GB2354163A - Lamp unit for use in or with an umbrella - Google Patents

Abstract

An umbrella is provided with a fluorescent lamp unit as part of or adjacent to (Fig 13) the shaft between the uppermost position of the slider and the canopy. The lamp may include a cylindrical lens 38 containing a U-shaped discharge tube 41, and means for receiving a low voltage supply which is stepped up by an inbuilt transformer or inverter unit 43. The lamp unit is sealed by caps 42,44 having threaded sockets 50,56 which receive threaded studs (48,54) formed on the shaft. The power supply may be a rechargeable battery in the umbrella base with wiring inside the shaft (Fig 1), or an external supply may be wired directly to the lamp (Fig 9).

Description

1 2354163 LAMP UNIT FOR OUTDOOR FURNITURE

THE FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a lamp unit for outdoor furniture and in particular for parasols and umbrellas, but which may also be useful for building into or attachment to a post to be sited in an outdoor location.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

An item of outdoor furniture, which is popular for domestic use, and also in bars, clubs, restaurants, hotels and other public spaces comprises a table having a parasol fitted thereto. The table has a central opening. The parasol has a post, generally in upper and lower parts, which carries a canopy at its upper end and extends through the opening. Its lower end is either supported in the ground or, where the table is on a patio or other hard surface, by a purpose-made base unit of plastics or other material that may be filled with sand or with water to increase its stability. The canopy can be opened or closed by an umbrella-like structure of ribs and struts controlled by an annular slider that is moveable along the post. It may have a permanent horizontal attitude, or it may be tilted by means of a pivot built into the post to give the best shade as the angle of sunlight varies during the day. During the evening after it has become dark, people may sit at the table with a drink, but usually they will not eat a meal at the table because there is insufficient light. Proposals have therefore been made to provide illumination for those sitting at the table.

US-A-5463535 (Vest) discloses a lamp unit that may be built into the post of a parasol adjacent to the table. The unit comprises a cylindrical lens having opposite ends fitted with upper and lower end caps. Coupling formations of the upper and lower end caps enable the unit to be built into and to form part of the post. The unit is located relatively low down the post adjacent the table, so that 2 relatively little of its light goes into the canopy. In consequence, the canopy does not appear brightly illuminated when viewed from a distance and the display of a design on the canopy to those at a distance will be poor. There is no suggestion that the lamp unit could or should be sited above the slider. A socket at one end of the lamp unit carries a U-shaped fluorescent lamp. A power cord extends from the lower end of the unit partway down the post, which is hollow, and emerges via a hole through the post. It carries a plug that can be fitted into a conventional household power outlet. However, supplying mains AC to the lamp outdoors through a power cord raises issues of electrical safety.

US-A-5331524 (Shin Yeh Enterprise Co. Ltd.) discloses a cylindrical lamp unit that fits around the post of a parasol, between the canopy and the slider. The central post enters the unit through a lower end cap and extends along the unit to its top end cap. The canopy-supporting ribs are pivoted to the top cap, whose diameter is significantly greater than that of the pole. It is not possible therefore to use the same canopy and ribs for both an illuminated and a non-illuminated version of a parasol, which increases the inventory of parts which a parasol manufacturer has to stock and which requires a canopy for an illuminated parasol to be specially tooled- up. The unit contains a pair of miniature incandescent lamps that depend from the top cap and are located to either side of the post. A power cable that runs inside the post can be connected to a power source that may be a mains outlet or may be a battery. The advantages of this arrangement are that the incandescent lamps are protected from damage and from accidental contact between their hot outer surfaces and the human body. Because the post remains present, there have to be at least two lamps, and even so a pattern of illumination that arises from the axis of the post and is fully symmetric is not achieved. Furthermore, incandescent lamps have high power consumption for a given light output and create hot spots in the confined space of the unit, which places limitations on the range of materials that may be used to make the unit. In a battery-powered embodiment, large batteries will be needed and/or the battery life 3 between recharges will be relatively short. The use of fluorescent lamps is not disclosed or suggested.

US-A-5584564 (Phyle) points out that illumination for a parasol should not depend on AC. In the illustrated embodiment, he provides fluorescent lamps attached along ribs of the parasol and a two-part removable annular battery unit that fits around the central post between the canopy and the slider. In a conventional parasol or umbrella the ribs are springy. When the canopy is collapsed, the ribs are straight, but as the canopy is erected, they become curved and apply bi-directional tension to the canopy fabric. In this way the canopy achieves a tight and wrinkle-free shape. In contrast, in Phyle's parasol the ribs have to remain straight when the canopy is erected because of the long inflexible lamps attached to them. In consequence the erected canopy is not as tight and wrinkle-free. The battery unit houses an inverter for stepping up the battery voltage to a sufficient level to drive the lamps. Phyle's inverter has outputs for four lamps, whereas an umbrella or parasol conventionally has eight ribs (although Phyle shows six in his drawings). The lamps therefore have to be attached to alternate ribs, with the result that even illumination of the canopy is not achieved, which is detrimental when the canopy is viewed from a distance.

The output side of the inverter step-up transformer has a single winding, relying on development of a high voltage to strike the lamps, and the use of heated filament lamps is not suggested or provided for. The multi-unit, multi- lamp arrangement introduces complexity and expense. The location of the storage batteries is not ideal since they provide weight at the top of the pole, which tends to destabilize it. The battery capacity that can be provided at this location is limited by the space available, which correspondingly restricts the operating time of the lamps.

Illuminated umbrellas are also known and may have an incandescent lamp located adjacent the canopy and batteries in the handle, see US-A-5865202. The lamp will normally be used only for relatively brief periods to enable the user to 4 illuminate his immediate surroundings e.g. when he returns to his home or motor vehicle and wishes to insert a key. However, there are uses e.g. for fishing umbrellas where it would be desirable to provide relatively high light outputs for extended periods.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide an umbrella or parasol in which some or all of the above mentioned problems are alleviated or solved.

In one aspect, the present invention is based on the realization that a fluorescent lamp unit can be made of sufficiently small axial length to fit between the slider and the canopy of an umbrella or parasol.

The invention therefore provides an umbrella or parasol having a fluorescent lamp unit in or adjacent the post between the uppermost position of the parasol-controlling slider and the canopy.

With the above arrangement, the canopy can be intensely illuminated by an adjacent light source, which both provides illumination to those beneath the canopy and gives an attractive appearance from a distance so that design or advertising material on the fabric of the canopy is attractively displayed during the evening. The lamp unit need not interfere with the movement of the ribs of the canopy, so that the canopy can easily be collapsed for storage.

A finther object of the invention is to provide a lamp unit for an umbrella or parasol that has high light output and can safely be used outdoors.

That problem is solved by a lamp for a parasol, umbrella, gazebo, illuminated post or other item of outdoor furniture, comprising a tubular lens, first and second end caps for opposite ends of the lens, a gas discharge tube supported in the interior space of the lens, a voltage step-up device, and an inlet for a low voltage power supply.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The lamp unit according to the invention may comprise a single gas discharge tube or a plurality of them. For lower power outputs, typically about 5W, a single tube is sufficient. For higher power outputs e.g. up to about 15 W two or three tubes may be needed. Straight tubes can be used, but U-shaped tubes are better because the connections to the tube are at a single end and the need to provide light-blocking connector wires running from on end to the other is avoided. The lamp can be of the cold cathode type struck simply by high voltage. Preferably it is provided with an electrode at each end thereof in the form of filament which is heated by a low voltage current. Such an arrangement reduces the voltage required to strike the lamp, reduces deterioration with repeated use and gives a rapid start.

Because the lamp is for use outdoors, it is powered from a low voltage input source. The voltage is < 50 V, and typically either 12 or 24 V. The lamp unit generally comprises an input for current from the low voltage source, which may be a power lead or a socket for connection of a power lead. It also generally comprises a device which can step up the current to a voltage which can strike and drive the lamp, typically >100 V for striking the lamp and about 60V while the lamp is running. Where the power to the lamp is a low voltage AC current, the voltage step-up means may simply be a transformer. In such a case, the current will be of frequency >> 50 Hz and typically about 20-50 kHz. The use of currents of frequency > 20 kHz avoids generation of audible sound and improves the efficiency of the lamp. The use of frequencies < 50 kHz minimizes RF transmission. Where the low voltage current is a DC current, the voltage step-up means is an inverter that, for the reasons explained above, also has an output frequency of about 20-50 kHz and typically about 24-30 kHz. The lamp is used 6 with a balance impedance which is preferably a capacitor. Where the gas discharge tube or tubes are of the heated type, the output transformer of the inverter should be provided with at least one coil for supplying low voltage current to the filaments of the tube(s). Advantageously the ballast capacitor and the voltage step-up means are located at an end of the lamp unit coaxial with the gas discharge tube or tubes.

When fitted to an umbrella or parasol, the lamp unit may clip onto the post, but preferably it forms part of the post as a load-bearing component thereof.

Not only is this arrangement mechanically efficient, but also it provides a symmetrically located source of illumination for the canopy. The lamp unit preferably comprises a one-piece tubular lens, and end caps for upper and lower ends of the lens. Because of the relatively low heat output from the fluorescent lamp and the absence of the hot spot characteristic of an incandescent lens, the lens may be molded from polycarbonate or other light-transmitting thermoplastics material. It may be clear or frosted. The upper and lower end caps may also be moldings in a thermoplastics material. A formation on the upper end cap preferably provides for attachment of a hub that pivotally supports the arms of the canopy either directly or via an intermediate component. A convenient and mechanically strong attachment means comprises an axially directed male threaded region on one of said upper end cap and hub or intermediate component that can be engaged into a female threaded formation on the other of said upper end cap and intermediate member. The lamp unit is usually of larger diameter than lower parts of the post. It is advantageous to attach the hub to the end cap by a coupling member that for at least a part of its length is of the same diameter as said lower parts of the post. With this arrangement, the lamp unit can simply be substituted for the corresponding upper region of the post and redesign of the hub, ribs and canopy fabric panels can be avoided. Means is advantageously also provided on the lower end cap for attachment to an adjacent part of the post, and may take the form of male and female threaded connector regions as previously described. The power supply can enter the unit through the upper end cap, it can 7 run through the post and enter the unit through the lower end cap, or it can enter the unit through a radially or obliquely directed power inlet.

In the case of a parasol to be used on a patio or other paved area, a lower end of the post is supported in a base unit, which may be provided with a battery for providing power to the lamp. The post may be formed in upper and lower regions that fit together via a connector, and the power supply for the unit can be arranged to run through the post (which is usually a hollow tube) and through a plug and socket provided at the connector. In order to avoid undesirable wrinkles in the erected canopy, the ribs for the canopy are advantageously made of springy material which becomes curved as the canopy is erected in accordance with usual practice in the umbrella and parasol manufacturing field.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. I is a diagrammatic side view of a parasol with part of the canopy being cut away, the parasol having a lamp according to a first embodiment of the invention, and Fig. I a is a detail showing the junction between upper and lower portions of the post; Fig. 2 is a view of the canopy showing a solid unit and a lamp unit, both of which can be fitted between a canopy hub and the slider of the parasol; Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the lamp unit and adjoining regions of the canopy and post showing how the unit fits into the post; Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the lamp unit; 8 Fig. 5 is a block diagram of the electrical power supply for the unit; Fig. 6 is a circuit diagram of an inverter which is fitted within the unit; Fig. 7 is a block diagram of an alternative electrical power supply for the unit; Fig. 8 is a block diagram showing how lamp units for several parasols can be supplied with electricity from a common mains supply; Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view of a fishing umbrella fitted with an alternative form of lamp unit; Figs 10 and I I are detailed views of the canopy region of the fishing umbrella with the canopy in upright and angled positions respectively; Fig 12 is a diagrammatic view of a further form of the parasol fitted into a table and with provision for supplying power to ancillary electrical equipment; and Fig 13 is a view of part of a parasol or umbrella post showing a clip-on lamp unit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In Figs. I and 3, there is shown a parasol 10 that is supported by a base unit 12 so that it can stand on a patio or other paved area. The unit 12 supports a hollow tubular metal post or pole for the parasol which is divided into a lower region 14 and an upper region 16 that are held together by a releasable clamp 18.

At the upper end of the post a fabric canopy 20 is supported by eight thin springy metal ribs 22 that are pivoted at pivots 24 to a common annular hub 26 which may 9 be a molding in a plastics material. The ribs 22 are controlled by respective struts or spreaders pivoted at their upper ends to the ribs at pivots 30 and at their lower ends at pivots 32 to a common annular slider 34. Vv%en the canopy has been expanded by movement of the slider 34 along the pole to its uppermost position, the ribs 22, which are initially straight, assume the curved shape shown. In this way, the canopy is tensioned and the development of wrinkles in the fabric is avoided, as is usual in parasol and umbrella manufacture. A lamp unit 36 fits coaxially with the post between the upper region 16 and the hub 26 above the slider 34 as shown. It acts both as a structural and load-bearing part of the pole and as a source of diffused light that illuminates the lower surface of the canopy 20. The light is visible from a distance through the canopy fabric and is reflected downwards towards people standing or sitting beneath the canopy. The unit may contain a single gas discharge tube or a plurality of gas discharge tubes. However, even where more than one tube is present, the lamp acts as a single light source whose illumination is symmetrical about the axis of the pole and canopy. There is no unevenness or shadow in the illumination produced, the source is high above the user's heads and relatively inaccessible to damage (including vandalism), and it is protected from body contact with those beneath the parasol. Use of a frosted lens may assist in producing even illumination where more than one tube is present.

The lamp unit comprises a cylindrical lens 38 that is advantageously a onepiece molding in a light-transmitting (transparent or frosted) thermoplastics material, for example polycarbonate. The use of thermoplastics materials in units that house lamps of high light output intended to operate for extended periods (e.g. several hours) is facilitated by the adoption of gas discharge tubes. Such tubes have become established in compact fluorescent lamps for mains domestic lighting use. When compared to incandescent lamps, they have the advantages of about 10 times the working life, about 4 times the light output for a given power consumption, generation of less heat in consequence of the lower power consumption, and emission of waste heat over an extended rather than a compact surface. The advantageous heat emission properties minimize deterioration of the lens material, especially at the localized hot spots that can be created when incandescent lamps are used. The lens 38 defines an internal space 40 that houses a generally U-shaped gas discharge tube 14 (Fig. 4) or tubes that are connected at one end to an assembly 43 that houses a ballast capacitor and inverter or step-up transformer. The internal space 40 and is closed by means of upper and lower end caps 42, 44 that may be mouldings in a rigid thermoplastics material. After the internal components have been inserted, the lens 318 and end caps 42,44 may be mechanically fastened together e.g. by screws. Preferably, however, they are fastened together by means of an adhesive or by ultrasonic welding to create a unit that is sealed for its lifetime and is tamper-proof Because of the size of available fluorescent lamps, the unit 36 will almost always be of larger diameter than the diameter of the adjoining post section 16. A lower intermediate member or adapter 46 is a push fit into the post upper portion 16 to which it is fastened by means of a pin 47 or other suitable means. A threaded stud 48 arises from the upper end of the adapter 46 and can be inserted into a threaded socket 50 of end cap 44. Similarly an upper intermediate member or adapter 52 has a depending threaded stud 54 that can be inserted into threaded socket 56 of the upper end cap 42. Above the end cap 42, the adapter 52 has the same external diameter as the post upper portion 16. It fits into a bush 58 fonning part of the hub 26, to which it is fastened by a pin 60 or other suitable means. The unit together with its adapters can be connected to form a mechanically strong unit which can act as a replacement for part of the parasol post, and hub units for existing parasols can be fitted onto the adapter 52 without change in dimension.

Tooling for a special hub unit, and changes to the ribs 22 and the fabric panels of the canopy 20 are not required, which increases the acceptability of the present parasol to existing manufacturers and decreases its manufacturing cost. The hub 26 is closed by means of a decorative cap 61 that may also be common to an equivalent non-illuminated parasol.

I I Modifications may be made to the arrangement of Fig. 3 without departing from the invention. For example, studs can be provided on the end caps 42, 44 and corresponding threaded sockets can be provided in the adapters 46, 52. Alternatively one of the adapters can be formed with a stud and the other can be formed with a recess. The provision of adapters and end caps as separate components is not essential, and they each may be molded as a single component. With that arrangement, the end cap would be dedicated to a particular size of upper post 16 and to a hub unit having a boss 58 of a particular internal diameter, which would reduce the range of products that a given lamp unit would fit. If desired the unit 36 may be replaced by a plain post section 70, so that the same components can be used for illuminated and non-illuminated versions of the parasol, differing only in the presence of the lamp unit and associated wiring.

As is apparent from Fig. 1, an electrical cable 72 runs from lower end cap 44 through passage 50a and stud 48 (which is tubular) down the upper post section 16 to a plug 73. A socket 74 in the lower portion 14 of the post receives that plug when the portions 14, 16 are fitted together, and a continuation 72a of the cable runs down the lower portion 14 to a plug 75 that establishes a removable connection to a secondary battery unit 76. A security lock holds the battery unit 76 in position on the base, and can be released to permit the battery to be removed and re-charged.

The power supply to the lamp unit does not have to be DC from a battery. For example, in Fig 5, a mains AC supply 80 is connected to a step-down transformer and rectifier 82 which supplies a low voltage DC current through cables 72, 72a to an inverter 81 located in the assembly 43 that provides a high voltage AC driving current to the discharge lamp 4 1.

An inverter circuit that can drive a lamp using a low voltage (12 or 24 V) DC or AC input source is shown in Fig 6. An AC or DC input is fed to diode bridge rectifier 90 whose DC output is supplied via optional capacitor C, and 12 biasing resistors R, and R2 to the bases of transistors TrI and Tr2,. These are the active components of a current-driven push-pull oscillator that converts the DC voltage to a sinusoidal AC. The circuit is self-oscillating and the transistors TrI and Tr2, conduct out of phase and switch each time that an inverter transformer 92 saturates. The operation is believed to be as follows. During a complete cycle, the magnetic flux density in the transfonner 92 changes between a saturation value in one direction and a saturation value in the opposite direction. While the flux density is changing one or the other of the transistors is ON. Switching of the transistors TrI and Tr2, happens when the magnetic flux density in the transformer 92 becomes saturated. The inductance of the transformer falls rapidly towards zero with the result that a pulse of current flows through transformer winding TI, of transistor Trj which is assumed to be ON. This pulse of current is picked up by winding TIc of the transformer 92, which is connected between the bases of transistors Tri and Tr2. The pulse of current is fed back into the base of TrI, which is turned OFF. The current through winding TIa abruptly drops, and the voltages in the transformer windings change polarity. The current in winding T 1 c now turns ON the previously OFF transistor Tr2. The above sequence of operations is repeated for Tr2, and the transistors alternately switch ON and OFF with a duty cycle of about 50%. Capacitor C2 causes the oscillation at the collectors of TrI and Tr2, which would otherwise be square-wave, to be sinusoidal.

Transistors TrI and Tr2 turn ON more rapidly than they turn OFF and at the moment of switching they can be simultaneously ON, createing a short circuit across windings Tia and Tib. However the common terminal of the windings TIa and TIb is connected to inductor L, which prevents the collector currents of transistors TrI and Tr2 from rising appreciably during any period where they are both conductive.

The output from transformer 92 is applied by winding TId across filament electrodes 94, 96 of the lamp via ballast capacitor 98. Auxiliary windings 100, 102 provide low voltage current to the electrodes 94, 96 for heating thereof. As 13 previously mentioned the output frequency of the inverter should be in the kHz range and preferably about 20-50 kHz.

An alternative arrangement is shown in Fig. 7, in which AC from mains supply I 10 is converted to a frequency in the kHz range by frequency converter 112 and converted by step-down transformer to high frequency low voltage AC which is transmitted through cable 72 to the lamp unit 36. The space 43 contains a step-up transformer 73 connected across heater electrodes 94, 96 which are connected together via ballast capacitor 98.

Fig 8 shows an arrangement in which lamp units for several illuminated parasols are powered from a common low voltage supply or bus bar. Mains supply 120 is converted to a frequency in the kHz range by frequency converter 122 and stepped down to a convenient low voltage AC (12 or 24 V) by means of step- down transformer 124. Output of transformer 124 is to high frequency AC bus bars 126. Each parasol has a lamp 141a, 141b, 141c and ballast capacitor (not shown) that are supplied with high voltage AC through lines 128a-128c and step up transformers 130a-130c. The bus-bars 126 may be incorporated into an overhead cable. In that case, the supply for each parasol may enter through the cap 61, and the attitude of the lamp unit 36 may be the opposite from that shown in Fig 4. The discharge tube 41 depends from the region 43 that houses the step-up transformer 13 Oa- 13 Oc and ballast capacitor.

Fig. 9 shows a fishing umbrella that is generally similar to but somewhat smaller than the parasol of the previous figures. It has a pole 200 that may be stood on or in the ground, and a ribbed canopy 202 controlled by pivoted struts 204 connected to a common annular slider 206. A lamp unit 208 contains a fluorescent lamp, ballast and inverter as aforesaid and is fed with power from a portable remote battery unit via power cable 212 and a plug 214 which is received in a socket opening to a side face of the unit 208. A pivot is built into the post 200 14 to permit the canopy to be adjusted from the upright position of Fig. 10 to the angled position of Fig 11.

Fig 12 shows a further arrangement in which a parasol generally indicated by the reference numeral 300 has a post 302 that passes through an aperture 304 of a table 306. Low voltage DC power from a low voltage source 308 passes via cable 310 up the post 302 to a lighting unit 312 as aforesaid. Power outlets 314 along the post 302 branch from the cable 310 and provide power to various ancillary devices. Representative devices include display apparatus 316, interactive communication apparatus 320, an audio system 322 and a bottle chiller unit 324. Several parasols may share a common DC supply from a supply unit on or in the ground e.g. by buried cables and local low voltage DC outlets.

Various modifications may be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the invention. For example, as shown in Fig 13, a lamp unit 400 containing a gas discharge tube, ballast, and inverter or step- up transformer is provided within a cylindrical lens 410 closed at either end by end caps 403, 405. The unit is releasably attached to a post 402 of an umbrella or parasol in closely spaced parallel relationship therewith by means of spring clips 404.

Claims (41)

1. An umbrella or parasol having a fluorescent lamp unit in or adjacent the post between the uppermost position of the parasol-controlling slider and the canopy.

2. The umbrella or parasol of claim 1, wherein the unit contains a lamp having at least one generally U-shaped gas discharge tube.

3. The umbrella or parasol of claim I or 2, wherein the gas discharge tube is provided with heated filament electrodes.

4. The umbrella or parasol of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the fluorescent lamp is of 5-15 W power.

5. The umbrella or parasol of any preceding claim, wherein the lamp unit further comprises an input for a low voltage current and means for stepping up the current to a lamp-driving voltage.

6. The umbrella or parasol of claim 5, wherein said low voltage current is an AC current and said voltage step-up means is a transformer.

7. The umbrella or parasol of claim 6, wherein said current has a frequency of about 20-50 kHz.

8. The umbrella or parasol of claim 5, wherein said low voltage current is a DC current and said voltage step-up means is an inverter.

9. The umbrella or parasol of claim 8, wherein the inverter has an output frequency of about 20-50 kHz.

16

10. The umbrella or parasol of claim 8 or 9, wherein the output transformer of the inverter has at least one coil for supplying current to filaments of the gas discharge tube.

11. The umbrella or parasol of any of claims 5-10, wherein said voltage step-up means is located at an end of the lamp unit coaxial with the gas discharge tube or tubes.

12. The umbrella or parasol of any preceding claim, wherein the lamp unit is a load-bearing component of the post.

13. The umbrella or parasol of claim 12, wherein the lamp unit comprises a tubular lens, end caps for upper and lower ends of the lens, means on the upper end cap for attachment of a hub that pivotally supports the arms of the canopy and means on the lower end cap for attachment to an adjacent part of the post.

14. The umbrella or parasol of claim 13, wherein the lens is of a plastics material.

15. The umbrella or parasol of claim 13 or 14, wherein the lens is of polycarbonate.

16. The umbrella or parasol of claim 13, 14 or 15, wherein means is provided for screw attaching the hub to the upper end cap.

17. The umbrella or parasol of any of claimsl3-16 wherein means is provided for screw attaching the adjacent part of the post to the lower end cap.

18. The umbrella or parasol of any of claim 13-17, wherein a power supply enters the unit through the upper end cap.

17

19. The umbrella or parasol of any of claims 13-17, wherein a power supply runs through the post and enters the unit through the lower end cap.

20. The umbrella or parasol of any of claims 13-17, wherein a power supply enters the unit through a radially or obliquely directed power inlet.

21. The umbrella or parasol of any of claims 13-20, wherein the lamp unit is of larger diameter than lower parts of the post, and the hub is attached to the end cap by a coupling member which for at least a part of its length is of the same diameter as said lower parts.

22. A parasol according to any preceding claim, wherein a lower end of the post is supported in a base unit.

23. A parasol according to claim 22, wherein the base unit is provided with a battery for providing power to the lamp.

24. The parasol of claim 22 or 23, wherein the post is formed in upper and lower regions that fit together via a connector.

25. The parasol of claim 24, wherein the power supply for the unit runs through the post and through a plug and socket provided at the connector.

26. The parasol or umbrella of any preceding claim, wherein the canopy has ribs of springy material.

27. A lamp unit for a parasol, umbrella, illuminated post or other item of outdoor furniture, comprising a tubular lens, first and second end caps for opposite ends of the lens, a gas discharge tube supported in the interior space of the lens, a voltage step-up device, and an inlet for a low voltage power supply.

18

28. The unit of claim 27, having at least one generally U-shaped gas discharge tube.

29. The unit of claim 27 or 28, wherein the gas discharge tube is provided with heated filament electrodes.

30. The unit of claim 27, 28 or 29, wherein the fluorescent lamp is of power in the range 5-15 W.

31. The unit of any of claims 27-30, wherein said inlet is for a low voltage AC supply and said voltage step-up means is a transformer.

32. The unit of any of claims 27-30, wherein said inlet is for a low voltage DC supply and said voltage step-up means is an inverter.

33. The unit of claim 32, wherein the inverter has an output frequency of about 24-50 kHz.

34. The unit of any of claims 27-33, comprising a tubular lens, end caps for upper and lower ends of the lens, means on the upper end cap for attachment of a hub that pivotally supports the arms of the canopy and means on the lower end cap for attachment to an adjacent part of the post.

35. The unit of claim 34, wherein the lens is of a plastics material.

36. The unit of claim 34, wherein the lens is of polycarbonate.

37. The unit of claim 34, 35 or 36, wherein means is provided for screw attaching the hub to the upper end cap.

19

38. The unit of any of claims 34-37 wherein means is provided for screw attaching the adjacent part of the post to the lower end cap.

39. The unit of any of claims 34-38, ftirther comprising an intermediate member having a lower end having a first coupling region for fitting to the upper end cap and an upper end having a second coupling region for attachment of the hub.

40. An illuminable umbrella or parasol substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

41. A lamp unit for an umbrella, parasol, post or other item of outdoor furniture, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.