Abstract:
A device for operating a sun shade, an umbrella or the like, of the type which mainly consists of an upward directed support ( 1 ) and an arm ( 2 ) which is fixed to the support ( 1 ) by means of a hinge pin ( 28 ) and onto which is hinge-mounted a shade ( 3 ), whereby this shade ( 3 ) at least consists of a flange ( 50 ) onto which ribs ( 48 ) are hinge-mounted, and of a bush ( 35 ) which is connected to the aforesaid ribs ( 48 ) by means of spokes ( 45 ), wherein the device is provided with means for folding and unfolding the arm ( 2 ) between the folded position, whereby the arm ( 2 ) lies against or practically against the support ( 1 ), and an unfolded position whereby the arm ( 2 ) is mainly directed crosswise to the support ( 1 ); means for rotating the shade ( 3 ), when unfolding or folding the arm ( 2 ), in relation to the aforesaid arm ( 2 ); and means for opening and closing the shade ( 3 ).

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention concerns a device for operating a sun shade, an umbrella or the like.  
           [0003]    2. Discussion of the Related Art  
           [0004]    Such devices are already known which mainly consist of a vertical support and an arm which is hinge-mounted on said support and upon which is hinge-mounted a shade.  
           [0005]    A disadvantage of such known devices is that the erection of the shade and folding back the shade and the arm after its use is relatively difficult and time-consuming.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    The present invention aims a device which excludes the disadvantages of the known devices and which to this aim offers a device which makes it possible to operate a shade in an entirely automatic manner.  
           [0007]    To this end, the invention concerns a device for operating a sun shade, umbrella or the like, of the type which mainly consists of an upward directed support and an arm which is S fixed to the support by means of a hinge pin and onto which is hinge-mounted a shade, whereby this shade at least consists of a flange onto which ribs are hinge-mounted, and of a bush which is connected to the aforesaid ribs by means of spokes, characterised in that the device is provided with means for folding and unfolding the arm between the folded position, whereby the arm lies against, or practically against the support, and an unfolded position whereby the arm is mainly directed crosswise to the support; means for rotating the shade, when unfolding or folding the arm, in relation to the aforesaid arm; and means for opening and closing the shade. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    In order to better explain the characteristics of the invention, the following preferred embodiments of a device according to the invention for operating a shade are described as an example only without being limitative in any way, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 1 schematically represents a view in perspective of a device according to the invention when folded;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 2 represents the device from FIG. 1, when unfolded;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 3 represents a section according to line III-III in FIG. 1;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 4 represents a section as in FIG. 3, but for a partially unfolded position;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 5 represents a section as in FIG. 3, but in the unfolded position according to FIG. 2;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIGS. 6 and 7 represent sections according to lines VI-VI and VII-VII respectively in FIG. 4, to a larger scale;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 8 represents the part indicated by F 8  in FIG. 4 to yet a larger scale;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 9 represents a variant of a device according to the invention whereby two shades are applied. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0017]    FIGS.  1  to  8  represent a device according to the invention, which mainly consists of an upward directed, preferably vertical support  1  with a hinge-mounted arm  2  onto which is fixed a shade  3 .  
         [0018]    The above-mentioned support  1  is in this case formed of a telescopic mast which is mainly composed of a fixed part on the one hand formed of a lower tubular pipe  4  which is fixed with its lower end on a base plate  5 , and of an extending part consisting of an upper tubular pipe  6  provided in the lower tube and whose lower end is sealed by a cross wall  7  with a central passage  8  in which screw thread has been provided on the other hand.  
         [0019]    In the lower pipe is provided a drive in the shape of a tubular motor  9  which is fixed in the pipe in any way whatsoever, for example by means of a locking pin  10  which is provided through passages in two opposite walls,  11  and  12  respectively, of the lower pipe  4  and which is provided through a bore hole in the body of the motor  9 .  
         [0020]    The outgoing shaft  13  of this tubular motor  9  is provided with screw thread working in conjunction with the above-mentioned screw thread in the cross wall  7  of the upper pipe  6 .  
         [0021]    In this upper pipe  6  is provided a second drive in the shape of a second tubular motor  14  provided with a cable pulley  16  on its outgoing shaft  15  protruding from the top end of the pipe  6  concerned.  
         [0022]    The body of the second tubular motor  14  is fixed in the upper pipe  6  in an analogous manner as the first tubular motor  9  by means of a similar locking pin  10  provided through passages in two opposite walls,  17  and  18  respectively, of the upper pipe  6 .  
         [0023]    At the top end of the upper pipe  6  is provided a slantingly directed plate  19  on the aforesaid wall  17  which is for example welded onto the aforesaid wall  17  with one edge and which is provided with a horizontal bush  20  fixed to the plate  19 , for example by means of welding, at its free edge opposite to the aforesaid welded edge.  
         [0024]    In the given example, the aforesaid arm  2  consists of a U-shaped strut  21  with a back wall  22  and two parallel side walls  23  which have been extended over a certain distance on both their far ends.  
         [0025]    On the extended parts of the side walls  23  are provided ears, two ears  24  respectively on one far end of the arm  2  and two ears  25  on the other far end of the arm  2 , with opposite passages,  26  and  27  respectively.  
         [0026]    The above-mentioned arm  2  is fixed to the support  1  with one far end by means of a hinge pin  28 , which is provided through the aforesaid passages  26  in the ears  24  on the one hand, and through the aforesaid bush  20  of the upper pipe  6  on the other hand, such that the back wall  22  of the arm  2  is directed upward when the arm is provided horizontally.  
         [0027]    Between the fixed part of the support  1  and the arm  2  has been provided a bar  29  which is hinge-mounted at one far end between two ears  31  on the wall  11  of the lower pipe  4  by means of a shaft  30 , and which protrudes through a groove  32  in the back wall  22  of the arm  2  with its other far end, and which is hinge-mounted with this far end to a shaft  33  provided between two ears  34  on the back wall  22  of the arm  2 .  
         [0028]    Between the ears  25  at the free end of the arm  2  has been provided an upward directed cylindrical shaft  35  which is part of the aforesaid shade  3  and which is hinge-mounted to, the arm  2  by means of a shaft  36  provided through the passages  27  in the above-mentioned ears  25  and through a radial bore hole  37  in the bush  35 .  
         [0029]    On the above-mentioned shaft  36  is provided a cable guide in the shape of a cable wheel  38  or the like.  
         [0030]    At the height of the shaft  37 , in the wall of the aforesaid bush  35 , is provided an opening  39  directed towards the support.  
         [0031]    The bush  35  is connected to the moving part of the support  1  by means of a bar  40 , whereby this bar  40  is hinge-mounted on a shaft  41  on one far end which is fixed between two ears  42  situated on the lower side of the above-mentioned plate  19  of the moving part of the support  1 , whereas the other far end of the bar  40  is hinge-mounted to a shaft  43  which is supported by two ears  44  on the bush  35 .  
         [0032]    The bar  40  has been provided between the side walls  23  of the arm  2  in a concealed manner.  
         [0033]    The spokes  45  of the shade  3  are hinge-mounted to the bush  35  with one far end  46  in the known manner, and they are hinge-mounted to the ribs  48  of the shade  3  with their other far end  47 , which are themselves hinge-mounted with one far end  49  to a flange  50  which is provided with a short bar  51  at the top end which is coaxially provided in relation to the above-mentioned bush  35  of the shade  3  and which is provided with a conical part  52  at its lower end, onto which is fixed a cable  53 , a rope or the like.  
         [0034]    The cable  53  is guided over the above-mentioned cable wheel  38  and through the opening  39  into the bush  35 , and it is wound with one part on the above-mentioned cable pulley  16  of the upper tubular motor  14 .  
         [0035]    The cloth  54  of the shade  3  is represented as a dashed line in the figures, and it is fixed to the ribs  48  in the known manner.  
         [0036]    The working and use of the device according to the invention is very simple and as follows.  
         [0037]    [0037]FIGS. 1 and 3 represent the device as folded, whereby the telescopic support  1  is extended, the arm  2  on the support  1  is rotated down up against the support  1 , and the shade  3  is folded up against the arm  2 .  
         [0038]    In order to unfold the arm  2 , the lower tubular motor  9  is excited, for example by operating a non-represented push button which closes an electric circuit in which the tubular motor  9  is inserted.  
         [0039]    Thanks to the cooperation of the screw thread on the shaft  13  of the motor  9  and the screw thread in the cross wall  7  of the upper pipe  4 , the moving part of the telescopic support  1  is pushed in, as a result of which the bar  29 , which connects the arm  2  to the lower pipe  4  of the support  1 , pushes the arm  2  up and makes it tilt into the horizontal position of FIG. 4.  
         [0040]    As the bush  35  of the shade  3  is connected to the support  1  by means of the bar  40 , said bush  35  is rotated in relation to the arm  2  simultaneously with the rotational movement of the arm  2 .  
         [0041]    The length of the bar  40  is selected such that the centre distance A between the hinge pins  41  and  43  of this bar  40  is equal to the centre distance B between the hinge pin  28  of the arm  2  and the hinge pin  36  of the bush  35 , while the position of the ears  44  on the bush  35  is selected such that the centre distance C between the hinge pins  36  and  43  at one far end of the arm  2  is equal to the centre distance D between the hinge pins  28  and  41  on the other far end of the arm  2 , which comes down to it that the above-mentioned hinge pins  28 - 36 - 41 - 43  are always situated at the angular points of an imaginary parallelogram represented in FIG. 7 by means of a dashed line.  
         [0042]    It is clear that, as a result, the connecting line between the shafts  36  and  43  of the bush  35  always remains parallel to the connecting line between the shafts  28  and  41  on the support  1  and that, consequently, the bush  35  of the shade  3 , and thus also the shade  3  itself, always remains parallel to itself in an upward directed position.  
         [0043]    Starting from the situation in FIG. 4, the upper tubular motor  14  is then activated by operating a non-represented push button which closes an electric circuit in which the tubular motor  14  is inserted.  
         [0044]    As a result, the cable  53  which is fixed to the bar  51  of the shade  3  is wound onto the cable pulley  16 , as a result of which this bar  51  is pulled down and the ribs  48 , as a result thereof, are pushed away from each other until, as represented in FIGS. 2 and 5, the shade  3  is entirely unfolded and the conical part  52  of the bar  51  rests on the bush  35 .  
         [0045]    Summing up, it may be stated that the device comprises means for unfolding the arm  2  in the shape of a telescopic support  1  and of a bar connection  29 ; means to rotate the shade  3  in relation to the arm  2  when the arm  2  is rotated, whereby these means are formed of the above-mentioned bar connection  40 ; and finally means for opening and closing the shade  3 , whereby these means consist of the motor  14  and the cable connection  53 .  
         [0046]    Starting from the unfolded position in FIGS. 2 and 5, the shade  3  can be folded again just as simply by successively activating, in reverse order, the upper tubular motor  14  and then the lower tubular motor  9  in the opposite sense as described above, whereby the shade  3 , due to the weight of the cloth  54 , will be automatically folded.  
         [0047]    If required, springs or the like can be provided between for example the spokes  45  and the ribs  48  which are tightened when the shade  3  is unfolded and which, when the cable  53  is veered, automatically close the shade  3  again.  
         [0048]    It is clear that both drives must not necessarily be operated separately, but that it is also possible to open or close the shade  3  simultaneously with the opening or closing of the arm  2 , either or not with a certain delay.  
         [0049]    It is clear that the above-mentioned drive of the arm  2  can also be embodied in another manner than by a motor with threaded shaft as described above.  
         [0050]    Thus, for example, use can be made of any drive whatsoever provided between the fixed part and the moving part of the support, either internally or externally, whereby this drive can be any linear motor whatsoever or can for example also have the shape of a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder or the like.  
         [0051]    [0051]FIG. 9 represents a variant of a device according to the invention, whereby two shades  3  are applied in this case, each on a separate arm  2 , but whereby both these arms are provided on a common telescopic support  1  and whereby the cables  53  of these shades  3  are wound on two separate cable pulleys  16  which are fixed together on the outgoing shaft  15  of a common tubular motor  14 .  
         [0052]    The working of this device is entirely analogous to the above-described embodiment, with this difference that both arms  2  and both shades  3  are unfolded simultaneously and synchronously.  
         [0053]    Of course, it is also possible to apply more than two shades  3  to a common support  1 .  
         [0054]    Although in the figures, the support  1  with its base plate  5  is fixed on the ground, it is not excluded for the fixed part of the support  1  to be fixed against a wall or the like, in this case without a base plate  5 .  
         [0055]    It is clear that the bar  51  on the flange  50  of the shade  3  can be left out if necessary, whereby the cable  53  can be fixed directly to the flange  50  in this case.  
         [0056]    The invention is by no means limited to the above-described embodiments given as an example and represented in the accompanying drawings; on the contrary, such a device according to the invention can be made in all sorts of shapes and dimensions while still remaining within the scope of the invention.