Umbrella tip structure for vertical placement of umbrella

An umbrella tip structure for vertical placement of an umbrella is disclosed, including a fixed pillar, a movable barrel, a spring, and at least two tip blades. The umbrella tip structure is mountable to an umbrella in such a way that tip blades can be automatically expanded and/or collapsed so that in use, with a movable barrel positioned against a horizontal surface, the tip blades may be opened automatically to make the umbrella tip structure a stable and firm support stand that stably and firmly supports the umbrella in a vertical, upright condition on a horizontal surface, achieving vertical placement of the umbrella. The operation and use of the umbrella tip structure is simple and easy.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of umbrellas, and more particularly to an umbrella tip structure that allows an umbrella to be placed in a vertical, upright condition.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

An umbrella is a tool for sun shading or for shielding rain and snow. The umbrella is generally made of oil paper, oil cloth, or plastic sheet. The word “umbrella” is a derivative from the Latin word “umbre”, which means light shading or shadow. The modern umbrellas often have an umbrella tip or cap.

The tip or cap of the known umbrellas is generally of an integrally formed tip structure, which does not allow an umbrella to be supported in a vertical, upright condition on a horizontal surface. To place an umbrella in a vertical, upright condition, an umbrella holder must be provided so that the umbrella can be placed vertical by being supported by and held in the holder. This causes inconvenience of use for the umbrella users.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the above, the present invention is made in view of the drawbacks and shortcomings of the prior art and the primary purpose is to provide an umbrella tip structure that allows for vertical placement of an umbrella in order to effectively overcome the inconvenience of use of an umbrella that the umbrella tip of the conventional umbrellas cannot support the umbrellas vertically on a horizontal surface.

To achieve the above purpose, a technical solution adopted in the present invention is as follows.

An umbrella tip structure is provided for vertical placement of an umbrella and comprises a fixed pillar, a movable barrel, a spring, and at least two tip blades, wherein the movable barrel is mounted to a lower end of the fixed pillar in a manner of being movable up and down; the spring has two ends respectively supported on the fixed pillar and the movable barrel such that the spring biases and urges the movable barrel to move downward for position returning; the at least two tip blades are arranged and distributed in an outer circumference of the fixed pillar and each of the tip blades has an upper end that is pivotally connected to a side surface of an upper end of the fixed pillar; each of the tip blades is provided with a link bar and each of the link bars has an upper end pivotally connected to the respective tip blade and each of the link bars has a lower end that is pivotally connected to a side surface of an upper end of the movable barrel; wherein in a closed condition, the at least two tip blades cover and enclose the fixed pillar and the movable barrel with a lower end of the movable barrel projecting beyond and outside lower ends of the tip blades; and in an open condition, the movable barrel moves upward to an extreme position where the tip blades expand outwards with respect to each other.

As an optional embodiment, the side surface of the upper end of the fixed pillar comprises first hinge sections projecting outward therefrom and the upper ends of the tip blades are each provided with a second hinge section extended therefrom, the second hinge sections being pivotally connected to the first hinge sections respectively by means of first pivot pins.

As an optional embodiment, the link bars are each provided with a rotation axle extending from the upper end thereof, and the rotation axle is mounted, by means of a constraint member, to an inside surface of the respective tip blade.

As an optional embodiment, the constraint member is fixed to the inside surface of the tip blade by means of screws.

As an optional embodiment, the link bars are each provided, on the lower end thereof, with a third hinge section, and the movable barrel is provided, on the side surface of the upper end thereof, with fourth hinge sections, such that the fourth hinge sections are each pivotally connected, by means of a second pivot pin, to the third hinge sections respectively.

As an optional embodiment, the at least two tip blades comprise three tip blades distributed in a uniform manner.

As an optional embodiment, the spring is fit over and encompasses an outer circumferential surface of the lower end of the fixed pillar.

As an optional embodiment, the fixed pillar is provided with a holding mechanism fixed to the upper end thereof, the holding mechanism comprising a housing, the housing having an upper end in which a through hole is formed and in communication with an interior space of the housing, the housing being provided, in the interior space thereof, with at least two holding pieces, such that the at least two holding pieces define therebetween a holding hole for clamping an umbrella tip, the holding hole being in alignment with the through hole, each of the holding pieces being provided with an position-returning piece, the position-returning piece being arranged and positioned between the holding piece and the interior of the housing.

As an optional embodiment, each of the holding pieces has an outside surface that is provided with a flexible plastic part attached thereto and the flexible plastic part is located in the holding hole.

As an optional embodiment, the at least two holding pieces comprise three holding pieces.

Compared to the prior art, the present invention exhibits obvious advantages and beneficial effectiveness. Specifically, it can be learned from the above-described technical solution the following facts:

The present invention is mountable to an umbrella in such a way that the tip blades can be automatically expanded and/or collapsed so that in use, with the movable barrel positioned against a horizontal surface, the tip blades may be opened automatically to make the present invention a stable and firm support stand that stably and finely supports the umbrella in a vertical, upright condition on a horizontal surface, achieving vertical placement of the umbrella. The operation and use of the present invention is simple and easy.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring toFIGS. 1-3, a structure according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown and comprises a fixed pillar10, a movable barrel20, a spring30, and at least two tip blades40.

The movable barrel20is mounted to a lower end of the fixed pillar10in a manner of being movable up and down. The spring30has two ends respectively supported on the fixed pillar10and the movable barrel20such that the spring30biases and urges the movable barrel20to move downward for position returning. The at least two tip blades40are arranged and distributed in an outer circumference of the fixed pillar10and each of the tip blades40has an upper end that is pivotally connected or hinged to a side surface of an upper end of the fixed pillar10. Each of the tip blades40is provided with a link bar50, and each of the link bars50has an upper end pivotally connected or hinged to the respective tip blade40and each of the link bars50has a lower end that is pivotally connected or hinged to a side surface of an upper end of the movable barrel20.

In the instant embodiment, the side surface of the upper end of the fixed pillar10comprises first hinge sections11projecting outward therefrom and the upper ends of the tip blades40are each provided with a second hinge section41extended therefrom. The second hinge sections41are pivotally connected or hinged to the first hinge sections11respectively by means of first pivot pins61. The link bars50are each provided with a rotation axle51extending from the upper end thereof, and the rotation axle51is mounted, by means of a constraint member62, to an inside surface of the respective tip blade40. The constraint member62is fixed to the inside surface of the tip blade40by means of screws63. The link bars50are each provided, on the lower end thereof, with a third hinge section52, and the movable barrel20is provided, on the side surface of the upper end thereof, with fourth hinge sections21, such that the fourth hinge sections21are each pivotally connected or hinged, by means of a second pivot pin64, to the third hinge sections52respectively. The spring30is fit over and encompasses an outer circumferential surface of the lower end of the fixed pillar10. Further, the number of the tip blades40used is three and they are uniformly distributed such that the three tip blades40, when expanded, achieve stable and firm supporting.

In use, the upper end of the fixed pillar10is coupled to a top end of a central pole65of an umbrella. In use or in a collapsed, but not vertically placed, as shown inFIG. 1, the multiple tip blades40are in a closed condition such that the multiple tip blades40surround, cove, and house the fixed pillar10and the movable barrel20with a lower end of the movable barrel20projecting beyond and outside lower ends of the tip blades40. When a user attempts to place the umbrella in a vertical and upright manner, the multiple tip blades40may be operated automatically. Specifically, the movable barrel20is acted upon by a gravitational force of the umbrella to have the movable barrel20move upward with respect to the fixed pillar10to an extreme position and during the movement of the movable barrel20, the link bars50expand the tip blades40outward so as to have the tip blades40open outward with respect to each other. With the tip blades40expanded outwards with respect to each other, the present invention form a stable and firm support stand that stably and firmly supports the umbrella in a vertical, upright manner, on a horizontal surface. When the umbrella is picked up and removed, under the spring force of the spring30, the movable barrel20is biased and forced to move downward with respect to the fixed pillar10such that with the operation of the link bars50, the tip blades40are caused to individually collapse and close.

Referring toFIGS. 4-6, a structure according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The structure of the instant embodiment is generally identical to the structure of the first preferred embodiment with differences therebetween described as follows.

In the instant embodiment, the fixed pillar10is provided, fixed to the upper end thereof, with a holding mechanism70. The holding mechanism70comprises a housing71, and the housing71has an upper end in which a through hole701is formed and in communication with an interior space of the housing71. The housing71is provided, in the interior space thereof, with at least two holding pieces72, such that the at least two holding pieces72define therebetween a holding hole702for clamping an umbrella tip. The holding hole702is in alignment with the through hole701. Each of the holding pieces72is provided with an operating piece73, and the operating piece73is arranged between and elastically biasing the holding piece72and the interior of the housing71with respect to each other. Each of the holding pieces72has an outside surface that is provided with a flexible plastic part74attached thereto and the flexible plastic part74is generally located in the holding hole702.

Specifically, in the instant embodiment, the housing71comprises a top cover711and a bottom board712. The bottom board712is attached to and covers and closes a bottom of the top cover711. The through hole701is formed in a top of the top cover711. The top cover711and the bottom board712circumferentially delimit a receiving space703, and the holding pieces72and the operating pieces73are arranged in the receiving space703. Further, the number of the holding pieces72used in three and the three holding pieces72collaboratively clamp the umbrella tip therebetween. Further, the operating pieces73may comprise springs.

In the instant embodiment, the holding mechanism70may be used with an umbrella tip of any type of umbrella such that in use, the umbrella tip is inserted into the through hole701and further gets into the holding hole702. Assembling and disassembling can be done easily. The other parts of the instant embodiment are similar, in structure and operation, to those of the first preferred embodiment described above so that a detailed description of the operation and structure of the instant embodiment will be omitted here.

A design idea of the present invention is that the present invention is mountable to an umbrella in such a way that the tip blades can be automatically expanded and/or collapsed so that in use, with the movable barrel positioned against a horizontal surface, the tip blades may be opened automatically to make the present invention a stable and firm support stand that stably and firmly supports the umbrella in a vertical, upright condition on a horizontal surface, achieving vertical placement of the umbrella. The operation and use of the present invention is simple and easy.