Patent Publication Number: US-2017367448-A1

Title: Umbrella Canopy with a Photo-Luminescent and/or Light-Up Promotional Display and Methods of Making Same

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority on U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/350,208, filed on Jun. 15, 2016, and on U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/378,331, filed on Aug. 23, 2016, all disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to umbrellas, and more particularly to a light up umbrella that is capable of illuminating a company name/logo or other lettering/advertising that is formed in the umbrella&#39;s canopy/cover material. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The use of a parasol for protection against direct sunlight and as a fashionable accessory evidencing the user&#39;s status dates back to the ancient world. Use of an umbrella for protection against heavy rain dates back to the late 1600s and early 1700s. Improvements have been continually made in its structure, which have often accommodated special use beyond just a person walking outdoors during inclement weather, such as its use in combination with patio furniture. 
     The use of lights on the umbrella to assist the user and to provide for the user&#39;s safety have been known in the art for a long time, as shown by the following patents. 
     U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,795,268 to Thomases, 2,235,864 to Brennan, 2,372,471 to Campbell, 4,020,858 to Wilson, 6,135,605 to Hsu, and 6,267,481 to Yang each teach various improved versions of a light disposed at the top end of the staff/cap of the umbrella, with the light being provided to warn automobile drivers of the presence of the pedestrian whose face may largely be shielded by the black canopy. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,275,815 to Golaz is for an umbrella with a light disposed at the upper end of the curved handle (i.e. the crook), being upwardly directed to illuminate the underside of the canopy, for light to diffuse through the fabric to thereby “announce” the presence of the user. 
     U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,734,124 to Funk, 3,281,586 to Gonzalez, 4,788,995, to Rushing, and 4,881,154 to Tseng each teach incorporating a version of a flash light into the handle of the umbrella. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,493,480 to Huang teaches a hollow telescoping tube for the shaft of the umbrella, with a lamp at a lower end thereof configured to project light into the hallow tube, and which can be removed and used as an ordinary flashlight. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,425,602 to Lansing discloses an umbrella stem to which is attached hollow light transmitting shells with a lamp mounted therein, to provide illumination for the user while walking in the rain. 
     U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,166,272 to Smithing, and 5,126,922 to Andreessen each teach incorporation of a light at the tip of the spiked end, a light in the handle, and a plurality of lights at the tips of each of the ribs that support the canopy. 
     Advertising and promotions have traditionally been found on billboards, printed media, public transportation, television and radio commercials, etc. Such advertising and promotions have also leveraged the mobility of a person, being commonly found on clothing, and also hats, particularly for professional athletes. However, many such mobile promotions are limited by the daytime visibility of the promotion on the carrier object. 
     The present invention is particularly adapted for effectively providing promotions and advertising using an umbrella that is fully functional in the opened position to protect against rain, and which canopy serves as a carrier for promotions that are easily viewed in both daytime and nighttime, and which does not interfere with the closing of the umbrella canopy into its fully retracted position. 
     The present invention teaches different lighting and other features for an umbrella, than has been disclosed in the prior art, and several different structural arrangements for accommodating such lighting. 
     OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the invention to provide an umbrella that may include lighting to guide the user while walking. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide an umbrella with illumination that may make a pedestrian more visible to traffic. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide an umbrella that may include a company name or logo printed on the canopy of the umbrella. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide an umbrella that may include material in the form of the lettering for a company name or logo on its canopy, and lighting to illuminate the letters. 
     It is a further object of the invention to use printed lettering of a company name on the umbrella canopy, which may be visible in the daytime, and which may be photoluminescent to be visible at night, and which may be accentuated by the use of lighting underneath/within the canopy. 
     Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The description of various example embodiments is explained in conjunction with appended drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of a prior art umbrella; 
         FIG. 1A  illustrates a side view of the conventional support structure used for the prior art umbrella of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates an umbrella that includes apparatus for a light-up promotional display in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates an enlarged detail view of the support structure and canopy portion of the umbrella embodiment of  FIG. 2 , having LEDs that light up the company name/lettering that is formed on the canopy; 
         FIG. 3A  is an enlarged detail view showing an opening in the canopy of the umbrella of  FIG. 3 , prior to be covered with a piece of material with lettering that spells out the “Company Name”; 
         FIG. 3B  illustrates a flexible material that may be formed with lettering that spells out the “Company Name” to be promoted by the umbrella, along with a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) positioned/secured behind the lettering, and which flexible material may be secured over/beneath the canopy opening shown in  FIG. 3A ; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates an umbrella in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates an enlarged detail view of the support structure and canopy portion of the umbrella embodiment of  FIG. 4 , showing positional, locations of LEDs that light up the company name/lettering that is formed on the canopy; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates an umbrella frame, and a canopy with a company name and a logo/trademark formed in/on the canopy material, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a thin film with LED&#39;s supported/positioned thereon in the shape of the lettering of the company name and logo/trademark of  FIG. 6 , and with the LEDs each coupled to a wire, with the ends of the wire disposed towards the edge of the film; 
         FIG. 8  illustrates the umbrella frame and canopy of  FIG. 6 , with the thin film and LEDs of  FIG. 7  secured directly beneath the company name and logo/trademark, and with an electrical wire running, down the underside of the canopy shown with its two ends coupled to the ends of the wire on the film; 
         FIG. 9  illustrates the umbrella frame, canopy, and thin film with LEDs as illustrated in  FIG. 8 , but is furthermore shown with a fabric inner liner secured to the underside of the canopy to cover the wire and film; 
         FIG. 10  illustrates another umbrella embodiment that may have lights exposed on one or more portions of the upper surface of the canopy; 
         FIG. 11  illustrates the umbrella embodiment of  FIG. 10  in which optical fibers are used to provide the light at the locations on the upper surface of the canopy; and 
         FIG. 12  is a schematic section view illustrating fiber optic cable for the light-up umbrella embodiments of  FIGS. 10 and 11  being secured to the canopy using tape, and with the wiring being covered using an inner liner. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As used throughout this specification, the word “may” is used in a permissive sense (i.e., meaning having the potential to), rather than the mandatory sense (i.e., meaning must). Similarly, the words “include”, “including”, and “includes” mean including but not limited to. 
     The phrases “at least one”, “one or more”, and “and/or” are open-ended expressions that are both conjunctive and disjunctive in operation. For example, each of the expressions “at least one of A, B and C”. “one or more of A, B, and C”, and “A, B, and/or C” mean all of the following possible combinations: A alone; or B alone; or C alone; or A and B together; or A and C together; or B and C together; or A, B and C together. 
     Also, all references (e.g., patents, patent publications, and non-patent literature) that are cited within this documents are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference. 
     Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics of any particular embodiment disclosed in the following specification, may be combined in any suitable manner with any of the other embodiments disclosed herein. 
     It is further noted that any use herein of relative terms such, as “top,” “bottom,” “upper,” “lower,” “vertical” and “horizontal” are merely intended to be descriptive for the reader, based on the depiction of those features within the figures for one particular position of the device, and such terms are not intended to limit the orientation with which the device of the present invention may be utilized. 
       FIGS. 1 and 1A  show a prior art umbrella  10  and its associated frame structure.  FIG. 2  shows a first embodiment of the present invention, in the form of umbrella  100 . The umbrella  100  may be formed with many features that may resemble, at least outwardly, the conventional features of the standard prior art umbrella  10  of  FIGS. 1 and 1A . These features may include, but are not limited to: a handle  110 ; a shaft  120  extending from the handle; a plurality of ribs (e.g., ribs  131 ,  132 ,  133 ,  134 ,  135 ,  136 ,  137 , etc.) that may be pivotally attached at the upper end of the shaft; a runner  140  slidably mounted upon the shaft  110 ; a plurality of stretcher rods (e.g., rods  151 ,  152 ,  153 ,  154 ,  155 ,  156 ,  157 , etc.), each of which may have a first end pivotally mounted to the runner, and a second end pivotally mounted to a respective one of the ribs; a spring biased upper stop  170 U; a spring biased lower stop  170 L; and a canopy  160 . 
     The bottom of the handle  110  of umbrella  100  may have an opening into a hollow cavity, which may terminate at an upper wall that may have an upper battery contact mounted therein. The opening in the handle may be releasably covered using a threaded plug  180 , which may be threadably received by the bottom of the handle  110 . The threaded plug  180  may have a battery contact  181 , and the two battery contacts may thereby be separated to accommodate one or more batteries  50  to provide the required electrical power to the lights of the umbrella  100 . The two battery contacts may be electrically coupled to an on/off switch  100 S mounted to the handle  120 , which may be wired to the lights, using wiring  190 S running up the shaft  120  of the umbrella  100 , as seen in  FIG. 3 , and with wiring  190 R running down one or more of the ribs, to one or more positions at which lighting may be utilized on the canopy  160 . The wiring  190 R may run through a hollow portion of the rib or may run along its exterior. 
     As seen in the enlarged detail view of  FIG. 3 , a company name or logo may be spelled out or represented using one or more structures. In one embodiment, there may be an opening  160 P formed in the canopy  160 , as seen in  FIG. 3A . A flexible plastic or other suitable material  161  for the canopy, as seen in  FIG. 3B , may generally be colored to match the canopy  160 , but may also be formed with letters spelling out the “Company Name” to be promoted by the umbrella  100 . The lettering of the material  161  may be opaque, translucent, or transparent. A plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs)  195  may be positioned/secured behind the lettering, with the plurality of lights being sufficient in number and distribution to adequately illuminate each of the letters when energized. Each of the LEDS  195  of a letter may be wired together, and/or when more efficient, the LEDS of several of the letters may also be wired together, as discussed hereinafter. The lettering may be sized and spaced to permit resolution by an observer at a desired distance away (e.g., 20 feet, away, or 50 feet away, or 100 feet away, etc.), which may be limited, in one embodiment, by the vision capability of the average person. The intensity of the light may optimized to be sufficient to correspond to those particular desired distances. 
     The material  161  shown in  FIG. 3B  may be fixedly secured over or beneath the opening  160 P in the canopy  160  shown in  FIG. 3A , to be as shown in  FIG. 3 . The material  161  may be secured to the canopy  160  using any one or more suitable joining techniques, including, but not limited to, stitching, epoxy adhesive, rivets, etc., and may also use a sealant therebetween. The rib wiring  190 R shown in  FIG. 3A  may branch into wire  190 Ri and wire  190 Rii, each of which may respectively be electrically coupled to the LEDs in one of the lines of letters of the “Company Name”. 
     When the user toggles switch  110 S to the “on” position, electrical current from the batteries may thereby energize (i.e., power and light up) the LEDs  195  for prominent displaying of the “Company Name,” particularly at night. 
     An alternate embodiment is shown by umbrella  200  in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , in which the Company Name” may be centered upon one of the ribs. (Note that the LEDs  195  of the letters are shown wired together therein, using wire  290 ). The wiring for the LEDS may also be particularly configured and arranged to minimize its gauge and a total length of the wiring, and to reduce, or eliminate distortion of the canopy  260  and resistance of the canopy to being folded/collapsed, particularly by wiring that may otherwise extend in a lateral direction across one or more sections of the canopy needed to reach each of the LEDs, being generally between adjacent ribs (compare the wiring in  FIG. 5 , with the extensive lateral wiring— 190 Ri and  190 Rii—in the arrangement of  FIG. 3 ). For umbrella  200 , the handle  100  may have a bottom portion  110 P formed of a translucent material, and a threaded plug  280  may also have an LED or light bulb  280 L therein that may be powered by the batteries  50  to light up when the switch  110 S is toggled to a first “on” position. The light  280 L may provide lighting for the umbrella user to walk to his/her destination. Additionally, LEDs may similarly be positioned at the tip of the staff, and/or at the tips of the ribs, which may light up when the switch  110 S is toggled to successive “on” positions, and may be lit individually, or in any combination thereof. In addition, another “on” position of the switch may cause any or all of the lights to repeatedly flicker on and off and to light up various different colors, and to create different patterns. The additional lighting may better permit the umbrella user to walk at night in the dark, and may also provide greater visibility of the person to a passing motorist. Thus, when the umbrella user seeks to utilize those lights for either or both of those reasons, the “Company Name” may similarly be illuminated to promote/advertise the company, or may alternatively be illuminated only when the switch  110 S is toggled to a different “on” position. 
     Since the LEDS  195  that illuminate the “Company Name” may only light up when the user appropriately toggles the switch  110 S, and the user may not be inclined to, or may forget to do that every time the umbrella is used, and since the batteries may also become drained of available power and may go without being replaced/recharged for a substantial time period, at least a portion of each of the letters of the “Company Name” may additionally or alternatively be coated with or have its periphery formed with a photo-luminescent material. A phosphorescent material, for example, may absorb photons when present in the environment either from natural daylight or from artificial lighting, and may thereafter glow in the dark to display the lettering of the “Company Name,” without any electrical power or prompting from the umbrella user. The use of the LEDS  195  may further illuminate the lettering of the “Company Name,” which may act in conjunction with the photo-luminescent material thereon. 
     The LEDs  195  and the photo-luminescent material/coating for illuminating lettering to spell out the “Company Name” and/or an emblem/logo formed on the material  161  may be utilized on one or more locations on the umbrella canopy. In one embodiment, the Company Name” and/or emblem/logo formed on the material  161  may preferably be positioned at or near a lower edge of the canopy, so it may be visible to other pedestrians. In another embodiment, at least one instance of the “Company Name” and/or emblem/logo may be positioned on a top portion of the umbrella canopy, so as to be more readily visible/legible to onlookers in a building who may be looking down upon pedestrians walking along a city street. In yet another embodiment, he “Company Name” and/or emblem/logo may be positioned at each of those locations. 
     An umbrella embodiment  300  is shown in  FIG. 6 , and may be formed similar to umbrella  200 , except that its canopy may be formed with a company “NAME” thereon, and/or may be formed with the company&#39;s trademark symbol thereon (shown as an encircled TM) and/or its logo and/or an emblem. In this embodiment, the company name/trademark/logo/emblem may be weaved into the material used for the canopy, or it may be printed thereon, or may be formed using any other suitable manufacturing process. The company name/trademark/logo/emblem may preferably be a different color than the color used for the remainder of the canopy, for increased visibility, and may also utilize, as described above, a photoluminescent material. A light assembly  380  is shown in  FIG. 7 , and may include a thin film  361  that may have a plurality of LED&#39;s  395  positioned and supported thereon to match the shape or shapes of the letters/symbols of the company name/trademark/logo/emblem. The LEDs  395  may each be electrically coupled to a wire  391  as efficiently as possible to minimize the length of the wire. Also, although the wiring is shown generally traversing at right angles between the letters of adjacent words in  FIG. 7 , it may instead be particularly configured and arranged to minimize its gauge and the total length of the wiring, and to be routed to minimize distortion and resistance of the canopy to being folded, particularly by wiring that may otherwise extend in a lateral direction across one or more sections of the canopy, being generally between adjacent ribs. The two ends  391 A/ 391 B of the wire  391  may be disposed towards an edge of the film  361 , which, in one embodiment, may be an upper edge of the film, and in other embodiment, may be towards other sides/directions of the film edges. Note that rather than using LEDs, fiber optic cables may instead be used. 
       FIG. 8  illustrates the umbrella  300  of  FIG. 6 , but is shown with the film  361  of the light assembly  380  of  FIG. 7  secured to the underside of the canopy  360  directly beneath the name/trademark/logo/emblem. An electric wire  390 S may run from the batteries in the handle up through shaft  320  and, upon reaching the canopy  360 , a portion  390 R of the wire may run down the underside of the canopy. The wire portion  390 R may have its two ends separated, and may be respectively coupled to the ends  391 A/ 391 B of the wire  391  on the film of light assembly  380 . The exposed rear side of the light assembly  380  and the wire portion  390 R may be covered with a liner material  360 P that may be secured (e.g. sewn, bonded, etc.) to the underside of canopy  360 , as shown in  FIG. 9 . In another embodiment, the electric wire  390 S may run along, or within, one of the adjacent ribs. 
     An umbrella embodiment  400  is shown in  FIG. 10 , and its structure may generally be formed similar to umbrella  300 , except that the exterior of its canopy  460  may have a plurality of lights  495  positioned between each, of the ribs (e.g., ribs  131 ,  132 ,  133 ,  134 ,  135 ,  136 ,  137 ), each of which may be energized (i.e., lit up) by electric current from the batteries  50 . The plurality of lights  495  may be positioned in any desired pattern, and may represent various different constellations, or other light patterns. However, both from an esthetically appealing, point of view, and from a utilitarian point of view, the lights  495  may alternatively be distributed throughout the upper surface of the canopy  460 , and may furthermore be distributed in a repetitive and substantially equally spaced pattern. Having the lights  495  distributed throughout the upper surface of the canopy  460  may serve to better alert a motorist not only of the presence of the pedestrian carrying and utilizing the umbrella, but also of the position of the person, as the fully illuminated canopy may be more discernable and easily recognizable than just illuminating a portion thereof. 
     In one embodiment, the canopy  460  may have the lights  495  distributed in rows (e.g., rows  496 A,  496 B,  496 C,  496 D,  496 E, etc.) between each of the ribs (e.g., ribs  131 ,  132 ,  133 ,  134 ,  135 ,  136 ,  137 ), and each successive row may have a decreasing number of lights in ascending row-by-row towards the spike at the apex of the umbrella. Although different numbers of lights  495  and even a different pattern of the lights with different numbers of rows may be used, in one embodiment the umbrella may have evenly spaced rows and each row may have the lights equally spaced thereon. Also, in one embodiment there may be six rows of lights between each of the ribs, and the lowest row  496 A may have six lights equally spaced thereon, the second row  496 B may have live lights equally spaced thereon, the third row  496 C may have four lights equally spaced thereon, the fourth row  496 D may have three lights equally spaced thereon, the fifth row  496 E may have two lights equally spaced thereon, and the sixth row  496 F may have one light centered thereon. This particular arrangement may produce a substantially equally distributed pattern of lights upon the upper surface of the umbrella canopy. 
     Also, in one embodiment, each of the lights  495 , which may be a small bulb or may be a light emitting diode (LED), that may be wired to be coupled to the electrical contacts to receive electric current from the batteries  50 . 
     Alternatively, or additionally, optical fibers configured for open end illumination may be utilized. These optical fibers may additionally have each of the distal ends terminating in a crystal or other device configured to disperse the light in a plurality of directions. Other optical diffusing devices tor optical fibers may be used, including, but not limited to, those shown by U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,556 to McCaughan, and U.S. pat. No. 5,373,571 to Reid. 
       FIG. 11  illustrates a plurality of optical fibers  497  that may be coupled to a central source of light, which light that may be conducted within each fiber. As seen in the schematic view of  FIG. 12 , the end of each fiber  497  may terminate at an opening in the canopy  460 , which may be a preformed opening, or which may be an opening formed by the opposite end of the optical cable being used to pierce the canopy material at the desired location. The opening may be small enough so that the crystal or other light diffusing device  497 D at the end of the cable may be prevented from being inadvertently drawn therethrough. 
     To better secure the fiber optic cable and the light diffusing device  497 D over the opening, and to prevent moisture from readily penetrating through the opening while using the umbrella in the rain, a piece of water-resistant high-tack tape  499  may be applied thereto on the underside of the canopy  460 . Alternatively, or additionally, an adhesive/sealant may be applied to the bottom of the light diffusing device  497 D where the optical cable is joined thereto, so that it may bond/seal against the canopy  460  about the periphery of the opening. An inner liner  470  may be secured to the underside of the canopy  460  to hide and support the plurality of fiber optic cables  497 , and prevent the cables from hanging down. The fiber optic cables  497  used may have a very small diameter, to be less noticeable and permit greater flexing. In one embodiment the optical fiber used may have a diameter of 0.5 mm. The smallest diameter and most flexible optical cable presently available, or later developed, may be used. 
     While illustrative implementations of one or more embodiments of the present invention are provided hereinabove, those skilled in the art and having the benefit of the present disclosure will appreciate that further embodiments may be implemented with various changes within the scope of the present invention. Other modifications, substitutions, omissions and changes may be made in the design, size, materials used or proportions, operating conditions, assembly sequence, or arrangement or positioning of elements and members of the exemplary embodiments without departing from the spirit of this invention. 
     Accordingly, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described example embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.