Abstract:
An umbrella includes a central post consisting of multiple tubular segments telescopically connected to each other. A crown set at an upper end and carrying an upper pulley and a runner slidably fit over the central post and carrying a lower pulley. A pulley cable has an upper section extending around the pulleys and fixed to the crown and a lower rigid section carrying a fixer that is movably receive in a handle and forms locking slots engageable by a switch control device. A spring is arranged between the crown and the fixer to apply a spring force to maintain the umbrella in an open condition. Each tubular segment of the central post has a lower end to which a protection sheath is mounted for finger protection.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to an automatically-collapsible multi-folded umbrella that is not easy to damage and is durable and of long lifespan. 
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART  
       [0002]    Known techniques, such as Chinese Utility Model Application No. 200420059757.x filed on May 21, 2004, entitled “Automatic Collapsing Structure for Umbrella”, realize simultaneously collapsing of a canopy and a central post through manual depression. However, a primary spring and a connection rope are exposed outside and both set an upper end of the central post, leading to easy damage when the umbrella frame is forced to flare outward by strong winds or gales, thereby making the umbrella unusable. Further, no protection structure is provided between tubular segments of the central post, leading to easily jamming and damaging a user&#39;s finger. 
         [0003]    Thus, the present invention aims to provide a structure to overcome the problems of being easily damaged and jamming user&#39;s finger of the conventional umbrella. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    An objective of the present invention is to provide an automatically-collapsible multi-folded umbrella that uses a simple mechanism that is arranged in a uniformly distributed manner inside an umbrella central post, forming a concealed structure that prevents damage occurring in the operation thereof due to exposure and concentrated arrangement of parts thereof at an upper end portion, to thereby make the umbrella durable and long lifespan. 
         [0005]    Another objective of the present invention is to provide an automatically-collapsible multi-folded umbrella that enhances operation safety to prevent tubular segments of an umbrella central post from jamming and thus damaging a user&#39;s fingers. 
         [0006]    The foregoing objective and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts. 
         [0007]    Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view showing the present invention in an umbrella opened condition. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view showing the present invention in an umbrella closed condition. 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a schematic view illustrating a rib unit of the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view illustrating a switch control device arranged inside a handle in the umbrella opened condition of the present invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of a central post positioning structure of the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing another central post positioning structure of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view illustrating said another central post positioning structure associated with  FIG. 6 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view illustrating another embodiment of a fixer of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0016]    The following descriptions are exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. 
         [0017]    With reference to the drawings and in particular to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the present invention comprises a central post  10 , an umbrella collapsing device  20 , a plurality of umbrella-collapsing springs  36  and rib units  30  that support a canopy, a handle  40 , an umbrella-collapsing button  43 , and a switch control device  50 . 
         [0018]    The central post  10  is comprised of a plurality of tubular segments sequentially and telescopically fit to each other. An outer tubular segment  11 ′ that is fit into and fixed to a crown  12  has an upper end inside which a pulley seat  22  is mounted. An upper pulley  221  is pivotally mounted inside the pulley seat  22 . A runner  13  that is slidably fit over the tubular segment has a lower end to which a layer  132  of soft plastic/rubber material is mounted and an opposite upper end to which a lower pulley  131  is mounted. An inner tuber segment  11  of every two adjacent telescopically connected tubular segments has an upper end to which a positioning plug  14  is mounted, as shown in  FIG. 5 . The positioning plug  14  is recessed to form a chamber  141  that receives and fixes therein a resilient assembly  15 . The resilient assembly  15  comprises a positioner block  152  that is resiliently biased by a spring  151  for projecting outward or being depressed inward the central post  10  through a positioning hole  111  defined in the corresponding tubular segment  11 ′. The positioning plug  14  forms in an opposite portion a passage  142  for the extension of a pull cable  24  and a tension spring  21 . An innermost tubular segment  11  has an end fit to an inner plug  23  inserted into and fixed to the handle  40 . The inner plug  23  forms a side opening  231  corresponding to the inner tubular segment  11 . The outer tubular segment  11 ′ of two adjacent tubular segments has a lower end to which a protection sheath  16  is mounted for hand jamming protection, having a lower flange  161  fit over and abutting against a lower end face of the outer tubular segment  11 ′. 
         [0019]    The umbrella collapsing device  20  comprises the pull cable  24  that is coupled inside the central post  10  and the tension spring  21  for telescoping the central post  10 . The tension spring  21  has an upper end fixed to a bottom of the pulley seat  22  and a lower end fixed to a top of the inner plug  23 . The pull cable  24  extends through the tension spring  21  and has an upper end extending around the upper pulley  221  and further extending through the lower pulley  131  of the runner  13  and further extending back into and fixed to the crown  12 . The pull cable  24  has a lower section forming a rigid wire section  241  connected to a fixer  25  that is fit into and movable inside the inner plug  23 . The fixer  25  has a lower section that is recessed to form a plurality of locking slots  251  engageable with and selectively retaining the switch control device  50 . Or alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 8 , the fixer  25 ′ forms in an end thereof a locking slot  251 ′. The rigid wire section  241  has a length that corresponds to the distance between the bottom of the pulley seat  22  and the fixer  25  in a collapsed condition of the umbrella. 
         [0020]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , each rib unit  30  comprises, in sequence from inside, an inner rib  31  pivotally connected to the crown  12 , at least one intermediate rib  32 , an outer rib  33 , a stretcher  34  connected to a middle section of the inner rib  31  and having an inner end pivoted to the runner  13 , a link bar  35  connected between the intermediate rib  32  and the stretcher  34 , a flexible bar  37  coupled to the intermediate rib  32  and having opposite ends respectively and pivotally connected to an inner end of the outer rib  33  and an outer end of the inner rib  31 , and a respective one of the umbrella-collapsing springs  36  that is connected between the inner rib  31  and the link bar  35 . 
         [0021]    The handle  40  comprises a hollow tubular body having an opening in which a fixing base  42  is mounted for the lower end of the central post  10  to which the inner plug  23  is fit to insert therein and fixed thereto. The handle  40  has a side wall to which the umbrella-collapsing button  43  is mounted. 
         [0022]    As shown in  FIG. 4 , the switch control device  50  comprises a longitudinally-arranged block-like control element  51  that has a middle section pivotally fixed inside the handle  40 , a lower end extending to form a locking segment  511  that extends through the side opening  231  of the inner plug  23  into engagement with and thus selectively retaining the locking slots  251  of the fixer  25 , and an upper end extending to form a depression segment  512  corresponding to and engageable with the umbrella-collapsing button  43 , and a return spring  52  arranged between the locking segment  511  and an inside wall of the handle  40  for resiliently biasing the locking segment  511 . In a normal condition, the fixer  25  is retained and secured in a locked position by the locking segment  511  of the switch control device  50 . When the umbrella-collapsing button  43  is depressed to push the depression segment  512  to have the locking segment  511  disengaging from the locking slots  251  of the fixer  25 , the fixer  25  is released and allowed to move up and down with the pull cable. 
         [0023]    In an umbrella opening operation, when the runner  13  is driven upward to open the umbrella, the fixer  25  at the lower end of the pull cable  24  is retained and thus kept immobile by the locking segment  511  engaging the lowest one of the locking slots  251  whereby when the runner  13  moves upward, the rib units  30  are expanded to open the canopy. The umbrella-collapsing springs  36  coupled to the rib units  30  are stretched and elongated; the pull cable  24  that is originally located outside the central post  10  is gradually drawn into the central post  10 ; and the tubular segments of the central post  10  are sequentially expanded upward, tensioning the tension spring  21  inside the central post  10  to set the pull cable  24  between the crown  12  and the fixer  25  in a tensioned condition and make the runner  13  tightly held and immobile, thereby preventing the runner from sliding down and thus maintaining an expanded condition of the umbrella as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0024]    In an umbrella closing operation, when the umbrella-collapsing button  43  is depressed to push the depression segment  512  of the control element  51  for releasing the locking segment  511  from engagement with the highest one of the locking slots  251  of the fixer  25 , the fixer  25  is released and the pull cable  24  is freed from being tensioned to allow the runner  13  to slide down. The umbrella-collapsing springs  36  drive the runner  13  downward to collapse the rib units  30  (see  FIG. 3 ), making the tubular segments of the central post  10  sequentially telescoped downward and the bottom of the pulley seat  22  inside the crown  12  eventually positioned against the rigid wire section  241  to downward drive the fixer  25  to have the lowest one of the locking slots  251  once against engaging with and thus secured by the locking segment  511  thereby completing automatic collapsing of the umbrella. With the locking configuration provided by the plurality of recessed locking slots  251  of the fixer  25 , loosening of the fixer  25  inside the interior space of the inner plug  23  can be minimized, as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0025]    As shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , alternatively, a W-shaped leaf spring  17  is set inside the inner tubular segment  11  of two adjacent telescopically connected tubular segments and the W-shaped leaf spring  17  comprises two V-shaped branches  171  abutting against an inside wall of the positioning plug  14 ′ and a connection section  172  between the two V-shaped branches  171  biasing a positioner block  152  to project outward or to be depressed inward the central post  10  through the positioning hole  111  defined in the tubular segment  11 ′. 
         [0026]    The automatically-collapsible multi-folded umbrella in accordance with the present invention uses a simple mechanism that is arranged in a uniformly distributed manner inside the central post, forming a concealed structure that prevents damage occurring in the operation thereof to thereby make the umbrella durable and long lifespan. 
         [0027]    While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.