Umbrella Having An Improved Locking Mechanism
An umbrella including a tube, a whale bone device, a barrel slidably engaged on the tube, means for coupling the barrel to the whale bone device, and a latch slidably received in the channel. The tube includes an upper portion and a lower portion. The lower portion includes a handle provided thereon. The upper portion includes an upper locking point formed within the tube. The lower portion includes a lower locking point formed within the tube. The whale bone device is pivotally secured to the upper portion of the tube and is movable between an open position and a folded position. The barrel includes a channel formed therein. The latch includes a support element and a locking element. The support element is slidably received in the channel of the barrel for slidably receiving the tube therein. The locking element is supported by the support element and adapted to engage with the upper locking point and the lower locking point when the channel is aligned with one of the upper locking point and the lower locking point. When the locking element is engaged with one of the upper locking point and the lower locking point, the locking element restrains the barrel from sliding along the tube. When the locking element is not engaged with one of the upper locking point and the lower locking point, the barrel slides freely along the tube.
Umbrellas are commonly used for protection from precipitation and strong sunlight.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAn umbrella includes a tube, a whale bone device, a barrel slidably engaged on the tube, means for coupling the barrel to the whale bone device, and a latch slidably received in the channel. The tube includes an upper portion and a lower portion. The lower portion includes a handle provided thereon. The upper portion includes an upper locking point formed within the tube. The lower portion includes a lower locking point formed within the tube. The whale bone device is pivotally secured to the upper portion of the tube and is movable between an open position and a folded position. The barrel includes a channel formed therein. The latch includes a support element and a locking element. The support element is slidably received in the channel of the barrel for slidably receiving the tube therein. The locking element is supported by the support element and adapted to engage with the upper locking point and the lower locking point when the channel is aligned with one of the upper locking point and the lower locking point. When the locking element is engaged with one of the upper locking point and the lower locking point, the locking element restrains the barrel from sliding along the tube. When the locking element is not engaged with one of the upper locking point and the lower locking point, the barrel slides freely along the tube.
A barrel for use with an umbrella includes a cylindrical body, a cylindrical bore substantially centered within the cylindrical body, a channel formed within the cylindrical body, means for coupling the barrel to a whale bone device of the umbrella, and a latch slidably received within the channel. The cylindrical bore is sized to slidably receive a tube of the umbrella therein. The channel is formed substantially perpendicular to the cylindrical bore. The latch includes a support element and a locking element. The support element is slidaly received in the channel of the barrel for slidably receiving the tube therein. The locking element is supported by the support element and is adapted to engage with a locking point of the tube when the channel is aligned with the locking point.
The exemplary embodiments may be further understood with reference to the following description and the appended drawings, wherein like elements are referred to with the same reference numerals. The exemplary embodiments describe an umbrella including an improved locking mechanism.
The exemplary embodiment includes an umbrella 100 as illustrated in
A whalebone device 14 is pivotally attached to the upper portion of the tube 10 or to the stop 13. The whalebone device 14 can be opened to an open or working position, as shown in
A barrel 30 is also slidably engaged on the tube 10 of the umbrella 100, and is disposed between the ring 20 and the handle 11. A number of stave supports 50 are pivotally coupled between the barrel 30 and the stave device 40. Referring to
A latch 7 is slidably received in the channel 35 of the barrel 30, and is engaged on the tube 10. The latch 7 may be configured as discussed below with reference to
It is to be noted that the umbrella includes a configuration that may be easily manufactured and assembled. The knob 70 and/or the catch 73 and/or the latch 7 is received in the barrel 30 and may be moved, together with the barrel 30, upward toward the upper portion of the tube 10, and thus may be moved away from the handle 11 when the umbrella is opened. The knob 70, and, thus, the latch 7, are biased by the spring 74 and thus will not be depressed by a user inadvertently. No elements of the tube 10 protrude outward therefrom; thus, there are no points along the tube at which a user's clothing or other items might snag or catch. Accordingly, the umbrella in accordance with the exemplary embodiment includes a simplified configuration for facilitating the manufacturing and the assembling of the umbrella, and includes a latch that will be slid upward along the tube and will not be exposed or extended outward of the lower portion of the tube.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made to the exemplary embodiments, without departing from their spirit or scope. Thus, it is intended that the present disclosure cover modifications and variations provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
Claims
1. An umbrella comprising:
- a tube including an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion having a handle provided thereon, the upper portion having an upper locking point formed within the tube, the lower portion having a lower locking point formed within the tube;
- a whale bone device pivotally secured to the upper portion of the tube and movable between an open position and a folded position;
- a barrel slidably engaged on the tube, the barrel including a channel formed therein;
- means for coupling the barrel to the whale bone device,
- a latch slidably received in the channel, the latch including: a support element slidably received in the channel of the barrel for slidably receiving the tube therein; and a locking element supported by the support element and adapted to engage with the upper locking point and the lower locking point when the channel is aligned with one of the upper locking point and the lower locking point;
- wherein, when the locking element is engaged with one of the upper locking point and the lower locking point, the locking element restrains the barrel from sliding along the tube, and when the locking element is not engaged with one of the upper locking point and the lower locking point, the barrel slides freely along the tube.
2. The umbrella of claim 1, wherein the latch includes a knob extendible outward of the barrel.
3. The umbrella of claim 2, wherein the barrel includes a depression formed therein for receiving the knob.
4. The umbrella of claim 2, wherein the locking element protrudes from a portion of the support element opposite from the knob.
5. The umbrella of claim 1, wherein the coupling means includes:
- a ring slidably engaged on the tube;
- a stave device pivotally coupled between the ring and the whale bone device;
- a stave support pivotally coupled between the stave device and the barrel; and
- a spring engaged between the ring and the barrel biasing the ring away from the barrel.
6. The umbrella of claim 1, wherein the upper locking point and the lower locking point are holes formed perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the tube.
7. The umbrella of claim 1, wherein the support element is one of ring-shaped and arm-shaped.
8. The umbrella of claim 1, wherein the locking element is spring-biased into an engaged position.
9. The umbrella of claim 8, wherein the locking element is spring-biased into the engaged position by a spring disposed between the barrel and the latch.
10. A barrel for use with an umbrella, comprising:
- a cylindrical body;
- a cylindrical bore substantially centered within the cylindrical body, the cylindrical bore being sized to slidably receive a tube of the umbrella therein;
- a channel formed within the cylindrical body, the channel being formed substantially perpendicular to the cylindrical bore;
- means for coupling the barrel to a whale bone device of the umbrella; and
- a latch slidably received in the channel, the latch comprising: a support element slidably received in the channel of the barrel for slidably receiving the tube therein; and a locking element supported by the support element and adapted to engage with a locking point of the tube when the channel is aligned with the locking point.
11. The barrel of claim 10, wherein the latch includes a knob extendible outward of the barrel.
12. The barrel of claim 11, wherein the cylindrical body includes a depression formed therein for receiving the knob.
13. The barrel of claim 11, wherein the locking element protrudes from a portion of the support element opposite from the knob.
14. The barrel of claim 10, wherein the locking point is a hole formed perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the tube.
15. The barrel of claim 10, wherein the support element is one of ring-shaped and arm-shaped.
16. The barrel of claim 10, wherein the locking element is spring-biased into an engaged position.
17. The barrel of claim 16, wherein the locking element is spring-biased into the engaged position by a spring disposed between the barrel and the latch.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 27, 2010
Publication Date: Mar 29, 2012
Inventor: Glenn Kupferman (Lake Worth, FL)
Application Number: 12/891,346
International Classification: A45B 25/14 (20060101); A45B 9/02 (20060101); A45B 25/00 (20060101);