U.S. patent application number 11/152179 was filed with the patent office on 2006-12-21 for miniaturized illuminating umbrella grip.
This patent application is currently assigned to Fu Tai Umbrella Works, Ltd.. Invention is credited to Jung-Jen Chang, Chung-Kuang Lin.
Application Number | 20060285313 11/152179 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37573156 |
Filed Date | 2006-12-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060285313 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lin; Chung-Kuang ; et
al. |
December 21, 2006 |
Miniaturized illuminating umbrella grip
Abstract
An illuminating umbrella grip includes: a lamp preferably
selected from LED and mounted in the umbrella grip; and a control
box having batteries stored in the box and separately secured to
the umbrella grip by a string or strap having the electric wires,
as connected between the batteries and the lamp, formed within the
string, whereby upon an on or off operation of the batteries in the
control box, the lamp on the grip will be turned on for
illumination or be turned off.
Inventors: |
Lin; Chung-Kuang; (Taipei
Hsien, TW) ; Chang; Jung-Jen; (Taipei Hsien,
TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
TROXELL LAW OFFICE PLLC;SUITE 1404
5205 LEESBURG PIKE
FALLS CHURCH
VA
22041
US
|
Assignee: |
Fu Tai Umbrella Works, Ltd.
|
Family ID: |
37573156 |
Appl. No.: |
11/152179 |
Filed: |
June 15, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
362/102 ;
362/109 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45B 3/04 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
362/102 ;
362/109 |
International
Class: |
A45B 3/02 20060101
A45B003/02 |
Claims
1. An illuminating umbrella grip comprising: a grip secured to a
central shaft of an umbrella; a lamp mounted in said grip; a
control box separately secured to said grip by a string; and a
power supply including at least a battery stored in said control
box and electrically connected to said lamp in said grip, and
having a switch formed on said control box for switching on or off
the power supply to said lamp.
2. An umbrella grip according to claim 1, wherein said lamp is a
light-emitting diode.
3. A grip according to claim 1, wherein said control box further
includes a loop member secured to said box for carrying or hanging
purpose.
4. A grip according to claim 1, wherein said control box includes a
bottom cover, an upper cover combined with said bottom cover and
confining a battery chamber in between said bottom cover and said
upper cover for storing said battery in said battery chamber, and a
switch formed in said box for switching on or off the power supply
to said lamp.
5. A grip according to claim 4, wherein said battery includes a
positive electrode normally electrically connected to a positive
pole of said lamp through a positive contactor formed on the bottom
cover of said control box and through a positive electric wire
passing through said string between said grip and said control box;
and a negative electrode electrically connected to said negative
pole of said lamp through a negative contactor, which is
resiliently formed in said box and operated by said switch, and
through a negative wire passing through said string; whereby upon
operation of said switch to allow said negative contactor to be
contacted with negative electrode of said battery to close an
electric circuit between said lamp and said battery, said lamp is
powered and switched on for illumination.
6. A grip according to claim 5, wherein said negative contactor
includes a protrusion formed on said negative contactor, and said
switch slidably secured in said box and having a recess recessed in
said switch to be slidably engaged with said protrusion on said
negative contactor.
7. A grip according to claim 5, wherein said switch is slidably
held on said box and having a battery holder formed in said switch
for engaging a battery in said battery holder, whereby upon a
sliding movement of said switch and said battery to contact said
negative contactor, the electric circuit between a lamp and said
battery is closed for illuminating said lamp.
8. A grip according to claim 1, wherein said battery includes a
tension spring retained on a bottom cover of said control box to
normally urge said battery upwardly, a positive contactor formed on
the bottom cover to be electrically connected to a positive pole of
said lamp and normally separated from a positive electrode of the
battery as upwardly urged by said tension spring, a negative
contactor formed on an upper cover of said box and normally
contacting a negative electrode of said battery and electrically
connected to a negative pole of said lamp, a switch formed on the
upper cover and resiliently contacted with said battery as upwardly
urged by said tension spring; whereby upon a downward depression of
said switch to contact the positive electrode of the battery with
the positive contactor, an electric circuit between said lamp and
said battery is closed for illuminating said lamp.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] U.S. Pat. No. 6,752,509 issued to the same inventors of this
application dissiclosed an illuminating umbrella grip having a LED
illuminating unit mounted in a holder formed on the umbrella
grip.
[0002] However, such a prior art has the following drawbacks:
[0003] 1. The umbrella grip should be provided with a cavity (201)
in the grip for mounting the LED illuminating unit (100) in the
cavity, thereby requiring a big volume for accommodating the LED
unit and influencing the miniaturization of an umbrella grip and a
foldable umbrella. [0004] 2. The switch (4) of the illuminating
unit (100) is formed on the bottom of the umbrella grip. It is
therefore difficult to operate the switch whenever using the
umbrella. [0005] 3. It is also difficult to replace the batteries
as stored in the bottom portion of the umbrella grip.
[0006] The present inventor has found the drawbacks of the prior
art and invented the miniaturized illuminating umbrella grip.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide an
illuminating umbrella grip including: a lamp preferably selected
from LED and mounted in the umbrella grip; and a control box having
batteries stored in the box and separately secured to the umbrella
grip by a string or strap having the electric wires, as connected
between the batteries and the lamp, formed within the string,
whereby upon an on or off operation of the batteries in the control
box, the lamp on the grip will be turned on for illumination or be
turned off.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is a sectional drawing of the present invention.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a cross sectional drawing of the present invention
as viewed from 2-2 direction of FIG. 1.
[0010] FIG. 3 is an illustration showing the power connection
system including the lamp, the batteries and the switch of the
present invention.
[0011] FIG. 4 shows an electric circuit of the present
invention.
[0012] FIG. 5 shows the "off" condition of the electric circuit of
the present invention.
[0013] FIG. 6 shows the "on" condition of the present
invention.
[0014] FIG. 7 shows the "on" condition of the present invention
when constantly turning on the lamp.
[0015] FIG. 8 shows another preferred embodiment of the present
invention.
[0016] FIG. 9 shows still another preferred embodiment of the
present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0017] As shown in FIGS. 1.about.7, the present invention
comprises: an umbrella grip 1 secured to a central shaft 1a of an
umbrella (not shown); a lamp 2 preferably selected from a
light-emitting diode (LED) formed in the grip 1; a control box 3
having at least a battery 4 stored in the box 3 and secured to the
grip 1 by a string (or a strap) 5. The battery (or batteries) 4
forms (or form) as a power supply or power source of the lamp
2.
[0018] A loop member 51 may be further provided to be secured to
the control box 3 for carrying or hanging the grip 1.
[0019] The grip 1 is formed with a lamp socket 11 in the grip for
mounting the lamp 2 in the lamp socket 11, and also formed with a
string hole 12 through the grip for passing, the string 5 through
the string hole 12.
[0020] The string 5 has its outer end secured to the control box 3
by an outer adapter 5a, and having an inner end of the string 5
fastened in the grip by an inner adapter 5b.
[0021] The grip 1 further includes a push button 13 slidably
secured in the grip 13 for engaging a runner (not shown) of an
automatic umbrella when folding the umbrella or for disengaging the
runner when opening the umbrella. However, the grip 1 may be
utilized for a non-automatic umbrella, not limited in the present
invention.
[0022] The control box 3 includes a bottom cover 31, an upper cover
32 detachably combined with the bottom cover 31 for confining a
battery chamber 30 in between the bottom cover 31 and the upper
cover 32 for storing a battery or a plurality of batteries 4 in the
battery chamber 30, and a switch 33 slidably held in a switch
socket 34 formed in the two covers 31, 32 of the box 3 for
switching on or off the power supply from the battery 4 to the lamp
2.
[0023] The power supply (or source) 4 may include two batteries
overlapped to be connected in series as shown in FIGS. 1.about.4,
having a positive electrode 41 contacted with a positive contactor
43 which is electrically or constantly connected to a positive pole
of the lamp 2 through a positive electric wire 44, an a negative
electrode 42 of the power supply 4 operatively contacted with a
negative contactor 45 resiliently formed in the box 3, when
depressed by a switch 33 slidably held in the control box 3, with
the negative contactor 45 electrically connected to a negative pole
of the lamp 2 through a negative electric wire 46.
[0024] The negative contactor 45 is normally separated or
disconnected from the negative electrode 42 of the power supply
(batteries) 4 as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 5 by engaging a
protrusion 451 formed on the negative contactor 45 with a recess
331 as recessed in the switch 33 for normally separating the
negative contactor 45 from the negative electrode 42 of the power
supply (batteries) 4 for normally switching off the lamp 2.
[0025] Upon a depression D of the switch 33 to contact the negative
contactor 45 with the negative electrode 42 of the power supply 4
as shown in FIG. 6 and dotted line as shown in FIG. 4, the
contactor 45 will be contacted with the negative electrode 42 to
close the electric circuit, thereby switching on the lamp 2 for
illumination.
[0026] Upon a forward pushing P of the switch 33 as shown in FIG. 7
to disengage the protrusion 451 of the contactor 45 from the recess
331 in the switch 33 to urge the contactor 45 to be forcibly
contacted with the negative electrode 42 of the power supply 4, the
electric circuit of the power supply to the lamp 2 will be
operatively connected to constantly switch on the lamp 2 until
reversely retracting the switch 33 for turning off the lamp.
[0027] The electric wires 44, 46 are jacketed within the string or
strap 5. Or, the wires 44, 46 may be wrapped in a string 5 which is
formed as a flexible hose connected between the control box 3 and
the grip 1. Or, the wires 44, 46, when electrically insulated, may
be directly formed as a string of the present invention.
[0028] The present invention is superior to the prior art with the
following advantages: [0029] 1. The control box 3 for accommodating
the batteries 4 and switch 33 is separated from the grip 1 and no
longer formed in the grip so that the grip 1 may be shortened or
miniaturized adapted for making a mini, slim or shortened
multiple-fold umbrella. [0030] 2. The switch 33 is formed on the
control box 3, not on the grip 1, so that the switch 33 may be
conveniently operated. [0031] 3. The battery 4 may be conveniently
replaced with new one.
[0032] Another preferred embodiment of the present invention is
shown in FIG. 8 by modifying the switch 33 to be a battery holder
engaged with an upper battery to allow its negative electrode 42 to
be slidably moved in the box and contacted with the negative
contactor 45 resiliently formed in the control box 3 (direction P
in FIG. 8) for closing the electric circuit between the power
supply 4 and the lamp 4 for switching on the lamp 2 for
illumination.
[0033] Upon a reverse sliding movement (P1) to disconnect the
negative electrode 42 of the battery from the contactor 45 to open
the electric circuit, the lamp 2 will be switched off.
[0034] Still, another preferred embodiment of the present invention
is shown in FIG. 9.
[0035] The battery (or batteries) of the power supply 4 includes a
tension spring 40 retained on the bottom cover 31 for urging the
battery upwardly to allow the positive electrode 41 to be normally
separated from the positive contactor 43 electrically connected to
the positive pole of the lamp 2, a negative electrode 42 of the
battery 4 constantly contacted with the negative contactor 45.
electrically connected to the negative pole of the lamp 2, and the
switch 33 formed on the upper cover 32 to be normally contacted
with the battery; whereby upon depression D of the switch 33 to
depress the battery 4 downwardly to allow the positive electrode 41
of the battery to be contacted with the positive contactor 43 for
closing the electric circuit of the lamp 2 for switching on the
lamp 2 for illumination.
[0036] Upon releasing of the switch 33, the tension spring 40 will
resiliently urge the battery upwardly to disconnect the positive
electrode 41 of the battery from the positive contactor 43, thereby
opening the electric circuit of the lamp and switching off the lamp
2.
[0037] The switch 33 as shown in FIG. 9 is formed as a push button,
and also formed as a main portion of the upper cover 32.
[0038] The present invention may be modified without departing from
the spirit and scope of the present invention.
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