Patent Description:
As a kind of outdoor leisure item, umbrellas are widely applied in squares, beaches, parks, gardens or similar places to shield individuals from sun. The existing umbrella is generally composed of a column, a rod frame and a canopy, characterized in that the rod frame is connected to the top of the column, the column mainly plays a role in supporting the rod frame, and the canopy is connected to the rod frame. When the rod frame is unfolded, the canopy is also unfolded, so that the umbrella is unfolded. The umbrella used outdoor requires a large canopy. At present, most umbrellas are operated manually or unfolded/folded by mechanisms such as motor-driven gears or worm gears.

In the prior art, the manually-operated umbrellas are time-consuming and labor-intensive, and the umbrellas with motor-driven gears or worm gear mechanisms have higher requirements for part machining and are relatively high in cost. The maintenance cost is also high when the umbrellas are damaged. Therefore, it is necessary to design an umbrella which is electrically-operated, easy to operate, low in cost and safer.

After searching, a Chinese Patent <CIT> (patent No: <CIT>) disclosed an electrically-operated umbrella using solar energy, comprising a body composed of a column, rods connected to the handle and a canopy covered on the rods; a folding/unfolding mechanism for controlling the rods to be folded or unfolded is arranged inside the column; a control box is arranged on the top of the column, and a main control board is arranged in the control box. The umbrella further comprises a wind speed detection unit detachably assembled on one side of the control box; and, a detected signal of the wind speed detection unit is transmitted to a control module on the main control board. This umbrella is powered by solar energy and can distinguish, according to the output current of the solar panel, whether it is in daytime or at night so as to unfold the umbrella body in the daytime and fold the umbrella body at night. The fully automatic operation is very convenient, but the cost is high and it is difficult to popularize. Although it is disclosed that the umbrella has a folding/unfolding mechanism, the specific structure of the folding/unfolding mechanism has not been described. Document <CIT> discloses an umbrella according to the preamble of claim <NUM>.

A technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an electrically-operated umbrella which is simple in structure, easy to operate and low in cost.

To solve the above object, the electrically-operated umbrella comprises a column; an upper tray; a lower tray; a plurality of long rods, each having a middle portion and an upper portion, each rotatably connected to the upper tray; a plurality of short rods having two ends; and an electric air pump. One end of each short rod is rotatably connected to the lower tray, the other end of each short rod is rotatably connected to the middle portion or the upper portion of the corresponding long rod. The column comprises an inner tube having a top and a bottom, and an outer tube having a top, a bottom and a lower portion, the outer tube is sleeved around the inner tube, the inner tube is capable of sliding up and down relative to the outer tube in a limited range of motion. A closed air chamber is defined between the bottom of the inner tube and the bottom or the lower portion of the outer tube. The upper tray is connected to the top of the inner tube, the lower tray is connected to the outer tube and sleeved around the outer tube. The electric air pump is disposed inside the inner tube to inflate or deflate the air chamber so as to drive the inner tube to slide up and down, and the upper tray is capable of sliding up and down with the inner tube relative to the outer tube and the lower tray, so as to drive the plurality of long rods and the plurality of short rods to rotate in order to fold or unfold the umbrella.

As an improvement, a piston movable with the inner tube is disposed at the bottom of the inner tube, a tube plug is disposed at the bottom of the outer tube or inside the lower portion of the outer tube, the closed air chamber inside the outer tube is defined between the piston and the tube plug; the electric air pump is located above the piston, the electric air pump has an air nozzle located at the bottom of the electric air pump, the air nozzle extends downward through the piston and communicates with the air chamber; when the umbrella frame is wholly unfolded, the electric air pump exhausts the air inside the air chamber, the piston moves downward with the inner tube relative to the outer tube to resist against the tube plug to maintain the unfolded umbrella frame, and the air chamber is a buffering area for an external force.

As an improvement, the piston is detachably connected to the bottom of the inner tube, and the tube plug is detachably connected to the outer tube.

Preferably, the piston has a vertical through hole at a middle portion of the piston for allowing the air nozzle to pass through, the piston has one or more radial connecting hole on a periphery of the piston, correspondingly, the inner tube has one or more threaded hole, the piston is connected to the inner tube through a bolt passing through the threaded hole and the corresponding connecting hole; the bottom of the piston extends out of the inner tube, and a first sealing ring is disposed between a periphery of the bottom of the piston and an inner wall of the outer tube.

Preferably, the tube plug has one or more radial connecting hole on a periphery of a lower portion of the tube plug, correspondingly, the outer tube has one or more threaded hole; the tube plug is connected to the outer tube through a bolt passing through the threaded hole and the corresponding connecting hole, and a second sealing ring is disposed between a periphery of an upper portion of the tube plug and the inner wall of the outer tube.

Preferably, a power module for supplying power to the electric air pump is disposed on the top of the inner tube at an upper end of the upper tray; the power module comprises a battery and a circuit board; and, the power module is electrically connected to the electric air pump in the inner tube through wires.

Preferably, the battery is a solar rechargeable battery, and the power module is equipped with a solar panel to charge the rechargeable battery.

Preferably, the circuit board may is a wireless control circuit, the umbrella is unfolded or folded by using a wireless device, and the wireless device comprises, but not limited to, a remote controller, a Bluetooth mobile phone, etc..

Finally, the lower tray is detachably connected to the outer tube and sleeved around the outer tube.

Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages. The column is composed of the outer tube and the inner tube, the upper tray is connected to the top of the inner tube , the lower tray is connected to the outer tube and sleeved around the outer tube, and the inner tube is driven by the pneumatic structure to slide up and down relative to the outer tube, so as to drive the upper tray to slide up and down relative to the lower tray and drive the plurality of long rods and the plurality of short rods to rotate in order to fold or unfold the umbrella. Since the closed air chamber inside the outer tube is defined between the piston and the tube plug, when the frame is subjected to an external force, for example, being blown by wind, the air chamber is a buffering area for the external force, thus prolonging the service life of the umbrella. The battery is a rechargeable battery with a solar panel, and the umbrella is controlled and operated by a wireless device, such as a remote controller or a Bluetooth mobile phone. The present invention is simple in structure, easy and quick to operate, free of lots of members, and low in cost. In addition, when the umbrella is in the unfolded state, the air chamber is a buffering area for the wind power. Thus, the service life of the umbrella is prolonged, umbrella becomes safer and more reliable in use, and the user experience is greatly improved, so that the product of the present invention is worth popularizing.

The present invention will be further described below in detail by embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in <FIG>, the electrically-operated umbrella comprises an upper tray <NUM>, a lower tray <NUM>, a plurality of long rods <NUM>, a plurality of short rods <NUM> having two ends, a column <NUM> and an electric air pump <NUM>. Each long rod <NUM> has a middle portion and an upper portion and is rotatably connected to the upper tray <NUM>. One end of each short rod <NUM> is rotatably connected to the lower tray <NUM>, the other end of each short rod <NUM> is rotatably connected to the middle portion or the upper portion of the corresponding long rod <NUM>, forming a umbrella frame. The column <NUM> comprises an inner tube <NUM> having a top and a bottom, and an outer tube <NUM> having a top, a bottom and a lower portion, the outer tube <NUM> is sleeved around the inner tube <NUM>, the inner tube <NUM> is capable of sliding up and down relative to the outer tube <NUM> in a limited range of motion; a closed air chamber A is defined between the bottom of the inner tube <NUM> and the bottom or the lower portion of the outer tube <NUM>. The upper tray <NUM> is fixedly connected to the top of the inner tube <NUM>, the lower tray <NUM> is detachably connected to the outer tube <NUM> and sleeved around the outer tube <NUM>. A electric air pump <NUM> is disposed inside the inner tube <NUM> to inflate or deflate the air chamber A so as to drive the inner tube <NUM> to slide up and down; and the upper tray <NUM> can slide up and down together with the inner tube <NUM> relative to the outer tube <NUM> and the lower tray <NUM>, so as to drive the plurality of long rods <NUM> and the plurality of short rods <NUM> to rotate/move adaptively to perform a fold or unfold of the umbrella.

Specifically, a piston <NUM> movable with the inner tube <NUM> is detachably disposed at the bottom of the inner tube <NUM>, a tube plug <NUM> is detachably disposed at the bottom of the outer tube <NUM> or inside the lower portion of the outer tube <NUM>. The piston <NUM> has a vertical through hole <NUM> at a middle portion of the piston <NUM> for allowing the air nozzle <NUM> to pass through, the piston <NUM> has a plurality of radial connecting holes <NUM> on a periphery of the piston <NUM>, correspondingly, the inner tube <NUM> has a plurality of threaded holes, the piston <NUM> is connected to the inner tube <NUM> through a plurality of bolts <NUM> each passing through the threaded hole and the corresponding connecting hole <NUM>; the bottom of the piston <NUM> extends out of the inner tube <NUM>, and a first sealing ring <NUM> is disposed between a periphery of the bottom of the piston <NUM> and an inner wall of the outer tube <NUM> so as to realize sealing. The tube plug <NUM> has a plurality of radial connecting holes <NUM> on a periphery of a lower portion of the tube plug <NUM>, correspondingly, the outer tube <NUM> has a plurality of threaded holes; the tube plug <NUM> is connected to the outer tube <NUM> through a plurality of bolts <NUM> each passing through the threaded hole and the corresponding connecting hole <NUM>, and a second sealing ring <NUM> is disposed between a periphery of an upper portion of the tube plug <NUM> and the inner wall of the outer tube <NUM> so as to realize sealing. Therefore, the closed air chamber A inside the outer tube <NUM> is defined between the piston <NUM> and the tube plug <NUM>, when the umbrella frame is subjected to an external force, for example, the wind power, the air chamber A can be a buffering area for such an external force. The electric air pump <NUM> is located above the piston <NUM>, the electric air pump <NUM> has an air nozzle <NUM> located at the bottom of the electric air pump <NUM>, the air nozzle <NUM> extends downward through the piston <NUM> and communicates with the air chamber A. The air chamber A is inflated or deflated by the electric air pump <NUM>.

A power module <NUM> for supplying power to the electric air pump <NUM> is disposed on the top of the inner tube <NUM> and the top of the upper tray <NUM>, the power module <NUM> comprises a battery and a circuit board, and the power module <NUM> is electrically connected to the electric air pump <NUM> inside the inner tube <NUM> through wires. The battery is a solar rechargeable battery in this embodiment, and the power module <NUM> has a solar panel <NUM> to charge the rechargeable battery. The circuit board is a wireless control circuit, a wireless device can be used to achieve the folding or the unfolding of the umbrella, and the wireless device comprises, but is not limited to, a remote controller, a Bluetooth mobile phone, etc..

The specific operation will be described below.

Claim 1:
An electrically-operated umbrella, comprising:
a column (<NUM>);
an upper tray (<NUM>);
a lower tray (<NUM>);
a plurality of long rods (<NUM>), each having a middle portion and an upper portion, each rotatably connected to the upper tray;
a plurality of short rods (<NUM>) having two ends; and
an electric air pump (<NUM>); wherein
one end of each short rod is rotatably connected to the lower tray, the other end of each short rod is rotatably connected to the middle portion or the upper portion of the corresponding long rod;
the column comprises an inner tube (<NUM>) having a top and a bottom, and an outer tube (<NUM>) having a top, a bottom and a lower portion, the outer tube is sleeved around the inner tube, the inner tube is capable of sliding up and down relative to the outer tube in a limited range of motion;
a closed air chamber (A) is defined between the bottom of the inner tube and the bottom or the lower portion of the outer tube;
the upper tray is connected to the top of the inner tube, the lower tray is connected to the outer tube and sleeved around the outer tube;
and the upper tray is capable of sliding up and down with the inner tube relative to the outer tube and the lower tray, so as to drive the plurality of long rods and the plurality of short rods to rotate in order to fold or unfold the umbrella, characterized in that the electric air pump is disposed inside the inner tube to inflate or deflate the air chamber so as to drive the inner tube to slide up and down.