US20090266391A1

US20090266391A1 - Safety umbrella with water collecting and drainage mechanism

Info

Publication number: US20090266391A1
Application number: US12/374,340
Authority: US
Inventors: Martin Bloom; Cynthia Bloom
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-07-17
Filing date: 2006-07-17
Publication date: 2009-10-29
Also published as: WO2008010791A1

Abstract

A safety umbrella comprising fluorescent fabric panels, of which, at least one panel is transparent, a skeleton, a shaft assembly, and a cover assembly. Interconnecting the skeleton to the shaft assembly is a runner, which allows a user to open and close the umbrella and elongated sleeves upon stretchers to prevent pinching or trapping the fingers of the users thereof. A telescopic cover assembly collects water when the umbrella is closed, and the telescopic cylindrical are in the extended position engaged contiguously to each other's cooperating upper and lower flanges resulting in a substantially water-tight disposition. A removable cap mounted to a sleeve member that includes a thorough passage allows for the ready drainage of the water collected by the canopy, reducing the probability of water damage or accidents to the user or others, resulting from slippage upon water.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an umbrella, and more particularly, to a safety umbrella with a water collecting and drainage mechanism.
2. Description of the Related Art
Several designs for umbrellas have been designed in the past. None of them, however, include water collecting and drainage features that are simple and easy to operate.
There are no umbrellas, to the best of applicant's knowledge, that include a drainage mechanism that permit a user to selectively discharge the water collected from a wet canopy with a simple mechanism.
One related reference corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,388 issued to Chen wherein a complicated valve mechanism is used. The present invention, on the other hand, provides a simple water collecting and drainage mechanism that can be readily implemented with a minimum number of components and cost.
Other patents describing the closest subject matter provide for a number of more or less complicated features that fail to solve the problem in an efficient and economical way. None of these patents suggest the novel features of the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore one of the main objects of the present invention to provide an umbrella that includes a simple water collecting and drainage mechanism.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an umbrella that includes such a mechanism that can be readily actuated on the distal end of an umbrella shaft.
It is another object of this invention to provide an umbrella that may contain water from its canopy after becoming wet and while in the closed position.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide such an umbrella that is inexpensive to manufacture and maintain while retaining its effectiveness.
Further objects of the invention will be brought out in the following part of the specification, wherein detailed description is for the purpose of fully disclosing the invention without placing limitations thereon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

With the above and other related objects in view, the invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 represents an elevation view of the instant invention with the cover assembly in the extended position with cap 76 removed and shown detached.

FIG. 2 represents an elevation view of the instant invention with the cover assembly in the retracted position.

FIG. 3 illustrates an elevation view of the umbrella in the open position.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the instant invention with the umbrella in the open position.

FIG. 5 is a partial elevational cross-sectional view of the distal end of an umbrella in accordance with the present invention showing the telescopic cover assembly in the retracted position.

FIG. 5A is a detail view of one way of implementing the releasable engagement of adjacent cylindrical members.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings, where the present invention is generally referred to with numeral 10, it can be observed that it basically includes fabric or canopy 20, skeleton 30, shaft assembly 50, and telescopic cover assembly 70.
As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, instant invention 10 is an umbrella having shaft assembly 50. Extending from shaft assembly 50 is handle 56 at one end. The shape of handle 56 may vary and is preferably ergonometrical. Protruding from an elongated portion of handle 56 is tab 58. Tab 58 secures tag 62 and loop 60, as seen in FIG. 2. Tag 62 is preferably made of a durable weather resistant material, as is instant invention 10 itself. Tag 62 may contain personal information of the user. Secured onto opposite to handle 56 on shaft assembly 50 and serving as a telescopic exterior cover is extendable cover assembly 70.
Sleeve member 80 houses distal end portion 52′ of shaft assembly 50, as seen in FIG. 5A. End 84 of sleeve member 80 is exteriorly threaded in one of the embodiments but other equivalent designs can be used to removably receive end cap 76. End portion 52′ is rigidly mounted internally to sleeve member 80 and kept in place with stopper or spacer members 53 that include through holes or openings 53′. In this manner a continuous passage is defined between shaft end 52′ and the interior of sleeve member 80 to permit the collected water to go through, as it will be further explained below. Thus, the internal diameter of sleeve member 80 is larger than the outer diameter of shaft assembly 50 to permit the collected water to go through.
Sleeve member 80 also includes peripheral flange 82 that extends radially outwardly at end 81. Flange 82 provides a stop surface for the smallest (inner-most) telescopic member 72.
Cover assembly 70 contains the water on the canopy when instant invention 10 is in the extended position. Containing water within assembly 70 prevents water damage to surrounding clothing, furniture, and other items. Also, cover assembly 70 prevents water from accumulating on a surface, such as a floor, which may lead to an accident if someone slips. In FIG. 1, end-cap 76 is removed. After water has accumulated within cover assembly 70, water may drain out from end 84 to a safe receptacle or location.
As seen in FIG. 2, cover assembly 70 is in the retracted position whereby the larger-most telescopic member 72 slides over the next to larger telescopic member and so forth, until fully retracted as illustrated. Telescopic members 72, as shown in FIG. 5, include upper inwardly extending flanges 75 and lower outwardly extending flanges 77. Flanges 75 and 77 cooperate to engage each other in a substantially watertight disposition. Covering most of shaft 52 of shaft assembly 50, as seen in FIG. 2, is fabric 20. In the illustrated position, fabric 20 covers most of shaft 52 and is selectively wrapped by tie closure 26, which may be sewed thereon in one of the embodiments.
As seen in FIG. 3, instant invention 10 is in the open position. In the embodiment, fabric 20 has a plurality of panels 22, which can be fluorescent in color. The fluorescent color is designed to visually alert others around the user. In addition, fabric 20 also can have symbols 24 affixed thereon. Symbols 24 also serve to give notice to others that the user of instant invention 10 is a child or other class of users, or it can also serve advertising and/or promotional objections.
Fabric 20 also has, in use of the embodiments, at least one transparent, or substantially transparent, panel defined as clear panel 22′. Clear panel 22′ is designed to allow the user to see through that portion of fabric 20 when otherwise it would be difficult to do so, possibly because of rain, snow, dust, other similar matter that is airborne. Panel 22′ is also useful for viewing by the user, when wind may disturb the user.
As seen in FIG. 4, skeleton 30 provides the structural integrity to keep instant invention 10 in the illustrated position, when desired by the user. Skeleton 30 has inside cap 32, ribs 34, tips 36, joints 38, stretchers 40, and runner 42. Elongated sleeves 41 are mounted over stretchers 40 prevent pinching or trapping the fingers of the users thereof.
Inside cap 32 secures fabric 20 and the former is mounted to shaft assembly 50 adjacent to portion 52′. Tips 36 are blunt to prevent injury to the user or others in the vicinity of the user. In the embodiment, ribs 34 are secured onto the inside face of fabric 20, on seams dividing panels 22 and clear panel 22′. Runner 42 slides longitudinally upon shaft 52 of shaft assembly 50. Extending from one end of runner 42 are stretchers 40, which fringedly connect to joints 38 of ribs 34. Joints 38 are positioned on ribs 34 to support skeleton 30 in the concave position shown, without an additional retaining mechanism, when runner 42 is slid in the uppermost position of shaft 52.
To close instant invention 10, runner 42 is pulled towards handle 56 until protrusion 54 secures runner 42. Protrusion 54 has a spring-like member to provide resistance when runner 42 slides over it and is cammingly overcome.
In FIG. 5 telescopic members 72 are shown in the contracted position, in other words in the position they would be to permit the umbrella to open. In the extended position, as shown in FIG. 1, a user brings end 74 down causing the water on the exterior surface of fabric 20 to move downwardly. The water is collected within telescopic members 72 after entering through opening 83 of sleeve member 80. Once inside sleeve member 80, the water passes through holes 53′ of spacer members 53 that are transversally and rigidly mounted to the internal walls of sleeve member 80. The end of shaft 52 is rigidly mounted to uppermost spacer 53 thereby keeping it at a relative fixed position within sleeve member 80. When cap 76 is removed, the water can be selectively discharged in appropriate areas. When user extends telescopic members 72, fabric 20 is covered thereby containing the water therein, prior to removing cap 76. The contiguous telescopic members 72 slide with respect to each other with a substantially water tight disposition to minimize or eliminate any water leakage. The inwardly extending flange 75 of innermost member 72 engages with outwardly extending flange 82. FIG. 5A shows one way of implementing a releasable engagement of protuberance 75′ with socket or cavity 77′ to achieve a substantially watertight disposition. Outermost member 72 includes a reflective film 73 that acts as a safety reflector at night since it reflects the light from passing vehicles. Film 73 is positioned on the outer surface of outermost member 72.
The foregoing description conveys the best understanding of the objectives and advantages of the present invention. Different embodiments may be made of the inventive concept of this invention. It is to be understood that all matter disclosed herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

Claims

1. An umbrella, comprising:

A) an elongated shaft having first and second ends;

B) an elongated sleeve member having third and fourth ends, said third end coaxially mounted to said first end and said sleeve member extending coaxially therefrom, said sleeve member includes a first peripheral flange extending radially outwardly from said third end and said sleeve member including a central longitudinally extending through opening having a first predetermined internal diameter that is larger than the external diameter of said shaft and further including stopper means for keeping said shaft in a substantially coaxial arrangement within said sleeve member, so that a continuous passage is defined between said shaft and said sleeve member;

C) a skeleton assembly including first and second hub members, said first hub member being rigidly mounted to said shaft at a first predetermined distance from said first end and substantially adjacent to said third end, said first hub member including a plurality of rib members pivotally mounted thereon, each of said rib members including connector joints and blunt tips, said second hub member slidably mounted to said shaft between said first hub member and said second end, said second hub member further including a plurality of pivotally mounted hub connectors radially and outwardly extending therefrom and pivotally connected to said connector joints;

D) a canopy mounted to and over said rib members;

E) an elongated collapsible telescopic assembly having fifth and sixth ends that is selectively placed in retracted and extended portions and including a plurality of coaxially disposed telescopic cylindrical members with decreasing internal diameters and selectively retractable and expandable between two extreme positions said fifth end defined by the cylindrical member with the smallest diameter that is slightly larger than the diameter of said sleeve for the former housing the latter and each of said telescopic cylindrical members including an upper peripheral and inwardly extending flange to prevent further movement of said cylindrical member with the smallest diameter towards said second end and the rest of said cylindrical members cooperate to engage said upper and lower flanges in the extended position to collect water from said canopy and direct said water towards said passage; and

F) cap means removably mounted to said fourth end.

2. The umbrella set forth in claim 1, wherein said sleeve member includes at least one spacer means to keep said sleeve member coaxially mounted over a portion of said elongated shaft and said spacer means further includes at least one through opening.

3. The umbrella set forth in claim 2, further including releasably locking means for keeping said inwardly extending flange of said cylindrical members in a substantially watertight engagement with said outwardly extending flange of adjacent smaller cylindrical members.

4. The umbrella set forth in claim 3, wherein said canopy is fluorescent in color.

5. The umbrella set forth in claim 4, wherein said canopy includes at least a portion that is transparent.

6. The umbrella set forth in claim 5 wherein the outermost f said cylindrical member includes a reflecting film.