GB2383750A

GB2383750A - Umbrella with lamps

Info

Publication number: GB2383750A
Application number: GB0200089A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Chorng-Cheng Lee
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-11-22
Filing date: 2002-01-04
Publication date: 2003-07-09
Anticipated expiration: 2022-01-04
Also published as: CA2363674A1; GB0200089D0; DE20200957U1; GB2383750B

Abstract

The ribs and stretchers 2 of an umbrella have channels 4 which support a set of lamps 5 inserted into the channels. The wires 51 pass along the channels and into the umbrella cap via optional holes 14 and thence into a chamber 11 of the shaft. Alternatively (Fig 10) the wires may sit on top of the ribs/stretchers and each lamp, with its associated wire, is passed into the channel via a communicating hole (21). A further embodiment (Fig 13) has both the channels and wires on top of the ribs/stretchers and the lamps hang below from wires passed through holes (21). When the wire is on top, the ribs/stretchers may have a gap (22) at their end for receiving the wire of the terminal bulb.

Description

SUNSHADE WITH LAMPS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a sunshade with lamps, and more particularly, to one, of which the lamps take various forms and can be secured in proper position without possibility of falling off or badly affecting the appearance of the sunshade.

Sunshades are widely used not only on the beach to provide shade from the direct light of the sun but also on other outdoor recreational places, such as the areas for the spectators of a sport and outdoor coffee shops, such that people sitting under them can be protected from the sun and rain.

Sunshades usually include a shank, several ribs radially spread out from the upper end of the shank, spreaders, which are pivoted to the middle portions of the ribs at the outer ends and pivoted to a slidable ring at the inner ends, and a canopy secured to the ribs.

Such sunshades are not needed, and usually folded when there is no enough light or illumination lest the places under the canopy become too dark. However it needs much additional labor to fold these sunshades on an outdoor coffee shop where usually many such sunshades are used.

And, the dust on the canopies is likely to fall down to dirt the tables placed under the sunshades when the sunshades are folded. To avoid

the above mentioned trouble, the sunshades are not folded, but additional lamps are placed besides, or hung on, the sunshades for the customers to see clearly with sufficient light ; this approach also needs additional labor and therefore isn't ideal, and the lamps hung on the sunshades would badly affect the look of the sunshades because the conventional sunshades are not provided with lamps properly designed to match them. In addition, because some sunshades used on an outdoor coffee shop are fixed, and can't be moved away the sunshades would affect the look of the places for the worse when they are in the folded position.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, it is a main object of the present invention to provide a sunshade with lamps, of which the lamps can be hidden in trenches formed on the ribs and the spreaders so as not to fall off or badly affect the appearance of the sunshade.

The sunshade of the present invention includes ribs, spreaders, and several lamp sets. The ribs and the spreaders each has a receiving trench lengthwise formed on a lower side thereof, and several through holes spaced out thereon; the receiving trenches each has an opening being narrower than other parts thereof. Each set of the lamps are electrically connected to exposed parts of an upper portion of a

respective wire. The upper portions of the wires are supported on a respective one of the ribs and the spreaders with the exposed parts of the wires connected to the lamps being passed through the through holes; and with the lamps being fitted onto the trenches.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the sunshade of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the sunshade of Fig. 1, with the top element being provided with additional through holes.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of the sunshade of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the rib of the sunshade of Fig.

1.

Fig. 5 is a front view of the sunshade of Fig. 1 in the stretched position.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the shank of the sunshade according to the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of another shank according to the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a front view of the sunshade of Fig. 1 in the folded position.

Fig. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the sunshade according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of the sunshade of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the rib according to the second embodiment.

Fig. 12 is another cross-sectional view of the rib joined to the lamps according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of the sunshade according to the third embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the rib joined to the lamps according to the third embodiments, Fig. 15 is a front view of a sunshade according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 16 is a front view of another sunshade according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to Fig. 1, a sunshade of the present invention includes a shank 1, several ribs 2 and spreaders 2, and sets of lamps 5 of small size

that can scintillate. The shank 1 takes the form of a tube, and has a central receiving room 11 and an upper through hole 111. A top element (not numbered) is connected to the upper end of the shank 1.

A slidable element is slidably passed around the middle portion of the shank 1. A switch 13 is fitted on the shank 1; the switch 13 is arranged in such a position as to not interfere with the folding of the sunshade, as shown in Fig. 8.

The ribs 2 are pivoted to the top element, while the spreaders 2 are pivoted to the ribs 2 and the slidable element from two ends thereof. A canopy 3 (Fig. 5) is connected to the ribs 2. The ribs and the spreaders 2 each has a receiving trench 4 lengthwise formed on the lower side thereof ; the receiving trenches 4 each has a C-shaped cross-section, in other words, the lower opening is narrower than the other part thereof.

Conductive wires 51 are connected to the lamp 5 from the upper portions, and passed through the upper through hole 111 into the central receiving room 11 of the shank 1. A main wire 121 (Fig. 5) is connected to the power supply 12, the switch 13, and the wires 51 such that the switch 13 can be used to stop and start the flow of electricity to the lamps 5.

The wires 51 and the lamps 5 connected thereto are fitted into the trenches 4 of the ribs and spreaders 2 as shown in Fig. 3; the front narrow end portions of the lamps 5 should point to the shank 1 such that the lamps 5 can't interfere with the folding of the sunshade, a shown in

Fig. 4.

Referring to Fig. 2, the top element can be provided with through holes 14 communicating with the trenches 4 as well as the central receiving room 11 of the shank 1 such that the wires 51 can be passed therethrough into the central receiving room 11.

In addition, referring to Figs. 6 and 7, the shank 1 can be provided

with an eccentric receiving room instead of the central receiving room 11.

Referring to Figs. 9, and 10, according to a second embodiment of the present invention, the ribs and the spreaders 2 are formed with several through holes 21 on the upper sides to communicate with the receiving trench 4. The lamps 5 are passed through a respective one of the through holes 21, and fitted into the receiving trenches 4 with the wires 51 being placed along the upper sides of the ribs and the spreaders 2, as shown in Figs. 11, and 12. In addition, the ribs 2 are each formed with a gap 22 at the outer end; the gaps 22 each also communicate with the corresponding one of the trenches 4 such that the outer end portions of the wires 51 on the ribs 2 can be closely passed into the gaps 22.

Because most of the weight of the lamps 5 is supported by the wires 51 held on the ribs and the spreaders 2, and only little part of the weight is held by the receiving trenches, the lamps 5 in the second embodiment are still more securely held in position without possibility of falling out of the trenches 4.

Referring to Figs. 13 and 14, according to a third embodiment of the present invention, the sunshade are provided with ribs and spreaders 2, which each has a receiving trench 4 along the upper side, several through holes 21 communicating with the trenches 4, and a gap 22 at the outer end. Wires 51 are received in the receiving trenches 4 with the exposed parts thereof to be connected to lamps being passed through the through holes 21, and with the outer end portions thereof being secured in the gaps 22; large lamps 52 are connected to the exposed parts of the wires 51, and hung under the ribs and the spreaders 2, as shown in Fig.

14. Thus, the wires 51 are substantially hidden in the trenches 4 in order not to badly affect the appearance of the sunshade as shown in Fig.

16.

From the above description it can be easily seen that the sunshade of the present invention has the following advantages: 1. The receiving trenches and the through holes of the ribs and the spreaders can help the wires and the lamps secured in position, thus preventing the same from falling off. And, the small lamp can scintillate to make the sunshade look still more attractive.

2. The through holes formed on the ribs and the spreaders help the lamps to be spaced out in a desirable manner.

3. When large lamps are used instead of the small ones, they can be hung on the ribs and the spreaders with the wires, which

are received in the upper trenches of the ribs and the spreaders with the exposed parts thereof being passed through the holes and connected to the lamps.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A sunshade with lamps, comprising a shank, said shank having a receiving room therein; a top element being connected to an upper end of said shank ; a slidable element slidably passed around said shank, a plurality of ribs pivoted to said top element from inner ends; a plurality of spreaders pivoted to said ribs and said slidable element from both ends; a plurality of lamp sets; each set of said lamps being connected to an upper portion of a respective wire ; said wires being each connected to a respective one of said ribs and said spreaders from said upper portion, and passed into said receiving room of said shank via said top element ; and, characterized by receiving trenches formed along each of said ribs and said spreaders; said trenches each having an opening being narrower than other parts thereof ; said lamps being received in said receiving trenches, and detained from falling out by parts of said ribs and said spreaders adjacent to said openings of said trenches.
2. The sunshade with lamps as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said receiving trenches are formed on lower sides of said ribs and said spreaders.
3. The sunshade with lamps as claimed in Claim 2, wherein said ribs

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and said spreaders each has a plurality of through holes communicating with a respective one of said trenches; said wires being supported on said ribs and said spreaders, and passed through said through holes to be connected to said lamps received in said trenches.
4. The sunshade with lamps as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said top element has a plurality of through holes each communicating with said receiving hole of said shank and a respective one of said receiving trenches for allowing said wires to be passed into said receiving room through said top element.
5. The sunshade with lamps as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said shank has a switch fitted thereto; said switch being connected to a main wire connected to a power supply as well as said wire sets for allowing a user to control flow of electricity with.
6. A sunshade with lamps, comprising a shank, said shank having a receiving room therein; a top element being connected to an upper end of said shank; a slidable element slidably passed around said shank ; a plurality of ribs pivoted to said top element from inner ends ; a plurality of spreaders pivoted to said ribs and said slidable element from two ends; a plurality of lamp sets; and characterized by receiving trenches formed along an upper side of each of said ribs

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and said spreaders; through holes formed on each of said ribs and said spreaders; said through holes communicating with said receiving trenches; each set of said lamps being hanged on one of said ribs and said spreaders by an upper portion of a respective one of said wires with said wires being received in a respective one of said trenches and passed through said through holes communicating with said trenches ; said wires being passed into said receiving room via said top element at lower portions thereof
7. The sunshade with lamps as claimed in Claim 1 or 6, wherein said ribs and said spreaders each has a gap at an outer end thereof ; said gaps communicating with a corresponding one of said trenches for allowing an outer end of a respective one of said wires to be passed into.