Abstract:
A platform supports a sun shade that can keep a user cool in the sun. The platform comprises a sun shade mechanically coupled to four rods by a series of rod connections. Each rod is inserted into a separate tube with its movement restricted by rod lock. Two tubes are mechanically coupled to a right adjustable shoulder strap. Two tubes are mechanically coupled to a left adjustable shoulder strap. A user can place the left adjustable shoulder strap and the right adjustable shoulder strap on shoulders of the user to provide increased stability to the sun shade.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to devices to protect a user from the sun and to keep the user cool. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Bright sunlight in hot temperate environments directed on the human body can lead to health problems such as dehydration, heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and skin cancer. The time people spend in this environment is dramatically limited when no shade is present. 
     Prior art sun shades feature a single post attached to the body that runs extremely close to the user&#39;s head, thereby restricting head movement. The single post sun shade design exhibits inferior functional stability. When a fan is attached to the single post sun shade design, the fan has a tendency to shift away from the desired direction due to an imbalanced force moment that causes the post to twist. Large brimmed hats provide shade but block convective head-cooling winds and trap body heat escaping from around the head which is the main method of heat transfer from the body to the cooler ambient air. 
     The present invention solves these problems with a crisscrossed pole design that significantly increases lateral and longitudinal stability when compared to the single offset post design. The present invention can produce sun shade on the entire body compared to large brimmed hats which have a much small coverage area. It also provides a hstable platform to attach solar panels and solar or battery powered fans better than the single post design by transferring the new torque forces to the waistband, eliminating shade twisting, and reducing shade wobble. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A platform supports a sun shade that can keep a user cool in the sun. The platform comprises a sun shade mechanically coupled to four rods by a series of rod connections. Each rod is inserted into a separate tube with its movement restricted by rod lock. Two tubes are mechanically coupled to a right adjustable shoulder strap. Two tubes are mechanically coupled to a left adjustable shoulder strap. A user can place the left adjustable shoulder strap and the right adjustable shoulder strap on shoulders of the user to provide increased stability to the sun shade. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the invention shown in use. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a rear view of the invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a front view of the invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a side view illustrating the upper section of the rod attachment. 
         FIG. 6  is a detailed top view illustrating the solar panel. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Embodiments of the present invention overcome many of the obstacles associated with keeping cool and protected from the sun, and now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings that show some, but not all embodiments of the claimed inventions. Indeed, the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. 
       FIG. 1  shows a wearable support structure in use. A user desires to be shaded and cooled from ambient heat and light and solves this problem with the hands-free platform supporting a sun shade, solar panel, battery, charger, controller, and fan. Sun shade  12  is mechanically coupled to solar panel  30 . 
     Sun shade  12  is mechanically coupled to a wearable support structure in the following manner. Sun shade  12  is mechanically coupled to top shade support  14  by top attachment  18  and bottom shade support  16  by bottom attachment  18 . Top shade support  14  and bottom shade support  16  are mechanically coupled to sun shade  12  by swivel support attachment  20 . Bottom shade support  16  and top shade support  14  are allowed to swivel to and from a collapsed to expanded configuration in a scissor-like manner putting the device in a collapsed configuration. Sun shade  12  is mechanically coupled to solar panel  30  as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     Bottom shade support  16  is mechanically coupled to first right rod  28 , second right rod  28 , first left rod  28  and second left rod  28  by the rod-to-shade support attachments  22  as shown in  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 . First right rod  28  is attached to first right tube  46  and can be moved in and out of first right tube  46 ; first right rod  28  motion is limited by first right rod lock  46 . Second right rod  28  is attached to second right tube  46  and can be moved in and out of second right tube  46 ; second right rod  28  motion is limited by second right rod lock  46 . First left rod  28  is attached to first left tube  46  and can be moved in and out of first left tube  46 ; first left rod  28  motion is limited by first left rod lock  42 . Second left rod  28  is attached to second left tube  46  and can be moved in and out of second left tube  46 ; second left rod  28  motion is limited by second left rod lock  42 . In this manner, the wearable support structure is attached to sun shade  12 , and sun shade  12  can be raised and lowered from the level of a user and above. This construction is shown in more detail in  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 . 
     One of the problems in the prior art solved by the present invention is the matter of stability of sun shade  12 . In this matter, the user can extend sun shade  12  upward from the user to a desired position and then lock rods  28  into position with rod locks  42  as shown in Fig.  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 . The crisscross configuration of rods  28  through rod locks  42  provides additional stability. This problem is further solved by having a shoulder harness comprising adjustable shoulder straps  32 , chest bands  48 , adjustable side straps  34  and adjustable waistband  36 . Depending on the wind and other environmental conditions some or all of these may be necessary to add stability to the platform. 
     Bottom shade support  16  is mechanically coupled to first right rod  28  by first right rod-to-shade support attachment  22 . Bottom shade support  16  is mechanically coupled to second right rod  28  by second right rod-to-shade support attachment  22 . First right rod  28  slides through a first section of a right rod attachment  26 , likewise, second right rod  28  slides through a second section of the second right rod attachment  26 . First left rod  28  slides through a first section of the first left rod attachment  26 , likewise, second left rod  28  slides through a second section of the left rod attachment  26 . The first section of the right rod attachment  26  is affixed to second section of the right rod attachment  26  to form right rod attachment  26  as shown in  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 . Likewise, the first section of left rod attachment  26  is affixed to second section of the left rod attachment  26  to form left rod attachment  26 . 
     Bottom shade support  16  is mechanically coupled to first left rod  28  by first left rod-to-shade support attachment  22 . Bottom shade support  16  is mechanically coupled to second left rod  28  by second left rod-to-shade support attachment  22 . First left rod  28  comprises first section of the left rod attachment  26 , likewise, second left rod  28  comprises second section of left rod attachment  26 . First section of left rod attachment  26  is coupled to second section of left attachment  26 . The functionality of rod attachments  26  is shown in more detail in  FIG. 5 . 
     First right tube  46  is mechanically coupled to first right rod lock  42 . First right tube  46  can be mechanically coupled to right shoulder strap  32  by upper first right tube attachment  44  and lower first right tube attachment  44 . Second right tube  46  is mechanically coupled to second right rod lock  42 . Second right tube  46  can be mechanically coupled to right shoulder strap  32  by upper second right tube attachment  44  and lower second right tube attachment  44 . 
     First left tube  46  is mechanically coupled to first left rod lock  42 . First left tube  46  can be mechanically coupled to left shoulder strap  32  by upper first left tube attachment  44  and lower first left tube attachment  44 . Second left tube  46  is mechanically coupled to second left rod lock  42 . Second left tube  46  can be mechanically coupled to left shoulder strap  32  by upper second left tube attachment  44  and lower second left tube attachment  44 . 
     The shoulder harness comprises left adjustable shoulder strap  32  mechanically coupled to right adjustable shoulder strap  32 . Left adjustable shoulder strap  32  is mechanically coupled to left adjustable side strap  34 . Right adjustable shoulder strap  32  is mechanically coupled to right adjustable side strap  34 . 
     Left adjustable shoulder strap  32  is mechanically coupled to left chest band  48 . Left chest band  48  is attached to left chest attachment  50 . Likewise, right adjustable shoulder strap  32  is mechanically coupled to right chest band  48 . Right chest band  48  is attached to right chest attachment  50 . Left chest attachment  50  can be mechanically coupled to right chest attachment  50  in a known manner. For example, left chest attachment  50  can be a hook fastener and right chest attachment  50  can be a loop fastener. 
     Right adjustable shoulder strap  32  is further mechanically coupled to a right adjustable waistband  36 , which is further mechanically coupled to right waistband attachment  38 . Likewise, left adjustable shoulder strap  32  is further mechanically coupled to a left adjustable waistband  36 , which is further mechanically coupled to left waistband attachment  38 . Left waistband attachment  38  can be mechanically coupled to right waistband attachment  38  in a known manner. For example, left waistband attachment  38  can be a hook fastener and right waistband attachment  38  can be a loop fastener. 
     In the preferred embodiment, adjustable shoulder straps  32 , adjustable waistbands  36 , and adjustable side straps  34  are made of webbing and can be mechanically coupled by sewing. 
       FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4  show the expansionary ability of rods  28  in and out of tubes  46 . As noted above, there are four tubes  46  and four rods  28 , which are described collectively in this manner. A user can adjust the height and fore-to-aft and side-to-side angle of sun shade  12  based on user preference. To do this the user unlocks each rod lock  46  and then moves the sun shade to the desired height and angle. A user can further adjust the angles of the sun shade  12  by sliding the rods  28  through the rod-to-rod attachment  26 . The adjustable shoulder straps  32 , adjustable waistbands  36 , and adjustable side straps  34  can be clasped in the front ( FIG. 3 ) and there are no adjustments in the back ( FIG. 4 ). Here chest attachment  50  and waistband attachment  38  are shown as a clasp with a female and male section similar to a belt, but any known fastener is effective. 
       FIG. 5  shows rod attachment  26  in more detail. As noted above, bottom shade support  16  is mechanically coupled to first right rod  28  by first right rod-to-shade support attachment  22  and to second right rod  28  by second right rod-to-shade support attachment  22 . Rods  28  are flexible or shaped and can be slightly bent by rod-to-rod attachment  26  to adjust the angle of sun shade  12 . The ability to adjust the angle of sun shade  12  is another improvement on the prior art. 
       FIG. 6  shows solar panel  30  from a top view. Solar panel  30  is electrically coupled to first fan  24  and second fan  24 , battery  51  and the charger/panel/fan controller  52 , by wire  40 . Wire  40  is covered and attached using well known safety standards. Additionally, some embodiments may have solar panel  30  charge battery  51  which can then power first fan  24  and second fan  24  or any portable electronic device.