Patent ID: 7178535

Claim:
An umbrella comprising: an elongated ridge pole having a top and bottom end; a rib hub fixed to the top end and a spreader hub slidably engaged to the ridge pole between the top and bottom end; the rib hub and spreader hub each comprising: a plurality of spherical joint knuckles, each having an open receptacle; a flange and a face plate having respective mating faces, both faces having spherically shaped depressions; the flange and face plate co-joined such that the depressions of each face mate with respective depressions on the other face and rotatably retain therein the joint knuckles; the flange and face plate each further having an outer perimeter and a plurality of slots, each slot extending radially inward from the perimeter to an associated knuckle; a plurality of elongated ribs, each having an end, the rib end secured within a respective rib hub knuckle receptacle, each rib extending outward through the associated slot; a plurality of elongated spreaders, each having a first and second spreader end, the first spreader end secured within a respective spreader hub knuckle receptacle, each spreader extending outward through the associated slot, the second end of each spreader pivotably secured to a respective rib; and a flexible cover attached to the ribs.