GB1403115A - Umbrellas - Google Patents

Abstract

1403115 Automatically opening and closing umbrellas IDEAL KK 21 May 1973 [19 May 1972 20 Dec 1972] 24067/73 Heading A4P An umbrella comprises a shaft having a main part 1, Fig. 2, slidably receiving upper, intermediate and lower parts 2, 3, 4, a crown 6 fixed to the part 2 and carrying ribs 5, a ring 11 fixed to the upper end of part 1 and carrying stretchers 13 supported by rods 16 pivoted to a slider 14, and resiliently flexible spokes 25 pivoted to ribs 5 and to a slider 23, the umbrella being opened by pressing a latch 36 to remove a tip 36a from hole 1a in part 1 whereupon a spring 10 urges parts 3 and 4 apart and a spring 21 acts between a ring 20, fixed by a pin 19 to part 3, and slider 14 to raise slider 14 and open the ribs 5, spokes 25 being flexed during opening to a position to urge the ribs downwards, Fig. 6, closing of the umbrella being effected by the energy stored in spokes 25 after operation of a latch 38 to remove projection 38a from hole 1b in part 1 and thereby release the locking together of parts 1 and 4. Following operation of latch 38, part 1 at first moves upwards relative to part 4 under the action of spring 10 and spring 21 is also able to expand so that both springs 10, 21 assume a state of substantially zero residual force, in which state the energy stored in spokes 25 is able to close the umbrella. The umbrella is brought from this closed position to a closed position in which it is in readiness for opening by pushing the shaft ends together until projection 38a locks parts 1 and 4 together again and tip 36a locks slider 23 in the closed position in which a tip cap 40 and a recess in slider 23 co-operate to prevent operation of latch 38. In a modification, Figs. 11-16 (not shown), the latch 38 is operated by moving a tip cap sleeve 40a manually upwards. The spokes 25 each comprise a respective pair of strips or rods 26, 27, Fig. 6, connected at a common pivot 24 on the corresponding rib 5 and by a cramp 28a intermediate their lengths, each rod or strip 26, 27 of the pair being connected at 28 to the adjacent rod or strip 27 or 26 of the pair associated with an adjacent rib 5 and such connected adjacent rods or strips being pivoted together at a ring 22 of slider 23.