Patent ID: 7562666

Claim:
A motorised umbrella comprising: a rod having inner and outer longitudinal ends; a support tube; a threaded shaft supported by journals for rotation relative to the support tube and the rod; a plurality of radially disposed ribs, each rib being pivotally connected at one end to the outer longitudinal end of the rod; a sleeve telescopically received within the support tube, the sleeve being in external sliding relationship with the rod and moveable relative to the rod, between an extended position and a retracted position; a plurality of struts pivotally connected between the sleeve and associated ones of the ribs; a motor drivingly substantially enclosed in the support tube; a threaded nut fixedly connected to the sleeve and engaged with the threaded shaft such that rotation of the shaft moves the sleeve between the extended and retracted positions, the struts causing the ribs to splay outwardly of the rod in response to movement of the sleeve to the extended position, and the struts causing the ribs to collapse inwardly in response to movement of the sleeve to the retracted position; a driving bevel gear mounted coaxially with the threaded shaft; a clutch for transmitting a driving force between the motor and the driving bevel gear, when engaged; a driven bevel gear drivingly engaged with the threaded shaft and coaxial with the driving bevel gear: a crank handle having a drive part; and a pinion transmitting torque between the driving and driven bevel gears and including a socket for releasably receiving the drive part of the crank handle in a complementary fit so that manual rotation of the crank handle turns the pinion and rotates the threaded shaft, after disengaging the clutch so the motor is disconnected from the driving bevel gear.