ES352324A1 - Collapsible umbrella - Google Patents

Abstract

In a telescopic umbrella frame wherein both the stick and the spokes consist of three telescoping parts, the handle contains an annular channel for receiving the spoke tips having a radial width at least twice the width of the spoke tips, and incorporates a spoke tip locking member, operated by the middle stick part, arranged to lock the spoke tips only after telescoping of the frame is completed, in order that the spokes do not become crossed as the umbrella is collapsed. In the extended position shown, the stick parts 1, 2 and 3 are locked by spring mounted noses 20 and 21, and the spoke parts, of which only the end part 7 and spherical tips 8 are shown, are conventionally locked in a similar manner. The inner part of each spoke is pivoted by an eye to one end of a main strut, of which the other end is pivoted to a main slider and the centre is pivoted to an auxiliary strut which itself is pivoted at its other end to an auxiliary slider positioned between the main slider and the umberella crown, (see Fig.1). The handle 5 has an annular chamber 36 which receives the spoke tips 8 as the stick parts telescope together the diameter of chamber opening 37 is reduced by a shoulder 38. A spoke tip locking member 39, axially slidable on the end of the lower stick part, has a flange 40 which, when the locking member is moved upwardly by a helical compression spring 41, from the position shown, enters the chamber 36 and locks the spoke tips between itself and the shoulder 38. The movement of the locking member is governed by a control member 42, axially slidable within the lower stick part, by means of balls moving over conical faces of co-operating oppositely tapered conical recesses in the control member and locking member. When the control member moves downwardly, pressure from the spring 41 acts through the conical surface of the recess in the locking member to urge the balls through apertures in the lower stick part. The balls thus leave the position shown, where they maintain the locking member in the lower or unlocked position, and enter the recess 43 in the control member the locking member is thus freed to be moved by the spring into an upper position where the flange 41 enters the chamber 36 and locks the spoke tips therein. Upwards movement of the control member causes the conical surface 44 to force the balls back through the apertures, their outward pressure acting through the conical surface of the recess in the locking member to force the latter downwardly, against the spring pressure, into the unlocked position. The control member is operated by a push-pull rod 32 anchored thereto at 33. The rod is free to move axially between upper and lower positions corresponding to those of the control member, its movement being governed by a nose 48 working in a slot 49. The rod is maintained in its alternative end positions by friction effect between its arm 50 and a resilient bend 51 in a leaf spring 29a the other end 31 of which retains the nose 48 in the slot. Downward movement of the rod, which, through the control member effects locking of the spokes, is effected by the pressure of a stud 53 against the arm 50 which occurrs as the stick is telescoped such pressure is not brought to bear until the second phase of telescoping, due to the shape of the nose 21, which will not allow the lower stick part to slide into the middle stick part until the upper part 1 has passed over and partially depressed this nose. Upward movement of the rod and concomitant unlocking of the spokes is brought about by engagement of the nose 48 with an aperture 54 in the middle stick part as the latter reaches an appropriate stage of extension. The rod is drawn upwards, unlocking the spokes, and then the upper sloping face of the nose bears against the upper edge of the slot and causes the nose to withdraw from the aperture 54.