VENTED CANOPY SYSTEM FOR UMBRELLAS

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide a vented canopy system to keep umbrellas from flying away and becoming a safety hazard in strong winds. The system includes a trim that attaches to the umbrella support structure's outer edge, leaving an opening in the middle. A breathable support layer covers this opening, allowing air to pass through while still providing support. The umbrella may have several layered canopy sections disposed on top of the breathable support layer. Each section covers part of the open space in the middle, with upper sections overlapping lower sections. The inside edge of each section is attached to the umbrella frame, and the outside edge has a tether (like a string) that allows it to flip up in the wind but prevents it from flipping all the way over. This way, it flips back down when the wind stops.

Claims

1. A vented canopy system configured to be mechanically connected to an umbrella frame, said vented canopy system comprising: a canopy trim configured for being connected to a umbrella frame having a central pole element with a plurality of support arms extending outward from the central pole element to support arm ends thereby defining a frame outer edge, wherein said canopy trim defines a inner trim perimeter and an outer trim perimeter and wherein said canopy trim is configured to connect to the frame outer edge so that said inner trim perimeter extends over a portion of the support arms and wherein a canopy opening is defined by said inner trim perimeter; an air permeable support layer defining a support layer inner perimeter and a support layer outer perimeter wherein said support layer inner perimeter is configured to be connected the umbrella frame at the central pole element and extend over said canopy opening and connect to at least one of said inner trim perimeter or the umbrella frame at a point between said inner trim perimeter and said outer trim perimeter; a first canopy layer disposed on top of said support layer wherein said first canopy layer defines a first layer inner perimeter and a first layer outer perimeter with the distance there between defining a first layer width and wherein said first layer inner perimeter is connected to the support structure at the central pole element and extends outward until it extends over said inter trim perimeter a predefined first layer overlap distance thereby covering said canopy opening; a plurality of support rods, each having a first rod end connected to said first canopy layer at said first layer inner perimeter and an opposing second rod end connected at said first layer outer perimeter and wherein said plurality of support rods extend away from said first layer inner perimeter; a plurality of tethers, each defining a first tether end and an opposing second tether end and wherein said first tether end for each said tether is connected to one of said plurality of support rods at said second support rod end and wherein said second tether end is connected to one of said canopy trim, said support layer, or said support structure, wherein the length of each tether is selected to allow the first layer to flip up when subjected to a gust of wind while preventing said first layer from flipping over so that said first layer returns to its original configuration when the gust of wind is no longer present; and wherein the size of said canopy opening, the permeability of said permeable support layer, and the length of said plurality of tethers are selected to allow a predefined amount of airflow through said canopy opening.

2. The vented canopy system, as in claim 1, wherein the outer trim perimeter hangs over the umbrella support structure's structural perimeter.

3. The vented canopy system, as in claim 2, wherein the distance between said outer trim perimeter and said inner trim perimeter is between 4 to 7 inches.

4. The vented canopy system, as in claim 1, wherein said first layer width is between about 6 feet to 13 feet.

5. The vented canopy system, as in claim 4, wherein said first layer outer perimeter extends over said inner trim perimeter between 2 to 5 inches.

6. The vented canopy system, as in claim 1, wherein the length of each of said tethers is less than or equal to said first layer width.

7. The vented canopy system, as in claim 6, wherein said tether is made from one of a string or a fishing line material.

8. The vented canopy system, as in claim 6, wherein said tether is made from a flexible wire material.

9. The vented canopy system, as in claim 1, where said support layer is made from at least one of a cargo netting, knotted netting, knotless netting, polyester debris fabric, shade cloth, or a mesh fabric material.

10. A vented canopy system for an umbrella frame, said vented canopy system comprising: a canopy trim configured for being connected to a umbrella frame having a central pole element with a plurality of support arms extending outward from the central pole element to support arm ends thereby defining a frame outer edge, wherein said canopy trim defines a inner trim perimeter and an outer trim perimeter and wherein said canopy trim is configured to connect to the frame outer edge so that said inner trim perimeter extends over a portion of the support arms and wherein a canopy opening is defined by said inner trim perimeter; an air permeable support layer defining a support layer inner perimeter and a support layer outer perimeter wherein said support layer inner perimeter is configured to be connected the umbrella frame at the central pole element and extend over said canopy opening and connect to at least one of said inner trim perimeter or the umbrella frame at a point between said inner trim perimeter and said outer trim perimeter; a canopy section comprising a plurality of canopy layers disposed on top of said air permeable support layer wherein each canopy layer defines a canopy layer inner perimeter and a canopy layer outer perimeter thereby defining a canopy layer width therebetween that is shorter than said canopy opening and wherein said plurality of canopy layers are arranged in a layered configuration form a bottom layer to a top layer so that the said canopy layer outer perimeter for each canopy lawyer extends over an adjacent and lower canopy layer a predefined canopy layer overlap distance, and wherein said canopy layer inner perimeter for each canopy layer is configured for being connected to the umbrella frame with said canopy layer inner perimeter for said top canopy layer is configured to be connected to the umbrella frame at the central pole element and wherein said canopy layer outer perimeter for said bottom canopy layer is configured to extend over said canopy trim a predefined trim overlap distance so that said canopy section covers said canopy opening; a plurality of tethers for connecting said canopy layer outer perimeter for each said canopy layer to the umbrella frame wherein said plurality of tethers are configured to allow said plurality of canopy layers to flip up when subjected to wind while preventing said canopy layer from flipping all the way over; and wherein the size of said canopy opening, the permeability of said permeable support layer, the said canopy lawyer widths, and the length of said plurality of tethers are selected to allow a predefined amount of airflow through said canopy opening.

11. The vented canopy system for an umbrella frame, as in claim 10, further comprising a plurality of canopy layer support rods wherein each support rod is configured to connect to one of said plurality of canopy layers.

12. The vented canopy system for an umbrella frame, as in claim 10, wherein the distance between said outer trim perimeter and said inner trim perimeter is between 4 to 7 inches.

13. The vented canopy system for an umbrella frame, as in claim 10, wherein said canopy layer widths can vary between about one foot to six feet.

14. The vented canopy system for an umbrella frame, as in claim 10, wherein said trim overlap is between two inches to five inches and said predefined canopy overlap distance is between four inches to six inches.

15. The vented canopy system for an umbrella frame, as in claim 10, wherein the length of said tethers can vary between about six to twelve inches and are made from one of a flexible wire material, a string material, a single strand or breaded material such as nylon, fluorocarbon, and polyethylene.

16. The vented canopy system for an umbrella frame, as in claim 10, where said support layer is made from at least one of a cargo netting, knotted netting, knotless netting, polyester debris fabric, shade cloth, or a mesh fabric material.

17. A vented canopy system for an umbrella frame, said vented canopy system comprising: a trim section configured to attach to the outer frame edge of an umbrella frame having a central support pole with support arms extending therefrom to the outer frame edge; an inner trim perimeter that extends partially over the umbrella frame support arms thereby defining a canopy opening between said inner trim perimeter and the central support pole when the canopy system is connected to an umbrella frame; a breathable support layer configured to attach to the umbrella frame at the central support pole and expand outward over said canopy opening and connect to at least one of said inner trim perimeter or a portion of the umbrella frame under said trim section wherein said breathable support layer is configured to allow air to pass through while providing support to upper canopy layers; a plurality of canopy layers disposed on top of said breathable support layer wherein each canopy layer defines an inner canopy layer perimeter and an outer canopy layer perimeter and wherein each canopy layer covers a portion of said canopy opening with upper canopy layers overlapping lower canopy layers by a canopy layer overlap distance and wherein the bottom canopy layer overlaps said trim section by a trim section overlap distance and wherein the top canopy layer inner perimeter is configured to attach to the umbrella frame at the central support pole and wherein said inner canopy layer perimeters is configured to be connected to the umbrella frame; a plurality of tethers for connecting said outer canopy layer perimeters to the umbrella frame wherein said plurality of tethers are configured to allow said plurality of canopy layers to flip up when subjected to wind while preventing said plurality of canopy layers from flipping all the way over; and wherein the size of said canopy opening, the permeability of said breathable support layer, the said canopy layer widths, and the length of said plurality of tethers are selected to allow a predefined amount of airflow through said canopy opening.

18. The vented canopy system for an umbrella frame, as in claim 10, further comprising a plurality of canopy layer support rods wherein each support rod is configured to connect to one of said plurality of canopy layer.

19. The vented canopy system for an umbrella frame, as in claim 11, wherein the distance between said outer trim perimeter and said inner trim perimeter is between 4 to 6 inches.

20. The vented canopy system for an umbrella frame, as in claim 10, wherein said canopy layer widths can vary between about 12 inches and 16 inches and said predefined canopy overlap distance is between 4 to 6 inches and wherein the length of said tethers can vary between about 6 to 12 inches and are made from one of a flexible wire material, a string material, a single strand or breaded material such as nylon, fluorocarbon, and polyethylene.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The remainder of this specification provides a detailed and enabling disclosure of this invention. It includes explanations of the best mode, along with references to the accompanying figures for further clarity, in which:

[0012] FIG. 1 is a side view of a prior art umbrella frame for supporting a canopy;

[0013] FIG. 2 is a side view of a umbrella frame associated with one embodiment of a vented canopy system according to one embodiment of the invention;

[0014] FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of a prior art umbrella frame associated with one embodiment of a vented canopy system;

[0015] FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of a prior art umbrella frame associated with an alternative embodiment of a vented canopy system;

[0016] FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the vented canopy system presented in FIG. 3;

[0017] is an end elevation view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1; and

[0018] FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of a vented canopy system with no trim layer;

[0019] FIG. 7 is an side elevational exploded view of one embodiment of a vented canopy system;

[0020] FIG. 8 is a close up view of a vented canopy system with one layer raised showing a support rod and tether; and

[0021] FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of a canopy system with the canopy layers raised venting the umbrella to prevent flight.

[0022] This specification and its drawings use reference characters consistently so that the same or similar features are represented by the same character. The following discussion and drawings will provide a clear understanding of the invention's objectives, advantages, and features.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] This section details specific embodiments of the invention with accompanying illustrations. Features within the drawings are labeled with numbers and letters, and these labels are used consistently throughout the description. These examples are meant to clarify, not limit, the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art will understand that the invention can be adapted and modified without straying from its core principles. Features from different embodiments can be combined to create further variations. The full scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Hermeneutic Aids

[0024] For the purposes of this document, unless otherwise stated, the phrase at least one of A, B, and C means there is at least one of A, or at least one of B, or at least one of C or any combination thereof (not one of A, and one of B, and one of C).

[0025] Headers are included in this document for navigational purposes only. They do not constitute additional content, have no construction value, and should not be used to influence the interpretation of the document.

[0026] As used herein, terms first, second, and third may be used interchangeably to distinguish components, and do not imply order or hierarchy.

[0027] As used herein, the term: [0028] axial refers to a direction parallel to the direction of rotation of an object; [0029] radial refers to a direction extending away from the center of an object or normal to the axial direction, and [0030] circumferential refers to a direction extending around the circumference or perimeter of an object.

[0031] In this document, two or more items may be mechanically associated if connected or related in any way. This includes: [0032] Stationary connections such as direct more permanent connections (e.g., welding and sewing) and releasable connections (e.g., snaps, screws, bolts etc.); and [0033] Movable connections (e.g., rotating, pivoting, oscillating, etc.).

[0034] In the claims, the definite article said identifies elements that are essential to define the scope of the invention's embodiments. In contrast, the definite article the indicates contextual elements that provide background information, but do not impose limitations on the claims. For example, the bar may be a contextual element, while said bar is a claim limitation. Additionally, references to an object in the preamble and claim body are intended for descriptive purposes only, and do not restrict the scope of any claim.

Description

[0035] Referring to FIG. 1, a typical prior art umbrella frame (support structure) 10 is shown. The frame 10 may include a support element 12 with a bottom end 14 and a top end 16. As depicted in FIG. 1, the support element 12 is a pole located at the center of the frame 10. The invention can be modified to accommodate multiple support elements. These elements don't have to be centrally located within the frame, but can be positioned anywhere along the frame's centerline. For example, a rectangular frame could have two support elements (12) placed at each end along its longitudinal centerline, and the invention could be adapted accordingly. The bottom end 14 may be designed for ground insertion (e.g., spear, auger, etc.) or attachment to a base 18. The top end 16 may define a canopy interface point 21 designed to receive and secure an umbrella canopy interface (defined by a canopy). Support arms 20 may extend radially outward from the support element 12 to their support arm distal ends 22 (for round frames). These arms may be pivotally connected to an upper collar 24 connected to or defined by a top portion of the support element 12. Each support arm 20 may be connected to one end of a stretcher element 26 that is pivotally connected to a lower collar 28 that may be movably associated with the support element 12 at a point below the upper collar 24. A structural perimeter or frame outer edge 30 may be defined at the support arms' distal ends 22, which may be circular, rectangular, or any polygon.

[0036] Referring now to FIG. 2, a vented canopy system 32 configured to be mechanically connected to a prior art umbrella frame 10 is presented. The VCS 32 may comprise a canopy trim 34 configured for being connected to an umbrella frame 10 having a support element 12 (such as a pole) with a plurality of support arms 20 extending outward from the support element 12 to support arm ends 22, thereby defining a frame outer edge 30 as depicted in FIG. 1. It should be appreciated that a frame outer edge 30, which could be referred to as a structural perimeter, may define any polygonal shape and the vented canopy system 32 shape would be configured to match the frame.

[0037] As depicted in the various figures, the canopy trim 34 may define an inner trim perimeter 36 and an outer trim perimeter 38 where the distance between such perimeters defines a trim width 40. For the current embodiment, the trim width 40 is between 4 inches and 12 inches. The canopy trim 34 may be configured to connect to the frame outer edge 30 (FIG. 1, FIG. 2) so that the inner trim perimeter 36 extends over a portion of the support arms 22. For such a configuration, a canopy opening 42 may be defined between the trim inner perimeter 36 (or 36b) at the support element 12 (see FIG. 7)

[0038] The VCS 32 may further comprise a breathable support layer 44, defining a support layer outer perimeter 46 (FIGS. 3, 4 and 7) and an inner support layer perimeter 48 (FIG. 4). The BSL 44 inner support layer perimeter 48 may be configured to attach to the umbrella frame 10 at the support element 12 (canopy interface point 21) and expand outward over said canopy opening 42 and connect to at least one of the inner trim perimeter 36 or a point between the inner trim perimeter 36 and the outer trim perimeter 38. Similarly, the BSL may connect to the inner canopy layer perimeter 54 (FIG. 3) for a bottom layer 52b or a point between the inner canopy layer perimeter 54 and the outer canopy layer perimeter 56. For an alternative embodiment, the BSL 44 outer perimeter 46 may attached to the frame 10, perhaps at the support distal ends 22 or some location between the support distal ends 22 and the inner trim perimeter 36. The BSL 44 may also be connected to a canopy section element and the umbrella frame 10. As noted above and shown in FIG. 4, the BSL 44 extends all the way to the support arm distal ends 22 and is connected by end caps 50.

[0039] For one alternative embodiment, the inner trim perimeter 36 is connected directly to the BSL 44 outer perimeter with no over lap and they may form one integrated component without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

[0040] The breathable support layer 44 is configured to allow air to pass through while providing support to upper canopy layers. Suitable material for the breathable support layer 44 include a cargo netting, knotted netting, knotless netting, polyester debris fabric, shade cloth, or a mesh fabric material.

[0041] As best seen in FIG. 5, the VCS 10 may further comprise a canopy section comprising a plurality of canopy layers 52 disposed on top of the breathable support layer 44. Each canopy layer 52 may define an inner canopy layer perimeter 54 and an outer canopy layer perimeter 56. Each canopy layer 52 may cover a portion of canopy opening 42 with an upper canopy layer overlapping a lower canopy layer by a canopy layer overlap distance 58. The bottom canopy layer 52b overlaps said trim section 34 by a trim section overlap distance 60 (FIG. 2) and the top canopy layer inner perimeter 54t may be configured to attach to the umbrella frame 10 at a canopy interface point 21 near the support element 12. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the top canopy layer 52t may have a slightly different design than the other canopy layers 52 as the inner canopy layer perimeter 54t may define a diameter similar to the support layer inner perimeter 48. Generally speaking, the canopy width, measured as the distance from the inner canopy layer perimeter 56 and the outer canopy layer perimeter 58, may be about 5 feet to about 10 feet. For this document, about is +/10%.

[0042] For yet another embodiment, a canopy section is provided comprising a plurality of canopy layers 52 disposed on top of the air permeable support layer 44 wherein each canopy layer 52 defines a canopy layer inner perimeter 54 and a canopy layer outer perimeter 56 thereby defining a canopy layer width therebetween. Such canopy layer width may be shorter than the canopy opening 42, and thus, cover only a portion of the canopy opening 42. The plurality of canopy layers 52 may be arranged in a layered configuration form a bottom layer 52b to a top layer 52t so that the canopy layer outer perimeter 56 for each canopy lawyer 52 extends over an adjacent and lower canopy layer a predefined canopy layer overlap distance 58. The canopy layer inner perimeter 54 for each canopy layer 52 may be configured for being connected to the umbrella frame 10 with the canopy layer inner perimeter 54 for the top canopy layer is configured to be connected to the umbrella frame 10 at the central pole element 12. The canopy layer outer perimeter 54 for the bottom canopy layer 52b may be configured to extend over the canopy trim 34 a predefined trim overlap distance 60 so that the canopy sections cover the canopy opening 42.

[0043] As best seen in FIG. 7, the VCS 32 may further comprise a plurality of tethers 62 for connecting the outer canopy layer perimeters 56 to at least one of the umbrella frame 10 or a lower canopy layer 52. The tethers 62 may be configured to allow its associated canopy layer 52 to flip up when subjected to wind while preventing the canopy layer 52 from flipping all the way over. The tethers 62 may define a first tether end 64 and an opposing second tether end 66 with the distance therebetween defining a tether length 68. The first tether end 64 may be connected to lower canopy layer 53 and/or support arms 20. The second tether end 66 may be connected to a canopy layer 52 near or at the outer canopy layer perimeter 56 and perhaps to a canopy rod 70 as describe below (FIG. 8). A second tether end 66 may connect to a support arm 20 or a lower canopy layer 52. When connected to a lower canopy layer 52 as depicted in FIG. 9, an upper canopy layer 52 my help pull up on a lower canopy layer 52. Such a configuration allows the canopy layer 52 to return to its original configuration when the winds dissipates. The term original configuration does not mean perfect alignment, just a layer configuration similar to the original configuration. Suitable materials for the tethers 62 include flexible wire material, a string material, a single strand and a breaded material such as nylon, fluorocarbon, and polyethylene.

[0044] Still referring to FIGS. 7, 8, and 9, the VCS 32 may further include a plurality of canopy layer support rods 70. Each support rod 70 may define a first rod end 72 that may connect to the inner canopy layer perimeter 54 and a second rod end 74 that may connect to the outer canopy layer perimeter 56 of a canopy layer 52, with the distance between these points defining the rod's length 76. The canopy layer 52 may include rod receivers 78 (FIG. 8) designed to hold these support rods 70. These rods may provide additional support to the canopy layers 52 when they rise due to wind gusts. Ideally, the support rod length 76 should be slightly less than or equal to the width of its associated canopy layer 52. For example, a canopy layer 52 with a 6-foot width would ideally have 6-foot support rods 70.

[0045] One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciated that for the VCS 32 described above, the size of the canopy opening 42, the permeability of the breathable support layer 44 and the length of the plurality of tethers 62 are selected to allow a predefined amount of airflow through said canopy opening so that the canopy will not take flight daringly abnormally high gusts of wind (as well as normal wind gusts). Exemplary dimensions include trim width of about (+/10%) 4 to 6 inches and canopy layer widths (distance between said outer trim perimeter and said inner trim perimeter) of between about 3 to 10 feet which is also the ideal support rod length 76 variance. Exemplary lengths for the tethers can vary between about 6 to 18 inches. The overlap values may also have some influence on how consistently the layers return to their original positions. Exemplary overlap measurements include a canopy overlap distance of about between 4 to 6 inches and a trim overlap distance 60 of about 2 to 5 inches.

[0046] This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they include structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.