An inflatable reflective umbrella

Abstract

The utility model provides a kind of inflatable reflective umbrella, it is related to photography reflective umbrella technical field, including inflatable cover body, it forms the closed cavity with umbrella shape contour after being inflated and unfolded;The central region of the inflatable cover body is equipped with a mounting hole through its thickness;Reflective medium is attached on the inner concave surface of the inflatable cover body;The mounting hole is configured as: when the inflatable cover body is inflated to predetermined pressure, its size and middle mounting frame form interference fit or elastic clamping, so that the quick installation and fixing of the inflatable reflective umbrella and the mounting frame are realized, to solve the current reflective umbrella rib structure makes that overall weight is larger, carrying and handling are inconvenient, when storage, umbrella rib and umbrella surface need to be folded, occupy larger space, especially for large reflective umbrella, storage and transportation cost are higher;In addition, umbrella rib joint is easy to wear or break due to frequent opening and closing, affect service life technical problem.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model mainly relates to the field of photographic reflective umbrella technology, specifically to an inflatable reflective umbrella. Background Technology

[0002] Reflective umbrellas, as a common light-reflecting device, are widely used in photography, videography, lighting, and outdoor work. Traditional reflective umbrellas typically use a rib structure made of metal or composite materials to support the canopy, with reflective material attached to the inside of the canopy to achieve light reflection. While this structure is sturdy, it has the following significant drawbacks: First, the rib structure makes the overall weight relatively large, inconvenient to carry and transport; second, folding the ribs and canopy for storage requires folding, taking up considerable space, especially for large reflective umbrellas, resulting in high storage and transportation costs; furthermore, the joints of the ribs are prone to wear or breakage due to frequent opening and closing, affecting their lifespan.

[0003] To reduce weight and storage volume, some reflective umbrellas with foldable or segmented designs have emerged in existing technologies, but they still rely on rigid support structures and cannot completely solve the problems of size and weight.

[0004] It should be noted that the above content falls within the scope of technical knowledge of those skilled in the art. Due to the vast and complex nature of the technical content in this field, the above content of this application does not necessarily constitute prior art. Utility Model Content

[0005] 1. The technical problem to be solved by the utility model:

[0006] This utility model provides an inflatable reflective umbrella to solve the technical problems existing in the background art.

[0007] 2. Technical Solution:

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution provided by this utility model is: an inflatable reflective umbrella, comprising...

[0009] An inflatable cover made of flexible, airtight material, which forms a sealed cavity with an umbrella-shaped profile when inflated and unfolded.

[0010] The inflatable cover has a mounting hole that penetrates its thickness in the central area;

[0011] A reflective medium is attached to the concave surface of the inflatable cover.

[0012] The mounting hole is configured such that when the inflatable cover is inflated to a predetermined pressure, its size forms an interference fit or elastic snap-fit ​​with the central mounting frame, thereby enabling the rapid installation and fixation of the inflatable reflective umbrella and the mounting frame.

[0013] When this device is in operation, the uninflated inflatable cover is first unfolded, and its mounting holes are aligned with the end of the mounting frame, such as a camera light stand or a reflector umbrella mounting frame. Then, gas is injected into the inflatable cover through the inflation valve. As gas is continuously injected, the inflatable cover gradually expands, eventually forming a full, smooth umbrella-shaped reflective surface. At the same time, the mounting holes expand moderately outward under the internal air pressure, generating a strong clamping force and friction with the end of the mounting frame, forming a stable interference fit. This securely "locks" the entire reflector umbrella onto the mounting frame without any additional mechanical locking devices. This device completely abandons the traditional bulky and easily damaged umbrella rib structure, and the entire structure is made of only flexible materials, greatly reducing its weight. After deflation, the volume can be reduced to one-tenth or even one-twentieth of its inflated state, greatly reducing storage and transportation costs. It is especially suitable for scenarios requiring high mobility, such as outdoor shooting and outdoor work. The inflation process can be carried out using a manual or automatic air pump, which only takes a few seconds to tens of seconds. When disassembling and folding, simply deflate the air. The operation is extremely simple and efficient, far exceeding that of traditional reflective umbrellas that require manual assembly of the umbrella ribs. The internal air pressure makes the mounting holes and mounting frame form an adaptive interference fit, resulting in a firm and stable connection. It also avoids the risk of wear or breakage of metal parts and has a longer service life.

[0014] Furthermore, the inflatable cover is equipped with an inflation valve for filling or expelling gas into the sealed cavity.

[0015] Furthermore, the reflective medium is silver reflective cloth, white diffuse reflective cloth, or gold reflective cloth, and is attached to the concave surface of the inflatable cover by means of pasting, hot pressing, or high-frequency welding.

[0016] Furthermore, the umbrella-shaped outline of the inflatable cover is circular, elliptical, rectangular, or polygonal.

[0017] Furthermore, the sealed cavity of the inflatable cover is filled with a fluid working medium.

[0018] Furthermore, it also includes a mounting base, which includes a support portion for connecting to the mounting bracket and a connecting portion adapted to the mounting hole;

[0019] The supporting part has a limiting concave surface on the side facing the inflatable cover that matches the outer contour of the inflatable cover after inflation.

[0020] The mounting hole of the inflatable cover is fitted onto the connecting part. When the inflatable cover is inflated, its umbrella-shaped head is embedded in the limiting concave surface. Under the action of air pressure, the inner wall of the mounting hole forms an interference fit with the connecting part, thereby making the inflatable cover firmly connected to the mounting base.

[0021] 3. Beneficial effects:

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution provided by this utility model has the following advantages:

[0023] This utility model has a reasonable design. By adopting a frameless inflatable cover structure, it achieves extreme lightweighting and ultra-small volume storage, greatly reducing the weight. After deflation, the volume can be reduced to a fraction of the inflated volume, significantly reducing storage and transportation costs and highlighting its portability advantages.

[0024] It utilizes air pressure to create a self-adaptive interference fit between the mounting hole and the mounting bracket, enabling rapid installation and disassembly with just one set of air pressure. The operation process is simple and efficient, far surpassing traditional products. Furthermore, this connection method is robust and stable, avoiding the risk of metal parts wear or breakage, and resulting in a longer service life.

[0025] It should be noted that the structures not described in this utility model are the same as or can be implemented using existing technology, and will not be elaborated here, as they do not involve the design points and improvement directions of this utility model. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the inflatable cover and the mounting base of this utility model;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the inflatable cover of this utility model installed on the mounting base;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the inflatable cover of this utility model installed on the mounting base from another angle.

[0030] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the inflatable cover of this utility model after it has been inflated.

[0031] Figure label:

[0032] 1. Inflatable cover; 2. Mounting hole; 3. Inflation valve; 4. Mounting base; 41. Supporting part; 42. Connecting part. Detailed Implementation

[0033] To facilitate understanding of this utility model, a more comprehensive description of the utility model will be given below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show several embodiments of the utility model. However, the utility model can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that the disclosure of the utility model will be more thorough and complete.

[0034] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "page", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model.

[0035] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this utility model, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0036] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installed," "connected," "linked," "fixed," "provided with," and "located in" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0037] It should be noted that the structures not described in this utility model do not involve the design points and improvement directions of this utility model, and can all adopt existing technologies known to those skilled in the art.

[0038] The specific implementation of this utility model will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0039] See attached document Figure 1-5 An inflatable reflective umbrella, including

[0040] An inflatable cover 1 made of flexible airtight material forms a sealed cavity with an umbrella-shaped profile after being inflated and unfolded.

[0041] The inflatable cover 1 has a mounting hole 2 that penetrates its thickness in the central area;

[0042] A reflective medium is attached to the concave surface of the inflatable cover 1;

[0043] The mounting hole 2 is configured such that when the inflatable cover 1 is inflated to a predetermined pressure, its size forms an interference fit or elastic snap-fit ​​with the central mounting frame, thereby enabling the rapid installation and fixation of the inflatable reflective umbrella and the mounting frame.

[0044] In this embodiment, the uninflated inflatable cover 1 is first unfolded, and its mounting hole 2 is aligned with the end of the mounting frame, such as a camera light stand or a reflector umbrella mounting frame. Then, gas is injected into the inflatable cover 1 through the inflation valve 3. As gas is continuously injected, the inflatable cover 1 gradually expands, eventually forming a full, smooth umbrella-shaped reflective surface. At the same time, the mounting hole 2 expands moderately outward under the action of internal air pressure, thereby generating a strong clamping force and friction with the end of the mounting frame, forming a stable interference fit, thus firmly "locking" the entire reflector umbrella onto the mounting frame without any additional mechanical locking devices. This device completely abandons the traditional bulky and easily damaged umbrella rib structure, and the whole is made of only flexible materials, greatly reducing the weight. After deflation, the volume can be reduced to one-tenth or even one-twentieth of its inflated state, greatly reducing storage and transportation costs. It is particularly suitable for scenarios requiring high mobility, such as outdoor shooting and outdoor work. The inflation process can be carried out using a manual or automatic air pump, taking only a few seconds to tens of seconds. It can be deflated when disassembling and folding, making the operation extremely simple and efficient. It far surpasses traditional reflective umbrellas that require manual assembly of the umbrella ribs. The internal air pressure makes the mounting hole 2 and the mounting frame form an adaptive interference fit, resulting in a firm and stable connection. It also avoids the risk of wear or breakage of metal parts, resulting in a longer service life. Furthermore, if one rib of the traditional umbrella structure is damaged, the reflective light path of the entire reflective umbrella will be affected, making the entire structure unusable. However, this application uses a highly resilient inflatable cover 1, which can form a perfect cone structure after inflation, resulting in better reflective effect.

[0045] An inflation valve 3 is provided on the inflatable cover 1 for filling or discharging gas into the sealed cavity. In this embodiment, the inflation valve 3 is preferably a one-way check valve 3. The inflation valve 3 is sealed and embedded in the umbrella surface or edge of the inflatable cover 1 by a high-frequency heat sealing process.

[0046] The one-way check valve 3 typically includes a valve body, a valve core, and a sealing cap. The bottom of the valve body has a vent hole that communicates with the sealed cavity. When the inflation nozzle of an inflation device such as a manual air pump or an electric air pump is inserted into the valve core, it opens the valve core, allowing gas to be smoothly injected into the cavity. After the inflation nozzle is removed, the valve core automatically closes under internal air pressure or its own elasticity, preventing gas backflow and achieving a sealed pressure.

[0047] When air needs to be released and stored, the protective sealing cover can be manually opened or lifted, and the valve core mechanism can be pressed directly to keep it open. The internal gas can then be quickly released under the elastic restoring force of the inflatable cover 1. Alternatively, an external air extraction device can be connected to an air nozzle for active air extraction to accelerate the air release speed and achieve a more compact storage.

[0048] The reflective medium is a silver reflective cloth, a white diffuse reflective cloth, or a gold reflective cloth, and is attached to the concave surface of the inflatable cover 1 by means of pasting, hot pressing, or high-frequency welding. In this embodiment, the reflective effect of the reflector is achieved by the silver reflective cloth, the white diffuse reflective cloth, or the gold reflective cloth.

[0049] The umbrella-shaped outline of the inflatable cover 1 is circular, elliptical, rectangular, or polygonal. In this embodiment, for example... Figure 1 As shown, this is the most common and preferred embodiment. After inflation, the projected outline of the inflatable cover 1 is circular. This shape produces the most uniform and softest reflected light, with natural light spot transitions, meeting the standard requirements for most photographic lighting.

[0050] In another embodiment of this application, after the inflatable cover 1 is inflated, its projected outline is a rectangle with different aspect ratios, including a square. This shape is particularly suitable for scenarios that require simulating window lighting effects or special lighting such as strip lighting or background lighting, and can produce a more directional lighting effect;

[0051] In another embodiment of this application, after the inflatable cover 1 is inflated, its projected outline is elliptical. This shape combines the softness of a circle with the directional characteristics of a rectangle, and can be used to generate unique elliptical light spots to create special visual effects.

[0052] As another embodiment of this application, depending on the specific artistic creation needs, the projected outline can also be a hexagon, octagon or other regular polygons, or even a customizable special curved shape such as a heart shape, to meet personalized shooting needs.

[0053] The final two-dimensional shape of the inflatable cover 1 is entirely determined by the cut shape of its flexible material and the stitching path of the seams. By changing the cut pattern of the initial sheet, various desired "closed planar curve" contours can be stably obtained after inflation without changing any core structure, such as the inflation valve 3, mounting hole 2, etc.

[0054] Different projection contours directly determine the distribution of the reflected light field. A circle produces a centrally symmetrical, uniform light field; a rectangle produces a directional rectangular light field; and an ellipse produces an elliptical light field. Users can choose different shapes of reflective umbrellas according to their specific lighting intentions, thus obtaining diverse optical effects through the simple operation of inflation.

[0055] The sealed cavity of the inflatable cover 1 is filled with a fluid working medium. In this embodiment, the fluid working medium can be air, nitrogen (N2), argon (Ar), helium (He), or a mixture of gases, depending on the situation. Regardless of the type of fluid medium, it will generate pressure after being filled into the sealed cavity. This pressure acts on the inner wall of the inflatable cover 1, overcoming the elastic deformation of the material, causing it to expand and tighten, thereby forming the required rigid umbrella structure.

[0056] It also includes a mounting base 4, which includes a support portion 41 for connecting to the mounting bracket and a connecting portion 42 adapted to the mounting hole 2;

[0057] The supporting part 41 has a limiting concave surface on the side facing the inflatable cover 1 that matches the outer contour of the inflatable cover 1 after inflation.

[0058] The mounting hole 2 of the inflatable cover 1 is fitted onto the connecting part 42. When the inflatable cover 1 is inflated, its umbrella-shaped head is embedded in the limiting concave surface. The inner wall of the mounting hole 2 forms an interference fit with the connecting part 42 under the action of air pressure, thereby making the inflatable cover 1 and the mounting base 4 firmly connected.

[0059] In this embodiment, the mounting base 4 can be threaded or fixedly connected to the mounting bracket. To improve the stability of the inflatable cover 1 after expansion, a limiting concave surface is provided to match the outer contour of the inflatable cover 1. After inflation, the mounting hole 2 and the rear part of the inflatable cover 1 will be engaged with the mounting base 4. The top of the support part 41 has a spherical crown-shaped disc structure. A spherical limiting concave surface is precisely machined on the side facing the cover. The radius of curvature of this concave surface is the same as the theoretical radius of curvature of the top of the inflatable cover 1 after inflation, ensuring that the two can fit together with the maximum area.

[0060] The connecting part 42 is a short cylinder extending vertically from the geometric center of the supporting part 41. The diameter of this cylinder is precisely calculated, slightly smaller than the diameter of the mounting hole 2 on the inflatable cover 1 in its natural state, but larger than its inner diameter that can be reached due to elastic expansion under working air pressure. During installation, the mounting hole 2 of the uninflated inflatable cover 1 is fitted onto the connecting part 42. At this time, the friction between the materials can achieve initial fixation, which facilitates the subsequent inflation operation. After inflation begins, the inflatable cover 1 expands and is guided and constrained by its precise geometry, ultimately forming a spherical crown shape that perfectly fits the limiting concave surface and has a stable structure. The internal air pressure causes the flexible material around the mounting hole 2 to elastically expand, making it tightly clamped to the protruding structure, generating huge static friction force, achieving radial fastening and preventing detachment.

[0061] The above-described embodiments are merely illustrative of certain implementations of this utility model, and their descriptions are relatively specific and detailed. However, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of this utility model patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this utility model, and these modifications and improvements all fall within the protection scope of this utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of this utility model patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An inflatable reflective umbrella, characterized in that: include An inflatable cover (1) made of flexible airtight material, which forms a closed cavity with an umbrella-shaped profile after being inflated and unfolded; The inflatable cover (1) has a mounting hole (2) that extends through its thickness in the central region. A reflective medium is attached to the concave surface of the inflatable cover (1); The mounting hole (2) is configured such that when the inflatable cover (1) is inflated to a predetermined pressure, its size forms an interference fit or elastic snap-fit ​​with the central mounting frame, thereby realizing the quick installation and fixation of the inflatable reflective umbrella and the mounting frame.

2. An inflatable reflective umbrella according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inflatable cover (1) is provided with an inflation valve (3) for filling or discharging gas into the sealed cavity.

3. An inflatable reflective umbrella according to claim 1, characterized in that: The reflective medium is silver reflective cloth, white diffuse reflective cloth or gold reflective cloth, and is attached to the concave surface of the inflatable cover (1) by pasting, hot pressing or high frequency welding.

4. An inflatable reflective umbrella according to claim 1, characterized in that: The umbrella-shaped outline of the inflatable cover (1) is circular, elliptical, rectangular or polygonal.

5. An inflatable reflective umbrella according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sealed cavity of the inflatable cover (1) is filled with a fluid working medium.

6. An inflatable reflective umbrella according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: It also includes a mounting base (4), which includes a support (41) for connecting to the mounting bracket and a connection (42) adapted to the mounting hole (2). The supporting part (41) has a limiting concave surface on the side facing the inflatable cover (1) that matches the outer contour of the inflatable cover (1) after inflation. The mounting hole (2) of the inflatable cover (1) is fitted onto the connecting part (42). When the inflatable cover (1) is inflated, its umbrella-shaped head is embedded in the limiting concave surface. The inner wall of the mounting hole (2) forms an interference fit with the connecting part (42) under the action of air pressure, thereby making the inflatable cover (1) and the mounting base (4) firmly connected.

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