Patent Publication Number: US-9903134-B2

Title: Portable shading assembly

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
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     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIE THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     The disclosure and prior art relates to shading assemblies and more particularly pertains to a new shading assembly for provision of shade using a tethered panel. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a mast and a panel. The mast has a bottom configured to couple to a surface. The panel is flexible and has a respective opposing side reversibly couplable to a top of the mast. The mast is positioned substantially equally distant from opposing edges of the panel. A plurality of tethers is coupled to and extends from the panel. Each of a plurality of stakes is reversibly couplable to a respective tether distal from the panel. The panel is positioned to couple to the mast. The mast and the stakes are configured to couple to the surface. The tethers are positioned to couple the panel to the stakes, such that the panel is positioned above the surface to use the natural force of the wind to inflate the panel and hold it aloft to provide shade to a user. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric perspective view of a portable shading assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is an isometric perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is an in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 5  thereof, a new shading assembly embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 5 , the portable shading assembly  10  generally comprises a mast  12  that has a bottom  14 . The bottom  14  is configured to couple to a surface. The mast  12  comprises a plurality of sections  16 . Each section  16  has a top end  18  and a bottom end  20 . The sections  16  are reversibly couplable such that the mast  12  is collapsible. 
     A crossbeam  22  is coupled at its midpoint  24  to a top  26  of the mast  12 . The crossbeam  22  extends bidirectionally from the mast  12 . In one embodiment, the crossbeam  22  comprises a pair of poles  28  that is reversibly couplable to the mast  12 . A pair of rods  30  is coupled singly to the crossbeam  22  distal from the midpoint  24 . Each rod  30  extends perpendicularly from the crossbeam  22 . 
     In one embodiment, the plurality of sections  16  comprises an upper section  32 , a middle section  34  and a lower section  36 . The upper section  32  has a cross-connector  38  that is coupled to the top end  18  of the upper section  32 . Each pole  28  is reversibly couplable to the cross-connector  38 , such that the poles  28  extend perpendicularly from the upper section  32 . The middle section  34  has a first T-connector  40  coupled to the top end  18  of the middle section  34 . The lower section  36  has a second T-connector  42  coupled to the top end  18  of the lower section  36 . The middle section  34  is positioned to reversibly couple to the top end  18  of the lower section  36  and to the bottom end  20  of the upper section  32 . 
     An extension  44  is reversibly couplable to the cross-connector  38  and extends linearly from the mast  12 . The extension  44  is positioned on the cross-connector  38  such that the extension  44  is configured to hang a flag. 
     A plurality of bars  46  is reversibly couplable to and extends perpendicularly from the mast  12 . The bars  46  are positioned on the mast  12  such that the bars  46  are configured to hang items on the bars  46 . In one embodiment, the plurality of bars  46  comprises bars  46  reversibly couplable to the first T-connector  40  and the second T-connector  42 . 
     The assembly  10  comprises a panel  48  that is flexible. The panel  48  has a side  50  that is couplable to the top  26  of the mast  12 . The mast  12  is positioned substantially equally distant from opposing edges  52  of the panel  48 . The panel  48  is substantially rectangularly shaped. 
     A pair of loops  54  is coupled to the respective opposing side  50  of the panel  48 . Each loop  54  is positioned on the panel  48  for insertion of a respective rod  30  to couple the crossbeam  22  to the panel  48 . Each loop  54  comprises a first strap  56 . The first strap  56  has opposing endpoints  58 . The first strap  56  is stitchedly coupled to the panel  48  proximate to each opposing endpoint  58 , defining the loop  54 . 
     A plurality of tethers  60  is coupled to and extends from the panel  48 . The plurality of tethers  60  comprises tethers  60  coupled to each corner  62  of the panel  48  and to the top  26  of the mast  12 . In one embodiment, the tethers  60  comprise rope. The tethers  60  comprise braided nylon. 
     Each of a plurality of stakes  64  is reversibly couplable to a respective tether  60  distal from the panel  48 . The plurality of stakes  64  comprises five stakes  64 . The stakes  64  comprises plastic. 
     In one embodiment, a plurality of couplers  66  is coupled to the panel  48 . Each coupler  66  is positioned proximate to a respective corner  62  of the panel  48 . Each coupler  66  is positioned to couple to a respective tether  60 , such that the panel  48  is couplable to the stakes  64 . Each coupler  66  comprises a coupling strap  68 . The coupling strap  68  has a first end  70  that is coupled to the panel  48  and a second end  72  that extends transversely from the panel  48 . The coupling strap  68  comprises a grommet  74  that is positioned through the coupling strap  68  proximate to the second end  72 . 
     The mast  12 , the extension  44 , the crossbeam  22 , the rods  30  and the bars  46  each is tubular. In one embodiment, the mast  12 , the extension  44 , the crossbeam  22 , the rods  30  and the bars  46  each is circular when viewed longitudinally. 
     The mast  12 , the extension  44 , the crossbeam  22 , the rods  30  and the bars  46  each comprises plastic. In another embodiment, the mast  12 , the extension  44 , the crossbeam  22 , the rods  30  and the bars  46  each comprises polyvinylchloride. 
     In use, the middle section  34  is positioned to reversibly couple to the top end  18  of the lower section  36  and the bottom end  20  of the upper section  32 . The extension  44  is positioned on the cross-connector  38  such that the extension  44  is configured to hang a flag. The bars  46  are positioned on the mast  12  such that the bars  46  are configured to hang items on the bars  46 . Each loop  54  is positioned on the panel  48  such that the loop  54  is positioned for insertion of a respective rod  30 , wherein the crossbeam  22  is coupled to the panel  48 . The mast  12  and the stakes  64  are configured to couple to the surface. The tethers  60  are positioned to couple the panel  48  to the stakes  64 , such that the panel  48  is positioned above the surface to use the natural force of the wind to inflate the panel  48  and hold it aloft to provide shade to a user. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.