US3496950A

US3496950A - Telescopic collapsible umbrella frame

Info

Publication number: US3496950A
Application number: US682871A
Authority: US
Inventors: Heinz Weber; Heinz Seitel
Original assignee: Bremshey and Co
Current assignee: KNIRPS INTERNATIONAL A GERMAN CORP GmbH
Priority date: 1966-11-17
Filing date: 1967-11-14
Publication date: 1970-02-24
Anticipated expiration: 1987-02-24
Also published as: CH457745A; NL6715518A; JPS4918740B1; GB1134648A; NO117498B; SE312893B; FR1552083A; BE706695A; DE1299100B; AT306275B; ES347234A1; NL137184C

Description

Feb. 24, 1970 WEBER ET AL TELESCOPIC COLLAPSIBLE UMBRELLA FRAME 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 14, 196'? Feb. 24, 1970 H. WEBER T A TELESCOPIC COLLAPSIBLE UMBRELLA FRAME 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 14, 1967 Fig. 4

In men larg:

NJ, H g. Semi H. WEBER ET AL TELESCOPIC COLLAPSIBLE UMBRELLA FRAME Feb. 24, 1970 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 14, 1967 lnyenlarsi MM Hm; W

Feb. 24, 1970 H. WVEWBER ETAL 3,496,950

TELESCOPIC COLLAPSIBLE UMBRELLA FRAME Filed Nov. 14, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 70 A -1 Fly/2 In wen/0&3

United States Patent 3,496,950 TELESCOPE: CGLLAPSIBLE UMBRELLA FRAME Heinz Weber, Hilden, Rhineland, and Heinz Seitel, Solmgen-Ohligs, Germany, assignors to Bremshey & (10., Solingen-Ohligs, Germany, a, corporation of Germany Filed Nov. 14, N67, Ser. No. 682,871 Claims priority, application Germany, Nov. 17, 1966, B 89378 Int. Cl. A451) 19/04 US. Cl. 135--46 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Telescopic collapsible umbrella frame includes a stick formed of telescoping portions, a plurality of roof-supporting ribs each having an innermost portion pivotally connected to an end of the stick, a center portion telescopically connected to the innermost portion and an outermost portion telescopically connected to the center portion. A runner is slidably mounted on the stick and carries a plurality of struts pivotally linked with the center portion of one of the supporting ribs, and means are provided for locking the outermost and the innermost rib portions together in extended condition thereof. Also included is a handle located at the end of the stick upposite the end thereof at which the roof-supporting ribs are connected, the outermost portions of the roof-supporting ribs having an enlargement at the respective free ends thereof receivable in the extended condition of the rib portions within a space formed in the handle. The handle is provided with locking means yieldably engageable by the leading end of the enlargements as the enlargements are inserted in the space formed in the handle and snapping back behind the trailing end of the enlargements as the enlargements are inserted further into the space, so as to lock the enlargements in the handle, and manual means for unlocking the locking means.

Our invention relates to telescopic collapsible umbrella frame and, more particularly, to a frame of the type having roof-supporting ribs that are divided in three parts.

Collapsible umbrellas are constructed either with telescoping or folding umbrella frames. In umbrellas having telescoping frames, both the umbrella stick and the roofsupporting ribs are telesco ically slideable one within the other. In umbrellas with folding frames, however, al though the stick is of telescoping construction, the roofsupporting ribs do not telescope but are rather foldable, i.e. the parts thereof are hinged.

In the case of so-called pocketbook umbrellas, i.e. umbrellas that can be shortened so that they may be carried in a ladys handbag, for example, and that have threepiece roof-supporting rib construction, the umbrella stick retains its telescopic construction. However, many methods of shortening the roof-supporting ribs of the umbrella are known. A hybrid construction is particularly known wherein the roof-supporting ribs which are divided into three portions are partly telescopic and partly foldable. In another known construction, roofsupporting ribs having three portions are entirely telescopic. The invention of the instant application relates to a construction of the latter type.

In the field of umbrella frames there has developed two principal methods of producing the necessary opening and closing of the umbrella wherein the roof comprises a plurality of tripartite mutually telescopically insertable roof-supporting rib portions. These methods of production differ in that in one case the struts which are articulatingly connected to the umbrella runner or slider are also articulatingly connected with the inner ends of the outer roof-supporting rib portions whereas in the other case the articulating connection is between the struts that are articulatingly connected to the runner or slider and the inner ends of the middle roof-supporting rib portions. In the first case just mentioned, the strut linkage appears to be relatively complicated. With regard to simplicity of construction and light weight, the secondmentioned type of construction therefore is more advantageous. Accordingly, the invention of the instant application relates to an umbrella frame of the second-mentioned type of construction.

The second-mentioned type of construction provides locking mechanisms between the inner ends of the outer roof-supporting rib portions and the outer ends of the center roof-supporting rib portions. Such locking mechanisms are also known in the art. They automatically change to the locking condition thereof whenever the roof-supporting ribs are completely extended, and they are automatically unlocked by the inner roof-supporting rib portions whenever the roof-supporting ribs are slid together again. In the known types of construction, they have the shape of resilient or springy tongues, which slip into notches formed in the associated roof-supporting rib portions.

In order to transform a telescopic collapsible umbrella frame of the type under discussion from the shortened to the extended condition thereof, the roof-supporting rib portions must be entirely pulled out from one another. For this purpose, in the heretofore known types of construction, the umbrella handle is provided with a bulge or head forming an annular groove wherein the enlarged ends of the roof-supporting ribs which, in the absence of a more specific technical name has often been referred to as points, are inserted from the outside and are retained by a conventional rubber band (German Patent 969,418). A mechanical reversal of the foregoing has also been suggested wherein the enlarged roof-supporting rib ends are disposed on an inwardly projecting bulge or bead of the handle and are retained therein by the tendency of the roof-suporting ribs to spring outwardly (Swiss Patent 311,000). Both of the foregoing types of means for locking the enlarged ends of the roof-supporting ribs to the handle fail, however, when the shortened frame is pulled apart or extended because the roofsupporting rib ends are retained only insecurely by the yieldable retention of the conventional rubber band or the elastic tendency of the roof-supporting ribs to spread outwardly. When the umbrella is opened, at least a few roof-supporting ribs are unavoidably released from being held together with the handle and remain in uncollapsed or unshortened condition, whereas other roof-supporting ribs are completely extended or spread apart. Consequently, a completely disorderly condition is produced, which prevents the further operation of the umbrella frame which is desired. This has been the cause for the difficulties heretofore in producing telescopic collapsible umbrellas which operate efficiently.

It is accordingly an object of our invention to provide telescopic collapsible umbrella frames which avoid the aforementioned difficulties of the heretofore known umbrella frames of this type. With the foregoing and other objects in view, we accordingly provide a telescopic collapsible umbrella frame of the aforementioned type with a handle located at the end of the stick opposite the end thereof at which the roof-supporting ribs are connected, the outermost portions of the tri-partite roofsupporting ribs having an enlargement at the respective free ends thereof receivable in the extended condition of the rib portions within a space formed in the handle. The handle is provided with locking means yieldably engageable by the leading end of the enlargements as the enlargements are inserted in the space formed in the 3 handle and snapping back behind the trailing end of the enlargements as the enlargements are inserted further into the space so as to lock the enlargements in the handle, and manual means for unlocking the locking means.

As the roof-supporting rib ends are inserted into the space in the handle, a positive connection between the ends of the roof-supporting ribs on the one hand, and the handle on the other hand, is produced, which safely prevents individual roof-supporting ribs from remaining behind when the frame is opened, so that all of the roofsupporting ribs in the region between the middle and outer portions thereof are locked and thereby guarantee for an expanded umbrella frame that the roof-supporting rib portions thereof cannot collapse under the action of the tension of the roof material covering the umbrella frame.

In accordance with a further feature of our invention, the locking means can have many different forms. Accordingly, we provide in each of the preferred embodiments of our invention an annular bulge or bead serving to fix or bind the roof-supporting rib ends, such as have been employed, for example in the aforementioned heretofore known umbrella frames.

In accordance with a more specific feature of our invention, we provide a preferred embodiment wherein the locking means is in the form of a resilient lock ring which forms with the bulge in the locking condition an annular space surrounding the roof-supporting rib ends. The lock ring can have various forms and can be located in various positions and connected in various manners with a means for releasing or unlocking the lock ring.

In accordance with another feature of our invention we provide another embodiment wherein the lock ring is mounted so that it is axially displaceable.

In a further embodiment, the lock ring consists of a snap ring elastically deformable to various diameters and provided with an inclined surface at either the inner or outer periphery. The snap ring, in its locking condition located opposite the annular bulge, engages the roofsupporting rib enlargements and is changed back to its unlocked condition by a releasing member which is actuatable manually.

In accordance with further features of our invention two possible constructions are afforded. In one construction, the snap ring is maintained in locking condition under radial stress by the action of which it springs back to the unlocked condition when the releasing member is actuated. In the other construction, quite contrariwise, the snap ring is maintained in the locking condition under radial stress against which it springs outwardly from the locking condition when actuated by the releasing member.

Further features of the invention are directed to various diiferent structures of the releasing member. The releasing member can be in the form of a pushbutton on the end of the umbrella handle. Such pushbuttons are known for collapsible umbrellas for unlockin the component portions of the collapsible stick of the umbrella in order to shorten or collapse the umbrella frame. The pushbuton of our invention can also be used for this last-mentioned purpose.

In accordance with yet another feature of the invention the releasing member comprises a rotary ring mounted on the umbrella handle which when actuated manually releases the lock ring to the unlocked condition.

In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the releasing member can be in the form of a slide ring mounted on the handle.

Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.

The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of a specific embodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal view of an umbrella constructed in accordance with my invention, wherein the roof is closed or collapsed but the umbrella has not yet been shortened or telescoped;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section through the umbrella of FIG. 1 in an intermediate condition thereof wherein the ends of the roof-supporting ribs are secured to the handle thereof;

FIG. 3 is a view of a third condition of the umbrella of FIGS. 1 and 2 in which it is telescoped and its length is shortened;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the lower portion of the umbrella shown in section in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a snap ring suitable as the locking means forming part of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the second embodiment of the snap ring of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view, reduced in size, corresponding to FIG. 4, including the snap ring shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of another embodiment of the lower portion of the umbrella having a locking means including the snap ring shown in FIG. 6 and further provided with a slide ring as a releasing member;

FIG. 9 shows another embodiment of FIG. 8 having a slide ring as releasing member;

FIG. 10 is another embodiment of FIGS. 8 and 9 having a rotary ring as releasing member;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 8 taken along the line XIXI as seen in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 12 is a side view shown in the direction of the arrow B in FIG. 11 and rotated in a clockwise direction;

FIG. 13 is another embodiment of FIGS. 8-10 having a rotary ring as releasing member; and

FIG. 14 is a section view of FIG. 13 taken along the line XIVXIV in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings and first particularly to FIGS. 1 to 3 thereof, there is shown an umbrella frame including an umbrella stick formed of three telescoping members or

portions

1, 2 and 3 which carries at the upper end of the stick member 1 as shown in FIG. 1, for example, a conventional umbrella crown 4 and at the lower end of the stick member 3 a handle 5 to be described hereinafter in greater detail. Roof-supporting ribs are articulatingly connected in a conventional manner to the crown 4. Each roof-supporting rib is formed of three

telescoping portions

6, 7 and 8 which are mutually slideable one within another. The

rib portions

6 and 7 have a U-shaped cross section, the open side there of being located at the left hand side of the

portions

6 and 7 as viewed in FIG. 1, for example. The portion 6 has a larger cross sectional area than the portion 7, consequently, upon collapsing the umbrella, the rib portion 7 can slide within the U-shaped channel of the rib portion 6. The outer rib portion 8 is of solid construction and is received within the U-shaped channel of the rib portion 7 when the umbrella is collapsed and shortened telescopically as shown in FIG. 3. Means serving for mutual guidance of the roof-supporting rib portions are a sleeve 9 seated at the outer end of the innermost roofsupporting rib portion 6 and slideable on the roof-supporting rib portion 7, a sleeve 10 seated on the outer end of the center roof-supporting rib portion 7, and slideable on the roof-supporting rib portion 8, and a slotted sleeve 11, a so-called shortening bracket of conventional construction mounted at the inner end of the center roofsupporting rib portion 7. The fabric or other covering material for the umbrella is attached to the crown 4, the shortening bracket 11, the sleeve 10 and the free ends of each of the roof-supporting ribs. In the interest of clarity, the covering material is not shown in the drawing,

A runner or slider, a so-called main runner 12, is mounted for movement by hand on the umbrella stick. In the lowermost position of the runner 12, as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2, it is held stationary in a conventional manner by means of a nose or latch which is either mounted on the stick or on the runner proper. Likewise, means are provided for holding the runner 12 stationary in its customary upper or raised position assumed thereby when the umbrella is opened. Means for securing the main runner in both of the just-mentioned positions are generally known and are consequently omitted from the drawing in the interest of clarity.

Each roof-supporting rib is connected with the main runner 12 by means of a main strut 13 which is in turn connected by a pivot pin 14 to the inner end of the center roof-supporting rib portion 7. The pivot pin 14 simultaneously provides the means for connecting the shortening bracket 11 to the inner end of the center roof-supporting rib portion 7. Each main strut 13 is connected in a conventional manner by means of a pivot 15 with an auxiliary strut 16. All of the auxiliary struts 16 are articulatingly secured to an auxiliary runner 17, which is displaceable along the stick between the main runner 12 and the crown 4 and serves to support the opened roofsupporting frame.

The stick, the roof-supporting ribs and the struts are shown foreshortened in the drawing because the reproduction of an umbrella frame in its entire length in the figures would obscure the individual structural features and details thereof.

In the extended condition of the umbrella stick as shown in FIG. 1, for example, the three portions or

members

1, 2 and 3 of the stick are locked by springy or resilient stop elements or detents 13 passing through suitable registered recesses in the innermost and center rib portions and operating on the force-locking principle. The detents 18 yield when sufliciently strong pressure is exerted in the axial direction on the ends of the stick so that the stick can be telescoped.

Although, when the umbrella is open, the center roofsupporting rib portions 7 are prevented from sliding into the innermost roof-supporting rib portions 6 respectively, by means of the main struts 13 supported by the auxiliary struts 16 and thereby require no special locking devices, a special locking means is necessary however between the center and outermost roof-supporting

rib portions

7 and 8. Such locking means are shown in Figs. 4 and of Patent No. 3,411,519 of H. Weber.

In order to lock the roof-supporting rib ends at the handle of the umbrella in accordance with my invention, I make use of the fact that the roof-supporting rib ends are always provided with heads 34 on which the covering material of the umbrella is able to be sewed and which have an enlarged spherical head or projection 35 which serves as protection against possible injury. The heads 34 are either mounted on the roof-supporting rib ends as separate members or are made of one piece, i.e. are integral, with the roof-supporting ribs. An annular groove 36 is almost always found between the shaft of the head 34 and the sphere 35. By means of this annular groove 36, the roof-supporting ribs are secured at the handle of the umbrella in all of the hereinafter described embodiments of the umbrella of my invention. Such an annular groove 36 is not however absolutely necessary for the invention of this application. It is sufficient that the roofsupporting ribs have an enlargement of any type at the ends thereof.

t is possible to lock the ends of the roof-supporting ribs in many different ways at the handle of the umbrella. However, I show only one embodiment in FIG. 4 for effecting the locking of the rib end at the umbrella handle. The right-hand half of FIG. 4 shows a roof-supporting rib in locking position and the left-hand half of FIG. 4 shows a roof-supporting rib at the moment it is unlocked by hand.

As shown in FIG. 4, a portion of the handle is formed of a sheet metal cap 37 containing a plastic member 38. The

portions

37 and 38 are secured to one another by means of a nut 39 which is threaded on the free end of the telescoping portion 3 of the umbrella stick. Thus, the upper side of the plastic member 38 as viewed in FIG. 4 abuts against a cross-pin 40 extending through a suitably provided bore in the stick.

A radially inwardly extending annular bulge or head 41 is formed in the sheet metal cap 37, which engages in the groove 36 of the roof-supporting rib head in the locking position shown in the right-hand half of FIG. 4. In this position, the roof-supporting rib heads 34 are held stationary by a ring 42 form-locked at the umbrella handle and are thus positively secured. They are then enclosed by form-locking within the annular space R. A spacer ring 42, which in the locking position of the heads 34, prevents radially inward movement thereof from taking place and thereby prevents the release thereof from the annular bulge or bead 41, is axially displaceably mounted on the plastic portion 38 and is subjected to the biasing action of a helical spring 43 which tends to maintain it in locking position. A push-button 44 mounted on the face of the handle serves for unlocking the roofsupporting ribs by hand. When the push-button 44 i pressed, the ring 42, as shown in the left-hand half of FIG. 4, is moved against the biasing action of the spring 43 by two tilting or pivoting levers 46 mounted on pins 45. The pivot levers 46 have an inclined edge at the outer ends thereof so as not to prevent the entry or re moval of the spherical projection 35 from the space R.

On the plastic portion 38 there is formed a sleeveshaped projection 47 which affords a larger surface area for engagement by the hand of the user for carrying the opened umbrella than would be available ordinarily if only the relatively short sheet metal cap 37 served as the handle for the umbrella. The sleeve 47, however, also has an essentially practical function in that it lend greater stability to the entire handle of the umbrella. For this purpose it has an axially displaceable disc 48 which, in the unshortened condition of the umbrella, is maintained by a conical spring 49 in the position shown in FIG. 4 in which it abuts against a radially inwardly extending rim 50 of the sleeve 47. If the umbrella is shortened, the end 51 of the middle stick portion 2 which faces the handle, moves toward the disc 48 and slides it entirely within the sleeve-shaped projection 47 whereby the windings of the conical spring 49 become disposed in a common plane at the base of the sleeve 47 as viewed in FIG. 4.

If the umbrella roof is closed, the umbrella frame initially takes the position shown in FIG. 1 in which the heads 34 have a specific spacing or clearance from the cap 37. If the umbrella is shortened, the outer roof-supporting ends 8 are clamped by hand or are tied around the sleeve 47 by means of a conventional non-illustrated rubber band, ribbon or the like. Thereafter, the portions of the stick are slid together or telescoped so that the condition shown in FIG. 2 is attained. In the condition of FIG. 2, the roof-supporting rib heads 34 with their spherical projections 35 are inserted within the cap 37 whereby they initially slide the ring 42 downwardly against the spring 43 until the grooves 36 reach the vicinity of the annular bulge or bead 41 and the spherical ends of the outer roof-supporting rib portions 8 extend into the annular space R, in which position the ring 42 snaps back into the locking position. Thus, all of the roof-supporting ribs are positively locked at the handle and by further sliding together all of the portions of the ribs the umbrella frame can be placed in the shortened condition thereof shown in FIG. 3.

When the umbrella is to be used again, the frame is once more extended or drawn apart until the position shown in FIG. 2 is attained. In this position, all of the center and outer roof-supporting

rib portions

7 and 8 have automatically become mutually locked once again. Thereafter the push-button 44 is pressed so that the roofsupporting rib ends can be released from the handle and the stick can be completely drawn apart or extended to again attain the condition shown in FIG. 1.

The hereinafter-described additional embodiments of our invention have in common with the embodiment of FIG. 4 that a ring extending into the groove 36 of the roof-supporting rib enlargement 34 serves as locking member for the roof-supporting rib ends, whereas the ring 42 in the embodiment of FIG. 4, however, is displaced axially to lock and unlock the rib ends, the additional embodiments are moved radially. For this purpose, the rings are in the form of snap rings which either spring radially inwardly, i.e. are reduced in diameter, or spring radially outwardly, i.e. are increased in diameter. These two ring forms are shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

The two

ring

52 and 54 of FIGS. 5 and 6 are snap rings which vary in diameter by elastic deformation. In contrast to simple snap rings, the separated ends of the ring bodies of theinvention overlap so that the closed, gapless geometrical ring shape of the snap rings is maintained independently of the respective diameter thereof, such as is for example the case with a key ring. Both of the rings illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 are hollow and are formed with an annular slot 51. One peripheral surface portion of the hollow profile of the

rings

52 and 54 is conical. The conical surface portion 53 of the ring 52 is at the outer periphery thereof, whereas the conical surface portion 55 of the ring 54 is at the inner periphery thereof. The conical

peripheral surface portions

53 and 55 are elastically yieldable. In hereinafter-described additional embodiments of the invention it will be found that the flexibility or yieldability of the conical surface portions is dispensed with, however. In each case, nevertheless, the

rings

52 and 54 are elastically deformable in that the diameter thereof can be varied by elastic deformation. Stop members can accordingly be provided for limiting the extent to which the diameter thereof is variable in length.

A snap ring 52, such as is shown in FIG. 5, is employed in the embodiment of FIG. 7. The embodiment of FIG. 7 corresponds to the embodiment of FIG. 4 in that an inwardly extending annular bulge or bead 41 is also provided therein, which engages in the respective grooves 36 of the roof-supporting rib enlargements or heads 34 in the locking condition of the ribs. As shown in FIG. 7, the lower peripheral edge 56 of the ring 52 which is mounted on the stick of the umbrella is located opposite the bulge 41. Balls or spheres 57, of which only one is shown in FIG. 7, prevent the snap ring 52, which is radially stressed in a direction to reduce its diameter, from yielding radially inwardly so that the roof-supporting rib ends are securely retained. The balls 57, as shown in FIG. are held by a releasing pin or pushbutton 58 formed with a conical surface 59. When the button or pin 58 is manually depressed against the bias of a compression spring 40, the conical surface 59 is moved into the vicinity of the balls 57 and provides greater clearance between the balls 57 and the pin 58 so that the balls 57 can yield radially inwardly toward the pin 58. The ring 52 is then similarly able to yield radially inwardly due to its prestressed state, thereby reducing its diameter, so that the spherical end portions 35 (FIG. 4) of the roof-supporting ribs are released. When the roof-supporting rib ends are inserted into the cap 37 of the umbrella handle, the balls 57 remain in the position shown in FIG. 7 and the diameter of the ring 52 does not change thereby. Therefore, the elastically yieldable surface portions 53 spring back under the biasing action of the spherical end portions 35 until these end portions 35 reach the locking position shown on the righthand side of FIG. 7. Otherwise, an umbrella frame having the construction shown in FIG. 7 is operated in the same manner as an umbrella frame such as that shown in FIGS. 1 to 4.

The embodiment of FIG. 8 utilizes a ring 54 such as is shown in FIG. 6 and represents a type of construction which is a kinematic reversal of that of the embodiment 8 shown in FIG. 7. Similar elements in FIGS. 7 and 8 are identified by the same reference numerals. A difference between the embodiment of FIGS. 7 and 8 is that in the embodiment of FIG. 8, the annular bulge 61 engaging in the grooves 36 of the roof-supporting rib enlargements 34 does not extend radially inwardly but rather radially outwardly, and the balls 57 consequently prevent the ring 54, which is prestressed in radially inward direction, from springing radially outwardly, as long as a slide ring 62 is not pulled manually toward the free end of the handle 64 against the biasing action of a lead spring 63, so that the balls 57 can pass into conical recesses 65 formed in the slide ring 62 and, thereby, free the snap ring 54 to radially increase the diameter thereof.

The three further illustrated embodiments are also provided with radially outwardly projecting bulges or beads 61 and corresponding snap rings 54 of the type shown in FIG. 6.

The embodiment of FIG. 9 is similar to that of FIG. 8. However, the snap ring 54 of FIG. 9 is prestressed in a radially inward direction and is increased in diameter in a direction opposite the prestressing direction when released by manually pulling a slide ring 62 toward the free end of the handle 64. An edge 66 of the slide ring 62 thereby engages the inclined flank or surface portion 55 (FIG. 6) of the snap ring 54. The axial lift or displacement of the slide ring 62 is limited by a pin 67 secured thereto which extends into a slot 68 formed in the handle body 64. The inclined inner peripheral surface ortion 55 of the snap ring 54 does not, in this case, have to be resiliently yieldable, because the ring 54 in its entirety springs radially outward when the roof-supporting rib heads 34 are inserted in the handle 64.

Both of the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 10 to 14 differ from the hereinbefore-described embodiments in that no axially displaceable member (pushbutton or slide ring) is provided as releasing member, but rather, a rotary ring is provided for that purpose.

The embodiments of FIGS. 10 to 12 are similar in construction to the embodiment shown in FIG. 9. The snap ring 54 is also provided, in the case of the embodiments in FIGS. 10 to 12, with a radially inwardly directed prestressed force and requires therewith no resilience or springiness of the conical flank or peripheral surface portion 55 because it yields in its entirety in a radially outward direction when the heads of the roof-supporting ribs are inserted in the hollow umbrella handle. On the outside of the handle body 64, there is mounted a ring 69, turnable by hand about the axis of the umbrella stick. The ring 69 is formed with a number of peripherally spaced openings 70 into which there projects a respective pin 71 secured to the snap ring 54. The pins 71 are formed with a shoulder 72 which abuts against an inclined surface 73 formed in the vicinity of a recess 74 provided in the handle body 64. When the ring 69 is turned manually, it entrains the pins 71 which accordingly slide with the shoulders 72 thereof on the associated inclined surfaces 73 and are thereby moved radially outwardly carrying the snap ring 54 accordingly in the same direction against the prestressing force applied thereto, so that the heads 34 of the roof-supporting ribs are freed. The angle of rotation of the ring 69 is limited by the pin 75 and slot 76 according to FIG. 12.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 13 and 14 there is again used a snap ring 54 having an inclined peripheral surface portion 55 (FIG. 6) which is elastically yieldable and thereby springs back when the roof-supporting rib heads 34 are inserted in the hollow umbrella handle so as to snap into the respective grooves 36 formed in the heads 34. The snap ring 54 is mounted in the handle body 62 by means of three pins 77 which are rigidly connected to the ring 54 but are displaceable, nevertheless, within three relatively short radially extending slots 78 formed in the handle body 62. The pins 77 all project into a rotary ring 79, which is provided for this purpose with slots 80 for respectively receiving the pins 77 therein. The slots 80 are inclined at a relatively sharp angle to the slots 78. By manually turning the ring 79, the pins 77 are thereby constrained to move radially outwardly within the slots 78. They accordingly draw the snap ring 54 therewith in the same radially outward direction so that it spreads out in this manner against the inwardly directed prestressing force applied thereto, and accordingly frees the heads 34 of the roof-supporting ribs.

The snap rings can have such a structure that the inherent elasticity thereof is sufficient for producing the required prestressing. It is also recommended that the resilience of the snap ring be provided in whole or in part by auxiliary springs which can have the form of slotted strips of spring sheet metal located at the periphery of the snap ring. Such auxiliary springs are provided in the embodiments of FIGS. 7, 8 and 13 and are designated by the reference numeral 81.

We claim:

1. Telescopic collapsible umbrella frame comprising a stick formed of telescoping portions, a plurality of roof-supporting ribs each having an innermost portion pivotally connected to an end of said stick, a center portion telescopically connected to said innermost portion and an outermost portion telescopically connected to said center portion, a runner slidably mounted on said stick and carrying a plurality of struts pivotally linked respectively with the center portion of said supporting ribs, means for locking said outermost and said innermost rib portions together in extended condition thereof, a handle located at the end of said stick opposite the end thereof at which said roof-supporting ribs are connected, said outermost portions of said roof-supporting ribs having an enlargement at the respective free ends thereof receivable, in the extended condition of the rib portions, within a space formed in said handle, said handle being provided with locking means yieldably engageable by the leading end of said enlargements as said enlargements are inserted in the space formed in said handle and adapted to snap back behind the trailing end of said enlargements as said enlargements are inserted further into said space, so as to lock said enlargements in said handle, and manual means for unlocking said locking means, said locking means comprising a cap formed with an annular bulge, and a resilient spacer ring defining with said annular bulge an annular space surrounding said enlargements of said roof-supporting ribs in locked condition thereof, said spacer ring being mounted for displacement in the axial direction of said umbrella stick, and pushbutton means located at the free end of said handle and operatively engageable with said spacer ring for releasing said roof-supporting rib enlargements from the locked condition thereof.

2. Telescopic collapsible umbrella frame comprising a stick formed of telescoping portions, a plurality of roofsupporting ribs each having an innermost portion pivotally connected to an end of said stick, a center portion telescopically connected to said innermost portion and an outermost portion telescopically connected to said center portion a runner slidably mounted on said stick and carrying a plurality of struts pivotally linked respectively with the center portion of said supporting ribs, means for locking said outermost and said innermost rib portions together in extended condition thereof, a handle located at the end of said stick opposite the end thereof at which said roof-supporting ribs are connected, said outermost portions of said roof-supporting ribs having an enlargement at the respective free ends thereof receivable, in the extended condition of the rib portions, within a space formed in said handle, said handle being provided with locking means yieldably engageable by the leading end of said enlargements as said enlargements are inserted in the space formed in said handle and adapted to snap back behind the trailing end of said enlargements as said enlargements are inserted further into said space, so as to lock said enlargements in said handle, and manual means for unlocking said locking means, said locking means comprising a cap formed with an annular bulge, and a resilient spacer ring defining with said annular bulge an annular space surrounding said enlargements of said roof-supporting ribs in locked condition thereof, said spacer ring being a radially resilient snap ring engageable with the rib enlargements opposite said annular bulge in locked condition of said enlargements, and manually actuatable releasing means carried by said handle for freeing said enlargements from said locked condition thereof.

3. Telescopic collapsible umbrella frame according to claim 2, wherein said snap ring is radially prestressed in said locked condition and is adapted to spring back under the action of said radial prestressing when said releasing means is actuated to free said locked enlargements.

4. Telescopic collapsible umbrella frame according to claim 2, wherein said snap ring is radially prestressed in said locked condition and is adapted to spring radially outwardly under the action of said radial prestressing when said releasing means is actuated to free said locked enlargements.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 784,952 3/1905 Mabee -44 868,326 10/1907 Casale 135-44 995,124 6/ 1911 Finerty 135-44 1,738,267 12/1929 Theodoropulos 135-26 1,902,395 3/1933 Cornic 135-44 1,957,678 5/1934 Staby 135-44 2,405,044 7/ 1946 Montalvo 135-44 2,772,685 12/1956 Koch 135-26 PETER M. CAUN, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 135-20