US20100288317A1

US20100288317A1 - Automatic umbrella safety device

Info

Publication number: US20100288317A1
Application number: US12/647,978
Authority: US
Inventors: Chin-Keng HUANG
Original assignee: XIAMEN HONDAR UMBRELLA INDUSTRIAL Co Ltd
Current assignee: XIAMEN HONDAR UMBRELLA INDUSTRIAL Co Ltd
Priority date: 2009-05-15
Filing date: 2009-12-28
Publication date: 2010-11-18
Also published as: GB2470247A; DE102010005283A1; GB2470247B; JP3159177U; CN201499743U; DE202010001217U1; GB201000871D0

Abstract

An automatic umbrella safety device inside the body of umbrella handle comprises a shaft, a ratchet, a spring, a positioning block, and a stay cord. A lug is formed inside the positioning block. The lug stretches into a shaft hole of the body from a hole at a side on the side wall of body and is opposite to a site where the buckle provided in the umbrella stick retracts. By means of the unidirectional effect of ratchet, when the umbrella is closed, the umbrella stick may retract only downwards; once the downward retract power fades away, the stay cord may be promptly used to pull the umbrella stick for preventing the umbrella, when being closed from accidentally bouncing caused by the applied to the umbrella fading downward power, and from hurting others.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an umbrella and particularly to an automatic umbrella safety device.
2. Description of the Related Art
An automatic umbrella is popular because a button provided on the umbrella is just pressed repeatedly for easily making the umbrella open and close, which eliminates the need for manual operation trouble of umbrella open and close by hands and makes.
Regarding the typical inner structure of automatic umbrella, refer to China Utility Model Patent Publication No. CN2476208Y, titled “Automatic Umbrella Controlling Device” and publicized on Feb. 13, 2002. It is the action principle that, to open the umbrella, the button 60′ is pressed to make a umbrella stick 50′ not to be controlled the controlling device and then make a spring 51′ in the umbrella 50′ release energy, and then the umbrella 50′ is made to elastically stretch; to close the umbrella, the button 60′ is pressed again to make a buckle 523′ in the umbrella stick 50′ likewise out of control of the controlling device, and the buckle 523′ is released, and thus the effect of elasticity of a close umbrella spring (not shown) makes the umbrella surface stay in the state of close and the buckle 523′ is drawn back to the top of umbrella stick 50′ by a stay cord 522′. At this time, it is not fully closed; if the umbrella needs fully closing, the portion of umbrella surface must be pushed with a strong force towards a handle 110′ to shorten the umbrella 50′, make the umbrella open spring 51′ re-save the energy, and then make the umbrella stick 50′ and the buckle 523′ to be controlled again by the control device in the handle 110.
The action principle of a conventional automatic umbrella is generally the same as the patent mentioned above, such as China Utility Model Patent Publication Nos. 01217730.X, 01237609.4, 01262761.5, 03267824.X and the like, and what is different is the control device in the handle, which almost controls the umbrella stick and the buckle.
However, although it is easy to operate the automatic umbrella, there is a risk of safety. The specific reason is that the elasticity is greater because the umbrella open spring is provided in the umbrella stick and functions to automatically bounce the umbrella while being opened. When the umbrella is closed, in order to press the umbrella surface and draw it to the handle, the elasticity of umbrella open spring must be overcome and the surface portion must be pressed in place. The elasticity of umbrella open spring, so the umbrella stick when being pressed is easily loosen due to no strength of support and might rapidly bounce. When the umbrella stick bounces, because the elasticity of umbrella open spring is greater, the bounce causes an accident of wounding, which happened in foreign countries because the umbrella stick had not returned, when the umbrella was closed. Thus, what the manufacturers make great effort to earnestly improve is preventing the umbrella, having not returned when the umbrella, from automatically bouncing.
Consequently, because of the technical defects of described above, the applicant keeps on carving unflaggingly through wholehearted experience and research to develop the present invention, which can effectively improve the defects described above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In order to solve technical issues mentioned above, this invention provides an automatic umbrella safety device that may prevent an umbrella stick, when an umbrella is being closed, from accidentally bouncing.
In order to achieve the object, the following approach of technology is applied.
The automatic umbrella safety device is provided inside the body of umbrella handle and comprises a shaft, a ratchet, a spring, a positioning block, and a stay cord. The shaft pivots around the bottom of the body, one end of which is fixed to the ratchet and the other end of which is fixed to the spring. Several teeth are formed on the ratchet and the outside of spring is fixed to the body. One side of the positioning block pivots onto the body. The free end is opposite to the ratchet teeth of ratchet. A lug is formed inside the positioning block. The lug stretches into a shaft hole of the body from a hole at a a side on the side wall of body and is opposite to a site where the buckle provided in the umbrella stick retracts. One end of the stay cord is fixed onto the shaft and the other end is fixed onto an upper nest of the top of umbrella.
Between the positioning block and the inner side of handle, a homing shrapnel is provided to make the free end of positioning block return and stay close to the teeth of the ratchet.
A thru hole is formed on the buckle and the say cord passes out of the thru hole.
In the manner mentioned above, the safety device according to this invention is provided in the handle of umbrella, when the umbrella is closed and thus the umbrella stick is shortened, so the lower end of stay cord continuously turns around the shaft in the effect of the elasticity of spring. If the pressing power applied to the umbrella stick is gone, the stay cord will drive the shaft to turn over. At this time, the free end of positioning block is made to arrive into the teeth of ratchet to prevent the shaft from turning over, and thus the stay cord is made to pull the upper nest of umbrella for preventing the umbrella stick from bouncing outwards. Namely, in this invention, by means of the unidirectional effect of ratchet, when the umbrella is closed, the umbrella stick may retract only downwards, once the downward retract power fades away, the stay cord may be promptly used to pull the umbrella stick for preventing the umbrella, when being closed from accidentally bouncing caused by the applied to the umbrella fading downward power, and from hurting others.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating the inner structure of a handle of an automatic umbrella;

FIG. 2 is a 3D exploded view of this invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional assembly view of this invention illustrating a state of umbrella being closed;

FIG. 4 is a sectional assembly view of this invention illustrating a state of umbrella fully closed; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional assembly view of this invention illustrating a state of umbrella open.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Now, the present invention will be described more specifically with reference to the following embodiments. It is to be noted that the following descriptions of preferred embodiments of this invention are presented herein for purpose of illustration and description only; it is not intended to be exhaustive or to be limited to the precise form disclosed.
With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrating an automatic umbrella safety device in a preferred embodiment of this invention, the automatic umbrella safety device is provided inside the body 2 of umbrella handle 11 and comprises a shaft 3, a ratchet 4, a spring 5, a positioning block 6, a homing shrapnel 7, and a stay cord 8.
A control device is provided in the handle 11 and the body 2. The control device is not the key point in this invention, so it is not shown. A shaft hole 21 is formed in the body 2 for an umbrella stick 12. A buckle 9 is provided in the umbrella stick 12.
The shaft 3 pivots around the bottom of the body 2, one end of which is fixed to the ratchet 4 and the other end of which is fixed to the spring 5. The outside of spring 5 is fixed to the body 2. Several teeth 41 are formed on the ratchet 4. The spring 5 functions to drive the shaft 3 to run.
One end of the positioning block 6 pivots onto the body 2 and stays opposite to the free end 61 of pivot end and the teeth 41 of ratchet 4. A lug 62 is formed inside the positioning block 6. The lug 62 stretches into the shaft hole 21 of the body 2 from a hole 22 at a side on the side wall of body 2 and is opposite to a site where the buckle 9 retracts.
The homing shrapnel 7 is provided between the positioning block 6 and the inner side of handle 11.
One end of the stay cord 8 is fixed onto the shaft 3 and the other end is fixed onto an upper nest (not shown) of the top of umbrella. To prevent the stay cord 8 from running, a thru hole 91 is formed on the buckle 9 to make the stay cord 8 pass through the thru hole 91.
When the umbrella surface is closed, the buckle 9 is pulled to the top of umbrella stick 12. When the umbrella stick 12 is further pressed, it is shortened to make the umbrella to be fully closed, as shown in FIG. 3, and when the umbrella stick 12 is shortened, the lower end of stay cord 8 continuously turns around the shaft 3 in the effect of the elasticity of spring 5. If the pressing power applied to the umbrella stick 12 is gone, the stay cord 8 will drive the shaft 3 to turn over. At this time, in the effect of elasticity of homing shrapnel 7, the free end 61 of positioning block 6 is made to arrive into the teeth 41 of ratchet 4 to prevent the shaft 3 from turning over, and thus the stay cord 8 is made to pull the upper nest of umbrella for preventing the umbrella stick 12 from bouncing outwards in the effect of umbrella open spring (not shown).
When the umbrella stick 12 is shortened in a determined length to make the umbrella fully retract, as shown in FIG. 4, the buckle 9 retracts to the inside of handle 11 and is controlled by the control device, not shown because it is not the key point. At this time, the buckle 9 is opposite and stays close to the lug 62 of positioning block 6 to push outwards the positioning block 6 and make the free end 61 of positioning block 6 keep away from the teeth 41 of ratchet 4. Further, the stay cord 8 turns around the shaft 3. The positioning block 6 is close to the buckle 9 and does not contact the teeth 41 of ratchet 4, so when the umbrella is opened, the ratchet 4 cannot hinder the stay cord 8 from being lengthened and the umbrella may be smoothly opened, as shown in FIG. 5.
In this invention, the buckle 9 in the automatic umbrella is used to release the limit of running of the positioning block 6 on the ratchet 4, which prevents the umbrella from not being opened because the ratchet 4 is blocked by the positioning block 6 and thus the stay cord 8 cannot be lengthened. In this invention, another control mechanism may be used to release the limit of running of the positioning block on the ratchet.
While the invention has been described in terms of what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention needs not be limited to the disclosed embodiment. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims which are to be accorded with the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures.

Claims

1. An automatic umbrella safety device, comprising a shaft, a ratchet, a spring, a positioning block, and a stay cord inside the body of an umbrella handle; wherein the shaft pivots around the bottom of the body, one end of which is fixed to the ratchet and the other end of which is fixed to the spring, several teeth are formed on the ratchet, the outside of spring is fixed to the body, one side of the positioning block pivots onto the body, the free end is opposite to the ratchet teeth of ratchet, a lug is formed inside the positioning block, the lug stretches into a shaft hole of the body from a hole at a side on the side wall of body and is opposite to a site where the buckle provided in the umbrella stick retracts, and one end of the stay cord is fixed onto the shaft and the other end is fixed onto an upper nest of the top of umbrella.

2. The automatic umbrella safety device as claimed in claim 1, between the positioning block and the inner side of handle, a homing shrapnel is provided to make the free end of positioning block return and stay close to the teeth of the ratchet.

3. The automatic umbrella safety device as claimed in claim 1, a thru hole is formed on the buckle and the say cord passes out of the thru hole.