AU619799B2

AU619799B2 - Umbrella anchoring means

Info

Publication number: AU619799B2
Application number: AU29882/89A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Christopher Mark Baker
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-02-11
Filing date: 1989-02-13
Publication date: 1992-02-06
Anticipated expiration: 2009-02-13
Also published as: AU2988289A

Description

1 6 19 47520 FORM 10 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE: Class Int. Class Application Number: Lodged: PI6696 11 February 1988 Accepted: Published: Priority: Related Art: Name and Address

I

::f i i i: i j if of Applicant: Christopher Mark Baker PO Box 590 Neutral Bay Junction NSW 2089

AUSTRALIA

Actual Inventor: Christopher Mark Baker Address for Service: Spruson Ferguson, Patent Attorneys, Level 33 St Martins Tower, 31 Market Street, Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia Complete Specification for the invention entitled: Umbrella Anchoring Means The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us C 4- 5 t 54 -1D 5815/2 ;I -I II II 2- UMBRELLA ANCHORING MEANS The present invention relates to a means for anchoring an umbrella.

Beach umbrellas are usually provided with a support pole adapted to "bore" into soft ground to thereby support the umbrella. The end portion of the support pole is usually tapered with a spiral ridge projecting radially therefrom. By rotating the umbrella, the end portion supposedly "bores" Into Ssoft ground or sand. That is, the rotational movement of the umbrella causes the spiral ridge to create a linear force which, depending on the direction of rotation, either screws the pole Into the ground in order to anchor the umbrella, or withdraws the pole from the ground. However, the effectiveness of the spiral ridge to cause linear movement of the umbrella pole Is minimal.

i Further, in soft sand, this type of anchoring means Is often insufficient to retain the umbrella in an upright configuration. The spiral ridge usually projects a relatively small distance from the tapered surface, I and as such a breeze is often capable of pulling the umbrella out of the I ground by overcoming the resistance of the ridge In the sand especially as the ridge is located on the tapered portion whereby the ouslde diameter Is less than that of the pole.

It is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ,,12Q ameliorate the problems of the prior art.

I i j In one broad form the present invention provides an umbrella comprising i an anchoring means rigidly mounted proximate a distal end of a support pole L thereof, said anchoring means comprising atleast one propeller blade extending i radially from said pole.

A further broad form of the present invention provides an achoring means for an umbrella comprising a hub member and atleast one propeller blade extending radially from said hub member; said hub member being provided with a formed, generally axially aligned bore adapted to cooperatively receive and securely engage an end portion of a support pole of said umbrella.

Preferably a grub screw is provided to more securely engage the anchoring means on the support pole. A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic exploded perspective view of the anchor and an end portion of the support pole of the umbrella.

KLN/697b _r Ll~1111 3 Figure 2 is a schematic side elevational view of the anchor/umbrella combination inserted into a hole in the ground.

Figure 3 is a schematic side elevational view of the anchor/umbrella combination as depicted in figure 2 with the hole filled in.

Figure 4 is a schematic exploded perspective view of a further preferred form of the present invention.

There is depicted in the drawings an anchor 10 for an umbrella 1.

The umbrella 1, typically a beach :'mbrella, comprises an end member 2 attached to the distal end portion of the support pole 3 thereof.

The end member 2 is a tapered cap having a spiral ridge 4 extending radially and longitudinally of the end member 2.

The anchor 10 comprises a hub 11 defining an axis of rotation and three propeller blades 12 projecting radially outwards from the hub 11.

The hub 11 is provided with a central longitudinal bore 13 having an 4 -krec4 14- caiol -iread internal .rfe substantially corresponding to the external surface of the end member 2, and hence adapted to cooporate therewith.

f By inserting and rotating the end portion of the pole 3 the end member 2) into the bore 13, the anchor 10 will threadably engage the end member 2 re (AA screiv !uch as Q or a win gnv1 There is also provided aAgrubscrewA15 on te hub 11 to more securely retain the anchor 10 on the umbrella 1.

In use, the anchor 10, being securely mounted onto the end portion of the pole 3, is inserted into a hole 20 in the sand or soft ground 21 with the pole 3 extending generally transversely upwards from the ground surface.

When the hole 20 is filled-in, the blades 12 of the anchor 10 have the weight of the "fill-in" sand bearing upon them to thereby act as a persistance to linear or moment forces acting on the umbrella. That is, the umbrella 10 is anchored so as to, for example, resist wind forces I acting on the canapy of the umbrella.

The umbrella 10 can then be relatively easily removed from the ground by rotating the pole 3 (and hence the anchor 10) in a direction to cause the blades 12 to propel the anchor 10/pole 3 combination out of ground engagement.

In an alternate embodiment, the anchor 10 could be provided with a single screw-type blade 30 extending radially from, and longitudinally of the hub 11, as depicted in figure 4.

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Claims

1. An anchoring device for an umbrella comprising: a hub, the hub having a longitudinal bore, the bore having an internal thread adapted to threadably engage a similar external thread formed on a threaded end member of an umbrella, the hub also having a threaded radial opening for accepting a retaining screw; one or more blades projecting from the hub and inclined at an acute i angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the bore; and a retaining screw threadably engaging the radial opening.

2. The anchoring device of claim 1, wherein: the one or more blades are propeller-like blades.

The anchoring device of claim 1, whereIn: a single auger-like blade is provided.

4. The anchoring device of any of claims 1-3 wherein: o the retaining screw is a wlngnut.

An anchoring device and umbrella comprising: an anchoring device according to any one of claims 1-4; and an umbrella comprising a canopy supported by a pole, the pole terminating in a tapered portion having an external thread adapted to lengage the internal thread formed in the longitudinal bore of the hub.

6. An anchoring device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawing figures.

7. An anchoring device and umbrella substantially as hereinbefore ji s described with reference to the drawing figures. DATED this FIFTEENTH day of NOVEMBER 1991 Christopher Mark Baker Patent Attorneys for the Applicant SPRUSON FERGUSON \-A'LVs STA/0560E Lfa"i;