Protective structure of umbrella runner

Abstract

A protective structure of an umbrella runner, comprising a lower umbrella runner (100) and an elastic protective sleeve (200), the lower umbrella runner (100) comprising a runner body (101) and an extension section (102). The extension section (102) is provided with a stop structure (10) for preventing the elastic protective sleeve (200) from slipping down, the stop structure (10) being a sleeve (1011), an annular groove (1022), an annular protrusion (1023) or an annular positioning protruded block (1044). The elastic protective sleeve (200) is sleeved on the runner body (101) and extends upwards, and a tightening hoop device (201) fitted with the stop structure (10) is provided at the lower end of the elastic protective sleeve (200). The tightening hoop device (201) is configured, corresponding to the stop structure (10), to be an annular tightening hoop device extending inwards or a tubular tightening structure (202) extending downwards. The runner body (101) and support ribs (2) within a certain distance above the runner body (101) are completely wrapped by the elastic protective sleeve (200), such that the runner body (101), umbrella cloth and umbrella ribs (3) are isolated from one another; when an umbrella is opened, the upper end of the elastic protective sleeve (200) is unfolded outwards along with the support ribs (2), and the lower end thereof is always kept on the extension section (102), thereby achieving a protection function, and being particularly suitable for use on multi-fold and miniaturized umbrellas.

Description

A protective structure of an umbrella nest Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of umbrella protection, and in particular relates to a protective structure of an umbrella nest. Background Art

[0002] Umbrellas are a type of daily necessity that people often use. Currently, most umbrellas sold on the market are made of iron or aluminum alloy as the umbrella frame, in which the support bones need to be inserted into the umbrella nest to form a supporting structure, and the umbrella nest and the support bones are connected with iron wire. In order to ensure that the support bones have sufficient rotation space during the opening and closing of the umbrella, the connection section between the support bones and the umbrella nest is usually partially exposed from the umbrella nest when the umbrella is in the folded state, forming a sharp protrusion that is very easy to rub the umbrella cloth or support bones; although existing umbrellas have passivated the protruding support bone parts, it still cannot completely solve the problem. During transportation or after long-term use, the umbrella cloth or support bones may still be damaged; especially driven by the demand for smaller umbrellas, the umbrella folding tightness is required to be higher, and the frequency of customer complaints caused by this kind of abrasion is also increasing, seriously affecting the customer experience.

[0003] To address this problem, existing commercially available umbrellas are manually padded with soft materials such as elastic cotton or cloth at the junction of the support frame and the parapet before leaving the factory. This method has the following disadvantages: First, it increases the labor cost of umbrella manufacturing; second, the elastic cotton or cloth easily falls off during daily use, and cannot provide long-term protection. Therefore, it usually only provides protection during transportation and is discarded upon arrival at the destination. The discarded protective material becomes waste, which is not environmentally friendly; third, after the protective material is removed or falls off, the junction of the support frame and the parapet is exposed, and the wire joints used to bind the support frame are also exposed (some umbrella products have protective covers over the wire joints, but the protective covers are still prone to falling off). This lack of effective and long-term protection can easily damage product quality and pose safety hazards such as scratches. Especially when products are exported to countries with high product safety and environmental protection requirements, such as Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, the aforementioned disadvantage causes exported products to fail to meet environmental protection standards, resulting in export restrictions. The aforementioned disadvantage causes exported products to be substandard or fail to meet safety standards, which is the main reason for bulk product returns.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to solve the problem that the joint between the support bone and the umbrella nest in the existing umbrella is easy to rub the umbrella cloth or the support bone when the umbrella is folded, the present invention proposes a protective structure for the umbrella nest, which has the characteristics of simple structure, long-term protection and controllable production cost.

[0006] The present invention is achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0007] The present invention proposes a protective structure of an umbrella nest, including a lower umbrella nest and an elastic protective cover. The lower umbrella nest includes a nest body and an extension section. The extension section is provided with a stop structure to prevent the elastic protective cover from sliding down. The elastic protective cover is arranged on the outside of the nest body and extends above the nest body. The lower end of the elastic protective cover is provided with a tightening device that cooperates with the stop structure.

[0008] Based on the above technical solution, by providing an elastic protective cover on the outer surface of the lower umbrella nest and cooperating with an anti-slip stop structure on the lower end of the protective cover and the extension section of the lower umbrella nest, when the umbrella is opened, it does not interfere with the outward expansion of the support bone and prevents the protective cover from sliding downward. When the umbrella is folded, the junction between the support bone and the nest body is completely wrapped in the protective cover, separated from the umbrella cloth and other support bones, thereby achieving an effective protective effect.

[0009] Preferably, the stopping structure is a sleeve threadedly connected to the extension section of the lower umbrella nest, and the tightening device of the elastic protective sleeve is clamped to the lower end of the nest body through the sleeve. This design has good installation characteristics and facilitates the simplification of the processing technology.

[0010] Preferably, the tightening hoop device is a protruding annular tightening hoop device extending inwardly through the lower end of the elastic protective sleeve, and the stopping structure is an annular groove opened on the extension section of the lower umbrella nest, and the annular groove is provided at the connection between the extension section and the nest body, and the tightening hoop device is embedded in the annular groove to achieve positioning. This design does not require the addition of additional components, can be integrally formed when the lower nest body is manufactured, and saves some material usage.

[0011] Preferably, the stopping structure is a circle of annular protrusions or annular positioning protrusions provided on the lower umbrella nest extension section.

[0012] Preferably, the tightening device is an annular tightening device extending inward from the lower end of the elastic protective sleeve to form a protruding annular groove, and an annular protrusion or annular positioning protrusion is formed between the lower end of the nest body. The tightening device is embedded in the annular groove to achieve positioning, thereby preventing the elastic protective sleeve from sliding down.

[0013] Preferably, the tightening device of the elastic protective sleeve is a tubular tightening structure formed by extending the elastic protective sleeve downward and reducing its diameter toward the central axis. The tubular tightening structure is sleeved outside the extension section, and its outer diameter is smaller than the inner diameter of the sleeve, and can be wrapped in the sleeve. This design can make the fixation of the elastic protective sleeve more effective.

[0014] Preferably, the tightening device of the elastic protective sleeve is a tubular tightening structure that extends downward from the elastic protective sleeve and reduces its diameter toward the central axis to an inner diameter smaller than that of the extension section. The tubular tightening structure is tightly tightened to the outside of the extension section and wraps the annular protrusion or the annular positioning bump. This design allows the elastic protective sleeve to be stretched outward by the tubular tightening structure wrapped around the lower umbrella nest, and generates an inward contraction force under the action of elastic force, thereby preventing the elastic protective sleeve from sliding down.

[0015] Preferably, the elastic protective cover is made of silicone, which has good softness and wear resistance, or the elastic protective cover is made of heat-shrinkable elastic materials such as PE and silicone rubber. This material can enlarge the size of the elastic protective cover before processing, thereby reducing the difficulty of processing, and make the processed elastic protective cover have better fit and aesthetics with the lower umbrella nest, which is also convenient for miniaturized storage of the umbrella. Beneficial effects

[0016] The above technical solution has the following advantages or beneficial effects:

[0017] 1) By providing an elastic protective cover on the outer surface of the lower umbrella nest, when the umbrella is folded, the elastic protective cover completely wraps the nest body and the supporting ribs within a certain distance above the nest body, isolating the nest body from the umbrella cloth and the umbrella ribs supporting the umbrella surface; when the umbrella is opened, the upper end of the elastic protective cover expands outward with the supporting ribs, and the lower end is stopped by the stop structure and always stays on the extended section, thereby playing an effective protective role. The effect is particularly significant on umbrellas with multiple folding parts and umbrellas with a small storage volume.

[0018] 2) A raised annular tightening device is formed by extending the lower end of the elastic protective sleeve into the sleeve, and is matched with a sleeve screwed on the lower umbrella nest extension section. The annular groove, annular protrusion or annular positioning bump on the extension section is used for limiting and fixing. It has the characteristics of simple structure, good anti-slip effect and good workability.

[0019] 3) By setting the tightening device as a tubular tightening structure that extends downward from the elastic protective sleeve and reduces its diameter toward the central axis to an inner diameter smaller than that of the extension section, and making the tubular tightening structure tightly wrap the extension section and the annular protrusion or annular positioning bump thereon, the inward contraction elastic force of the elastic protective sleeve is utilized to achieve positioning, which has the characteristics of good aesthetics, good anti-slip effect and good workability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading the detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the following drawings:

[0021] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0022] FIG2a is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2b is a schematic cross-sectional view of Figure 2a;

[0024] FIG3a is a schematic diagram of the decomposed structure of the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] FIG3 b is a schematic cross-sectional view of the elastic protective cover taken along line AA in FIG3 a ;

[0026] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of an umbrella rib in an open state according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of the decomposed structure of the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] FIG7 a is a schematic diagram of an annular groove according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] FIG7 b is a partial schematic diagram of the assembly structure of Example 3;

[0031] FIG8a is a schematic diagram of an annular protrusion according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] FIG8b is a partial schematic diagram of the assembly structure of Example 4;

[0033] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of an annular positioning protrusion according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of the decomposed structure of the fifth embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] In the figure: middle rod 1; support bone 2; umbrella rib 3; lower umbrella nest 100; nest body 101; extension section 102; blocking structure 10; sleeve 1011; annular groove 1022; annular protrusion 1033; annular positioning bump 1044; annular clamping groove 1055; external thread 1061; internal thread 1062; elastic protective sleeve 200; tightening device 201; tubular tightening structure 202. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the examples, but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto.

[0037] Example 1

[0038] This embodiment provides a protective structure for an umbrella nest, comprising a lower nest 100 and an elastic protective cover 200. The lower nest 100 can slide up and down along the umbrella's center rod 1 (see FIG4 ). As shown in FIG1 , the lower nest 100 comprises a nest body 101 and an extension section 102. The nest body 101 is hingedly connected to the umbrella's support rib 2 (see FIG4 ). The extension section 102 is provided with a stop structure 10 to prevent the elastic protective cover 200 from sliding downward. The elastic protective cover 200 is fitted over the nest body 101, with its vertical height exceeding the overall height of the nest body 101. A tightening device 201 is provided at its lower end, which engages with the stop structure 10. The elastic protective cover 200 is made of silicone, a material with good flexibility and wear resistance.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 2a , FIG. 2b , FIG. 3a and FIG. 3b , the retaining structure 10 described in this embodiment is designed as a sleeve 1011 disposed outside the extension section 102 . This design is used to prevent the elastic protective cover 200 from sliding down during use, especially when the umbrella is opened.

[0040] As shown in Figures 3a, 3b, and 4, the tightening device 201 is a protruding, annular tightening device extending horizontally from the lower end of the elastic protective sleeve 200 into the sleeve. The extension section 102 is provided with external threads 1061 at a distance from the lower end of the nest 101. The sleeve 1011 includes internal threads 1062 that mate with the external threads 1061. The tightening device 201 is clamped to the lower end of the nest 101 by the upper end of the sleeve 1011, which is threadedly engaged with the extension section 102, to prevent the elastic protective sleeve 200 from sliding downward.

[0041] In actual use, as shown in Figures 2a, 2b and 4, when the umbrella is folded, the elastic protective cover 200 wraps the entire nest 101 and extends upward for a certain length. The elastic protective cover 200 also wraps a certain length of the support bone 2 above the nest 101, and the support bone 2 is isolated from the umbrella cloth and the umbrella rib 3 supporting the umbrella surface; when the umbrella is opened, the lower umbrella nest 100 moves upward, and the support bone 2 hinged to the nest 101 is opened, and the elastic protective cover 200 is subsequently expanded outward. Under the action of the inward elastic force and the restriction of the sleeve 1011, the elastic protective cover 200 is tightly attached to the support bone 2. When the umbrella is folded again, the elastic protective cover 200 returns to its initial state.

[0042] Example 2

[0043] This embodiment proposes an umbrella nest protection structure, which differs from the first embodiment in that:

[0044] As shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6, the external thread 1061 provided on the extension section 102 of the lower umbrella nest 100 and the internal thread 1062 opened in the sleeve 1011 that cooperates therewith are both provided at the end away from the nest body 101. In this embodiment, the tightening device 201 is modified into the elastic protective sleeve 200 extending downward and reducing its diameter toward the central axis, and tightly sleeved with a tubular tightening structure 202 tightened to the outside of the extension section 102, and the tubular tightening structure 202 is wrapped in the sleeve 1011.

[0045] The advantage of this embodiment is that the tubular tightening structure 202 can be effectively tightened around the extension section 102 of the lower umbrella nest 100 and can be tightly wrapped within the sleeve 1011. In this way, the elastic protective cover 200 can be more stably fixed to the nest 101 when the umbrella is opened, and will not be pushed down by the expanded support bones 2. When the umbrella is closed, it can smoothly rebound and re-wrap the nest 101 to achieve the desired protection function.

[0046] Example 3

[0047] This embodiment proposes an umbrella nest protection structure, which differs from the first embodiment in that:

[0048] As shown in Figures 7a and 7b, the retaining structure 10 is an annular groove 1022 formed at the connection between the extension section 102 and the nest body 101. The tightening device 201 in this embodiment correspondingly extends in the direction of the annular groove 1022 so that it has a length sufficient to be embedded in the annular groove 1022. After assembly, the tightening device 201 at the lower end of the elastic protective sleeve 200 is fixed to the lower umbrella nest extension section 102 by the clamping action of the annular groove 1022. This structure does not require additional components and can be integrally formed when the nest body 101 is manufactured, thereby saving some material usage.

[0049] Example 4

[0050] This embodiment proposes a protective structure of an umbrella nest, which differs from the previous embodiment in that:

[0051] The retaining structure 10 described in this embodiment comprises an annular protrusion 1033 (as shown in FIG8a ) protruding from the extension section 102 below the nest 101, or an annular positioning bump 1044 (as shown in FIG9 ) arranged circumferentially around the extension section 102. An annular retaining groove 1055 is formed between the annular protrusion 1033 or the annular positioning bump 1044 and the nest 101, and the tightening device 201 engages within the annular retaining groove 1055 to achieve a position-limiting effect. Furthermore, to enhance the position-limiting effect, the annular groove 1022 of the third embodiment and the annular protrusion 1033 or the annular positioning bump 1044 of this embodiment can be simultaneously provided on the extension section 102. FIG8b shows a schematic diagram of the assembly structure in which both the annular groove 1022 and the annular protrusion 1033 are provided. Their functions and effects are essentially the same.

[0052] The advantages of this embodiment are that no additional components are required, the lower nest body 101 can be integrally formed when it is manufactured, and the original mold for manufacturing the lower umbrella nest 100 can be directly used for modification, so the modification cost is low.

[0053] Example 5

[0054] This embodiment proposes an umbrella nest protection structure, which differs from the fourth embodiment in that:

[0055] As shown in Figure 10, the tightening device 201 of the elastic protective sleeve 200 is a tubular tightening structure 202 formed by extending downward from the elastic protective sleeve 200 as described in Example 2, and its inner diameter is smaller than the outer diameter of the extension section 102. The tubular tightening structure 202 tightly wraps the extension section 102 and the annular protrusion 1033 or annular positioning protrusion 1044 provided thereon.

[0056] The advantage of this embodiment is that the necking section 20 is wrapped around the limiting structure 10c of the lower umbrella nest 100, and the necking section 20 is stretched outward, generating an inward contraction force under the action of elastic force. Therefore, the tubular tightening structure 202 of the elastic protective cover 200 is tightened and fixed at the annular protrusion 1033 or the annular positioning protrusion 1044, thereby ensuring that the elastic protective cover 200 will not slide down even when the umbrella is opened.

[0057] The elastic protective cover 200 can also be made of a heat-shrinkable elastic material such as PE or silicone rubber. This material allows the elastic protective cover 200 to be appropriately enlarged during production so that the elastic protective cover 200 can be easily inserted into the lower umbrella nest 100. The elastic protective cover 200 can be tightly fitted to the lower umbrella nest 100 through heat shrinkage, thereby improving durability and aesthetics.

[0058] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention. Therefore, any minor modifications, equivalent changes and modifications made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention still fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A protective structure of an umbrella nest, characterized in that: The invention comprises a lower umbrella nest (100) and an elastic protective cover (200), wherein the lower umbrella nest (100) comprises a nest body (101) and an extension section (102), wherein the extension section (102) is provided with a stop structure (10) for preventing the elastic protective cover (200) from sliding down, the elastic protective cover (200) is sleeved outside the nest body (101) and extends above the nest body (101), and the lower end of the elastic protective cover (200) is provided with a tightening device (201) that cooperates with the stop structure (10).

2. The protective structure of an umbrella nest according to claim 1, characterized in that: The blocking structure (10) is a sleeve (1011) threadedly connected to the extension section (102), and the tightening device (201) of the elastic protective sleeve (200) is clamped to the lower end of the nest (101) through the sleeve (1011).

3. The protective structure of an umbrella nest according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tightening hoop device (201) is a protruding annular tightening hoop device formed by inwardly extending the lower end of the elastic protective sleeve (200); the stopping structure (10) is an annular groove (1022) provided on the extension section (102); the annular groove (1022) is provided at the connection between the extension section (102) and the nest (101); the tightening hoop device (201) is embedded in the annular groove (1022) to achieve position limiting.

4. The protective structure of an umbrella nest according to claim 1, characterized in that: The stopping structure (10) is a circle of annular protrusions (1033) or annular positioning protrusions (1044) arranged on the extension section (102).

5. The protective structure of an umbrella nest according to claim 4, characterized in that: The tightening hoop device (201) is a protruding annular tightening hoop device extending inwardly from the lower end of the elastic protective sleeve (200), an annular clamping groove (1055) is formed between the annular protrusion (1033) or the annular positioning protrusion (1044) and the lower end of the nest body (101), and the tightening hoop device (201) is embedded in the annular clamping groove (1055) to achieve positioning.

6. The protective structure of an umbrella nest according to claim 2, characterized in that: The tightening device (201) is a tubular tightening structure (202) formed by extending the elastic protective sleeve (200) downward and reducing its diameter toward the central axis. The tubular tightening structure (202) is sleeved outside the extension section (102), and its outer diameter is smaller than the inner diameter of the sleeve (1011), and can be wrapped in the sleeve (1011).

7. The protective structure of an umbrella nest according to claim 4, characterized in that: The tightening device (201) is a tubular tightening structure (202) that extends downward from the elastic protective sleeve (200) and reduces its diameter toward the central axis to an inner diameter smaller than that of the extension section (102); the tubular tightening structure (202) is tightly tightened outside the extension section (102) and wraps around the annular protrusion (1033) or the annular positioning protrusion (1044).

8. The protective structure of an umbrella nest according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic protective sleeve (200) is made of silica gel or heat-shrinkable elastic material.

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