US3799180A - Umbrella handle - Google Patents

Abstract

The handle of the umbrella telescopes on the stick in order to reduce the overall length of the stick and handle when the umbrella is collapsed to a closed condition. Snap catch means are provided near the bottom of the bore defined in the handle to engage a flange at the end of the stick and retain the handle in a telescoped condition relative to the stick and snap catch means are provided near the top opening of the handle to engage the flange of the stick and retain the handle in an extended position relative to the stick.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 Weber Mar. 26, 1974 UMBRELLA HANDLE 3,678,949 7/1972 Weber 135/25 x [75] inventor: Heinz Weber Hilden, Germany 1,706,922 3/1929 Gundel 135/25 R [73] Assignee: Telesco Brophey Limited, East Primary Examiner Karl Bel] Montreal, Quebec, Canada Attorney, Agent, or FirmRobert E. Mitchell; Alan 22 Filed: June 14, 1972 Swabey 21 A l. N 262 737 1 pp 0 57 ABSTRACT [30] Foreign Applicafion Priority Data The handle of the umbrella telescopes on the stick in J 15 1971 G 2129559 order to reduce the overall length of the stick and many handle when the umbrella is collapsed to a closed condition. Snap catch means are provided near the bot- 135/20 135/46 tom of the bore defined in the handle to engage a [58] 26 37 38 flange at the end of the stick and retain the handle in le 0 earc a telescoped condition relative to the stick and snap catch means are provided near the top opening of the handle to engage the flange of the stick and retain the [56] SZZE SZE handle in an extended position relative to the stick. 1,707,910 4/1929 Haupt 135/44 x 4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENIEBIARZWN 3.799.180

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FIG. 5

UMBRELLA HANDLE BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 1. Field of Invention The present invention relates to a telescopic umbrella and particularly to a handle adapted to be telescoped relative to the stick.

2. Description of Prior Art In the development of the telescopic umbrella, the aim has been to reduce the size of the umbrella as much as possible when the umbrella is in a closed storing position, while maintaining provisions of stability and size when the umbrella is in an open position, similar to a non-telescopic umbrella.

In applicants copending applications, United States Ser. No. 090,967, filed Nov. 19, 1970, Heinz Weber now US. Pat. No. 3,678,949, and Ser. No. l64,736, filed July 21, 197], Heinz Weber, there is described a handle which can be telescoped on the stick. In the former application, the handle slides relative to the flange on the end of the umbrella stick, but no locking means are provided for locking the handle in an open or-telescoped position. In the latter application, sophisticated locking means are provided in the flange attached to the stick and cooperating with catch means in the handle. These locking means which include various types of spring devices engage the catch means in the handle, either in the fully extended position or in the umbrella closed position.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION It is an aim of the present invention to provide a telescopic handle relative to an umbrella stick which is an improvement over the above devices and which is more simple and economic to manufacture.

In a construction in accordance with the present invention, the handle is provided with a bore and the umbrella stick is hollow and the stick mounts a flange having a periphery corresponding to the cross section of the bore of the handle, such that the wall of the bore of the handle will be in sliding cooperation with the periphery of the flange. There is a guide stem extending from the bottom wall of the handle and extending within the hollow stick. The wall of the bore of the handle includes chamfered projections extending inwardly of the bore, near the open end of the handle and near the bottom end of the handle. The periphery of the flange is adapted to engage the chamfered projections and be locked therewith. Snap action is provided by the inherent resiliency of the wall of the handle.

In a more specific embodiment of the present invention, the guide stem is reinforced by the provision of a tubular metal sleeve fitted over the stem and adapted to engage, in sliding engagement, the inner surface of the hollow stick end.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Having thus generally described the nature of the invention, it shall be described in more detail, with particular reference to the accompanying drawings, showing by way of illustration, preferred embodiments thereof and in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view in side elevation of an umbrella in an open position;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the umbrella showing a detail of the handle;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the handle shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross. section taken along lines IV-IV of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged vertical cross section taken along lines VV of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1, the umbrella, a flat umbrella in the present embodiment, that is, where the crown is of somewhat rectangular shape, is provided with a telescopic stick 1 and a flattened handle 2 arranged on the stick section I.

The stick section 1 which is hollow mounts a flange 45 having an integral sleeve 48 force fitted onto the end of the stick section 1. The flange 45 is adapted to slide in a bore 46 defined in the handle 2. The periphery of the flange 45 corresponds to the cross section of the bore 46 in the handle 2 with little clearance therebetween, only sufficient to reduce friction when the handle is being slid relative to the flange 45. A guide pin 47 molded integrally with the bottom wall 2' of the handle 2 slides within the hollow stick 1'. The bottom wall 2' includes a separate cap member including projections 71 fitted into recesses 72 in the wall of the handle 2.

The sleeve 48 includes an axial slot 73 adapted to accommodate the locking lever 51 of a main runner 41 when the umbrella is collapsed.

A metal stabilizing tube 74 extends over the whole length of the guide stem 47 and is fixed to the bottom wall 2 by means of a flange 75. The metal tube 74 engages the inner surface of the stick section 1' and reduces wear of the guide stem 47, thereby reducing the free play of the handle relative to the stick section 1'. This relatively stable guidance of the elements is necessary to provide proper functioning of the snap type lock. Catch projections 55 are provided at the upper end of the bore of the handle 2, that is, on inner wall 2" and are molded integrally with the material of the wall of the handle. Each catch projection 55 has chamfered surfaces 56 and 57 and the angle of the chamfered surface 56 is steeper than that of chamfered surface 57.

Projections 55 cooperate directly with the edges 54 of the flange 45. The necessary spring force for the snap type catch is derived from the inherent resiliency of the wall of the handle (molded plastic). The edges 54 of the flange 45 are also slightly chamfered at 76 so as to allow the initial movement of the telescoping of the handle onto the stick. There are abutments provided in the upper corners of the bore 46 and are identified by the numeral 77 as shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. These abutments 77 prevent the handle from being removed completely from the stick and also provide little or no play of the handle relative to the stick when the handle is locked by means of the projections 55 in the upper extended position.

These abutments 77 are chamfered on the top side thereof at 77' to facilitate the entrance of the handle onto the stick allowing the flange to be forced into the handle, but the abutments are flat on the underside thereof so as to prevent the handle from being removed.

Additional catch projections 58 are provided which are similar to catch projections 55 and are provided near the bottom of the bore 46. These are similarly equipped with chamfered surfaces 59 and 60. Alternatively, the bottom portion of the bore may be provided with a friction-tight fit with the flange.

I claim:

In an mb ll fr hav n slesspnis st qkanfl, a handle provided with an axial bore, the umbrella stick having an integral flange at a lower portion having a periphery corresponding to the cross section of the axial bore of the handle and in telescoped relation within in the bore of the handle such that the wall of the bore of the handle will be in sliding cooperation with the periphery of the flange a guide stem extending axially from the bottom of the bore of the handle and extending within the lower portion of the hollow stick; the wall of the bore of the handle including axially spaced chamfered projections extending inwardly of the bore near the open end of the handle and near the bottom of the bore of the handle; the periphery of the flange being engageable with the chamfered projections and functioning to be locked therewith when the handle is in either a telescoped position or when the handle is in a fully extended position; and means to retain the flange in said handle above the topmost projections.

2. An umbrella handle as defined in claim 1 wherein the flange of the stick engages the projections to be locked therewith in a snap action, said handle having inherent resiliency providing said snap action.

3. An umbrella handle as defined in claim 1 wherein the inwardly extending projections have a first axially sloped surface extending from within the bore axially outwardly, and a second sloped surface from direction without the bore, axially inwardly, the second sloped surface being steeper than the first sloped surface.

4. An umbrella handle as defined in claim 1 wherein the guide stem is reinforced by an outer tubular metal sleeve fitted thereover which is adapted to slidably engage the inner surface of the hollow stick.

Claims (4)

1. An an umbrella frame having a telescopic stick and a handle provided with an axial bore, the umbrella stick having an integral flange at a lower portion having a periphery corresponding to the cross section of the axial bore of the handle and in telescoped relation within in the bore of the handle such that the wall of the bore of the handle will be in sliding cooperation with the periphery of the flange , a guide stem extending axially from the bottom of the bore of the handle and extending within the lower portion of the hollow stick; the wall of the bore of the handle including axially spaced chamfered projections extending inwardly of the bore near the open end of the handle and near the bottom of the bore of the handle; the periphery of the flange being engageable with the chamfered projections and functioning to be locked therewith when the handle is in either a telescoped position or when the handle is in a fully extended position; and means to retain the flange in said handle above the topmost projections.

2. An umbrella handle as defined in claim 1 wherein the flange of the stick engages the projections to be locked therewith in a snap action, said handle having inherent resiliency providing said snap action.

3. An umbrella handle as defined in claim 1 wherein the inwardly extending projections have a first axially sloped surface extending from within the bore axially outwardly, and a second sloped surface from direction without the bore, axially inwardly, the second sloped surface being steeper than the first sloped surface.

4. An umbrella handle as defined in claim 1 wherein the guide stem is reinforced by an outer tubular metal sleeve fitted thereover which is adapted to slidably engage the inner surface of the hollow stick.

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