GB1590626A

GB1590626A - Umbrellas

Info

Publication number: GB1590626A
Application number: GB3701076A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1977-09-15
Filing date: 1977-09-15
Publication date: 1981-06-03

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO UMBRELLAS (71) I, ARNOLD FULTON, a British Subject, of 9 Kingswood Park, London, N3 1UG, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The invention relates to flat umbrellas, and more particularly but not exclusively, to telescopic flat umbrellas. The term "flat" is the description used in the trade to distinguish umbrellas which, when folded, are of oblong cross-sectional shape transverse to the shaft axis from those of circular crosssection. The term "telescopic umbrella" as used herein means an umbrella having a telescopic or folding shaft or stem and preferably also telescopic or folding spokes.

In the past, umbrellas have achieved an oblong cross-sectional shape transverse to the stem axis by having a crown which is laterally elongate in shape to which a cover is held by a laterally elongate cap and to which spokes forming part of a frame are attached, the frame supporting the cover when the umbrella is open. The elongate nature of the crown to which the spokes are attached requires that, in order for the cover to be adequately supported, the spokes do not issue radially from the central axis of the umbrella. This is a disadvantage of existing flat umbrellas when compared with conventional circular umbrellas.

The invention provides a frame for a flat umbrella as hereinbefore defined, including a crown secured to a shaft, a cup for holding a cover to the crown and a plurality of spaced apart spokes pivotally attached to the crown, wherein the crown has a laterally elongate top portion and a base portion of smaller dimensions than the elongate top portion in directions parallel to the longitudinal axis of the top portion, the base portion providing for the spokes pivot axes lying substantially on a common circle.

The points of attachment of the spokes may be distributed in two groups lying on arcs of equal length of the common circle the points of attachment being equally spaced in both groups and the lines joining the mid-points of the arcs being parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongate top portion.

The base portion may include a circumferential groove receiving a binding wire for the spokes.

The base portion may be cylindrical and the width of the elongate top portion of the crown when viewed in plan may equal the diameter of the cylindrical base portion of the crown.

The crown may be secured to the shaft by a pin passing through the crown and the shaft, and the longitudinal axis of the pin may be perpendicular to the axis of the shaft.

The invention further provides a flat umbrella comprising a frame according to the invention.

By way of example one specific embodiment of an umbrella according to the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure I is a view of part of an umbrella; Figure 2 is an underneath plan view of a crown with spokes attached; and Figure 3 is a sectional view of a crown and cap assembly.

The umbrella shown in Figure 1 includes a shaft 10 on which is fixedly mounted a crown 11, preferably of plastics material, and a cap 12, preferably of plastics material.

Between the crown 11 and the cap 12 is held a cover 14 of fabric, supported when the umbrella is open by a frame comprising a plurality of spokes arranged to form eight angularly spaced apart arms, one such arm being shown in Figure 1.

Each arm comprises a spoke 20 pivotally mounted on a slider 13, being preferably circular in cross-section, by a binding wire 21 received in a circumferential groove in the slide 13. The binding wire 21 passes through an eye close to the inner ends of each spoke 20.

A further spoke 22 is pivotally attached to the crown 11 and pivotally attached to the spoke 20 at a hinge 23. Spoke 20 is pivotally attached to a spoke 24 at a point 29. Spoke 24 is hinged at a point 25 and attached to the cover 14 at the end 26 of the spoke 24. A tension member 27 including a spring 28 is arranged between the spoke 20 and the hinge 25 to align the two portions of the spoke 24 when the umbrella is open but to allow the spoke 24 to fold when the umbrella is closed. A further spoke is pivotally attached to the end 31 of the spoke 24 and to the spoke 22 at a point 32.

A loop 33 of thread, plastics or wire is provided to gather in the cover 14 when the umbrella is closed.

The crown 11 is shown in detail in Figures 2 and 3, and comprises a base portion 40 having a circular cross-section and a top laterally elongate portion 41. A binding wire 43 is arranged in a circumferential recess 42 in the cylindrical surface of the base portion 40. Recesses 44 are formed in the base porion 40 to accept spokes 22 which are pivotally mounted on the binding wire 43, the wire 43 passing through an eye near the inner end of each of the spokes 22. In this way pivot axes lying substantially on a common circle are provided for the spokes 22.

The recesses 44 are arranged in two groups, and in both groups spacing between adjacent recesses is substantially identical.

The groups of recesses are arranged so that the line joining the mid-points of the arcs of the common circle on which the points of attachment of the recesses lie is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the laterally elongate top portion 41 of the crown.

Raised portions 45 are provided projecting from the lower face of the top portion 41 in order to space apart spokes 22 when the umbrella is open.

The crown is fixed to the shaft 10 by means of a pin 46 passing through the top portion 41 of the crown and the shaft 10 and lying perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the top portion 41 of the crown and the longitudinal axis of the shaft 10.

The cap 12 has a laterally elongate portion 50 prefererably corresponding to the shape of the top portion 41 of the crown and a cylindrical portion 51 which fits inside the shaft 10. The portion 51 is split into two parts by a recess 52, and the arrangement is such that when the cap is fitted on the shaft the pin 46 engages the recess 52 so that no rotation of the cap 12 is possible.

The embodiment of an umbrella according to the invention has the advantage that the umbrella is flat when folded, this flat shape being determined by the elongate portion of the crown, and also the advantages of simplicity associated with a conventional circular umbrella in that the points of attachment of the spokes to the crown lie on a common circle.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A frame for a flat umbrella as hereinbefore defined, including a crown secured to a shaft, a cap for holding a cover to the crown and a plurality of spaced apart spokes pivotally attached to the crown, wherein the crown has a laterally elongate top portion and a base portion of smaller dimensions than the elongate top portion in directions parallel to the longitudinal axis of the top portion, the base portion providing for the spokes pivot axes lying substantially on a common circle.

2. A frame as claimed in claim 1, wherein the points of attachment of the spokes are distributed in two groups lying on arcs of equal length of the common circle, the points of attachment being equally spaced in both groups, and the line joining the midpoints of the arcs being parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongate top portion of the crown.

3. A frame as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the base portion of the crown includes a circumferential groove receiving a binding wire for the spokes.

4. A frame as claimed in claim 1, claim 2 or claim 3, in which the base portion of the crown is cylindrical.

5. A frame as claimed in claim 4 in which the width of the elongate top portion of the crown when viewed in plan equals the diameter of the cylindrical base portion of the crown.

6. A frame as claimed in any preceding claim in which the crown is secured to the shaft by a pin passing through the crown and the shaft.

7. A frame as claimed in claim 6 in which the longitudinal axis of the pin is perpendicular to the axis of the shaft.

8. A frame for a flat umbrella, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

9. A flat umbrella comprising a frame as claimed in any preceding claim.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. mounted on a slider 13, being preferably circular in cross-section, by a binding wire 21 received in a circumferential groove in the slide 13. The binding wire 21 passes through an eye close to the inner ends of each spoke 20. A further spoke 22 is pivotally attached to the crown 11 and pivotally attached to the spoke 20 at a hinge 23. Spoke 20 is pivotally attached to a spoke 24 at a point 29. Spoke 24 is hinged at a point 25 and attached to the cover 14 at the end 26 of the spoke 24. A tension member 27 including a spring 28 is arranged between the spoke 20 and the hinge 25 to align the two portions of the spoke 24 when the umbrella is open but to allow the spoke 24 to fold when the umbrella is closed. A further spoke is pivotally attached to the end 31 of the spoke 24 and to the spoke 22 at a point 32. A loop 33 of thread, plastics or wire is provided to gather in the cover 14 when the umbrella is closed. The crown 11 is shown in detail in Figures 2 and 3, and comprises a base portion 40 having a circular cross-section and a top laterally elongate portion 41. A binding wire 43 is arranged in a circumferential recess 42 in the cylindrical surface of the base portion 40. Recesses 44 are formed in the base porion 40 to accept spokes 22 which are pivotally mounted on the binding wire 43, the wire 43 passing through an eye near the inner end of each of the spokes 22. In this way pivot axes lying substantially on a common circle are provided for the spokes 22. The recesses 44 are arranged in two groups, and in both groups spacing between adjacent recesses is substantially identical. The groups of recesses are arranged so that the line joining the mid-points of the arcs of the common circle on which the points of attachment of the recesses lie is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the laterally elongate top portion 41 of the crown. Raised portions 45 are provided projecting from the lower face of the top portion 41 in order to space apart spokes 22 when the umbrella is open. The crown is fixed to the shaft 10 by means of a pin 46 passing through the top portion 41 of the crown and the shaft 10 and lying perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the top portion 41 of the crown and the longitudinal axis of the shaft 10. The cap 12 has a laterally elongate portion 50 prefererably corresponding to the shape of the top portion 41 of the crown and a cylindrical portion 51 which fits inside the shaft 10. The portion 51 is split into two parts by a recess 52, and the arrangement is such that when the cap is fitted on the shaft the pin 46 engages the recess 52 so that no rotation of the cap 12 is possible. The embodiment of an umbrella according to the invention has the advantage that the umbrella is flat when folded, this flat shape being determined by the elongate portion of the crown, and also the advantages of simplicity associated with a conventional circular umbrella in that the points of attachment of the spokes to the crown lie on a common circle. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A frame for a flat umbrella as hereinbefore defined, including a crown secured to a shaft, a cap for holding a cover to the crown and a plurality of spaced apart spokes pivotally attached to the crown, wherein the crown has a laterally elongate top portion and a base portion of smaller dimensions than the elongate top portion in directions parallel to the longitudinal axis of the top portion, the base portion providing for the spokes pivot axes lying substantially on a common circle.

9. A flat umbrella comprising a frame as claimed in any preceding claim.