Abstract:
A wind-stable umbrella includes structurally enhanced connectors for connecting ribs to an upper hub and pull cords extended between a middle hub and near-outer ends of the ribs. Each of the connectors includes a forward extended lug portion that is connected to the upper hub, and two shoulder portions extended from two lateral sides of an upper outer end of the lug portion. The shoulder portions increase a structural strength of the lug portions and press against an outer surface of the upper hub when the umbrella is stretched, so that the ribs are more stably connected to the upper hub via the connectors. The pull cords pull outer portions of the ribs inward when the umbrella is stretched, preventing the ribs from turning outward under a strong wind. The wind-stable umbrella therefore has solid overall structure to avoid twist and deformation due to the strong wind.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to a wind-stable umbrella, and more particularly to a wind-stable umbrella having solid connecting structure to protect the umbrella against twist and deformation under a strong wind.  
           [0002]    [0002]FIG. 1 is a bottom view showing the connection of inner ends  11  of ribs  1  of a general umbrella to an upper hub  2  via a plurality of connectors  3 ′. As can be clearly seen from FIG. 2, each of the connectors  3 ′ includes a main body  31 ′, an outer part of which defining a central hole  32 ′ into which the inner end  11  of one rib  1  is inserted; and a lug portion  33 ′ forward extended from a central area of an inner part of the main body for locating in one of many hub holes  21  formed on the upper hub  2 . The lug portion  33 ′ also has a through hole  34 ′ provided near an inner end thereof. A steel wire (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) is threaded through the holes  34 ′ of all lug portions  33 ′ to bind the connectors  3 ′ to the upper hub  2 , so as to connect the ribs  1  to the upper hub  2  via the connectors  3 ′.  
           [0003]    Since the lug portion  33 ′ of the connector  3 ′ is to be located in the hub hole  21  that is very narrow, the lug portion  33 ′ must have a width significantly smaller than that of the main body  31 ′. Moreover, the lug portion  33 ′ extends straightly forward from the central area of the inner part of the main body  31 ′ to have a uniform and reduced width for an entire length of the lug portion  33 ′ starting from a joint of the lug portion  33 ′ and the main body  31 ′. Such straight and uniform narrow configuration of the lug portion  33 ′ largely reduces an overall structural strength thereof, subjecting the connector  3 ′ to twist and deformation at the lug portion  33 ′ due to a strong windblown against the umbrella.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a wind-stable umbrella that has structurally enhanced connectors for connecting ribs to the upper hub and pull cords extended between a middle hub and near-outer ends of the ribs to eliminate the problem of twisted and deformed ribs existing in the conventional umbrella.  
           [0005]    To achieve the above and other objects, each of the connectors for the umbrella of the present invention includes a forward extended lug portion that is connected to the upper hub, and two shoulder portions extended from two lateral sides of an upper outer end of the lug portion. The shoulder portions increase a structural strength of the lug portions and press against an outer surface of the upper hub when the umbrella is stretched, so that the ribs are more stably connected to the upper hub via the connectors. The pull cords pull outer ends of the ribs inward when the umbrella is stretched, preventing the ribs from turning outward under a strong wind. The umbrella of the present invention therefore has solid overall structure to avoid twist and deformation due to a strong wind. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]    The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 is a fragmentary bottom view of a conventional umbrella showing ribs of the umbrella are connected at inner ends to an upper hub via connectors;  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one of the connectors shown in FIG. 1;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 3 shows a wind-stable umbrella of the present invention in a fully stretched state;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 4 shows the wind-stable umbrella of FIG. 3 in a collapsed state;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 5 is a fragmentary bottom view of the wind-stable umbrella of the present invention showing ribs of the umbrella are connected at inner ends to an upper hub via connectors;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of one of the connectors shown in FIG. 5;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 7 is a fragmentary side view showing the manner in which the ribs of the wind-stable umbrella of the present invention are connected to the upper hub;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing a structural relation among a middle hub, a pull cord, and a cord holder included in the wind-stable umbrella of the present invention;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the cord holder shown in FIG. 8 viewed from an inner end thereof;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 10 is a partially sectioned perspective view showing the manner in which the pull cord is held at an inner end to the middle hub;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the pull cord connected to the middle hub of the wind-stable umbrella of the present invention is protected by a hoop against separation from the middle hub when the pull cord is downward pulled; and  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing the pull cord connected to the middle hub of the wind-stable umbrella of the present invention is protected by the hoop against separation from the middle hub when the pull cord is upward pulled. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0019]    Please refer to FIG. 3 that shows a wind-stable umbrella of the present invention in a fully stretched state. The wind-stable umbrella of the present invention mainly includes a shaft  4 , an upper hub  2  fixedly mounted to a top of the shaft  4 , a lower hub  5  slidably mounted around the shaft  4 , a middle hub  6  movably mounted around the shaft  4  between the upper and the lower hubs  2 ,  5 , and a plurality of sets of rib members A. Each set of the rib members A includes a rib  1  having an inner end  11  connected to the upper hub  2  via a connector  3 , a stretcher  7  having inner and outer ends pivotally connected to the lower hub  5  and a near-middle point of the rib  1 , respectively, and a pull cord  8  having inner and outer ends connected to the middle hub  6  and a cord holder  9  attached to a near-outer point of the rib  1 , respectively.  
         [0020]    When the lower hub  5  is upward pushed, the stretchers  7  and the ribs  1  are sequentially stretched outward to open the wind-stable umbrella of the present invention. When the ribs  1  are stretched outward, the pull cords  8  connected at outer ends to the ribs  1  are pulled outward and therefore downward pull the middle hub  6  connected to inner ends of the pull cords  8 . There is a stop ring  41  provided on the shaft  4  below the middle hub  6 , and a spring  42  located between the stop ring  41  and the middle hub  6 . The middle hub  6  being downward pulled by the pull cords  8  compresses the spring  42  and finally presses a lower edge against the stop ring  41  and is stopped from moving downward any further. At this point, the pull cords  8  are in a fully tensioned state. That is, outer portions of the ribs  1  are kept in an inward pulled state by the pull cords  8  and the middle hub  6 , protecting the ribs  1  from being turned outward, twisted and deformed under a gust of windblown upward against an inner side of the umbrella.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 4 shows the wind-stable umbrella of the present invention in a collapsed state. When the lower hub  5  is pulled downward along the shaft  4 , the stretchers  7  and the ribs  1  are sequentially pulled inward to a collapsed position. When the ribs  1  are pulled inward, a distance between each rib  1  and the shaft  4  is shortened, and the pull cord  8  connected to each rib  1  is no longer in the tensioned state. That is, the pull cords  8  are now loosely extended between the middle hub  6  and the ribs  1 . At this point, a restoring force of the compressed spring  42  pushes the middle hub  6  upward to straighten the loose pull cords  8 , enabling the umbrella to collapse smoothly without being interfered by the pull cords  8 . The wind-stable umbrella of the present invention is so designed that the pull cords  8  keep in the straightened state after the umbrella is fully collapsed.  
         [0022]    Please refer to FIG. 5 that is a bottom view showing each of the ribs  1  is connected at an inner end to the upper hub  2  via a connector  3 . Also please refer to FIG. 6 that is a perspective view of the connector  3 . Each of the connectors  3  includes a main body  31 , an outer part of which defines a central hole  32  for receiving the inner end  11  of the rib  1  therein, a lug portion  33  forward extended from a central area of an inner end of the main body  31  and having a through hole  34  provided near an inner end thereof, and two shoulder portions  35  extended from two lateral sides of an upper outer end of the lug portion  33 . Please also refer to FIG. 7 that is a side view showing connection of the ribs  1  to the upper hub  2  of the wind-stable umbrella of the present invention. The lug portion  33  of each connector  3  connected to the inner end of the rib  1  is located in one of many hub holes  21  provided along a circumferential surface of the upper hub  2 . A steel wire  22  is threaded through the through holes  34  of all lug portions  33  to pivotally connect the lug portions  33  to the upper hub  2 . In stretching the umbrella, every rib  1  is pivotally turned about the through holes  34  on the lug portions  33  of the connectors  3  from the collapsed position into the fully stretched position. At this point, the two shoulder portions  35  on every connector  3  are moved into positions radially inward pressing against an outer wall surface of the upper hub  2 , forming a solid structure. Therefore, the shoulder portions  35  not only structurally strengthen the lug portions  33 , but also enable firm and stable connection of the connectors  3  to the upper hub  2 . With the shoulder portions  35 , the risk of twisted and deformed connectors  3  at the lug portions  33  due to a gust of wind blowing upward against the inner side of the umbrella could be eliminated.  
         [0023]    It is to be noted that the shoulder portions  35  on each connector  3  are provided at two lateral sides of the upper outer end of the lug portion  33  and there are sufficient spaces  36  left below the shoulder portions  35 , so that the rib  1  is allowed to smoothly move between the stretched and the collapsed positions.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing a structural relation among the middle hub  6 , the pull cords  8 , and the cord holders  9 . For the purpose of simplicity, only one pull cord  8  and one cord holder  9  are shown in the drawing.  
         [0025]    Each of the pull cords  8  includes a cord body  81 , two ends of which are tied to form an outer knot  82  and an inner knot  83 .  
         [0026]    The middle hub  6  is provided with a plurality of circumferentially arranged and axially extended first knot-coupling holes  61 . Each of the first knot-coupling holes  61  includes an expanded hole  611  located at a radially inner side of the first knot-coupling hole  61 , and a narrowed cord slot  613  located at a radially outer side of the first knot-coupling hole  61  to communicate with an outer circumferential surface of the middle hub  6 . A joint of the expanded hole  611  and the narrowed cord slot  613  forms a stopper  612 . The inner knot  83  of each pull cord  8  is received in one of the expanded holes  611  and stopped by the stopper  612  from moving outward. The cord body  81  of the pull cord  8  is guided through the narrowed cord slot  613  to extend from the first knot-coupling hole  61 . An upper part of the outer circumferential surface of the middle hub  6  tapers toward a top of the middle hub to form a tapered surface  62 . An annular groove  63  is formed around the middle hub  6  below the tapered surface  62  to intersect with every first knot-coupling hole  61 . A hoop  64  is pushed down through the tapered surface  62  of the middle hub  6  into the annular groove  63  to tightly bind around the middle hub  6  and restrict the inner knots  83  of the pull cords  8  within the first knot-coupling holes  61 .  
         [0027]    Each of the cord holders  9  is provided at one side with a rib-coupling hole  91  for holding the rib  1  extended therethrough, and at another side with a second knot-coupling hole  92 . The second knot-coupling hole  92  is structurally similar to the first knot-coupling hole  61  and includes an expanded hole  921  started from an outer end of the cord holder  9  and ended at a stopper  922  in the second knot-coupling hole  92 , and a narrowed cord slot  923  extended from the stopper  922  to an inner end of the cord holder  9 . The outer knot  82  of the pull cord  8  is received in the expanded hole  921  and is stopped by the stopper  922  from moving toward the inner end of the cord holder  9 . The cord body  81  behind the outer knot  82  is guided through the narrowed cord slot  923  to extend from the inner end of the cord holder  9 .  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the cord holder  9  viewed from an inner end thereof to clearly show the cord slot  923  of the second knot-coupling hole  92  is extended to the inner end of the cord holder  9 .  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 10 is a partially sectioned perspective view showing the manner in which the inner knot  83  of the pull cord  8  is held to the first knot-coupling hole  61  of the middle hub  6 . FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the pull cord  8  connected to the middle hub  6  of the wind-stable umbrella of the present invention is protected by the hoop  64  against separation from the middle hub  6  when the pull cord  8  is downward pulled. FIG. 12 is similar to FIG. 11 but shows the pull cord  8  connected to the middle hub  6  is protected by the hoop  64  against separation from the middle hub  6  when the pull cord  8  is upward pulled.  
         [0030]    According to FIGS.  8  to  12 , each pull cord  8  is firmly and stably provided between the pull holder  9  and the middle hub  6  and effectively pulls the outer portion of each rib  1  inward when the umbrella is stretched, protecting the rib  1  from turning outward and upward and becoming deformed under a strong wind.