Abstract:
A golf bag umbrella includes a threaded flexible joint of dumbbell shape in its telescopic center post, the joint being adapted to easily bend in a plurality of radially directed positions relative to the part of the center post therebelow in a safety manner for facilitating access to golf clubs disposed in a golf bag.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     The invention relates to umbrella structures and more particularly to a golf bag umbrella having a threaded flexible joint in its telescopic center post so that the joint is adapted to bend in a plurality of radially directed positions relative to the part of the center post therebelow for facilitating access to golf clubs in a golf bag. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Golf bag umbrellas have been in existence for many years. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,570 discloses a golf bag umbrella which is characterized by providing a central spring connection for joining upper and lower extension tubes of handle shaft together, and a tilt umbrella canopy fixing device including a flexible cord having one end secured to a canopy periphery ring and the other end passing through an arresting plate and an anchor ring on the handle shaft to fix at the arresting plate so that the tilt umbrella canopy can be fixed at an oblique angle relative to the part of the handle shaft below the spring connection after bending the spring connection. 
     Disadvantages of the &#39;570 patent are that an additional tilt umbrella canopy fixing device is required and an operation of restoring the tilted umbrella to its upright position by unfastening the tilt umbrella canopy fixing device may hurt the user accidentally if sufficient care is not taken since the restoring elastic force of the spring connection is great. 
     Also, U.S. Pat. No. 6,810,890 discloses an obstruction-free golf bag umbrella which is characterized by providing a bending portion in its handle shaft, the bending portion including an inner flexible rod, an outer reinforced restoring spring, and a restoring spring mounted therebetween. 
     Disadvantages of the &#39;890 patent are detailed below. Three different resilient members are provided, resulting in a complex handle construction which in turn may involve a time consuming manufacturing process. Further, elastic deformations of the three constituent components of the bending portion are different when bending. Thus, a great force is required in its bending. Furthermore, an operation of restoring the tilted umbrella to its upright position may hurt the user accidentally since the restoring elastic force of the bending portion is great. 
     Thus, it is desirable to provide an improved golf bag umbrella in order to overcome the inadequacies of the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore one object of the invention to provide a golf bag umbrella having a threaded flexible joint in its telescopic center post, the joint being adapted to easily bend in a plurality of radially directed positions relative to the part of the center post therebelow without worrying about hurting a user for facilitating access to golf clubs disposed in a golf bag. 
     To achieve the above and other objects, the invention provides a golf bag umbrella comprising a telescopic center post having a distal end being provided with a covering foot, an upper extension, and a lower handle shaft tube affixed to the covering foot; a canopy stretched over hinged ribs radiating from a proximal end of the center post and which is moveable from a collapsed position around the center post to an extended position from the center post to provide a shade around the center post, wherein the upper extension includes an upper first extension tube, a first joining element affixed in the bottom of the first extension tube, the first joining element having a lower first threaded extension, a lower second extension tube slidably disposed in the handle shaft tube, a second joining element affixed in the top of the second extension tube, the second joining element having an upper second threaded extension, and a flexible joint including an upper threaded section threadedly secured onto the first threaded extension, a lower threaded section threadedly secured onto the second threaded extension, and a narrow intermediate section; and wherein the handle shaft tube includes a row of apertures directed therethrough, and the second extension tube includes a depressible spring detent mounted to a lower portion thereof, the spring detent being adapted to lockingly project out of one of the apertures. 
     The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of golf bag umbrella according to the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged view of the upper extension; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the upper extension of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a longitudinal sectional view of the upper extension of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the golf bag umbrella anchored in a golf bag for providing a shade to golf clubs within the golf bag where the umbrella is in an upright position; 
         FIG. 6  is a view similar to  FIG. 5  where the umbrella is in a tilt position for facilitating access to golf clubs disposed in a golf bag; 
         FIG. 7  is an enlarged view of an upper portion of  FIG. 4  where the umbrella is in an upright position; 
         FIG. 8  is a view similar to  FIG. 7  where the umbrella is in a tilt position for comparison therewith; 
         FIG. 9  is a view similar to  FIG. 1  where the second extension tube has been completely retracted into the handle for decreasing height of the umbrella; and 
         FIG. 10  is a view similar to  FIG. 5  for showing the shade provided by the shortened umbrella of  FIG. 9  to the golf clubs. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 4 , a golf bag umbrella in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown. The umbrella comprises a center post  1  including a handle shaft tube  10  and an upper extension  20  adapted to slide a lower portion thereof into the handle shaft tube  10 , and a canopy  30  stretched over hinged ribs radiating from the top of the upper extension  20 . The canopy  30  is moveable from a collapsed position around both the upper extension  20  and the handle shaft tube  10  to an extended position from both the upper extension  20  and the handle shaft tube  10  to provide a shade around both the upper extension  20  and the handle shaft tube  10 . Each component is discussed in detail below. 
     The handle shaft tube  10  comprises a covering foot  12  at its lower portion, a row of equally spaced apertures  16  directed longitudinally on the handle shaft tube  10 , and a longitudinal curved guide groove  14  on an upper portion of its outer surface. The upper extension  20  comprises an upper first extension tube  26 , a lower second extension tube  22 , and an intermediate flexible joint  24  interconnecting the first extension tube  26  and the second extension tube  22 . 
     The first extension tub  26  has its top secured to a grommet (not numbered) on a center of the canopy  30 . The second extension tube  22  comprises a longitudinal curved-guide groove  222  on the surface thereof, a gabled-shaped resilient member  226  mounted on the inner surface of the second extension tube  22  not axially aligned with the guide groove  222 , and a plunger  224  having one end affixed to the resilient member  226  and the other end slidably passing through a surface aperture (not numbered) of the second extension tube  22 , the other end of the plunger  224  being shaped as a half sphere. Thus, the plunger  224  may function as a depressible spring detent as detailed later. 
     The flexible joint  24  comprises an upper first joining element  244  formed of plastic including a cylindrical body  2442  having an outer diameter substantially the same as an inner diameter of the first extension tube  26  so as to snugly fit therein, a lower first threaded extension  2444  having a diameter smaller than that of the body  2442 , an annular flange  2445  formed between the body  2442  and the first threaded extension  2444 , and an axial reinforced bar  2446  through both the body  2442  and the first threaded extension  2444  and extending out of top and bottom ends of the first joining element  244 ; a lower second joining element  244 A formed of plastic including a cylindrical body  2442 A having a longitudinal curved guide groove  2443  on its surface, the body  2442 A shaped to snugly fit in an upper portion of the second extension tube  22  with the guide grooves  2443 ,  222  being coaxially cooperatively engaged together (i.e., the body  2442 A having an outer diameter substantially the same as an inner diameter of the second extension tube  22 ), an upper second threaded extension  2444 A having a diameter smaller than that of the body  2442 A, an annular flange  2445 A formed between the body  2442 A and the second threaded extension  2444 A, and an axial reinforced bar  2446 A through both the body  2442 A and the second threaded extension  2444 A and extending out of top and bottom ends of the second joining element  244 A; and a flexible member  242  of spirally wound coil shaped including an upper threaded section  2424  adapted to threadedly secure onto the first threaded extension  2444 , a lower threaded section  2424 A adapted to threadedly secure onto the second threaded extension  2444 A, and a flexible narrow intermediate section  2422 , i.e., the flexible member  242  having a dumbbell shape. 
     The second extension tube  22  has an outer diameter substantially the same as an inner diameter of the handle shaft tube  10  so as to be adapted to snugly fit therein with the guide grooves  14 ,  2443  and  222  being coaxially cooperatively engaged together and the plunger  224  elastically projecting out of one of the apertures  16  for fastening the second extension tube  22  and the handle shaft tube  10  together. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 7 , the umbrella  30  has its handle shaft tube  10  disposed in one of divider wall loops (not numbered) of a golf bag  40  with the covering foot  12  (not shown) fastened in the bottom of the golf bag  40 . Also, a plurality of golf clubs  50  are disposed in the remaining divider wall loops. The umbrella  30  is open so as to protect the golf bag  40  and the golf clubs  50 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 6 and 8 , a person may bend the flexible member  242  to cause the first extension tube  26  and the second extension tube  22  to be angulate relative to each other so as to easily access the golf clubs  50 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 9 and 10 , a person may perform the following actions to shorten the height of the umbrella  30 . First, press the plunger  224  to clear the engaged aperture  16 . Next, press the second extension tube  22  until the plunger  224  reaches a desired aperture  16 . Finally, stop pressing the second extension tube  22  to cause the resilient member  226  to release its stored elastic force to push and project the plunger  224  out of the desired aperture  16 . As a result, height of the umbrella  30  is shortened at this locked position. 
     The invention has the following advantages. The flexible joint  24  is structurally strong for permitting an extended times of bending operations. Thus, it is durable. As the diameter of the flexible narrow intermediate section  2422  is much smaller than that of the upper and the lower threaded section  2424  and  2424 A of the flexible member  242 , it means that during bending operation, the movement increment of the dumbbell-shaped flexible member  242  is much smaller than that of the conventional coil cylindrical-shaped spring, so the dumbbell shaped flexible joint  24  can reduce much of the required bending force. This means that the bending operation of the umbrella shank (i.e., a combination of the handle shaft tube  10  and the upper extension  20 ) at the flexible joint  24  is much labor saving. Therefore, it is safe. Its construction is also simple. 
     While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.