Abstract:
An multiple-fold automatic umbrella includes a telescopic central shaft which constitutes a plurality of movable and overlapping tubes, a rib assembly, a grip, a control means, an extending spring and a plurality of retracting springs. Pressing the control means may trigger an umbrella opening means to stretch the extending spring for extending the overlapping tubes to open the umbrella or to close the umbrella through the retracting springs. The central shaft has an inner block and a rope guide disposed at the tope end to replace conventional rollers. The inner connection rib in the rib assembly is made of metallic wire for increasing the space to install retracting springs, diminishing the retracted volume of an umbrella, and reducing production cost.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a multiple-fold automatic umbrella and particularly to an improved multiple-fold automatic umbrella that has low production cost and high durability. 
     2. Background of the Invention 
     Conventional multiple-fold automatic umbrella (such as the four-fold one shown in FIG. 1) basically adapts and expands the structural design of the two-fold or three-fold automatic umbrella. It mainly includes a central shaft means A consisting of four telescopic tubes; a rib assembly B constituting at least: a top rib c pivotally engaged with an upper notch D located at the top end of the central shaft means A, a stretcher rib E pivotally engages with the top rib c and a lower runner F slidably engaged with the central shaft means A, a middle rib G engaged with an outer rib J by means of an outer resilient rib H and an outer connection rib I, the middle rib G further has one end engaging with the stretcher rib E and the top rib c through an inner connection rib K and another end engaging with an inner resilient rib L and the outer connection rib I; an extending spring M located in the central shaft means A for opening the umbrella, a plurality of retracting springs N located in the rib assembly B for closing the umbrella; and a control means P including an upper guide roller Q pivotally located at an upper portion of the central shaft means A, a lower guide roller R pivotally located in the lower runner F and top guide rollers S and X pivotally located at the top end of the central shaft means A for winding a rope T among the rollers to form a multiple-fold automatic umbrella mechanism. The rope T has an inner end fixed on a rod U axially located in the central shaft means A and another end winding through an upper shaft V and the central shaft means and the upper guide roller Q held in an inner block W located at the top portion of the central shaft means, then winding downward around the lower guide roller R and extending upward again to wind around the top guide rollers S and X, and finally winding downward again to engage with the lower runner F. The winding rope T has to change direction several times. The inner block W is small size but has to contain three rollers. The whole assembly becomes bulky. There are many components and is difficult to assemble. The inner connection rib K usually is made by punching a metallic sheet. It is large size and increases cost. The whole design and structure is against the contemporary design concept and trend which focuses small size and light weight. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the aforesaid disadvantages, it is therefor an object of this invention to provide an improved multiple-fold automatic umbrella that includes a telescopic central shaft means, a rib assembly, a grip, a control means, an extending spring and a plurality of retracting springs in which the central shaft means has a low friction and high wearing resistance rope guide located at the top end of the inner block to replace the upper and top guide rollers used in the conventional multiple-fold umbrella and may result in easy assembling, lower cost, smaller size and enhanced durability. 
     It is another object of this invention to provide an improved multiple-fold automatic umbrella in which the inner connection rib for connecting the top rib and middle rib and for engaging with the retracting spring is made of metallic wire rather than a metallic bar made by punching for achieving smaller size and lower cost. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention, as well as its many advantages, may be further understood by the following detailed description and drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a conventional four-fold automatic umbrella, 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic view of this invention, at an extended state. 
     FIG. 3 is a schematic view of this invention, at a retracted state. 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view of this invention at the retracted state. 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective exploded view of an inner block and a rope guide of this invention. 
     FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the rope-winding scheme according to this invention. 
     FIGS. 7A and 7B are fragmentary sectional views of an inner block and a rope guide of this invention. 
     FIG. 8 is a schematic view of an inner connection rib and a retracting spring used in this invention. 
     FIGS. 9A,  9 B and  9 C are schematic views of various embodiments of the inner connection rib of this invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to FIGS.  2 - 6 , this invention includes a central shaft  1 , a rib assembly  2  for holding umbrella cloth, a grip  3 , a control means  4 , an extending spring  5  and a plurality of retracting springs  6 . 
     The central shaft  1  includes a lower shaft  11 , a first middle shaft  13 , a second middle shaft  14  and an upper shaft  15  telescopically engaged with one another with the lower shaft  11  located in the center and the upper shaft  15  located outmost. The lower shaft  11  has a lower portion engaged with the grip  3 . The top end of the upper shaft  15  has an inner block  16  inserted therein. At the top of the inner block  16 , there is a groove  161  transversely formed and a through bore  162  axially formed therein running through the center of the inner block  16  and the groove  161 . The groove  161  engages with a rope guide  18 . There is an upper notch  17  mounted on the inner block  16  from the top thereof The rope guide  18  is made of a material of low friction coefficient and high wearing resistance. It has a front rope groove  181 , a rear rope groove  183  and a center hole  182  mating respectively with the groove  161  and through bore  162 . 
     The outer rims of the grooves  181  and  183 , and the juncture between the center hole  182  and the grooves  181  and  183  are formed in smooth curve for the rope  436  to wind around the grooves  181 ,  183  and through the center hole  182  smoothly. It thus may replace the top and upper guide rollers for winding rope that used in the conventional umbrella. It may greatly reduce cost, increase assembly efficiency and enhance product stability. 
     The rib assembly  2  includes a top rib  21  which has one end pivotally engaged with the upper notch  17 , a stretcher rib  22  which has a middle portion engaged with another end of the top rib  21  and an inner end pivotally engaged with a lower runner  29  which in turn slidably engages with the upper shaft  15 , a middle rib  23  which has an inner end pivotally engaged with another end of the stretcher rib  22  and an inmost end pivotally engaged with a first hook eye  241  located at outmost end of an inner connecting rib  24  which further has a second hook eye  242  located at an inner end thereof engaged with an outer end of the top rib  21 , and an outer rib  25  having an inmost end pivotally engaged with an outer end of an outer resilient rib  26  which has an inner end engaged with an outer end of the middle rib  23 . There is an inner resilient rib  27  located at a side of the middle rib  23  for bridging between the outer end of the stretcher rib  22  and the inmost end of the outer connecting rib  28 . The outer connecting rib  28  further has an inner end pivotally engaged with an outmost end of the middle rib  23  and an outer end engaged with an inner end of the outer rib  25 . 
     Referring to FIG. 9A, the inner connection rib  24  is made of metallic wire to form the first hook eye  241  at one end and the send hook eye  242  and a third hook eye  243  at another end. The third hook eye  243  is for engaging with the retracting spring  6 . FIGS. 9B and 9C show other embodiments for the inner connection rib  24 . 
     The extending spring  5  has a lower end engaged with a low control tube  438  located in the lower shaft  11  and an upper end engaged with the bottom of the inner block  16  in the upper shaft  15 . There is a center guide tube  12  axially located inside the extending spring  5  to facilitate the extension and retraction of the spring  5  and to move a locking head  433  located in the closing controller  43  which will be described later. 
     The restracting spring  6  has an inner end engaged with the third hook eye  243  of the inner connection rib  24  and an outer end engaged with an outer end of the stretcher rib  22  for storing spring energy for retracting umbrella use when the umbrella is opened. 
     The control means  4  employs the structure disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,617,889 and 5,645,094 which were granted to the applicant. The control means  4  mainly includes a push button  41 , an opening controller  42  and the closing controller  43 . The push button  41  has a rod cavity  411  formed inside and a shoulder  412  formed outside, and is movable through a button opening  31  in the grip  3  but will be held without disengaging from the grip. 
     The opening controller  42  includes a pair of bifurcate member  421  movably located in an inner seat  32  formed in the grip  3  with an opening slot facing the push button  41 , a wedge member  422  located in front of the bifurcate member  421  having a slant finger facing the center line of the central shaft  1  and a rear end engaged with an engaging spring  423  housed in a spring chamber formed in the grip  3  for pushing the slant finger to engage with a snap opening  151  formed in the upper shaft  15 . The restoring spring  423  may push the wedge member  422 , and the bifurcate member  421  well be push forward which in turn pushes the push button  41  outward of the grip  3  (shown in FIG.  4 ). 
     The closing controller  43  includes a resilient pushing rod  431  which maintains horizontal when not in use but may be pushed to tilt downward by the bottom end of the first middle shaft  13  which is moved downward in a center hole of the grip  3  when performing umbrella closing operation, a locking head means  432  (shown in FIG. 6) which has a locking head  433 , an arcuate bottom  434 , a shoulder  435  and a knot socket  437  connecting with the locking head  433  through a neck stem, a low control tube  438  hosed in the lower shaft  11  having through opening  439  formed in a side wall facing the resilient pushing rod  431  and a wedge nose  441  formed above the through opening  439  and a strip spring  442  located at another side opposite to the through opening  439 , and a rope  436  which has a bottom end engaging with the knot socket  437  (FIG.  6 ). The top end of the rope  436  runs through the center of the central shaft  1  and center guide tube  12 , then passes through the inner block  16  and center hole  182  of the rope guide  18 , winds through the front rope groove  181  to outside of the central shaft  1  and downward to a roller  291  held in the lower runner  29 , then winds upward to pass through the front and rear rope groove  181 ,  183 , and then winds downward again to fasten with the lower runner  29  (shown in FIG.  6 ). 
     When the umbrella is retracting, the knot socket is pushed downward by the bottom end of the center guide tube  12 , and the arcuate bottom  434  is pushed sideward by the strip spring  442  such that the locking head is moved toward the through opening  439  until the shoulder  435  engaged with the wedge nose  441 . 
     At the same time, the resilient pushing rod  431  is depressed by the first middle shaft  13  and is bent to pose separately with respect to the locking head  433 . 
     When there is a need to open the umbrella, pressing the push button  41  to move the bifurcated member  421 , the wedge member  422  will be pushed rearward and disengage from the snap opening  151 . The extending spring  5  is free to push the upper shaft  15  upward which in turn moves all other telescopic tubes including the second middle shaft  14 , the first middle shaft  13  upward until the central shaft  1  extending to full length. In the mean time, the rib assembly  2  and the umbrella cloth laid over it are fully extended. The rope  436  which is wound around between the upper notch  17  and lower runner  29  and locking head  433  is under tension. The locking head  433  engages with the wedge nose  441 . The restoring spring  6  is extended to store restoring energy but cannot retract due to latching of the locking head  433  by the wedge nose  441 . The umbrella thus is fully opened and extended for use. 
     For retracting and closing the umbrella, releasing the push button  41  to make the resilient pushing rod  431  become horizontal. Then press the push button  41  again which in turn pushes the resilient pushing rod  431  and moves the locking head  433  disengaged from the wedge nose  441 . The restoring spring  6  is free to retract and moves the lower runner  29  downward to fold the ribs. In the mean time the knot socket  437  engages with the bottom rim of the center guide tube  12  to become an umbrella folding state. 
     To resort the spring energy of the extending spring  5 , grabbling the grip  3  and the upper notch  17  to push the inner block  16  downward to press a coupling spring  191  and a slide ring  192  which will move the second middle shaft  14  and the first middle shaft  13  downward, and the bottom rim of the upper shaft  15  pushes aside the wedge member  422 . Then the engaging spring  423  pushes the wedge member  422  against to latch on the snap opening  151 . At this state, the central shaft is fully retracted. The extending spring  5  is compressed to store energy for next time extending use. The center guide tube  12  also pushes the locking head  433  to engage with the wedge nose  441 . Through the first middle shaft  13 , the resilient pushing rod  431  may be turned for an angle so that the pushing rod  431  cannot make contact with the locking head  433 . It becomes an umbrella retracting and closed state. It is to be noted that the inner block  16  may also be made of low friction and high wearing resistance material so that the rope guide  18  may be dispensed to further reduce the cost. 
     It may thus be sent that the objects of the present invention set forth herein, as well as those made apparent from the foregoing description, are efficiently attained. While the preferred embodiment of the invention have been set forth for purpose of disclosure, modifications of the disclosed embodiment of the invention as well as other embodiments thereof may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all embodiments which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.