Patent Publication Number: US-6655398-B2

Title: Umbrella having a resilient whale bone device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an umbrella, and more particularly to an umbrella having a resilient whale bone device. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Typical whale bone devices for umbrellas comprise a telescoping post including a stationary hub disposed and provided on top thereof, a handle secured or attached to the bottom thereof, and comprise a whale bone device attached to the upper portion of the telescoping post. The whale bone device includes a number of strut assemblies connected to the stationary hub and each having a number of struts pivotally secured together and openable to an open and working position, and foldable to a compact folding structure. U.S. Pat. No. 5,975,099 to Johnson et al. discloses one of the typical umbrellas. However, the struts may be moved relative to each other, such that the whale bone device or the strut assemblies have no spring biasing members or devices disposed between the struts for applying a resilient biasing force against the struts of the strut assemblies, and for opening or for folding the struts to the compact folding structure. 
     The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional whale bone devices for umbrellas. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an umbrella including a resilient whale bone device having a resilient member for applying a spring biasing force against the struts of the strut assemblies, and for opening or for folding the struts to the compact folding structure. 
     The other objective of the present invention is to provide an umbrella including a strut assembly having a beam and a spring rod movably coupled to the beam for preventing the spring rod from being firmly secured to the beam and for preventing the spring rod from being bent or damaged by the beam. 
     In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided an umbrella comprising a whale bone device including a plurality of strut assemblies, the strut assemblies each including a strut including a first end and a second end, a beam including a first end pivotally secured to the second end of the strut, and including a second end, a rib including a first end pivotally secured to the second end of the beam, a spring rod including a first end attached to the strut, and including a second end attached to the rib, and including a middle portion, and means for movably coupling the middle portion of the spring rod to the beam. 
     The strut includes a catch attached thereon, and coupled to the first end of the spring rod, and includes a hole formed therein, the catch includes two legs engaged into the hole of the strut for securing the catch to the strut. 
     The rib includes an arm extended from the first end thereof and pivotally secured to the second end of the spring rod. 
     The movably coupling means includes a pole slidably secured to the beam and coupled to the middle portion of the spring rod. The pole includes an aperture formed therein for receiving the middle portion of the spring rod. 
     The beam includes an orifice formed therein for slidably receiving the pole therein. The beam includes an opening communicating with the orifice thereof and having a diameter greater than that of the orifice of the beam, the movably coupling means includes a block slidably secured in the opening of the beam and having the pole extended therefrom. 
     The umbrella includes a telescoping post, and a stationary hub secured on top of the post and pivotally secured to the first end of the strut, the strut includes a middle portion, a ring is slidably engaged on the post, a stay includes a first end pivotally secured to the ring and a second end pivotally secured to the middle portion of the strut, the beam includes an extension extended from the first end thereof, and a lever pivotally coupled between the extension of the beam and the stay. 
     Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of a detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of an umbrella having a whale bone device in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a partial exploded view of the whale bone device for the umbrella; 
     FIG. 3 is a plan schematic view of the whale bone device for the umbrella; 
     FIGS. 4,  5  are plan schematic views similar to FIG. 3, illustrating the operation of the whale bone device for the umbrella; and 
     FIGS. 6,  7 ,  8  are enlarged partial cross sectional views illustrating the operation of the spring biasing member for the whale bone device of the umbrella. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-3, an umbrella in accordance with the present invention comprises a telescoping post  10  including a stationary hub  11  disposed and provided on top thereof, and a barrel  14  slidably attached onto the post  10  and movable up and down relative or along the post  10 . The barrel  14  includes a ring  12  secured or attached thereon. The umbrella comprises a whale bone device attached to the upper portion of the telescoping post  10 , and including a number of strut assemblies  30  arranged around the stationary hub  11  and connected to the stationary hub  11  and the ring  12  of the barrel  14 . As shown in FIGS. 1-5, for clear illustrating purposes, only one of the strut assemblies  30  is shown in the drawing figures. The strut assemblies  30  each includes a number of struts or beams or ribs pivotally secured together and openable to an open and working position, and foldable to a compact folding structure. 
     For example, as best shown in FIGS. 1-3, the strut assemblies  30  of the whale bone device each includes a strut  31  having one end rotatably or pivotally secured to the stationary hub  11 , a beam  40  having one end rotatably or pivotally secured to the other end of the strut  31  with a pivot pin  41 , and a rib  43  having one end rotatably or pivotally secured to the other end of the beam  40  with a pivot axle  44 . The strut  31  may be made of plastic materials, composite materials, or the like, and includes a reinforcing bars  32  of such as metal materials engaged and secured therein for reinforcing purposes. A stay  33  has one end rotatably or pivotally secured to the ring  12  and the other end rotatably or pivotally secured to the middle portion of the strut  31 . 
     The beam  40  includes an extension  42  extended from the one end thereof or extended outward beyond the pivot pin  41  and rotatably or pivotally secured to the stay  33  with a lever  35 . The lever  35  is substantially parallel to the strut  31  for extending the beam  40  outward to the open position as shown in FIGS. 1,  3  when the ring  12  moves the one end of the stay  33  upward toward the stationary hub  11 , and for folding the beam  40  inward toward the close position as shown in FIGS. 4,  5  when the ring  12  moves the one end of the stay  33  downward away from the stationary hub  11 . The rib  43  includes an arm  46  extended from the one end thereof or extended outward beyond the pivot axle  44 . The above-described configuration is typical and will not be described in further details. 
     As best shown in FIGS.  2  and  6 - 8 , the beam  40  includes an orifice  47  and an opening  48  formed in the middle portion thereof, and communicating with each other, and having different inner diameters for forming a shoulder  49  therebetween. A block  70  is slidably engaged in the opening  48  of the beam  40 , and includes a pole  71  extended therefrom and having a smaller diameter than that of the block  70  for slidably engaging in the orifice  47  of the beam  40 . The pole  71  includes an aperture  72  formed therein and extendible outward of the beam  40 . 
     The strut  31  includes a hole  38  formed in the other end portion thereof (FIG.  2 ). A loop or a hook or a catch  36  has two legs  37  engaged into the hole  38  of the strut  31  for attaching or securing the catch  36  to the strut  31 . The catch  36  is slightly spaced away from or located close to the pivot pin  41 . A resilient or spring member or a spring blade or a spring rod  77  has a middle portion engaged through the aperture  72  of the pole  71 , and includes one end secured or hooked to the catch  36 , and the other end rotatably or pivotally secured to the arm  46  of the rib  43  with a pivot shaft  79 . The spring member  77  may apply a resilient or biasing force against the strut assembly  30  for facilitating the opening or the closing of the strut assembly  30  between the open and working position and the compact folding structure. 
     It is to be noted that the pole  71  and the block  70  may be slided relative to the beam  40 , such that the middle portion of the spring rod  77  will not be firmly secured and may be slightly moved relative to the beam  40 , and such that the middle portion of the spring rod  77  will not be bent or damaged by the pole  71 . The middle portion of the spring rod  77  may also be slidably or adjustably or movably attached to the middle portion of the beam  40  by the other similar devices (not shown), such as the hooks, the loops, the rings, or the like. 
     Accordingly, the umbrella in accordance with the present invention includes a resilient whale bone device having a resilient member for applying a spring biasing force against the struts of the strut assemblies, and for opening or for folding the struts to the compact folding structure. 
     Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.