US 4,966,179 A · Emergency umbrella

Abstract

An umbrella includes a hollow tubular handle, a hub slidably contained in the handle between an upper extended position and a lower stored position; a spider hinge mounted on the hub and including radially extending spider arms; a plurality of flexible struts, each having a fixed end and a free end, with each strut having a width which tapers from the fixed end to the fre end and with the fixed end being secured on each spider arm; a retainer bushing and plug which fixedly secures the spider hinge onto the hub; each strut further having a block thereon with an outwardly radially extending opening; a cord extending peripherally about the umbrella and connected within the openings of the blocks and thereby to the struts for applying a pre-loading tensioning force to the struts so as to bend the struts into a bowed configuration; and a one-piece web of flexible, water-resistant material connected to the ends of the tensioned struts.

Claims22

Dependent claims

An umbrella comprising:

a hollow tubular handle;
a hub slidably containe in said handle between an upper extended position and a lower stored position;
a plurality of flexible struts, each having a fixed end and a free end, each strut having first dimensions at said fixed end and second dimensions at said free end which are less than said first dimensions;
locking means for rigidly and fixedly securing said fixed end of said strut to said hub in a non-pivotal manner;
cord means extending peripherally about said umbrella and connected to said struts for applying a tensioning force to said strut so as to bend said struts with said struts bending to a greater extent at said free ends;
cord attaching means connected on the free end of each strut for securing said cord means thereto;
and
a web of flexible, water-resistant material connected to said tensioned struts.

5 more elements

An umbrella comprising

a hollow tubular handle;
a hub slidably contained in said handle between an upper extended position and a lower stored position;
said hub including an inverted cup-like section slidable within said hollow tubular handle and a strut locking section mounted on said inverted cuplike section, said strut locking section including a second inverted cup-like section having smaller dimensions than said first cup-like section and mounted centrally to an upper end of said first cup-like section, said second cup-like section including a central opening;
a plurality of flexible struts, each having a fixed end and a free end, each strut having first dimensions at said fixed end and second dimensions at said free end which are less than said first dimensions;
locking means for fixedly securing said fixed ends of said struts to said hub;
locking means further including finger means mounted in a circumferential configuration on top of said second cup-like section;
cord means extending peripherally about said umbrella and connected to said struts for applying a tensioning force to said struts so as to bend said struts with said struts bending to a greater extent at said free ends;
cord attaching means on the free end of each strut for securing said cord means thereto;
and
a web of flexible, water-resistant material connected to said tensioned struts.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Emergency umbrella

Life of this patent

Emergency umbrella

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22