Patent Publication Number: US-2005115598-A1

Title: Tangle-free umbrella grip

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      U.S. Pat. No. 4,616,868 to Toshio Okuda disclosed a handle with carrying strap by positioning a connector loop portion of a closed loop carrying strap within a groove formed on an exterior surface of the handle, and having a hand loop (15) of the carrying strap (11) protruding outwardly from the handle for carrying purpose.  
      It is lacking of any retraction mechanism or winding design for retracting the hand loop of the carrying strap inwardly into the handle or for winding the loop on the handle surface when the use of the carrying strap is not desired. By the way, a pocket or mini umbrella provided with such a carrying strap, once being taken out from a lady hand bag or purse, may cause trouble such that the strap having the hand loop portion may tangle the other small items or articles such as cosmetics to embarrass the user.  
      The present inventor has found the drawbacks of the conventional umbrella handle and invented the present tangle-free umbrella grip.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The object of the present invention is to provide an umbrella grip including an elastic string protruding outwardly from the grip to form a loop portion for carrying or hanging purpose; and the elastic string made of elastic materials and capable of being resiliently wound and engaged with at least a groove circumferentially recessed in an outer surface of an extension wall of the grip, whereby when the use of the string is not desired, the loop portion of the string may be fastened and engaged in the groove of the grip to prevent from tangling with other articles when stored in a bag or purse. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  shows the present invention having the loop portion of the string extended for carrying or hanging purpose.  
       FIG. 2  shows the present invention having the string fastened on the grip.  
       FIG. 3  is a rear view of  FIG. 2 .  
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the embodiment as shown in  FIG. 1 .  
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view when slightly modified from  FIG. 1 .  
       FIG. 6  is an illustration when not secured with the string as shown in  FIG. 5 .  
       FIG. 7  is an illustration showing the string wound on the grooves from  FIG. 5 .  
       FIG. 8  shows another preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
       FIG. 9  shows the grip having the string wound thereon from FIG.  8 .  
       FIG. 10  is a rear view of  FIG. 9 .  
       FIG. 11  shows a rectangular-shaped grip in accordance with the present invention.  
       FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the embodiment when pulling the string from  FIG. 11 .  
       FIG. 13  shows another modification of the present invention from  FIG. 11 .  
       FIG. 14  is a perspective view of the grip when pulling string from  FIG. 13 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
      As shown in FIGS.  1 ˜ 4 , the present invention comprises: a grip  1 ; an elastic string  2  secured to the grip  1 , and a central shaft  3  coaxially connected with the grip  1  to form an umbrella.  
      The umbrella thus formed may be a single fold or multiple-fold umbrella, not limited in this invention. The grip  1  as shown in the drawing figures is formed as a cylindrical shape. However, the shapes of the grip  1  are not limited in the present invention. For example, a rectangular shape a spherical shape or other shapes may also be modified from the cylindrical grip.  
      The grip  1  includes two grooves  11 ,  11   a  juxtapositionally, coaxially and circumferentially recessed in an outer surface of an extension wall  10  of the grip  1  about a longitudinal axis X defined at a longitudinal center of the grip  1  and the central shaft  3 . The grooves  11 ,  11   a  approximate the end plate  100  of the grip  1  and the extension wall  10  is protruded circumferentially from the end plate  100  to define an interior  101  within the extension wall  10  which may be cylindrically shaped as illustrated or polygonally shaped (not shown).  
      The first groove  11  adjacent to the end plate  100  of the grip  1  for primarily engaging the string  2  includes a starting groove portion  111  communicated with a first string hole  12  formed through the extension wall  10  for inserting a first end portion  21  of the string  2  through the first string hole  12  to be connected with a stopper  22  to firmly retain the first end portion  21  of the string  2  within the extension wall  10  of the grip  1 , and a sloping groove portion  112  formed on an opposite end of the first groove  11  adjacent to and partitioned with the starting groove portion  111  by a sloping shoulder portion  113  coplanar to the outer surface of the grip  1  with the sloping groove portion  112  inclinedly intersecting with the second groove  11   a  to serve as a guiding portion from the first groove  11  to the second groove  11   a  juxtapositioned to the first groove  11  by a “boundary ridge  11   b ” ( FIGS. 1, 2 ) for guiding the elastic string  2 , as wound in the first groove  11 , from the first groove  11  to the second groove  11   a  ( FIG. 2 ).  
      The second groove  11   a  juxtapositioned to the first groove  11  for continuously engaging the string  2  following the string portion as engaged in the first groove  11  is communicated with a second string hole  12   a  which is formed in the second groove  11   a  opposite and adjacent to the first string hole  12  located in the first groove  11  for inserting a second end portion  21   a  of the string  2  through the second string hole  12   a  to be connected with another stopper  22  to retain the second end portion  21   a  of the string within the grip  1 .  
      The grip  1  further includes a finger cavity  13  recessed in the outer surface of the grip  1  and approximating the sloping shoulder portion  113  for an easy removal of the string  2  (originally wound in the grooves  11   a,  11) to form a loop portion  20  to serve as a carrying or hanging strap as shown in  FIG. 1 .  
      The elastic string (or strap)  2  is made of stretchable elastic materials, having its two end portions  21 ,  21   a  secured in the grip  1  and having a loop portion  20  protruding outwardly from the grip  1  to serve as a carrying or hanging string (or strap), with the loop portion  20  having a perimeter smaller than a total length of the perimeters of the first and second grooves  11 ,  11   a ; whereby upon winding and engagement of the loop portion  20  of the string  2  with the first and second grooves  11 ,  11   a , the elasticity of the string  2  will resiliently tightly fasten the loop portion  20  on the first and second grooves  11 ,  11   a  without being easily loosened or “derailed” from the grooves  11 ,  11   a.    
      When the loop portion  20  is protruded outwardly, the string  2  may serve as a carrying strap or hanging strap for carrying or hanging the umbrella.  
      When the use of the string  2  is not desired, the loop portion  20  may be primarily wound on the first groove  11 , and the remaining portion of the loop portion  20  may be engaged from the first groove  11  to the second groove  11   a , as guided by the sloping shoulder portion  113  and the sloping groove portion  112 , to be finally smoothly wound on the second groove  11   a . The elasticity of the string  2  will resiliently fasten the string in the grooves  11 ,  11   a  without being loosened or disengaged.  
      The strings  2  as wound on the two grooves  11 ,  11   a  will increase the frictional force between the user&#39;s hand and the grip  1  for a firm holding of the grip  1 .  
      Also, the “two rings” of the string  2  as wound on the grip  1  will serve as a decorative feature to increase their ornamental effect of the present invention.  
      Since the string  2  has been resiliently tightly fastened on the grip  1  ( FIGS. 2, 3 ), there is no remaining loop portion extended from the grip so that the string as wound on the grip will not tangle any other items stored in a pocket or bag for preventing any confusion or embarrassment.  
      As shown in FIGS.  5 ˜ 7 , the grooves  11 ,  11   a  as aforementioned have been modified to have a first groove  11  having a length being generally equal to half a diameter of the second groove  11   a.    
      The first groove  11  in  FIG. 5  adjacent to the end plate  100  of the grip  1  for primarily engaging the string  2  includes a starting groove portion  111  communicated with a first string hole  12  formed through the extension wall  10  for inserting a first end portion  21  of the string  2  through the first string hole  12  to be connected with a stopper to firmly retain the first end portion  21  of the string  2  within the extension wall  10  of the grip  1 , and a sloping groove portion  112  formed on an opposite end of the first groove  11  and partitioned with the starting groove portion  111  by a semi-peripheral portion  113   a  with the sloping groove portion  112  inclinedly intersecting with the second groove  11   a  to serve as a guiding portion from the first groove  11  to the second groove  11   a  juxtapositioned to the first groove  11  by a “boundary ridge  11   b ” for guiding the elastic string  2  (as wound in the first groove  11 ) from the first groove  11  to the second groove  11   a.    
      The second groove  11   a  juxtapositioned to the first groove  11  for continuously engaging the string  2  following the string portion as engaged in the first groove  11  is communicated with a second string hole  12   a  which is formed in the second groove  11   a  diametrically opposite to the first string hole  12  located in the first groove  11  for inserting a second end portion  21   a  of the string  2  through the second string hole  12   a  to be retained within the grip  1 . The two string holes  12 ,  12   a  may be linked with a line D-D ( FIG. 5 ) to be intersected with the longitudinal axis X defined at the center of the grip  1 .  
      By the way, the loop portion  20  of the string  2  can be pulled outwardly to symmetrically hold the grip and the umbrella.  
      As shown in FIGS.  8 ˜ 10 , another preferred embodiment of the present invention is made as modified from the aforementioned (FIGS.  1  ˜ 4 ).  
      The grip  1  coaxially formed with a central shaft  3  of the umbrella includes a groove  11  circumferentially recessed in an outer surface of an extension wall  10  (such as cylindrically shaped) protruding from an end plate  100  of the grip  1 ; and two string holes  12  approximating with each other and juxtapositionally formed in the groove  11  through the extension wall  10  for inserting two end portions  21  of the string  2  through the two string holes  12  to be retained against an inside surface of the extension wall  10 .  
      The elastic string  2  is made of stretchable elastic materials having its two opposite end portions  21  secured to the grip  1  through the two string holes  12  which are formed in the grip  1  and communicated with the groove  11 ; and having a loop portion  20  protruding outwardly from the grip  1  for carrying or hanging purpose, with the loop portion  20  having a perimeter smaller than a perimeter of the groove  11  so that the loop portion  20  of the string  2  will be resiliently tightly fastened on the groove  11  of the grip  1  without being easily loosened or derailed.  
      Since there is just a single groove  11  formed in the grip  1 , the length of the loop portion  20  of the string  2  is also shorter than that of the embodiment as shown in  FIG. 1 . So, the loop portion  20  once pulled outwardly for carrying purpose, the loop portion  20  is so small to be carried by the user&#39;s finger (or fingers) F rather than her hand to be suitable for light-weight multiple-fold pocket (or mini) umbrella of which the folded umbrella is so short and the material for making the rib assembly of the umbrella is also very light in weight so that the umbrella grip thus made may be called as “finger-hanging” umbrella grip.  
      The grip  1  once formed as cylindrical shape defines a longitudinal axis X at a longitudinal center of the grip  1  and the central shaft  3 . About the axis X, the groove  11  is concentrically recessed in the outer cylindrical surface of the grip  12 . Upon winding of the string  2  on the groove  11 , a circular ring will be formed to increase the ornamental effect of the grip and also to increase the frictional force between the grip and the user&#39;s hand for firmly holding the umbrella grip.  
      The grip  1  further includes a finger cavity  13  recessed in the grip  1  and communicated with the groove  11  for an easy removal of the string  2  as originally wound and engaged with the groove  11 .  
      As shown in  FIGS. 11, 12 , the grip  1  is modified to be rectangular shape having two opposite end portions  21  connected with a stopper or retainer  22  to limit the end portions  21  of the string  2  within the grip  1 . After pulling the string  2  outwardly as shown in  FIG. 12 , it may serve as a carrying or hanging strap.  
      As shown in  FIGS. 13, 14 , the string  2  is modified from  FIG. 11  to allow the two end portions  21  to be respectively inserted through two string holes  12  formed through the extension wall  10  of the grip, with each end portion  21  formed with a stopper or retainer  22  to be limited or retained on an inside surface of the extension wall  10 . The string  2 , after being pulled outwardly as shown in  FIG. 14 , may serve for carrying or hanging use.  
      The present invention may be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.