Patent Publication Number: US-6334454-B1

Title: Collapsible umbrella with sheathing handle

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates to apparatus including a collapsible umbrella and a housing for the umbrella which may be utilized either as a handle for the umbrella when it is not collapsed or a storage receptacle or repository for the umbrella when in collapsed condition. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,456,023, issued Jun. 26, 1984, discloses a collapsible umbrella with a water-tight sheathing handle. The rigid tubular sheathing handle is attached to a central telescopic stick in such a way that the umbrella in a fully collapsed condition may be withdrawn in the sheathing handle in a completely water-tight manner when a sliding member fixed to the lower end of the stick is at the bottom of the tubular sheathing handle. The umbrella in a fully collapsed condition may be taken out of the sheathing handle to be opened for use when the sliding member is retained near the top end of the sheathing handle, thereby rendering the sheathing handle serviceable dually as a storage sheath when an umbrella is not in use and as a handle when it is in use. 
     The apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,456,023 is relatively complicated, expensive and difficult to use. Furthermore, the collapsible umbrella must be of a specialized type, adding to the cost of the apparatus. 
     A number of other patents are known disclosing devices for containing a collapsed umbrella and functioning as a handle. Such arrangements are disclosed in the following United States Patents: U.S. Pat. No. 1,885,968, issued Nov. 1, 1932, U.S. Pat. No. 2,091,676, issued Aug. 31, 1937, U.S. Pat. No. 892,813, issued Jul. 7, 1908, U.S. Pat. No. 5,465,743, issued Nov. 14, 1995, U.S. Pat. No. 868,326, issued Oct. 15, 1907, U.S. Pat. No. 5,111,835, issued May 12, 1992, U.S. Pat. No. 3,730,199, issued May 1, 1973, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,744,502, issued Jul. 10, 1973. 
     DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION 
     The present invention is characterized by its simplicity and relatively low cost as compared to the devices disclosed in known existing patents. No specialized umbrella construction need be utilized. The combination disclosed and claimed herein is easy to use and allows storage of a collapsed umbrella in an absolutely water-tight manner, as compared to some prior art devices which do not have this capability. 
     The invention of the present invention encompasses a combination including a collapsible umbrella including an umbrella shaft having a first end and a second end, a folding canopy support attached to the first end of the umbrella shaft, and a canopy attached to the folding canopy support. 
     A cap is connected to the second end of the umbrella. 
     The combination also includes a housing defining a housing interior. 
     Connector means is provided for selectively releasably connecting the cap to the housing in two alternate orientations. The cap when in one of the orientations closes off the housing interior with the umbrella in collapsed condition within the housing interior, the housing functioning as a repository for the collapsed umbrella. The cap when in the other of the orientations closes off the housing interior and supports the umbrella in uncollapsed condition with the housing functioning as a handle for the umbrella. 
     Other features, advantages, and objects of the present invention will become apparent with reference to the following description and accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred form of the invention with a cap secured to a housing to provide a water-tight container for a collapsed umbrella disposed within the housing; 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded view illustrating the cap with a collapsed umbrella attached thereto prior to insertion of the collapsed umbrella within the housing and securement of the cap to the housing; 
     FIG. 3 is an exploded, perspective view illustrating the cap in a reversed orientation relative to the housing, a portion of the umbrella shaft projecting upwardly from the cap; 
     FIG. 4 is a front, elevational view of the umbrella in uncollapsed condition and extending upwardly from the cap which has been secured to the housing, the housing acting as a handle for the umbrella; 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view illustrating the cap threadedly engaged with the housing and the umbrella shaft of the opened umbrella projecting outwardly from the cap and housing; 
     FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but illustrating an alternative embodiment of the apparatus; and 
     FIG. 7 is an exploded view illustrating the umbrella and cap of the alternate embodiment being positioned in the housing thereof. 
    
    
     MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to FIGS. 1-5, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The invention includes a collapsible umbrella having an umbrella shaft  10  which is of conventional construction, including two telescoping portions  12  and  14 . The shaft is double-ended, one end thereof being connected to a folding canopy support  16  of conventional construction. A canopy  18  of conventional construction is attached to the folding canopy support. 
     A cap  20  is attached to the end of shaft  10  remote from the point of attachment of the folding canopy support. More particularly, cap  20  has a receptacle  22  (FIG. 5) to which the shaft portion  12  is threadedly secured. 
     Cap  20  has two sets of screw threads  30 ,  32  formed thereon, the sets of screw threads being disposed adjacent to one another and separated by an annular rib  34 . An O-ring seal  36  of any suitable resilient material such as rubber or plastic surrounds the cap and is in engagement with the annular rib  34 . 
     Another component of the combination of the present invention is a housing  40  defining a housing interior  42 . The housing is closed at one end thereof and defines an opening  44  at the other end thereof. The housing has screw threads  46  adjacent to the opening formed within the interior thereof. 
     Cap  20  may be threadedly secured to screw threads  46  of housing  40  in two different orientations. One orientation is shown in FIG. 1 wherein set of screw threads  30  is matingly engaged with the threads  46  of the housing. When the cap is in this orientation the O-ring seal  36  engages the rim  50  of the housing surrounding opening  44  to form a fluid-tight seal between the cap and housing. When the cap is in the orientation of FIG. 1 the folded umbrella and telescoped shaft are within the confines of the housing to capture any water on the umbrella. 
     The cap  20  is also capable of having the orientation shown in FIG. 5 wherein the cap is inverted 180 degrees and is held in place on the housing to close off the interior of the housing due to engagement between screw threads  46  of the housing and the set of screw threads  32  on the cap. In this instance, the annular rib  34  bears directly against the housing rib  50 . 
     When the cap is oriented as shown in FIG. 5 the housing  40  acts as a handle for the umbrella which projects outwardly therefrom as shown in FIG.  4 . 
     A clip  52  is attached to the housing so that the housing can be attached to a belt or other support. Recesses  54  are defined by the housing for receiving the fingers of a person holding the housing and utilizing it as an umbrella handle. 
     A protrusion  60  having an aperture  62  formed therein is affixed to the cap (preferably by being integrally formed therewith) for receiving an article such as the key-ring  64  shown in phantom in FIG. 5) to attach the article to the cap. 
     FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate an alternative form of the apparatus wherein cap  20  holds a spring biased, telescoping umbrella shaft  10 A. 
     Housing  40 A is threaded adjacent to the closed end thereof. A cup-like element  70  is threadedly connected to the closed end of the housing  40 A and the interior of the cup-like element can be used to receive one or more objects to carry along with the umbrella or the element  70  can be removed for other purposes, e.g. to be employed as a drinking cup. In the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7, a carrier strap  72  is shown in phantom (in FIG. 6 only) attached to the protrusion  60  of the cap.