A linear umbrella

Abstract

The present invention relates to a linear umbrella including a middle rod, a top cover, ribs, and the ribs connected to the top cover and a rib nest, further including: one opening pull cord fixed to the rib nest to pull the rib nest in the direction of the top cover to open the umbrella; one folding pull cord fixed to the rib nest to pull the rib nest in the direction of the lower part of the middle rod to fold the umbrella; a releaser provided at one side of the lower part of the linear rod and releasing and folding the opening pull cord and the folding pull cord from each other by fixing the ends of the opening pull cord and the folding pull cord when rotated; and a tension member allowing the opening pull cord and the folding pull cord to be released and folded while maintaining tension. In this way, the mechanism for opening and folding the umbrella can be implemented using two opening and folding pull cords, and each of the pull cords is maintained in tension, thereby simplifying the structure, reducing the weight, lowering the manufacturing cost, and allowing the umbrella to be manually opened and folded even in the case of implementing an electric automatic umbrella.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of umbrella technology, and in particular to a linear umbrella that uses two unfolding and folding cords to achieve an unfolding and folding mechanism, thereby simplifying the structure, reducing weight, and lowering manufacturing costs by maintaining tension on each cord. Background Technology

[0002] Umbrellas are not just tools for protecting against rain; their types and uses have become increasingly diverse, including parasols, golf umbrellas, manual umbrellas, and automatic umbrellas.

[0003] Traditional manual umbrellas typically consist of ribs, a handle, and other components. Users open and close the umbrella by pushing or pulling the handle. In this manual method, multiple springs are installed between the ribs to store rebound force when the umbrella is opened, which is then used to close it. However, users need to apply additional force to store this force when opening the umbrella, making it somewhat inconvenient to use.

[0004] On the other hand, automatic umbrellas have rope-like connecting parts or multiple gear sets and a drive motor inside the umbrella housing, which can be opened and closed by a button. However, this automatic method requires force not only to operate the connecting parts or gear sets, but also to stretch or compress the springs, thus requiring a drive motor with high torque. This increases manufacturing costs and results in high battery consumption, requiring frequent replacement or charging, which is inconvenient.

[0005] However, as described in the Korean patent "Fully Automatic Opening and Closing Umbrella" with publication number 10-2023-0042361, while using racks, worm gears, and toothed belts can improve the reliability of opening and closing operations, the power transmission structure is complex, with many components, making assembly difficult. Furthermore, the need to install many components inside the central rod increases the size and weight of the central rod, affecting its performance. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Umbrellas are not just tools for protecting against rain; their types and uses have become increasingly diverse, including parasols, golf umbrellas, manual umbrellas, and automatic umbrellas.

[0007] Traditional manual umbrellas typically consist of ribs, a handle, and other components. Users open and close the umbrella by pushing or pulling the handle. In this manual method, multiple springs are installed between the ribs to store rebound force when the umbrella is opened, which is then used to close it. However, users need to apply additional force to store this force when opening the umbrella, making it somewhat inconvenient to use.

[0008] On the other hand, automatic umbrellas have rope-like connecting parts or multiple gear sets and a drive motor inside the umbrella housing, which can be opened and closed by a button. However, this automatic method requires force not only to operate the connecting parts or gear sets, but also to stretch or compress the springs, thus requiring a drive motor with high torque. This increases manufacturing costs and results in high battery consumption, requiring frequent replacement or charging, which is inconvenient.

[0009] However, as described in the Korean patent "Fully Automatic Opening and Closing Umbrella" with publication number 10-2023-0042361, while using racks, worm gears, and toothed belts can improve the reliability of opening and closing operations, the power transmission structure is complex, with many components, making assembly difficult. Furthermore, the need to install many components inside the central rod increases the size and weight of the central rod, affecting its performance. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the unfolded linear umbrella of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the folding of the linear umbrella of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a side view of the umbrella nest of the linear umbrella of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a side view of the handle component of the linear umbrella of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a partially enlarged view of the tension component of the linear umbrella of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a working concept diagram of the unfolding and fixing component of the linear umbrella of the present invention.

[0011] 1. Line umbrella; 10. Center rod; 11. Top cover; 13. Umbrella ribs; 15. Upper path point; 16. Pull cord guide; 20. Umbrella canopy; 20a. Inner umbrella canopy; 20b. Outer umbrella canopy; 21. Anchor point; 21a. Anchor point; 21b. Anchor point; 23. Pulley; 31. Unfolding pull cord; 33. Folding pull cord; 40. Release device; 50. Tensioning component; 60. Handle component; 61. Guide pin; 63. Drive unit; 65. Operating unit; 71. Elastic protrusion. Detailed Implementation

[0012] The advantages, features, and implementation methods of the present invention will be described in detail in the embodiments and appendices. Figure 1 The following is a detailed description. However, the described embodiments are merely provided to clearly and fully understand the technical concept of the invention, and the invention is not limited to the provided embodiments, but can be embodied in various other forms.

[0013] The terminology used in this specification is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the invention. For example, in this specification, singular expressions include plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, terms such as "comprising" or "having" in this specification indicate the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, or parts described in the specification, and are not intended to exclude the presence or possibility of combinations or possibilities of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, or parts, unless otherwise expressly stated, and should be interpreted as not excluding the presence of such combinations.

[0014] The terminology used in this specification is for descriptive purposes only and is not intended to limit the invention. Therefore, when referring to a component being “connected” to another component, unless explicitly stated as “direct connection,” it should be interpreted as meaning that other intermediate components may exist in addition to the direct connection to the other component. Furthermore, in this specification, unless specifically stated otherwise, the singular form also includes the plural form.

[0015] In this specification, "and / or" means that all of the listed components may be included, or only one of them may be included. For example, "configure component 3 on one side of component 1 and / or component 2" means that component 3 may be configured in any one or all of component 1 or component 2.

[0016] Furthermore, all terms used in this specification, including technical and scientific terms, will have substantially the same meaning when understood by one of ordinary knowledge in the art, unless otherwise specifically defined. However, the definition of each term below is determined for the functionality of embodiments of the invention, and therefore, the explicit definition of a term should be interpreted primarily based on the content of this specification, and may vary due to user intent, operator intent, or common practice, etc. Example

[0017] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0018] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a linear umbrella 1 includes a center rod 10, a top cover 11 disposed on the upper part of the center rod 10, an umbrella nest 20 slidably connected to the center rod 10, and umbrella ribs 13 connecting the top cover 11 and the umbrella nest 20. The umbrella also includes an unfolding drawstring 31, a folding drawstring 33, a release device 40, and a tension member 50 for maintaining each unfolding drawstring 31 and folding drawstring 33 in a state of tension and for unfolding and retracting it on the release device 40.

[0019] The pull rope 31 is fixed to the umbrella nest 20 so that the umbrella nest 20 can be pulled towards the top cover 11 to unfold the umbrella.

[0020] As one embodiment, reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The unfolding pull cord 31 is fixed to the umbrella nest 20, with one end entering the interior of the central rod 10 via the upper path point 15 on one side of the upper part of the central rod 10 and fixed to the release device 40. Therefore, in the folded state, the release device 40 rotates and winds up the unfolding pull cord 31, pulling the umbrella nest 20, which is fixed to one end of the unfolding pull cord 31, towards the top cover 11, thereby causing the umbrella to open. Figure 1 That's how it unfolds.

[0021] Here, according to the present invention, the two ends of the pull cord 31 are respectively fixed to the umbrella nest 20 and the release device 40. As long as the umbrella nest 20 can be pulled up, various path points or additional components can be used to achieve various path methods. These various variations are within the scope of the present invention.

[0022] As one embodiment, unfolding the pull cord 31 can expose the exterior of the central rod 10 between the umbrella nest 20 and the upper path point 15, at which point it can be as follows: Figure 3 As shown, a pull rope guide 16 is provided on the outside of the center rod 10. In addition, various configurations can be added to prevent the pull rope 31 from breaking due to interference from other components in the exposed area, or to prevent damage to its appearance.

[0023] In this invention, the material of the unfolding pull cord 31, including the folded pull cord 33 mentioned below, can be of various types suitable for wrapping or unwinding around the release device 40. Materials that do not stretch or contract along their length are typically used, but the possibility of using stretchable materials is not excluded (depending on the degree of stretchability, etc.).

[0024] One end of the folding pull cord 33 is fixed to the umbrella nest 20. Pulling the umbrella nest 20 down to the lower part of the center rod 10 folds the umbrella. As one embodiment, the folding pull cord 33 is like... Figure 1 and 2 As shown, one end is fixed to the umbrella nest 20, and the other end extends downward and is fixed to the release device 40. Therefore, when the release device 40 is rotated to wind up and retract the folding pull rope 33, the umbrella nest 20 is pulled down to the lower part of the center rod 10.

[0025] The folding pull cord 33 according to the present invention, like the aforementioned unfolding pull cord 31, can use various path methods without limitation, as long as it can be fixed at both ends and the umbrella nest 20 can be pulled downward. For example, the folding pull cord 33 can extend into the interior of the central rod 10, pass through one or more path points, and then be exposed on the exterior of the central rod 10 and fixed to the umbrella nest 20.

[0026] Or, such as Figure 1As shown, the folding pull cord 33 can extend directly from the outside of the center rod 10 without passing through the inside of the center rod 10 and be fixed to the umbrella nest 20. In this case, the folding pull cord 33 being exposed to the outside of the center rod 10 may pose a risk of breakage, may interfere with other components leading to malfunction, and may cause damage to the appearance. Therefore, a solution such as... Figure 3 and Figure 4 The pull cord guide 16 shown houses the folded pull cord 33 outside the center rod 10. Therefore, the folded pull cord 33, extending from the lower part of the center rod 10 and protruding from the release device 40, is pulled out to the outside of the umbrella nest 20 via the pulley 23 on the umbrella nest 20 and secured to the anchor point 21b. Furthermore, it is worth noting that the pull cord guide 16 can be varied as needed, and is not limited to... Figure 3 As illustrated in the example. Additionally, the aforementioned pull rope guide 16 can also be applied to the area where the pull rope 31 is exposed outside the center rod 10.

[0027] The release device 40 is located on one side of the lower part of the central rod 10 and is used to fix the other end of each unfolding pull rope 31 and folding pull rope 33 so that as it rotates, the unfolding pull rope 31 and folding pull rope 33 unfold and retract respectively, but in opposite directions.

[0028] In this configuration, if the handle component 60 is installed at the bottom of the middle section 10, the release device 40 can be located inside the handle component 60. However, the location of the release device 40 is not limited to inside the handle component 60; it can be installed outside the handle component 60 or in other different locations. Similarly, for the unfolded pull cord 31 or the folded pull cord 33, one corresponding to the release device 40 can be installed inside the handle component 60, and the other can be installed outside the handle component 60; the specific positions can be adjusted as needed.

[0029] The release device 40 can be installed in various ways. For example, in one embodiment, the release device 40 can correspond to both the unfolding pull cord 31 and the folding pull cord 33, thus allowing for the installation of two release devices 40. In this case, two drive units 63 can be provided to drive the rotation of each release device 40.

[0030] Or, in the appendix Figure 4In another embodiment shown, the release device 40 can be designed as a dual release device 40, because the unfolding pull cord 31 and the folding pull cord 33 have opposite winding directions, resulting in opposite unfolding and folding methods. In this case, the unfolding pull cord 31 and the folding pull cord 33 form a closed loop curve at both ends of the umbrella nest 20 and the release device 40, and according to the rotation of the release device 40, the unfolding pull cord 31 and the folding pull cord 33 lift or lower the umbrella nest 20 during mutual unfolding or folding, thereby allowing the umbrella to open or fold. Therefore, according to the present invention, by realizing the umbrella opening and closing mechanism with two unfolding and folding pull cords, the construction is simple, manufacturing costs can be saved, and due to the characteristics of the pull cords, lightweight and miniaturization can be achieved.

[0031] Furthermore, according to embodiments of the present invention, the linear umbrella 1 can be implemented as an automatic umbrella that drives the rotary releaser 40 via a drive unit 63. As one embodiment, the drive unit 63 may include a drive motor for rotating the releaser 40, a power supply component, and an operation unit 65 for operating the drive motor. In this case, if the handle component 60 is installed at the bottom of the middle portion 10, the releaser 40 and the drive unit 63 can be installed inside the handle component 60, while the operation unit 65 can be installed outside the handle component 60. Additionally, the power supply component may be equipped with terminals for external charging, or the power supply component may be separated from the handle component 60 for rechargeability.

[0032] In this situation, if the drive motor cannot obtain power from the aforementioned power supply component, or if the power supply is depleted, the drive unit 63 may not restrict the rotation of the release device 40. In this case, the user can push or pull the umbrella canopy to open or close the umbrella as if using a manual umbrella. Therefore, the linear umbrella of the present invention can be used as both an automatic umbrella and a manual umbrella to maximize user convenience.

[0033] Furthermore, according to the present invention, when the linear umbrella is applied to realize an automatic umbrella by means of a drive motor, only rotational power needs to be provided to the pull cord, so it is very easy to realize an automatic umbrella. In particular, for the case of using double pull cords, only one drive unit is needed to operate, thereby saving manufacturing costs, reducing weight and volume, and minimizing the power required to realize the opening and closing action of the umbrella, thereby maximizing service life.

[0034] Additionally, an unfolding fixing component can be provided to secure the umbrella 1 in its unfolded state. The unfolding fixing component prevents the umbrella nest 20 from being pushed downwards towards the center rod 10 by the weight of the umbrella ribs 13 and the umbrella fabric.

[0035] The unfolding and fixing components can be designed in various types and are not limited. For example, an elastic protrusion 71 can be provided on the side of the umbrella nest 20 pointing towards the center rod 10, allowing it to move in and out elastically, and an insertion hole (not shown) can be provided on the side of the center rod 10 corresponding to the position of the umbrella nest 20 in the unfolded state of the umbrella.

[0036] As one embodiment, reference Figure 6 The umbrella nest 20 can be composed of an inner umbrella nest 20a and an outer umbrella nest 20b. The inner umbrella nest 20a can be slidably installed on the outside of the middle rod 10, and the outer umbrella groove 20b is located outside the inner umbrella nest 20a and can move up and down relative to the inner umbrella nest 20a.

[0037] Additionally, one end of the unfolded pull cord 31 and the folded pull cord 33 are as follows: Figure 6 All of them are fixed on one side of the outer umbrella nest 20b.

[0038] Here, the movement of the inner umbrella nest 20a and the outer umbrella nest 20b during the unfolding and folding of the linear umbrella 1 is explained. First, in the folded state, as... Figure 6 b, the inner umbrella nest 20a and the outer umbrella nest 20b are separate. Therefore, when the umbrella is opened, the outer umbrella nest 20b is first pushed upward by the opening pull cord 31, and when the outer umbrella nest 20b and the inner umbrella nest 20a come into contact... Figure 6 When the umbrella is in state a, the outer umbrella nest 20b and the inner umbrella nest 20a rise together along the center rod 10. Conversely, when the umbrella is folded, the folding cord 33 causes the outer umbrella nest 20b to descend first, and then, after a set interval, the inner umbrella nest 20a and the outer umbrella nest 20b descend together along the center rod 10.

[0039] In this embodiment, the unfolding and fixing part includes an insertion hole (not shown) on one side of the middle rod 10 corresponding to the position of the outer umbrella nest 20b, and an elastic protrusion 71 provided in the insertable insertion hole on the inner umbrella nest 20a.

[0040] Elastic protrusion 71 is located Figure 6 Within the set interval distance in state b, Figure 6 In state b, there is no interference between the elastic protrusion 71 and the outer umbrella nest 20b. Furthermore, in... Figure 6 In state a, when the umbrella is unfolded, the outer umbrella nest 20b is compressed by the action of the unfolding pull cord 31 and inserted into the insertion hole. Therefore, the unfolded state of the umbrella is fixed.

[0041] On the contrary, Figure 6 In state b, when the umbrella is folded, the outer umbrella nest 20b descends first. When the interference compression on the elastic protrusion 71 is released, the elastic protrusion 71 is pushed out of the insertion hole by the elastic force. Then the inner umbrella nest 20a and the outer umbrella nest 20b descend together to the bottom of the central rod 10.

[0042] Here, the position of the outer umbrella nest 20b in the unfolded state is fixed by interference caused by the relative displacement of the outer umbrella nest 20b (such as the compression and release of the elastic protrusion 71 by the outer umbrella nest 20b). The corresponding changes are not limited to the above embodiments.

[0043] Therefore, in the case of an automatic umbrella equipped with a drive unit 63, the umbrella is supported in the open state by the elastic protrusion 71, so no additional drive unit 63 is needed to maintain the open state, which can minimize power consumption and increase usage time. Furthermore, in the case of a manual umbrella without a drive unit 63, the open fixing part can keep the umbrella in the open state, and the user does not need to support the umbrella nest 20.

[0044] Tension member 50 ensures that the unfolding pull cord 31 and folding pull cord 33 are kept under tension while performing opening and closing operations on the releaser 40. The function of tension member 50 is to compensate for changes in the length of the initially set individual pull cords due to extension / retraction or other structural changes in the position of the unfolding pull cord 31 and / or folding pull cord 33. For example, if either the unfolding pull cord 31 or the folding pull cord 33 changes length due to use or other reasons, one of the pull cords will not be fully or further released from the releaser 40, causing the umbrella nest 20 to be unable to be in the designated unfolded or folded position, making the opening and closing operation itself impossible. Alternatively, even if the umbrella can be opened and closed, the umbrella nest 20 may not be secured in the folded or unfolded state and may float, thus reducing the commercial value of the product. Therefore, tension member 50 compensates for this by applying tension to the unfolding pull cord 31 and folding pull cord 33.

[0045] The tension member 50 can adopt various different structures, for example, Figure 3 As shown, this can be achieved by an elastic member disposed between the end of the unfolding pull cord 31 and / or the folding pull cord 33 and the anchor point 21 of the umbrella nest 20. The tension member 50 extends and retracts according to the extension and retraction of the pull cords to maintain the tension of each pull cord. Here, although in Figure 3 The tension member 50 at the end of the folded pull rope 33 is shown, but it is obvious that the same or similar structure can also be applied to the end of the unfolded pull rope 31.

[0046] like Figure 5 As shown, the tension member 50 can be disposed on the side of the unfolded wire rope 31 and / or the folded wire rope 33 that is not wrapped around the releaser 40. For example, for the folded wire rope (33), the tension member 50 can be disposed between the anchor point on the umbrella nest 20 side and the section that is not wrapped around the releaser 40.

[0047] Alternatively, if the release device 40 is located inside the handle component 60, the tension component 50 can be located between the release device 40 and the bottom of the center rod 10.

[0048] For example, refer to Figure 4 Inside the handle component 60, a guide pin 61 can be provided to guide the unfolding pull rope 31 and / or the folding pull rope 33 to the bottom of the central rod 10. In this case, the tension component 50 can be configured as an elastic component located between the guide pin 61 and the unfolding pull rope 31 and / or the folding pull rope 33. That is, one end of the elastic component 50 is fixed to the guide pin 61a, and the other end is connected to the folding pull rope 33 in a loop shape, making the folding pull rope 33 movable. When the folding pull rope 33 is stretched, it can be tightened towards the guide pin 61a to adjust its elasticity. When the folding pull rope 33 is shortened, it can be kept straight to adjust its length.

[0049] Therefore, the linear umbrella provided by the present invention can compensate for changes in length of the unfolding and / or folding cords due to use or other reasons through tension components, thereby preventing misoperation of the umbrella and improving the reliability and durability of the product.

[0050] In addition, the tension member 50 can absorb excessive tension applied to the wire during sudden operation of the umbrella or local loads generated near the path point to prevent wire breakage and minimize damage, thereby increasing durability.

[0051] Although the present invention has been described with reference to limited embodiments and drawings, it is not limited thereto, and those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains can make various modifications and variations to the technical concept and scope of the claims. Therefore, the disclosed embodiments should be considered descriptive rather than limiting. The scope of the invention should be defined within the scope of the claims rather than the foregoing description, and all differences within the equivalent scope should be interpreted as included within the present invention.

Claims

1. A linear umbrella, comprising a center pole, a top cover located above the center pole, an umbrella canopy slidably connected to the center pole, and umbrella ribs connected to the top cover and the umbrella canopy, characterized in that, Also includes: An unfolding pull cord is fixed to the umbrella nest so that the umbrella nest is pulled toward the top cover to unfold the umbrella; A folding pull cord is fixed to the umbrella nest so that the umbrella nest is pulled towards the lower part of the center rod to fold the umbrella; A release mechanism is located on one side of the lower part of the linear umbrella, and by fixing the ends of the unfolding pull cord and the folding pull cord, the unfolding pull cord and the folding pull cord are released and retracted to each other when rotated; The tensioning component allows the unfolding and folding ropes to be released and retracted while maintaining tension. as well as The unfolding fixing part includes an inner umbrella nest and an outer umbrella nest disposed outside the inner umbrella nest and movable up and down relative to the inner umbrella nest to set a distance; one end of the unfolding pull rope and the folding pull rope are respectively fixed to one side of the outer umbrella nest. The unfolding and fixing part includes an insertion hole and an elastic protrusion. The insertion hole is located on one side of the center rod and corresponds to the position of the outer umbrella nest in the unfolded state. The elastic protrusion is located on the inner umbrella nest and can be inserted into the insertion hole. When the umbrella is unfolded, the outer umbrella nest is raised by the unfolding pull cord to press into the insertion hole to fix the unfolded state of the umbrella. When the umbrella is folded, the outer umbrella nest is lowered by the folding pull cord to release the fixation and pull the folded umbrella out of the insertion hole.

2. A linear umbrella according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tensioning component is an elastic element disposed between the end of one or both of the unfolding pull rope and the folding pull rope and the anchor point of the umbrella nest.

3. A linear umbrella according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tensioning component is an elastic element located on one side of the releaser, outside of any one or both of the unfolding and folding ropes.

4. A linear umbrella according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a handle component located at the lower end of the central rod, the release device being located inside the handle component, and the tension component being located between the release device and the lower end of the central rod.

5. A linear umbrella according to claim 4, characterized in that: It also includes a guide pin located inside the handle component and extending from the release device for guiding one or both of the unfolding pull cord and the folding pull cord to the lower end of the center rod, and the tension member is located between the guide pin and one or both of the unfolding pull cord and the folding pull cord.

6. A linear umbrella according to claim 1, characterized in that: The release device is configured as two corresponding to the unfolding pull rope and the folding pull rope, or as a dual release device that winds the unfolding pull rope and the folding pull rope in opposite directions respectively and releases and retracts the unfolding pull rope and the folding pull rope with the direction of rotation.

7. A linear umbrella according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a handle component located at the lower end of the central rod, wherein the handle component is provided with a drive unit for driving the release to rotate, and an operation unit for operating the drive unit.

8. A linear umbrella according to claim 7, characterized in that: When the drive unit is not powered, it does not restrict the rotation of the release mechanism, allowing manual pushing and pulling of the umbrella nest to unfold and fold the umbrella.

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