Extendable Umbrella
An extendable umbrella is described herein which has a shaft, where the outside of the shaft serves as a guide for an umbrella runner which allows for the opening and closing of a canopy and the inside of the shaft contains multiple lockable adjustable height telescoping tubes that can be extended from the shaft and all the way to the ground if desired to provide support to the umbrella while it is being held by a person in a standing position.
This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/710,991, filed Mar. 6, 2018, the disclosure of which is fully incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates generally to an extendable umbrella. More particularly, the present invention relates to an extendable umbrella having a shaft, where the outside of the shaft serves as a guide for an umbrella runner which allows for the opening and closing of a canopy and the inside of the shaft contains multiple lockable adjustable height telescoping tubes that can be extended from the shaft and all the way to the ground if desired to provide support to the umbrella while it is being held by a person in a standing position.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONAccording to Wikipedia, an umbrella (or parasol) is a folding canopy supported by wooden or metal ribs, which is usually mounted on a wooden, metal or plastic pole that may instead be referred to as a tube or shaft. Umbrellas and parasols are primarily hand-held portable devices sized for personal use. The largest hand-portable umbrellas are golf umbrellas. Umbrellas can be divided into two categories: fully collapsible umbrellas, in which the metal pole supporting the canopy retracts, making the umbrella small enough to fit in a handbag; and non-collapsible umbrellas, in which the support pole cannot retract and only the canopy can be collapsed. Another distinction can be made between manually operated umbrellas and spring-loaded automatic umbrellas which spring open at the press of a button.
Various types of extendable adjustable height poles are well known for use as walking poles or camera support poles. Such extendable adjustable height poles typically have several nested telescoping tubes, which may be made of aluminum or plastic, and locking mechanisms associated with each telescoping tube enabling the pole to be collapsed to a minimum height (e.g., 16″) and extended up to a maximum height (e.g., 59″). Various types of locking mechanisms are commonly used with such poles such as flip-lever clamps, compression rings, button clips and the like.
Various patents disclose umbrellas combined with telescoping tubes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,790,338 entitled “Combined Golfing Umbrella and Golf Ball Retriever Structure” describes a combined golfing umbrella and golf ball retriever structure, where the golf ball retriever structure telescopes into and out of the umbrella screen end of a golf umbrella. The telescoping inner shaft sections described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,790,338 having mating conical portions with reduced diameter end portions as depicted in
U.S. Pat. No. 6,510,861 entitled “Universal Golf Umbrella” describes a golfing accessory apparatus that employs a longitudinally extensible and retractable pole upon which an umbrella unit is mounted for use in the usual fashion when an umbrella is desired. Mounts on both the handle end and the opposite end of the umbrella pole provide a means for attaching and detaching any one of a number of accessory devices. U.S. Pat. No. 6,510,861 does not disclose telescoping tubes that extend from and retract into the shaft of the umbrella. U.S. Pat. No. 6,510,861 also does not disclose locking mechanisms that enable the pole to be adjusted to a height between its maximum height and its minimum height that is maintained by the locking mechanisms.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,185,665 entitled “Golf Bag Umbrella” describes an umbrella for use in a golf bag for protecting items stored in the golf bag, which is depicted in
U.S. Pat. No. 8,011,379 entitled “Portable and Compact Umbrella” describes a collapsible umbrella that is depicted in
An extendable umbrella and a method for using the extendable umbrella are described in the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments of the extendable umbrella and the method for using the extendable umbrella are further described in the dependent claims.
In one aspect, the present disclosure provides an extendable umbrella comprising: a canopy; a shaft; a runner, wherein the shaft has an outside that serves as a guide for the runner allowing an opening and a closing of the canopy; a handle attached to one end of the shaft and the canopy is secured to an opposite end of the shaft; a first telescoping tube that is located inside the shaft while in a non-extended position and the first telescoping tube while in an extended position protrudes at least partially out from the one end of the shaft; and a first locking mechanism configured to enable the first telescoping tube to move from the non-extended position to the extended position and vice versa and further configured to lock the first telescoping tube in either the non-extended position or the extended position, and wherein while the first telescoping tube is in the non-extended position or the extended position the first locking mechanism is abutted up against the handle. The first locking mechanism may have an outer diameter that is substantially the same as an outer diameter of the handle.
In another aspect, the present disclosure provides an extendable umbrella comprising: a canopy; a shaft; a runner, wherein the shaft has an outside that serves as a guide for the runner allowing an opening and a closing of the canopy; a handle, wherein the handle is attached to one end of the shaft and the canopy is secured to an opposite end of the shaft; a plurality of telescoping tubes arranged to telescope into and out of an inside of the one end of the shaft; and a plurality of locking mechanisms, wherein each one of the locking mechanisms is associated with each one of the telescoping tubes, wherein each one of the locking mechanisms is configured to enable the associated each one of the telescoping tubes to move from the inside of the one end of the shaft to an outside of the one end of the shaft and vice versa and further configured to lock the associated each one of the telescoping tubes in the inside of the one end of the shaft or the outside of the one end of the shaft, and wherein while the plurality of telescoping tubes are located in the inside of the one end of the shaft then the plurality of locking mechanisms resemble an additional handle that abuts against the handle. Each one of the locking mechanisms may have an outer diameter that is substantially the same as an outer diameter of the handle.
In yet another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method of using an extendable umbrella. The extendable umbrella comprising: a canopy; a shaft; a runner, wherein the shaft has an outside that serves as a guide for the runner allowing an opening and a closing of the canopy; a handle, wherein the handle is attached to one end of the shaft and the canopy is secured to an opposite end of the shaft; a plurality of telescoping tubes arranged to telescope into and out of an inside of the one end of the shaft; and a plurality of locking mechanisms, wherein each one of the locking mechanisms is associated with each one of the telescoping tubes, wherein while the plurality of telescoping tubes are located in the inside of the one end of the shaft then the plurality of locking mechanisms resemble an additional handle that abuts against the handle. The method comprises steps of: operating each one of the locking mechanisms to move each one of the telescoping tubes from the inside of the one end of the shaft to outside of the one end of the shaft and vice versa; and operating each one of the locking mechanisms to lock the associated each one of the telescoping tubes in the inside of the one end of the shaft or the outside of the one end of the shaft. Each one of the locking mechanisms may have an outer diameter that is substantially the same as an outer diameter of the handle.
Additional aspects of the present disclosure will be set forth, in part, in the detailed description, figures and any claims which follow, and in part will be derived from the detailed description, or can be learned by practice of the disclosure. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present disclosure.
A more complete understanding of the present disclosure may be obtained by reference to the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:
The present invention will now be described more fully in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention should not, however, be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, they are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.
Although the exemplary extendable umbrella 600 describe above used four telescoping tubes 208a, 208b, 208c, 208d and four locking mechanisms (i.e., four compression rings 210a, 210b, 210c, 210d or four flip-level clamps 216a, 216b, 216c, 216d), a number of telescoping tubes and locking mechanisms less than or greater than four could instead be used in accordance with the invention.
The disclosure as provided above was described in relation to a non-collapsible umbrella as shown in
While particular embodiments of the invention have been described, it will be understood, however, that the invention is not limited thereto, since modifications may be made by those skilled in the art, particularly in light of the foregoing teachings. It is, therefore, contemplated by the appended claims to cover any such modifications that incorporate those features or those improvements which embody the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. An extendable umbrella comprising:
- a canopy;
- a shaft;
- a runner, wherein the shaft has an outside that serves as a guide for the runner allowing an opening and a closing of the canopy;
- a handle, wherein the handle is attached to one end of the shaft and the canopy is secured to an opposite end of the shaft;
- a plurality of telescoping tubes including a first telescoping tube and a second telescoping tube, wherein the first telescoping tube is at least partially located inside the shaft while in a non-extended position and while in an extended position protrudes at least partially out from the one end of the shaft, wherein the extended position can be a fully extended position or a partially extended position;
- a plurality of locking mechanisms including a first locking mechanism attached to the first telescoping tube and a second locking mechanism attached to the second telescoping tube, wherein the first locking mechanism is configured to enable the first telescoping tube to move from the non-extended position to the extended position and vice versa and is further configured to lock the first telescoping tube in either the non-extended position or the extended position; and
- a foot attached to the second telescoping tube and having an outer diameter greater than the outer diameter of the first telescoping tube and having a bottom surface that is flat and perpendicular to the second telescoping tube.
2. The extendable umbrella of claim 1, wherein an outer diameter of the first locking mechanism and the outer diameter of the second locking mechanism are substantially the same as an outer diameter of the handle.
3. The extendable umbrella of claim 1,
- wherein the second locking mechanism can be abutted up against another locking mechanism of said plurality of locking mechanisms.
4. The extendable umbrella of claim 1, wherein the boot is a rubber boot.
5. (canceled)
6. (canceled)
7. (canceled)
8. The extendable umbrella of claim 1, wherein the plurality of locking mechanisms comprises a plurality of compression rings.
9. The extendable umbrella of claim 1, wherein when the plurality of telescoping tubes are collapsed the plurality of locking mechanisms resemble the handle.
10. The extendable umbrella of claim 1, wherein the handle has a plurality of grooves spaced apart to resemble a shape of the plurality of locking mechanisms when the plurality of telescoping tubes are collapsed.
11. The extendable umbrella of claim 1G, wherein the handle has multiple finger grip indentions, the first locking mechanism has a finger grip indention, and the second locking mechanism has a finger grip indention.
12. The extendable umbrella of claim 11, wherein the multiple finger grip indentions are at an angle relative to the finger grip indentions of the first locking mechanism and the second locking mechanism.
13. The extendable umbrella of claim 1, wherein the plurality of locking mechanisms comprises a plurality of flip lever clamps.
14. An extendable umbrella comprising:
- a canopy;
- a shaft;
- a runner, wherein the shaft has an outside that serves as a guide for the runner allowing an opening and a closing of the canopy;
- a handle, wherein the handle is attached to one end of the shaft and the canopy is secured to an opposite end of the shaft;
- a plurality of telescoping tubes including a first telescoping tube and a second telescoping tube that are arranged to telescope into and out of an inside of the one end of the shaft;
- a plurality of locking mechanisms including a first locking mechanism attached to the first telescoping tube and a second locking mechanism attached to the second telescoping tube, wherein the first locking mechanism and the second locking mechanism are each configured to enable one of the telescoping tube to move from the inside of the one end of the shaft to an outside of the one end of the shaft and vice versa and further configured to lock the one of the telescoping tubes in the inside of the one end of the shaft or the outside of the one end of the shaft, and wherein while the plurality of telescoping tubes are located in the inside of the one end of the shaft then the plurality of locking mechanisms resemble the handle; and
- a foot attached to the second telescoping tube and having a diameter greater than the diameter of the first telescoping tube and having a bottom surface that is flat and perpendicular to the second telescoping tube.
15. The extendable umbrella of claim 14, wherein each locking mechanism of the plurality of locking mechanisms has an outer diameter that is substantially the same as an outer diameter of the handle.
16. The extendable umbrella of claim 14, wherein the handle has multiple finger grip indentions and each locking mechanism of the plurality of locking mechanisms has a finger grip indention.
17. The extendable umbrella of claim 16, wherein the multiple finger grip indentions are at an angle relative to the finger grip indentions of the plurality of locking mechanisms.
18. The extendable umbrella of claim 14, wherein the plurality of locking mechanisms is a plurality of compression rings or a plurality of flip lever clamps.
19. A method of using an extendable umbrella, wherein the extendable umbrella comprising:
- a canopy;
- a shaft;
- a runner, wherein the shaft has an outside that serves as a guide for the runner allowing an opening and a closing of the canopy;
- a handle, wherein the handle is attached to one end of the shaft and the canopy is secured to an opposite end of the shaft;
- a plurality of telescoping tubes including a first telescoping tube and a second telescoping tube arranged to telescope into and out of an inside of the one end of the shaft;
- a plurality of locking mechanisms including a first locking mechanism attached to the first telescoping tube and a second locking mechanism attached to the second telescoping tube, wherein while the plurality of telescoping tubes is located the inside of the one end of the shaft then the plurality of locking mechanisms resembles; and
- a foot attached to the second telescoping tube and having a diameter greater than the diameter of the first telescoping tube and having a bottom surface that is flat and perpendicular to the second telescoping tube, and wherein the method comprises the steps of:
- operating the plurality of locking mechanisms to move the plurality of telescoping tubes from the inside of the one end of the shaft to an outside of the one end of the shaft and vice versa; and
- operating the plurality of locking mechanisms to lock the plurality of telescoping tubes in the inside of the one end of the shaft or the outside of the one end of the shaft.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein each locking mechanism of the plurality of locking mechanisms has an outer diameter that is substantially the same as an outer diameter of the handle.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 11, 2018
Publication Date: Sep 12, 2019
Applicant: Mindlathe LLC (Huntsville, AL)
Inventors: John Roberts Humphrey (Huntsville, AL), Mark D. Roberts (Huntsville, AL)
Application Number: 16/127,348