shower-proof, UV resistant, light blocking and/or lightweight.

(11) Ribs 13 are attached near one end 14 of the shaft. A handle 15 may be at the other end of the shaft for convenience in holding the umbrella. The ribs radiate out from near one end 14 of the shaft and are attached, at the other end or at a point between the two ends of the rib to a spreader 17, which pushes the rib away from the shaft to erect the umbrella for use. The other end of the spreaders may be attached to a slider 18, which slides along the shaft of the umbrella and positions the spreaders to erect or stow the umbrella.

(12) The umbrella further comprises a filamentary material in the form of a thread 19 attached at or near the ends of each rib around the perimeter of the umbrella. The thread 19 serves to tension the perimeter of the canopy 12 when the umbrella is in a deployed condition. As shown in FIG. 4, the single length of thread 19 may be sewn into the periphery of the canopy, and passes around the perimeter. Alternatively, the thread 19 may be incorporated into the perimeter by way of passing through a sleeve in the canopy.

(13) A further alternative tensioner embodiment is shown in FIG. 5, in which the thread 19 is attached to or through an eye 13a at the end of each of the ribs. In this embodiment the thread may not be inside a sleeve in the canopy. The thread may be external of the perimeter 40, but nevertheless forms a continuous loop around the perimeter 40 so as to tension the perimeter 40. In this embodiment the thread 19 extends through eyes 13a, located at the distal outer ends of the ribs 13.

(14) A further embodiment is shown in FIG. 6, in which the thread 19 is attached to or through an eye 13a at the end of each of the ribs and also runs through a sleeve in the canopy.

(15) The filamentary material may be a suitable length that it applies tension to the ends of the ribs urging them towards the shaft of the umbrella.

(16) In one embodiment the ribs may change shape and bend towards the shaft of the umbrella. FIG. 2a shows the effect that tension in the filamentary material may have on the shape of the umbrella. The broken outline 50 shows the spatial extent of the canopy in the absence of the filamentary material 19. With the presence of the tension applied by the filamentary material, the ribs are bent towards the shaft 11 of the umbrella. When the ribs bend, the circumference at the perimeter of the umbrella becomes smaller and hence the diameter of the edge of the umbrella becomes shorter and of smaller diameter 30, compared to the diameter 31 when the thread 19 is not present. Preferably the filamentary material is permanently attached to the edge of the umbrella so that the ends of the ribs are bent as the umbrella is erected into the position for use.

(17) It will be appreciated that, in other embodiments, the application of tension applied by the thread does not, or does not appreciably, alter the shape of the ribs

(18) In order that the canopy fits snugly over the ribs when the umbrella is in use and the ribs are bent by the filamentary material, the canopy sections may be cut to a suitable shape. FIG. 3 shows a piece of canopy fabric 100 which has been cut into suitably sixed sub-pieces 110.

(19) Although mention above has been made of a single length of filamentary material, in an alternative embodiment several pieces of filamentary material may be employed, each secured in tension to two eyes 13a, and spanning at least one section of the canopy at the perimeter.