GB2304283A

GB2304283A - Position-adjustable sunshade

Info

Publication number: GB2304283A
Application number: GB9607634A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Inga Clayton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-08-23
Filing date: 1996-04-12
Publication date: 1997-03-19
Also published as: GB9607634D0; GB9517279D0

Abstract

The cover 10 of a sunshade is supported on an arm 12 at a position laterally offset from the position at which the arm is supported. The arm may be located on a rotatable post 14 in a base 24 and is vertically adjustable either via pin 20 and holes 22 or (Fig 2) by hinging the arm to the post. Hook and chain 19,19' prevent swinging in windy conditions.

Description

SUN SEADE The present invention relates to a position-adjustable sun shade.

Sun shades in the form of umbrellas are known. When an umbrella is used to provide shade for a fixed object, such as a table, the centre pole of the sun umbrella is located through a central opening in the table. This arrangement, however, provides complete shade for the table located below only when the sun is above the umbrella, that is, at or near its highest point.

When the sun is in any other position in the sky the shadow cast by the umbrella is not below the umbrella, but rather at a position offset therefrom. Indeed, the lower the position of the sun in the sky the further the shadow is cast away from the area defined below the umbrella.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide a sun shade which provides shade to a fixed object, such as a table, for many positions of the sun in the sky.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a sun shade comprising a shade member and an arm assembly which in use supports said shade member, wherein said arm assembly is adapted to support said shade member at a position horizontally offset from that at which said arm assembly is in use supported on a surface.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described hereinbelow by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of a sun shade in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 illustrates a perspective view of a sun shade in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 illustrates a perspective view of the stand of the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, with top raised and detached; Figure 4 illustrates a part perspective view of the underside of the umbrella shade of the first and second embodiments of the present invention; Figure 5 illustrates a side view of the umbrella shade of the first and second embodiments of the present invention in an open and tilted configuration;; Figure 6 illustrates a side view of the umbrella shade of the first and second embodiments of the present invention in a closed configuration; and Figures 7(a)-(d) show in plan view a schematic representation of the sun shade of the present invention in the positions necessary to provide shade to a fixed area over a period of time.

Figure 1 shows a sun shade in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. The sun shade comprises a shade 10 in the form of an umbrella and a supporting assembly 12 from which the shade 10 is suspended. The supporting assembly 12 comprises an upright tubular pole 14 and an arm 16. The arm 16 has a first, linear section 16a which is a sliding fit within the tubular pole 14, and a second, arcuate section 16b, the remote end 16c of which terminates at a distance from the axis of the pole 14. The remote end 16c of the arm 16 is offset from the pole 14 to allow the shade 10 to be freely suspended therefrom. The pole 14 and arm 16 are preferably fabricated from metal tubing. In this embodiment the shade 10 is attached to the arm 16 by a chain 18.The shade 10 may however alternatively be connected directly to the arm 16, for example by a rigid link, or any other suitable means. An edge of the umbrella shade 10 can be secured to the pole 14 by a hook and a chain arrangement 19, 19' so as to restrict the motion of the shade 10 in windy conditions. The shade 10 can also be tilted by attaching a weight 52, for example a sand bag, to one edge thereof as shown in Figure 5.

As mentioned above, the linear section 16a of the arm 16 is a sliding fit within the tubular pole 14. This construction permits adjustment of the height of the remote end 16c of the arm 16 above the surface on which the sun shade is located. In this embodiment the arm 16 is fixed in position in relation to the pole 14 by locating a pin 20 in one of a plurality of holes 22 defined along the length of the linear section 16a of the arm 16.

It will be understood of course that any other suitable fixing means can be used.

The pole 14 is supported in a stand 24. The stand 24, which is preferably of metal construction, comprises a weighted container 26 which in this embodiment is in the form of a drum.

For improved stability, the base 28 of the container 26 is enlarged so as to have a greater dimension than the body of the container 26 and thereby provide an increased reaction to any tilting moment of the sun shade. The container 24 has a removable lid 30 so as to allow ready access to the interior of the container 26 when it is necessary to add or remove any weighting from the container 26. Typically, sand or bricks may be used as the weighting.

The pole 14 is located in a vertical tubular member 32 disposed in the centre of the container 26 and can be rotated through 3600. In this embodiment the tubular member 32 has a slightly larger internal dimension than the external dimension of the pole 14, and in order to fix the position of the pole 14 in relation to the stand 24 wedges 34 are located in the space between the pole 14 and the wall of the tubular member 32. It will be understood that other means could be employed to fix the position of the pole 14 in relation to the stand 24; these include for example the provision of complementary keying on the pole 14 and the tubular member 32, or a locking sleeve and collar type arrangement.

Figure 2 shows a sun shade in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. The sun shade of this embodiment is of broadly the same construction as the sun shade of the above-described first embodiment and for ease of reference similar components are denoted by the same reference signs. In contrast to the above-described embodiment, however, the arm 16 of this embodiment is not slidably engaged with the pole 14.

Instead, the arm 16 is connected to an upper part of the pole 14 by a hinge 36 and the remote end 16c of the arm 16 from which the umbrella shade 10 is suspended is raised or lowered as required by altering the angle of the arm 16 in relation to the pole 14.

The angle of the arm 16 is set in relation to the pole 14 by a chain 38 which is attached to both the other end of the arm 16 and the pole 14. Adjustment of the angle of the arm 16 is possible by altering the length of the chain 38 between fixed points 40, 42 on the arm 16 and the pole 14. In this embodiment the pole 14, the arm 16 and the stand 24 are preferably fabricated from wood.

Figure 4 shows in the open configuration a preferred umbrella shade 10 for use with the present invention. This umbrella shade 10 has a short shaft 44, typically of a length less than half the radius of the umbrella shade 10, to which is fixed the ring 46 carrying the supporting arms 48 of the umbrella shade 10. The ring 46 is retained on the shaft 44 by a pin 50 which passes through a corresponding hole in the shaft 44. In use, a user simply lifts the skirt of the umbrella shade 10 in one hand, taking hold of the ring 46 in the other hand and guides the shaft 44 into the ring 46, retaining it with the pin 50. The use of a short shaft 44 has the particular advantage that a greater clearance is obtained between the umbrella shade 10 and the surface over which the shade 10 is located as compared to a conventional umbrella which has a long shaft. The shade 10 may alternatively be shaftless in which case the supporting arms 48 will extend directly from the central hub of the umbrella shade 10.

Figure 7 shows a schematic representation of a sun shade of the present invention in use. The configuration of the sun shade is shown at four representative times. At times of 11.30, 12.30, 13.30 and 14.30, the arm 16 of the sun shade in the illustrated configuration is directed due north, north-west, west-north-west and west-south-west, respectively, in order to cast a shadow 60 over a table and chairs 62. This movement of the arm 16 and the associated shade 10 can be achieved easily by the arrangement of the present invention.

It will be understood that the present invention is not restricted to the described embodiments but can be modified in many different ways within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A sun shade comprising a shade member and an arm assembly which in use supports said shade member, wherein said arm assembly is adapted to support said shade member at a position horizontally offset from that at which said arm assembly is in use supported on a surface.

2. A sun shade according to claim 1, wherein said arm assembly comprises a first member which in use is directed upwardly and a second member which extends therefrom to a position offset from the axis of said first member, said shade member being supported by said second member.

3. A sun shade according to claim 2, wherein the first member is directed substantially vertically.

4. A sun shade according to claims 2 or 3, wherein said second member is movably mounted in relation to said first member.

5. A sun shade according to claim 4, wherein said second member is slidably mounted to said first member.

6. A sun shade according to claim 4, wherein said second member is hinged to said first member.

7. A sun shade according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein said arm assembly is provided with fixing means for fixing the position of said second member in relation to said first member.

8. A sun shade according to any foregoing claim, further comprising a stand for supporting said arm assembly.

9. A sun shade according to any foregoing claim, wherein said shade member is freely supported by said arm assembly.

10. A sun shade according to any foregoing claim, wherein said shade member is an umbrella.

11. A sun shade according to claim 10, wherein said umbrella is a short-shafted umbrella.

12. A sun shade substantially hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 or Figure 2, optionally in combination with any of Figures 3 to 7, of the accompanying drawings.