Abstract:
Portable devices comprising means for mounting an adjustable shade in a location for shielding one or more users from the environment are provided herein.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to portable shade assemblies including devices that provide protection from the environment and may include one or more convenience trays or tool holders. 
         [0002]    The hot summer sun can be uncomfortable and almost unbearable to work under for those who work outside in the sun. Further, ultraviolet rays from the sun can be damaging to the skin. 
         [0003]    Both UVA and UVB play a critical role in conditions such as premature skin aging, eye damage including cataracts, and skin cancers. Some harmful UV rays also suppress the immune system, thus reducing the ability to fight certain maladies. 
         [0004]    By damaging the skin&#39;s cellular DNA, excessive UV radiation produces genetic mutations that can lead to skin cancer. Both the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the World Health Organization have identified UV as a proven human carcinogen. UV radiation is considered the main cause of non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC), including basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). These cancers strike more than a million people worldwide and more than 250,000 Americans, respectively, each year. Many experts believe that, especially for fair-skinned people, UV radiation also frequently plays a key role in melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, which kills more than 8,000 Americans each year. 
         [0005]    Some known shade devices simply employ a stationary shade or a movable base. This known approach, however, does not allow for ease of use, flexibility, or optimal positioning of a shade for creating a lower temperature, lower UV radiation, comfort space. Portable devices to provide directional shade when and where needed are desirable. Conventional umbrellas are known to be bulky, restrictive and of insufficient height. 
         [0006]    Portable shade systems that allow unrestricted movement of a shade producing device while providing ease of use are disclosed herein. Such novel devices allow a user to have full range of motion without inhibiting user mobility such that one or more users can work on a multitude of tasks while being protected from the sun or other elements. Further, such devices are portable and can be used under a wide range of conditions as will be discussed below. 
         [0007]    Some examples of those who can benefit from use of the instant invention include utility workers, gardeners, landscapers, mechanics, painters, construction workers, yard workers, vehicle or boat cleaners, fishermen, irrigation or pipe installers, ditch diggers, fencing installers, tire changers, surveyors, and many others. 
         [0008]    The instant invention allows users to work more comfortably and efficiently while providing protection from direct sunlight and harmful radiation. The system solves the problem of logistics because the invention can provide convenient spot shade almost anywhere, including remote locations, without obstructing the user&#39;s mobility or vision. 
         [0009]    Novel portable flexible shade systems that can be configured in the field and can be set up and taken down with ease are disclosed herein. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    In one aspect of the present invention, an apparatus can comprise a base. An adjustable boom has a first end and a second end. The first end of the boom is connected to the base and the second end of the boom is connected to a shade. 
         [0011]    In one embodiment of the present invention, a tray can be connected to the boom. 
         [0012]    In some embodiments, the base can be a tripod. 
         [0013]    In some embodiments, the tripod can include at least one adjustable foot for stabilizing the apparatus. 
         [0014]    In certain embodiments, the base includes means for attachment to a substrate, such as, for example, a vice. 
         [0015]    In certain other embodiments, the boom can be an adjustable telescoping boom for adjusting the height position of the shade. 
         [0016]    In particular embodiments, the second end of the boom can include means for positioning and locking the shade in a plurality of sun blocking configurations. 
         [0017]    In other particular embodiments, the shade can be opaque. 
         [0018]    In still other particular embodiments, the shade can be transparent. 
         [0019]    In yet other embodiments, the shade can have a transparency between about 10% and about 90%. 
         [0020]    In some embodiments, the shade has a first surface and a second surface. The first surface has an emissivity greater than about 0.5. The second surface has an emissivity less than about 0.5. 
         [0021]    In some embodiments, the shade can include an airfoil shaped edge profile which provides a down-force during operation of the apparatus in the wind. 
         [0022]    In another aspect of the present invention, the system can include a collapsible base. An adjustable boom has a first end and a second end. A removable tray can be attached to the boom. A shade has a first surface and a second surface. The first user facing surface has an emissivity greater than about 0.5. The second sun facing surface has an emissivity less than about 0.5. The first end of the boom is connected to the base. The second end of the boom is connected to the shade. 
         [0023]    In some embodiments of this aspect of the invention, the collapsible base can include a means for anchoring the base to a substrate. 
         [0024]    In some embodiments, the means for anchoring the base to a substrate can be a vice. 
         [0025]    In certain embodiments, the boom can be an adjustable telescoping boom for adjusting a height or other position of the shade. 
         [0026]    In certain embodiments, the second end of the boom includes means for positioning the shade. 
         [0027]    Yet in certain other embodiments, the means for positioning the shade can comprise a mechanism for locking the shade in a plurality of user defined configurations. Such locking mechanisms will be well known to those skilled in the art of mechanical engineering. 
         [0028]    In some embodiments of this aspect, the shade can be opaque. 
         [0029]    In yet other embodiments, the shade can be transparent. 
         [0030]    In some embodiments, the shade can have a transparency between about 10% and about 90%. 
         [0031]    In some embodiments, the first surface of the shade can have an emissivity greater than about 0.5. The second surface of the shade can have an emissivity less than about 0.5. 
         [0032]    In another aspect of the instant invention, a kit comprises a base. A telescoping boom can have a first end and a second end. A shade can have a means for connecting the shade to the second end of the boom for allowing adjustability of the shade relative to the base and the boom. The kit can have a means for connecting the shade to the second end of the boom. 
         [0033]    In yet another aspect of the present invention a method comprises the steps of: Opening a collapsible base. The base has a connector for receiving a telescoping boom. Connecting a first end of the telescoping boom to the connector. Deploying a collapsible shade. The shade can have a first surface and a second surface. The first surface has an emissivity greater than an emissivity of the second surface. Connecting the shade to a second end of the telescoping boom. Connecting a tray to the telescoping boom and positioning the shade in a plurality of sun blocking positions such that the second surface substantially faces the sun. The first surface is substantially opposed to the second surface. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0034]      FIG. 1  depicts a perspective view of a portable shade assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0035]      FIG. 2  depicts another perspective view of some of the elements included in the portable shade assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0036]      FIG. 3  depicts another perspective view of some of the elements comprising the portable shade assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0037]    As used herein, the terms sun shade or sun blocker or shade refer to a material that can be use to decrease the effect of solar radiation. The terms shade or sun blocker may be singular or plural and are used interchangeably herein. 
         [0038]    As used herein, the terms sunlight or solar radiation refer to the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation striking the Earth&#39;s atmosphere. This radiation spans a range of about 100 nm to about 1 mm. 
         [0039]    Ultraviolet C or (UVC) solar radiation spans a range of 100 to 280 nm. The term ultraviolet refers to the fact that the radiation is at higher frequency than violet light (and, hence also invisible to the human eye). 
         [0040]    Owing to absorption by the atmosphere very little UVC reaches the Earth&#39;s surface. This spectrum of radiation has germicidal properties and is used, for example, in germicidal lamps. 
         [0041]    Ultraviolet B or (UVB) solar radiation spans 280 to 315 nm. It is also greatly absorbed by the atmosphere, and along with UVC is responsible for the photochemical reaction leading to the production of the ozone layer. 
         [0042]    Ultraviolet A or (UVA) solar radiation spans 315 to 400 nm. It has been traditionally held as less damaging to the DNA, and hence used in tanning and PUVA therapy for psoriasis. 
         [0043]    Visible range solar radiation or light spans 380 to 780 nm. As the name suggests, radiation in this range is visible to the naked eye. 
         [0044]    Infrared (IR) solar radiation is in the range that spans 700 nm to 106 nm (1 mm). It is responsible for an important part of the electromagnetic radiation that reaches the Earth and is divided into three types on the basis of wavelength: Infrared-A: 700 nm to 1,400 nm, Infrared-B: 1,400 nm to 3,000 nm and Infrared-C: 3,000 nm to 1 mm. 
         [0045]    As used herein, a sun shade is used for the blocking of sunlight, in particular direct sunshine, and also for creating a shadow. Shade is an important issue in temperate and tropical zones for providing cooling and shelter from the sun. 
         [0046]    As defined herein, the emissivity of a material, usually written ε or e, is the relative ability of its surface to emit energy by radiation. It is the ratio of energy radiated by a particular material to energy radiated by a black body at the same temperature. A true black body would have an e=1 while any real object would have e&lt;1.Emissivity is a dimensionless quantity. 
         [0047]    In general, the duller and blacker a material is, the closer its emissivity is to 1. The more reflective a material is, the lower its emissivity. For example, highly polished silver has an emissivity of about 0.02 and flat black paint has an emissivity of about 0.9. As used herein a high emissivity surface has an emissivity greater than about 0.5, while low emissivity surface has an emissivity less than about 0.5. Emissivity varies with temperature and surface finish. Methods for measuring emissivity will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art of thermodynamics or temperature measurement. 
         [0048]    As used herein, telescoping describes the movement of one part sliding out from another, lengthening or shortening an object such as a support boom. 
         [0049]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , portable shade assembly  1  in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention includes base  4 . In this embodiment, base  4  is a collapsible tripod having legs  8  and support members  12 . Legs  8  can include end caps  8 A which may be adapted to accommodate different surface and set up conditions. For example, end caps  8 A could include wheels (not shown) for ease of movement or weights to provide stability if required. Further, the legs can be configured to be of different lengths thereby allowing for a large range of adjustment for stability on uneven or variable surfaces. It is contemplated that many known gripping devices such as suction cups, vacuum seals and the like are within the scope of the instant invention. 
         [0050]    Additionally, end caps  8 A can be adapted to accommodate hold down stakes, or pegs, where a more permanent or durable attachment is required. End caps  8 A may also include prongs for engaging the ground to prevent movement of the system or friction pads such as heavy rubber feet to prevent sliding on a hard or slippery mounting surface. 
         [0051]    Further, a gripping device such as a clamp or a vice can be incorporated into base mechanism  4 . In such embodiments, the base can be attached or detached from a substrate or mounting surface by mechanical action such, for example, a lever or a screw mechanism. In embodiments that incorporate a clamping device, the clamping device can be designed to minimize the risk of damage to the substrate while providing a stable surface for mounting the base of the system while in use or in storage. 
         [0052]    The base can be fabricated as any number of structural members that will serve the intended function of holding a boom and shade. For example, a 4 or 5 legged structure could be used to support the boom and shade. Likewise a circular, elliptical, or rectangular base structure is envisioned to be within the scope of the instant invention. 
         [0053]    Components of the base including the supports and end caps can be fabricated from a wide range of engineering materials including light-weight metals, such as aluminum or engineering polymers. Such materials and devices will be well known to those of ordinary skill in the mechanical arts. 
         [0054]    As depicted in  FIG. 1 , base  4  is connected to boom  16 A. In this embodiment, boom  16 A is a cylindrical shaped telescoping boom. The boom has lockable telescoping sections  16 B and  16 C. Each section can be slidably adjusted to set the overall length or height of the system and to adjust the angle of the shade relative to the boom axis Z as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0055]    As will be discussed, the boom can be adjusted so that the system can block the sun where a user requires shade in a plurality of user defined positions. The telescopic boom is designed to pivot about z axis at least 180 degrees, and preferably up to 360 degrees. 
         [0056]    Boom  16 A- 16 C can be fabricated using known manufacturing methods and materials, for example fiberglass, composite, or aluminum and are well known materials that are light-weight, durable, and low cost. Likewise, locking mechanisms for such adjustable telescoping booms, including the height of the boom, the angle between the shade and the boom and the rotational position of the shade about the longitudinal axis of the boom will be well known to those of ordinary skill in the mechanical arts. 
         [0057]    The boom can pivot high over head such that it does not obstruct the vision or mobility, providing complete freedom of movement for the user. In one embodiment, the boom, when fully extended is about seven feet tall, however, the dimensions of all components of the invention can be scaled to any functional proportions and will depend on the intended use, cost and other engineering constraints that are well know to one of ordinary skill in the mechanical arts. 
         [0058]    Connector  20  is used to attach the top section of the boom  16 C to shade  24 . Connector  20  can allow for translation and rotation of the shade about the longitudinal axis or z axis of boom  16  ( FIG. 3 ). In this way, shade  24  can be adjusted to accommodate a wide range of sun blocking positions. Connector  20  can include a locking mechanism (not shown) to allow the shade to pivot about the boom or be moved perpendicular to the boom and allow the user to unlock, move, and lock the shade to achieve a plurality of sun blocking positions. 
         [0059]    As shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , assembly  1  includes shade  24 . Shade  24  has edges  32  and rear surface  26  and front surface  28 . The shade&#39;s surfaces,  26  and  28  may be fabricated from one or more materials suitable for blocking the sun. 
         [0060]    Materials for the shade can be designed for a particular application. For example, surface  26  can be a reflective opaque surface to block the sun and reject heat while surface  28  can be an anti-glare surface. The emissivity of each surface  26 ,  28  can be adjusted to achieve a result that meets a range of user requirements. For example, the emissivity of shade surfaces  26 ,  28  can be between about 0.1 and about 0.9. Preferably, the sun facing surface has a low emissivity of about 0.1 to about 0.3 while the opposing surface has a high emissivity of about 0.5 to about 1. 
         [0061]    In some applications of the instant invention, the shade is made from a heterogeneous sun resistant material. The material can be opaque or transparent. Any known sun blocking material, such as nylon or other engineering polymers may be used alone or in combination to fabricate the shade. 
         [0062]    In some embodiments, the shade is fabricated from a transparent PVC coated polyester yarn that is formulated to withstand solar abuse. One such known material having transparency between about 20% and 0% (opaque) is Textilene®. Shade  24  can be fabricated from a monolithic material having a transparency between about 0% (opaque) and about 95%. A transparent shade material allows some air and light to pass through the shade thereby reducing the resistance to wind. Such systems can be more stable in a windy environment. 
         [0063]    Shade  24  includes edge  32 . Edge  32  can be fabricated as an airfoil ( FIG. 3 ) as discussed further below. That is, the edge profile is a streamlined shape that is capable of generating significantly more lift than drag. 
         [0064]    As shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , tray  36  is mounted to boom  16 A with mounting bracket  40 . The tray can be designed to attach to and detach from the boom. The tray can include a wide variety of geometries including a flat surface (as shown), a drawer, a tool holder and the like. If a user requires a particular tool or tool set, the tray can be configured to hold or accommodate the tool or tool set. Likewise the tray can be fabricated to include a beverage holder or a cooler for storing perishables out of the sun during the work day. Any useful tray configuration is contemplated to be within the scope of the present invention. 
         [0065]    In use, assembly  1  can be mounted to the ground or another surface  44 , using mounting peg  48 . Peg  48  can be attached to the boom and anchored into the ground to provide additional stability, if required. 
         [0066]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , the system of  FIG. 1  is depicted in an upright sun blocking configuration. Here, shade  24  is shown having a solid surface  28  for blocking solar radiation. As discussed above, sun  52  illuminates the earth with essentially parallel rays  56 . The assembly  1  can be positioned such that shade  24  blocks all or some of the sun&#39;s rays and thereby forms shadow  60 . The shape and size of the shadow will depend on numerous factors such as the shape and size of the shade  24  and the position of the shade set by a user  64 . Here, the user can take advantage of protection from the sun  56  by situating near or within shadow  60 . The temperature in the shadow  60  created by the shade or secondary shade  68  can be substantially reduced from the temperature in the direct sun. Temperature reductions of between about 10 degrees F. and about 20 degrees F. can be attained depending on the environmental conditions and the material properties of the shade  24  and optional secondary shade  68 . For example, as discussed above, one embodiment utilizes a high emissivity, e=&gt;0.5, optionally between 0.8-1.0, black surface facing the user, away from the sun, and a low emissivity silver surface or mirror like surface facing towards the sun where e=&lt;0.5, optionally between 0.02-0.2. 
         [0067]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , system  1  can in include secondary shade  68 . Shade  68  can be mounted to shade  24  and to boom  16 A or base  8 . Any well known means of attachment may be used. For example, secondary shade  68  can be attached with screws or a more easily detachable means such as hook and loop fasteners. Secondary shade  68  provides additional sun blocking capability between the sun&#39;s rays  56  and one or more users  64 . Secondary shade  68  can be a mesh material for reducing ambient light or glare. 
         [0068]      FIG. 3  depicts the present invention in a deployed position. In this embodiment, shade  24  is canted at an angle A. Angle A is the angle between the z axis of upright boom  16  and the shade  24 . Connector  20  allows the shade to be set at any angle between at least +30 90 degrees and at least −90 degrees allowing for at least 180 degrees of rotation. Optimally, the shade can be set by locking means  16 L to provide for any position around axis z of boom  16  and any angle A. Thus the shade  24  can be adjusted by the user to a user defined height, by lengthening or shortening the z axis of boom  16  as shown in  FIG. 3 . The angle of the shade, A can also be adjusted both perpendular to axis z and around axis z. In this way, the user can position the apparatus along all three axes in a plurality of user defined sun blocking positions depending on the particular needs of the user and environmental conditions at the time of use. 
         [0069]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , the edge  32  can be an inverted wing profile such that wind blowing across the edge exerts a down-force for stabilizing the system when used in a windy environment. The airfoil shape  32  is designed so that air flow across surfaces  26  and  28  creates a pressure gradient that exerts a down-force in the direction of the ground or substrate  44 . In some embodiments, the perimeter edge  32  is not profiled. In other embodiments, some or all of edge  32  has an aerodynamic profile as discussed above to provide a down-force and thus additional stability during operation of the system in windy conditions. In still other embodiments of the invention, the shade itself is shaped like an airfoil such that a down-force, generally in the minus z direction, is generated when air flows across the surfaces of the shade. 
         [0070]    The principal employed by this instant invention is the same as applied in racing cars. Wings, or inverted airfoils, are routinely used in the design of racing cars to increase down-force. The same principles can be applied to portable shade systems by contouring the edge of the shade or forming the primary shade in the shape or contour of an inverted airfoil to generate a down-force as disclosed herein. 
         [0071]    Components of the present invention can be fabricated from polymers or other structural materials which will be known to one skilled in the art of manufacturing. Like-wise, snap fit designs of many types and manufacturing processes such as, for example, injection molding, compression molding, casting, or machining are well known to those skilled in the art of polymer component manufacturing. 
         [0072]    A plurality of geometries, shade configurations, and individual component configurations are contemplated within the scope of the present invention. For example, the shade  24  can be rectangular, circular or elliptical. The geometry depicted in this embodiment of the present invention is one of many configurations that can utilize the invention disclosed herein. 
         [0073]    As will also be appreciated, a significant benefit of the present invention includes the protection from deleterious effects of the sun. 
         [0074]    Although the invention herein has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative embodiments and that other arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the disclosure herein.