A device for automatically receiving an umbrella in a bag

Abstract: A device for automatically placing an umbrella (U) in a receiving bag (4), comprises a main body (1) containing at least one said receiving bag (4) and a rotatable bag-opening means (102, 104) for opening an insertion opening (4a) of said bag when rotated by said umbrella (U). The bag-opening means (102, 104) comprises a receiving and guiding member (102, 104) for receiving the point of said umbrella (U) and for guiding said point into the opened insertion opening. The device further comprises a first link member (110) inclined at an angle to the horizontal and provides an axle about which said receiving and guiding member (102) can rotate. It also comprises a second link member (112) attached to the first link member (110) and mounted so as to be rotatable in a substantially vertical plane. A first resilient means (105) biases the receiving and guiding member (102) towards its position prior to being rotated by said umbrella (U). A second resilient means (120) biases said second link member (112) towards said receiving bag (4).

Description: The present invention relates to devices which may, for example, be installed at the entrances of, hotels, stores, and so on and automatically place a wet umbrella in a bag in rainy weather. Conventionally, umbrellas have been put in receiving bags made of synthetic resin etc. in order to prevent clothes, floors, or commodities and so on from getting wet by wet umbrellas carried by customers in rainy weather at, for example, hotels, stores, and so on. Various kinds of devices have been proposed in which insertion openings of the receiving bags are automatically opened in order to allow umbrellas to be received easily therein (refer to, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Sh. 60-134817 Official Gazette, Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-open No. Sh. 62-125708 Official Gazette, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei. 4-31222 Official Gazette). However, the conventional devices use suction means or a number of link and cam mechanisms etc. as the means to open the insertion openings of the receiving bags, so that they are complicatedly arranged and have to use a vacuum suction pump, or a motor etc. This results in a relatively high manufacturing cost and means that such devices can not be used where there is no electric power source nearby. In addition, there are disadvantages, for example, that the electric cords are a hindrance and that there is the danger of a short circuit since these devices are used in rainy weather. A device according to the preamble to claim 1 is disclosed in JP-U-03 012 489 The present invention is proposed, in an attempt to alleviate the above-described disadvantages, and an object of the present invention is to provide a device which can in its preferred embodiments properly place an umbrella in a suitable umbrella receiving bag. According to the present invention there is provided a device for automatically placing an umbrella in a receiving bag, as defined in claim 1. The force of the first resilient means is preferably set so that it is only strong enough that no rolling of the receiving bag takes place. The present invention arranged as described above is provided with the receiving and guiding member for opening the insertion opening of the receiving bag loaded within the main body so as to be movable within the main body, and is arranged so that the insertion opening of the receiving bag is opened by pivoting the receiving and guiding member with the point portion of an umbrella; therefore the receiving bag is easily and reliably opened, and an umbrella can be automatically received in the bag. According to the preferred embodiment, when the receiving and guiding member is pivoted, the front end portion thereof enters the inside of the insertion opening of the receiving bag and opens it. Then, the point portion of the umbrella is guided by the receiving and guiding member and enters the inside of the receiving bag through the insertion opening which is opened. After the umbrella is received in the receiving bag, although the receiving and guiding member is returned to its original position by the first resilient means, the force of the first resilient means is only strong enough that no rolling of the receiving bag takes place, so that the receiving bag is prevented from being rolled up. Certain preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a device for automatically placing an umbrella in a bag which is described for reference only. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional front view of the device in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged plane view of the device in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse cross section plane view of the embodiment in Fig. 1 to Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a front view of the receiving bag; Fig. 6 is a section view of the receiving bag; Fig. 7 is an operational diagram when an umbrella is received in the receiving bag; Fig. 8 is an operational diagram when an umbrella is received in the receiving bag; Fig. 9 is an operational diagram when an umbrella is received in the receiving bag; Fig. 10 is an operational diagram when an umbrella is received in the receiving bag; Fig. 11 is a perspective view illustrating an essential part of an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 12 is a view seen from the direction of an arrow A24 of Fig. 11; Fig. 13 is a view seen from the direction of an arrow A25 of Fig. 11; Fig. 14 is a front sectional diagram illustrating the opening operation mechanism which is in the state in which it is not compressed by an umbrella; Fig. 15 is a sectional side elevation view illustrating the opening operation mechanism which is in the state just before it is compressed by an umbrella; Fig. 16 is a sectional side elevation view illustrating the opening operation mechanism which is in a state in which the umbrella of Fig. 15 is even further compressed; Fig. 17 is a sectional side elevation view illustrating the state which the umbrella of Fig. 16 is even further compressed; Fig. 18 is a sectional side elevation view illustrating the state which an umbrella is received in the receiving bag; Fig. 19 is a front sectional view of the state of Fig. 18 seen from the front; Fig. 20 is a sectional side elevation view illustrating even another embodiment of a device for automatically receiving an umbrella in a bag of the present invention; Fig. 21 is a perspective view illustrating the state that the embodiment of Fig. 20 is positioned; and Fig. 22 is a perspective view for illustrating the operation of replenishing the receiving bags of the embodiment of Fig. 20 and Fig. 21. Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a device for automatically receiving an umbrella in a bag. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional front view of the device, Fig. 3 is a plane view of the device, and Fig. 4 is a transverse cross section plane view of the device. Reference numeral 1 indicates the main body of a substantially box-shaped device which extends vertically. On top of the main body 1, an opening 1a having a substantially U-shaped plane form is provided, with an edge frame 2 being provided at the edge of the opening. The opening 1a extends downwardly and opens onto the central part of the front of the main body 1 at an opening 1b. A pedestal 3 is provided, as part of the main body at the lower end thereof. Within the main body 1, as Fig. 2 and Fig. 4 illustrate, are provided a bag holding case 5 which holds umbrella receiving bags 4, and a mechanism holding case 7 which holds an opening operation mechanism 6 for opening an insertion opening of the receiving bag 4 held in the bag holding case 5. On the top surface of the bag holding case 5 is provided a hinged lid 8 mounted by a hinge 9 for retaining the receiving bags 4. A fixing support panel 10 is attached on the inner surface of the upper part of the main body 1, across both the above-described bag holding case 5 and the mechanism holding case 7. A support plate 11 is attached onto the bag holding case 5 side of the fixing support panel 10. A hook 11a is provided as an integral part of the support plate. A generally U-shaped hanger 13 for hanging and holding the receiving bags 4 is freely provided between the hook 11a and an engagement member 12 which is attached onto the detachably inner surface of the upper part of the main body 1, facing the hook 11a. The above-described receiving bag 4 is made of a synthetic resin film, and is in the form of an envelope having an insertion opening 4a at an upper part, as Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 illustrate. The upper edge 41a of the front piece 41 is folded back into the insertion opening 4a. However, the upper edge 41a may instead be folded forward - i.e. outwardly. The upper portion 42a of the back piece 42 extends beyond the front piece 41, and a pair of hanger holes 4b are provided in this upper portion. By inserting the above-described U-shaped hanger 13 through each of the hanger holes 4b, and engaging the U-shaped hanger 13 in the above-described hook 11a and engagement hole 12a provided by the engagement member 12, a large number of receiving bags 4 may be hung and held. At the rear of the hanging receiving bags 4, a compression plate 14 is provided along the hanger 13 so as to be movable. A compression coiled spring 15 is provided between the compression plate 14 and the engagement member 12. The compression coiled spring 15 is mounted around the above-described hanger 13, so as to urge the receiving bags 4 leftwardly as viewed from Fig. 2 by pressing the compression plate 14 to contact the back of the rearmost receiving bag 4. Turning to the mechanism holding case 7, the opening operation mechanism 6 for opening the insertion opening 4a of the foremost receiving bag 4 is held and positioned as described above. A fixing plate 16 is provided by the fixing support panel 10 as a part of it. A movable plate 18 is mounted to the fixing plate 16 by a pair of U-shaped parallel links 17a and 17b so as to be able to advance towards or retreat from the receiving bag 4. An opening operation member 20 in the form of a plate is rotatably mounted on the movable plate 18 by a support shaft 19. In the device illustrated in the drawings, the support shaft 19 is also used to connect one parallel link 17b to the movable plate 18, however, a connection shaft may be provided separately. The front edge 20a of the opening operation member 20 is substantially triangular and is bent downwards. The top of the center part of the opening operation member 20b to which a ferrule Ul of the point of an umbrella U abuts is concave.. At both sides of the opening operation member 20 opposite the front end portion 20a, are folded parts 20c of inward facing U-shape. The bottom surface of each folded part 20c is arranged to abut against the top surface of the movable plate 18. 21 in the drawings is a rotational return spring of the opening operation member 20 formed by a tension coil spring, and both end parts of the return spring 21 are connected to and held by spring bearings 22 and 23 which are respectively provided at the opening operation member 20 and the fixing support panel 10. 16a and 16b are stoppers to which the parallel links 17a and 17b abut, regulating the range over which the movable plate 18 can move. In the above-described arrangement, the receiving bag 4 for taking in umbrella U is hung from and held by the hanger 13 as Fig. 2 illustrates, and is urged to move in the left direction of Fig. 2 by the compression coiled spring 15 via the compression plate 14. The opening operation member 20 and the movable plate 18 are biased to the left of Fig. 2 by the return spring 21, i.e. into the state illustrated in the drawing, with one link 17a abutting the stopper 16a. In order to put the umbrella U into the receiving bag 4 in this state, a point portion of the umbrella U is inserted into the main body 1 through the U-shaped opening 1a on the top of the main body 1 of the device, as Fig. 2 illustrates, until the ferrule Ul at the point portion abuts the top of the concave part 20b of the opening operation member 20. The umbrella U is then pressed downwards. Then, as Fig. 7 illustrates, the opening operation member 20 and the movable plate 18 move in the right hand direction of Fig. 7 against the return spring 21. The movable plate 18 is prevented from moving any further by the link 17b abutting the stopper 16b, when the front end portion 20a abuts the upper portion of the back piece of the receiving bag 4 which is in the foremost position. When the umbrella U is further pressed downwards, the opening operation member 20 rotates around the support shaft 19 in the clockwise direction of Fig. 8, against the tension coiled spring 21, and the front end portion 20a of the opening operation member 20 advances into the insertion opening 4a of the above-described receiving bag 4, as Fig. 8 illustrates. When the umbrella U is further pressed downwards, the front end portion 20a of the opening operation member 20 advances further into the insertion opening 4a, as Fig. 9 illustrates, and at the same time the opening operation member 20 inclines further downwards, so that the ferrule Ul of the umbrella U which is made to abut to the top of the concave part 20b of the opening operation member 20 slides on the surface of the concave part 20b and enters the inside of the receiving bag 4. By pressing the umbrella U further downwards, the umbrella U is automatically put in the bag 4 as Fig. 10 illustrates. The bag 4 and the umbrella U may then be easily taken out by pulling out the bag 4 and umbrella U in the direction of the front of the main body 1 of the device, making the umbrella U slant slightly downwards thereby tearing above the hanger holes 1b and removing the bag 4 from the hanger 13. By taking out the umbrella U which has been received in the bag 4, the opening operation member 20 and the movable plate 18 automatically return to their original state illustrated in Fig. 2 by the tension coiled spring 21 so as again to be in the standby state. Since the movable plate 18 is provided within the main body 1 of the device so as to be able to advance towards or retreat from the receiving bag 4 loaded in the main body 1, and the opening operation member 20 is supported by the movable plate 18 so as to be rotatable as in the above-described device, when the opening operation member 20 returns to the original state as described above, the movable plate 18 is pulled in the left direction of Fig. 10 by the tension coiled spring 21 and the opening operation member 20 also moves in the left direction, before the opening operation member 20 rotates around the support shaft 19 in the upward direction and returns to a substantially horizontal state. This means that the opening operation member 20 returns to the original state without touching the receiving bag which is waiting for the next time it is used; therefore the opening operation member 20 is prevented from rolling up the next receiving bag. Although, in the above-described device, a pair of parallel links 17a and 17b are used as the means to support the movable plate 18 allowing it to advance towards and retreat from the receiving bag 4 loaded in the main body 1 of the device, other means may be selected and used appropriately without being limited to the above. Furthermore, the insertion opening of the receiving bag could be opened just by the rotating movement of the opening operation member 20 by only providing the rotatable opening operation member 20 within the main body 1 of the device so as to be rotatable, without providing the movable plate 18. Next, two embodiments of the present invention are described. The same reference numerals are used for those parts in common with Fig. 1 to Fig. 10 and no further detailed description thereof is given therefore. In Fig. 11, 100 designates an entire body of an opening operation mechanism which an entire body is attached to the main body 1 of the device wherein a number of receiving bags 4 for umbrellas are contained. This opening operation mechanism 100 has a fragmentary member 102, which is a receiving part on which the point portion of an umbrella (not illustrated in Fig. 11) may abut. The member 102 arranged proximate to an opening guide member 104 which opens the insertion opening 4a of the receiving bag 4 and which also acts as a guiding part which guides the point portion of the above-described umbrella to the insertion opening 4a which is opened. The mechanism also comprises a tensile force operation part 106 to which a tension spring 105 which is attached, which spring urges the mechanism 100 to return to the state illustrated in Fig. 11 after the umbrella has been received in the bag; and a rotational shaft supporting member 108 which supports a link (a rotational shaft) described below. Supported by the rotational shaft supporting member 108 is a first link 110 which is arranged at an angle to the horizontal surface and provides an axis for rotation the above-described fragmentary member 102. This first link 110 is fixed to the upper end of a second link 112, which is able to rotate freely relative to a base part 116 by means of a shaft 114. In other words, the second link rotates within the vertical plane including the base part 116. The base part 116 is fixed to the main body 1 of the device. From the second link 112, a third link 118 is branched (the first and the third links 112 and 118 being fixed relative to each other). One end of the tension spring 105 (the first resilient means which urges the fragmentary member to return to its starting position i.e. before the fragmentary member has rotated around the first link) is attached to the third link 118 and the other end of the spring 105 is fixed to the tensile force operation part 106 of the fragmentary member 102. The upper end of the third link 118 acts as a stopper which stops the fragmentary member 102 from rotating in the direction of the arrow RD under the tensile force of the tension spring 105. At a midway part of the second link 112, a compression spring 120 which is a second resilient means urges the link 112 to move towards the receiving bag 4. By virtue of this compression spring 120, the fragmentary member 102 is urged in the direction of an arrow PR in Fig. 11 and is always pressed against the receiving bag 4 at a predetermined pressure. Fig. 12 is a drawing of the mechanism (except for a casing part of the main body 1 of the device) of Fig. 11 which is seen from the direction of arrow A24 of Fig. 11, and Fig. 13 is a drawing of the same mechanism of Fig. 11 which is seen from the direction of an arrow A25. In Fig. 13, arrow UG is the path of the umbrella (not illustrated in Fig. 13) when it is guided by the fragmentary member 102, and arrow R-102 represents the action made by the fragmentary member 102 when it is depressed by the point portion of the umbrella. Next, the operation of this embodiment is described with reference to Fig. 14 to Fig. 19. The state illustrated in Fig. 14 shows the state before the opening operation mechanism 100 operates, and in this state, the point portion UP of the umbrella U has not yet contacted to the fragmentary member 102. Fig. 15 illustrates the state just before the point portion UP of the umbrella touches the fragmentary member 102. As is clear from Fig. 15, the point portion of the umbrella of which touches the fragmentary member 102, the angle B which the fragmentary member 102 makes with the horizontal surface H is about 30 degrees. The point portion UP of the umbrella is further pressed downwards from the state of Fig. 15, and moves on the opening guide member 104 of the fragmentary member 102 as Fig. 16 illustrates. The direction in which the point portion UP moves is illustrated by the arrow UG in Fig. 13. The fragmentary member 102 rotates around the first link 110 as a rotation shaft (the center line of the rotation shaft is illustrated by a dashed line C-110 in Fig. 16) against the resilient tensile force of the tension spring 105 at the same time as the point portion UP of the umbrella moves on the opening guide member 104. The direction in which the fragmentary member 102 (or the opening guide member 104) rotates is the direction shown by an arrow RU in Fig. 11. When the umbrella U is pressed downwards and the fragmentary member 102 (or the opening guide member 104) rotates, the state of Fig. 17 is achieved. Then returning to Fig. 16, the lower end portion 104E of the opening guide member 104 is at a position right above the insertion opening 4a of the receiving bag 4, and when the fragmentary member 102 rotates as is described above, the lower end portion 104P enters the inside of the receiving bag 4 through the insertion opening 4a. As Fig. 17 illustrates, when the point portion UP of the umbrella is further pressed downward, the fragmentary member 102 further rotates, and the opening guide member 104 further enters the inside of the receiving bag 4. The fragmentary member 102 as illustrated in the drawing increases in width as it goes from the lower end portion to the upper direction, so that the insertion opening 4a is opened progressively more widely as the lower end portion 104E enters the inside of the receiving bag 4. The point portion UP of the umbrella which compresses the opening guide member 104 moves on the member 104 (refer to the locus illustrated by an arrow UG of Fig. 13), and enters the inside of the receiving bag 4 through the insertion opening 4a which is widely opened. By this, when the umbrella U is further pressed downwards, it will be in the states illustrated in Fig. 18 and Fig. 19. In the same way as the above-described embodiments, when force is given to the umbrella U to the outside of the main body 1 of the device, the upper part of the receiving bag 4 is torn off from the hanger holes 4b of the upper part, and the engagement with the hanger 13 is released, so that the umbrella U may be taken away once taken it has been received in the receiving bag 4. When the umbrella U is taken away there is no longer any resistance to the resilient tensile force of the tension spring 105, so that the tensile force acts on the tensile force operation part 106 and the fragmentary member 102 thus rotates around the first link 110 (the rotation direction is the direction illustrated by the arrow RD in Fig. 11). In this case, the fragmentary member 102 or the opening guide member 104 contacts a new receiving bag 4 (the bag positioned next to the bag 4 which has been taken away with the umbrella U) only at the position TS in Fig. 18. Accordingly, even when the fragmentary member rotates in the direction of the arrow RD in Fig. 11, the fragmentary member does not roll up the new bag (at this stage, the insertion opening 4a is not opened). Even if the number of the receiving bags 4 becomes small as a result that a number of umbrellas U are taken in the bags 4, the opening operation mechanism 100 is compressed by the compression spring 120; therefore an inconvenience does not occur. The embodiment illustrated in Fig. 20 to 22 has a differently shaped casing for the main body of the device. The embodiments of Fig. 1 to Fig. 19 are intended to be used in such places as the entrances of hotels and stores where a number of people pass by and a number of receiving bags for receiving umbrellas are used. Accordingly a number of receiving bags 4 for receiving the umbrellas are required to be held within the main body 1 of the device. On the other hand, there exists a requirement of installing a device for automatically placing an umbrella in a bag in accordance with the present invention in narrow aisles of, for example, buses etc. However, as described above, in the embodiments of Fig. I to Fig. 19 which hold a number of receiving bags for umbrellas, the longitudinal and lateral plane dimensions are comparatively large; therefore installation in narrow aisles etc. is difficult. However, when these devices are installed in such narrow aisles, the number of receiving bags 4 which are used is small compared to when installed in hotels, stores, and so on. In the embodiment of Fig. 20 to 22, which is proposed for use in such circumstances, the dimension in the longitudinal direction is made smaller by as much as possible, and an umbrella can be received in a receiving bag without obstructing the way even when a device of the embodiment is placed in narrow places such as an aisle and the like. In Fig. 20, a main body (or the casing) of which the entire body is illustrated by at reference 1A has a comparatively small number of receiving bags 4 held therein (for example, about 200 bags), and is extremely small in the longitudinal direction (in Fig. 20, illustrated by an arrow F, and an arrow R) compared to those of the embodiments of Fig. 1 to Fig. 19. Accordingly, as Fig. 21 illustrates, the amount by which the device projects from the wall PW of a passage is extremely small. In Fig. 20, at the back of the main body 1A of the device is a base member 1B for being attached to the main body. Attachment bolts 200 are fixed to the base member 1B. At the top of the main body 1A of the device, a handle 202 is provided for tilting the device when the receiving bags 4 are replenished. Further, at the front of the upper part of the device are provided, a guide 204 which furls (or wrings) an umbrella (not illustrated) in order to make it easy to be received in the bag 4; and a protective cover 206 for an opening operation mechanism which exists around the guide 204 and opens the bags. A hinge 208 is provided at the bottom part of the main body 1A, to enable the device to be tilted. With reference to Fig. 22, as described above, in the embodiment of Fig. 20 to Fig. 22, the number of the bags 4 which are held therein is comparatively small; therefore it is required to replenish or supplement the bags at an opportune moment. In this case, for example, the handle 202 is pulled and the main body 1A is thus rotated about the hinge 208 (Fig. 20) so as to be in the state illustrated in Fig. 22. The way to replenish the bags 4, in the embodiment of Fig. 22, is the same as in the embodiments of Fig. 1 to Fig. 19, so no further description is given. The way to place an umbrella (which is not illustrated in the state illustrated in Fig. 21) is the same as described above, so that a repeated description is omitted. In this way, by the embodiment in Fig. 20 to Fig. 22, the device can be installed without obstructing the way in narrow places such as passages (for example, the aisles of buses) in which the installation of the embodiments of Fig. 1 to Fig. 19 would be difficult. The operation etc. are the same as those of the embodiments in Fig. to Fig. 19. It is added that the embodiments in the drawings are only examples, and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims: A device for automatically placing an umbrella (U) in a receiving bag (4), comprising a main body (1) containing at least one said receiving bag (4) and a pivotable bag-opening means (102, 104) for opening an insertion opening (4a) of said bag when pivoted by the point of said umbrella (U), said bag opening means (102, 104) comprising a receiving and guiding member (102, 104) for receiving the point of said umbrella (U) and for guiding said point into the opened insertion opening (4a); characterized in that said device further comprises a first link member (110) extending in a substantially vertical plane and inclined at an angle to the horizontal and providing an axle about which said receiving and guiding member (102, 104) can pivot; a second link member (112) to one end of which the first link, member (110) is attached and mounted so as to be pivotable about its other end in said substantially vertical plane; first resilient means (105) for biasing the receiving and guiding member (102, 104) towards its upper position prior to being pivoted by said umbrella (U); and second resilient means (120) for biasing said second link member (112) towards said receiving bag (4). A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said bag opening means (102, 104) is tapered towards said receiving bag (4) so as progressively to open said insertion opening (4a) as it is inserted therein. A device as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the main body (1) comprises a hinge (208) to allow one part (1A) of the body to be tilted away from another part (1B) thereby allowing further receiving bags (4) to be loaded into the main body (1A, 1B).

Inventors: MURAKAMI TOSHIYUKI, MURAKAMI, TOSHIYUKI
Applicants: MURAHARU SEISAKUSHO KK, NIIKURA SCALES CO LTD, KABUSHIKI KAISHA MURAHARU SEISAKUSHO, NIIKURA SCALES CO., LTD.
Application year: 1995
Main classification: B65B43
IPC codes: B65B43, A45B25, A47G25, B65B5, B65B67