Umbrella

[57] ABSTRACT

An umbrella having a frame and a canopy which is open to an approximate elliptical shape, such as to accommodate two people. The frame includes dome ribs hinged to a crown wherein the dome ribs have extended lengths along the major axis of the so-formed ellipse and shortened lengths along the minor axis of the so-formed ellipse. There are stretcher members hinged to a main sliding runner on the stick with lengths corresponding to the lengths of the dome ribs and there are two groups of strut members hinged to the stretcher members and to the respective hinge areas on the stick wherein at least one group of the strut members is hinged to a sliding runner for relative movement away from the other roup of struts hinged at an area of the stick and arranged such that when the umbrella is closed, the telescoped dome ribs are of substantially equal length.

Claims, 7 Drawing Figures

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SHEET 20F 6

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PATENTEDSEP24I974 3.837.352

SHEET 30F β

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PATENTED SEP 241374 3,837,352

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PATENTED SEP241974

3,837,352

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PATENTED KP24I974

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3,837,352

UMBRELLA

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to an umbrella and more particularly to an umbrella which opens to a dome of substantially elliptical shape to accommodate, for instance, two or more people.

2. Description of Prior Art

Most umbrellas produced today are for singular use and, therefore, the dome is of substantially circular outline.

There are umbrellas having domes which are approximately of oval or elliptical outline, such as described in German Pat. No. 29,894 in which the construction is such that the ends of the dome ribs and the ends of the support member form two substantially concentric ellipses. An umbrella of this type can be used by at least two people in view of the elliptical shape. However, when the umbrella is being closed, the longer dome ribs are not fully telescoped, but must be brought home manually. Similarly, when opening the umbrella, the sections of the longer dome ribs must be extended individually and stops must be arranged inside the dome rib sections to prevent the outer sections from being retracted too far.

A further development of an elliptical dome type of umbrella has been proposed in German Utility Model Pat. No. 1,214,232, wherein the crown of the umbrella extends in a diametric elongated fashion and has narrow side walls so that those dome ribs hinged at the end of the major axis of the crown extend further out from the stick than those dome ribs hinged to the sides of the crown. However, in such an umbrella where an elliptical shape is required, the width of the closed umbrella would be too wide since it takes up the width of the crown. Since the frame described in this Utility Model is of the telescopic type, the resulting umbrella is highly complex and difficult to manipulate.

Finally, in German Pat. No. 849,744, a 10 rib elliptical dome is shown, wherein the dome ribs along the major axis are substantially longer than the dome ribs along the minor axis. The difference in the distances travelled by the outer sections of the dome ribs makes it necessary to hinge the struts at different distances from the inner connecting point between the outer dome rib sections and the stretcher member hinged to the main runner. The struts are hinged to the umbrella stick and the sections of the stretcher members extending beyond the hinge point, therefore, act as control arms in extending or retracting the dome rib sections. This arrangement requires three groups of ribs, stretcher members and struts, all differing from each other in length by a substantial amount. This tends to produce difficulties in operating the umbrella and especially in the force required to operate it.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

It is an aim of the present invention to provide an umbrella of this type which is simiple to manufacture and operate.

The umbrella of the present invention has a substantially elliptical shape which is centrally controlled and provides substantial head room.

A construction in accordance with the present invention includes an umbrella stick, a crown at one end of the stick, dome ribs hinged to the crown, the dome ribs being of a length, such that the locus of the tips of the dome ribs in the extended position is substantially an ellipse, having a major axis and a minor axis, the dome 5 ribs extending along the major axis being of a length greater than the dome ribs extending along the minor axis, a main runner slidable on the stick, stretcher members having lengths proportional to the length of the dome ribs hinged to the main runner and to the 10 dome ribs, strut members hinged to a respective stretcher member, the other ends of each strut member hinged to a stretcher member connected to a dome rib along the major axis being hinged in an area in one common radial plane, the strut members hinged to the 15 stretcher members connected to the dome ribs extending along the minor axis being hinged to a runner which is movable away from the group of hinge points of the strut members relating to the major axis, such that when the main runner is moved away from the crown, 20 the struts and stretcher members of the first group retract the outer dome rib sections of the dome ribs along the major axis over a greater distance than the stretcher members and struts of the second group retract the dome rib sections of the dome ribs along the minor ²⁵ axis.

Having thus generally described the nature of the invention, reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, showing by way of illustration, preferred embodiments thereof, and in which:

³⁰ FIG. 1 is a side elevation of an erected umbrella taken in the direction of its minor axis;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the umbrella shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevation of details of the um³⁵ brella in an open position;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the umbrella in a substantially closed position;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of an umbrella taken along the minor axis of an umbrella incorporating a different ^4U embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary enlarged view, partly in cross section of details of the umbrella shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary enlarged view of details of the umbrella shown in FIG. 5 with the umbrella in an ⁴³ erected position.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings, the umbrella is shown having a stick 1 which can be made as a rigid or as a ^υ telescopic stick, and with a crown 2 fixed at one end thereof and a handle 3 at the other end.

In the present embodiment, the crown 2 and handle 3 have a somewhat rectangular flat cross section in plan ₅₅ view so as to give a rectangular flat cross section to the closed stowed package formed by the umbrella. Hinged to the umbrella crown 2 are eight dome ribs 4. Each dome rib 4 has a flattened hinged end 8 and is adapted to pivot about a continuous wire 6 in a peripheral slot ₆₀ 5 in the crown 2. The slot 5 intersects with slot 7 in which the ends 8 of the dome ribs 4 pivot. The dome ribs 4 are arranged such that they form acute angles with a major axis x—x and a minor axis y—respectively of the elliptical shape of the locus defined by the end ₆₅ tips 4' of the dome ribs 4 as shown in FIG. 2. The dome ribs 4 which are adjacent the major axis x—x are substantially longer than the dome ribs 4 which are adjacent the minor axis y—y.

3,837,352

For the purposes of description, the longer dome ribs which are adjacent the major axis x—x will be referred to as group I, while the dome ribs adjacent the minor axis y—y will be referred to as group 11. Each dome rib of groups I and II includes an inner dome rib section 4 and a telescopic outer section 4.

Referring now to FIG. 3, it is noted that each dome rib 4 is supported by a supporting structure which includes a main runner 10 sliding on the stick 1. Stretcher members 9 are pivoted to the runner 10 within an axially-extending slot intersected by a peripheral slot 12 in which is provided a continuous hinge wire 13 passing through the flattened end of the stretcher members 9. The other end of each stretcher member 9 is hinged to a hinge pin 14 subtending the legs of a geats 15 which is adapted to slide on dome rib section 4'. As in conventional telescopic dome ribs, the outer section 4 is also connected to the hinge pin 14. Finally, anchor openings 16 are provided in the geats 15 for anchoring sections of the canopy which will be supported by the dome ribs. A sleeve 17 is provided on the end of the inner dome rib section 4' to act as a stop member for the geats 15.

A first flange 20 is provided on the stick 1 spaced from the crown 2. The flange 20 is constructed like a runner and includes a peripheral slot 19 to which a continuous hinge wire passes. Strut members 18, hinged to the stretcher members of group I are each hinged to the flange 20. Incidentally, the flange 20 is fixed to the stick by means of a pin 21 passing diametrically through the stick. An auxiliary runner Hl is provided for sliding movement on the stick 1 between the main runner 10 and the flange 20. Strut members 18' are hinged to the flange 24 of runner Η1 at one end thereof and to the stretcher members 9 of group II. The strut members 18 are, of course, considerably longer than the strut members 18'.

When the umbrella is closed (referring to FIG. 4), the hinge points of the struts and stretcher members of group 11 move away from the respective hinge points of group I. This separates the closing operation into two phases which simplifies the operation of the umbrella and when the main runner 10 is moved towards the handle, the shorter dome ribs in group II immediately begin to pivot downwardly. Since this also causes the auxiliary runner Hl to move downwardly, the dome ribs of group II will not immediately begin to telescope. However, since the hinging of the struts 18 to the flange 20 is fixed relative to the stick, the struts 18 will cause the stretcher members 9 to pivot upwardly about the hinge point 22 forcing the outer sections 4 of the longer dome ribs 4 of group I to telescope. This action allows the covering material to fold properly, at least that portion of it which is held by the dome ribs in group I. Once the dome rib sections 4 of group I have been substantially retracted in the sections 4', the dome ribs of group I will begin to pivot downwardly and fold against the stick 1.

In order to open the umbrella, a reverse sequence is followed when the main runner 10 is simply moved upwardly towards the crown. The dome ribs of group I will reach their erected positions before the dome ribs 4 of group II start to pivot upwardly, thereby allowing the covering material to unfurl itself and open properly.

A further unexpected result is derived from this particular shape of umbrella in that the dome ribs of group

II along the minor axis of the ellipse bow less than the dome ribs of group I since they are shorter and, therefore, the canopy extends downwardly less in this area than at the ends of the dome ribs of group I, allowing a better visibility.

Referring to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the same general construction of umbrella is shown with the exception that an auxiliary runner H2 is provided replacing the fixed flange 20 in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4. Auxiliary runner H2 includes a locking pawl 28 adapted to pivot about a pivot pin 38 within an opening 32 in the side of the runner H2. The locking pawl has a locking projection 29 adapted to engage an opening in the stick when the runner, while being opened, reaches an intermediate position shown in FIG. 6. However, the auxiliary runner Hl has a bevelled surface which is adapted to engage a cam surface 39 as the auxiliary runner Hl moves upwardly during the opening sequence to disengage the locking projection 29 from the aperture 30 in the stick 1 and allow the runner H2 to move up to a position abutting the crown 6 as shown in FIG. 7, which is preferable when the umbrella is erected.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 5 to 7, the stick 1 is a telescopic stick having sections 42 and 43. The aperture 30 would be in the section 43. A spring-biased locking means 41 maintains the stick in its extended position.

In closing the umbrella from the position shown in FIG. 7, the main runner 10 is moved downwardly and runners Hl and H2 follow the main runner whereby all the dome ribs will begin to fold downwardly. As the runner H2 arrives at the position of the aperture 30, the projection 29 will enter the aperture and lock the runner, thereby causing the dome ribs of group I to stop pivoting downwardly and whereby the outer sections of these dome ribs will be retracted, as described in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4. Once the main runner has been pulled down as far as it will go, pressure can be applied to the stick whereby the section 42 will telescope into the section 41 and will disengage the locking projection 29, thereby allowing the runner H2 to move back upwardly towards the crown in the final movement whereby the dome ribs will continue to telescope to shorten the whole umbrella.