Telescopic sunshade
OwnerBenson Tunginventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A telescopic sunshade includes an outer tube having upper and lower positioning holes. An inner tube is slideably received in the outer tube and includes an upper end beyond the outer tube. Ribs are pivotably mounted to a hub fixed to the inner tube. Stretchers are pivotably mounted between the ribs and the outer tube. The sunshade is in a folded state when the inner tube is in an upper position. The sunshade is in an unfolded position when the inner tube is in a lower position. The protruded length of the inner tube in the upper position is larger than that in the lower position. A sleeve is slideably mounted around the outer tube and engaged with the inner tube to move therewith. A positioning button is engaged in the upper or lower positioning hole to retain the sunshade in the folded or unfolded state.
Claims8
A telescopic sunshade comprising, in combination:
- an outer tube including a first end and a second end spaced from and below the first end along a first axis perpendicular to a surface, with the outer tube adapted to be placed on the surface, with a first longitudinal hole extending from the first end through the second end of the outer tube along the first axis, with the outer tube further including an outer periphery extending between the first and second ends of the outer tube, with a restraining slot extending from the outer periphery of the outer tube through the first longitudinal hole in a radial direction perpendicular to the first axis, with the restraining slot including a first end and a second end spaced from and below the first end of the restraining slot along the first axis, with upper and lower positioning holes extending from the outer periphery of the outer periphery of the outer tube in the radial direction and spaced from the restraining slot by an angle in a circumferential direction about the first axis;
- an inner tube slideably received in the first longitudinal hole of the outer tube between upper and lower positions spaced along the first axis, with the inner tube including upper and lower ends spaced along the first axis and an outer periphery extending between the upper and lower ends of the inner tube, with a second longitudinal hole extending from the upper end through the lower end of the inner tube along the first axis, with a through-hole extending from the outer periphery at the lower end of the inner tube through the second longitudinal hole in the radial direction perpendicular the first axis, with the upper end of the inner tube protruding upward beyond and having a spacing to the first end of the outer tube along the first axis when the inner tube is in either of the upper and lower positions, with the lower end of the inner tube being located in the outer tube when the inner tube is in either of the upper and lower positions, with the spacing between the first end of the outer tube and the upper end of the inner tube in the upper position being longer than that between the first end of the outer tube and the upper end of the outer tube in the lower position;
- a positioning button slideably received in the through-hole of the inner tube between a retracted position received in one of the upper and lower positioning holes and a protruded position partially extending outside of one of the upper and lower positioning holes, with the positioning button being biased from the retracted position to the protruded position, with the positioning button aligned with the upper positioning hole when the inner tube is in the upper position, with the positioning button aligned with the lower positioning hole when the inner tube is in the lower position;
- a hub fixed to the upper end of the inner tube to move therewith;
- a plurality of ribs each having an end pivotably connected to the hub;
- a runner slideably mounted to the outer tube along the first axis, with the runner located above the restraining slot along the first axis;
- a plurality of stretchers each including a first end pivotably connected to the runner and a second end pivotably connected to one of the plurality of ribs;
- a sleeve slideably mounted around the outer tube along the first axis, with the sleeve including top and bottom ends spaced along the first axis and an outer periphery extending between the top and bottom ends of the sleeve, with a central hole extending from the top end through the bottom end of the sleeve along the first axis, with an opening extending through the outer periphery of the sleeve to the central hole in the radial direction perpendicular to the first axis, with a first radial hole extending from the outer periphery of the sleeve through the central hole in the radial direction perpendicular to the first axis and spaced from the opening in the circumferential direction, with the first radial hole aligned with the restraining slot and within an extent of a length of the restraining slot along the first axis, with the positioning button located within an extent of the opening;
- and
- a follower extending through the first radial hole of the sleeve and the restraining slot of the outer tube and engaged with the inner tube, allowing joint sliding movement of the sleeve and the inner tube along the first axis restrained by the extent of the length of restraining slot,
- wherein when the inner tube is in the upper position, the telescopic sunshade is in a folded state, the positioning button is engaged in the upper positioning hole when the positioning button is in the protruded position, the positioning button is movable to the retracted position to disengage from the upper positioning hole to allow the inner tube to move from the upper position to the lower position together with the hub and the plurality of ribs,
- wherein when the inner tube is in the lower position, the telescopic sunshade is supported in an unfolded state by the plurality of ribs and the plurality of stretchers, the positioning button is engaged in the lower positioning hole when the positioning button is in the protruded position, the positioning button is movable to the retracted position to disengage from the lower positioning hole to allow the inner tube to move from the lower position to the upper position together with the hub and the plurality of ribs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.