Patent Publication Number: US-8123190-B2

Title: Adjustable umbrella mount

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a mounting device and, more particularly, to an adjustable umbrella mount that may be adapted to attach to a vehicle&#39;s receiver hitch. 
     Tailgating is a popular activity where people may gather at, for example, a truck&#39;s tailgate, often before sporting events. When tailgating, there is often no protection from the sun. A large, heavy umbrella base, often filled with sand or water, may be used to support an umbrella for shade. 
     Umbrellas supported in these types of bases may be supported in a fixed position. As the sun moves across the sky, the area shaded by an umbrella also moves. Shade may be lost under an umbrella during certain times of the day. 
     As can be seen, there is a need for an umbrella mount that may be adjustable and portable. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one aspect of the present invention, a mount for securing an object comprises a tower adapted to secure the object, the tower including a height adjustment to vary the height of the object secured in the tower; a tower mount adapted to pivotally secure the tower; and a swivel base adapted to rotationally secure the tower mount. 
     In another aspect of the present invention, a mount comprises a tower adapted to secure the object, the tower including a height adjustment to vary the height of the object secured in the tower; at least one T-handle adapted to apply pressure to the object within the tower; a plurality of height adjustment holes in the tower; a height adjustment pin fitting in the height adjustment holes; a tower mount adapted to pivotally secure the tower; and a swivel base adapted to rotationally secure the tower mount. 
     These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the umbrella mount in use according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a close-up perspective view of the umbrella mount of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the umbrella mount of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing alternate mounting locations for the umbrella mount of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the umbrella mount in use to secure a flag, according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims. 
     Various inventive features are described below that can each be used independently of one another or in combination with other features. 
     Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides an adjustable mount for an umbrella. The mount may include one or more adjustments to allow the umbrella to be secured at different positions both horizontally and vertically. The mount may include a beam that fits into a standard receiver hitch on a vehicle. The mount may be used without the beam to secure an umbrella to a horizontal or vertical surface. The mount may be used to hold other objects besides an umbrella, such as a flag. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a mount  10  for an umbrella  14 . The mount  10  may attach to, for example, a receiver hitch  12  of a vehicle  11  via a hitch beam  18 . The hitch beam  18  may support the mount  10 . An umbrella mast  16 , supporting the top  15  of the umbrella  14 , may fit into the mount  10 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the mount  10  may include a tower  20 . The tower  20  may be an elongated tubular member into which the umbrella mast  16  may fit. At least one T-handle  24  may thread into the tower  20  via female threads  25 . The female threads  25  may be, for example, nuts welded onto the tower  20 . The T-handle  24  may press against the umbrella mast  16 , inside of the tower  20 , as the T-handle  24  is threaded into the tower  20 . The T-handle  24  may press directly against the umbrella mast  16  or may slide a securing member (not shown) against the umbrella mast  16 . 
     The tower  20  may further include at least one height control hole  27 . In one embodiment, a plurality of height control holes  27  may be present in the tower  20 . A height adjustment pin  26  may fit into the height control hole  27 . The height adjustment pin  26  may determine the maximum amount that the umbrella mast  16  may be slid inside of the tower  20 . 
     The tower  20  may fit into a tower mount  23 . The tower mount  23  may include a hole  29  that may align with a hole  29   a  in the tower  20 . A bolt  28  may be inserted through the holes  29 ,  29   a  to pivotally secure the tower  20  to the tower mount  23 . The bolt  28  may be secured with a nut  28   a . A plurality of washers  28   b  may fit between the head of the bolt  28  and the tower mount  23  and between the nut  28   a  and the tower mount  23 . A plurality of pivot holes  32  may be formed in the tower mount  23 . The pivot holes  32  may align with a pivot hole  32   a  in the tower  20 . As the tower  20  is pivoted about the bolt  28 , various pivot holes  32  may align with the pivot hole  32   a . A tilt lock pin  30  may be inserted through the holes  32 ,  32   a  to lock in a desired pivot of the tower  20  relative to the tower mount  23 . While a plurality of holes  32  has been described, other embodiments for realizing pivot of the tower  20  may be used. For example, the plurality of holes  32  may be replaced with an arc-shaped channel (not shown) through which a bolt may fit to secure the tower  20  at a desired angle relative to the tower mount  23 . 
     The tower mount  23  may attach to a swivel base  22 . The swivel base  22  may include a bottom plate  22 , a spacer plate  37  and a top plate  39 . The bottom plate  22  may have mounting holes  41  that may align with hitch beam holes  42  in the hitch beam  18 . Bolts  40 , washers  40   b  and nuts  40   a  may secure the bottom plate  22  to the hitch beam  18 . The bottom plate  22  may be, for example, 2¼ inch by 8 inch by ¼ inch steel plate. The spacer plate  37  may be disposed between the bottom plate  22  and the top plate  39 . The spacer plate  37  may be from about ½ to about 1 inch thick. The top plate  39  may have a bolt  34  protruding from a central region of the top plate  39 . The bolt  34  may be, for example, a ½ inch hardened steel bolt. The bolt  34  may fit into a hole (not shown) in the tower mount  23 , thereby securing the tower mount  23  to the top plate  39  with nut  34   a  and washer  34   b.    
     The top plate  39  may include a plurality of rotation adjustment holes  38 . The tower mount  23  may include at least one tower plate rotation adjustment hole  38   a  that may align with each of the rotation adjustment holes  38  as the tower mount  23  is rotated about the bolt  34 . A rotation lock pin  36  may fit though holes  38   a ,  38  to fix the rotation of the tower mount  23  about the top plate  39 . While eight rotation adjustment holes  38  are shown in the top plate  39 , any number of holes may be present to allow for various rotational adjustments. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the mount  10  may be used without the hitch beam  18 . The bottom plate  35  may be attached to other objects such as the side of a house  50  or the top rail  54  of a deck rail  52 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , other objects  56  may be secured in the mount  10 . For example, a flag  58  may be attached to a flag pole  60 . The flag pole  60  may then fit into the tower  20  of the mount  10 . 
     It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.