US3538928A - Collapsible umbrella - Google Patents

Description

United States Patent 1 1 3,538,928

721 inventors io 2,172,549 9/1939 Solomon 135/201 KlngsPolnt; 2,625,946 [/1953 KastonetaL. l/20.l

Beh zlI-ayL s a York 2,736,329 2/1956 Cornellier 135/201 211 A LNo. 766,564 2,753,878 7/1956 Malberstam. 135/201 1221 Filed Oct-10,1968 2,810,391 10/1957 Jones 135/201 Patented Nov-10.19 0 2,827,066 3/1958 Nussbaumer 135/201 1 Assisnee y direcland mesne assignmenlsdo 3,053,266 9/1962 Burns 135/201 International Patents & Development Corp., a corporation of Delaware [54] COLLAPSIBLE UMBRELLA 11 Claims, 9 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. Cl. 135/20 [51] Int. Cl. A45b 19/02, A45b 25/06 Field ofSearch /201 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 883,277 3/1908 Bellis 135/201 1,397,789 11/1921 Stonestreet 135/201 Primary Examiner- Peter M. Caun ArtorneySparrow and Sparrow ABSTRACT: A miniaturized collapsible umbrella which may be conveniently carried in the pocket of the user. The protective or shielding member has a plurality of air ducts which when filled with compressed air become rigid and expand the member to provide protection against the rain. The compressed air is derived from the handle comprised of a plurality of tubes titted telescopically into each other. The handle is simultaneously used as an air pump for providing the compressed air. When in use, the handle is fully extended, whereas it is contracted through its telescopic construction, when not In use.

'and shows the construction ol the air ducts; I

COLLAPSIBLE UMBRELLA BACKGROUND or THE INVENTION Umbrellas for the protection against rain have. heretofore,

been inconvenient to curry during the time when no rain a small distance above the ground. This design of umbrellas, in

the past, has made them inconvenient to carry along and has caused persons to risk rain rather than be burdened with the carrying of an umbrella. Because of this inconvenience in carrying such umbrellas, furthermore, these items are often lost because they must be placed down if freedom of the hands becomes necessary. Thisinconvenience anddisadvantage are overcome by the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE'INVENTION A miniaturized collapsible umbrella which uses compressed air for spreading the umbrella andproviding a protective surface against rain. The protective member includes a plurality of air ducts into which compressed air is forced for the purpose of spreading and making rigid the member. The compressed air is provided by a telescopic handle which functions as an air pump while simultaneously permitting contraction,

when not in use. A check valve is providedin the handle, by whichthe latter muy function effectively as a manual air pump. When the umbrellaisnotin use, the protective material is loldcdwithinrtltc bundle, which is then telescopically contracted. Whentheumbrella'isto be used, the'materiul is'taken from' its compartment within the handle, and 'the external end tube of the handle is moved in a reciprocating manner to provide pumpingactionfor'theair. The compressed air is forced from within the interior of the handle into the air ducts of the protective material so as to provide an effective shield against the rain.

is an objectaof the present invention to provide an umbrella which, when not in use, may,be carried conveniently within the pocket orpurseofthe user. It is further an o'bjectof the presentinvention to extend spread the umbrella surface without the use of the conventional metal rods or ribs,which add to the space and'we'ight of ples certain embodiments according to'the invention;

In the following descriptionund'in the claims, parts will be identified by specific names for convenience, but suchnames are-intended to be as generic in their application tosimilar parts as the'artwill permit. liike reference charactersdenote like parts in-the several FIGS. ofthe drawing, in which F IG. lis a top view of the umbrella, and shows theylayout of the air ducts bywhich' the umbrella surface is made rigid;

FIG. Z'Iis a sectional end view taken'along line 2-2 inFlG. 1,

FIG. 3is a'sectional viewitaken alongline 3-3in FIG. land showsthe construction by'which-air is distributed to the air ducts;

FIGQ4 is a sectional view through the-axis of the umbrella handle and shows the construction by which the handle is made telescopic;

FIGIS is an exterior view of the handle ofFlG.4;

FIG. 6' is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 4, and shows the design of theend of the handle;

FIG. 7 isa sectionalview and shows the construction of the check valve for adapting the handle to an air pump;

advantages will FIG. 8 is an isometric view of a portion of the innermost telescopic tube and a ring element by which the umbrella surface becomes appropriately curved; and 1 FIG. 9 shows the umbrella in open condition.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawing, the protective member of the umbrella, in accordance with the present invention, has a single ply 10 of material such as mylar or similar such waterproof material. The borderline of the material 10 is cut in the form of a polygon shown an as an eight-sided FIG. in the drawing. The larger the number'of sides on the polygon, the closer the outline of the border approaches a circle. It is also quite feasible to arrange the border line of the material 10 in the form of a circle for the purpose of the present invention. Leading from the center of the polygon to the vertices, are ducts 14. These ducts are generated by applying a second ply onto the first ply 10. The construction of the duct 14 may be seen by referring to FIG. 2a. Thus, a second ply 16 is secured to the first ply 10 through two seams. The second ply 16 is not seamed flat to the first ply 10, but is, instead, secured to the latter so as to leave an opening 20 for the air duct, by providing the curved portion 18 on the second'ply. FIG. 2b shows another alternate construction for the air duct 14 in which the second ply 16 is shaped so as to provide a more flattened contour for the wall of the air'duct.

Communicating with the air ducts [4 at the center of the an air space 24, therebetween, as shown in FIG. 3. The air space 24 is formedby sealing or seaming a second ply 26 onto the first ply 10 around the center of the polygon. For the purpose of designating-a dimensional-relationship in the drawing, the diameter of the central distributing portion 22 may be of the order of 8 inches, whereas 42 inches may prevail from .vertax to vertex of the polygon. The central distributing portion 22 communicates with allof'the air ducts 14, and distributes compressed air to-these air ducts.

When such compressed air is forced into the air ducts 14 from the central distributing portion22, the polygon assumes a rigid FIG. in which the first ply 10 lies in a flat plane. The source of the compressed air is derived from the handle 28 of the umbrella whichcommunicates at one end, with the central portion 22.

The'handle 28 is of telescopic design of several tubes, slideable within each other. The interior construction of the handle 28 is shownin FIG. 4. In its contracted or compacted form, the handle consistsof a'plurality of tubes, each one having an external diameter somewhat smaller than the internal diameter of the adjacent tube. into which it is inserted. Thus, the

outer tube of the handle 28 may have an outside diameter of overall length of 7 /4 inches and a weight of approximately half when the umbrella is not in use. Thus, the member 11 lies folded within the space 44 when the umbrella is in the contracted or unextended state. The construction is shown in FIG. 6.

Compressed air is generated by using the handle in the form of an air pump. When the handle is fully extended, the internal air volume within the tubes of the telescopic handle is maximum. This air volume may then be reduced by partially contracting the handle. Once this air volume is thus reduced, and no air is permitted to escape from within the interior of the handle, during the contracting process of the handle, the pressure of the air must-necessarily increase. Therefore, by repeatedly and successively extending and contracting the bandle, air under pressure or compressed air may be generated within the interior of the handle. This compressed air is admitted to the central distributing portion 22 which communicates with the interior of the handle, and the compressed air is distributed from there to the ducts 14. A rubber plug 46 or similar such material, serves to seal the internal air chamber. An end cap 48 is secured to the end of the outer tube 30 after assembly of the handle.

For the purpose of permitting air to enter the interior of the handle when the latter is extended-forcing, thereby, the internal air volume to expand and to prevent the air from escaping to the exterior when the handle is contracted-a check valve 50 is provided. The latter is situated on the tube 30 as shown in FIG. 7. An opening 52 communicates between the interior of the tube and the exterior thereof. A plastic disc 54 covers the opening 52 and the inside wall of the tube 30. One or a plurality of flexible bands 56 hold the plastic disc 54 in place. These flexible bands 56 are made of flexible material such as rubber, to allow for the elongation and contraction of the bands. When the handle is extended and the air volume within the handle is increased, the air pressure within the handle becomes rarifled or drops below the ambient pressure exterior to the tube 30. As a result, air mass will flow through the opening 52, past the disc 54, and into the interior of the bandle. The air flow is not obstructed by the plastic disc 54, because any pressure of the latter against the flexible bands 66 will cause the latter to yield and the disc 54 to separate from the opening 52. When, afterwards, the handle becomes contracted for the purpose of generating compressed air, the volume within the interior of the handle is reduced, and this raises the internal pressure of the air. The increased air pressure acts upon the disc 54 and causes the latter to bear sealingly against the opening 52, and thereby prevents any mass of air from escaping through the opening 52 during the pumping action. Thus, when the handle is successively contracted and expanded, air can only flow into the handle and not out of the handle. As a result, air becomes compressed within the interior of the handle and is forced into the air ducts 14 of the protective member 11. When compressed air is admitted into the ducts 14, the member 11 becomes rigid and the ply assumes a planar surface. For the purpose of curving this surface into a convex surface, when viewing the top surface of the member 11, to permit the rain to drain off the umbrella surface, hooks are provided on the ply 10. These hooks are distributed along the member 11, preferably so that each duct 14 is provided with one hook. Connected to these hooks 15 are nylon cords which terminate in a ring member 60. The latter has a bent-over edge or rim 62, which fits into a groove 39 of the internal telescopic tube 38. When the edge 62 resides within the groove 39, the cords 58 are of such length whereby they force the member 11 to assume a curved surface by pulling downward the hooks 15, when the handle is in a vertical position. Thus, the cords 58 are secured to the ring 60 at the points 59, and are made sufficiently short so that the ring when pulled downward so as to fit into the groove 39, forces the member 11 to assume the desired convex surface mentioned above.

For the purpose of permitting the user to slide the ring 60 readily along the tube 30, for assembly and disassembly of the umbrella, notches 64 are provided. These notches located at the top edge or rim and the lower edge of the ring 60, are related to each other so that they permit the ring 60 to assume a flexible diameter. Thus, by applying light pressure to the ring 60 through, for example the fingers of the user, the diameter of the ring 60 may be made to increase or decrease in size. In the nonnal state of the ring 60, in which case no pressure is applied to it, the bottom edge 62 is designed so as to fit securely within the groove 39. When it is desired to release the ring 60 from being held within the groove 39, light pressure is applied to the top edge of the ring 60. As a result of the groove 64, the top edge is permitted to contract, and this results, at the same time, in an increase in the diameter of the lower bent-over edge 62 residing in the groove 39. With this increase in the diameter of the edge 62, the latter slides out of the groove 39 and relieves the tension in the cords 58, after which the umbrella may be disassembled or repackaged into its miniaturized form. For the purpose of permitting the compressed air to flow out of the air ducts l4, preparatory to disassembly of the umbrella an air outlet 66 is provided. The latter acts as a simple check valve which may be actuated manually by the user so as to cause an opening into the compressed air space and permit the air to flow out to the exterior.

When the compressed air has been discharged from the air ducts 14, the member H is returned to its nonrigid state, so that it may again be folded within the handle and thereby permit disassemble or collapse the umbrella. The border of the member 11 is reinforced through, for example, a nylon cord 68 sewn or secured to the base ply 10. For the purpose of facilitating the folding of the material of the member 11 into the handle, when the umbrella is not in use, the handle 28 may be of split design, in which case the outer tube 30 is in the form of two separate halves which may be taken apart for packing the member 11 into the space 44. In such a design the tube 30 is parted along the parting line 30a.

While the invention has been in described and illustrated with respect to a certain preferred example which gives satisfactory results, it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the principle of the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and it is intended therefor in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications.

We claim:

1. A compactable umbrella comprising, in combination, a telescopic handle having, a plurality of tubes telescopically assembled to each other so that the length of said handle may be varied by moving any two adjacent tubes in series relative to each other; a protective shielding member with a plurality of gas ducts distributed throughout the area ofsaid member, said shielding member becoming rigid when compressed gas is admitted into said gas ducts and becoming flexible when said compressed gas is discharged from said ducts, said shielding member being secured to said handle with said gas ducts communicating with the interior of said handle; and valve means on said handle whereby repeated contraction and expansion of said telescopic handle along its longitudinal axis forces compressed gas into said gas ducts and thereby generates a rigid protective shielding member; means for curving said protective shielding member when said ducts contain compressed gas, said means for curving said protective shielding member comprising a ring member movable along said telescopic handle, and a plurality of cords connected between said ring member and said shielding member, whereby curvature is imparted to said shielding member so that water falling thereon will readily drain off, said ring member having a flexible diameter cooperating with a groove on said telescopic handle, said ring member being insertable into said groove and removable therefrom through the application of substantially light pressure against said ring member.

2. The compactable umbrella as defined in claim 1 wherein a space prevails between the outermost tube and its adjacent telescopic tube for storing said shielding member when free from compressed gas.

3. The eompactable umbrella as defined in claim 1 including distributing passage means communicating with said gas ducts and the interior of said telescopic handle for distributing compressed gas to said ducts in said protective shielding member.

4. The compactable umbrella as defined in claim 1 wherein the border of said protective shielding member is in form of a polygon, said gas ducts extending between the central portionof said polygon and the vertices of said polygon.

5. The compactable umbrella as defined in claim 4 wherein said gas ducts are closed at the ends in proximity of said vertices.

6. The compactable umbrella as defined in claim 1 wherein said protective shielding member comprises a single ply water- 8. The umbrella as defined in claim 10 wherein said valve is on the outer one of said plurality. of telescopically assembled tubes.

9. The compactable umbrella as defined in claim 1 including a pocket clip on the outer one of said plurality of telescopically assembled tubes for securing said umbrella to the pocket of a user.

10. The umbrella as defined in claim 9 wherein said outer tube is pen-shaped so that when said umbrella is in compacted state wherein said handle is contracted, a said compacted umbrella resembles a pen-shaped article with pocket clip for carrying said article within the pocket of a user.

11. The umbrella as defined in claim 1 wherein said ring member has a flange-shaped rim for insertion into said groove and a plurality of V-shaped notches whereby said flangeshaped rim is expandable through application of substantially light pressure against said ring member, said flange-shaped rim returning to a contracted state upon removal of said pressure.

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