An improved self-opening and self-closing umbrella including a canopy, a conventional self-opening and self-closing frame formed of ribs and a telescoping shaft, a handle and an auxiliary mechanism overcomes problems with a conventional self-opening and self-closing umbrella by means of the auxiliary mechanism which comprises a cylindrical tube fixed on the shaft, spring means provided over the shaft in the tube, a hollow push rod provided between the spring means and the handle, locking means provided between the shaft and the tube, two sleeves provided over the shaft and the tube respectively. The auxiliary mechanism serves to help the umbrella open quickly and fully, close to a condition where the umbrella folds tightly and stands ready for opening again, get its shaft strengthened and be used as a walking stick conveniently.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a self-opening and selfclosing umbrella, 
particularly to an improved self-opening and self-closing umbrella which 
overcomes several problems with a conventional self-opening and 
self-closing umbrella as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4421133. Unless 
these problems are successfully solved, the umbrella can hardly be 
expected to serve people satisfactorily at a rainy day. 
The first problem with a conventional self-opening and self-closing 
umbrella is that it cannot open quickly and fully when it is quickly 
raised up from the ground, against which the umbrella has been pushed for 
opening. 11 is is because a much stronger elastic strength is required of 
the spring disposed in the middle tube of the shaft the instant when the 
folded canopy is made to spread, something like a motor car which needs a 
greater horsepower to start, and then the elastic force of the spring is 
much diminished by an air pressure or resistance suddenly exerted on the 
canopy on the other hand. In most cases, the umbrella will stand half 
opened. 
The second problem with a conventional self-opening and self-closing 
umbrella is that it cannot always close to a condition as planned wherein 
it folds tightly for convenient carrying and stands ready for opening 
again. This is also because of the air pressure or resistance now exerted 
on the inside of the canopy, especially when there is a wind blowing. 
The third problem with a conventional self-opening and self-closing 
umbrella is that the lower inner tube of the telescoping shaft bends 
easily at the point where it meets the lower end of the middle tube. This 
is because of the fact that the inner tube is normally relatively weak in 
structure and that a sudden strong force is always abnormally exerted on 
that point when the umbrella is not pushed in a proper or perpendicular 
manner against the ground for opening, as often so with a new user of the 
umbrella. 
Then still another problem with a conventional selfopening and self-closing 
umbrella is that its handle portion is not fixed with respect to its 
shaft. The umbrella cannot, therefore, be used as a walking stick. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention overcomes the problems with a conventional 
self-opening and self-closing umbrella by providing an improved 
self-opening and self-closing umbrella which has an auxiliary mechanism 
incorporated in the umbrella. In the present invention, the auxiliary 
mechanism serves to help the umbrella open quickly and fully and close to 
a condition wherein the umbrella folds tightly and stands ready for 
opening again. Besides, the shaft of the umbrella is strengthened and the 
umbrella can be used as a walking stick.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
As shown in FIG. 2, an embodiment of the present invention includes a 
canopy (not shown), a frame 14, a handle 9 and an auxiliary mechanism 6. 
Frame 14 is formed of ribs 11, stretchers 70 and 71, telescoping shaft 19, 
springs 3 and 4 locking means 62 and 20, and notches 8, 12 and 13. Shaft 
19 comprises an outer tube 5, middle tube 1, upper inner tube 7 and lower 
inner tube 2. Middle tube 1 is slidably disposed within outer tube 5 and 
upper inner tube 7 and lower inner tube 2 are longitudinally displaced and 
slidably disposed within middle tube 1. 
Between upper inner tube 7 and lower inner tube 2 is a spring 4 abutting 
against the ends of inner tubes 7 and 2. Notches 8, 12 and 13 are 
separately provided at the top of tubes 7, 1 and 5 respectively. 
A plurality of main ribs 11 are pivotably attached to notch 8 and supported 
by stretchers 70 and 71 pivotably attached to notches 12 and 13 
respectively. Main ribs 11 and stretchers 70 and 71 form a pagoda-shaped 
frame 14 for supporting the umbrella canopy. 
Spring 3 is coaxially disposed over middle tube 1 and contained between 
notch 12 and notch 13. When compressed, spring 3 biases notches 12 and 13 
away from each other so as to exert a closing force on frame 14. To 
maintain frame 14 in its closed position, locking means 62 is provided on 
outer tube 5. Locking means 62 includes a push button 620, locking bar 621 
and catch portion 622. 
Locking means 20 is provided on lower inner tube 2 for fixing tube 2 with 
respect to middle tube 1 in a position in which lower inner tube 2 is 
retracted within middle tube 1. Thus, in its locked position, locking 
means 20 extends through openings 10 and 15 respectively. When so locked, 
lower inner tube 2 causes spring 4 to become more compressed. This exerts 
a force on upper inner tube 7 to project outwardly from middle tube 1 
which applies an opening force on frame 14. 
Handle 9 is attached to the lower end of lower inner tube 2. 
Auxiliary mechanism 6, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, comprises a cylindrical 
tube 60, push rod 61, spring means 63, compression spring 64 and sleeves 
50 and 32. 
Cylindrical tube 60 has a hollow form and is provided integrally with a 
fixing part 601 on its inner wall for fixing tube 60 on the lower end of 
middle tube 1, an opening 603 on its side for strengthening the fixing of 
it by a screw on tube 1, a support 600 on its upper outer wall for 
supporting locking means 62 to pivot thereon, an opening 604 on its front 
end for catch portion 622 to pass through and screw threads 34 on the 
outer wall of its lower end. 
Sleeve 50 is attached to the lower end of outer tube 5, provided with 
openings 501 and 502 on its upper wall for receiving catch portion 622 and 
has an outer diameter which is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of 
cylindrical tube 60 so that it can move into and out of cylindrical tube 
60 freely. 
Spring means 63 is coaxially provided over middle tube 1 inside cylindrical 
tube 60 and abutting against outer tube 5 and push rod 61. To make sure 
that spring means 63 will be touched by outer tube 5 and push rod 61 
despite their difference in diameter, flat rings or washers 630 and 631 
are coaxially provided over middle tube 1 and disposed between spring 
means 63 and push rod 61 as well as between spring means 63 and outer tube 
5 respectively. 
Push rod 61 has a hollow tubular form abutting against spring means 63 and 
handle 9 and includes a main portion 610, pushing portion 611 and an 
opening 612 adapted for push rod 61 to be able to slide over outer tube 5 
(and also over fixing part 601) through space 605 which is provided 
between the outer wall of fixing part 601 and the inner wall of 
cylindrical tube 60. 
Sleeve 32 is slidably provided over cylindrical tube 60 and has screw 
threads 36 on the inner wall of its front end for engaging with screw 
threads 34 of cylindrical tube 60. When engaged with each other, screw 
threads 36 and 34 serve to elongate cylindrical tube 60 so that it will 
abut on handle 9, thus preventing handle 9 from moving downward relative 
to shaft 19 freely. The umbrella can, therefore, be used as a walking 
stick. 
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 3, to open the umbrella, the first step is to 
compress spring 4 by pushing handle 9 with respect to the top portion of 
shaft 19 until locking means 20 fixes the position of tube 2 relative to 
tube 1. The second step is to deactuate locking means 62 to get catch 
portion 622 out of opening 502 by pressing button 620. 
When locking means 62 is deactuated, spring 4 will drive tube 7 outwardly, 
thereby causing ribs 11 to pull stretchers 70 and 71 and making outer tube 
5 to move upwards towards notch 12, thus getting the umbrella opened. 
Meanwhile, spring means 63 will also give outer tube 5 a thrust, thereby 
helping get the canopy unfolded quickly and the opening of the umbrella 
accelerated. 
When the umbrella is opened, spring 3 will become compressed with respect 
to its natural position while the force applied to the end of middle tube 
1 by spring 4 will be so reduced that it will be smaller than the force of 
spring 3. Now to close the umbrella, as shown in FIG. 6, it is only 
necessary to deactuate locking means 20 by pressing button 99, in which 
locking means 20 will come off opening 10, thus releasing tension on 
spring 4 and causing spring 3 to expand or return to its original shape, 
thereby separating notches 12 and 13 cause the umbrella to close. 
When the umbrella is closed, sleeve 50 will also slide downwards to its 
original position, letting catch portion 622 reenter opening 502 and 
making re-opening of the umbrella possible. Besides, because of opening 
501 which is longitudinally provided in alignment with opening 502 on 
sleeve 50, catch portion 622 can be sure to enter either of the openings 
for immediate reopening of the umbrella even there is a wind blowing, and 
when catch portion 622 enters a most suitably located opening, the 
umbrella can also close tightly. 
Compression spring 64 is provided over lower inner tube 2 and contained 
between fixing part 601 and the lower inside end of push rod 61 for 
returning push rod 61 to its original position abutting against handle 9 
after locking means 20 is deactuated. Compression spring 64 has a smaller 
elastic coefficient than that of spring means 63. 
When cylindrical tube 60 is fixed on the lower end of middle tube 1, its 
fixing part 601 and elongated portion towards handle 9, so adapted, also 
serve to protect lower inner tube 2 from bending easily. 
While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and 
described, it is apparent that obvious modifications and variations can be 
made without departing from the scope of the invention. It is therefore 
intended that all such changes and modifications be included within the 
scope of the appended claims.