JP3266880B2 - Electric umbrella - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electric umbrella which can be opened and closed with a single touch by using force and electric power stored in a spring.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, one-touch umbrellas which can be easily opened with one hand by the force accumulated in a spring which is compressed when closed have been widely used. This kind of one-touch umbrella can be easily opened with one hand by releasing the retainer of the spring, but it needs to be operated with both hands when closing. In addition, a relatively large force is required to compress and close the spring, making operation particularly difficult when carrying a load. To solve this, for example,
An electric umbrella described in the following literature has been proposed. Document: JP-A-8-103314

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the configuration of a conventional electric umbrella described in the above-mentioned document. This electric umbrella has a hollow main shaft 1, and a support member 2 is fixed to one end of the main shaft 1. A plurality of outer bones 3 for attaching an umbrella sheet are radially supported on the support member 2 so as to be freely opened and closed. One end of an inner bone 4 is rotatably connected to an intermediate portion of each outer bone 3, and the other end of the inner bone 4 is connected to an annular tube (collar) 5 slidably fitted outside the main shaft 1. Have been.
The other end of the main shaft 1 is fixed to a handle 6. A switch 6a is mounted outside the handle 6, and a battery 6b, a switch circuit 6c, and a motor 6d are incorporated inside.
A screw shaft 7 inserted inside the main shaft 1 is connected to the motor 6d, and a screw member 8 is screwed to the screw shaft 7. The screw member 8 slides up and down inside the main shaft 1 as the screw shaft 7 rotates. The main shaft 1 is provided with a slit 1a in the axial direction, and a screw member 8 inside the main shaft 1 and an outer ring tube 5 are connected by pins 9 through the slit 1a.

In such an electric umbrella, when the switch 6a attached to the handle 6 is opened, a voltage having a polarity that rotates, for example, counterclockwise from the battery 6b is applied to the motor 6d. Thus, the screw shaft 7 rotates counterclockwise, and the screw member 8 screwed to the screw shaft 7 moves inside the main shaft 1 toward the support member 2. When the screw member 8 moves, the ring tube 5 connected via the pin 9 moves together with the screw member 8 in the direction of the support member 2. Since the other end of the inner bone 4 is connected to the annulus 5,
The outer bone 3 is opened by the movement of, and the umbrella sheet is opened.
On the other hand, when the switch 6a is closed, a voltage having a polarity that rotates clockwise is applied from the battery 6b to the motor 6d, and the screw shaft 7 rotates clockwise. Thereby, the screw member 8 screwed to the screw shaft 7 moves inside the main shaft 1 in the direction of the handle 6. When the screw member 8 moves,
The annulus 5 connected via the pin 9 also moves in the direction of the handle 6, the outer bone 3 is closed, and the umbrella sheet is closed.

[0005]

However, the conventional electric umbrella has the following problems. A slit 1 a is provided in the axial direction of the main shaft 1 in order to connect the screw member 8 inside the main shaft 1 to the outer annular tube 5 via a pin 9. For this reason, the strength of the main shaft 1 is reduced, and the main shaft 1 may be deformed by wind pressure or the like. Further, if the thickness of the main shaft 1 is increased so as not to be deformed, the weight increases and it is inconvenient to carry. Further, since power is required both when the umbrella is opened and when it is closed, the power consumption of the battery 6b is large. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the problems of the prior art, and provides an electric umbrella that is lightweight, strong, and consumes little power.

[0006]

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above problems, a first aspect of the present invention is an electric umbrella, comprising: a hollow umbrella having one end connected to a handle and a ring tube fixed to the other end. A main shaft, a slide shaft having one end slidably inserted into the main shaft from the annular side of the main shaft, and a support member fixed to the other end, and one end radially formed by a support member fixed to the slide shaft. A plurality of first aggregates openably and closably supported on;
A plurality of second aggregates, one end of which is rotatably supported at a predetermined position of the first aggregate, and the other end of which is rotatably supported by an annular tube fixed to the main shaft; A waterproof or awning sheet attached to said first aggregate and interconnectingly covering said first aggregate when said first aggregate is opened. Further, the electric umbrella is externally fitted to the slide shaft between a support member fixed to the slide shaft and an annular tube fixed to the main shaft, and is urged to pull the slide shaft out of the main shaft. A compression coil spring is provided inside a handle connected to the main shaft, and when opened, the wire connected to one end of the slide shaft is electrically wound to draw the slide shaft into the main shaft and latch it. An opening / closing mechanism for holding the first aggregate in an open state and releasing the latch when closing the first aggregate to close the first aggregate with the force of the compression coil spring.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the electric umbrella is configured as described above, the following operation is performed. When the umbrella is opened, a wire connected to one end of the slide shaft is electrically wound by an opening / closing mechanism provided inside the handle, and the slide shaft is drawn into the hollow main shaft and latched. As a result, the distance between the annular tube fixed to the main shaft and the support member fixed to the slide shaft is reduced, and the first aggregate is opened radially around the annular tube. On the other hand, when closing the umbrella, the latch is released and the compressed compression coil spring is released. Thereby, the slide shaft is pulled out from the main shaft by a predetermined length, the interval between the annular tube and the support member is widened, and the first aggregate is closed.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the opening / closing mechanism according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a motor that rotates with electric power supplied from a battery through a switch linked to a first push button, and a wire or a thread member connected to the slide shaft. A winding unit for winding the motor, a power transmission unit for reducing the power of the motor and transmitting the power to the winding unit, and the slide shaft when the slide shaft is retracted to a predetermined position on the main shaft. And a holding portion that latches at a predetermined position and is released from the latch by operating the second push button. According to the second aspect, the following operation is performed in the opening / closing mechanism. When the first push button is pressed, power is supplied to the motor from the battery through the switch. The rotation of the motor is transmitted to the winding unit via the power transmission unit, and the wire or the thread member is wound. As a result, the slide shaft is retracted into the main shaft, and when the slide shaft reaches a predetermined position, the slide shaft is latched by the holding unit, and the umbrella is held in an open state. When the second push button is operated, the latch of the holding unit is released, the slide shaft is pulled out from the main shaft by a predetermined length, and the umbrella is closed.

[0009]

1 (a) and 1 (b) are configuration diagrams of an electric umbrella showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 (a) is an open state, and FIG. It shows a closed state.
The electric umbrella includes, for example, a hollow metal main shaft 10 having an outer diameter of about 10 mm, a hollow metal slide shaft 20 having an outer diameter of about 8 mm, which is slidably inserted inside the main shaft 10, Cap part 30 which is opened and closed according to the position of
And a plastic handle 40 in which an opening / closing mechanism is incorporated. A handle 40 is connected to one end of the main shaft 10, and an annular tube 11 for connecting the cap portion 30 is fixed to the other end. Slide shaft 2
One end of the slide shaft 20 is attached to the other end of the slide shaft 20. A support member 22 is fixed to the base of the ram 21. The support member 22 includes a plurality of first aggregates (for example, outer bones) 31 of the cap portion 30.
Is radially supported so as to be freely opened and closed. One end of a second aggregate (for example, an inner bone) 32 is rotatably connected to an intermediate portion of each outer bone 31, and the other end of the inner bone 32 is turned to an annular tube 11 fixed to the main shaft 10. It is movably connected. The outer bone 31 has a waterproof sheet 3 such as cloth or vinyl.
3 is attached.

A compression coil spring 23 is fitted on the slide shaft 20 between the support member 22 and the annular tube 11. The compression coil spring 23 is a coil-shaped spring that is compressed by an external force and urged to extend when no pressure is applied. FIG.
(A) shows the slide shaft 20 by the opening / closing mechanism in the handle 40.
Shows a state in which the compression coil spring 23 is compressed and the cap portion 30 is opened. On the other hand, FIG. 1B shows the slide shaft 2 by the opening / closing mechanism in the handle 40.
0 is released, and the main shaft 10 is released by the restoring force of the compression coil spring 23.
2 shows a state in which the cap portion 30 is pulled out from the housing and is closed.

FIG. 3 is a structural view showing details of the annular tube 11 and its peripheral portion in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, an annular tube 11 is fixed to an end of the main shaft 10. Annulus 11
Is a tube portion 11a fitted to the outside of the main shaft 10 to reinforce the end thereof, and a hole 32 provided at the tip of the inner bone 32.
ring 11b for rotatably supporting a with a ring 12
Are integrally formed of plastic or the like. A slide shaft 20 is slidably inserted inside the main shaft 10 reinforced by the annular tube 11. The annular tube 11 is waterproofed by a packing 13 such as an O-ring so that rainwater or the like does not enter through a gap between the main shaft 10 and the slide shaft 20. A compression coil spring 23 is fitted on the slide shaft 20, and a stopper 24 for limiting a sliding range of the slide shaft 20 is fixed at a predetermined position.

FIGS. 4A to 4C are structural views showing details of the handle 40 and the internal opening / closing mechanism in FIG.
FIG. 2B is a plan view of the appearance, FIG. 2B is a plan view of the opening / closing mechanism, and FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. FIGS. 4B and 4C show the state of the opening and closing mechanism when the cap portion 30 is opened. Also, FIG.
It is the elements on larger scale of the opening / closing mechanism inside. One end of the main shaft 10 is fixedly connected to one end of the handle 40, and on the outside of the handle 40,
As shown in FIG. 4A, a push button 41 for closing the umbrella and a push button 42 for opening the umbrella are provided.
These push buttons 41, 42 are always returned to their normal positions by a restoring spring 41a, 42a, respectively, when not pressed by a finger or the like. FIG. 4 (b),
As shown in FIG. 5C and FIG. 5, a holding portion (for example, a terminal fitting) 25 is fixedly inserted into one end of the slide shaft 20 inserted into the main shaft 10. In the terminal fitting 25,
A wire 26 for pulling the slide shaft 20 to slide toward the handle 40 when the umbrella is opened is attached.
As the wire 26, for example, a flexible wire obtained by twisting a thin steel wire or a line member such as a nylon fishing line having a diameter of about 0.5 mm is used. Further, the end fitting 25 is provided with a slit 25a for holding the slide shaft 20, and a claw 41b interlocked with the push button 41 is provided corresponding to the slit 25a. Then, when the slide shaft 20 is pulled into the main shaft 10 and the terminal fitting 25 comes to a predetermined position, the claws 41b are fitted into the slits 25a, the slide shaft 20 is latched, and the umbrella is held in an open state. It has become.

Further, inside the handle 40, FIG.
As shown in (c), the battery 43 for power supply, this battery 43
, A power transmission unit (for example, a reduction gear) 4 that sequentially and rotationally reduces the rotational motion of the motor 44
An opening / closing mechanism such as a reel 46 for winding the wire 26 and the like 5a, 45b, 45c, 45d is incorporated. As shown in FIGS. 4C and 5, a winding section (for example, a reel) 46 provided with a clutch section 46 a for intermittently rotating the reduction gear 45 d, as shown in FIGS.
Are arranged on the same axis. A spiral groove 46b is provided on the outer periphery of the reel 46, and the wire 26 attached to the terminal fitting 25 is wound along the groove 46b. Further, inside the reel 46, the clutch portion 46a is disconnected in a normal state and the reel 4
A spring 46c is provided to apply a force to wind the wire 26 on the wire 6 so as not to be loosened. The push button 42 for opening the umbrella is provided with a claw 42b interlocked with the push button 42, and the movable end of the lever 47 abuts on the claw 42b. The other end of the lever 47 is supported by a fulcrum 47a. A connection portion 47b for sliding the reel 46 in the axial direction to connect the clutch portion 46a when the push button 42 is pressed, and a battery 43
A contact 47c for supplying electricity to and driving the motor 44 is provided.

FIGS. 6A to 6C are diagrams for explaining the operation of the opening / closing mechanism incorporated in the handle 40 of the electric umbrella of FIG. 1. FIG. 6A shows the umbrella closed. State, FIG.
Shows a state in which the umbrella is being opened, and FIG. 3C shows a state in which the umbrella is open. Hereinafter, the operation of the electric umbrella of FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 (a) to 6 (c). As shown in FIG. 1B, when the electric umbrella is closed, the compression coil spring 23 fitted on the slide shaft 20 is extended, and the slide shaft 20 is pulled out from the main shaft 10 by a predetermined length. It has become. At this time, as shown in FIG. 6A, the push buttons 41 and 42 are restored to their normal positions by the springs 41a and 42a, respectively. Therefore, the contact 47c
Is opened, the motor 44 is stopped, and the clutch 46a of the reel 46 is disconnected. Further, the wire 26 is pulled out from the reel 46, and a groove 46 on the outer periphery of the reel 46.
No wire 26 remains in b.

Next, when the electric umbrella is opened, when the push button 42 of the handle 40 is pressed with a fingertip, as shown in FIG.
The movable end of 7 is pushed down. Thereby, the lever 47
The connection portion 47b pushes the reel 46 in the axial direction, and the clutch portion 46a connects to the reduction gear 45d. Furthermore, contact 4
7c is closed, and electricity is supplied from the battery 43 to the motor 44. The rotation of the motor 44 is reduced by the reduction gears 45a to 45d and becomes a strong force, which is transmitted to the reel 46 via the clutch 46a. By the rotation of the reel 46, the wire 26 is wound around the groove 46b of the reel 46.
Since one end of the wire 26 is attached to the terminal fitting 25 fixed to the tip of the slide shaft 20, the slide shaft 20 is drawn into the main shaft 10. Thereby, the tip of the outer bone 31 of the cap portion 30 is opened outward. When the electric umbrella is completely opened and the slide shaft 20 reaches a predetermined position in the main shaft 10 as shown in FIG. 6C, the claw 41a is fitted into the slit 25a of the terminal fitting 25, and the slide shaft 20
Is fixed at a predetermined position with respect to the main shaft 10. here,
When the push button 42 is released, the motor 44 stops and the clutch 46a is disconnected from the reduction gear 45d.

On the other hand, when closing the electric umbrella, FIG.
In the state of (c), the push button 41 may be pressed.
When the push button 41 is pressed, the claw 41 a interlocked with the push button 41 comes off the slit 25 a of the terminal fitting 25. As a result, the compressed compression coil spring 23 expands, the slide shaft 20 is pulled out from the main shaft 10 by a predetermined length, and the electric umbrella is closed as shown in FIG. The opening / closing mechanism inside the handle 40 is restored to the state shown in FIG. If the battery 43 is exhausted and the motor 44
If the electric umbrella cannot be opened due to
, And push the ram 21 against a wall or a floor. Thereby, the slide shaft 20 is pushed into the inside of the main shaft 10, and the cap portion 30 is opened. Further, the claw 41a is fitted into the slit 25a of the terminal fitting 25, and the slide shaft 20 is
It is fixed at a predetermined position with respect to 0. At this time, reel 4
The wire 26 is wound around the reel 46 without being slackened by the spring 46c inside 6.

As described above, in the electric umbrella of the present embodiment, the slide shaft 20 is inserted into the hollow metal main shaft 10, and the slide shaft 20 is electrically wound by the internal wire 26 to form the cap portion 30. I try to open it. For this reason, there is no need to provide slits in the main shaft 10 and the slide shaft 20, so that
A light and strong shaft can be obtained. Especially when the umbrella is open,
Since the main shaft 10 and the slide shaft 20 substantially overlap each other to form a double structure, there is an advantage that the main shaft 10 and the slide shaft 20 can withstand a strong wind or the like. Further, the electric umbrella utilizes the force of the compression coil spring 23 without using the motor 44 when closing. For this reason, there is an advantage that the power consumption of the battery 43 can be reduced.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, but can be variously modified. For example, there are the following modifications (a) to (f). (A) The material and the size and shape of each component are not limited to those illustrated. For example, the slide shaft 20 may be formed of a plastic cylinder. In addition, the main shaft 10 and the slide shaft 20 may be quadrangular prisms, hexagonal prisms, or the like. (B) A rechargeable NiCd battery or the like may be used as the battery 43, and a solar cell may be provided outside the handle 40 to charge the NiCd battery or the like. (C) Forming the shingle 21 with a transparent plastic or the like,
A light-emitting element such as a light-emitting diode may be mounted inside the light-emitting device, and the light-emitting device may be turned on by the power of the battery 43. This can help prevent traffic accidents at night. (D) The configuration of the reduction gears 45a to 45d is not limited to the illustrated one, and any configuration can be applied as long as the required speed and force can be obtained. (E) The positions and dimensions of the outer bone 31 and the inner bone 32 of the cap portion 30 are not limited to those illustrated. For example, by setting the connection point between the outer bone 31 and the inner bone 32 on the distal end side of the outer bone 31, the stability at the time of opening can be increased. However, the total length of the umbrella when closed and the stroke of the inner shaft 20 when opened and closed become longer. (F) Although the electric umbrella of FIG. 1 is a rain umbrella, it becomes a parasol if the sheet 33 for awning is used.

[0019]

As described above in detail, according to the first aspect, a hollow metal main shaft, a slide shaft inserted into the main shaft, and the slide shaft electrically driven by an internal wire or the like. An opening / closing mechanism that opens the umbrella by winding it up is provided. Thus, there is no need to provide slits on the main shaft and the slide shaft, so that a lightweight and durable electric umbrella can be formed. Further, this electric umbrella has a compression coil spring for pulling out the slide shaft from the main shaft. Thereby, since the force of the spring is used at the time of closing, there is an effect that the power consumption can be reduced. According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the power transmission unit for reducing the rotation of the motor and transmitting the rotation to the winding unit is provided, a strong winding force can be obtained even with a small motor. . Thereby, in addition to the effect of the first invention, there is an effect that the weight of the opening / closing mechanism can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an electric umbrella showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a conventional electric umbrella.

FIG. 3 is a structural diagram showing details of an annulus 11 and its peripheral portion in FIG. 1 (a).

FIG. 4 is a structural diagram showing details of a handle 40 and an internal opening / closing mechanism in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view of the opening / closing mechanism in FIG. 4 (c).

FIG. 6 is a view for explaining the operation of the opening / closing mechanism incorporated inside the handle 40 of the electric umbrella of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 main shaft 11 annular tube 20 slide shaft 22 support member 23 compression coil spring 25 terminal fitting 26 wire 31 outer bone 32 inner bone 33 sheet 40 handle 41, 42 push button 43 battery 44 motor 45 reduction gear 46 reel 47c contact

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] A hollow main shaft having one end connected to a handle and a ring tube fixed to the other end; one end slidably inserted into the main shaft from the ring tube side of the main shaft; A slide shaft to which a support member is fixed; a plurality of first aggregates whose one ends are supported by the support member fixed to the slide shaft so as to be openable and closable in a radial manner; and a predetermined position of the first aggregate. A plurality of second aggregates, one end of which is rotatably supported, and the other end of which is rotatably supported by an annular tube fixed to the main shaft; and A waterproof or awning sheet interconnecting and covering the first aggregates when the first aggregates are opened; a support member fixed to the slide shaft; and a ring fixed to the main shaft. Externally fitted to the slide shaft between the tube and the biasing force to pull the slide shaft out of the main shaft A compression coil spring, which is provided inside a handle connected to the main shaft, and when opened, electrically winds a wire or a thread member connected to one end of the slide shaft to thereby move the slide shaft into the main shaft. An opening / closing mechanism for retracting and latching the first aggregate to hold the first aggregate in an open state, and releasing the latch when closing to close the first aggregate with the force of the compression coil spring. A characteristic electric umbrella. 2. The motor according to claim 2, wherein the opening / closing mechanism includes: a motor that rotates with electric power supplied from a battery through a contact point linked to a first push button; and a winding unit that winds a wire or a thread member connected to the slide shaft. A power transmission unit that reduces the power of the motor and transmits the power to the winding unit; and when the slide shaft is retracted to a predetermined position on the main shaft, the slide shaft is latched at a predetermined position; The electric umbrella according to claim 1, further comprising: a holding portion whose latch is released by operation of the second push button.