Patent Publication Number: US-2003221714-A1

Title: Umbrella

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] 1. Field of the Invention  
       [0002] This invention relates to an umbrella, more particularly to an umbrella with a notch which has an insert portion for insertion of a tubular upper end portion of a stem thereof.  
       [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art  
       [0004] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional umbrella is shown to include an elongate stem  1  and a runner  3  which is sleeved slidably on the stem  1  to connect pivotally with a stretch assembly  5  for supporting a rib assembly  4 . A notch  2  includes a sleeve portion  202  which is sleeved on an upper end of the stem  1 , and a mounting portion  203  for pivotally connecting a plurality of ribs  401  of the rib assembly  4 . The runner  3  is movable between an upper position for stretching the rib assembly  4  and a lower position for collapsing the same. A pair of resilient tongue members  201  are fixed on the mounting portion  203 , and have hook ends that are retainable in slots  301  formed in the runner  3  when the runner  3  is moved to the upper position so as to retain the runner  3  in the upper position.  
       [0005] Although such engagement of the tongue members  201  and the slots  301  can prevent injury to the user during the collapsing operation, the ribs  401  cannot be disposed close to the stem  1  due to the thickness of the sleeved portion  202  after being collapsed, as shown in FIG. 2,thereby resulting in inconvenient carrying and storage.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006] The object of the present invention is to provide an umbrella in which ribs can be brought into close proximity of a stem after being collapsed so as to facilitate storage and carrying.  
       [0007] According to this invention, the umbrella includes an elongate stem extending along an axis, and having a tubular upper end portion and a lower end portion opposite to each other along the axis. The upper end portion has a surrounding top edge wall which confines a concavity. A notch member includes an insert portion inserted into the concavity along the axis, a mounting portion which extends from the insert portion along the axis, which extends radially and outwardly relative to the axis, and which has an outer diameter larger than that of the insert portion, and a shoulder portion which is formed between the insert and mounting portions and which is disposed close to the top edge wall when the insert portion is inserted into the concavity. The mounting portion has an outer surrounding wall which surrounds the axis and which has a plurality of recesses that are angularly displaced from one another. A canopy is mounted securely on the mounting portion by means of a cap member. A rib assembly includes a plurality of ribs which have proximate rib ends that are respectively disposed in the recesses, and distal rib ends disposed at an underside of the canopy to support the canopy in a spread-out position and in a collapsed position. A tubular runner is slidably sleeved on the stem, and has upper and lower runner end portions that are respectively proximate to and distal from the notch member. The runner is movable between upper and lower positions which correspond respectively to the spread-out and collapsed positions of the canopy. A stretcher assembly is disposed to interconnect the rib assembly and the upper runner end portion so as to stretch or retract the rib assembly. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0008] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:  
     [0009]FIG. 1 is a fragmentary schematic view of a conventional umbrella;  
     [0010]FIG. 2 is a fragmentary schematic view of a notch of the conventional umbrella;  
     [0011]FIG. 3 is a fragmentary schematic view of a preferred embodiment of an umbrella according to this invention when folded;  
     [0012]FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the preferred embodiment in part;  
     [0013]FIG. 5 is a fragmentary schematic view of the preferred embodiment in a spread-out state;  
     [0014]FIG. 6 is a partly sectional view showing a runner fastener; and  
     [0015]FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing a portion of the preferred embodiment in a collapsed state.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
     [0016] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the preferred embodiment of an umbrella according to the present invention is shown to comprise an elongate stem  10 , a notch member  20 , a cap member  70 , a rib assembly  40 , a canopy  60 , a tubular runner  30 , a stretcher assembly  50 , and a runner fastener.  
     [0017] The elongate stem  10  extends along an axis, and has a tubular upper end portion  11  and a lower end portion  12  opposite to each other along the axis. The upper end portion  11  has a surrounding top edge wall  111  which has outer and inner peripheries  112 ,  113  opposite to each other in radial directions relative to the axis, an inner surrounding wall surface  114  that extends from the inner periphery  113  along the axis toward the lower end portion  12  to confine a concavity  115 , and an outer surrounding wall surface  116  which extends from the outer periphery along the axis toward the lower end portion  12  to surround the inner surrounding wall surface  114 .  
     [0018] The notch member  20  includes an insert portion  22  which is insertable into the concavity  115  along the axis via the inner periphery  113 , a mounting portion  21  which extends from the insert portion  22  along the axis, which extends radially and outwardly relative to the axis, and which has an outer diameter larger than that of the insert portion  22 , and a shoulder portion  23  which is formed between the insert and mounting portions  22 ,  21  and which abuts against the top edge wall  111  when the insert portion  22  is inserted into the concavity  115 . With further reference to FIG. 7, a fastening pin  24  extends through the insert portion  22  and the stem  10  along a radial direction relative to the axis so as to secure the insert portion  22  to the stem  10 . The mounting portion  21  has an outer surrounding wall  213  which surrounds the axis and which has a plurality of recesses  214  that are angularly displaced from one another. Each recess  214  extends radially and inwardly relative to the axis to terminate at an inner surface  215  that is substantially flush with the outer periphery  112  of the top edge wall  111  of the stem  10 . A screw hole  212  is formed in the mounting portion  21 .  
     [0019] The canopy  60  is mounted on the mounting portion  21 . The cap member  70  has a screw bolt  71  which engages threadedly the screw hole  212  to clamp securely the canopy  60  between the cap member  70  and the mounting portion  21 .  
     [0020] The rib assembly  40  includes a plurality of ribs  41 , each of which has a proximate rib end  411  that is disposed in a respective one of the recesses  214 , and a distal rib end that extends from the proximate rib end  411  radial to the axis and that is disposed at an underside of the canopy  60  to support the canopy  60  in a spread-out position and in a collapsed position.  
     [0021] The tubular runner  30  is slidably sleeved on the stem  10 , and has upper and lower runner end portions  32 ,  33  that are respectively proximate to and distal from the notch member  20 . The runner  30  further has a tubular inner wall surface  34  which is disposed to be in slidable contact with the outer surrounding wall surface  116  of the upper end portion  11  of the stem  10  between upper and lower positions that correspond respectively to the spread-out position and the collapsed position of the canopy  60 , as shown in FIGS. 5 and 3, and a tubular outer wall surface  36  which is opposite to the tubular inner wall surface  34 . The tubular inner wall surface  34  defines a pair of guideways  35 , each of which extends from the upper runner end portion  32  towards the lower runner end portion  33  and each of which is radially spaced apart from the outer surrounding wall surface  116  of the upper end portion  11  of the stem  10 .  
     [0022] The stretcher assembly  50  is disposed to interconnect the rib assembly  40  and the upper runner end portion  32  of the runner  30  so as to stretch or retract the rib assembly  40 , thereby placing the canopy  60  in the spread-out position or the collapsed position when the runner  30  is moved to the upper position or the lower position, respectively.  
     [0023] With reference to FIG. 6, the runner fastener includes a pair of resilient tongue members  25 , each of which has a fixed end that is fixed to the shoulder portion  23  of the notch member  20 , and a hook end  251  which extends toward the lower end portion  11  of the stem  10 . The hook ends  251  of the tongue members  25  are biased away from the stem  10  in a lateral and transverse direction relative to the axis. The runner fastener further includes a pair of slots  31  formed in the tubular outer wall surface  36  of the runner  30 . Each slot  31  extends radially and inwardly towards the tubular inner wall surface  34  and communicates with the respective one of the guideways  35 . When the runner  30  is moved upwardly by manual force to the upper position for spreading the canopy  60 , the guideways  35  engage the hook ends  251  of the tongue members  25  against the biasing action of the tongue members  25 . Sequentially, the hook ends  251  project out of the slots  31  by means of the resilient forces of the tongue members  25  and are retained therein.  
     [0024] When it is desired to collapse the umbrella, the hook ends  251  of the tongue members  25  are pressed inwardly so as to disengage from the slots  31 . As shown in FIG. 7, since the notch member  20  is connected to the stem  10  in such a manner that the insert portion  22  is inserted into the concavity  115 , and since the inner surfaces  215  of the mounting portions  21  are substantially flush with the outer periphery  112  of the upper end portion  11  of the stem  10 , the ribs  41  can be disposed close to the stem  10  after the collapsing operation, thereby resulting in a compact size of the umbrella to facilitate storage and carrying. In addition, the user usually grasps the runner  30  during the collapsing operation, thereby preventing injury to the user.  
     [0025] While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretations and equivalent arrangements.