Umbrella assembly having a modularized drive module
AssigneeMaxton Engineering Ltd.
InventorShou Qiang Zhu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An umbrella assembly with a drive module assembly that comprises a plurality of modularized units, including a separate power supply unit and a separate drive unit. The modularized units are removably/detachably attached in a stacked structure of the overall drive module using quick connect couplings. The interfacing top and bottom sides of the adjacent modularized units are provided with complementary electrical connection terminals. The drive module is structurally and operatively coupled to the frame structure of the canopy of the umbrella assembly to operate to open/extend or close/collapse the canopy between an opened configuration and a closed configuration, by varying the distance between the upper hub and the lower hub of the frame structure.
Claims19
A motorized umbrella assembly, comprising:
- a support structure;
- a canopy comprising:
- a frame structure supported by the support structure, and
- a flexible canopy material supported on the frame structure;
- and
- a centralized drive module comprising a plurality of modularized units each having a separate housing configured to be removably/detachably stacked into a stacked structure of the overall drive module, wherein the housings of adjacent modularized units in the stack structure are removably/detachably attached to one another with a bottom side of one modularized unit removably/detachably attached to a top side of another modularized unit in the stacked structure, thereby one or more modularized units may be optionally omitted from or added to the stacked structure to form the overall drive module, and wherein the drive module is structurally and operatively coupled to the frame structure to operate to open/extend or close/collapse the canopy between an opened configuration and a closed configuration,
- wherein the modularized units of the drive module comprise:
- a modularized drive unit comprising a drive motor and associated drive transmissions;
- and
- a modularized power supply unit removably/detachably attached to the drive unit,
- wherein the power supply unit supplies electrical power to the drive module.
A motorized umbrella assembly, comprising:
- a support structure;
- a canopy comprising:
- a frame structure supported by the support structure, and
- a flexible canopy material supported on the frame structure;
- and
- a centralized drive module comprising a plurality of modularized units each having a separate housing configured to be removably/detachably stacked into a stacked structure of the overall drive module, wherein the housings of adjacent modularized units in the stack structure are removably/detachably attached to one another with a bottom side of one modularized unit removably/detachably attached to a top side of another modularized unit in the stacked structure, thereby one or more modularized units may be optionally omitted from or added to the stacked structure to form the overall drive module, and wherein the drive module is structurally and operatively coupled to the frame structure to operate to open/extend or close/collapse the canopy between an opened configuration and a closed configuration,
- wherein the modularized units further comprise a modularized solar panel unit removably/detachably attached to the top side of the sensor unit or the power supply unit, wherein the solar panel unit includes a solar panel and a casing that has a bottom side provided with quick connect features to the adjacent modularized unit.
A modularized drive assembly for an umbrella assembly, comprising:
- a plurality of modularized units, each having a separate housing configured to be removably/detachably stacked into a stacked structure of the overall drive assembly, wherein the housings of adjacent modularized units in the stack structure are removably/detachably attached to one another with a bottom side of one modularized unit removably/detachably attached to a top side of another modularized unit in the stacked structure, thereby one or more modularized units may be optionally omitted from or added to the stacked structure to form the overall drive assembly,
- wherein the plurality of modularized units includes:
- a drive unit which comprises a drive motor and associated drive transmissions;
- and
- a power supply unit removably/detachably attached to drive unit wherein the power supply unit supplies electrical power to the drive module, and wherein the drive unit is structurally and operatively coupled to a frame structure of a canopy of the umbrella assembly to operate to open/extend or close/collapse the canopy between an opened configuration and a closed configuration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.