Patent Publication Number: US-5255954-A

Title: Sun shade umbrella mount for a chair back

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a sun shade umbrella and more particularly to a frame and support for attaching and supporting an umbrella on a chair back. 
     Because of their relatively large diameter when expanded, a sun shade umbrella requires some means of supporting it in an upright position, preferably maintained in shading relation with respect to the user, particularly when seated. 
     This invention provides a device for attachment to the back of a chair, whether it be outdoor furniture, a boat or tractor seat in which the umbrella and its support may be quickly attached to or removed from a chair back. 
     1. Description of the Prior Art 
     The prior art generally discloses clamping members which grip a tubular chair arm or chair back for supporting an umbrella shaft. 
     The most pertinent patent is believed to be U.S. Pat. No. 4,789,200 which discloses a pair of pipe clamps connected in vertically spaced relation to a chair back for gripping, in supporting relation, an open end conduit which slidably receives vertically the shank of an umbrella. A clip pin selectively engaged with one of a plurality of transverse holes through the conduit adjustably supports the umbrella relative to the position of the chair. 
     This invention is distinctive over this patent by providing an umbrella supporting frame removably connected with the back of a chair wherein the frame is vertically positioned relative to the normally inclined plane of a chair back so that the umbrella shank may be supported in an upright position. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An upright generally planar rectangular frame vertically supports an elongated sleeve slidably receiving an umbrella shank is removably mounted on the inclined back of a chair by J-shaped hooks, supporting the umbrella frame, secured to the upper portion of the chair back by a planar mounting member. The depending end portion of the mounting member supports horizontally disposed socket forming tubes projecting rearwardly of the chair back which telescopically receive the adjacent end portions of a pair of frame tubes for disposing the axis of the umbrella shank support sleeve substantially vertical. 
     The principal object of this invention is to provide an umbrella supporting frame which is easily connected to and removed from a chair back for supporting a sun shade umbrella in a selected position relative to the occupant of a chair. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an umbrella support frame and its chair back attaching plate; and, 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view, similar to FIG. 1, illustrating the relative position of a sun shade umbrella supported by the umbrella frame when attached to a chair back. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Like characters of reference designate like parts in those figures of the drawings in which they occur. 
     In the drawings: 
     The reference numeral 10 indicates the umbrella supporting device, as a whole, comprising an upright generally rectangular open frame means 12 preferably formed from plastic material having a top rail 14 and a horizontal bottom rail 16 integrally joined with uprights 18 and 20. 
     The respective end portions of the bottom rail 16 are provided with a pair of tees 22 respectively supporting laterally projecting parallel tubes forming legs 23 for the purpose presently explained. 
     An umbrella support means comprising an elongated sleeve 24 vertically spans and is secured to the frame top and bottom rails 14 and 16, as by pipe clamps 17, opposite the legs 23 for supporting an umbrella as presently explained. 
     A third tee 27 may be axially secured to the top end portion of the sleeve 24 for supporting a small motor driven fan, not shown. 
     The reference numeral 25 indicates a generally rectangular planar mounting plate secured, as by bolts or screws, to the rearward, normally inclined, surface of a seat back 26, such as a conventional boat seat 28. The mounting plate 25 is provided at its upper edge portion with a pair of laterally spaced upwardly open J-shaped hooks 30 for receiving and supporting the top rail 14 of the umbrella frame 12. 
     The bottom portion of the mounting plate is provided with a pair of short horizontally disposed parallel tube means forming sockets 32 projecting rearwardly of the seat which cooperatively receive in telescoping relation, the adjacent end portions of the frame legs 23. The legs 23 are secured in the sockets 32 by pins 34 entering aligned transverse bores. 
     As shown by FIG. 1, when the frame 12 is mounted on the mounting plate 25 the umbrella shank supporting sleeve 24 is positioned substantially vertical and cooperatively receives in telescoping relation the shank 36 of a conventional sun shade umbrella 38 when placed therein. 
     The umbrella 38 is adjustably supported above the frame 12 and chair occupant by a manually moved cam locking lever 40, having a cam surface 41, pivotally supported for vertical pivoting movement by a split sleeve 42 axially mounted on the sleeve 24 and surrounding a peripheral portion of the umbrella shank 36. Obviously the split sleeve 42 may be formed integral with the support sleeve 24, if desired. 
     The umbrella may be readily removed from the sleeve 24 by manually releasing the cam lever 40 and lifting the umbrella shank 36 out of the sleeve. The umbrella mounting frame 12 may be easily removed from the seat 28 by removing the pins 34 and manually lifting the frame 12 off the J-shaped hooks 30. 
     Obviously the invention is susceptible to changes or alterations without defeating its practicability. Therefore, I do not wish to be confined to the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings and described herein.