Luminous umbrella

A luminous umbrella for illuminating a space proximate to the luminous umbrella, comprising

• (a) a shaft;
• (b) a canopy openable and collapsible by the user respectively to an open position and a collapsed position and mounted on the distal end of the shaft for sheltering the user when the canopy is open, the canopy having a highly reflective concave undersurface extending when open to an outer periphery to define a generally circular concavity underneath the canopy;
• (c) a handle mounted on the proximal end of the shaft;
• (d) a light fixture within the concavity defined by the undersurface of the canopy when the canopy is opened, comprising a bulb housing mounted on the shaft within the concavity, a bulb fixture mounted to the bulb housing, said bulb fixture for removably receiving a bulb for providing a light source;
• the bulb fixture being retractable into the bulb housing in order to protect the bulb during non-use, and being extendible out of the bulb housing during use to enhance illumination;
• the bulb facing the undersurface of the open canopy when the bulb fixture is extended, such that when operational, most of the light from the bulb is directed towards the ground when the open umbrella is vertically oriented, either directly, or by reflection from the undersurface of the open canopy;
• (e) a power connection means for connection to a replaceable power source for powering the light source to permit the light source to operate while the umbrella is carried by a user;
• and
• (f) a light switch electrically connected between the light source and the power source for turning the light source on and off.