Patent ID: 6758229
Filing Date: 2004-07-06
Classification: A45B

Abstract:
An umbrella frame device for spreading and collapsing a canopy, comprising:an elongate stem having an outer surrounding stem surface which extends along and which surrounds an axis in an axial direction, said outer surrounding stem surface having an upper end portion on which the canopy is adapted to be mounted, a lower end portion, and a middle portion between said upper and lower end portions; a protuberance disposed on said middle portion adjacent to said upper end portion, extending in the axial direction, and having a slideway thereon, said slideway terminating at an upper edge that forms a shoulder with said middle portion, said shoulder extending inwardly and radially of said upper edge; a tubular runner sleeved on and movable relative to said stem between upper and lower positions for spreading and collapsing the canopy, said runner having inner and outer surrounding runner surfaces opposite to each other in radial directions relative to the axis, said outer surrounding runner surface having a slot which extends radially through said inner surrounding runner surface, said inner surrounding runner surface being movable along said slideway; a retaining member having a retaining end which is disposed to be movable radially in said slot and extendable inwardly of said inner surrounding runner surface to slidably contact said slideway, said retaining end being brought to slip over said upper edge so as to be retained on said shoulder when said inner surrounding runner surface is moved along said slideway relative to the axis from a disengaging position which corresponds to the lower position, to an engaging position which corresponds to the upper position; a sleeve member having an inner surrounding sleeve surface which surrounds said outer surrounding runner surface, and which is movable relative to said outer surrounding runner surface along the axis, said inner surrounding sleeve surface having a cam surface portion which confronts said retaining member and which is configured to be disengaged from said retaining end of said retaining member when said runner is in the lower position and to depress said retaining end radially with a friction force that arrests said inner surrounding runner surface in the engaging position, while said sleeve member is held against gravity by said retaining member.