Abstract: An automatic umbrella includes: a central shaft, a plurality of umbrella ribs, an umbrella-opening spring, an umbrella-closing spring, and a control device having a push button which may be pushed upwardly for opening the umbrella and may be pushed downwardly for closing the umbrella for preventing a confusing or false operation when extending or folding the umbrella.

Abstract: An improved umbrella is provided which consists of an elongated hollow shaft having an open top. A collapsible canopy is carried on the elongated hollow shaft. A mechanism is for operating the canopy so that when the canopy is placed in a closed position it will be stored within the open top of the elongated hollow shaft and when the canopy is placed in an opened position the canopy will extend outwardly form the open top over the elongated hollow shaft.

Abstract: An improved opening lock for use in a sunshade or a parasol which is housed in a cavity defined on the shaft of the sunshade. The present opening lock has a stop block having a smoothly curved guide bottom at the front end and a bias spring disposed behind the stop block and a fixing element for mounting the spring, and a cover plate which confines the stop block and the spring and the fixing element inside the cavity so that the runner of the sunshade slidably disposed on the shaft is able to move against the lock, pushing the lock into the cavity when the runner traveling upward to make the sunshade open, and the stop block is able to pop out when the runner passing the same and to support the runner in place, keeping the sunshade opened. To close the sunshade, the stop lock must be pushed into the cavity to permit the runner slide downward.

Abstract: A fully automatic collapsible umbrella comprises a hollow shank including an upper, a middle and a lower tubes, telescopic to each other, an expansion spring disposed between the upper and lower tubes, and an umbrella closing spring disposed between the upper and middle tubes, as well as an upper, a middle and a lower rings; a grip mounted outside of the lower tube at lower portion, having an actuator for carrying out the umbrella opening and closing operation; a pawl provided at the upper portion of the upper tube; an inner tube provided with a positioner; twin wires movably connected to each other by a connector, in which the upper wire is provided at upper end with a slidable block for controlling the pawl and the lower wire is operated at lower end by the actuator; and an umbrella opening spring disposed between the middle and lower rings. Further, a safety member is provided for prevent the umbrella from opening by accident.

Abstract: A disposable umbrella apparatus is made of thermoplastic and inexpensive materials and has a central staff made of a length of plastic pipe. Three short plastic dowels are mounted perpendicular through the staff and a plastic cap mounts to the top of the pipe to act as a stop for a fixed upper collar supporting the fixed struts of the umbrella and as a latch for a slidable collar carrying the collapsing umbrella struts. The slidable collar has an opening therethrough and slides along the staff pipe and the latching for the umbrella uses a pair of grooves along the inside of the opening the slidable collar so that the collar can slide over one of the plastic dowels protruding from the staff and abut against a second dowel protruding from the staff and then rotated between the two dowels to latch the collars and struts in position to hold the umbrella in an open position.

Abstract: A folding frame for use in umbrella or the like includes a plurality of arcuate stretcher ribs each pivotally secured between a lower runner reciprocatively held on a central shaft of the umbrella and a top rib pivotally secured to an upper notch of the shaft so that when extending the ribs and an umbrella cloth secured to the top ribs for opening the umbrella, the arcuate stretcher ribs may resiliently retain the top ribs and the umbrella cloth without the aid of a spring catch for saving production cost and for simplifying a folding or extending operation of the umbrella.

Abstract: A telescopic centerpost includes a slider of umbrella spokes or ribs formed with a catch socket engageable with a stabilizing retainer for preventing an accidental dropping of the slider and preventing an unexpected closing of umbrella canopy or cloth once opened; and having a handle tube of the centerpost formed with a plurality of longitudinal extensions on an outer circumference of the handle tube for firmly gripping the handle tube for preventing its slipping.

Abstract: An umbrella frame has a pivotal connection between a crown or slider and canopy spokes or struts (1), respectively. The connection involves a sheet metal sleeve (3), which is carried on a stick (4) and has, integrally formed with it, an annular flange (5) and lobes (6). Each lobe comprises an axially extending inner section (6a) and an, initially outwardly extending, outer section (6b). During assembly, the outer sections are curled inwards about pivot pins(s) for the spokes or struts (1), which are seated in radius portions (R) at the junctions of the inner and outer lobe sections.

Abstract: A mechanism for releasing the slider (4) of an umbrella frame, has a trigger sleeve (8), which cooperates with a locking member (6) of the slider and is axially movable in or on a handle (2) of the umbrella against spring action to move the locking member out of its locking engagement with in the slider. In order to simplify the release for clumsy or ignorant umbrella users or for foolproof operation, there is arranged on the trigger sleeve a secondary trigger which may be pressed radially inwards either manually or upon axial displacement of the trigger to move the locking member out its locking engagement with the slider.

Abstract: An inflatable umbrella comprising a flexible canopy having at least one enclosed space adapted to be filled with a fluid for inflating the umbrella to an open condition. A self-contained compressible reservoir containing a fluid supply communicates with the enclosed space, and means are provided for compressing said reservoir, which may either be of the manual or automatic type.

Abstract: A tent support pole having adjacent one end a plurality of hooks spaced circumferentially around the pole on a fixed collar. A sleeve is slidable on the pole between the hook collar and a fixed stop collar spaced below the hook collar. The sleeve has a like plurality of slots to engage the free end of a tent support strut. The other end of the strut is pivotably connected to a tent support arm and intermediate the ends of the arm. One end of the arm has a bar to engage the hook and the other end a guy securing rope. In use, the bar on the arm is placed on the hook and the free end of the strut is engaged in the sleeve slot. The tent pole is then erected with the top of the pole (i.e., the end adjacent the hooks) projecting through a ring secured to the canvas. The guy ropes are secured to the arm. The sleeve is then moved downwardly toward the stop collar, causing the radially outer end of the arms to be raised and the guy ropes to be fully tensioned to support the canvas.