US3171418A

US3171418A - Collapsible umbrella

Info

Publication number: US3171418A
Application number: US267999A
Authority: US
Inventors: Meyer Siegfried
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-03-26
Filing date: 1963-03-26
Publication date: 1965-03-02
Anticipated expiration: 1982-03-02

Description

March 2, 1965 s. MEYER COLLAPSIBLE UMBRELLA Filed March 26, 1963 m m E V m S/EGFR/ED 7"/ER ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,171,418 COLLAPSIBLE UMBRELLA Siegfried Meyer, 250 W. 91st St., New York, NY. Filed Mar. 26, 1963, Ser. No. 267,999 Claims. (Cl. 135-26) This invention relates in general to umbrellas, parasols and the like, and in particular to umbrellas, parasols and the like, which are adapted to be collapsed when closed to a substantially reduced length.

When certain collapsible umbrellas, which have been known heretofore, are collapsed to reduced length, the umbrella material, serving as the canopy, cover, shade, screen etc. bunches together forming a bulky mass on the outside of the umbrella rod or staff. This bulky mass of material is then usually stuffed, with difliculty, into an umbrella case or covering.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved collapsible umbrella in which the umbrella material does not bunch together on the outside of the umbrella rod or staff when it is collapsed and which may be used without an umbrella covering or case when it is collapsed.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a collapsible umbrella, in which there is substantially no excess material present on the outside of the umbrella rod or staff when it is collapsed, and which resembles in its outward appearance an ordinary closed folding umbrella of reduced length.

These and other objects are accomplished by the present invention in which the excess material which would be present on the outside of the umbrella rod or staff when the umbrella is collapsed, is drawn within the umbrella rod or staff. In my copending patent application Serial No. 232,758, filed on October 24, 1962, there is described a collapsible umbrella comprising: a central rod having an upper and lower tubular rod section, said upper rod section being adapted to slide telescopically into said lower rod section, a collapsible rib structure pivotally attached to the upper end of said upper rod section, an umbrella canopy supported by said collapsible rib structure, and a pulling means located within said upper rod section and attached to the central portion of said umbrella canopy, said pulling means being adapted to pull a portion of the umbrella canopy within said upper rod section when said rib structure is collapsed. I have found that said pulling means may very advantageously comprise a string located within said upper rod section and attached at one end to the central portion of said umbrella canopy and at the other end to the upper portion of said lower rod section.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the umbrella structure of the present invention in its open condition;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the umbrella structure of the present invention in its collapsed condition;

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view with parts broken away of the upper tubular rod section of the umbrella of this invention;

FIGURE 4 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 5 is a transverse section taken along the line 55 of FIGURE 2.

With reference to the drawings, a collapsible central rod or staff having upper and lower tubular rod sections and 16 is so arranged that the upper rod section 15 slides telescopically into the lower rod section 16.

Affixed to the upper end portion of said upper rod "ice section is a crown member 17 to which are pivotally attached the inner extremities of radiating collapsible rib structures for supporting the umbrella cover or canopy 18. Each such rib structure comprises an inner hollow member 19 and an outer solid member 20. These rib members are adapted to be telescoped and are guided toward each other by a sleeve 21 sliding on the hollow rib member 19 and attached to the inner end of the solid rib member 20. The rib braces 22 are hinged on one side to the inner ends of the outer rib members 20, and on the other side to the runner 23, which is adapted to slide longitudinally upon the central rod or staff.

The upper rod section 15 is provided with a depressible stop spring 24 to engage and hold .the runner 23 in its upwardly moved rib structure spreading position, when the umbrella is arranged in its open or service position. The upper rod section 15 is also provided near its lower end portion, with a depressible projection 25, which fits into a suitably located opening 26 in the upper portion of the lower rod section 16 and serves to lock the upper and lower rod sections together and limit further movement when the upper rod section is moved out of the lower rod section to the position of maximum umbrella length. Afiixed to the free or lower extremity of the lower rod section 16 is a handle member or knob 27 of any desired ornamental shape.

The upper tubular rod section 15 has an indentation or groove 28 running along the length of its outer wall. The rod or axle number 29 is attached to the lower portion of the upper tubular rod section 15 and has revolving around it or attached to it the wheel-like member 30, which is preferably grooved to receive and guide the string 31. The string 31 is attached at one end, as at 32, to the upper portion of the lower tubular rod section 16 and at the other end to the eyelet 33 which is in turn attached to the central portion of the umbrella canopy or cover 18.

Upon collapsing the umbrella, the telescoping of the upper tubular rod section 15 into the lower tubular rod section 16 causes the string to slide over the wheel-like member 30 from the inside of the upper tubular rod section and toward the outside of the upper tubular rod section 15 along its groove 28, thereby pulling the excess umbrella material, caused by the collapsing or telescoping of the rib structure, into the upper tubular rod section 15. When the umbrella is opened, the upper tubular rod section 15 slides out of the lower tubular rod section 16 and the string 31 slides along the wheel-like member 30 toward the inside of the upper tubular rod section 15. The opening of the rib structure also pulls the umbrella material out of the upper tubular rod section 15.

Although I have described my invention with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A collapsible umbrella comprising a central rod having an upper and lower tubular rod section, said upper rod section being adapted to slide telescopically into said lower rod section, a collapsible rib structure pivotally attached to the upper end of said upper rod section, an umbrella canopy supported by said collapsible rib structure, pulling means located and longitudinally disposed within said upper rod section and attached at one end to the upper portion of said lower rod section and at the other end to the central portion of said umbrella canopy, whereby said pulling means pulls a portion of the umbrella canopy within said upper rod section when said 3 1 upper rod section telescopes into said lower rod section and said ribstructure is collapsed.

2. A collapsible umbrella comprising a central rod having an upper and a lower tubular rod section, said upperrod section 'being adapted to slide telescopically into said lower rod section, a collapsible, rib structure pivotally attached to the upper end of said upper rod section, an umbrella canopy supported by said collapsible rib structure, an eyelet attached to the central portion of said umbrella canopy, a string running from said eyelet tion and outof said upper rod section to the upper portionof said lower rod section, whereby said string pulls a portion of the umbrella canopy within said upper rod section when said rib structure is collapsed and said upper rod section telescopes into said lower rod section. V 3. A collapsible umbrella comprising a central rod having an upper and a lower tubular rod section, said upper rod section being adapted to slide telescopically into said lower rod section, a collapsible rib structure pivotally attached to the upper end of said upper rod section, an umbrella canopy supported by said collapsible rib structure, a string located within said upper rod section and attached at one end to the upper portion of said lower rod section and at the other end to the central portion of said umbrella canopy, means attached to the;

lower portion of said upper rod section for guiding said string out of and into said upper rod section, whereby said string pulls a portion of the umbrella canopy within said upper rod section when said upper rod section telea scopes into said lower rod sectionand said rib structure upper rod section being adapted to slide telescopically 3 into said lower rod section and having a longitudinal groove along its outer surface, a collapsible rib structure pivotally attached to the upper endlof said upper rod section, an umbrella canopy supported by said collapsible rib structure, a string located within said upper rod section, having one end attachedto the central portion of said umbrella canopy and the other end to the upper portion of said lower rod section, a wheel-like member mounted on the lower portion of said upper rod section and adapted to guide. said string out of said upper rod section and into said groove on said upper rod section, whereby said string pulls a portion of said umbrella canopy within said upper rod section when said upper rod section-telescopes into said lower rod section and said' rib structure is collapsed.

5. A collapsible umbrella comprising a central rod having an upper and a lower tubular rod section, said upper rod section being adapted to slide telescopically into said lower rod section and having a longitudinal groove along its outer surface, a collapsible rib structure pivotally attached to the upper end of said upper rod section, an umbrella canopy supported by said collapsible rib structure, a string located within said upper rod section, having-one end attached to the central portion of said umbrella canopy and the other end to the upper portion of said lower rod section, a Wheel-like member removably mounted on the lower portion of said upper rod section and adapted to guide said string out of said upper rod section and into saidgroove on said upper rodsection, whereby said string pulls a portion of said umbrella canopy within said upper rod section when said upper rodsection telescopes into said lower rod section =and said rib structure is collapsed.

References Cited in the file :of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Spiro Nov. 14, 1931 2,784,726 Volker Mar. 12, 1957

Claims

1. A COLLAPSIBLE UMBRELLA COMPRISING A CENTRAL ROD HAVING AN UPPER AND LOWER TUBULAR ROD SECTION, SAID UPPER ROD SECTION BEING ADAPTED TO SLIDE TELESCOPICALLY INTO SAID LOWER ROD SECTION, A COLLAPSIBLE RIB STRUCTURE PIVOTALLY ATTACHED TO THE UPPER END OF SAID UPPER ROD SECTION, AN UMBRELLA CANOPY SUPPORTED BY SAID COLLAPSIBLE RIB STRUCTURE, PULLING MEANS LOCATED AND LONGITUDINALLY DISPOSED WITHIN SAID UPPER ROD SECTION AND ATTACHED AT ONE END TO THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID LOWER ROD SECTION AND AT THE OTHER END TO THE CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID UMBRELLA CANOPY, WHEREBY SAID PULLING MEANS PULLS A PORTION OF THE UMBRELLA CANOPY WITHIN SAID UPPER ROD SECTION WHEN SAID UPPER ROD SECTION TELESCOPES INTO SAID LOWER ROD SECTION AND SAID RIB STRUCTURE IS COLLAPSED.