Sun shelter

Abstract

A sun shelter includes an umbrella assembly that is openable and closable via the movement of its arms and canopy and that includes a plurality of tethers and ground elements is disclosed. The tethers of the sun shelter secure the umbrella assembly to the ground elements to increase stability of the device. The tethers are adjustable and may be independently adjustable. The sun shelter may include sidewalls, and attachment elements for sidewalls.

Description

FIELD

[0001] Disclosed embodiments are related to a sun shelter with adjustable tethers, which can be shortened or lengthened to further secure the sun shelter to the ground.BACKGROUND

[0002] Sun shelters like umbrellas generally include a central support with several arms extending from that central support. Generally, the shade provided by these devices come at the expense of wind resistance, and therefore make the sun shelter unstable in windy conditions.SUMMARY

[0003] In some embodiments a sun shelter is disclosed. The sun shelter comprises an umbrella assembly that is openable and closable. The umbrella assembly includes a central support and a plurality of arms that are hingedly attached to the central support, which are movable between an extended and condensed position. The umbrella assembly further includes a canopy, associated with the plurality of arms in a manner so that when the plurality of arms is extended, the canopy is also expanded and when the plurality of arms is condensed, the canopy is collapsed. The sun shelter further includes a plurality of tethers. The plurality of tethers includes a ground element, which, with the central support, further secures the umbrella assembly, and a plurality of tethering elements, which connects the umbrella assembly to the ground element. The length of the plurality of tethers is adjustable.

[0004] In some additional embodiments, a sun shelter is disclosed. The sun shelter may include a plurality of arms that is associated with a canopy. The sun shelter may further include a tether, which includes a tethering element, that is connected to at least one of the plurality of arms and the canopy at its first end, and a ground element at its second end. The tethering element may be removable from the ground element, the canopy or the plurality of arms.

[0005] In some embodiments, a securement for an umbrella is disclosed. The securement may include a plurality of tethering points, and a plurality of tethers. The plurality of tethers may include a plurality of ground elements that secure the umbrella to the ground, and a plurality of tethering elements that connect the ground elements and the tethering points. Each of the plurality of tethers contains a first end that is connected to the umbrella at a corresponding tethering point and a second end that is connected to at least one ground element of the plurality of ground elements. The length of the plurality of tethers is adjustable.

[0006] It should be appreciated that the foregoing concepts, and additional concepts discussed below, may be arranged in any suitable combination, as the present disclosure is not limited in this respect. Further, other advantages and novel features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description of various non-limiting embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying figures.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0007] The accompanying drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. In the drawings, each identical or nearly identical component that is illustrated in various figures may be represented by a like numeral. For purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in every drawing. In the drawings:

[0008] FIG. 1 depicts a sun shelter according to one embodiment;

[0009] FIG. 2 depicts the sun shelter of FIG. 1 with an additional sidewall;

[0010] FIG. 3 depicts an enlarged view of a portion of the sun shelter showing a ground element according to one embodiment;

[0011] FIG. 4a depicts an enlarged view of a tether connection point of the embodiment in FIG. 1; and

[0012] FIG. 4b depicts an alternative embodiment for the tether connection point.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] Generally, sun shelters allow users to escape the uncomfortable rays of the sun and may offer a reprieve from the intense summer heat. Traditional umbrellas are secured to the ground at a singular point via a central support, with several arms that hold an umbrella's fabric canopy extending from the central support. As a consequence of this top-heavy design, umbrellas frequently become unsecured from the ground and may be blown a distance away from the user and therefore they must first be caught, then resecured.

[0014] Some alternative designs to umbrellas, such as cabanas, attempt to increase stability with additional supports. However, these additional support structures come at the expense of portability as the additional legs means additional weight and additional bulk. Furthermore, this additional weight makes these devices difficult to assemble and may require cooperation from multiple users. Moreover, these supports may not be adjustable or may be cumbersome to adjust, making them less than ideal for uneven terrain, such as beaches with steep pitches towards the ocean. Moreover, their lack of adjustability may make them less wind resistant, as the inner walls of the fabric may more easily catch the wind and make the device even more likely to sail away.

[0015] In view of the above, the Inventors appreciate that an umbrella style sun shelter with a central support and several adjustable tethering elements may be implemented to further secure the device and prevent it from flying away. The Inventors also appreciate that certain structural features can be added and removed to allow for customizability based on environmental conditions.

[0016] As will be further appreciated by the below disclosure, the sun shelter includes an umbrella assembly and a plurality of tethers. The umbrella assembly itself includes a support frame and a canopy. The tethers that may extend down from the umbrella to secure the sun shelter to the ground. These tethers may be formed from a ground element and a tethering element, which may be defined as a continuous piece of material such as a rope, or a structure that acts as a tether. In some instances, the tethering elements may be made of a material that is different from the canopy or the same material in a different form. For example, the canopy may be made from or include organic or synthetic fibers, such as cotton or PTFE (tradename Teflon™), or polyester, while the tether may be a rope made of nylon, polyester, polypropylene, Dyneema, or aramid fibres. However, this list is not exhaustive, as any material or combination of materials that allow the canopy and tether to function may be substituted.

[0017] In some embodiments, the tethering elements may also be made of a flexible material, which may allow for the tethers to be shortened or lengthened. However, some flexible materials may become dynamic when exposed to windy conditions, which may hinder the tether's ability to secure the umbrella assembly. Accordingly, in some embodiments the tethering elements may be designed to minimize the wind resistance of the tethers. The tethering elements may be selected from a material that is sturdy or robust. In some embodiments the tethering elements may be fabricated from a material that does not easily blow into the wind, while remaining light enough to be supported by the umbrella assembly frame. This material may be a stiffer material, which may be less likely to move in the wind. Alternatively or additionally the material may be a denser or heavier version of a material that is commonly used in outdoor shelters—for example using a polyester rope instead of a polyester sheet, or it may be a dense material that is not typically associated with outdoor shelters. Moreover, it may be desirable to balance the weight and stiffness of the tethering elements robustness with their portability. In some instances, a material with a small or thinner profile may be used as or within the tethering element to decrease the amount of the material's surface area on one or more sides of the tethering element, which may also minimize the total amount of surface area that can be moved by the wind. Understandably, this may also minimize the amount of force exerted on the tethers by the wind. For similar reasons, in some instances, the tethering elements may have a cylindrical shape or include rounded elements (or other aerodynamic features) that allow for wind to flow around the tethering element. However, other materials and / or methods that minimize the movement of the tethers may be substituted.

[0018] The tethers may be secured to the edges of the umbrella at or through the canopy, the umbrella frame such as the umbrella arms, or some other structure. There may be the same number of tethers as the number of umbrella arms. In some embodiments there may be more or less tethers than the number of arms. The tethers can be connected to the umbrella assembly at various locations, such as near the arms, on the arms or on the canopy at a point between two arms, or a combination thereof.

[0019] The tethers may be connected to the umbrella at connection points, these connection points may be preinstalled or otherwise predetermined. In some embodiments, the tether may be slidably secured to the umbrella assembly, such as with grommets or other structures that allow the tether to slide relative to the canopy, connection point or other point on the umbrella. In some embodiments, the tether may be sewn directly to the canopy or otherwise secured to the umbrella assembly in a way that prevents the tether from sliding relative to the umbrella, such as with snap fasteners.

[0020] The length of the tethers may be adjustable in length to accommodate for terrain with unequal surfaces by having some of the tethers longer than other tethers on the sun shelter. In some embodiments, the tethers may be removable and re-attachable so that the umbrella assembly is only supported by the central support without any additional structures hanging.

[0021] In some embodiments, the length of the tethers may be adjustable even when the umbrella assembly is installed in the ground. For example, the umbrella assembly may be installed when the central support is inserted vertically into the ground so that the arms and the canopy can be (but not necessarily are) held up exclusively by the central support and are not touching the ground when the umbrella assembly is open. Additionally, the tethers may be adjusted when the canopy and arms are extended and expanded while the umbrella assembly is installed. This may enable a user to more accurately adjust the length of the tether based on the conditions. Moreover, the adjustability of the tethers may allow for the sun shelter to change its spatial requirements. Without wishing to be bound by theory, if space is limited, then the tethers may be shortened so that the ground elements are closer to the umbrella assembly. For example, the tethers may be lengthened or shortened based on the available space, as one tether may be shorter than the others to accommodate obstacles, such as rocks or other beach goers. Conversely, if space is available, the tethers may be extended so that the ground elements are spaced further from the umbrella assembly. This may increase the stability of the device and may help the sunshade device remain in place during more volatile weather conditions.

[0022] In some embodiments, the length of the tether can be adjusted at a ground element. The ground element may include a connection element for the tether that allows for the length of the tether to be adjusted. For example, if a tethering element was associated with a stopper that prevents the rope from moving within the connection element and the stopper was moved to a different point on the tethering element, then the length of the tether will also change. Naturally, the ground element may be separable from the umbrella assembly or the tethering elements. In some embodiments, because the length of one tether can be adjusted at either at the umbrella assembly, the ground element, or both, without impacting the length of the remaining tethers, the tethers are individually adjustable.

[0023] In some embodiments, the tethering elements may secure a plurality of ground elements to the umbrella assembly, or even one ground element. In some instances, the number of ground elements may equal the number of tethers, or the number of arms.

[0024] However, the number of ground elements can also be greater than or less than these numbers, as in some cases, multiple tethers share the same single ground element. And in some cases, the same tether may contain multiple ground elements.

[0025] In some embodiments, a tether is associated with a single tethering element that is connected to a single ground element. However, in some instances a single tether may have multiple tethering elements, such as if two tethering elements where immovably connected to a tethering point and both tethering elements were connected to the same or different ground elements. Alternatively, or additionally, tethering elements from different tethers may be connected to the same ground element.

[0026] The ground element may be designed to hold the lower portion of the tether in place. In some embodiments, the ground element holds the tether in place by being inserted into the ground. However, in some other embodiments, the ground element is disposed onto the surface of the ground and uses its heft to secure the tether, and consequently the umbrella assembly, in place. In such an embodiment, the top portion of the umbrella assembly may rock or move in excessively windy conditions, which may move the ground elements, however because in this embodiment, the tethering force is derived from the weight of the ground element, and not by its position within the ground, the ground elements could still secure the umbrella assembly to the ground even if they do not maintain their initial position. Therefore, even if the umbrella moves slightly, the support from the weighted elements may not be compromised.

[0027] In some embodiments, the ground element itself is not heavy and instead is a structure that is configured to receive and retain another material. For example, the ground element may be a container with an opening at the top where weight can be added into the container, for example by adding sand into the container. This container may have a rigid structure, or may be made of a flexible material, such as fabric. If the ground element is made of a flexible material, then in some embodiments, the ground element may include an insert, such as a rigid ring, near the opening. This rigid ring may keep the opening of the container more open to receive the additional material. In some cases, the rigid ring may operate as a scoop to scoop a material, such as sand, into the ground element.

[0028] In some embodiments, the sun shelter has different types of ground elements, as some may have different aesthetic designs, while others may be functional. For example, some ground elements may have a thermally insulating layer and include a structure that enables an opening of the ground element to be closed, such as a cover or a draw string. In such an embodiment, the ground element may be used to store food or drinks. Additionally, in some embodiments, the ground element may be designed to keep valuables and electronics safe from intense heat or theft.

[0029] In some embodiments, the sun shelter can be unassembled. For example, the tethers and ground elements may be removed from the umbrella assembly, or the canopy can be removed from the umbrella assembly. And in some instances, the arms may be removable from the central support. In some embodiments, the support may be telescopically collapsible, separable at defined sections, or otherwise reversibly compressible. In some embodiments, the entire sun shelter may be articulated or folded in a manner to allow for the device to fit within a bag that is less than have the length of the assembled sun shelter.

[0030] In some embodiments, an umbrella assembly is modified according to the above disclosure with a kit that includes the umbrella assembly connection element, the tether and the ground elements.

[0031] Turning to the figures, specific non-limiting embodiments are described in further detail. It should be understood that the various systems, components, features, and methods described relative to these embodiments may be used either individually and / or in any desired combination as the disclosure is not limited to only the specific embodiments described herein.

[0032] The embodiment detailed in FIG. 1 illustrates a sun shelter 100 with an umbrella assembly 200 with a plurality of tethers 300 including a plurality of tethering elements and a plurality of ground elements 400.

[0033] The umbrella assembly 200 includes a central support 210, that can be inserted into the ground so that the umbrella assembly 200 can stand vertically in an installed position. The central support 210 may be comprised of a durable enough material, such as plastic and metal, so that the central support 210 may be the only structure of the umbrella assembly 200 that contacts the ground and that can support the weight of the umbrella assembly. The umbrella assembly may include structures on the lower portion of the central support 210, such as a screw 213 that may aid in the insertion of the central support 210 into the ground.

[0034] The umbrella assembly 200 may also contain a runner 215 that is movable along the central support, as well as several arms 220 that extend from the central support. In the embodiment detailed in FIG. 1, the umbrella assembly 200 includes four arms 220 that are hingedly attached to the central support 210 at a connector. Movement of the runner 215 on the central support 210, moves the arms 220 between an extended position, where the umbrella assembly is open (as illustrated in FIG. 1), and a condensed position where the umbrella assembly 200 is closed.

[0035] In some embodiments, each arm 220 may be broken into several arm sections, such as a first arm that is closer to the support and a second arm that is connected to the first arm. The first arm and the second arm may be hingedly attached to each other. As the umbrella assembly is opened, the first arm may rotate at the connector in one direction, such as upward, and the second arm may rotate about the first arm in a second direction, such as downward. However, this is not intended to be limiting, as in some embodiments, each arm is a single component, and other umbrella assemblies known in the art may be substituted.

[0036] A fabric canopy 230 may be secured to the arms 220. In some embodiments, the canopy 230 is connected to a top portion of the arms, which may be determined when the arms are extended. Accordingly, when the arms 220 are extended, the canopy 230 is also expanded and positioned on top of the arms 220. The canopy may also be compressed by the arms moving into their condensed position when the umbrella assembly is open or closed. The amount that the arms extend when they are in their extended position may define the amount of shade generated by the umbrella assembly.

[0037] When the umbrella assembly 200 is in the open position, the canopy 230 is fully extended. In the illustrated embodiment, the canopy 230 extends when a user moves a runner 215 towards the top of the device. A plurality of stretchers 217 are each hingedly attached to the runner 215 at one end, and the other end of each stretcher 217 is connected to its respective arm 220. Each arm 220 is hingedly connected to the central support 210, so as the runner 215 is moved towards the top of the umbrella assembly 200, the stretchers 217 push the arms 220 upwards; this movement causes the arms 220 to rotate upwards from the central support 210, opening the umbrella assembly 200. Conversely, when the runner 215 is moved towards the ground, the arms 220 move into a closed position where they are aligned or substantially parallel with the central support 210 and the canopy is no longer expanded. However, the umbrella assembly 200 can expand its canopy in several ways, with more or less movable parts, as the above disclosure should not be construed as limiting.

[0038] In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 1, the umbrella assembly 200 does not include any overhanging material. In that embodiment, all of the material is supported by the arms 220, and although the material may move in the wind, it substantially conforms to a structure that is defined by the arms 220. This can minimize not only the visual impact the umbrella assembly and sun shelter have on the horizon, but it may also make it less wind resistant or more aerodynamic as it allows for a more streamlined flow of wind over the sun shelter. However, in some circumstances, it may be desirable to have an option to include additional elements on the umbrella assembly.

[0039] In some embodiments, the additional element may be an aesthetic feature, such as a flap that hangs down from the side of the umbrella assembly, which can change the umbrella's profile. In some embodiments, this flap may include scalloped ends or other design choices that may allow a user to more easily identify their sun shelter 100. Alternatively or additionally, the additional element may be functional. For example, the functional element may be a sidewall 110 that attaches to the canopy 230 between two of the arms 220 and that extends to touch or be close to the ground. An example of such a sidewall 110 on an umbrella assembly 200 is illustrated in FIG. 2. In this embodiment, the sidewall 110 may be a sunshield that further protects the user or the interior of the umbrella assembly 200 from the sun when the sun is not directly overhead. The sunshield may be made of the same material as the canopy 230. However, it should be appreciated that other fabrics, materials or configurations may be substituted based on the use. For example, a sidewall may be made of a more opaque material so that it can be used as a privacy sidewall. Alternatively or additionally, the sidewall may be made of netting and functions to protect the user from insects, or the sidewall may be made of a more robust material to shield the user from wind. However, any material may be substituted.

[0040] In some embodiments, the sidewall may be permanently affixed to the umbrella, and in other embodiments, the sidewall may be reversibly attached to one of the sides of the umbrella assembly. As illustrated in FIG. 2, fasteners may be used to secure a sidewall to the umbrella assembly. These fasteners may be a component or material that is different than the canopy or sidewall, such as hook and loop fasteners, magnets, zippers, or combination of fasteners. However, this list is not exhaustive, and a fastener may be selected based on its desired strength or ease of connection. In some instances, the sidewall or canopy can be made of a material that permits a secure and removable connection. In some embodiments, there may be a plurality of fasteners positioned between each arm that connect to a plurality of upper fasteners 120a on the sidewall, such as in the embodiment detailed in FIG. 2, or one continuous fastener between the arms. Alternatively or additionally, the arms may include a structure or structures that function as a fastener to hold the sidewall in place.

[0041] Generally, the placement of the fasteners on the umbrella assembly enables the sidewall to be secured to the umbrella assembly. In some instances, the umbrella assembly may include fasteners only between two arms, so that only one side can be covered with a sidewall. However, in other cases there may be fasteners between several arms or fasteners may even be placed around the perimeter of the canopy, so that the inside of the umbrella assembly is completely surrounded by sidewalls. Naturally, the placement of the fasteners may impact the design of the sidewall; as in some embodiments, the sidewall may be sided to fit between two arms, a portion of the umbrella assembly or sized to wrap around the entire umbrella assembly. Alternatively or additionally, the sidewalls may be modular so that they can be secured to each other and a user can select their desired size, or several sidewalls may be used to surround the umbrella assembly.

[0042] In some instances, it may be desirable for the fastener to be securely attached to the umbrella assembly so that, absent user intervention, the sidewalls remain on the device. However, in other embodiments, it may be desirable to have the sidewalls disconnect from the canopy without user intervention. For example, the sidewall may be designed to detach when the sun shelter is blown by an unusually strong gust of wind, so that the umbrella assembly does not fall down.

[0043] It may also be desirable to include a structure that secures a lower portion of the sidewalls. For example, the sidewall in FIG. 2 includes pockets 122 that can be filled to weigh down the lower edges of the device. However, in some embodiments, the pockets 122 may be prefilled. The pockets 122 may be made of the same or a different material than the sidewalls. Alternatively or additionally, the sidewalls may be secured to another portion of the umbrella assembly, such as the ground elements. Naturally, the sidewall and the respective structure may contain fasteners, like the lower fasteners 120b and ballast fasteners 121 detailed in FIG. 2, to allow for this connection.

[0044] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the sun shelter may use a plurality of tethers 300 to secure the umbrella assembly 200 to the ground or otherwise minimize the movement of the umbrella assembly. The tethers 300 may be formed from a tethering element 310, which is a continuous material that makes up the tether or tethers, and a ground element, which secures the tethering element close to the ground. Generally, the tether 300 may be a structure that connects the umbrella assembly 200 at a tethering point 270 the ground. As will be appreciated below, the tethering point 270 may be at multiple umbrella assembly connection elements 250 on the umbrella assembly 200.

[0045] The tethers 300 may extend down from several portions of the canopy. In some embodiments, there is one tether 300 per arm 220, for example in the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1, in a completed view, there would be four arms and four tethers. However, the number of tethers may be independent from the number of arms, as such there may be more or less tethers relative to the number of arms.

[0046] Each tether 300 may include a ground element 400 and a tethering element 310, where the tethering element 310 connects the umbrella assembly 200 to the ground element 400 to tether the sun shelter 100.

[0047] It should be appreciated that each sun shelter 100 may have one ground element 400, or a plurality of ground elements. In FIG. 2, each tether 300 has its own ground element 400. However, in some embodiments each tether may have multiple ground elements, a first tether and a second tether may share a ground element, or a combination thereof. Therefore, in some cases, the number of ground elements may be equal to, greater than, or less than the number of arms, tethering elements or tethers.

[0048] In some embodiments, the ground element may be inserted into the ground, such as with a spike. In some embodiments, the ground element may be a weight that is positioned on the ground, such as a ballast.

[0049] When the ground element 400 acts as a ballast 420, as shown in FIG. 3, it should have enough heft to ground the umbrella assembly even in windy conditions. In some cases, this ballast may be prefilled. In such an embodiment, the ballast should be heavy enough to anchor the umbrella assembly, while still enabling easy transport. In some embodiments, the ballast style ground element may be designed to be filled with a heavy material and should be sized to accommodate a range of volumes depending on the circumstances. The ballast 420 may be designed to receive available materials, like sand, rocks or water, retain them for a period, and then be emptied. Because the ballast is filled on location, the fillable ballast may have a maximum weight that is heavier than its prefilled counterpart.

[0050] In some cases, such as the embodiment depicted in FIG. 3, the ground element 400 is shaped like a rectangular bucket purse, with a base and several walls wrapping around the base to define a volume. In the illustrated embodiment, the ground element is made of fabric. Alternatively or additionally, more rigid structures and different configurations may be used to receive the weighted material. In some embodiments, the entire ground element is comprised of the rigid material, while in other embodiments, only a portion of the ground element is comprised of a more rigid material. For example, there may be a ring of rigid material 425 at the opening of the ground element, which may help the open end remain open or otherwise prevent the ground element from collapsing in on itself when it is empty. In some embodiments, the rigid ring 425 may extend all the way around an inner collar of the ground elements, while in other embodiments, it may only extend part way around the inner collar. The ground element may be collapsable even with the rigid material ring to allow for easy transportation.

[0051] As noted above, the tether 300 may also include a tethering element. In the illustrated embodiments, the tethering element 310 is a rope, however the tethers may be any material that can secure the umbrella assembly to the ground element. In some embodiments, the tethering element 310 is the same material as the canopy, while in other embodiments the tethering element may be made of a different material from the canopy or the ground element. In some embodiments, a tether is made of the same or different material as the other tethers.

[0052] The number of tethering elements in used to tether the sun shelter may be related to the number of tethers. For example, there may be one tethering element per tether, two tethering elements per tether, or any number of tethering elements per tether. In some cases, there may be a single tethering element that is shared between multiple tethers, therefore there may be fewer tethering elements than the number of tethers.

[0053] The tethers 300 may be secured to the outer edges of the umbrella's canopy. In some embodiments, the tether is mounted to the bottom side of the canopy. However, in other embodiments, the canopy may include an umbrella assembly connection element, which may be a grommet 255 or other structure that allows the tethering element 310 to be movably attached to the umbrella assembly 200 at the tether's first end 313. The umbrella assembly connection element may be associated with the arms 220 and the canopy 230. For example, in FIG. 4a, the tethering element 310 starts at a position below the canopy, is threaded through a first grommet 255 to a position above the canopy 230, wraps over the arm 220, and then is threaded through a second grommet so that it is below the canopy. Because the tethering element 310 is slidably connected to the canopy, the length of the tether 300 can be adjusted by moving a stopper 340 on one side of the tethering element at the ground element 400, and therefore the length can be adjusted when the umbrella assembly 200 is open and closed. In some embodiment, the tether 300 may even be removed from the umbrella assembly 200 and later reattached.

[0054] Alternatively or additionally, in some embodiments the tethering element 310 does not travel over the arm 220. For example, each tethering element 310 of the tether 300 may only be threaded through the canopy 230 at one point per arm 220. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 4b, the tether 300 includes a first tethering element 310A and a second tethering element 310B and each tethering element is connected to the umbrella assembly at their own umbrella assembly connection element 250, which may be a grommet. The stopper 340, which is depicted as a knot on the top side of the canopy, may be used to prevent the first free end of the tether from sliding through the grommet 255.

[0055] The tether may have a length. The length of the tether 300 may be the distance between the tethering point 270 and the ballast connection point 410. However, in some embodiments, the length of the tether additionally includes the ground element. The length of the tether may be adjusted by changing the position of the stopper. For example, the length of the tether may be adjusted by changing the amount of tethering element 310 that is between the first free end of the tethering element and the stopper 340 (at the first end 313 in FIG. 4b). Alternatively or additionally the length of the tether can be adjusted by changing the amount of tethering element 310 that is between the second free end of the tethering element and the stopper 340 (at the second end 316 in FIG. 3).

[0056] In some embodiments the tethering element 310 is movably secured to the ground element 400 at its second end 316. For example, in FIG. 3, the ground element 400 includes two ballast connection points 410 that use grommets to connect the tethering elements to the ground element. A stopper 340 may be positioned on the tethering element between the connection point and the second free end of the tethering element 310, the stopper 340 prevents the tethering element from freely moving through the grommet. In some cases, such as the illustrated embodiment, this may be a knot on the interior side of the ground element that secures the ground element 400 to the umbrella assembly 200. Although in some embodiments, the stopper may be a different component that is secured to the tethering element. In some embodiments, there may be a stopper on the inside and outside of the ground element. Moreover, it should be appreciated that other structures that movably and immovably secure the tethering element to the ground element may be substituted.

[0057] In some embodiments, the tether 300 can be adjusted by adjusting the tethering element 310 at the ground element 400. For example, the tether depicted in the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4a is movably secured to the ground element 400 at two points and as detailed above, to the umbrella assembly 200 at another two points. If the stopper 340 was moved so that more of the tethering element is part of a second free end that is below that stopper 340, or is otherwise a portion of the tethering element 310 that is not being used to tether the umbrella assembly 200, then the tether 300 for its associated arm 220 would change in length. In some cases, where a length of a tether can be altered in this fashion, both sides of the tethering element may be adjustable, or only one side may be adjustable. Moreover, it should be understood that similar techniques and or methods can be implemented when differing number of tethering elements are used to tether the device. Moreover, other components may be used to secure the tethering element to the ground element, and other structures or assemblies for adjusting the tether length can be substituted.

[0058] Each tether may include at least one stopper that is able to change the length of its associated tether without impacting the length of the other tethers. As such, the length of each tether may be individually or independently adjustable. The lack of codependency between the tethers may allow for a stronger securement of the sun shelter to the ground. For example, there may be a plurality of tethers associated with the sun shelter, and the length of each tether may be independently adjusted. As such there may be at least a first tether and a second tether. The first tether may include a first tethering element, a first ground element and a first stopper while the second tether may include a second tethering element, a second ground element and a second stopper. The first tether may have a first length that is between the first stopper associated with the first ground element and the umbrella assembly, and the second tether have a second length that is between the second stopper associated with the second ground element and the umbrella assembly. Accordingly, because the first length of the first tether is independent from the second length of the second tethering element, the length of the first tether can be adjusted independent from a second length of the second tether. However, it should be noted that in some embodiments, the length of a first tether may impact the length of a second tether.

[0059] While the present teachings have been described in conjunction with various embodiments and examples, it is not intended that the present teachings be limited to such embodiments or examples. On the contrary, the present teachings encompass various alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, as will be appreciated by those of skill in the art. Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are by way of example only.

Claims

1. A sun shelter comprising;an umbrella assembly that is movable between an open and closed position comprising;a central support;a plurality of arms hingedly attached to the central support and movable between an extended and condensed position;a canopy, associated with the plurality of arms so that when the plurality of arms is extended, the canopy is expanded and when the plurality of arms is condensed, the canopy is collapsed; anda plurality of tethers that include a ground element that is configured to aid in securing the umbrella assembly and a plurality of tethering elements that connect the umbrella assembly to the ground element, wherein a length of the plurality of tethers is adjustable.

2. The sun shelter of claim 1, wherein the plurality of tethers includes a first tether and a second tether, and wherein a first length of the first tether is configured to be adjusted independent from a second length of the second tether.

3. The sun shelter of claim 2, wherein the first tether is adjustable while at least one of the plurality of arms are extended, the canopy is expanded, and the umbrella assembly is installed.

4. The sun shelter of claim 1, wherein the plurality of tethers further includes at least one stopper on each of the plurality of tethering elements, wherein a length of at least one tether in the plurality of tethers is configured to be adjusted by moving one of the at least one stopper on one of the plurality of tethering elements.

5. The sun shelter of claim 1, wherein the plurality of tethering elements is formed from rope.

6. The sun shelter of claim 1, wherein the ground element is a ballast that is configured to receive a material.

7. The sun shelter of claim 6, wherein the material is sand.

8. The sun shelter of claim 7, wherein the ground element is configured with a structural support at a top thereof.

9. The sun shelter of claim 8, wherein the structural support is a rigid ring that is configured to maintain an opening of the ground element.

10. The sun shelter of claim 1, further including a sidewall configured to be removable connected to the umbrella assembly.

11. The sun shelter of claim 10, wherein the sidewall is removably connected to at least one of the plurality of arms, the canopy, and the ground element.

12. A sun shelter comprising:a plurality of arms associated with a canopy; anda tether connected to at least one of the plurality of arms and the canopy, including a ground element and a tethering element;wherein the tethering element is removable from at least one of the plurality of arms, the canopy, and the ground element.

13. The sun shelter of claim 12, further including a plurality of tethers, wherein the tether is configured to be removed from the sun shelter without removing the plurality of tethers.

14. The sun shelter of claim 12, wherein a length of the tether is adjustable.

15. The sun shelter of claim 14, further including a plurality of tethers, and wherein the length of the tether is configured to be adjusted without adjusting a length of the plurality of tethers.

16. A securement for an umbrella, the securement comprising; a plurality of tethering points; anda plurality of tethers that include a plurality of ground elements that are configured to secure the umbrella to a ground, and a plurality of tethering elements that include a first end configured that is configured to be secured to the umbrella at a corresponding tethering point and a second end that is configured to be secured to at least one ground element of the plurality of ground elements, wherein a length of the plurality of tethers is adjustable.

17. The securement of claim 16, further including a plurality of umbrella attachment elements that are configured to secure the plurality of tethers to the umbrella at the corresponding tethering points.

18. The securement of claim 16, wherein the plurality of tethers includes a first tether and a second tether, and wherein a first length of the first tether is configured to be adjusted independent from a second length of the second tether.

19. The securement of claim 18, wherein the plurality of tethers is connected to the umbrella and configured to be adjusted while at least one of a plurality of arms are extended, a canopy is extended, and the umbrella is installed.

20. The securement of claim 19, wherein the plurality of tethers includes at least one stopper on each of the plurality of tethering elements, wherein a length of at least one tether in the plurality of tethers is configured to be adjusted by moving one of the at least one stopper on one of the plurality of tethering elements.

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