IE60361B1 - Fully automatic single push button type umbrella - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a single-pushbutton-controlled automatic umbrella and, more . v t particularly, to an automatic umbrella, the opening and closing of which is controllable by a push button device being improved to the operation merely of a single push button in unidirection.

In the past, several types of automatic umbrella have been .disclosed, to cite for example,O.S. Pat- No. 3,856,030 to Sato· In the prior art, the umbrella employs two push button means for operation of opening and closing respectively- Such an umbrella is not only complicated in construction but is also difficult and •troublesome in assembling, and -hence of high cost. To obviate these shortcomings of the conventional automatic ' umbrella, the present inventor discloses in O.S. Pat.

Kos. 4,534,374 and 4,548,222 and £,?-i‘,-0‘i55 045 a different and improved type of fully automatic umbrella. In operation, the umbrella may be opened by depressing the single push button in'the first stage. When the umbrella which has been opened is next to be closed,'the push button now in its second stage is first slid downwardly and then depressed. Although the single push button opening and closing mechanism thus constructed simplifies the ·«*. £ operation and construction, in an umbrella, nevertheless, it is still a way from .perfection in view of its requirement that ia operation the user’s thumb has to perform two different actions. In addition, it may vet be a cause to .blame that a larger area of space- has to be provided in the grip for pulling up and down of the push button, and also in the spring pawl formed ( integrally with the locking head, when used for some time the resiliency may be effected as a result of restriction by its shape and material.

The present invention overcomes the problems 10 associated with the conventional automatic umbrella by providing a single push button type automatic umbrella having push button system being more simplified, precise and most easy to operate with.

An object of the invention is to provide a single** 15 push-button controllable,--automatic-umbrella in which the single push button iscapable of'controlling the •opening -and closing-of the. · umbrella· ·άη= sequence in a -. two-stage manner in a unidirection by directly pressing against a locking member in a similar press operation20 - Another object of the -invention· is to provide a single-push-button controllable, automatic umbrella wherein push button means is mounted directly above the locking member thereby simplifying the construction and reducing the cost of production, and being itself occupying relatively less space in the grip and thus adding tidiness to the external shape of the grip.

A further object of the invention is to provide a . ainglerpush-button controllable, automatic -umbrella, whose- locking member is mounted in the shaft by a shaft pin and a spring means for simplifying the construction I thereof and for securement in position,and through the spring means of this single member to ensure delivery of an effective energy of recovery resiliency to the locking member.

Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from fhe following description of the preferred embodiment, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: FIG., 1 illustrates an umbrella of fhe present invention in partly sectional elevation in the closed and folded state, PIG. 2 shows the umbrella of PIG. 1 in partly sectional elevation in the fully extended position? PIG. 3 depicts the umbrella is partly sectional elevation in a closing state from the position as shown in PIG. 2? PIG. 4(A) is a sectional view of the portion of the umbrella taken along the line A-A in PIG. 3? PIG. 4(3) is a longitudinal sectional view of ♦ portion ©f the members shown in PIG- 4(A)? PIG. S illustrates a portion of the lower inner shaft wherein axial slot and openings are shown? FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of a detail of operation of the push button mechanism shown in FIG.l; FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view showing the operating condition in the push button mechanism? and FIG. 8 is an illustration depicting the operating condition in the push button mechanism taken along the line 3-B of FIG. 7.

The automatic umbrella according to the present invention comprises, as shown in FIG·. 1, an outer tubular shaft 1 having a lower ring 11 fixed to the upper portion thereof, an intermediate tubular shaft 2 having the outer tubular shaft 1 slidably housed Itherein and an intermediate ring 21 fixed to the upper portion thereof, a lower inner shaft 3 slidably inserted in the lower end portion of intermediate tubular shaft 2 and a grip 31 mounted to the lower end thereof, an upper inner shaft 4 slidably ' inserted in the upper end·portion of intermediate tubular shaft 2 and. provided. . with an upper ring 41 fixed at th© middle portion thereof, a rib assembly 5 having ends of the ribs pivotably connected to respective ones of the rings 11, 21 and 41, an operating push button mounted between the upper portion of the grip 31 and the lower inner shaft 3, 'a first spring means 7 for closing the umbrella and provided on the upper end portion of intermediate tubular shaft 2 and between the intermediate and the lower rings 21 and. 11, and a second spring means 8 adapted for opening the umbrella being provided in the intermediate tubular shaft 2.and between the .upper, and. the lower inner shafts? 4 and 3.

While on the upper end of the abovementioned outer 5 tubular shaft 1 there is formed a side wall of lower ring 11, on one side wall of the lower end thereof is defined a rectangular locking opening 12 to allow th© engagement therein of a locking head to.be described hereinafter» The intermediate tubular shaft 2 which is slidably inserted in the outer tubular shaft -1 is longer in length than the latter and is provided at the upper end thereof with an intermediate ring 21 fixed thereto» The inner sides of the upper and the lower end portions of the shaft 2 are further formed with at least one? preferably two, according to the present embodiment? symmetrically and inwardly guide convex portions 22, 22 as shown in FIGS. 4 (A) and 4(B). In operation?'said two convex·· 'portions 22? 22' prevent the upper and the lower inner shafts 3 ? 4 from rotating inside the intermediate shaft 2 and also act as guideprojection when th® two inner shafts 3? 4· are sliding up and down therein. Furthermore?’ an opening 23 is provided in one side wall of the’intermediate shaft 2 at the lower end thereof and located between the two convex portions 22? 22 to allow the enlarged head 92 of the locking pawl 9? which will be described hereinafter? to be engaged therein» Both the lo>wer and the I upper inner shafts, 3, and 4, are provided with at least oner but preferably, two symmetrically arranged guidegrooves 32, 42 as illustrated in FIGS. 4(A) and 4(3).

The upper portion of the lower inner shaft 3 is slidably inserted in the lower portion of intermediate shaft 2 and prevents the intermediate shaft 2 from escaping out upwardly from the lower inner shaft 3. This guidegroove 32 of lower inner shaft 3 is formed at the upper end with a check shoulder 321 (that is, a guide-groove 32 is not defined therein). The lower end of upper inner shaft 4 is slidably inserted in the upper end portion of intermediate tubular shaft 2, while the convex portions 22, 22 formed respectively at the upper -and the lower end portions of intermediate shaft .15 . .2'..are .engaged respectively, in .the .guide-grooves 42, 32 . of the upper and the lower inner shafts 4, 3 in order to prevent .rotation inside the intermediate shaft _ .2 .by. .. the two.inner shafts 4, 3. The grip 31 is fixedly mounted to the lower end portion of lower inner shaft ' 3 by a fixed pin 33 provided therewith, and on the upper end of said grip 31 is formed a sleeve member 35 having an oblong opening 34 being provided in one .side face thereof. This opening 34 of the sleeve member ’ receives therein an operating push button 6 having its upper end protruding out of the opening. The push button € is resiliently and slidably retained in the opening 34 by a return spring 64 .mounted in the bottom thereof and having the top portion abutting against the- inner-'wall of -sleeve member 35 and by a bottom — flange 65, and at the lower edge of the bottom face 66 of which is further provided a bevel face 67 for use in release.

A locking pawl 9 is pivotably mounted in the inside of lower inner shaft 3 by a shaft pin S3- Th® enlarged head 92 formed at the upper end of said locking pawl projects out from the front end outer portion of an elongated slot 38 being formed on the inner shaft 3 and on one side of said upper end is disposed a return .spring 97 engaging the inner circumference of inner shaft 3in order to enable the locking pawl 9 to be returned and sprung out of th© slot 38 and openings 23 and 12. At the upper end of lower inner shaft 3 there is provided a small spring pawl 95, the locking head 96 of which projects out from an opening 30 being provided .in said inner shaft 3 and is capable of moving into the openings 23 and 12 in the inner shaft 2 and outer tubular shaft 1'and being engaged therein as shown in PIG. 3. In addition, an upper ring 41 is mounted -in slightly-the middle portion of the upper inner shaft 4, the upper end of which is screwed with a cap 43.

As illustrated in FIGS. 6 through 8, inside the oblong opening 34 of grip 31, the bottom face 66 of . push button 6 is located just above the·locking head , · .92 and between the upper and lower edges of the two openings, 12 and 23. During operation of the push button -in opening «f-the umbrella, -when the locking '· head 92 has been pressed down by the push button 6, the bottom face of said push button 6, which just li^s across the edge tops 121 at the two sides of the opening 12, will upon reaching the outer circumference of intermediate shaft 2 press against th© locking head 92 and force the latter to be disengaged from the opening 12, and can not be depressed any more. Again, in operation of the push button for closing th© umbrella,when the locking head 92 is being pressed down by the push button 6, this push button 6, being located now at th© place of the opening 23 in the intermediate shaft, will upon reaching the. outer circumference of inner shaft 3 by its bottom face 66 force the looking head 92 to be completely disengaged frosa the opening 23.

The- rib assembly 5 includes usually 3 to 10 dome ribs 51, a same number of stretcher ribs 52 and a same answer of supporting ribs 53. One end of each dome rib SI is pivotably mounted to the upper ring 41 while /the other end thereof remains free and the· middle portion thereof is, on the other hand, provided with a pivot member 54 adapted to connect pivotably with one end of the stretcher rib 52, the other end of which is again pivotably mounted to the intermediate ring 21. The middle portion of the stretcher rib 52 is 0 likewise provided with a pivot member 55 adapted to Connect -pivotably-with one end of the -supporting rib 53while the other end thereof being pivotably mounted to the'lower ring 11» When the umbrella is in a,closed position, the coil spring 7 disposed between the intermediate ring 21 and th© lower ring 11 is in its freely extended condition as shown in PIG- 1. Under the same condition when the umbrella is in the closed position, the coil spring 8 disposed, in the intermediate shaft 2 between the upper and the lower inner shafts 4, is, on the other hand, in its compressed condition and tends to urge the upper and the lower inner shafts 4, 3 upward and downward respectively. However, ©inc© the intermediate shaft 2 and outer shaft 1 are all locked by the enlarged head 92 of locking pawl 9 at this time, the coil springs 7, 8 are thus unable to pull apart the intermediate shaft 2 and the outer shaft 1, and the upper inner shaft 4 and lower inner shaft 3..

In operation, when the automatic umbrella of the .invention is in the fully closed position as shown in FIG. 1, -the -rib assembly .5 is ·completely collapsed, the coil spring 7 is ia the released and fully extended condition and the coil spring 8 is being compressed thereby accumulating elastic energy- In this -position, both the immediate and the outer shafts 2, 1 and the lower inner - shaft 3 -are locked in engagement by the. 1 enlarged head 92 thereby maintaining the umbrella in ..- ' the closed condition. Again, the push button δ is located above the opening 34 in a position as depicted z in FIG. 6, whereas the bottom face 55 of which is 5 placed slightly above the enlarged head 92. In the process of opening the umbrella, from its presently closed position, the push button 6 is first depressed whereby said push button 5 in against the resilient force of the springs, 64 and 97, will Immediately press . upon the enlarged head 92 such that the latter will come down. In this way, the enlarged head 92 is released from the opening 12 of outer shaft 1 and falls into the opening 23 of intermediate shaft 2 thereby releasing the outer shaft 1 and by which thus permits said outer shaft 1 to be slid out. Thereafter, vtsen push button 6 Is released, said push button will immediately return to its original position by the return sprang 64 and also by the bevel faced portion 67 at the bottom' thereof, being slid out of the edges of opening 12 and urged towards the above.

In the meantime, because the push button 6 has been arranged in such a way that when It reaches the outer circumference of intermediate shaft 2, the botton will be blocked instantly by the edge tips at the two sides of the opening 23 of intermediate shaft 2 and thus can not be pressed downward any further, that Is, the enlarged head 92 will still be engaging in the opening 23 of intermediate shaft 2, thereby forming a two-stage control means and maintaining the intermediate shaft 2 ' -and- the lower inner shaft 3 in the original engaging · position. Owing to fhe upward extension force of thecoil spring 8,. the outer shaft 1 being released from the engaging position now will force the upper inner shaft 4 to move upward with respect to the intermediate shaft 2 and consequently, the upper ring 41 will also he moving upward along with the upper inner shaft 4. Although the dome ribs 51 which are pivotably mounted at one end to the ring 41 will now tend to move upward along with fhe latter, however because of the mid portions of ribs 51 being pivotably connected to the stretcher ribs 52 having one ends thereof pivotably mounted to the intennediate ring 21 and said intermediate ring 21 being, in turn, held immovably in position in . the intermediate shaft 2 * consequently these dome, ribs will spread out gradually through th© ascending of 'the upper ring 41 and the upward movement of the·· stretcher ribs 52 with the pivot joint of the inter20 mediate ring 21 as the center. Simultaneously, following the upward movement of the stretcher ribs 52 by the supporting ribs 53 pivotably connected thereto and through the Intermediary of lower ring 11, these stretcher ribs-52 in against the spring force of eoil spring 7 pull the outer shaft I upward with respect to the Intermediate shaft 2. Following fhe ascending of this outer shaft 1, the coil spring 7 disposed 3 between the intermediate and the lower rings 21? 11 is also compressed thereby accumulating elastic energy · for use next in the closing of the umbrella. The coil spring 7 is now fully compressed and again the inter5 mediate ring 21 remains stationary? thereby permitting the ribs? 52 and 53, respectively of the intermediate and the lower rings 21? 11 to form into a. rigid body? which even if the ribs 51 are under the upward pulling force of the upper ring 41, is unable to move upwardly. The coil spring 8 is, however, in a partially extended position now when there is still maintained some extension forces and therefore prevent the upper ring 41 from moving downwardly, while the same strength thus keeps th® ribs 51, 52 and 53 to be a; rigid ' framework and which can hardly be downwardly pivotable. In this way, the umbrella is now opened completely in a fully extended state as shown 'in FIG. 2 to be ready for useWhen the umbrella which has been opened is next to be closed,'all that is required to do is to depress the push button, as illustrated in FIG. 6, in against the -spring force of the springs 64, 97, which in turn presses upon the enlarged head 92, and said enlarged head 92'is Immediately disengaged from the opening 23 of intermediate shaft 2. Although the coil spring 8 still has a tendency of urging the lower Inner shaft 3 to move dcwrxHaxdly, that is, to -push said lower inner 4 shaft outwardly, nevertheless, since the grip 31 is firmly held in the user's hand, this lower inner shaft 3 will not move. Th© extension force of the coil spring 8 acts instead on the upper inner shaft 4 $ which is made to slide upwardly in relation to the intermediate shaft 2 and tends to bring the ribs 51 to be closed thereby- Meanwhile, as the intermediate shaft 2 is now in a freely slidable state, the coil spring 7 by its extension force and through the inter10 mediary of the intermediate 'ring 21 urges the intermediate shaft 2 to move upwardly and the outer shaft 1 downwardly- When the intermediate shaft 2 is ascending the outer shaft 1 moves downwardly relative to said intermediate shaft 2 fill the projection of intermediate shaft 2 has been engaged in the, guide-channel check ’ shoulder 321- Now, since both the outer and the intermdiate shafts 1, 2 have the openings 12, 23 thereof engaged by the'locking head 96 ’and'are thus' not upwardly movable,, the movement of these shafts 2, 1 causes the rib assembly 5 to bs turned down to the ‘closed position. As a result, the dome rib® 51 are collapsed and folded together through the linked movement of the stretcher and the supporting ribs 52, and the respective rings 11, 21 and 41 and, until both eoil springs, 7 and 8, are in their fully extended . and substantially unstressed condition and the rife assembly S is coaplefcly folded to the condition as shorn s in FIG. 3. As a next and final step of thQ series of operations, the shaft is contracted by holding the umbrella down against th® ground or any hard surfaces and applying compression force at the opposite end of 5 the shaft, i.e., at the upper inner shaft 4 and the t grip 31, in opposing the extension fore® of the coil spring 8. As the compression force is being applied, the lower inner shaft 3 will be inserted deeply into the Intermediate shaft and the coil spring 8 will also be compressed causing now the outer and the intermediate shaft 1» 2 to be engaged therein by the locking head 96 of spring pawl 95 when, both the shafts 2, 1 will be held'together with the lower inner shaft 3 as a single body. By now, the compression force of the first coil IS spring 7 has weakened and is in a free and released state whereas the second -coil spring 8 is in a compressed position, whereby energy to be consumed for automatically closing umbrella after it has been Opened is accumulated.

As described above, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided an umbrella the operation of opening and closing of which can be controlled in · sequence merely toy a single push button in a unidirectional manner. Again, owing to th© two-stage type actuating construction in the umbrella, such conventional drawbacks, as pressing of a wrong push button, can be avoided since a user will not in any way perform an actuating action for closing theBumbrella before it has been opened. Furthermore, because of the simple actuating control in a unidirectional fashion, the umbrella of the invention can be used with greater convenience and since construction of the single push button control according to the present invention is even simpler than those of the conventional ones and the type previously disclosed by the present inventor and also the push button control -occupies less space on the umbrella grip, this will not only render the manufacture and assembly work easier and reduce the cost of production, but can also make possible a neat and esthetic design of the grip.

The foregoing is a description of the preferred IS embodiment of the invention and it should be understood that changes and variations may be made thereto without -departing -from-the . scope -of the invention as · · •defined in the appended claims.

Claims (4)

1. I Claim:

1. A fully automatic single push button type umbrella comprising: an outer tubular shaft provided with a lower ring fixed to the upper portion thereof; t an intermediate tubular shaft having said outer tubular shaft slidably housed therein and an intermediate ring fixed to the upper portion thereof; a lower inner shaft slidably inserted in the lower end portion of said intermediate tubular shaft and having a grip mounted to the lower end thereof; .an upper inner shaft slidably Inserted in the upper end portion of said intermediate tubular shaft and having an upper ring fixed at the upper portion thereof? s plurality of ribs including dome ribs, stretcher ribs and supporting ribs pivotably interconnected to respective ones of said rings to form an umbrella frame; a first spring means for closing'the umbrella and provided on the upper end portion of said intermediate tubular shaft and between said intermediate and said lower -rings? a second -spring means adapted for opening the umbrella and „ provided- in said intermediate tubular shaft and between said upper and said lower inner shafts; said lower·? inner shaft being providsd with a spring pawl neans for locking said intermediate tubular shaft and Jl 8 said outer tubular shaft; & push button control means mounted on said grip for erecting and collapsing the umbrella; said grip being provided on the upper portion thereof with a sleeve member; and wherein the said push button control means includes; a push button opening provided in the wall of said sleeve member, a push button member, having a flange at the bottom face thereof and the upper end thereof protruding from said push button opening, slidably mounted in said push button opening and resiliently biased by a first return spring element, an axially elongated slot formed in the wall of said lower inner shaft and fracing the bottom face 'of-said push button member, a locking pawl means resiliently and pivotably mounted on the inside..of. said lower inner shaft by a shaft pin and by a second return spring element . and having on one end thereof formed an enlarged locking head constantly projecting from said elongated slot and a pair of engaging openings formed respectively in the lower end walls of said outer tubular shaft and said intermediate tubular shaft, whereby the umbrella can be opened and closed S 9 automatically in sequence by way of said single push button member in a unidirectional operation.

2. A fully automatic single push button type umbrella according to claim 1, wherein th© bottom face of said push button member ie located between the upper and the lower edges of said, pair of engaging openings in the outer and the intermediate tubular shafts, and on th© lower end edge of said bottom face is further formed a bevel faced portion.

3. A fully automatic single push button type umbrella according to claim 1, wherein the width of th© engaging opening in said outer tubular shaft corresponds to the width formed by the top portion of the opening edges at the two sides thereof on the outer circumference of said intermediate tubular shaft and locaced exactly therebeneath, whereas the width of the engaging opening in •said -intermediate tubular shaft corresponds to the width foamed by the the top portion of the opening edges at the two sides thereof on the outer circumference. of said lower inner shaft and located exactly fherebeneath.

4. -. A fully automatic single push button' type umbrella as claimed in any preceding claim substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated .in the accompanyingdrawings.