Patent ID: 7401616

Claim:
An umbrella comprising: an elongated stem elongated along a longitudinal axis, and including an outer tubular segment which has an upper annular end, and an inner tubular segment which is telescopically fitted in said outer tubular segment and which has an upper end portion that is distal from said outer tubular segment such that said upper annular end is movable relative to said inner tubular segment along the longitudinal axis between a retracted position and an extended position where said upper annular end is close to and remote from said upper end portion, respectively; a top hub having a hub surrounding wall including an upper hub portion which surrounds and which is secured to said upper end portion of said inner tubular segment, and a middle hub portion which extends from said upper hub portion downwardly and which is spaced apart from said inner tubular segment in radial directions relative to the longitudinal direction to define an upper annular space therebetween; a tubular runner having a runner surrounding wall that surrounds and that is slidable relative to said stem between upper and lower positions, which are respectively proximate to and distal from said top hub, said runner surrounding wall being configured to be spaced apart from said inner tubular segment in the radial directions so as to define a lower annular space therebetween; a canopy and rib assembly mounted pivotally on said top hub, and coupled to and moved with said runner between spread-out and collapsed positions, which correspond to the upper and lower positions, respectively; a tubular spacer slidably sleeved on said inner tubular segment, and configured such that said tubular spacer is insertable into said lower annular space when said runner is displaced to the upper position so as to minimize the dimension of said lower annular space, thereby preventing wobbling movement of said runner relative to said stem, and such that said tubular spacer is movable by said upper annular end to be thereby withdrawn into said upper annular space when said upper annular end is displaced to the retracted position; and a biasing member disposed to bias said tubular spacer into said lower annular space.