GB2307172A

GB2307172A - Mobile base for a parasol

Info

Publication number: GB2307172A
Application number: GB9523502A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Lynn Wood
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-11-16
Filing date: 1995-11-16
Publication date: 1997-05-21
Also published as: GB9523502D0

Abstract

The shaft 28 of a parasol 29 is releasably supported in a socket on a mobile base having lockable castors. The base may be hollow to receive ballast material such as sand, water or concrete.

Description

PARASOL SUPPORT This invention relates to a device used to provide a means of supporting a parasol, umbrella or similar.

Parasols, umbrellas or similar are frequently used in static applications whereby one is supported by means of a fixed mounting such that it requires no intervention to allow it to remain in a fixed location with a fixed orientation. In this way the parasol will typically be used outdoors during sunny weather to act as a sunshade to cast a shadow upon the area beneath, thus protecting things or persons from the sun's radiation.

There are several methods commonly in use for the purpose of supporting a parasol in such a manner. The lower end of the central pole may be inserted into a relatively heavy object such as a purpose-made hollow base made from plastic and filled with water or sand, or a purpose-made solid base made from concrete. Alternatively, the lower end of the central pole may be buried in the ground, or it may be located in a corresponding socket previously rigidly installed into the ground. Alternatively or additionally, the central pole may be supported at one or more points some distance from the ground by means of a table or similar structure in such a way that the shadow cast by the parasol will typically be upon the top surface of the table, or upon persons seated around said table.

The commonly used methods of supporting a parasol suffer from a particular disadvantage. It is generally impossible or difficult to move the parasol and means of support due to the means of support being completely immovable or too heavy to be easily moved by one person. This is of particular inconvenience as such a parasol and support are generally used during relaxing leisure activities, at which times the use of undue effort for the purpose of repositioning the parasol is undesirable.

According to the present invention there is provided a parasol support comprising a base structure, a number of wheels or castors mounted to the underside thereof in such a manner that the base structure may easily be moved about a horizontal flat surface, means for mounting a parasol or similar to said base structure.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows in perspective, the parasol support; Figure 2 shows a sectional view with a vertical cutting plane through the centre of the parasol support as denoted by arrows XX in Figure 1; Figure 3 shows the parasol support with a parasol mounted to it.

The parasol support comprises a base structure 1 equipped with four castors 2-5 mounted to the underside thereof, and means for mounting a parasol in the form of a vertical hollow tube-like member 6 mounted rigidly to the centre of said base structure, the said vertical member having a closed lower end 26 and open upper end 27.

The base structure 1 comprises a central hub 7 to which are attached four horizontal radial spoke-like members 8-11. Each of the said radial members is hollow with a sealed underside. Each of the resulting voids 12 may be filled with sand, water or similar ballast 13 by way of a filling hole 14, said ballast being retained by way of a sealing plug 15. In this way the parasol support attains a greater mass and thereby provides increased stability to any parasol mounted thereto.

The attachment points for each of the four castors 2-5 is at the outer extremity of the underside of each of the spoke-like members 8-11. The said castors are mounted in such a manner that the motion-transmitting wheel component 16-19 of each said castor is directed downwards such that when the parasol support is placed for use on the substantially flat horizontal surface 20 of the ground, each of the said wheel components is in contact with the ground.

A braking mechanism is also included whereby each of the four wheels 16-19 may be locked in a fixed rotational orientation with respect to its respective castor 2-5 to prevent the rolling action of the said wheels across the said ground surface 20. The locking mechanism for each said castor is in the form of a friction brake applied to the respective said wheel by means of a lever 21-24 integral to said castor.

At the upper end of the vertical hollow tube-like member 6 is located a locking device 25 for the purpose of locking the central pole 28 of a parasol 29 rigidly to the parasol support once the parasol is installed into the parasol support for subsequent use. The said locking device is in the form of a screw with a relatively large hand-operable head, threaded radially through the wall of the said vertical member 6 such that it may lock the central pole of said parasol in place by forcing it against the opposite wall of the said vertical member.

When in use, the parasol support is placed on the ground surface 20 such that the wheels 16-19 are in contact with said surface. A parasol 29 is mounted to the parasol support by inserting the central pole 28 of said parasol into the hollow vertical member 6 by way of the open upper end of said vertical member and allowing the lower end of said pole to rest at the closed lower end of the said vertical member. The parasol may then be locked to the parasol support by the action of hand-tightening the locking device 25. With the brake mechanisms 21-24 in their inactive positions, the parasol and parasol support may be moved as a unit around the said ground surface to be located in the desired position.The said brake mechanisms may then be used to apply a braking force to the respective wheels 16-19 to prevent the parasol and parasol support from moving under the action of moderate forces due to localised air movement or gradient of the ground surface 20 for example.

The major components of the parasol support shall preferably be made of moulded plastic with mechanisms or fixing devices made of metal or plastic as appropriate.

Alternatively, the major components may be made from wood.

An altemative embodiment of the invention is substantially as described hereinbefore except with the ballast chambers 12 interconnected by way of a hollow gallery through the central hub 7 such that it is only necessary to fill the base structure with ballast at a single filling hole 14 rather than at a separate filling hole for each of the spoke-like members 8-11.

A further alternative embodiment of the invention is substantially as described hereinbefore except with an alternative mechanism to the wheel brakes 21-24. A manually operated mechanism may be incorporated into the base structure whereupon activation of said mechanism causes a vertical pin adjacent to each castor 2-5 to move downwards from the underside of the corresponding spoke-like member 8-11 such that the entire parasol support including the said castors are lifted clear of the ground leaving the parasol support resting on the ground by way only of the said pins thereby preventing any rolling motion due to the said castors.

Claims

1 A parasol support comprising a base structure, a number of wheels or castors mounted to the underside thereof in such a manner that the base structure may easily be moved about a horizontal flat surface, means for mounting a parasol or similar to said base structure.

2 A parasol support as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the base structure is equipped with at least one hollow section for the placement of water, sand or similar ballast.

3 A parasol support as claimed in Claim 1 wherein a braking device is applied either individually or collectively to at least one of the wheels or castors.

4 A parasol support as claimed in Claim 1 wherein a braking device is applied which lifts at least one of the wheels or castors clear of the ground.

5 A parasol support as claimed in Claim 1 wherein a locking device in included which releasably locks a parasol to its means for mounting.

6 A parasol support substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1-3 of the accompanying drawing.

7 A parasol or umbrella comprising a parasol support as claimed in any preceding claim.