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US 10,743,627 B2Granted
Umbrella having an anti-inversion mechanism
AssigneeShedrain Corporation
InventorsDavid Haythornthwaite, Andrew Haythornthwaite
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An umbrella has a plurality of ribs attached to a runner by main struts. The umbrella has an anti-inversion mechanism formed of a plurality of anti-inversion struts. Each anti-inversion strut is pivotally coupled to one respective main strut and is pivotally connected to a floating joint member that is freely movable along a length of one respective rib. The anti-inversion mechanism also includes a stop that is fixedly attached to the rib and restricts the degree of travel of the floating joint member along the rib and is positioned to prevent the respective rib from inverting in response to an applied force.
Claims17
An umbrella comprising:
- an elongated shaft having a first end and an opposite second end;
- a runner slidably disposed about the elongated shaft and movable along a length of the shaft;
- and
- a plurality of ribs that are attached to the runner by a plurality of main struts that move between open and closed positions in which in the open position, the ribs are in an open, extended position and in the closed position, the ribs are in a closed, collapsed position;
- an anti-inversion mechanism comprising a plurality of anti-inversion struts, wherein each anti-inversion strut is pivotally coupled to one respective main strut and is also pivotally connected to one respective;
- wherein the anti-inversion strut has a first end portion including a U-shaped first section defined by a first floor and a pair first side walls, wherein the U-shaped first section is open only in a first direction, and a second end portion including a U-shaped second section defined by a second floor and a pair of second side walls, wherein the U-shaped second section is open only in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction;
- wherein in the closed position of the umbrella, one of the plurality of ribs nests with the first end portion and one of the plurality of main struts nests with the second end portion to form a nested arrangement which increases the compactness of the umbrella.
4 more elements
An umbrella comprising:
- an elongated shaft having a first end and an opposite second end;
- a runner slidably disposed about the elongated shaft and movable along a length of the shaft;
- and
- a plurality of ribs that are attached to the runner by a plurality of main struts that move between open and closed positions in which in the open position, the ribs are in an open, extended position and in the closed position, the ribs are in a closed, collapsed position;
- an anti-inversion mechanism comprising a plurality of anti-inversion struts, wherein each anti-inversion strut is pivotally coupled to one respective main strut and is also pivotally connected the rib;
- wherein the anti-inversion strut has a first end portion and a second end portion;
- wherein in the closed position of the umbrella, one of the plurality of ribs nests with the first end portion and one of the plurality of main struts nests with the second end portion to form a nested arrangement which increases the compactness of the umbrella;
- wherein the main strut is pivotally connected to the rib with a strut to rib joint that acts as a double joint in that the strut to rib joint joins the main strut to the rib and also joins the main strut to the anti-inversion strut.
5 more elements
An umbrella comprising:
- an elongated shaft having a first end and an opposite second end;
- a runner slidably disposed about the elongated shaft and movable along a length of the shaft;
- and
- a plurality of ribs that are attached to the runner by a plurality of main struts that move between open and closed positions in which in the open position, the ribs are in an open, extended position and in the closed position, the ribs are in a closed, collapsed position;
- an anti-inversion mechanism comprising a plurality of anti-inversion struts, wherein each anti-inversion strut is pivotally coupled to one respective main strut and is also pivotally connected the rib;
- wherein the anti-inversion strut has a first end portion and a second end portion;
- wherein in the closed position of the umbrella, one of the plurality of ribs nests with the first end portion and one of the plurality of main struts nests with the second end portion to form a nested arrangement which increases the compactness of the umbrella;
- wherein a distal end of the main strut includes a distal end joint that has a female portion that mates with a fixed male joint on the rib and a male portion that mates with a female end joint that is part of the anti-inversion strut.
5 more elements
An anti-inversion strut for use with an anti-inversion mechanism of an umbrella comprising:
- a strut body having a first face, an opposing second face, a first end portion and a second end portion, wherein the first end portion has a first trough formed along the first face and second end portion has a convex surface formed along the first face and the second end portion has a second trough formed along the second face and the first end portion has a convex surface formed along the second face;
- wherein the first end portion has a first slot formed within the first trough and open at a first end of the strut body and the second end portion has a second slot formed within the second trough and open at a second end of the strut body;
- wherein the first end portion and the second end portion have the same widths.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.