One hand operated umbrella capable of self-opening

This invention is directed to an umbrella whereby a person can open the umbrella with one hand and, also, close the umbrella with one hand. There is a spring which urges the umbrella to an open position. In the closed position there is a latching means for preventing movement of the elements of the umbrella so as to maintain the umbrella in the closed position. To open the umbrella the latching means is moved and the spring expands the umbrella to the open position. To close the umbrella a person, with one hand, pulls on a handle so as to move the latching means in a locking position to maintain the umbrella in the closed position.

This invention relates to a self-opening umbrella, and the principal object 
is to provide both opening and closing operations with one hand by means 
of pushing action of a hand for automatic opening and squeezing action of 
the same hand for closing while retaining simplicity in construction. This 
one hand operation of umbrella greatly facilitates user whose other hand 
is occupied and is not readily available for umbrella configuration 
change. 
Another object of the invention is to provide the user an instant and ready 
infinitesimal umbrella configuration changes between open and close 
positions, enabling the user to utilize the squeezing motion to partially 
close the umbrella with ease when passing through narrow passages, while 
retaining complete umbrella function. 
A still further object is to provide in a device constructed as specified, 
an inner shaft, an upper hub member secured to the top of the inner shaft, 
a plurality of ribs supporting an umbrella cloth and pivotally engaged at 
one end to the circumference of the upper hub member, a pin secured to the 
lower end of the inner shaft, two symmetrical upper handle grips securely 
attached to the pin, a tubular outer shaft slidably mounted on the inner 
shaft having a lower end a dual longitudinal slot for the pin protrusions, 
a lower handle grip secured to the bottom of the tubular outer shaft, a 
plurality of rib-supporting spokes each pivotally engaged at one end to 
the lower hub member and at the other end to the intermediate portion of 
the ribs, a compression spring means mounted on the shaft between the 
upper and lower hub members and forcing the pin in the inner shaft against 
the top portion of the dual longitudinal slots in the tubular outer shaft, 
thereby stabilizing the umbrella in open configuration, and when the upper 
handle grips are squeezed down against the force of compression spring 
means to contact the lower grip to create simultaneously to the ribs 
inward and downward moment caused by radially differential inside support 
pivots on the ribs and the rib-supporting spokes moving in different paths 
to close umbrella, a latch means provided in the lower portion of the 
inner shaft protrudes out and prevents the inner shaft from moving up, 
thus retains the umbrella in closed configuration, whereby, upon pressing 
and releasing the latch means, the inner shaft is caused to move upward by 
the compression spring means creating outward moment to the ribs, thereby 
automatically opening the umbrella.

Reference is now made to the FIGS. 1 and 2: 
The one hand operated umbrella of this invention has an inner shaft 1, an 
upper hub member 2 secured to the top of the inner shaft 1, a plurality of 
ribs 3 each supporting an umbrella cloth 13 and pivotally engaged at one 
end to the circumference of the upper hub member 2, a pin 4 through and 
secured to the lower end of the inner shaft 1, two symmetrical upper 
handle grips 5 securely attached to the pin 4, a tubular outer shaft 6 
concentrically and slidably mounted on the inner shaft 1 and having at 
lower end dual longitudinal slots 12 for the pin 4 protrusions, a lower 
handle grip 7 secured to the bottom of the tubular outer shaft 6, a lower 
hub member 8 secured to the top of the tubular outer shaft 6, a plurality 
of rib-supporting spokes 9 each pivotally engaged at one end to the lower 
hub member 8 and at the other end to the intermediate portion of the ribs 
3, a compression spring means 10 mounted on the inner shaft 1 between the 
upper hub member 2 and the lower hub member 8 and forcing the pin 4 in the 
inner shaft 1 against the top portions of the dual longitudinal slots 12 
in the tubular outer shaft 6, thereby stabilizing the umbrella in open 
configuration, and when the upper handle grips 5 are squeezed down against 
the force of the compression spring means 10 to contact the lower handle 
grip 7 to create simultaneously to the ribs 3 inward and downward moments 
caused by radially differential inside support pivots on the ribs 3 and 
the rib-supporting spokes 9 moving in different paths to close the 
umbrella, a latch means 11 provided in the lower portion of the inner 
shaft 1 protrudes out and prevents the inner shaft 1 from moving up thus 
retains the umbrella in closed configuration, whereby, upon pressing and 
releasing the latch means 11, the inner shaft 1 is caused to move upward 
by the compression spring means 10 and creating outward moment of the ribs 
3, thereby automatically opening the umbrella. 
Representative embodiment of this invention is herein presented, but it is 
easily acknowledged that the particular embodiment is not the only form to 
attain the true scope of the invention, and there are still other 
alternative forms which come within the same range and extent of the 
invention as defined in the appended claim.