U.S. patent application number 09/747985 was filed with the patent office on 2002-06-27 for umbrella cover for wind-stable umbrella.
Invention is credited to Tsun, Zong Wu.
Application Number | 20020078986 09/747985 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25007500 |
Filed Date | 2002-06-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020078986 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Tsun, Zong Wu |
June 27, 2002 |
Umbrella cover for wind-stable umbrella
Abstract
An umbrella cover for a wind-stable umbrella is provided. The
umbrella cover includes a main cover provided at a central area
with at least one opening and a compensating cover adapted to
loosely close the at least one opening on the main cover for a wind
passage to exist between the main and the compensating covers. The
at least one opening is provided at an outer edge with flaps. Free
ends of these flaps upward and radially outward extend, allowing
the flaps to function like a one-way valve. When a wind blows into
the umbrella and moves upward to pass the at least one opening of
the main cover, the flaps can be flattened by the wind for the wind
to pass the wind passage and move out of the umbrella, protecting
the umbrella against an overstrong wind pressure. When a wet wind
sideward blows against the umbrella, free ends of the flaps are
blown open to block the wind passage, stopping wind and rain from
invading the umbrella via the at least one opening. And, when the
umbrella is collapsed, free ends of the flaps fall open to catch
rainwater flowing downward along the main cover, protecting
components of the umbrella from rusting due to rainwater.
Inventors: |
Tsun, Zong Wu; (Taipei,
TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Zong Wu Tsun
PO Box 82-144
Taipei
TW
|
Family ID: |
25007500 |
Appl. No.: |
09/747985 |
Filed: |
December 27, 2000 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
135/33.7 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45B 25/22 20130101;
A45B 2025/186 20130101; A45B 19/10 20130101; A45B 25/20
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
135/33.7 |
International
Class: |
A45B 025/20 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An umbrella cover for wind-stable umbrella, said umbrella
including a shaft, an upper hub fixedly mounted to an upper end of
said shaft, a lower hub upward and downward movably mounted around
said shaft, a skeleton including a plurality of ribs and stretchers
pivotally connected to said upper and said lower hubs, and an
umbrella cover tacked to a top of said skeleton, said umbrella
cover for wind-stable umbrella comprising a main cover and a
compensating cover, said main cover being provided at a central
area with at least one opening, such that said main cover covers a
peripheral area above said skeleton when said main cover is tacked
to a top of said skeleton; said compensating cover being tacked to
said skeleton to loosely close said at least one central opening of
said main cover, such that a wind passage exists between said main
and said compensating covers; said umbrella cover being
characterized in that said main cover includes a plurality of flaps
connected at an end to an outer edge of said at least one central
opening, such that a free end of each of said flaps upward and
radially outward extends over said main cover, said flaps being
normally in a loosely outward stretched state and being flattened
against said main cover by wind flowing in a direction in which
said free ends of said flaps extend, said flaps functioning like a
one-way valve allowing wind to blow through said flaps and
accordingly said wind passage in only one direction from an inner
side to outer side of said umbrella but stopping wind and rain from
invading said umbrella via said wind passage from outer side to
inner side of said flaps.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to an umbrella cover, and more
particularly to an umbrella cover that effectively protects the
umbrella against an overstrong pressure when a strong wind blows
into the umbrella, and stops rainwater from entering an umbrella no
matter the umbrella is in a stretched or collapsed state.
[0002] As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, an umbrella typically includes
a shaft 1, an upper hub 2, a lower hub 3 upward and downward
movable along the shaft 1, a skeleton 4 including a plurality of
ribs and stretchers pivotally connected to the upper and the lower
hubs 2 and 3, and an umbrella cover 5 connected to and covering a
top of the skeleton 4.
[0003] For a wind-stable umbrella, that is, an umbrella that is
structurally not easily deformed or broken due to a strong wind,
the umbrella cover 5 usually includes a main cover 51 and a
compensating cover 52. The main umbrella cover 51 is tacked to the
skeleton 4 to cover the whole top of the skeleton 4. However, there
are openings 53 provided on the main cover 51 near a top central
area thereof, as shown in FIG. 1. The compensating cover 52 is
tacked to the skeleton 4 to overlap the top central area of the
main cover 51 and thereby loosely covers the openings 53 with a
wind passage 54 left between the main and the compensating covers
51 and 52.
[0004] When the umbrella is declined by a strong wind and the wind
blows from an underside or inner side of the umbrella toward a top
of the umbrella, the wind could pass the openings 53 on the main
cover 51 and moves out of the umbrella via the wind passage 54
between the main and the compensating covers 51, 52. With the
openings 53 and the wind passage 54, the skeleton 4 is protected
from upward turning, deforming or breaking due to an overstrong
wind pressure against the umbrella cover 5.
[0005] On the other hand, rainwater 6 tends to invade the umbrella
via the wind passage 54 and the openings 53 when a strong wet wind
sideward blows against the umbrella, as shown in FIG. 2.
[0006] Moreover, when the umbrella is collapsed, as shown in FIG.
3, rainwater 6 attached to the main cover 51 naturally drips
downward along the main cover 51 to pass the wind passage 54 and
enter the umbrella via the openings 53. Rainwater 6 entered the
umbrella tends to wet and rust the skeleton 4, the upper hub 2 and
the shaft 1, and thereby shortens the usable life of the
umbrella.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to
provide an improved structure for the umbrella cover of the
wind-stable umbrella to eliminate drawbacks existing in the
conventional wind-stable umbrella.
[0008] The umbrella cover for a wind-stable umbrella according to
the present invention mainly includes a main cover provided at a
central area with at least one opening and a compensating cover
adapted to loosely close the at least one opening on the main cover
for a wind passage to exist between the main and the compensating
cover. The at least one opening is provided at an outer edge with
flaps. Free ends of these flaps upward and radially outward extend,
allowing the flaps to function like a one-way valve. When a wind
blows into the umbrella and moves upward to pass the at least one
opening of the main cover, the flaps can be flattened by the wind
for the wind to pass the wind passage and move out of the umbrella,
protecting the umbrella against an overstrong wind pressure. When a
wet wind sideward blows against the umbrella, free ends of the
flaps are blown open to block the wind passage, stopping wind and
rain from invading the umbrella via the at least one opening. And,
when the umbrella is collapsed, free ends of the flaps fall open to
catch rainwater flowing downward along the main cover, protecting
components of the umbrella from rusting due to rainwater.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The structure and the technical means adopted by the present
invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best
understood by referring to the following detailed description of
the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings,
wherein
[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective top view of a conventional
wind-stable umbrella in a fully stretched state;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a sectioned side view of the wind-stable umbrella
of FIG. 1, showing the umbrella is invaded by rainwater when it is
in use;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a partially sectioned view of the wind-stable
umbrella of FIG. 1 in a collapsed state, showing rainwater attached
to the umbrella cover enters the umbrella via openings and wind
passage thereof;
[0013] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of an umbrella cover
for wind-stable umbrella according to the present invention;
[0014] FIG. 5 is a perspective top view of a wind-stable umbrella
using the umbrella cover of the present invention shown in FIG.
4;
[0015] FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the umbrella of FIG. 5,
showing the wind blown into the umbrella flattens flaps provided on
the umbrella cover to move out of the umbrella;
[0016] FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view of the umbrella of
FIG. 5, showing flaps provided on the umbrella cover stop a
sideward wet wind from invading the umbrella;
[0017] FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the circled area A in FIG.
7;
[0018] FIG. 9 is a partially sectioned side view of the umbrella of
FIG. 5 in a collapsed state, showing the flaps stop rainwater
attached to the umbrella cover from entering the umbrella;
[0019] FIG. 10 is a fragmentary sectional view of a stretched
folding umbrella using the umbrella cover of the present invention;
and
[0020] FIG. 11 is the folding umbrella of FIG. 10 in a collapsed
state.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0021] Please refer to FIGS. 4 to 9. The present invention relates
to an umbrella cover 5 for a wind-stable umbrella that mainly
includes a shaft 1, an upper hub 2 fixedly mounted to an upper end
of the shaft 1, a lower hub 3 upward and downward movably mounted
around the shaft 1, a skeleton 4 including a plurality of ribs and
stretchers pivotally connected to the upper and the lower hubs 2
and 3, and the umbrella cover 5 tacked to a top of the skeleton
4.
[0022] The umbrella cover 5 is formed by a main cover 51 and a
compensating cover 52. The main cover 51 is provided in a central
area with at least one opening 53, such that the main cover 51
covers a peripheral area above the skeleton 4 when the main cover
51 is tacked to the top of the skeleton 4. The compensating cover
52 is tacked to the skeleton 4 to loosely close the at least one
central opening 53 of the main cover 51, such that a wind passage
54 exists between the main and the compensating covers 51 and
52.
[0023] The main cover 51 of the present invention is characterized
in a plurality of flaps 55 connected at one end to an outer edge of
the at least one central opening 53, such that a free end of each
of the flaps 55 upward and radially outward extends over the main
cover 51. The flaps 55 are normally in a loosely outward stretched
state and can be flattened against the main cover 51 by wind
flowing in a direction in which the free ends of the flaps 55
extend. Therefore, the flaps 55 function like a one-way valve
allowing the wind to blow through the wind passage 54 in only one
direction from an inner side to outer side of the umbrella.
[0024] As can be clearly seen from FIG. 6, when a gust of wind
blows upward against an inner side of the umbrella cover 5, the
wind would pass the at least one opening 53 and flattens the flaps
55. The flattened flaps 55 expand the wind passage 54 between the
main and the compensating covers 51 and 52, allowing the wind to
quickly move out of the umbrella via the wind passage 54 and
protecting the skeleton 4 from an overstrong wind pressure that
would otherwise cause outward turned, deformed or broken skeleton
4.
[0025] There is another condition to which the umbrella might be
subjected. That is, a wet wind sideward blows against the umbrella.
As can be seen from FIGS. 7 and 8, when the umbrella cover 5 of the
present invention is subjected to a sideward wet wind, free ends of
the flaps 55 are blown open to close the wind passage 54 between
the main and the compensating covers 51 and 52 to effectively stop
the rainwater 6 from invading the umbrella via the wind passage 54
and the at least one opening 53.
[0026] When the umbrella is collapsed as shown in FIG. 9, free ends
of the flaps 55 naturally fall open to provide a trough 56 that
blocks the wind passage 54 and catches rainwater 6 remaining on and
slowly flowing downward along the main cover 51. That is, the
rainwater 6 remaining on the main cover 51 of the collapsed
umbrella is prevented from entering the umbrella via the at least
one opening 53 while the rainwater 6 remaining on the compensating
cover 52 dripping along the cover 52 to the ground without invading
the umbrella. Therefore, the flaps 55 effectively stop the
rainwater 6 from entering the umbrella to rust the skeleton 4 and
other components and enable the umbrella to have prolonged usable
life.
[0027] FIGS. 4 to 9 illustrate that the umbrella cover 5 of the
present invention is used with general umbrellas having a straight
shaft. However, the umbrella cover 5 of the present invention may
also be used with a folding umbrella, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11,
to achieve the same good effect of protecting an umbrella against
strong wind and rain.
[0028] The present invention has been described with a preferred
embodiment thereof and it is understood that many changes and
modifications in the described embodiment can be carried out
without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention
that is intended to be limited only by the appended claims.
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