CANOPIED, RIBLESS CHORD SUPPORTED UMBRELLA

Abstract: An umbrella provided with a canopy (opened umbrella canopy), a staff (coaxial umbrella staff) and each of a series of generally radially extending chord-like members (radial chords) connected at one end to the canopy margin and at the opposite end to a latchable ring and tube assembly slidably mounted, coaxially, with the staff. The chords and canopy form structural triangles under tension when the umbrella is in open position.

Description: CANOPIED, RIBLESS CHORD SUPPORTED UMBRELLA FIELD OF INVENTION This invention relates to umbrellas and more specifically to a distinctively special umbrella that is characterized as including a structure with a minimum number of parts so arranged as to retain the function of a many-part umbrella even though parts of a conventional umbrella have been eliminated. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conventional umbrellas, when open, have radially extending ribs immediately below and in contact with the canopy which ribs are held in position by links, each of which is pivotally secured to a rib and also pivotally secured to a ring surrounding the staff. Prior art umbrellas which include constructions differing from those in conventional umbrellas are also different from the umbrella of the instant invention and function differently from the umbrella of the instant invention. Such different prior art umbrellas are disclosed in the following U. S. patents: ' dePolo 4,084,600 Wilson 3,186,421 Rush 1,642,267 In dePolo No. 4,084,600 the inner ends of the canopy supporting ribs are pivotally connected to ring slidable in a hollow shaft. In contrast the instant invention includes a canopy which is free of supporting ribs but does cooperate with a series of radially extending members designated in this specification as chords in the sense that these chords are members which subtend an arc-like length of canopy and are generally horizontal as in the supporting framework of a bridge. SUBSTITUTE SHEET In Wilson No. 3,186,421, the fabric of the canopy does not act as does the canopy of the structure of the instant invention. In the structure of Wilson in which fabric is secured to main members 8 by rubber bands, if the fabric is removed, the main members 8 remain in extended position, whereas in the structure of the instant invention the umbrella would collapse if the canopy were removed. In Rush No. 1,642,267, the support members 9 hold up the spreader arms 3 so that if the canopy 7 were removed, the spreader arms would remain in outstretched position. in contrast, if the canopy were removed from the structure of the instant invention, the umbrella would collapse. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the instant invention to provide an umbrella with a minimum number of parts and in which the canopy cooperates structurally with chord members each fixed at one marginal end to the margin o the canopy and pivotally connected at an opposite end to a slidable ring mounted on the umbrella staff. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The nature, other objects, and advantages of the invention will be understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a plan view taken from the top of the opened umbrella; and Fig. 2 is a vertical section, with parts in elevation, generally taken along line A-A of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 3 is a plan view, with parts broken away, illustrating a pin-wheel configuration for the pivotal connection of the chords to the slidable ring. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to Figure 1, the umbrella canopy is made up of a plurality of triangles, the bases of which form the continuous outer margin of the canopy and the apices of which are joined together to form that inner portion of the canopy which covers the top of the umbrella staff. The sides of the canopy triangles are seamed together so that the canopy in open position is in the general form of a multifaceted pyramid. In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the canopy is in the form of a hexagonal pyramid comprising six triangular facets. Referring to Figure 2, the umbrella is illustrated in open position and the canopy is shown extended over the top of the staff and affixed to the outer ends of the radially, generally horizontally and somewhat downwardly outstretched chords. The opposite of inner ends of the chords are each pivotally connected to the ring and tube assembly and the ring is integrally connected to the tube and is longitudinally slidable therewith over the coaxial umbrella staff. The ring and tube assembly is shown in its lowermost locked position with the canopy open. In this position the spring-pressed latch extends outwardly from the staff and protrudes through the vertical slot in the tube near its lower end which does not quite reach the umbrella handle. When the umbrella is latched in open position, the canopy fabric will be in tension and the chords will be cooperating therewith to form structural triangulation with the upper end of the staff. The canopy fabric, the chords, and the staff form structural triangles or triangular structures. When the tube, to which the ring is connected, is moved upward to its uppermost position, the chords approach the canopy, the tension in the canopy and the chords are released, the canopy collapses and the umbrella is in closed position. The chord members which in their extended position are generally horizontal and somewhat lower at their outer ends are preferably somewhat flexible but they may also be relatively rigid SUBSTITUTE SHEET and still serve to create tension in the canopy fabric when the umbrella is in open position. This structure functions as desired even under windy conditions. In Figures 1 and 2, the umbrella includes a canopy of hexagonal pyramid form corresponding to six chord members extending from the staff. It is to be understood that the base of the pyramid may be a square corresponding to four chord members or an octagon corresponding to eight chord members or the canopy may be of a higher order of polygonal base pyramid with a corresponding number of chord members. In a conventional umbrella, the desired triangular structure is formed by ribs immediately in contact with the underside of the canopy, links pivotally connected to ribs and to the slidable ring and the staff. Thus it will be understood, that in accordance with the instant invention of a ribless umbrella, the function of the triangular configuration has been retained while the ribs have been omitted. While the hinging or pivotal connection of the inner ends of the chords to the slidable ring may be effected in a conventional manner, the pivotal connection may also be made in pin-wheel configuration. Though the preferred embodiment has been illustrated in the drawings and has been herein described, it will be understood that variations and modifications may be made without departing from the invention and that therefore the invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment.

Claims: WHAT IS CLAIMED IS: 1. In an umbrella comprising a multifaceted polygonal based canopy of pyramid formation, a staff including a latch, a ring and tube assembly slidable on said staff from an upper position when the umbrella is closed to a lower latched position when the umbrella is open, a series of chord members each of which is secured to the outer margin of said canopy at one end and pivotally hinged to the ring of the ring and tube assembly at the other end, each facet of said canopy being triangular with the base of each triangle forming a margin thereof and the apices of the triangles being joined together over the top of said staff and th sides of each triangle being adjacent sides of adjacent triangles; when in open position each chord extends outwardly from said staff in a generally horizontal direction said canopy cooperating with said chord members and staff so that when said umbrella is open, the canopy is in tension and forms the third element in a triangular structure. 2. The structure recited in claim 1, each chord extending outwardly and somewhat downwardly from said staff. 3. The structure recited in claim 1, wherein the pivots of the pivotal connections between the chord members and the ring of the ring and tube assembly are arranged in pinwheel formation. ** SUBSTITUTE SHEET

Inventors: HERMANSON TERRY, HERMANSON, TERRY
Applicants: HERMANSON TERRY, HERMANSON, TERRY
Application year: 1987
Main classification: A45B25
IPC codes: A45B25