Umbrella Runner

Abstract

An umbrella runner having a pair of oppositely extending locking levers hinged to a common hinge pin and a concentric sleeve with an inner cam projection for operating the locking levers alternatively depending on the position of the runner on the stick.

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to an umbrella, and particularly to a runner used on an umbrella frame for mounting the support structure for the dome ribs.

2. Description of Prior Art

In known umbrella frames, there is normally provided a stick, with a crown at one end of the stick and dome ribs hinged from the crown. At least one runner is provided for sliding movement on the stick and mounts a hinged support member for supporting the dome ribs. When the dome ribs are open from a closed position, the operator applies a force to the runner moving it towards the crown thereby causing the support members to pivot the dome ribs upwardly to an umbrella erect position. Once the umbrella dome ribs are in an umbrella erect position, the weight of the dome ribs and the force of the umbrella canopy stretched over the dome ribs will tend to close the umbrella, thereby transmitting force to the runner in a direction away from the crown. It is, therefore, necessary to provide locking means on the stick and cooperating with the runner to anchor the runner in an umbrella erect position. Many solutions have been suggested for anchoring the runner in the umbrella erect position, or when the runner is in a position adjacent the handle and these include a spring pawl provided in the stick and projecting outwardly of the stick to engage the runner after it has passed the pawl. Other constructions include a lever-type spring pawl in the sleeve on the runner.

There are disadvantages in both of these constructions. First, wher e the spring pawl is provided in the stick, the construction of the stick is, therefore, complicated. In the case of the conventional lever-type locking device, it is usually quite effective in one direction of operation, for instance, when engaging an opening near the handle since the lever is usually at an acute angle to the stick and it acts like a hook-type anchor, but it is sometimes less effective in the other direction of operation. This is especially true when the umbrella is in an umbrella erect position and much pressure is resisted by the runner by virtue of the lock lever device engaging an opening in the stick. Since the push-button head of the lock lever extends normally upwardly towards the crown, sometimes a slight accidental pressure on the push-button head of the lock lever will disengage the runner and the umbrella will rapidly close.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

It is an aim of the present invention to provide a runner of the type adapted to lock on the stick, but wherein the above disadvantages are overcome.

A construction in accordance with the present invention includes a runner slidable on the stick of an umbrella frame, the runner including an axially extending sleeve having an inner surface in sliding contact with the stick, a recess defined in the sleeve, a hinge pin traversing said sleeve at right angles to the axis of the stick, but in a plane parallel to the axis of the stick, locking means hinged to the pin and having an opposed locking pawl head on either side of the pin adapted to alternately engage corresponding openings in the stick.

In a preferred embodiment, the locking means includes two separate locking pawls having an engaging head in a shank pivoted to the hinge pin and a cam surface extending on the opposite side of the pin. A sliding sleeve is concentric with the sleeve of the runner and means are provided for engaging alternately the cam surfaces of the locking pawls, thereby pivoting each pawl out of engagement with the stick.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Having thus generally described the nature of the invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, showing by way of illustration, a preferred embodiment thereof, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an umbrella shown in an umbrella erect position;

FIG. 2 is an axial cross section of a detail shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged axial cross section similar to FIG. 2, but with the detail in a different operable position; and

FIG. 4 is a radial cross section taken along lines IV--IV of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings, an umbrella frame having a stick 2, a handle 1 and a crown 3 is shown in FIG. 1. A main runner 4 in an auxiliary runner 5 is also provided. Telescopic dome ribs 6 are hinged from the crown 3 and stretcher members 7 are hinged to the runner 4 and to the dome ribs. Finally, struts 8 are hinged to the auxiliary runner 5.

In this particular embodiment, the umbrella shown is a flat umbrella wherein the crown 3 is of substantially rectangular outline and the umbrella assumes a flat rectangular appearance when it is stowed.

The umbrella stick is in three sections and is locked in an extended position by means of conventional ball-spring detents 11 and 12.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 to 4, the main runner 4 is shown in cross section having a first sleeve 13 with a flange 9. The stretcher members are normally hinged to the flange 9. The sleeve 13 has an inner surface 14 in intimate sliding contact with the stick. A recess 15 is located in the sleeve 13, and a hinge pin 17 traverses the recess 15 with its axis at right angles to the axis of the stick and in a plane parallel to the axis of the stick.

Mounted on the hinge pin 17 are bell-crank locking arms 18 and 19. For instance, the bell-crank locking arm has a pawl head 20 with an engaging shoulder 23 adapted to engage a seat in the stick and lock the runner in a given position. The other end of the bell-crank lever, on the opposite side of the hinge pin 17, is in the form of a cam head 27, as will be described later. The bell-crank locking arm 19 has a pawl locking head 21 with an engaging shoulder 24 and a cam head 28. A spring 25 engages each arm 18 and 19 near the pawl heads 20 and 21, respectively, as shown, and passes under the hinge pin 17. The effect of the spring 25 is to force both pawl heads 20 and 21 towards the stick. As shown in FIG. 2, the ends of the spring 25 include bent portions 25" which fit into grooves 26 on the respective bell-crank locking arms 18 and 19.

An actuating device in the form of a concentric sleeve 30 is mounted on the runner sleeve 13 for relative sliding movement. The sliding movement is limited to a distance X, as shown in FIG. 2. The sleeve 30 includes an inwardly-extending projection forming a control cam 29 which alternatively engages the camming heads 27 and 28 of the respective bell-crank locking arms 18 and 19. When the projection 29 of the sleeve 30 engages either one of the cam heads 27 or 28, a respective locking pawl head is disengaged from the aperture in which it is seated against the action of the spring 25.

The sleeve 13 is provided with a cut-out member 36 which has a radially extending abutment shoulder 38 for normally abutting the recessed shoulder 34 in the sleeve 30. In the other direction, the sleeve 30 abuts against the underside of the flange 9 of the runner 4.

In assembling the runner, the cut-out portion 36 is provided such that it hinges in the hinge area 37 of decreased wall thickness. Therefore, the projecting shoulder 35 can be moved inwardly before the runner is set up on the stick so as to allow the sleeve 30 to be slipped onto the runner. Once the sleeve 30 is on the sleeve 13, the cut-out portion 36 can be pivoted back to its normal position limiting the movement of the sleeve 30 and the whole runner can be slipped onto the stick 2.

In operation, the stick will be provided with an aperture 40 at the top thereof and the pawl head 20 is allowed to engage the aperture 40 so as to lock the runner against axial movement away from the crown, thereby holding the stretcher and dome ribs in an umbrella erect position. The sleeve 30 will be in the position shown in FIG. 2.

If it is required to disengage the locking pawl 20 from the aperture 40, the sleeve 30 is moved down to the position shown in FIG. 3, where the projection 29 presses against the cam head 27 of the lock arm 18 forcing the locking pawl head 20 out of the projection 40 and allowing the runner to move downwardly. As the runner reaches a position approximate the handle, another aperture (not shown) would be provided in the stick and the spring 25 would urge the locking pawl head 21 into that aperture. In order to disengage the locking pawl head 21 from the aperture in the stick, the sleeve 30 would be moved in the opposite direction to a position shown in FIG. 2.

Finally, an axially extending groove 41 is provided in the sleeve 13 to allow the runner to pass over the locking ball detents 11 and 12 on the stick without depressing them and prematurely retracting the umbrella stick.

Claims

I claim:

1. A runner slidable on an umbrella stick comprising an axially-extending sleeve having an inner surface in sliding contact with the stick, a recess in the sleeve, a hinge pin traversing the recess at right angles to the axis of the stick, but in a plane parallel to the axis of the stick, locking means hinged to the pin, wherein the locking means includes two separate locking pawls one on either side of the pin, each having an engaging head on a shank pivoted to the hinge pin and a cam member extending on the opposite side of the pin and adapted to be engaged by activating means; said activating means including a coaxial slide member adapted for limited sliding movement on the sleeve of the runner and having an inwardly extending projection adapted to engage alternately the locking pawls for relative movement with the respective apertures in the stick.

2. A runner for an umbrella as defined in claim 1, wherein the inwardly extending projection of the slide member is adapted to engage a cam extension of a respective shank from moving the head of the locking pawl out of engagement with a respective aperture in the stick.

3. A runner as defined in claim 2, wherein a spring is provided for normally urging the locking pawl heads against with the stick.