Abstract:
A mounting device ( 1 ) for supporting umbrellas ( 31 ) and other items having elongated tubular handles, such as fishing poles, tiki torches ( 34 ), flag poles, signs and so forth. The mounting device is capable of being attached to different objects having various sizes and shapes, such as chairs, coolers ( 32 ), tables ( 33 ), railings ( 30 ), ladders, tailgates, boat rails, fence posts and so forth. The mounting device has a support portion ( 2 ) that attaches to a tubular handle of an umbrella and a mounting portion that attaches to an anchoring object.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a mounting device used for supporting umbrellas and other objects having elongated tubular handles, and more particularly an adjustable mounting device used to attach an umbrella to various anchoring objects in order to support the umbrella in a desired position. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Conventional umbrella holders are typically clamping devices that are only capable of being attached to a tubular frame of a beach chair. Thus, conventional umbrella holders have very limited uses as they cannot be attached to larger objects such as tables, coolers and so forth. 
     Therefore, a need exists for a mounting device for umbrellas and other objects having elongated tubular handles that can be attached to a variety of anchoring objects having a large range of shapes and sizes. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary object of the present invention is to provide a mounting device for umbrellas and other objects having elongated tubular handles that can be attached to a variety of anchoring objects having a large range of shapes and sizes. 
     An additional object of the present invention is to provide a mounting device that is attachable to umbrellas or other objects having elongated tubular handles with varying diameters. 
     An additional object of the present invention is to provide a mounting device that allows a user to adjust the angle of an umbrella or other object being supported by the mounting device. 
     The present invention fulfills the above and other objects by providing a mounting device for supporting umbrellas and other items having elongated tubular handles, such as fishing poles, tiki torches, flag poles, signs and so forth. The mounting device is capable of being attached to different objects having various sizes and shapes, such as chairs, coolers, tables, railings, ladders, tailgates, boat rails, fence posts and so forth. The mounting device has a support portion that attaches to a tubular handle of an umbrella and a mounting portion that attaches to an anchoring object. 
     The support portion attaches to elongated tubular handles of umbrellas and other objects using a bolt clamp having a threaded bolt that is inserted through a threaded aperture located on a perimeter wall of a tubular body. A substantially V-shaped channel is located in the perimeter wall of the tubular body and faces a distal end of the threaded bolt. The substantially V-shaped channel prevents the tubular handle from rolling from side to side when the threaded bolt is tightened against the tubular handle. 
     The mounting portion has a strap that passes through a slot located proximal to the support portion. The slot is preferably located in a housing having a mounting surface with at least one flat portion and a substantially V-shaped channel. The flat portion allows the mounting portion to be mounted to a flat surface, such as a side wall of a cooler, whereas the substantially V-shaped channel allows the device to be mounted to tubular objects, such as the frame of a chair, or to edges of objects, such as the edge of a table. The strap preferably has an adjustable length and two ends that are secured together using a buckle, hook and loop fastener or other securing mechanism. 
     The supporting portion and the mounting portion of the device are preferably rotatably attached to each other to allow a user to rotate the supporting portion to adjust the angle of an umbrella while the mounting portion remains mounted to an anchoring object in a stationary position. The rotation may be accomplished preferably using a male tubular portion that engages a female tubular portion. A locking mechanism locks the male portion and female portion together to prevent unwanted rotation. When the locking mechanism is disengaged, the female portion and male portion may be rotated in relation to each other. 
     The locking mechanism may comprise an alternating series of radial ridges on the female and male portions which may be engaged into each other by a compressible mounted spring to prevent rotation of an object being held in the device. 
     The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention should become even more readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and described illustrative embodiments of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the following detailed description, reference will be made to the attached drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective side view of a mounting device of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a partial cutaway view of a mounting device of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective top view of a male tubular portion of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective top view of a female tubular portion of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of a mounting device of the present invention mounted to a tubular railing and supporting an umbrella; 
         FIG. 6  is a side view of a mounting device of the present invention mounted to a cooler and supporting an umbrella; and 
         FIG. 7  is a side view of a mounting device of the present invention mounted to a picnic table and supporting a tiki torch. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     For purposes of describing the preferred embodiment, the terminology used in reference to the numbered accessories in the drawings is as follows:
           1 . mounting device, generally     2 . support portion     3 . mounting portion     4 . bolt clamp     5 . threaded bolt     6 . proximal end of threaded bolt     7 . distal end of threaded bolt     8 . head of threaded bolt     9 . threaded aperture     10 . perimeter wall     11 . tubular body of bolt clamp     12 . V-shaped channel of bolt clamp     13 . strap     14 . slot     15 . mounting portion housing     16 . mounting surface     17 . flat portion of mounting surface     18 . V-shaped channel of mounting surface     19 . end of strap     20 . attachment means     21 . buckle     22 . hook and loop fastener     23 . male tubular portion     24 . female tubular portion     25 . threaded bolt     26 . threaded nut     27 . spring     28 . raised ridge     29 . recess     30 . tubular railing     31 . umbrella     32 . cooler     33 . picnic table     34 . tiki torch       

     With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a perspective side view and a partial cutaway view, respectively, of a mounting device  1  of the present invention is illustrated. The mounting device  1  comprises a support portion  2  that attaches to a tubular handle of an object, such as an umbrella, and a mounting portion  3  that attaches to an anchoring object, such as a chair or cooler. 
     The support portion  2  attaches to an elongated tubular handle of an object, such as an umbrella, using a bolt clamp  4  having a threaded bolt  5  with proximal end  6 , a distal end  7  and a head  8  located on the proximal end  6 . The distal end  7  of the threaded bolt  5  is inserted through a threaded aperture  9  located in a perimeter wall  10  of a tubular body  11  of the bolt clamp  4 . A substantially V-shaped channel  12  is located in the perimeter wall  10  of the tubular body  11  facing the distal end  7  of the threaded bolt  5 . The substantially V-shaped channel  12  prevents the tubular handle of an object from rolling from side to side in the tubular body  11  when the threaded bolt  5  is tightened against the tubular handle and the perimeter wall  10 . 
     The mounting portion  3  comprises a strap  13  (as shown in  FIG. 5 ) that passes through a slot  14  located proximal to the support portion  2 . The slot  14  is preferably located in a housing  15  having a mounting surface  16  with at least one flat portion  17  and a substantially V-shaped channel  18 . The flat portion  17  allows the mounting portion  3  to be mounted to a flat surface, such as a side wall of a cooler, whereas the substantially V-shaped channel  18  allows the mounting portion  3  to be mounted to tubular objects, such as the frame of a chair or to edges of objects, such as a table. The strap  13  preferably has an adjustable length and two ends  19  are secured using an attachment means  20 , such as a buckle  21 , hook and loop fastener  22  or other fastening means, as illustrated in  FIGS. 5-7 . 
     The supporting portion  2  and the mounting portion  3  are preferably rotatably attached to each other to allow a user to rotate the supporting portion  2  to adjust the angle of an umbrella or other object while the mounting portion  3  remains mounted to an anchoring object in a stationary position. The rotation is accomplished using a male tubular portion  23  that engages a female tubular portion  24 . A locking means  25  locks the male tubular portion  23  and female tubular portion  24  together to prevent rotation. The locking means may be a series of alternating raised ridges  28  and recesses  29  that engage each other, as illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . When the locking means is disengaged, the male tubular portion  23  and female portion  24  may be rotated in relation to each other. The male portion  23  and female portion  24  are preferably attached using a threaded bolt  25  and threaded nut  26 . The locking means may also comprise a spring  27  mounted in a compressed fashion between the bolt  25  and the nut  26  that keeps the male tubular portion  23  and the female tubular portion  24  in a locked position. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , a perspective top view of a male tubular portion  23  of the present invention and a perspective top view of a female tubular portion  24  of the present invention, respectively, are illustrated. A locking means  25  locks the male tubular portion  23  and female tubular portion  24  together to prevent rotation of the support portion  2  in relation to the mounting portion  3 . As illustrated here, the locking means  25  is a series of alternating raised ridges  28  and recesses  29  located on the male tubular portion  23  and corresponding alternating raised ridges  28  and recesses  29  located on the female tubular portion  24  that engage each other to lock the support portion  2  in relation to the mounting portion  3  when the compressed spring  27  (illustrated in  FIG. 2 ) provides pressure to the male tubular portion  23  against the female tubular portion  24 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 5 , a side view of a mounting device  1  of the present invention mounted to a tubular railing  30  and supporting an umbrella  31  is illustrated. The mounting portion  3  comprises a strap  13  that passes through a slot  14  located proximal to the support portion  2 . The substantially V-shaped channel  18  allows the mounting portion  3  to be mounted to tubular objects, such as the tubular railing  30  of a pool. The strap  13  preferably has an adjustable length and two ends  19  that are secured using an attachment means  20 , such as hook and loop fastener  22 . The mounting device is adjusted  1  to accommodate the angle of the tubular railing  30 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 6 , a side view of a mounting device of the present invention mounted to a cooler  32  and supporting an umbrella  31  is illustrated. The mounting portion  3  comprises a strap  13  that passes through a slot  14  located proximal to the support portion  2 . The flat portion  17  allows the mounting portion  3  to be mounted to a flat surface, such as a side wall of a cooler  32 . The strap  13  preferably has an adjustable length and two ends  19  that are secured using an attachment means  20 , such as a buckle  21 . 
     Finally with reference to  FIG. 7 , a side view of a mounting device of the present invention mounted to a picnic table  33  and supporting a tiki torch  34  is illustrated. The mounting portion  3  comprises a strap  13  that passes through a slot  14  located proximal to the support portion  2 . The substantially V-shaped channel  18  allows the mounting portion  3  to be mounted to an edge of an object  35 , such as the edge of a picnic table  33 . The strap  13  preferably has an adjustable length and two ends  19  that are secured using an attachment means  20 , such hook and loop fastener  22 . 
     It is to be understood that while a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts herein described and shown. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown and described in the specification and drawings.