U.S. patent application number 13/315301 was filed with the patent office on 2013-06-13 for illuminating umbrella having solar powered illumination structure.
This patent application is currently assigned to FOXSEMICON INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY, INC.. The applicant listed for this patent is TE-SHENG CHEN, SUNG-HSIANG YANG. Invention is credited to TE-SHENG CHEN, SUNG-HSIANG YANG.
Application Number | 20130148334 13/315301 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48571826 |
Filed Date | 2013-06-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130148334 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
CHEN; TE-SHENG ; et
al. |
June 13, 2013 |
ILLUMINATING UMBRELLA HAVING SOLAR POWERED ILLUMINATION
STRUCTURE
Abstract
An illuminating umbrella includes a canopy, a frame, a
rechargeable battery, a film-shaped solar power device, and a
flexible light-emitting device. The canopy has an inner surface and
an opposite outer surface. The frame supports the canopy. The
rechargeable battery is received in the frame. The film-shaped
solar power device is spread on the outer surface of the canopy and
electrically connected with the rechargeable battery. The flexible
light-emitting device is attached on the inner surface of the
canopy. The rechargeable battery is electrically connected to the
flexible light-emitting device for providing electrical power to
the flexible light-emitting device. The flexible light-emitting
device is an organic light-emitting diode or a polymer
light-emitting diode.
Inventors: |
CHEN; TE-SHENG; (Chu-Nan,
TW) ; YANG; SUNG-HSIANG; (Chu-Nan, TW) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
CHEN; TE-SHENG
YANG; SUNG-HSIANG |
Chu-Nan
Chu-Nan |
|
TW
TW |
|
|
Assignee: |
FOXSEMICON INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY,
INC.
Chu-Nan
TW
|
Family ID: |
48571826 |
Appl. No.: |
13/315301 |
Filed: |
December 9, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
362/102 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45B 3/04 20130101; A45B
2200/1027 20130101; A45B 2200/1018 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
362/102 |
International
Class: |
A45B 3/02 20060101
A45B003/02 |
Claims
1. An umbrella comprising: a canopy comprising an inner surface and
an opposite outer surface; a frame supporting the canopy; a
rechargeable battery received in the frame; a film-shaped solar
power device spread on the outer surface of the canopy and
electrically connected with the rechargeable battery, the solar
power device being configured for converting solar power into
electric power and thereby charging the rechargeable battery; and a
flexible light-emitting device attached on the inner surface of the
canopy, the rechargeable battery being electrically connected to
the flexible light-emitting device for providing electrical power
to the flexible light-emitting device.
2. The umbrella of claim 1, wherein the frame comprises a rod and a
plurality of ribs pivotally connected to the rod, the canopy being
connected to the ribs.
3. The umbrella of claim 2, wherein the ribs are pivotally
connected to the rod by a first connector, the ribs extend radially
from the first connector that is affixed to a top end of the rod,
each rib has a supporting bar with one end pivotally connected to
the each rib, and the other end pivotally connected to a second
connector, the second connector is movable along the rod, and the
supporting bars extend radially and outwardly from the second
connector.
4. The umbrella of claim 2, wherein the rod is hollow and receives
the rechargeable battery therein.
5. The umbrella of claim 2, wherein the frame further comprises a
hollow handle at a bottom end of the rod, the rechargeable battery
is received in the rod or the handle.
6. The umbrella of claim 5, further comprising a switch assembled
onto the handle for controlling the power going from the solar
power device to the rechargeable battery, or from the rechargeable
battery to the light-emitting device.
7. The umbrella of claim 5, further comprising a USB interface port
placed on a terminal of the handle, the USB interface port is
electrically connected to the rechargeable battery for charging an
external electrical device.
8. The umbrella of claim 2, further comprising a light sensor
placed mounted onto the rod and is electrically connecting with the
switch, for detecting ambient light level.
9. The umbrella of claim 1, wherein a thickness of the canopy is no
larger than 100 .mu.m.
10. The umbrella of claim 1, wherein the solar power device further
comprises a protective layer made of TiO.sub.2 and placed on an
outer surface thereof for absorbing UV light.
11. The umbrella of claim 10, wherein the protective layer has a
thickness ranging from 10 nm to 20 nm.
12. The umbrella of claim 1, wherein the light-emitting device is
an organic light-emitting diode or a polymer light-emitting diode.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] 1. Technical Field
[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to illuminating
umbrellas, and particularly to an illuminating umbrella having an
illumination structure powered by solar energy.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Umbrellas have been used by us to shelter from the rain or
sunlight. Illuminating umbrellas have also been designed to provide
illumination for the convenience of night activities or serving as
outdoor decoration or attracting automobile drivers' attention to
the pedestrians, particularly in the raining nights.
[0005] However, the conventional illuminating umbrellas are always
powered by batteries received therein, whereby the umbrellas
require a power outlet or an extension cord to get the electrical
power supply.
[0006] What is needed, therefore, is an illuminating umbrella which
can overcome the above-mentioned problems.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] Many aspects of the present umbrella can be better
understood with reference to the following drawings. The components
in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis
instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of
the present illuminating umbrella. Moreover, in the drawing, like
reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the
several views.
[0008] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an illuminating umbrella in
accordance with an embodiment.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a circuit of the illuminating
umbrella of FIG. 1.
[0010] FIG. 3 is a schematic, cross-sectional view showing a canopy
of the illuminating umbrella with a solar power device and a
flexible light-emitting device coated thereon.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0011] Embodiments of an illuminating umbrella are described in
detail here with reference to the drawings.
[0012] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an illuminating umbrella 100 in
accordance with an embodiment includes a canopy 10, a frame 20, a
rechargeable battery 30, a solar power device 40, a flexible
light-emitting device 50, a switch 60, a USB interface port 70, and
a light sensor 80.
[0013] The canopy 10 can be made of any commercially available
material suitable for sheltering from the rain or sunlight.
Preferably, the canopy 10 is made of a water resistant fabric
and/or light reflective colors and materials in order to protect a
user from rain or sunlight. In addition, the canopy 10 may be made
of a flexible materials, such as epoxy, PMMA (poly(methyl
methacrylate)), PI (polyimide), PVA (poly(vinyl alcohol)), PVP
(poly(vinyl pyrrolidone)), PA (Polyamide), PVC (poly(vinyl
chloride)), PE (polyethylene), PET (polyethylene terephthalate)
etc. Further, the canopy 10 can optionally include pleats, allowing
canopy 10 to expand and retract in an accordion-like fashion. In
this manner, a size of the canopy 10 can be adjusted by bringing
the umbrella closer together or thriller apart. The canopy 10 can
be folded or rolled up in order to facilitate portability and
storage. In addition, a thickness of the canopy 10 is generally
equal to or less than 100 .mu.m.
[0014] The frame 20 comprises a rod 21, a plurality of ribs 21
pivotally connected to the rod 21 by means of a first connector
221, and a handle 23 connected to a terminal of the rod 21. The
ribs 22 extend radially from the first connector 221 that is
affixed to the top end of the rod 21. Each rib 22 has a supporting
bar 222 with one end pivotally connected to the rib 22, and the
other end pivotally connected to a second connector 223. The second
connector 223 is movable along the rod 21. The supporting bars 222
extend radially and outwardly from the second connector 223. In
addition, the rod 21 and the handle 23 each have a hollow
structure.
[0015] The rechargeable battery 30 is received in the rod 21 or the
handle 23.
[0016] The rechargeable battery 30 is electrically connected to the
flexible light-emitting device 50 for providing electrical power to
the flexible light-emitting device 50 when illumination is desired.
It is preferable that the rechargeable battery 30 is pre-recharged
prior to use of the illuminating umbrella 100, so that it is
capable of providing sufficient amount of electrical power to the
flexible light-emitting device 50 when the solar power device 40
fails to provide sufficient amount of electrical energy in the
beginning.
[0017] The solar power device 40 is actually film-shaped for
converting the energy of light directly into electricity by the
photovoltaic effect. As shown in FIG. 3, the solar power device 40
is spread on the outer surface of the canopy 10. The solar power
device 40 is electrically connected with the rechargeable battery
30 by conducting wires (now shown). The solar power device 40 is
configured for charging the rechargeable battery 30 during daylight
hours. The solar power device 40 may be consisted of many single
layer or multilayer organic photovoltaic cells/polymer solar cells.
The organic solar cells and polymer solar cells are built from thin
films (typically 100 nm) of organic semiconductors including
polymers, such as polyphenylene vinylene and small-molecule
compounds like copper phthalocyanine (a blue or green organic
pigment) and carbon fullerenes and fullerene derivatives such as
PCBM. PCBM is the common abbreviation for the fullerene derivative
[6, 6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester.
[0018] The solar power device 40 further includes a protective
layer 43 made of TiO.sub.2 and coated on an outer surface thereof
for absorbing UV light of the sunlight, such that the solar power
device 40 would have a longer operating life. In the preferred
embodiment, the protective layer 43 has a thickness in a range of
10 nm to 20 nm.
[0019] The flexible light-emitting device 50 may be OLEDs (organic
light-emitting diodes) or the PLEDs (polymer light-emitting
diodes). OLED is a light-emitting diode (LED) in which the emissive
electroluminescent layer is a film of organic compounds which emit
light in response to an electric current. PLED involves an
electroluminescent conductive polymer that emits light when
connected to an external voltage. As shown in FIG. 3, the flexible
light-emitting device 50 is attached on an inner surface of the
canopy 10. The flexible light-emitting device 50 is electrically
connected with the rechargeable battery 30 via wires (not shown) in
the rod 21 or the handle 23.
[0020] As described above, the solar power device 40 and the
light-emitting device 50 are both film-shaped and respectively
attached onto the outer surface and the inner surface of the canopy
10; furthermore the light-emitting device 50 is flexible, so that
the solar power device 40 and the light-emitting device 50 can be
folded or expanded following the canopy 10.
[0021] The switch 60 is assembled onto the handle 23 for
controlling the power going from the solar power device 40 to the
rechargeable battery 30, or from the rechargeable battery 30 to the
light-emitting device 50, such that the rechargeable battery 30 can
be shifted to electrically connect to the solar power device 40 or
the light-emitting device 50 by the switch 60.
[0022] The USB interface port 70 is placed on a terminal of the
handle 23. The USB interface port 70 is electrically connected to
the rechargeable battery 30; thus, the battery 30 can be used for
charging an external electrical device, such as cell phone, PDA,
GPS, MP3 et al. which connects to the interface port 70. The
umbrella 100 may further include a suitable lid 71 for covering the
USB interface port 70 when it is not in use.
[0023] The light sensor 80 is placed onto the top of the rod 21 and
is electrically connected with the switch 60, for detecting ambient
light level. When the ambient light intensity that the light sensor
80 detected is less than a pre-determined value, power from the
rechargeable battery 30 can be allowed go to the flexible
light-emitting device 50 by the switch 60, so that the flexible
light-emitting device 50 is selectively light on for providing
illumination.
[0024] While certain embodiments have been described and
exemplified above, various other embodiments from the foregoing
disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The
disclosure is not limited to the particular embodiments described
and exemplified but is capable of considerable variation and
modification without departure from the scope of the appended
claims.
* * * * *