A recyclable umbrella that is highly resistant to storms and offers safety thanks to its air-filled ribs and unique design.

Abstract

We provide a recyclable umbrella that is resistant to storms, safe, and can be collected and recycled without requiring disassembly and sorting during disposal. [Solution] The main components of the umbrella are made entirely of polyethylene (PE), making it possible to collect and recycle without disassembly or sorting. The central shaft 4 is made of rigid PE and is configured to be separable and detachable from the umbrella body. The support ribs are eliminated, and the umbrella fabric 2 is supported by hollow PE ribs 3 that can hold air. A push-button type push pump is integrated into the tip 5 to supply air to the ribs and ensure rigidity. The umbrella fabric has an asymmetrical shape that extends laterally and backward, with the front covering from the face to the shoulders and the rear being longer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an umbrella, and particularly to a recyclable umbrella that eliminates the need for separation and sorting at the time of disposal, improves recyclability, and enhances safety during congestion and rainproof performance during storms.

Background Art

[0002] Conventional umbrellas often use different materials such as metal and glass fiber for the umbrella fabric, framework, handle, etc., making it difficult to separate and sort them at the time of disposal. Therefore, there are problems such as an increase in disposal costs and low efficiency of collection and recycling. In recent years, with the spread of inexpensive vinyl umbrellas, the concept of disposable umbrellas has become established. In Japan, it is said that about 130 million umbrellas are consumed annually, of which about 80 million are vinyl umbrellas, and its consumption volume is said to be the highest in the world. Under such circumstances, a large number of forgotten umbrellas that are not picked up after being left behind in places such as inside train stations, as well as illegally discarded umbrellas, have become social issues. Furthermore, it is said that the proportion of forgotten items accounted for by umbrellas is high, and while inexpensive vinyl umbrellas can be easily purchased, it has also been pointed out that the awareness of treasuring umbrellas and using them for a long time is low. Therefore, the environmental burden due to an increase in the amount of discarded umbrellas and the increase in social costs related to cleaning, collection, and disposal have become problems. In addition, at crowded places, the tip or bone end of an umbrella may come into contact with people around, posing a risk of injury. Furthermore, in an environment of heavy rain such as guerrilla downpours or storms accompanied by strong crosswinds that have been increasing in recent years, ordinary umbrellas are likely to get wet in the rain and may not provide sufficient rainproof performance.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems and has the following objectives: 1. By unifying the main components of the umbrella with polyethylene-based materials, disassembly and sorting during disposal will be unnecessary, thereby facilitating collection and recycling, reducing waste disposal costs, and minimizing the environmental burden caused by illegal dumping. 2. By using a structure and shape that does not use metal or fiberglass, the risk of injury from contact in crowded areas will be reduced, thereby improving safety. 3. The umbrella should be designed to withstand storms from the side and rear, and have a shape that makes it less likely to get wet even in torrential downpours. Furthermore, vinyl umbrellas often use different materials for the fabric and frame, requiring disassembly and sorting when disposed of. This increases the costs associated with disassembly, sorting, collection, and processing, making it difficult to reduce the environmental burden. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] This invention uses polyethylene-based materials for the main components of the umbrella body, enabling collection and recycling without the need for disassembly and sorting during disposal. This reduces the disassembly and sorting costs associated with vinyl umbrellas and other similar products, as well as the environmental burden caused by illegal dumping. Furthermore, this invention features a hollow rib structure that allows air to be sealed inside, and a pump mechanism that supplies air to the rib ensures the rigidity of the rib and supports the umbrella fabric. This ensures the support performance of the umbrella without using dissimilar materials such as metal or fiberglass, and makes it a structure suitable for recycling. Furthermore, this invention improves the convenience of collection, transportation, storage, and recycling processes by forming the central shaft from a rigid polyethylene-based material and configuring the central shaft and umbrella body to be separable and detachable. Furthermore, safety is improved by eliminating the need for reinforcing ribs and instead supporting the umbrella fabric with the main ribs, thereby reducing the risk of injury from contact during crowded use. In addition, to improve rain protection during storms, the umbrella fabric is designed with an asymmetrical shape that extends laterally and backward from the user, with the front side sized to cover the user's face and shoulders, and the rear side being longer than the front side. [Effects of the Invention]

[0005] This invention provides the following effects. 1. By constructing the main components of the umbrella body from polyethylene-based materials, collection and recycling become possible without the need for disassembly and sorting during disposal. This contributes to reducing the disassembly and sorting costs that are a problem with vinyl umbrellas, and helps to reduce the environmental burden associated with waste disposal and deter illegal dumping. 2. By incorporating a hollow rib structure that allows air to be injected, and a pump mechanism that supplies air to the rib to ensure the rigidity of the rib and support the umbrella fabric, it is possible to ensure the support performance of the umbrella without using metal or fiberglass, and the simplified material composition improves recyclability. 3. By forming the central shaft from a rigid polyethylene-based material and configuring the central shaft and umbrella body to be separable and detachable, the collection, transportation, storage, and recycling processes are facilitated, improving the feasibility and efficiency of recycling. 4. By adopting a structure without support ribs and a main rib with an air structure and shape, the risk of injury from contact in crowded situations can be reduced, thereby improving safety. 5. The umbrella fabric has an asymmetrical shape that extends horizontally and backward, with the front side sized to cover the face and shoulders, and the rear side longer than the front side. This reduces getting wet from crosswinds and storms from behind, and improves rain protection in heavy rain such as torrential downpours. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0006] [Figure 1] This is an overall perspective view of the umbrella of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a side view of the umbrella according to the present invention, showing that the umbrella fabric 2 has an asymmetrical shape that extends laterally and backward. [Figure 3] This is a rear view of the umbrella according to the present invention, showing that the rear side of the umbrella fabric 2 is formed to be longer than the front side. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the hollow structure of the main rib 3 of the present invention. [Figure 5]This is an explanatory diagram showing the structure of the pump mechanism 8 (push-button type push pump) integrally provided with the tip portion 6 of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is an explanatory diagram showing the structure of the present invention in which the central shaft 4 and the umbrella body 1 are connected in a separable and detachable manner. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0007] 1: Umbrella (umbrella body) 2: Umbrella fabric 3: Main rib (hollow structure) 4: Medium rod (hard PE) 5: Tip (push pump)

Claims

1. An umbrella characterized in that the main components of the umbrella body are made of polyethylene-based material, it has a hollow structure with air-fillable ribs, a pump mechanism that supplies air to the ribs to ensure the rigidity of the ribs and support the umbrella fabric, and it can be collected and recycled without requiring disassembly and sorting at the time of disposal, and is a recyclable umbrella that is strong against storms and safe due to the air-filled ribs and their shape.

2. A recyclable umbrella according to claim 1, characterized in that the central shaft is formed from a rigid polyethylene-based material, and the air-filled ribs and their shape make it resistant to storms and safe.

3. A recyclable umbrella according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the central shaft and the umbrella body are detachably configured and the central shaft and the umbrella body are detachably connected, and the recyclable umbrella is strong against storms and safe due to the air-filled ribs and their shape.

4. A recyclable umbrella according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it does not have support ribs and the umbrella fabric is supported by the main ribs, and is a recyclable umbrella that is strong against storms and safe due to the air-filled main ribs and their shape.

5. A recyclable umbrella according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the pump mechanism is a push-button type push pump integrally provided at the tip, and the recyclable umbrella is resistant to storms and safe due to the air-filled ribs and their shape.

6. A recyclable umbrella according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the umbrella fabric has an asymmetrical shape that extends laterally and backward from the user, reducing wetting from crosswinds and storms from behind, and is resistant to storms and safe due to the air ribs and their shape.

7. A recyclable umbrella according to claim 6, characterized in that the front side of the umbrella fabric has dimensions that cover the user's face and shoulders, and is resistant to storms and safe due to the air ribs and their shape.

8. A recyclable umbrella according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the rear side of the umbrella fabric is formed to be longer than the front side, and a recyclable umbrella comprising air ribs and a pump mechanism.

Images