Abstract:
An illuminating umbrella grip includes a cassette LED illuminating unit detachably mounted in a holder formed on the umbrella grip, with the LED illuminating unit operatively depressed for a constant or flashing illumination; and upon withdrawal of the LED illuminating unit from the umbrella grip, it may be operated to produce illuminating warning signal for safety purpose, or it may be replaced with a fresh LED unit as fully powered.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,126,291 granted to the same inventors of this application disclosed an umbrella having detachable illuminative grip (100), which however has the following drawbacks:  
           [0002]    1. When the illuminative grip (100) is removed from the inner grip portion (202) of the shaft (201), the inner grip portion (202) will become a “slim bar” and will be inconveniently held or grasped by the umbrella user.  
           [0003]    2. The lamp means includes a bulb (41) mounted in the grip (100), with the bulb consuming much electric energy for illumination, requiring larger volume and also being vulnerable and easily damaged.  
           [0004]    3. No flashing mechanism is provided in the lamp means (4) to thereby reduce its safety warning effect.  
           [0005]    The present inventor has found the drawbacks of the conventional illuminating umbrella, and invented the present umbrella grip having cassette LED illuminating unit detachably mounted therein.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    The object of the present invention is to provide an illuminating umbrella grip including a cassette LED illuminating unit detachably mounted in a holder formed on the umbrella grip, with the LED illuminating unit operatively depressed for a constant or flashing illumination; and upon withdrawal of the LED illuminating unit from the umbrella grip, it may be operated to produce illuminating warning signal for safety purpose, or it may be replaced with a fresh LED unit as fully powered. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 is an illustration showing an opened umbrella of the present invention, which can be automatically opened or closed.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 2 is a sectional drawing of the cassette LED illuminating unit of the present invention.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the cassette LED illuminating unit.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 4 is a sectional drawing of the holder adapted for engaging the LED illuminating unit.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 5 shows the LED illuminating unit of the present invention when normally turned off.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 6 shows the LED illuminating unit of the present invention when turned on.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 7 shows the circuit diagram of the LED illuminating unit driven with a flasher in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 8 shows an opened umbrella of the present invention as held in a manually operated umbrella.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 9 is sectional drawing of the present invention having the parts enlarged from the umbrella of FIG. 8. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0016]    As shown in FIGS.  1 ˜ 6 , the present invention discloses an illuminating umbrella grip  210  comprising a cassette LED (Light-Emitting Diode) illuminating unit  100  detachably mounted in a holder  200  formed on the umbrella grip  210 , especially formed on a lower portion of the umbrella grip  210 .  
         [0017]    The umbrella of the present invention includes a central shaft  220  consisting of a plurality of tubes telescopically engageable with one another and a rib assembly  300  for securing an umbrella cloth on the rib assembly  300  pivotally secured to the shaft  220 .  
         [0018]    The umbrella as shown in FIG. 1 is an automatically opened or closed umbrella with multiple folds, but it may also be modified to be a manually operated umbrella as shown in FIG. 8 or a single-fold umbrella, not limited in the present invention.  
         [0019]    The holder  200  may be formed on or fixed to the grip  210  by screws or by adhesive bonding, integral forming, or by any other joining methods, not limited in the present invention.  
         [0020]    The holder  200  is preferably formed on or secured to a bottom portion of the umbrella grip  210  to allow the LED illuminating unit  100  to be easily switched on or off through a bottom opening of the grip.  
         [0021]    The cassette LED illuminating unit  100  includes: a housing  1 , a LED (light emitting diode)  2  mounted in the housing  1  for projecting light forwardly through a front opening  14  formed in the housing  1 , at least a battery (including button cells)  3  stored in the housing  1  and electrically connected to the LED  2  through a switch  4  slidably or movably formed on or in the housing  1  for switching on the LED  2  for illumination or for turning off the LED  2 .  
         [0022]    The housing  1  includes a bottom cover  1   a  combined with an upper cover  1   b  by screws or by other joining methods to define a battery chamber  10  in between the upper and bottom covers  1   b,    1   a  for storing the battery  3  (e.g. one or two button cells) in the battery chamber  10 .  
         [0023]    The housing  1  further includes a ring portion  15  formed on a rear portion of the housing  1  to be fastened by a string  16  for a convenient pulling of the housing  1  to be snugly engaged with a cavity  201  formed in the holder  200  as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 for smoothly mounting the LED illuminating unit  100  in the holder  200  of the umbrella grip  210 . The string  16  is also provided for carrying the umbrella of the present invention.  
         [0024]    The housing  1  is preferably made of transparent materials, and is preferably formed as thin disk shape to be slidably inserted into or withdrawn from the holder  200  formed or fixed in the umbrella grip  210 .  
         [0025]    The LED  2  includes a first pin  21  adjacent to the upper cover  1   b  of the housing and contacting a first electrode or the positive electrode  31  of the battery  3 , and a second pin  22  adjacent to the bottom cover  1   a  of the housing  1  and electrically connected with a second electrode or the negative electrode  32  of the battery  3  through the switch  4  slidably or movably formed on the bottom cover  1   a.    
         [0026]    The switch  4  includes: a sliding plate  41  slidably held in a shallow chamber  11  formed in the bottom cover  1   a;  a collar  42  protruding inwardly from the sliding plate  41  and slidably engaging with the second pin  22  of the LED  2 , with the collar  42  made of electrically insulative material and being normally resiliently biased by the second pin  22  of LED to be separated from the second electrode  32  of the battery to normally switch off the power supply from the battery  3  to the LED  2  through the second pin  22  (FIG. 5); and a push button  43  protruding outwardly or downwardly from the sliding plate  41  to be slidably guided by a slot  12  longitudinally notched through the bottom cover  1   a  allowing a sliding or depression movement of the push button  43  of the switch  4 ; whereby upon contacting of the second pin  22  of LED  2 , as driven by the push button  43  moving in the bottom cover  1   a,  with the second electrode  32  of the battery  3 , the LED  2  will be powered by the battery  3  for its illumination.  
         [0027]    The switch  4  has the collar  42  resiliently biased downwardly or outwardly by the second pin  22  of LED  2  to be normally separated from the second electrode  32  of the battery  3  to normally switch off the power supply from the battery  3  to the LED  2 ; whereby upon an inward or upward depression (D) of the push button  43 , the second pin  22  of LED  2  will be urged inwardly or upwardly to contact the second electrode  32  of the battery  3  to close a power supply circuit between the battery  3  and the LED  2  to illuminate the LED  2  as dotted line shown in FIG. 5; while releasing the depression of the push button  43 , the second pin  22  will resiliently restore the collar  42  and the switch  4  downwardly to switch off the LED  2 ; whereby upon alternative depression or releasing of the push button, the LED will be switched on or off alternatively for a manual flashing operation.  
         [0028]    The switch  4  has the sliding plate  42  slidably held in the shallow chamber  11  recessed in the bottom cover  1   a  having at least a protuberance  13  protruding inwardly or upwardly towards the battery  3 ; whereby upon a rearward sliding movement of the switch  4  by pushing the button  43  rearwardly, the sliding plate  42  will be simultaneously thrusted rearwardly to be gradually biased by the protuberance  13  as shown in FIG. 6 to inwardly or upwardly bend the second pin  22 , as held on the collar  42  formed on the sliding plate  41 , to be contacted with the second electrode  32  of the battery  3  to power and illuminate the LED  2 .  
         [0029]    As shown in FIG. 4, the holder  200  includes: a cavity  201  formed in a hollow portion in the holder  200  for embedding the cassette LED illuminating unit  100  in the cavity  201 , a front hole  202  having a width generally equal to a width of the LED illuminating unit  100  for inserting the LED illuminating unit  100  therethrough, a rear hole  203  formed in a rear portion of the holder  200  for passing the string  16  of the housing  1  of the LED illuminating unit through the rear hole  203 , a bottom hole  204  formed in a bottom portion of the holder  200  to reveal the push button  43  of the switch  4  of the LED illuminating unit  100  for an operation of the push button  43  through the bottom hole  204 , a resilient hook member  205  resiliently formed on an upper portion of the holder  200  for resiliently urging the LED illuminating unit  100  downwardly to engage a protrusion  17  formed on a bottom portion of the LED illuminating unit  100  with a stopping portion  206  formed on a front portion of the holder  200  for stopping a forward releasing of the LED illuminating unit  100  from the holder  200  (FIG. 4 and FIG. 9); whereby upon inward or upward depression of the protrusion  17  to disengage from the stopping portion  206 , the LED illuminating unit  100  will be removed from the holder.  
         [0030]    As shown in FIG. 7, a flasher (Fl.)  5  is connected in series in an illumination circuit including the LED  2 , the switch  4  and the battery  3 , whereby upon actuation of the switch  4  to start the flasher  5 , the LED  2  will be blinked automatically as driven by the flasher  5 .  
         [0031]    For embedding or inserting the LED illuminating unit  100  in the holder  200  integrally formed on the umbrella grip  210  as shown in FIGS. 8, 9, a manually-operated umbrella will be implemented with the illuminating device, i.e., the LED  2 , for a safe illumination purpose.  
         [0032]    The present invention is superior to a conventional illuminating umbrella with the following advantages:  
         [0033]    1. The illuminating device is a LED with miniature volume, light weight, and convenient operation and maintenance.  
         [0034]    2. The LED illuminating unit  100  can be conveniently detachably withdrawn from the holder  200  on the umbrella grip  210  for a convenient maintenance, e.g., for replacing a new unit  100  and for serving as a miniature portable device for a convenient lighting or optical safety warning or signaling purpose.  
         [0035]    3. Since the LED unit  100  is a small unit and even after being removed from the grip  210 , the umbrella grip  210  can still be ergonomically grasped.  
         [0036]    4. Either manual or automatic flashing mechanism is provided for a flashing illumination for better warning effect.  
         [0037]    The present invention may be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.