Sunshade that is expanded and folded quickly
A sunshade includes an outer tube, an inner tube, a control tube, an upper seat, a plurality of ribs, a canopy, and a plurality of spreaders. Thus, the control tube is movable downward relative to the outer tube to expand the canopy and movable upward relative to the outer tube to fold the canopy, so that the canopy is expanded and folded easily and quickly by operation of the control tube, thereby facilitating the user expanding and folding the canopy.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sunshade and, more particularly, to a sunshade that is expanded and folded quickly.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional sunshade 10 in accordance with the prior art shown in
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a sunshade, comprising an outer tube, an inner tube movably mounted in the outer tube, and a control tube movably mounted on the outer tube and connected to the inner tube to drive the inner tube to move relative to the outer tube.
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a sunshade that is expanded and folded quickly.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a sunshade, wherein the control tube is movable downward relative to the outer tube to expand the canopy and movable upward relative to the outer tube to fold the canopy, so that the canopy is expanded and folded easily and quickly by operation of the control tube.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide a sunshade, wherein the user only needs to move the control tube downward and upward to expand and fold the canopy easily and conveniently, thereby facilitating the user expanding and folding the canopy.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide a sunshade, wherein the slideway of the inner tube is encompassed by the outer tube completely, and the slideway of the outer tube is encompassed by the control tube completely, so that a combination of the outer tube and the control tube has a smooth surface without exposing the slideway of the inner tube and the slideway of the outer tube, to prevent the slideway of the inner tube and the slideway of the outer tube from hurting the user's fingers or being jammed by a foreign object.
Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring to the drawings and initially to
The inner tube 20 has a mediate portion formed with a slideway 24 and has a lower end formed with a through hole 25.
The upper seat 21 is mounted on an upper end of the inner tube 20.
The outer tube 30 has an upper end formed with a through bore 33, a mediate portion formed with a slideway 35 and a lower end formed with a fixing hole 36.
The lower seat 31 is mounted on the upper end of the outer tube 30 and has a peripheral wall formed with a through bore 32.
A guide pin 60 is extended through the through bore 32 of the lower seat 31, the through bore 33 of the outer tube 30 and the slideway 24 of the inner tube 20 to connect the lower seat 31, the outer tube 30 and the inner tube 20. Thus, the guide pin 60 is movable in the slideway 24 of the inner tube 20 when the inner tube 20 is movable relative to the outer tube 30.
The control tube 40 has a mediate portion formed with a through hole 41 and has a lower end formed with a fixing hole 42.
A fixing pin 61 is extended through the through hole 41 of the control tube 40, the slideway 35 of the outer tube 30 and the through hole 25 of the inner tube 20 to connect the control tube 40, the outer tube 30 and the inner tube 20. Thus, when the control tube 40 is movable relative to the outer tube 30, the fixing pin 61 is driven by the control tube 40 and movable in the slideway 35 of the outer tube 30, and the inner tube 20 is driven by the fixing pin 61 and movable relative to the outer tube 30.
The sunshade further comprises a connecting tube 50 mounted on the outer tube 30 and having an upper end formed with a reduced mounting portion 51 inserted into the lower end of the outer tube 30, and an elastic member 55 mounted in the connecting tube 50 and provided with at least one locking stub 52 extended through the connecting tube 50 and the fixing hole 36 of the outer tube 30 and detachably locked in the fixing hole 42 of the control tube 40. The connecting tube 50 has an annular shoulder 54 located at a connection between the upper end of the connecting tube 50 and the mounting portion 51 and rested on the lower end of the outer tube 30.
Thus, the control tube 40 and the inner tube 20 are movable relative to the outer tube 30 between a first position as shown in
In operation, referring to
As shown in
On the contrary, after the locking stub 52 of the elastic member 55 is pressed inwardly and detached from the fixing hole 42 of the control tube 40, the control tube 40 is unlocked from the locking stub 52 of the elastic member 55, so that the control tube 40 is movable relative to the outer tube 30.
Thus, when the control tube 40 is movable upward relative to the outer tube 30, the fixing pin 61 is driven by the control tube 40 and movable upward in the slideway 35 of the outer tube 30, and the inner tube 20 is driven by the fixing pin 61 and movable upward relative to the outer tube 30, so that the upper seat 21 is movable upward with the inner tube 20 to move the ribs 23 upward relative to the spreaders 34 so as to fold the canopy 22 as shown in
Accordingly, the control tube 40 is movable downward relative to the outer tube 30 to expand the canopy 22 and movable upward relative to the outer tube 30 to fold the canopy 22, so that the canopy 22 is expanded and folded easily and quickly by operation of the control tube 40. In addition, the user only needs to move the control tube 40 downward and upward to expand and fold the canopy 22 easily and conveniently, thereby facilitating the user expanding and folding the canopy 22. Further, the slideway 24 of the inner tube 20 is encompassed by the outer tube 30 completely, and the slideway 35 of the outer tube 30 is encompassed by the control tube 40 completely, so that a combination of the outer tube 30 and the control tube 40 has a smooth surface without exposing the slideway 24 of the inner tube 20 and the slideway 35 of the outer tube 30, to prevent the slideway 24 of the inner tube 20 and the slideway 35 of the outer tube 30 from hurting the user's fingers or being jammed by a foreign object.
Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment(s) as mentioned above, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claim or claims will cover such modifications and variations that fall within the true scope of the invention.
Claims
1. A sunshade, comprising:
- an outer tube;
- an inner tube movably mounted in the outer tube;
- a control tube movably mounted on the outer tube and connected to the inner tube to drive the inner tube to move relative to the outer tube.
2. The sunshade in accordance with claim 1, further comprising an upper seat mounted on the inner tube to move therewith, a plurality of ribs each having a first end pivotally mounted on the upper seat, a canopy mounted on and supported by the ribs, a lower seat mounted on the outer tube, and a plurality of spreaders each having a first end pivotally mounted on the lower seat and a second end pivotally mounted on a second end of the respective rib.
3. The sunshade in accordance with claim 2, wherein the lower seat has a peripheral wall formed with a through bore, the outer tube has an upper end formed with a through bore, the inner tube has a mediate portion formed with a slideway, and the sunshade further comprises a guide pin extended through the through bore of the lower seat, the through bore of the outer tube and the slideway of the inner tube to connect the lower seat, the outer tube and the inner tube.
4. The sunshade in accordance with claim 3, wherein the guide pin is movable in the slideway of the inner tube when the inner tube is movable relative to the outer tube.
5. The sunshade in accordance with claim 2, wherein the control tube has a mediate portion formed with a through hole, the outer tube has a mediate portion formed with a slideway, the inner tube has a lower end formed with a through hole, and the sunshade further comprises a fixing pin extended through the through hole of the control tube, the slideway of the outer tube and the through hole of the inner tube to connect the control tube, the outer tube and the inner tube.
6. The sunshade in accordance with claim 5, wherein when the control tube is movable relative to the outer tube, the fixing pin is driven by the control tube and movable in the slideway of the outer tube, and the inner tube is driven by the fixing pin and movable relative to the outer tube.
7. The sunshade in accordance with claim 5, wherein the outer tube has a lower end formed with a fixing hole, the control tube has a lower end formed with a fixing hole, and the sunshade further comprises a connecting tube mounted on the outer tube and having an upper end formed with a reduced mounting portion inserted into the lower end of the outer tube, and an elastic member mounted in the connecting tube and provided with at least one locking stub extended through the connecting tube and the fixing hole of the outer tube and detachably locked in the fixing hole of the control tube.
8. The sunshade in accordance with claim 7, wherein the connecting tube has an annular shoulder located at a connection between the upper end of the connecting tube and the mounting portion and rested on the lower end of the outer tube.
9. The sunshade in accordance with claim 7, wherein the control tube and the inner tube are movable relative to the outer tube between a first position where the locking stub of the elastic member is detached from the fixing hole of the control tube to release the control tube, and a second position where the locking stub of the elastic member is locked in the fixing hole of the control tube to lock the control tube.
10. The sunshade in accordance with claim 7, wherein when the fixing pin is movable downward to a lowermost portion of the slideway of the outer tube, the fixing hole of the control tube is aligned with the locking stub of the elastic member so that the locking stub of the elastic member is inserted into and locked in the fixing hole of the control tube to lock the control tube.
11. The sunshade in accordance with claim 7, wherein the control tube is unlocked from the locking stub of the elastic member after the locking stub of the elastic member is pressed inwardly and detached from the fixing hole of the control tube, so that the control tube is movable relative to the outer tube.
12. The sunshade in accordance with claim 3, wherein the slideway of the inner tube is encompassed by the outer tube completely.
13. The sunshade in accordance with claim 5, wherein the slideway of the outer tube is encompassed by the control tube completely.
14. The sunshade in accordance with claim 13, wherein a combination of the outer tube and the control tube has a smooth surface without exposing the slideway of the outer tube.
15. The sunshade in accordance with claim 2, wherein the upper seat is mounted on an upper end of the inner tube.
16. The sunshade in accordance with claim 3, wherein the lower seat is mounted on the upper end of the outer tube.
17. The sunshade in accordance with claim 6, wherein the control tube is movable downward relative to the outer tube to expand the canopy and movable upward relative to the outer tube to fold the canopy
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 31, 2006
Publication Date: Mar 6, 2008
Inventors: Ching-Feng Liu (Chiayi Hsien), Shi-Hsiao Chen (Chiayi Hsien), Pan-Chao Lin (Chiayi Hsien)
Application Number: 11/513,882
International Classification: A45B 19/00 (20060101);