US2827909A

US2827909A - Inflatable umbrella

Info

Publication number: US2827909A
Application number: US610056A
Authority: US
Inventors: Platzke Emil
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1956-09-17
Filing date: 1956-09-17
Publication date: 1958-03-25
Anticipated expiration: 1975-03-25

Description

March 25, 1958 IN VEN TOR.

Emil Plat%h'e A TTORNEY United States Patent INFLATABLE liJlt BRELLA Emil Platzlre, Minneapolis, Minn. Application September 17, 1956, Serial No. 610,056 2 Claims. c1. lee-20 My present invention relates broadly to the field of umbrellas or portable weather shields and, more particularly, to an inflatable umbrella that may be quickly and easily inflated or deflated and which, when not in use, is capable of being stored in a minimum amount of space such as a purse, pocket or the glove compartment of an automobile.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an inflatable umbrella capable of being inflated by mouth or by an integral hand actuated pump and quickly deflated for storage by manually controlled means.

Another object of this invention is to provide an inflatable umbrella in which its shield portion may be transparent, opaque, and color decorated.

Another object of this invention is to provide an inflatable umbrella having a depending drip shield adjacent the handle member to shield the hand and arm supporting the umbrella from water run-ofl from the main shield portion.

A further object of the invention is to provide an inflatable umbrella having a relatively short depending handle member which may also serve as a pump housing when such is provided.

These and other objects will become apparent from the following specification, claims and appended drawings which form a part of this application and in which like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the umbrella inflated for use;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along line Z--2 of Fig. l, and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the umbrella inflated for use.

The numeral 4 indicates a relatively large and sec tionally narrow annular tubular inflatable ring having direct communication with a depending supporting handle member 5.

The handle member 5 is tubular and of materially heavier construction than the annular ring 4 and, while it is in communication with the supporting air column, its inherent rigidity greatly facilitates its supporting capabilities. It will be understood that the handle member 5 may also serve as a pump chamber for a simple air pump mechanism 6 provided for the inflation of the annular ring member 4.

To afford means for oral inflation of the annular ring 4, I have further provided a simple air valve 7 which is inserted in the lower surface of the annular ring 4 which, by manual manipulation, will hold the air pressure in the annular ring 4 at the desired point and conversely, release said air pressure to atmosphere, thereby deflating the inflated members. It will also be further understood that the valve 7 is also used in combination with the hand pump 6 wherein it is closed while the ring 4is inflated and opened to deflate the same.

It has not been thought necessary to show and describe the pump and

valve mechanism

6 and 7, respec tively, as both are strictly conventional and commercially available, no invention whatsoever being involved.

A weather shield 3 is bonded to the upper surface portion of the annular ring 4 by suitable process as may be dictated by the type of material being used and is drawn to proper tautness by the inflation of the annular ring 4. For the purpose of this application, this weather shield 4 will be described and considered as of transparent synthetic material for the reason that one of the prime advantages of my novel umbrella is the fact that its transparent shield aflords vision therethrough, thereby presenting a safety factor not found in conventional umbrellas. It will be understood that this weather shield 8 may be provided in a mulitude of colors and patterns as can the annular ring 4, either identical the one with the other or in contrast, butobviously by rendering the same opaque by color the purpose of the transparent feature is defeated.

Attached to the upper surface of the annular ring 4 and extending around the periphery thereof, equidistant either side of the handle member 5, is a semicircular drip shield 9 that depends loosely from its bonded upper edge portion downwardly to a point below the lower end portion of the handle member 5. It will be obvious that this drip shield 9 will direct water run-01f from the weather shield 8, outside the hand and the sleeve of a person supporting the umbrella by the handle member 5. This drip shield 59 is preferably made of the same material as the weather shield 8 and if so dictated by manufacturing processes, said drip shield may be an integral part of the main body portion of the weather shield 8.

While there are herein disclosed but a limited number of embodiments of the structure, process and product of the invention herein presented, it is possible to produce still other embodiments without departing from the inventive concept herein disclosed, and it is desired, therefore, that only such limitations be imposed on the appended claims as are stated herein or required by the prior art.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, a horizontally disposed annular tubular collapsible ring, a handle in communication with the ring and normally closed to atmosphere, 2. crushable shield fixed at its perimeter to the ring throughout its entire circumference and in a plane with the top of the ring, valve means in the ring by which air under pressure is introduced into said ring to inflate the same and thereby extend the shield to its desired tautness and maintain said pressure until manually released, a loosely depending drip shield fixed at its upper edge portion to the ring at the perimeter of the shield and extending equidistant either side of the handle about the perimeter of the ring.

I 2. In a device of the class described, a horizontally disposed annular tubular collapsible ring, a handle in communication with the ring and normally closed to atmosphere, a crushable shield fixed at its perimeter to the ring throughout its entire circumference and in a plane with the top of the ring, valve means in the ring by which air under pressure is introduced into said ring to inflate the same and thereby extend the shield to its desired tautness and maintain said pressure until manually released, a loosely depending drip shield formed integral with the main body portion of the shield and overlying the handle member and extending equidistant either side thereof about the perimeter of the ring.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS