Patent Publication Number: US-6708704-B2

Title: Structure for automatic opening umbrella

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A conventional foldable umbrella is provided with a coin spring around a shaft above a runner, which is also around the shaft. A middle joint is provided above the coin spring. As the umbrella is folded, the coin spring will be tensioned to provide a force for automatic opening of the umbrella. Since the runner and the middle joint are manufactured independently and connected by the coin spring, they add inconvenience to production and assembly. Moreover, everyone, including the old and the young will not be able to easily operate the umbrella given the high elastic strength of the coin spring. 
     Accordingly, a primary object of the invention is to provide an inventive structure for automatically opening an umbrella, which includes a single runner with a middle connector and a lower connector and a spring connected between the lower connector and the main rib of an umbrella frame. Now the features and advantages of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a foldable umbrella in folded state according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the foldable umbrella in opened state according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a part of the opened foldable umbrella according to the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     Please refer to FIGS. 1 to  3 ; the present invention includes a shaft ( 1 ) having several tubes. An upper joint ( 11 ) is connected on the top of the shaft ( 1 ) and a handle ( 12 ) is connected with the bottom end of the shaft ( 1 ). A runner ( 2 ) is provided around the shaft ( 1 ) and is moveable. The frame has ribs to connect with the upper joint ( 11 ) and the runner ( 2 ) to become a normal foldable umbrella. The characteristic of the present invention is that the runner ( 2 ) includes a middle connector ( 21 ) and a lower connector ( 22 ) of different diameters. A main rib ( 3 ) of the frame has its inner end to connect with the upper joint ( 11 ). A supporting rib ( 31 ) has its inner end to connect with the middle connector ( 21 ) of the runner ( 2 ) and has its outer end to connect with a middle position of the main rib ( 3 ). A spring ( 32 ) has its inner end to connect with the lower connector ( 22 ) and has its outer end to connect with the outer end of the supporting rib ( 31 ). 
     When the umbrella is closed and folded as shown in FIG. 1, the spring ( 32 ) is tensioned with recovery force. As pressing a button ( 13 ) on the handle ( 12 ), referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the recovery force will cause the runner ( 2 ) being moved upward to open the umbrella automatically. Since the runner of the present invention is a single body, it can be produced and assembled conveniently. The spring can be also provided easily. 
     Accordingly, the invented assembly of the present invention obviously obtains utility and improvement. It should be allowed for patent and is applied.