Reversible umbrella

Abstract

A reversible umbrella has a pole, a first handle affixed to a first end of the pole, a second handle affixed to a second end of the pole, and a plurality of ribs extending outwardly of the pole. A canopy is affixed to the ribs. The canopy has a first side facing one direction and a second side facing an opposite direction. The ribs are movable from a first position, wherein the first side of the canopy is in a generally concave configuration with respect to the first handle, to a second position, wherein the first side of the canopy is in a generally convex position with respect to the first handle. The opposing sides of the canopy preferably have different appearances or textures, such that the user can select between two designs to be exposed on the exterior of the umbrella.

Claims

1. A reversible umbrella comprising: a pole; a first handle affixed to a first end of said pole; a second handle affixed to a second end of said pole; a plurality of ribs extending outwardly of said pole, said plurality of ribs comprising: a first set of spreader ribs extending outwardly of said pole; a second set of spreader ribs extending outwardly of said pole; and a set of main ribs extending outwardly of said pole; a canopy affixed to said plurality of ribs, said canopy having a first side facing one direction and a second side facing an opposite direction, said plurality of ribs moveable from a first position wherein said first side of said canopy is in a generally concave configuration with respect to said first handle to a second position wherein said first side of said canopy is in a generally convex configuration with respect to said first handle; and a plurality of pivot connections, wherein respective ribs of said first set of spreader ribs and said second set of spreader ribs and said set of main ribs intersect at a pivot connection of said plurality of pivot connections at a location remote from said pole.

2. The reversible umbrella of claim 1, further comprising: a sleeve having an interior, said pole slidably received in said interior of said sleeve, said second handle being positioned adjacent said sleeve when said plurality of ribs are in said first position, said first handle being positioned adjacent said sleeve when said plurality of ribs are in said second position.

3. The reversible umbrella of claim 1, further comprising: a first slider movable along a length of said pole, said first set of spreader ribs being pivotally connected to said first slider; a second slider movable along said length of said pole, said second set of spreader ribs being pivotally connected to said second slider; and a hub positioned on said pole, said set of main ribs being pivotally connected to said hub.

4. The reversible umbrella of claim 3, further comprising: a sleeve having an interior, said pole extending through said interior of said sleeve, said hub being movable along a length of said sleeve.

5. The reversible umbrella of claim 4, said sleeve having a first stopper and a second stopper, said first slider being releasably engageable with said first stopper, said second slider being releasably engageable with said second stopper.

6. The reversible umbrella of claim 1, said pole comprising: a first pole telescopically connected to said first handle; and a second pole telescopically connected to said second handle.

7. The reversible umbrella of claim 6, further comprising: a stationary hub, said first pole affixed to a first end of said stationary hub, said second pole affixed to a second end of said stationary hub, said set of main ribs being connected to said stationary hub; a first sliding hub movable along said first pole, said first set of spreader ribs being connected to said first sliding hub; and a second sliding hub movable along said second pole, said second set of spreader ribs being connected to said first sliding hub.

8. The reversible umbrella of claim 7, further comprising: at least one lock positioned along said first pole and said second pole, said at least one lock suitable for engaging at least one of said first handle, said second handle, said first sliding hub and said second sliding hub.

9. The reversible umbrella of claim 1, wherein said first handle is in a position away from said canopy and said second side of said canopy is in a convex configuration suitable for protecting a user from the elements when said plurality of ribs are in said first position.

10. The reversible umbrella of claim 1, said first side of said canopy comprising a first sheet of material, said second side of said canopy comprising a second sheet of material, said second sheet of material of said second side of said canopy having a different appearance or texture than an appearance or texture of said first sheet of material of said first side of said canopy.

11. A reversible umbrella comprising: a sleeve having an interior; a pole slidably received in said interior of said sleeve; a first handle affixed to a first end of said pole; a second handle affixed to a second end of said pole; a plurality of ribs extending outwardly of said pole; a canopy affixed to said plurality of ribs, said canopy having a first side facing a first direction and a second side facing an opposite direction, said plurality of ribs moveable from a first position wherein said first side of said canopy is in a generally concave configuration with respect to said first handle to a second position wherein said first side of said canopy is in a generally convex configuration with respect to said first handle.

12. The reversible umbrella of claim 11, said second handle being positioned adjacent said sleeve when said plurality of ribs are in said first position, said first handle being positioned adjacent said sleeve when said plurality of ribs are in said second position.

13. The reversible umbrella of claim 11, said first side of said canopy comprising a first sheet of material, said second side of said canopy comprising a second sheet of material, said second sheet of material of said second side of said canopy having a different appearance or texture than an appearance or texture of said first sheet of material of said first side of said canopy.

14. The reversible umbrella of claim 11, said plurality of ribs comprising: a first set of spreader ribs; a second set of spreader ribs; and a set of main ribs.

15. The reversible umbrella of claim 14, further comprising: a hub movably positioned on said sleeve, said set of main ribs being pivotally connected to said hub; a first slider movably positioned on said pole between said hub and said first handle, said first set of spreader ribs being pivotally connected to said first slider; and a second slider movably positioned on said pole between said hub and said second handle, said second set of spreader ribs being pivotally connected to said second slider.

16. A reversible umbrella comprising: a hub; a first pole telescopically connected to said hub; a second pole telescopically connected to said hub opposite said first pole; a first handle affixed to said first pole opposite said hub; a second handle affixed to said second pole opposite said hub; a plurality of ribs affixed to said hub and extending outwardly thereof; a canopy affixed to said plurality of ribs, said canopy having a first side facing one direction and a second side facing an opposite direction, said plurality of ribs moveable from a first position wherein said first side of said canopy is in a generally concave configuration with respect to said first handle to a second position wherein said first side of said canopy is in a generally convex configuration with respect to said first handle.

17. The reversible umbrella of claim 16, said first pole being in an extended configuration and said second pole being in a retracted position when said plurality of ribs are in said first position, said second pole being in an extended configuration and said first pole being in a retracted position when said plurality of ribs are in said second position.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1A is a side view of the reversible umbrella of the present invention in a first opened position.

(2) FIG. 1B is a side view of the reversible umbrella of the present invention in an intermediate, transitional position.

(3) FIG. 1C is side view of the reversible umbrella of the present invention in a second opened position.

(4) FIG. 2 is top view of the reversible umbrella of the present invention, wherein the reversible umbrella is in the first opened position shown in FIG. 1A.

(5) FIG. 3 is an isolated view of the telescoping poles of the present invention wherein the various locks are visible.

(6) FIG. 4 is an isolated schematic view of the intersection of the spreader ribs and main ribs showing how the spreader ribs slide along the main ribs.

(7) FIG. 4A shows an isolated view of the tee of a spreader rib positioned within the main rib.

(8) FIG. 5A is a side view of the reversible umbrella of the preferred embodiment of the present invention as it is being opened to a first position.

(9) FIG. 5B is a side view of the reversible umbrella of the preferred embodiment the present invention in the first open position.

(10) FIG. 5C is a side view of the reversible umbrella of the preferred embodiment of the present invention in the second opened position.

(11) FIG. 6 is an isolated view of a pivot connection of the reversible umbrella of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

(12) FIG. 7 is an isolated view showing a weighted hem on the canopy of the reversible umbrella the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(13) Referring to FIG. 1A, there is shown a side view of the reversible umbrella 10 of the present invention. In FIG. 1A, the umbrella is in a first opened position. The reversible umbrella 10 has a first handle 12 and a second handle 14. The first handle 12 is affixed to the first telescoping pole 32, while the second handle 14 is affixed to the second telescoping pole 34. A stationary hub 16 is positioned at the junction of the first telescoping pole 32 and the second telescoping pole 34.

(14) A first slider 18 is movably positioned on the first telescoping pole 32 between the first handle 12 and the stationary hub 16. The first slider 18 can be locked in place, in the manner shown in subsequent figures. The first slider 18 is affixed to a first set of spreader ribs 24. The first set of spreader ribs 24 are pivotally attached to the first slider 18. The first set of spreader ribs 24 are movably affixed along the main ribs 22, such that the effective length of the spreader ribs can be changed depending on the position of the umbrella.

(15) Adjacent the second handle 14 is a second slider 20. Similar to the first slider 18, the second slider 20 is connected to a second set of spreader ribs 26, which are also connected to the main ribs 22. The canopy 28 of the umbrella is positioned along the main ribs 22. The canopy 28 can be a first canopy on the first side of the main ribs 22 and a second canopy on a second side of the main ribs 22. Preferably, the opposite sides of the canopy can be of different designs or colors.

(16) Also shown in FIG. 1A are buttons 30 positioned on the first handle 12 and the second handle 14. The buttons can be used to control the opening and closing of the umbrella through the mechanisms described in subsequent figures.

(17) FIG. 1B shows the reversible umbrella 10 in an intermediate position between the first and second positions. In FIG. 1B, it can be seen how the first handle 12 is being telescoped upwardly toward the stationary hub 16. Similarly, the first slider 18 is being moved so as to be adjacent the stationary hub 16. The first set of spreader ribs 24 pivot relative to the first slider 18 and also slide along the main ribs 22 so as to accommodate the movement of the slider 18.

(18) In FIG. 1B, it can be seen how the second handle 14 is being telescoped outwardly of the stationary hub 16, and the second slider 20 is being moved away from the stationary hub 16. Referring back to FIG. 1A, it can be seen how the second slider 20 was positioned adjacent the stationary hub 16 when the umbrella 10 was in the first position.

(19) FIG. 1C shows the reversible umbrella 10 in the second opened position. The second handle 14 is fully telescoped outwardly of the stationary hub 16. The second slider 20 is also positioned away from the stationary hub 16. At the same time, the first handle 12 is positioned adjacent the stationary hub 16 with the first slider 18 being positioned therebetween. In this second position, it can be seen how the first handle 12 serves as a cap for the umbrella 10. The second handle 14 would serve as the cap in the first opened position shown in FIG. 1A. In this second position, an opposite side of the canopy 28 would now be exposed to the elements.

(20) Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown a top view of the reversible umbrella 10 of the present invention, the umbrella 10 being in the first opened position. The top view of the reversible umbrella 10 shows the umbrella 10 having eight main ribs 22 and eight spreader ribs 26. From the top view, one can see how the second handle 14 now serves as a cap for the reversible umbrella 10. The second set of spreader ribs 26 are exposed at the top side of the umbrella 10. The respective spreader ribs 26 converge at the second slider (not shown here) and are movably affixed to main ribs 22 at opposite ends thereof. The rib hub boxes 36 receive the main ribs and slide thereon. The rib hub boxes 36 also receive the spreader ribs 24 and 26. Within the concept of the present invention, the reversible umbrella 10 could include a greater or lesser number of main and spreader ribs.

(21) FIG. 3 shows an isolated view of the first and second telescoping poles 32 and 34 and the various locks provided thereon. The various locks are positioned so as to secure the first and second handles 12 and 14, and first and second sliders 18 and 20 in a desired position. In FIG. 3, these sliders are positioned as they would be when the umbrella is in the first opened position as shown in FIG. 1A. Starting from the bottom of the figure, the first telescoping pole 32 has a first lock 38. The first lock 38 of the first telescoping pole 32 is used to control the telescoping aspect of the first telescoping pole 32. Above the first lock 38 is the second lock 40. The second lock 40 of the first telescoping pole 32 is preferably a two-sided lock. The first slider is shown as being locked in place by the second lock 40 of the first telescoping pole 32. A protrusion or catch within the first slider 18 is received between the two portions of the second lock 40. Above the second lock 40 is the third lock 42 of the first telescoping pole 32. The first slider 18 would be positioned on the third lock 42 of the first telescoping pole 32 when the reversible umbrella 10 is in the second opened position.

(22) The second telescoping pole 34 similarly has a first lock 44, a set of second locks 46 and a third lock 44. In FIG. 3, the second slider 20 is shown as being positioned over and secured by the third lock 48 of the second telescoping pole 34 adjacent the stationary hub 16. Broken lines show the general direction of the various spreader and main ribs as extending from the sliders 18 and 20 and the stationary hub 16.

(23) Each of the various locks is shown as extending outwardly from the respective poles, while the dotted lines adjacent the various locks shown an indentation into which the locks can be pushed. The various locks can be manually operated or be connected to the various buttons of the reversible umbrella 10. FIG. 3 shows a preferred embodiment of the locking system of the present invention. However, various other locking means and arrangements are envisioned by the inventor.

(24) FIG. 4 shows an isolated, schematic view of a preferred embodiment of the intersection 36 of the spreader ribs and main ribs. One of the first set of spreader ribs 24 is shown as having a tee 58 positioned at an end thereof. The tee 58 extends perpendicular to the spreader rib 24. The tee 58 of the first set of spreader ribs 24 is slidable along a path 60 between a first indentation 62 and a second indentation 64. The indentations temporarily secure or lock the tee 58 of the first spreader rib 24 in place.

(25) Similarly, each of the second spreader ribs 26 has a tee 50 at an end thereof. The tee 50 of the second spreader rib is movable along a path 52 between a first indentation 54 and a second indentation 56. Within the concept of the present invention, there could be a greater number of indentations along the paths 52 and 60.

(26) The first spreader rib 24 extends into the interior of the main rib 22 through the channel 61. The channel 61 extends along the main rib 22 along the path 60. Similarly, the second spreader rib 26 extends into the interior of the main rib 22 through the channel 53. FIG. 4A is a detailed view showing how the tee 50 of the second spreader rib 26 fits within the main rib 22, the spreader rib 26 extending through channel 53. The arrangement of the first spreader rib 24 is identical.

(27) Lines 24a and 26a show the spreader ribs 24 and 26 as having been moved to indentations 64 and 56, respectively.

(28) FIG. 4 shows the first and second spreader ribs 24 and 26 as they would be positioned when the reversible umbrella 10 is in the first opened position. Having the multiple indentations allows for the spreader ribs to have different effective length as required by the position of the reversible umbrella 10. Other means for allowing the spreader ribs to slide along the main ribs could be used as an alternative.

(29) The use of the opposing sets of spreader ribs 24 and 26 allows for greater strength against wind gusts. In the first opened position, the spreader ribs 26 would provide a downward force upon the main ribs 22 so as to prevent inversion of the umbrella. Should the gusts be strong enough, the reversible umbrella 10 of the present invention would likely not break because the mechanism is set up such that it can actually be reversed.

(30) The reversible umbrella 10 also allows for aesthetic advantages over prior art umbrellas. For example, opposing sides of the canopy 28 could be different colors or designs. The simple reversal of the umbrella would allow a user to switch between a first color or design and a second color and design. While the prior art umbrellas could be considered reversible in one sense of the word, the present invention is truly reversible and can be used when the canopy is in the inverted or reversed position.

(31) FIGS. 5A-5C show the reversible umbrella of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 5, it can be seen that there is a reversible umbrella 70 having a first handle 72 opposite a second handle 74. The first and second handles 72 and 74 are connected to opposite ends of a single pole 76. This single pole 76 is used in lieu of the pair of the telescoping poles described in previous figures.

(32) In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is also a sleeve 78. The sleeve 78 has an interior through which the pole 76 passes. As such, the sleeve 78 has a diameter slightly greater than that of the pole 76. As the pole 76 is slidable within the sleeve 78, this allows for the pole to be positioned such that either the first handle 72 or second handle 74 can be used without requiring the telescoping aspect of the poles shown in the previous figures. The use of the single pole leads to less moving parts in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, and also makes for easier usage of the reversible umbrella 70 and decreased likelihood of the poles jamming.

(33) Also shown in FIGS. 5A-5C are first slider 80 and second slider 82. The first slider 80 is movably positioned along the pole 76 between the first handle 72 and the sleeve 78. The first slider 80 is connected to a first set of spreader ribs 84. In FIGS. 5A-5C, only two spreader ribs are shown in the first set of spreader ribs. However, more spreader ribs are used, preferably as shown in FIG. 2. The second slider 82 is positioned along the pole between the second handle 74 and the sleeve 78. The second slider 82 is connected to the second set of spreader ribs 86.

(34) A pair of stoppers 106 and 108 are affixed to the ends of the sleeve 78. The first slider 80 is releasably engageable with the stopper 106, while the second slider 82 is releasably engageable with the stopper 18.

(35) The main ribs of 90 are connected to a sliding hub 88, which slides along the sleeve 78. The main ribs 90, first set of spreader ribs 84 and second set of spreader ribs 86 intersect at pivot connections 92, the details of which are shown in FIG. 6.

(36) Also shown in FIG. 5B is the umbrella canopy 100. The canopy 100 is presented in broken lines and extends around the various ribs 84, 86 and 90. Preferably, the canopy 100 is composed of two sheets comprising opposing sides 96 and 98. Preferably, the opposing sides 96 and 98 have different properties, such as appearance and texture.

(37) FIG. 5A shows the reversible umbrella 70 opening to a first position wherein the first handle 72 is utilized. FIG. 5B shows the reversible umbrella opened fully to the first position. In this first position, the lower side 96 of the canopy is in a generally concave configuration with respect to the first handle 72. The opposing side 98 is facing upwardly so as to protect the user from the elements. FIG. 5B shows arrows indicating the directions in which the various parts would move so as to move the reversible umbrella 70 from the first position to the second position.

(38) FIG. 5C shows the reversible umbrella 70 fully in the second open position. In FIG. 5C, it can be seen how the second handle 74 is extended away from the sleeve 78, while the first handle 72 has been moved adjacent the sleeve 78. As such, the umbrella 70 has been fully inverted so as to utilize the opposite side of the canopy 100. The pole 76 has been slid through the sleeve 78 so as to position the handles properly for the use of the umbrella 70 in the second position. Various buttons are provided on the handles and sliders so as to allow for the releasable engagement of the sliders with the stoppers, and the pole with the sleeve.

(39) Referring to FIG. 6, there shown a pivot connection 92. As can be seen in FIG. 6, the main ribs 90 extends through the interior of the two-sided pivot connection 92. The rib from the second set of spreader ribs 86 is pivotally connected to the pivot connection 92 at pin 94. Similarly, the rib from first of spreader ribs 84 is pivotally connected to the pivot connection 92 at another pin 94. The rib from the set of main ribs 90 is relatively free to move within the interior of the pivot connection 92. This unique pivot connection allows for the reversible umbrella 70 the present invention to be utilized in either of the first and second open positions.

(40) FIG. 7 shows an isolated view of the canopy 100 in one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment the present invention, the canopy 100 has a weighted hem 102. The weighted hem 102 extends around the perimeter of the canopy 100 and biases the canopy in a downward direction, which is extremely useful in the reversible umbrella of the present invention. The ribs 104 are also shown as extending through the canopy 100 to an area adjacent the weighted hem 102.

(41) The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention is illustrative and explanatory thereof. Various changes in the details of the described method can be made within the scope of the present claims without departing from the true spirit of the invention. The present invention should only be limited by the following claims and their legal equivalents.