Device For Holding An Umbrella In Its Standing Position

Abstract

A ferrule of an umbrella has a reduced projecting portion at its tip end. Fitted to the projecting portion is a rubber ring which is bonded thereto. The rubber ring serves to effectively prevent the umbrella from slipping and falling down on a floor when the umbrella is rested against a wall.

Description

The present invention relates to a device for holding an umbrella in its standing position when the umbrella is rested against a wall or the like.

An umbrella, after it has been used, is usually rested against a wall of an entrance of a house or of a vehicle. In such a case if the floor is wet or it has been wetted by drops of water from the umbrella, the umbrella is liable to slip on the floor and fall down because the ferrule of the umbrella cannot maintain sufficient friction against the floor. It is easily understood that whenever such case occurs the owner of the umbrella becomes impatient and must take the trouble to stand it upright again.

The present invention is intended to overcome the above-mentioned inconvenience and it is an object of the present invention to provide a device for holding an umbrella in its standing position only by adding a simple member to the umbrella.

The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to a preferred embodiments of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which;

FIG. 1 is a front view of an umbrella with a device for holding the umbrella in its standing position in accordance with the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of a ferrule of the umbrella;

FIG. 3 is a central sectional view of the ferrule shown in FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a top view of a grip of the umbrella;

FIG. 5 is a central sectional view of the grip shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a front view of another form of ferrule;

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the ferrule shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a central sectional view of the ferrule shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a front view of another form of grip;

FIG. 10 is a top view of the grip shown in FIG. 9; and

FIG. 11 is a central sectional view of the grip shown in FIG. 9.

Referring now to the drawings, numeral 1 represents an umbrella in its closed position whose ferrule 2 and grip 3 are respectively provided with rubber rings 4 and 5 at their tip ends.

As seen from FIGS. 2 through 5, the ferrule 2 and the grip 3 respectively have at their tip ends projecting portions 2a and 3a of reduced diameter. To the projecting portions 2a and 3a are fitted the rubber rings 4 and 5, respectively, so that the respective peripheries 4a and 5a of the rubber rings 4 and 5 are substantially flush with the respective peripheries 2b and 3b of the ferrule 2 and grip 3 and the peripheral surfaces 2b and 3b thereof are flush with respective end surfaces 2a.sub.1 and 3a.sub.1 of the projecting portions 2a and 3a. The rubber rings 4 and 5 are securely fixed by adhesive.

FIGS. 6 through 11 illustrate another embodiment of the present invention in which a ferrule 2' and a grip 3', which are rectangular in plan view, of a so-called flat collapsible umbrella which is collapsed to be flat, respectively have reduced projecting portions 2'a and 3'a which are also rectangular in plan view. To said projecting portions are respectively fitted and rigidly bonded rubber rings 4' and 5'.

With the above arrangement of the present invention, the rubber ring 4 provided at the tip end of the ferrule serves to maintain requisite friction against the floor when the umbrella 1 is rested against the wall so that it effectively prevents the umbrella from slipping and falling down on the floor. Also with such an arrangement the rubber ring 5 provided at the grip 3 serves to maintain friction against the wall so that it can well prevent the grip from slipping on the wall which would otherwise cause the umbrella fall down when the umbrella is rested against a corner.

As described above, according to the present invention, the tip end of the ferrule has a projecting portion of reduced diameter to which the rubber ring is fitted and bonded. The rubber ring serves to effectively prevent the ferrule from slipping on the floor so that it maintains the umbrella in its standing position. The projecting portion of the ferrule serves to protect the rubber ring when the umbrella is thrust against the ground or the floor.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. In an umbrella comprising a central post structure having a grip at one end thereof and a ferrule at the other end thereof, and a foldable rib and cover assembly mounted on said post structure adjacent said ferrule, the improvement which comprises: said ferrule has an inner portion and an outer portion of smaller width than said inner portion, said outer portion projecting outwardly from said inner portion; a member made of resilient friction material encircling said outer portion and attached thereto, the exposed outer peripheral surface of said member being of substantially the same shape and dimension as the peripheral surface of said inner portion of said ferrule so that the exposed outer peripheral surface of said member is substantially flush with the outer peripheral surface of said inner portion of said ferrule and constitutes an extension thereof.

2. An umbrella according to claim 1, in which said inner and outer portions of said ferrule are substantially cylindrical with said outer portion being of smaller diameter than said inner portion, and said member is an annular rubber ring which is open at both its ends and is sleeved on said outer portion and abuts against said inner portion, said ring having a substantially flat outer end surface which is substantially flush with the outer end surface of said outer portion of said ferrule.

3. An umbrella according to claim 1, in which said inner and outer portions of said ferrule are polygonal in plan view with the dimensions of said outer portion being smaller than the dimensions of said inner portion, and said member is a hollow polygonal rubber ring which is open at both its ends and is sleeved on said outer portion and abuts against said inner portion, said ring having a substantially flat outer end surface which is substantially flush with the outer end surface of said outer portion of said ferrule.

4. An umbrella according to claim 1, in which said grip has an inner portion and an outer portion of smaller width than said inner portion, said outer portion of said grip projecting outwardly from said inner portion thereof; a second member made of resilient friction material encircling said outer portion of said grip and attached thereto, the exposed outer peripheral surface of said second member being of substantially the same shape and dimension as the peripheral surface of said inner portion of said grip so that the exposed outer peripheral surface of said second member is substantially flush with the outer peripheral surface of said inner portion of said grip and constitutes an extension thereof.

5. An umbrella according to claim 4, in which said inner and outer portions of said grip are substantially cylindrical with said outer portion being of smaller diameter than said inner portion, and said second member is an annular rubber ring which is open at both its ends and is sleeved on said outer portion of said grip and abuts against said inner portion of said grip, said second ring having a substantially flat outer end surface which is substantially flush with the outer end surface of said outer portion of said grip.

6. An umbrella according to claim 1, in which said inner and outer portions of said grip are polygonal in plan view with the dimensions of said outer portion being smaller than the dimensions of said inner portion, and said second member is a hollow polygonal rubber ring which is open at both its ends and is sleeved on said outer portion of said grip and abuts against said inner portion of said grip, said second ring having a substantially flat outer end surface which is substantially flush with the outer end surface of said outer portion of said grip.