Patent Publication Number: US-6039063-A

Title: Multiple-fold windproof umbrella for preventing sagging of umbrella cloth

Description:
This application is a continuation-in-part (C-I-P) of applicant&#39;s parent application of U.S. Ser. No. 09/197,482 filed on: Nov. 20, 1998. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The parent application disclosed a multiple-fold windproof umbrella having valves openable for escaping strong wind blowing into the umbrella cloths and automatically restored for closing the opening between the upper and lower cloths after the escape of wind. A net member 3a is provided to secure the lower cloth towards the central shaft for a uniform stress distribution on the net member and the lower cloth. Such a net member will increase the installation complexity since the net member 3a should pass through every base portion 41 of each control valve 4, thereby increasing the production cost of the umbrella. 
     If the net member 3a is eliminated as shown in FIG. 8 as attached in this application, the lower umbrella cloth 3 may be sagged (S) when folding the umbrella, thereby causing tangling of the lower and the upper cloths 3, 5 and obstructing a smooth unfolding and folding operation of the umbrella. 
     The present inventor has found the drawbacks of the parent application and invented the present multiple-fold windproof umbrella for preventing sagging of umbrella cloth. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the present invention is to provide a multiple-fold windproof umbrella including: a central shaft having a rib assembly pivotally secured to the central shaft, a lower cloth having an anti-sagging band fastened on an upper periphery of the lower cloth and secured to the rib assembly, an upper cloth secured to the central shaft and juxtapositionally retained above the lower cloth, and a plurality of control valves each formed between the upper cloth and the lower cloth secured on the rib assembly, with the valves opened for escaping a strong wind blowing into the umbrella cloths; and automatically restoring the upper cloth downwardly for closing the opening between the upper and lower cloths of the umbrella after the escape of wind; with the anti-sagging band provided on the lower cloth automatically tensioning the upper periphery of the lower cloth for preventing the sagging of the lower cloth and for enhancing a smooth folding and unfolding of the umbrella. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an illustration showing an opened umbrella of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a partial enlarged view from FIG. 1 showing the anti-sagging band secured on the rib assembly of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 shows a closed control valve of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 shows an opened control valve of the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 shows a folded umbrella of the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 is an exploded view showing the upper cloth and the lower cloth of the present invention. 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the present invention. 
     FIG. 8 is a prior art showing a folded umbrella when a net member secured between the lower cloth and the central shaft has been eliminated. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As shown in FIGS. 1˜7, a multiple-fold windproof umbrella of the present invention comprises: a central shaft 1, a rib assembly 2 pivotally secured to the central shaft 1, a lower cloth 3 secured to the rib assembly 2, an anti-sagging band 3e connected or fastened on an upper peripheral portion 31 of the lower cloth 3 and secured on the rib assembly 2 by fasteners f, a plurality of control valves 4 each formed or secured on the rib assembly 2, and an upper cloth 5 secured to the central shaft 1 and secured on each control valve 4 which controls the opening or closing of an annular opening O formed by wind blowing through an aperture or air passage between the upper and lower cloths 5, 3. 
     The rib assembly 2 includes: a top rib 21 pivotally secured to an upper notch 11 of the central shaft 1, a stretcher rib 22 pivotally secured to a lower runner 12 slideably held on the central shaft 1 and also secured with an outer portion of the top rib 21, an outer rib 23 secured to a joint member 24 which is pivotally secured to an outer portion of the stretcher rib 22 and also pivotally secured to the top rib 21 through a connecting rib 25, and an auxiliary rib 26 pivotally connected between the stretcher rib 22 and a lowest runner 14 slideably held on the shaft 1, having an opening spring 15 tensioned between the lower runner 12 and the lowest runner 14 for opening the umbrella, thereby forming an automatic opening umbrella. 
     Naturally, the lowest runner 14 and the spring 15 may be omitted to be a manually opening umbrella. 
     The lower cloth 3 has the upper peripheral portion 31 secured to the anti-sagging band 3e which is fastened to the rib assembly especially fastened on the outer rib 23, and a lower peripheral portion 32. The anti-sagging band 3e may also be secured to the joint member 24 of the rib assembly 2. 
     A central opening 30 is formed between the anti-sagging band 3e and the upper notch 11 of the shaft 1, with the central opening 30 communicated with the annular opening 0 between the upper cloth 5 and the lower cloth 3. 
     The anti-sagging band 3e may be made of stretchable elastic tape or strip by weaving rubber cords with a fabric strip, or a fabric strip having suitable elasticity or toughness. 
     The anti-sagging band 3e is secured on the outer ribs 23 by fasteners &#34;f&#34; such as by threads sewn on the ribs 23 or by other suitable fastening materials, not limited in the present invention. The anti-sagging band 3e preferably has an elastic property to be stretchable tensioned (without sagging) among the outer ribs 23 of the rib assembly 2 when opening the umbrella. The band 3e may shrink itself due to its elasticity when closing the umbrella for preventing sagging of the upper peripheral portion 31 of the lower cloth 3 as shown in FIG. 5, thereby preventing tangling of the upper and the lower cloths 5, 3 during the folding and unfolding operation of the umbrella. 
     The upper cloth 5 has a central portion 5 1 secured to the upper notch 11 and retained on the notch 11 by a cap 13 fixed on a top end of the central shaft 1, and an outer peripheral portion 52 secured to the control valve 4. 
     Each joint member 24 of the rib assembly 2 as shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 includes a lug portion 241 for pivotally connecting an outer portion of the stretcher rib 22, an outer portion 242 for connecting the outer rib 23, and an inner portion 243 for connecting an outer portion of the connecting rib 25, of which the inner portion is connected to the top rib 21. 
     Each control valve 4 includes: a base portion 41 connected to the joint member 24 by a pivot 42; an air inlet port 40 defined between the base portion 41 and the joint member 24 for directing wind or air A outwardly through the opening O formed between the upper cloth 5 and the lower cloth 3 as shown in FIGS. 4; a sleeve portion 43 protruding outwardly from the base portion 41; and a restoring spring member 44 engaged in the sleeve portion 43 when an inner end of the spring member 44 is inserted into a socket recessed in the sleeve portion 43, with an outer end of the spring member 44 connected with the outer peripheral portion 52 of the upper cloth 5 such as by stitching or sewing. 
     The restoring spring member 44 may be an elongate spring plate or may be a spring rod, not limited in this invention. 
     When an opened umbrella of the present invention is subjected to a strong wind, the air A will blow through the inlet port 40 to open the control valve 4 and the opening O between the upper and lower cloths 5, 3 to be escaped therethrough. At this time, the sleeve portion 43 and the spring member 44 of the control valve 4 are biased upwardly to open the opening O between the upper and lower cloths 5, 3 (FIG. 4). After the wind is escaped, the resilience of the spring member 44 will restore the spring member 44 to automatically close the upper cloth 5 on the lower cloth 3 (FIG. 3). 
     The anti-sagging band 3e of the present invention provides a suitable elasticity or even self-shrinking property for preventing sagging of the upper peripheral portion 31 of the lower cloth 3 especially when the umbrella is closed (FIG. 5), thereby preventing mutual tangling or obstruction between the upper cloth 5 and the lower cloth 3 and enhancing a smooth folding and unfolding operation of the umbrella. 
     When opening the umbrella, the anti-sagging band 3e provided on the upper peripheral portion 31 of the lower cloth 3 will also tension the lower cloth 3 to be stably loaded on the ribs 23 of the rib assembly for stably holding the upper peripheral portion 31 of the lower cloth 3 without sagging. 
     Since the net member 3a of the parent application has now been eliminated, the production cost of the present invention may be decreased and the total weight of the umbrella may also be decreased for a more convenient carrying or storing purpose. 
     The present invention may be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.