U.S. patent application number 09/824029 was filed with the patent office on 2002-10-03 for sunshade frame.
Invention is credited to Lee, Chorng-Cheng.
Application Number | 20020139405 09/824029 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25240422 |
Filed Date | 2002-10-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020139405 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lee, Chorng-Cheng |
October 3, 2002 |
Sunshade frame
Abstract
A sunshade frame has an upper support member secured to a top
end of a shank; the ribs of the frame are each pivoted to a
corresponding one of longitudinal trenches of the upper support
member from an inner end. The frame has a lower support member
movably connected to the shank, and spreader rods pivoted to the
lower support member from inner ends; the spreader rods are each
pivoted to a corresponding one of the ribs by means of a pivotal
pin from an outer end with an elastic member disposed in between to
prevent the connection from getting loose in case the pivotal pin
is too long for the width of same. The upper, and the lower support
members have an upper, and a lower confining rim respectively to
prevent the ribs and the spreader rods from pivoting beyond same to
a wrong position.
Inventors: |
Lee, Chorng-Cheng; (Chia Yi,
TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ROSENBERG, KLEIN & LEE
3458 ELLICOTT CENTER DRIVE-SUITE 101
ELLICOTT CITY
MD
21043
US
|
Family ID: |
25240422 |
Appl. No.: |
09/824029 |
Filed: |
April 3, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
135/28 ; 135/32;
135/37 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45B 25/02 20130101;
A45B 25/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
135/28 ; 135/32;
135/37 |
International
Class: |
A45B 025/06 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A sunshade frame, comprising an upper support member secured to
an upper end of a shank; said upper support member having a
plurality of longitudinal receiving trenches spaced apart on an
outer side each receiving a corresponding one of inner ends of ribs
pivoted to a locating member secured to a transverse trench
intersecting with said longitudinal receiving trenches; a plurality
of spreader rods; said spreader rods being each pivoted to a
corresponding one of longitudinal receiving trenches of a lower
support member movably connected to said shank from inner ends of
said spreader rods; said spreader rods being each pivoted to a
corresponding one of said ribs from an outer end; and characterized
by a confining rim on upper ends of said longitudinal trenches of
said upper support member, said confining rim being capable of
preventing said ribs from pivoting up beyond same.
2. The sunshade frame as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lower
support member has a confining rim on lower ends of said
longitudinal receiving trenches thereof, preventing said spreader
rods from pivoting down beyond same.
3. The sunshade frame as claimed in claim 1, wherein said spreader
rods being each pivoted to said corresponding rib by means of a
pivotal pin with an elastic member being disposed between said
spreader rod and said rib.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a sunshade frame, and
particularly to one which can remain in good shape even under
strong winds.
[0002] Referring to FIG. 6, a conventional sunshade frame includes
a shank 10, an upper support member 20, ribs 40, a lower support
member 30 and spreader rods 60.
[0003] The upper support member 20 is secured to a top end of the
shank 10, and has longitudinal receiving trenches 201 spaced apart
on an outer side; a transverse trench 202 is formed, intersecting
with the longitudinal receiving trenches 201, on an intermediate
portion of the outer side. The ribs 40 are each pivoted to a
corresponding one of the receiving trenches 20 from an inner end
portion by means of a locating member 50, which is secured in the
transverse trench 202, and passed through the inner end portions of
the ribs 40.
[0004] The lower support member 30 is movably connected to the
shank 10, and also has longitudinal receiving trenches 301 and a
transverse trench 302 like the upper support member 20. The
spreader rods 60 are pivoted to the receiving trenches 301 from
inner end portion by means of another locating member 50 secured in
the transverse trench 302 and passed through the spreader rod inner
end portion.
[0005] The outer ends of the spreader rods 60 are each pivoted to a
corresponding one of the ribs 40. Thus, the sunshade can be spread
for use by means of moving the lower support member 30 to a
suitable position.
[0006] However, the sunshade with the conventional sunshade frame
is found to have a drawback that the canopy and the ribs 40 can be
easily blown upwards to a wrong position by strong winds, and
consequently the frame would get damaged.
[0007] If the ribs and the spreader rods are made of bamboos, there
will be a difficulty in manufacturing the sunshade frame because
there would be differences between the diameters of the bamboo
stems used as the ribs and the spreader rods, it is impossible to
prepare all pivotal pins for pivoting the spreader rods to the ribs
with a suitable length; consequently, washers have to be disposed
between the ribs and the spreader rods when the pivotal pins are
too long otherwise the connection would be too loose.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] Therefore, it is a main object of the present invention to
provide a sunshade frame which can remain in good shape under
strong winds.
[0009] And, it is another object of the present invention to
provide a sunshade frame which can be manufactured relatively
easily even when the ribs and the spreader rods are made of bamboo
stems.
[0010] The sunshade frame of the present invention includes an
upper support member, a shank, ribs, spreader rods and a lower
support member.
[0011] The upper support member is secured to a top end of the
shank, and has several longitudinal receiving trenches spaced apart
on an outer side each having a corresponding one of the ribs
pivoted thereto. The upper support member further has a confining
rim on upper ends of the longitudinal trenches to prevent the ribs
from pivoting up beyond same to a wrong position.
[0012] The lower support member is movably connected to the shank,
and has a confining rim on a lower side to prevent the spreader
rods pivoted thereto from pivoting down beyond same to a wrong
position. So, the frame can remain in good shape with the confining
rims even in strong winds.
[0013] Furthermore, an elastic member is disposed between each of
the ribs and the corresponding one of the spreader rods in pivotal
connection such that the connection won't get loose in case the pin
provided for the pivotal connection is too long. The manufacture
doesn't have to worry about the length of pin when the ribs and the
spreader rods are made of bamboo stems without uniform width.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] This invention will be better understood by referring to the
accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0015] FIG. 1 is a view of the sunshade frame according to the
present invention.
[0016] FIG. 2 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of the
sunshade frame according to the present invention.
[0017] FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view of the sunshade frame in FIG.
1.
[0018] FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side view of a rib and the
associated spreader rod of the sunshade frame in FIG. 2.
[0019] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the rib and the spreader
rod of FIG. 4.
[0020] FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view of the conventional sunshade
frame in the Background.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0021] Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a sunshade frame of the
present invention includes a shank 1, an upper support member 2, a
lower support member 3, ribs 4, locating members 5 and spreader
rods 6.
[0022] The upper support member 2 is secured to a top end of the
shank 1, and has a confining rim 23 on an upper side. The upper
support member 2 further has longitudinal receiving trenches 21
spaced apart on an outer side under the confining rim 23, and has a
transverse trench 22 formed on an intermediate portion of the outer
side, intersecting with the longitudinal receiving trenches 21.
[0023] The ribs 4 are pivoted to a locating member 5 from inner end
portions; the locating member 5 is passed around, and secured in,
the transverse trench 22 with the inner end portions of the ribs 4
each being movably received in a corresponding one of the
longitudinal receiving trenches 21.
[0024] The lower support member 3 is movably connected to the
shank, and has longitudinal receiving trenches 31 spaced apart on
an outer side, and has a transverse trench 32 intersecting with
intermediate portions of the receiving trenches 31. The lower
support member 3 further has a confining rim 33 formed on lower
ends of the receiving trenches 31.
[0025] The spreader rods 6 are pivoted to a second locating member
5 from inner end portions, and the locating member 5 is passed
around, and secured in, the transverse trench 32 with the spreader
rod inner end portions each being movably received in a
corresponding one of the longitudinal receiving trenches 31. Thus,
the spreader rods 6 can pivot on the lower support member 3 as the
ribs 4 can pivot on the upper support member 2.
[0026] The spreader rods 6 are each pivoted to a corresponding one
of the ribs 4 from an outer end by means of a pivotal pin 7 with an
elastic member 8 being disposed between the spreader rod 6 and the
rib 4 (FIG. 5).
[0027] When the sunshade with the frame is spread for use, the
confining rim 23 of the upper support member 2 will prevent the
ribs 4 from pivoting up beyond a suitable position, and the
spreader rods 6 also can be held in a suitable position by means of
the confining rim 33 of the lower support member 3.
[0028] Moreover, because of the elastic members 8, the manufactures
don't have to worry about the length of the pivotal pins 7, which
might be too long for some of the ribs 4 and the spreader rods 6
when they are made of bamboo stems, for which it is not possible to
have an uniform width, i.e. in case the pivotal pins 7 are too
long, the elastic members 8 disposed between the ribs and the
spreader rods 6 can prevent the connection from getting loose.
[0029] When the ribs 4 and the spreader rods 6 are made of bamboo
stems, two ends of same are provided with plugs to prevent water
from flowing in.
[0030] From the above description, the sunshade frame of the
present invention can be known to have desirable features as
follows:
[0031] 1. The confining rims of the upper and lower support members
2 and 3 can prevent the ribs 4 and the spreader rods 6 from moving
to wrong position to get damaged under strong winds.
[0032] 2. The connection between the ribs and the spreader rods
won't be loose when the pivotal pins connecting same are too
long.
* * * * *