Patent Publication Number: US-2011048479-A1

Title: Control structure for automatically opened and closed umbrella

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to a control structure for an automatically opened and closed umbrella, and more particularly to such a control structure where a one-way wheel is employed to protect the safety of an operator by preventing the umbrella from sudden opening during the closing operation. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     A conventional control structure for an automatically opened and closed umbrella is shown in  FIGS. 1 to 3 . As illustrated, the control structure is installed in a handle  20  of the umbrella and mainly contains a hollow main body  10  with a control ring  11  inside. The control ring  11  has a control rod  12  configured to a side under the control ring  11 . A push button  13  is configured on the same side of the main body  10  and is exposed out of the handle  20  to control the operation of a shaft  30 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , a small spring  111  is configured to a side of the control ring  11  opposite to the control rod  12 . The small spring  111  presses the control ring  11  towards the push button  13 . Inside the control ring  11 , a block  112  is configured adjacent to the small spring  111  to engage a sliding tube  40  so that the umbrella is fixed at specific configurations. In addition, the control rod  12  is joined to the control ring  11  by a pin  121  and a coil spring  122  maintains the control rod  12  in a lateral state. When the umbrella is closed, the sliding tube  40  is locked by the block  112  of the control ring  11 . In the mean time, the control rod  12  is slanted downward by a second tube  32  of the shaft  30  and, together with a bullet head  50  connected to the sliding tube  40 , is locked in a hole on a first tube  31  of the shaft  30 . As further shown in  FIG. 2 , when the push button  13  is pressed, the control ring  11  is pushed inward so that the block  112  releases the sliding tube  40 . By the driving of an opening spring  60  inside the shaft  30 , the umbrella is opened. The control rod  12  returns to the lateral state and presses against the bullet head  50 . To close the umbrella, the push button  13  is pressed again and the control rod  12  pushes the bullet head  50  so that the bullet head  50  escapes the locking by the first tube  31 . Then, under the driving of the closing springs of the ribs  70 , the ribs  70 , together with the attached fabric, are collapsed and the shaft  30  is moved downward by an operator towards the handle  20 . The umbrella is thereby closed as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     A substantial problem with the conventional umbrella is that, when the umbrella is closed as described above, the opening spring  60  inside the shaft  30  has to be compressed with significant force. If the operator is not careful, the compressed opening spring  60  may abruptly expand to thrust the shaft  30 , causing damage to the operator&#39;s hand or other body parts. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, an improved control structure for automatically opened and closed umbrella is provided herein. The gist of the present invention lies in the adoption of a one-way wheel linked to a string of the bullet head. When an operator mistakenly releases the shaft during the umbrella&#39;s closing operation, the one-way wheel is locked and therefore the linked bullet head does not shift either. The shaft is thereby positioned and does not thrust by the expansion of the opening spring. An umbrella according to the present invention is therefore much safer to operate. 
     The foregoing objectives and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts. 
     Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIGS. 1 to 3  are sectional diagrams showing the various configurations of a conventional control structure when the umbrella is collapsed, when it is opened, and when it is closed again. 
         FIGS. 4 and 5  are perspective diagrams showing the various components of a control structure according to an embodiment of the present invention before and after they are assembled. 
         FIG. 6  is a sectional diagram showing the control structure of  FIGS. 4 and 5  when the umbrella is closed. 
         FIG. 7  is a sectional diagram showing the control structure of  FIGS. 4 and 5  when the umbrella is opened. 
         FIG. 8  is a sectional diagram showing the control structure of  FIGS. 4 and 5  when the umbrella is closed again. 
         FIGS. 9 and 10  are sectional diagrams showing the control structure of  FIGS. 4 and 5  in a scenario of closing the umbrella. 
         FIGS. 11 and 12  are perspective and sectional diagrams showing a control structure according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The following descriptions are exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4 to 6 , a control structure for an automatically opened and closed umbrella according an embodiment of the present invention is installed in a handle  20  of the umbrella and mainly contains a main body  10  whose upper and lower halves are hollow. A control ring  11  having a control rod  12  is installed in the upper hollow space. The control rod  12  is configured to a side and below the control ring  11 . A push button  13  is configured to the same side of the control ring  11 . On the other hand, a block  112  is configured inside the control ring  11  at the side opposite to the control rod  12 . A small spring  111  outside the control ring  11  adjacent to the block  112  pushes the control ring  11  towards the push button  13 . In the lower hollow space of the main body  10 , a one-way wheel  14  is installed and pivots around an axle  141  running perpendicular to the main body  10 . Ratchets  142  are provided on a left half of a circumferential surface of the one-way wheel  14 . On a right half of the circumferential surface, a wire groove  143  is provided to receive a lower string  81  from a bullet head  50 . A circular indentation  144  is provided on a left side of the one-way wheel  14 , within which a winding spring  146  is installed. A driving wheel  145  is positioned on a right side of the one-way wheel  14 . An inner end of the winding spring  146  is joined to a left end of the axle  141  while an outer end of the winding spring  146  is joined to a side wall of the circular indentation  144 . A positioning arm  16  and a locking arm  15  are pin-joined to a middle section of the main body  10  by a rod  18 . A small spring  153  is positioned between the locking arm  15  and the handle  20 . A vertical section  151  of the locking arm  15  is positioned tangentially above the ratchets  142  of the one-way wheel  14 . A lateral section  152  sticks through the upper hollow space of the main body  10 . The positioning arm  16  also has a lower vertical section  161  with an engaging piece  164  for interaction with a coil spring supporting the control rod  12 . The lower vertical section  161  is positioned above and within the rotational range of the driving wheel  145 . The positioning arm  16  further has an upper vertical section  162  running through the center of the main body  10 . A small spring  163  supports the upper vertical section  162  from below. A top end of the upper vertical section  162  and a front end of the lateral section  152  are joined together. In addition, a small pulley  17  pivots around a positioning axle  19  running perpendicularly through the main body  10  is positioned above the wire groove  143  of the one-way wheel  14 . 
       FIG. 6  is a sectional diagram showing the control structure after the umbrella is closed. As illustrated, a sliding tube  40  is locked by the block  112  of the control ring  11  and is thereby positioned. In the mean time, the control rod  12  is pushed downward and slanted by a second tube  32  of a shaft  30 . A bullet head  50  linked to the sliding tube  40  by an upper string  80  is locked in a hole on a first tube  31  of the shaft  30 . The lower string  81 , on the other hand, is connected to a bottom end of the bullet head  50  and then runs through the wire groove  143  of the one-way wheel  14  through the small pulley  17 . At the moment, the winding spring  146  inside the one-way wheel  14  is at a completely relaxed state. The top end of the upper vertical section  162  and the front end of the lateral section  152  are joined together. The vertical section  151  of the locking arm  15  is positioned tangentially above the ratchets  142 , and the lower vertical section  161  is positioned above and within the rotational range of the driving wheel  145  of the one-way wheel  14 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , when the push button  13  is pressed to open the umbrella, the control ring  11  is pushed inward so that the block  112  releases the sliding tube  40 . By the driving of an opening spring  60  inside the shaft  30 , the umbrella is opened. The control rod  12  returns to the lateral state and presses against the bullet head  50 . The one-way wheel  14 , the locking arm  15 , and the positioning arm  16  all have no action. 
     As shown in  FIG. 8 , when the push button  13  is pressed again to close the umbrella, the control rod  12  pushes the bullet head  50  so that the bullet head  50  escapes the locking by the first tube  31  of the shaft  30 . Then, under the driving of the closing springs of the umbrella&#39;s ribs  70 , the ribs  70 , together with the attached fabric, are collapsed and the bullet head  50  is pulled upward by the upper string  80 . Then, through the lower string  81 , the one-way wheel  14  is turned clockwise and the winding spring  146  is twisted tight. The driving wheel  145  of the one-way wheel  14  is thereby turned clockwise as well. The engaging piece  164  of the lower vertical section  161  of the positioning arm  16  is flipped without causing the positioning arm  16  to spin. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the last move of closing an umbrella is to compress the shaft  30 . When the shaft  30  is compressed by external force, the bullet head  50  and the upper and lower strings  80  and  81  are relaxed. The one-way wheel  14 , under the driving of the winding spring  146 , rotates counterclockwise. The driving wheel  145  of the one-way wheel  14  is turned counterclockwise as well and locks the engaging piece  164 . The lower vertical section  161  of the positioning arm  16  is twisted towards a left side and the upper vertical section  162  of the positioning arm  16  is twisted towards a right side and thereby escapes the locking of the vertical section  151  of the locking arm  15 . Under the push from the small spring  153 , the vertical section  151  of the locking arm  15  moves towards and presses against the ratchets  142  of the one-way wheel  14 . As such, if the umbrella is accidentally released during its closing operation, the one-way wheel  14  is locked by the locking arm  15  and the bullet head  50  linked to the one-way wheel  14  is therefore locked as well. The compressed shaft  30  is then immediately positioned without being affected by the opening spring  60 . If the umbrella is closed successfully as shown in  FIG. 6 , the control rod  12  is pushed downward and slanted by the second tube  32  of the shaft  30 . The bullet head  50  is locked in a hole on the first tube  31  of the shaft  30 . The lower string  81  connected to the bottom end of the bullet head  50  is pulled downward by the winding spring  146  and winds around the wire groove  143  of the one-way wheel  14  through the small pulley  17 . The lateral section  152  of the locking arm  15 , pushed by the sliding tube  40 &#39;s bottom rim, is locked with the upper vertical section  162  of the positioning arm  16  again. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 11 to 12 , a control structure for an automatically opened and closed umbrella according another embodiment of the present invention is installed in a handle  20  of the umbrella and mainly contains a main body  10  whose upper and lower halves are hollow. A control ring  11  having a control rod  12  is installed in the upper hollow space. The control rod  12  is configured to a side and below the control ring  11 . A push button  13  is configured to the same side of the control ring  11 . On the other hand, a block  112  is configured inside the control ring  11  at the side opposite to the control rod  12 . A small spring  111  outside the control ring  11  adjacent to the block  112  pushes the control ring  11  towards the push button  13 . In the lower hollow space of the main body  10 , a one-way wheel  14  is installed and pivots around an axle  141  running perpendicular to the handle  20 . Ratchets  142  are provided on a left half of a circumferential surface of the one-way wheel  14 . On a right half of the circumferential surface, a wire groove  143  is provided to receive a second string  81  whose one end is fixedly connected to an upper nest  90 . A circular indentation  144  is provided on a left side of the one-way wheel  14 , within which a winding spring  146  is installed. A driving wheel  145  is positioned on a right side of the one-way wheel  14 . An inner end of the winding spring  146  is joined to a left end of the axle  141  while an outer end of the winding spring  146  is joined to a side wall of the circular indentation  144 . A positioning arm  16  and a locking arm  15  are pin-joined to a middle section outside the handle  20  by a rod  18 . A small spring  153  is positioned between the locking arm  15  and the handle  20 . A vertical section  151  of the locking arm  15  is positioned tangentially above the ratchets  142  of the one-way wheel  14 . A lateral section  152  sticks through the upper hollow space of the main body  10 . The positioning arm  16  also has a lower vertical section  161  with an engaging piece  164  for interaction with a coil spring supporting the control rod  12 . The lower vertical section  161  is positioned above and within the rotational range of the driving wheel  145 . The positioning arm  16  further has an upper vertical section  162  running through the center of the main body  10 . A small spring  163  supports the upper vertical section  162  from below. A top end of the upper vertical section  162  and a front end of the lateral section  152  are joined together. In addition, a small pulley  17  pivots around a positioning axle  19  running perpendicularly through the main body  10  is positioned above the wire groove  143  of the one-way wheel  14 . The small pulley  17  is to support and guide the second string  82 . 
     While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.