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[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]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.[0003]2. Brief Description of the Related Art[0004]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.[0005...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007]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.

[0008]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.

[0011]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.

[0012]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.

[0013]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.

Problems solved by technology

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.

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