UMBRELLA AUXILIARY SCREEN

Abstract

An umbrella (10) having an expandable auxiliary screen (30) supported from the ribs (12), struts (6) or canopy of the umbrella is expandable from a collapsed configuration by rotation of a spool (20) in a first direction to spool out line to descend a distal end of the auxiliary screen relative to the proximal end of the auxiliary screen. The auxiliary screen may comprise a plurality of panels, comprising a generally water-resistant material, coupled along seams to adjacent panels of the auxiliary screen. Alternately, the auxiliary screen may comprise a pliable and generally water-resistant material that generally corrugates to a collapsed configuration and generally flattens to an expanded configuration.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This application relates to an umbrella auxiliary screen to shield a user from precipitation and/or sunlight that bypasses the canopy of an umbrella from which the auxiliary screen is supported.

2. Brief Description of the Related Art

Umbrellas are devices for shielding users from precipitation or sunlight. Umbrellas are made with canopies of various sizes. A shortcoming of conventional umbrellas is that the canopy shields the user only from precipitation or sunlight that falls or impinges on the canopy and the umbrella does not shield the user from, for example, wind-driven precipitation that can bypass the canopy of the umbrella and wet the clothing of the user, especially the pants' legs and shoes. Umbrellas having larger canopies offer more protection to the user, but are less compact and less convenient to carry. Even a large umbrella, however, may not offer protection from wind-driven precipitation.

What is needed is an umbrella having a canopy and an auxiliary screen to shield the user from precipitation that bypasses the canopy of the umbrella. What is needed is an umbrella having an auxiliary screen that is retractable from a deployed configuration, retainable in a retracted configuration and deployable from the retracted configuration to a deployed configuration.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the apparatus disclosed herein satisfy one or more of these needs. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises an umbrella having a support rod to support a plurality of ribs and a plurality of struts that make up a support structure for the canopy. The canopy, which may comprise a generally water-resistant fabric, is coupled to the ribs to provide a collapsible covering when the umbrella is in an open configuration with the ribs extending generally radially outwardly from the support rod. The struts, ribs and canopy may together collapse and/or fold to a collapsed configuration for convenient storage, as is well-known in the art.

One embodiment of the auxiliary screen comprises a generally water-resistant material such as, for example, fabric or plastic, which is preferably pliable and light-weight material. The auxiliary screen may comprise a generally rectangular piece of fabric that can be folded or corrugated to a collapsed configuration for storage when not in use. In another embodiment, the auxiliary screen may comprise a plurality of elongate panels interconnected one to the others to form a foldable screen. The elongate sections may comprise, for example, light-weight plastic, and the panels may be interconnected along seams to adjacent panels. An auxiliary screen of this embodiment may be foldable to a collapsed configuration by folding panels, one relative to others, to a collapsed configuration. The auxiliary screen may further be securable in the collapsed configuration to one or more struts, ribs and/or to the canopy portion (for example, to the fabric) of the umbrella. The auxiliary screen may be removed from the stored configuration and then expanded from the collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration or to a partially expanded configuration to protect the user from precipitation.

In one embodiment, the present invention is adapted to cooperate with the structures of a conventional umbrella comprising a plurality of ribs, a plurality of struts to support the ribs in a radially-extended configuration, a canopy, such as a fabric, connected to the ribs, a support rod to support the struts and ribs and an auxiliary screen supportable from at least one of the ribs, struts and the canopy, and collapsible from an expanded configuration to a collapsed configuration for storage. The auxiliary screen is movable from an expanded configuration, to shield a user holding the support rod from precipitation that may bypass the canopy, to a collapsed configuration, to facilitate storage generally adjacent to the ribs.

In one embodiment, the area or size of the auxiliary screen may be adjustable. For example, but not by way of limitation, an umbrella may comprise a plurality of ribs, a plurality of struts to support the ribs in a radially-extended configuration, a canopy connected to the ribs, a support rod to support the ribs and struts, and an auxiliary screen supportable from at least one of the ribs, struts and the canopy, the auxiliary screen being collapsible from an expanded configuration to a collapsed configuration. In addition, the auxiliary screen may be movable from an expanded configuration, to shield a user holding the support rod from precipitation that may bypass the canopy, to a collapsed configuration, to facilitate storage of the collapsed auxiliary screen generally adjacent to the ribs. The umbrella may further comprise a spool coupled to the support rod and rotatable in a first direction relative to the support rod to reel in a line, or rotatable in a second direction to spool out the line. The line may have a first portion coupled to the spool and a second portion coupled to a distal end of the auxiliary screen so that, when the spool is rotated to spool out line, the distal end of the auxiliary screen descends relative to the rib(s), strut(s) or canopy from which a proximal end of the auxiliary screen is supported. In one embodiment, the second portion of the line may be threaded through a plurality of generally alignable holes strategically disposed in the auxiliary screen, and the second portion of the line may be coupled to (or near) a distal end of the auxiliary screen. Rotating the spool to reel in the line would then raise the distal portion of the auxiliary screen upwardly toward a proximal end of the auxiliary screen to (at least partially) collapse the auxiliary screen and thereby make the area or size of the auxiliary screen smaller.

Alternately, in another embodiment, the second portion of the line may be connected to a proximal end of the auxiliary screen. Rotating the spool to reel in the line would move the entire auxiliary screen up or down relative to the support rod. In this embodiment, the auxiliary screen may be secured in a collapsed configuration using a band, zipper, or any of a variety of fasteners such as, for example clamps, snaps, hook and loop, Velcro® or other fasteners. In this embodiment, the area or size of the expandable auxiliary screen may be variable using the fasteners, for example, instead of by using the spool.

The line may traverse along the exterior of the support rod or, preferably, through the hollow interior of the support rod of the umbrella. The line may further be threaded through or over a plurality of line guides coupled to at least one of the radially-extending ribs, the struts and the canopy. For example, but not by way of limitation, the line guides may comprise eyelets connected to one or more ribs or struts, or the eyelets may be connected to the canopy, or to a combination of these portions of the umbrella. The eyelets may be aligned one with the others to provide a smooth pathway to facilitate reeling in and spooling out of the line to and from the spool, respectively. The eyelets may comprise a material of a lubricious material to decrease friction and prevent unwanted abrasion to the line as it moves through or over the eyelet. Alternately, the line guides may comprise an insert of a lubricious material. The eyelets need not form a continuous ring and, in one embodiment, may comprise a gap or interruption to permit convenient insertion and removal of the line to and from an eyelet without having to thread an end portion of the line through an eyelets as if threading the eye of a needle.

In one embodiment, one or more support tethers are coupled at a first end to at least one a rib, a strut and the canopy. The one or more support tethers may be coupled at a second end to a proximal end of the auxiliary screen. This arrangement causes the auxiliary screen to be supported at a distance determined by the length of the support tether(s) below the rib, strut or the canopy to which the support tether(s) is connected. The length of the support tether may be optimized or adjustable to provide sufficient and/or adjustable clearance between the canopy and the proximal end of the auxiliary screen so that the deployment and use of the auxiliary screen in front of the user does not impair the user's view of the sidewalk, curbs, obstacles, etc. that the user may encounter while walking with the umbrella.

In one embodiment, the auxiliary screen may comprise an opaque material such as, for example, clear plastic, so that the user may see the sidewalk, curbs, obstacles and the like through the auxiliary screen. In one embodiment, the auxiliary screen may comprise or be treated with a hydrophobic material that deters water adherence or accumulation on at least a portion of the auxiliary screen to enable the user to see through the portion. In one embodiment, the auxiliary screen may comprise panels or sections connected along seams or creases to adjacent panels or sections to facilitate uniform and predictable folding of the auxiliary screen along the seams or creases to a collapsed configuration for efficient storage.

In one embodiment, the auxiliary screen may be removed from being supported by the ribs, struts, or the canopy. In another embodiment, the auxiliary screen may be collapsed and then stored adjacent the ribs, struts or canopy using one or more fasteners. For example, but not by way of limitation, the auxiliary screen may be collapsed and stored adjacent to the ribs, struts or canopy using ties, Velcro® ties or straps, ties or straps securable using snaps, ties or straps connectable using a hook and loop fastener, and/or one or more magnets.

The auxiliary screen may be supported from at least one of the ribs, struts and the canopy and suspended by a plurality of tethers coupled at a first end to the at least one the ribs, struts and the canopy and at a second end to a portion of the auxiliary screen.

The foregoing, as well as other, objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be more fully appreciated and understood by reference to the drawings, described below, and to the claims appended hereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an umbrella support structure supporting an expandable auxiliary screen.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of an expandable auxiliary screen suspended from the ribs of the support structure of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the embodiment of the expandable auxiliary screen of FIG. 2 in a partially expanded configuration.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the expandable auxiliary screen of FIG. 2 in a fully expanded configuration.

FIG. 5 is a side view of an alternate embodiment of an expandable auxiliary screen in a partially expanded configuration.

FIG. 6 is a section view of an embodiment of a spool coupled to a support rod.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an umbrella support 10 structure supporting an expandable auxiliary screen 30. The canopy of the umbrella is removed to reveal the support structure 10 to facilitate the explanation of the present invention. The umbrella support structure 10 FIG. 1 comprises a plurality of radially-extending ribs 12 supportable, in an operative position, by a support rod 8 and a plurality of struts 6 coupled at a first end to a slider ring 7 and at a second end to a rib 12. The support structure 10 further comprises a plurality of line guides 14 connected in an aligned configuration to each of two adjacent ribs 12 to guide and support lines 16. The support structure 10 further comprises screen tethers 17 connected at a first end 17A to ribs 12 and at a second end 17B to the expandable auxiliary screen 30. The screen tethers 17 may be of a fixed or an adjustable length to position the proximal end of the expandable auxiliary screen 30 relative to the ribs 12 of the support structure 10 as will be discussed in more detail in connection with FIGS. 2-5 below. The lines 16 each comprise a proximal portion (now shown—see FIG. 6) coupled to the spool 20 on the support rod 8 and a distal portion 16B coupled to the expandable auxiliary screen 30. In one embodiment, the lines 16 may be part of one line, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that a middle portion of the one line may be coupled to the spool with the two portions on each side of the middle portion being positioned on the line guides and terminating at the distal portion of the auxiliary screen. Alternately, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that a middle portion of the one line may be coupled to the auxiliary screen with the two portions on each side of the middle portion being positioned on the line guides and terminated at the spool.

The spool 20 on the support rod 8 may be manipulated to expand and retract the expandable auxiliary screen 30. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the spool 20 may be rotated in a first direction to spool out line 16 through a hollow interior (now shown) of support rod 8 and through aligned line guides 14 to allow the distal end 30B of the expandable auxiliary screen 30 to descend relative to the ribs 12 to which the screen tethers 17 are connected. The screen tethers 17 prevent movement of the proximal end 30A of the expandable auxiliary screen 30 from the ribs 12 as the line 16 is spooled out from the spool 20 to expand the auxiliary screen 30.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of an expandable auxiliary screen 30 suspended in a generally contracted configuration from a rib 12. The expandable auxiliary screen 30 is suspended from a second line 16 and rib 12 behind the line 16 and rib 12 shown in the side elevation view of FIG. 2. The expandable auxiliary screen 30 of FIGS. 2-4 is an auxiliary screen 30 comprising a plurality of interconnected panels 30B each having one or more apertures 30A therein through which one or more lines 16 are threaded. The panels 30B may be coupled one to another along a seam 30C having an acute angle in FIG. 2. The panels 30B may comprise any generally water-resistant material such as, for example, plastic. The panels 30B may be integrally formed and connected one to the others along a seam 30C. The distal end 16C of the line 16 may comprise a knot or enlargement to prevent the distal end 16C of the line 16 from being withdrawn through the apertures 30A in the panels.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the embodiment of the expandable auxiliary screen 30 of FIG. 2 in a partially expanded configuration. The distal end 16C of the line 16 is illustrated as having descended relative to the rib 12 and as a result of the spool 20 (see FIG. 1) being rotated in the first direction to spool out the line 16 and expand the auxiliary screen. Returning to FIG. 3, the screen tether 17 is illustrated as remaining in its position of FIG. 2 and supporting the proximal end 31 of the expandable auxiliary screen 30 while the distal end 32 of the expandable auxiliary screen 30 descends as the line 16 is spooled out from the spool 20 (see FIG. 1). The panels 30B remain coupled one to another along seam 30C at a greater, but still generally acute, angle as compared to the angles of the seams 30C illustrated in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the expandable auxiliary screen 30 of FIG. 2 in a fully expanded configuration. The distal end 16C of the line 16 is illustrated as having descended further relative to the rib 12 and as a result of the spool 20 (see FIG. 1) being further rotated in the first direction to spool out additional length of the line 16 and fully expand the auxiliary screen. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the screen tether 17 remains in its position of FIG. 2 and supporting the proximal end 31 of the expandable auxiliary screen 30 while the distal end 32 of the expandable auxiliary screen 30 descends further as the line 16 is spooled out from the spool 20 (see FIG. 1). The panels 30B remain coupled one to another along a seam 30C having generally obtuse angles as compared to FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIG. 5 is a side view of an alternate embodiment of an expandable auxiliary screen 39 in a partially expanded configuration. Expandable auxiliary screen 39 comprises a generally pliable member, such as a sheet of plastic, canvas, leather or cloth, having a plurality of apertures 30A to receive line 16 threaded therethrough and terminated at distal end 16C. A knot or enlargement may be connected to distal end 16C to prevent withdrawal of the distal end 16C through the apertures 30A. The absence of seams at which the auxiliary screen 30 may fold causes the alternate embodiment of the auxiliary screen 39 illustrated in FIG. 5 to corrugate as the line 16 is reeled into the spool 20 and to un-corrugate, or flatten, as the line 16 is spooled out from the spool 20.

FIG. 6 is a section view of an embodiment of a spool 20 coupled to a support rod 8 that supports the support structure 10 (not shown—see FIG. 1). The spool 20 comprises a line accumulator 21 fixed on an axle 22 coupled to a handle 23. The line accumulator 21 is rotatable (in a first direction) within the housing 24 using the handle 23 to spool out the line 16 to descend the distal end 30B of the expandable auxiliary screen 30 (not shown—see FIGS. 2-5) relative to the rib 12 (not shown—see FIGS. 2-5) to expand the auxiliary screen 30, and rotatable (in a second direction) within the housing 24 using the handle 23 to reel in the line 16 to raise the distal end 30B of the expandable auxiliary screen 30 (not shown—see FIGS. 2-5) relative to rib 12 (not shown—see FIGS. 2-5) to collapse the auxiliary screen 30.

The line 16 shown in FIGS. 1-6 may be any type of string, cord or filament. In one embodiment, the line 16 may comprise a nylon string, such as is used to make fishing line, to provide high strength and water-resistance. The line 16 may comprise a monofilament, cofilament, thermally fused lines or braided lines. Other materials that may be used for the line 16 include polyvinylidene fluoride, or PVDF, or polyethylene. Optionally, the line may be coated or treated to resist erosion from being spooled in and reeled out through the line guides. Optionally, the line guides 14 may comprise a lubricious material to prevent erosion and to decrease the amount of torque at the spool 20 and tension in the line 16 required to raise the distal end of the auxiliary screen 30.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or steps plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but it is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed.

Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and/or groups, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

The term “article,” as that term is used in this application, means one or more articles, and may specifically a single article or a plurality of articles. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having,” as used in the claims and specification herein, shall be considered as indicating an open group that may include other elements not specified.

The terms “a,” “an,” and the singular forms of words shall be taken to include the plural form of the same words, such that the terms mean that one or more of something is provided. The term “one” or “single” may be used to indicate that one and only one of something is intended. Similarly, other specific integer values, such as “two,” may be used when a specific number of things is intended. The terms “preferably,” “preferred,” “prefer,” “optionally,” “may,” and similar terms are used to indicate that an item, condition or step being referred to is an optional (not required) feature of the invention.

From the foregoing detailed description of specific embodiments of the invention, it should be apparent that an apparatus. Although specific embodiments of the apparatuses and methods are disclosed herein, this is done solely for the purpose of describing various features and aspects of the invention, and is not intended to be limiting with respect to the scope of the invention.

It is contemplated that various substitutions, alterations, and/or modifications, including but not limited to those implementation variations which may have been suggested herein, may be made to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims which follow.

While embodiments of the invention have been described herein, various modifications of the apparatus and method of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, which is more fully defined in the following claims.

Claims

1. An umbrella comprising:

a plurality of ribs;

a plurality of struts;

a canopy;

a support rod; and

an auxiliary screen supportable from at least one of the ribs, struts and canopy and collapsible from an expanded configuration to a collapsed configuration;

wherein the auxiliary screen, in the expanded configuration, shields a user holding the support rod from precipitation bypassing the canopy.

2. The umbrella of claim 1 further comprising:

a spool coupled to the support rod and to rotate relative to the support rod;

a line having a first portion coupled to the spool and a second portion coupled to the auxiliary screen; and

a plurality of line guides coupled to at least one of the ribs, the struts and the canopy;

wherein the spool rotates in a first direction to accumulate the line on the spool to reposition at least a portion of the auxiliary screen.

3. The umbrella of claim 2 wherein a proximal portion of the auxiliary screen is coupled to at least one of the ribs, struts and canopy, and a distal portion of the auxiliary screen is coupled to the second portion of the line.

4. The umbrella of claim 1 wherein at least one screen support tether is coupled at a proximal end to at least one of the ribs, struts and canopy and a distal portion of the at least one screen tether is coupled to a proximal portion of the auxiliary screen.

5. The umbrella of claim 1 wherein a proximal portion of the auxiliary screen is directly coupled to at least one of the ribs, struts and canopy to support the auxiliary screen in the expanded configuration.

6. The umbrella of claim 1 further comprising at least one fastener coupled to at least one of the ribs, struts and canopy to secure the auxiliary screen in the collapsed configuration in a stored position.

7. The umbrella of claim 6 wherein the at least one fastener comprises at least one of a tie, Velcro®, snaps, a hook and loop, and a magnet.

8. An umbrella comprising:

a support rod;

a plurality of ribs coupled at a first end to the support rod;

a collapsible fabric canopy coupled to the plurality of ribs;

a plurality of struts coupled at a first end to the ribs and at a second end to a ring that is movable along the support rod between a closed position, to collapse the fabric canopy, and an open position, to expand the fabric canopy;

a plurality of line guides coupled to at least some of the ribs;

an auxiliary screen supportable from at least one of the ribs, the struts and the fabric canopy in the expanded mode; and

a spool coupled to a the support rod and rotatable in a first direction to reel in, and rotatable in a second direction to spool out, a first portion of at least one line that is coupled at a second portion to a portion of the auxiliary screen and that engages at least one of the plurality of line guides intermediate the first portion and the second portion of the line;

wherein at least a portion of the auxiliary screen is positionable by rotation of the spool when the auxiliary screen is supported from at least one of the ribs, the struts and the fabric canopy.

9. The umbrella of claim 8 wherein the auxiliary screen is supportable by at least one tether having a first end coupled to at least one rib and a second end coupled to an upper portion of the auxiliary screen.

10. The umbrella of claim 9 further comprising a second line having a first portion coupled to the spool and a second portion coupled to the portion of the auxiliary screen and engaging at least one of the plurality of line guides intermediate the first portion and the second portion.

11. The umbrella of claim 9 wherein a lower portion of the auxiliary screen is positionable by rotation of the spool.

12. The umbrella of claim 11 wherein the whole of the auxiliary screen is positionable by rotation of the spool.

13. A kit for adding an auxiliary screen to an umbrella having a plurality of ribs coupled at a first end to a support rod, a plurality of struts coupled at a second end to the plurality of ribs and at a first end to a ring slidable along a portion of the support rod between a closed position and an open position, and a fabric canopy coupled to the ribs, comprising:

a plurality of line guides securable to the plurality of ribs;

a spool connectable to the support rod and rotatable in a first direction to reel in a first portion of a line and in a second direction to spool out the first portion of the line; at least one line having a first portion