Umbrella cover and umbrella

Abstract

Provided are: an umbrella cover capable of preventing getting wet due to slanting rain and the like without requiring modification of a frame structure of an umbrella; and an umbrella including same. An umbrella 2 comprises a shaft 8, a rib 4, a stretcher 10, and a canopy 6 such as a vinyl sheet, the umbrella 2 having a cylindrical umbrella cover 14 hanging down so as to surround the periphery of a person P holding the umbrella 2. The umbrella cover 14 comprises: a cover body 20 formed from a transparent vinyl sheet; and a plurality of fastening members 24a provided in an upper end portion of the cover body 20 at intervals in a circumferential direction, the fastening members 24a being attached to the rib 4 on the inner side of the umbrella 2 and each attached at a position between a tip 16 and an intersection part C1 between the rib 4 and the stretcher 10. A gap is formed between the inner side (the inner surface of the canopy 6) of the umbrella 2 and the upper end of the cover body 20 by the fastening members 24a having an elongated shape in the vertical direction, thereby preventing fogging or humidity being trapped inside the cover body 20.

Description

Umbrella covers and umbrellas

[0001] The present invention relates to an umbrella cover that is attached to the inside of an umbrella to protect it from rain and sunlight, and an umbrella equipped with the same.

[0002] Typically, when an umbrella is opened, the umbrella cover, such as a vinyl sheet supported by ribs, spreads out in a polygonal shape, nearly circular, around the center pole, providing a wide coverage of the user's head. For example, while rain falls perpendicular to the ground, it is difficult to get wet, but it is easy to get wet when strong winds blow sideways. To address this issue, Patent Document 1 discloses a hat-style umbrella with a brim attached to the tip of the umbrella cover. Figure 6 of Patent Document 1 shows how, when rain is blowing sideways from behind, tilting the umbrella so that the brim is positioned at the back and facing the sideways rain increases the rain protection area at the rear, reducing the risk of getting wet at the user's feet.

[0003] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 63-25018

[0004] The hat-type umbrella described in Patent Document 1 has a unique shape, which requires a complex rib structure, which may increase manufacturing costs, and is therefore less usable (popular) in everyday life. Furthermore, when the wind direction changes, the brim needs to be repositioned, which is troublesome.

[0005] The present invention was made in consideration of the above points, and its purpose is to provide an umbrella cover that can prevent the umbrella from getting wet from sideways rain, etc. without requiring any modification to the umbrella's rib structure, and an umbrella equipped with the same.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the umbrella cover (14) of the present invention comprises a cover body (20) forming at least a part of a cylindrical shape that covers the circumference of a person (P) holding the umbrella (2), and a plurality of first fasteners (24) that are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction at the upper end of the cover body (20) and are attached to the inside of the umbrella (2) between the intersection (C1) with the ribs (10) of the ribs (4) and the tip (16) or to the ribs (10), and the cover body (20) hangs down to cover at least a part of the circumference of the person (P) holding the umbrella (2) when the umbrella (2) is unfolded.

[0007] The umbrella cover according to the present invention can protect against sideways rain and block sunlight with a compact, spread-out configuration.

[0008] Furthermore, the umbrella cover (14) may be configured such that the cover body (20) has a second fastener (26) for enlarging the cylindrical diameter by attaching it closer to the tip (16) of the rib (4) than the first fastener (24). This allows the area of ​​the cover body to be easily enlarged, which is particularly convenient when multiple people are using it to protect themselves from the rain or when carrying bulky luggage.

[0009] The umbrella cover (14) may also be configured to have a third fastener (28) for folding and fastening the cover body (20) inside the umbrella (2), thereby making the shape of the umbrella including the umbrella cover compact when not in use.

[0010] Furthermore, the umbrella cover (14) may be configured with a vertically extending zipper opening / closing section (36 or 38) on the cover body (20) in a portion that corresponds to the front of the person (P) holding the umbrella (2). By opening the zipper opening / closing section, stuffiness and fogging inside the cover body can be prevented, and external objects can be easily removed or received.

[0011] Furthermore, the umbrella cover (14) described above may be configured such that two vertically extending zipper opening / closing sections (36, 38) spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical body are provided in the portion of the cover body (20) that corresponds to the front of the person (P) holding the umbrella (2), and a fourth fastener (40) is provided for folding and fastening the portion (20b) between the zippers upward when the two zipper opening / closing sections (36, 38) are open. This prevents stuffiness and fogging inside the cover body by opening it, and ensures good visibility.

[0012] Furthermore, in the umbrella cover (14) described above, the first fastener (24) may be configured to form a gap (g) between the inside of the umbrella (2) and the upper end of the cover body (20). This ensures breathability through the gap, effectively preventing stuffiness and fogging inside the cover body.

[0013] Alternatively, the umbrella cover (14) may be configured so that ventilation holes (32) are formed on the upper end side of the cover body (20). In this way, ventilation through the ventilation holes can prevent stuffiness and fogging inside the cover body.

[0014] Furthermore, the umbrella cover (14) may be configured so that the cover body (20) has a mesh portion (34) for ventilation, thereby preventing the inside of the cover body from becoming stuffy or fogging up.

[0015] According to the present invention, it is possible to effectively prevent the umbrella from getting wet due to sideways rain, etc., without requiring any modification to the umbrella's rib structure.

[0016] 1. A front view of an umbrella according to a first embodiment of the present invention in use. 1. A perspective view of an umbrella cover attached to the umbrella shown in FIG. 1. 2. A plan view of the umbrella shown in FIG. 1. 3. A schematic partial cross-sectional view showing the attachment configuration using a fastener for the umbrella shown in FIG. 1. 4. A front view of the umbrella cover of the umbrella shown in FIG. 1 in an unfolded state. 5. A front view of the umbrella cover of the umbrella shown in FIG. 1 in an unfolded state. 6. A schematic partial cross-sectional view showing the attachment configuration using a second fastener in the state of FIG. 5. 7. A view showing another example of a first fastener. 8. A view showing yet another example of a first fastener. 9. A front view for explaining the folding configuration in the state of FIG. 5. 10. A schematic partial cross-sectional view showing the state in which the cover body has been folded from the state of FIG. 10. 11. A front view of an umbrella according to a second embodiment. 12. A front view of an umbrella according to a third embodiment. 13. A schematic partial cross-sectional view showing the state in which the portion between the zippers of the umbrella shown in FIG. 13 has been folded upward and fastened. 14. A diagram showing an umbrella according to a fourth embodiment, where (a) is a front view of the umbrella in use and (b) is a view showing a modified example thereof.

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0018] [First embodiment] The first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 11. As shown in Figure 1, an umbrella 2 according to this embodiment includes eight ribs 4, an umbrella cloth 6 formed by joining eight divided pieces 6a to 6h, a center rod 8, ribs 10 extending radially from the upper end of the center rod 8 and pivotally connected at their tips to each of the ribs 4, a ferrule 12, and an umbrella cover 14 for protection from rain or sun that is detachably attached to each of the ribs 4 or the ribs 10 via fasteners such as first fasteners 24 described below.

[0019] In Figure 1, reference numeral 16 denotes the tip of the umbrella, and 18 denotes the handle. The upper and lower parts, lower and lower handles, etc., are omitted. The person P holding (wielding) the umbrella 2 and the center pole 8 are also shown in solid lines for the same reason. Furthermore, the ribs 4 and support ribs 10 on the back side of the umbrella 2 are omitted for clarity.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2 , the umbrella cover 14 includes a cover body 20 that, when in use, forms at least a portion (here, the entirety) of a cylindrical shape that encircles the person P holding the umbrella 2. Multiple fasteners 24a are provided at intervals around the periphery of the upper end of the cover body 20. These fasteners 24a form one side of a first fastener 24 (see FIG. 4 ) attached to the ribs 4 on the inside of the umbrella 2, between the intersection (connection) C1 between the ribs 4 and the ribs 10 and the tip 16, or to the ribs 10. When the umbrella 2 is opened, the cover body 20 hangs down to encircle at least a portion (here, the entirety) of the person P holding the umbrella 2. The cover body 20 is formed into an octagonal cylindrical shape from a transparent vinyl sheet, corresponding to the octagonal shape of the umbrella 2. Specifically, eight segments corresponding to the segments 6a–6h of the umbrella cloth 6 are joined by sewing, heat sealing, or other methods.

[0021] Each fastening member 24a is a flexible, narrow strip that is positioned at a position corresponding to each apex of the octagonal shape, with its lower end fixed to the cover body 20. An engagement hole 24a-1 with an eyelet is formed at the tip of each fastening member 24a. A second fastener 26 is fixed to the cover body 20 below each fastening member 24a. The second fastener 26 includes a narrow flexible member 26a that has one end fixed to the cover body 20, and a hook 26b attached to the tip (free end) of the flexible member 26a.

[0022] As shown in Figure 3, symbol C2 indicates the attachment position using the first fastener 24 (fastening member 24a), and symbol C3 indicates the attachment position using the second fastener 26. That is, the fastening member 24a is attached to the rib 4 between the intersection C1 of the rib 4 and the rib 10 and the tip 16, closer to the intersection C1 than the midpoint between the intersection C1 and the tip 16. When the umbrella cover 14 is attached at attachment position C2 using the fastening member 24a, the cover body 20 sags circumferentially as shown by the dashed line. Figure 1 shows this attachment state. Line L indicates the cover body 20 when the second fastener 26 is fastened with C3.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 4 , a hook 24b is fixed to the attachment position C2 of each rib 4. By engaging the hook 24b with the engagement hole 24a-1 of each fastening member 24a, the umbrella cover 14 can be easily hung inside the umbrella 2. The fastening member 24a and the hook 24b form the first fastener 24. The first fastener 24 has a detachable structure that connects two components, one of which (hook 24b) is located on the umbrella 2 side. The vertically elongated fastening member 24a forms a gap g between the inside of the umbrella 2 (the inner surface of the umbrella cloth 6) and the upper end of the cover body 20, ensuring good ventilation (airflow) and preventing stuffiness and fogging due to stagnation of air inside the cover body 20. The fastening member 24a is not limited to the above configuration; it can also be a simple one with a loop at the end of a string.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 1 , the cover body 20 completely covers the inside of the tip 16 of the umbrella 2, preventing the person P from getting wet even in sideways rain. In this embodiment, the 360° cylindrical configuration prevents the person P from getting wet even when the wind direction suddenly changes and the direction of the sideways rain changes. The cover body 20 is made of a transparent vinyl sheet, so it does not obstruct the view of the person P holding the umbrella 2. The cover body 20 may be entirely transparent, or it may be partially transparent as long as it does not obstruct the view. The length (height) H of the cover body 20 extending downward from the tip 16 of the umbrella cover 14 can be appropriately set based on the ease of handling the umbrella cover 14 and the desired rain protection range. For example, it may extend to the chest, waist, or ankles of the person P holding the umbrella 2.

[0025] Furthermore, although not shown in the drawings or in detailed description, the umbrella 2 may have a stopper mechanism that can be set to open in multiple stages, and when using such an umbrella 2, the cover body 20 will shrink further from the state shown in Figure 1 depending on the degree to which the umbrella 2 is opened, so the umbrella 2 can be used in a narrow place such as a crowded place by narrowing it. In other words, with the umbrella cover 14 attached to the inside of the umbrella 2, the umbrella 2 can be used by narrowing it one or two stages from the fully open state (maximum open state).

[0026] The second fastener 26 is attached closer to the tip 16 of the rib 4 than the fastening member 24a to expand the cylindrical diameter (diameter of the cover body 20). When the second fastener 26 is attached to attachment position C3 from the state shown in FIG. 1 , the length H of the cover body 20 is shortened, but the storage area (effective rain protection area) within the cover body 20 is increased, allowing two or three people to use the cover for rain protection, as shown in FIG. 5 . This is also effective when you want to increase the rain protection area, such as when carrying a large bag or bulky luggage. Also, FIG. 6 shows an example in which attachment position C3 is located at the same position as the tip 16. In this configuration, the cylindrical diameter of the cover body 20 (diameter of the cover body 20) is maximized.

[0027] In this embodiment, the second fastener 26 is attached by simply hooking the hook 26b onto the ribs 4, as shown in FIG. 7 . When the umbrella 2 is open, the umbrella cloth 6 is firmly pressed against the ribs 4. By passing the hook 26b through the gap, the hook 26b does not slip due to friction. This simplifies the configuration, eliminating the need for a fastener on the umbrella 2. A similar configuration may be used at attachment position C2. Alternatively, the fastening member 24a of the first fastener 24 may be provided on the ribs 4, and the hook 24b on the cover body 20. A similar fastener configuration to the first fastener 24 may also be used at attachment position C3. The first fastener 24 and the second fastener 26 may be configured with, but are not limited to, snap buttons, hook-and-loop fasteners, or buttons and holes. In particular, if the second fastener 26 is a hook-and-loop fastener, the diameter of the cover body 20 can be easily adjusted by simply attaching and detaching the second fastener 26 during use.

[0028] 8 and 9 are diagrams showing other examples of the first fastener 24. As shown in FIG. 8( a), the first fastener 24 in the example shown in FIG. 8 includes a thin, strip-shaped fastening member 24a fixed to the upper end of the cover body 20 and a pair of snaps (snap buttons) 24c provided near the tip of the fastening member 24a. As shown in FIG. 8( b), the first fastener 24 is fastened by passing the fastening member 24a around the ribs 4 or the ribs 10 inside the umbrella 2, and fastening the pair of snaps 24c, 24c. This allows the cover body 20 to be attached to the ribs 4 or the ribs 10 in a suspended state via the fastening member 24a. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 9, the first fastener 24 can also include a button 24d sewn or otherwise fixed near the upper end of the cover body 20 and a buttonhole 24e provided in the umbrella cloth 6 of the umbrella 2 for fastening the button 24d. As shown in Figure 9(b), this first fastener 24 allows the cover body 20 to be attached to the umbrella cloth 6 in a suspended state by fastening the button 24d in the buttonhole 24e. In the embodiment shown in Figure 9, a pair of buttons 24d, 24d are attached by sewing to the front and back surfaces of the cover body 20 at the same position. This firmly and securely attaches the button 24d to the cover body 20, preventing it from easily coming off and ensuring durability. Another advantage of attaching the pair of buttons 24d, 24d to the front and back surfaces of the cover body 20 is that it is easy to pinch the button 24d with your fingertips and fasten it into the buttonhole 24e.

[0029] As shown in Figure 10, when the cover body 20 is unfolded, its vertical height H1 is approximately twice the width W from attachment position C2 to attachment position C3. A fold 20a is formed in the center of the cover body 20's height H1, and fastening members 28a, which form one of the third fasteners 28 (see Figure 11), are fixed to each of the segments 6a-6h of the cover body 20. Each fastening member 28a comprises a narrow flexible member 28a-1 and a hook-and-loop fastener 28a-2 attached to the back of the free end of the flexible member 28a-1. A hook-and-loop fastener 28b is attached to the inner surface of each segment 6a-6h of the umbrella cloth 6 to secure the fastening member 28a. The third fastener 28 has a detachable structure that connects two components, with one (here, the other) component (hook-and-loop fastener 28b) attached to the umbrella 2.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 11 , the cover body 20 can be folded compactly inside the umbrella 2 by folding it in thirds and fastening it inside the umbrella 2 with the hook-and-loop fastener 28a-2 of the fastening member 28a engaging with the hook-and-loop fastener 28b on the umbrella 2. Of course, after use, the umbrella cover 14 can be removed from the umbrella 2, folded, and stored separately. In this way, when it is not raining, the umbrella 2 can be used normally with almost no extra accessories. The fold 20a, fastening member 28a, and hook-and-loop fastener 28b are omitted from FIG. 1 and other figures. The length of the cover body 20 may be folded in half. It may also be rolled up and folded into a roll.

[0031] Although not shown, the umbrella cover 14 (cover body 20) can also be folded over to the outside (top side) of the umbrella 2. When using the umbrella 2 and umbrella cover 14 in the rain, the outer surface of the cover body 20 becomes wet. However, by folding the cover body 20 over the outside of the umbrella 2 in this state, the cover body 20 is turned inside out, with the wet outer surface facing the top of the umbrella 2 and hidden inside. When the umbrella 2 is folded in this state, the outer surface of the folded umbrella 2 remains dry. This is extremely convenient, as there is no risk of water droplets on the umbrella 2 getting wet when carrying it or storing it in a car or indoors. In this case, a fastening member may be provided to fasten the cover body 20 in the folded state to the outside of the umbrella 2. For example, this fastening member may be a pair of hook-and-loop fasteners attached to the outer surface of the cover body 20 and the outer surface of the umbrella 2 (umbrella cloth 6).

[0032] In this embodiment, the cover body 20 is shaped like an octagonal cylinder that surrounds the person P holding the umbrella 2. However, the cover body 20 may have a shape that does not include the sections 6a and 6h of the umbrella cloth 6 that are in front of the person P holding the umbrella 2, or a shape that does not include any sections that correspond to either of the sections 6a and 6h. In other words, the cover body 20 may be configured so that when in use, it forms at least a portion of a cylinder that surrounds the person P holding the umbrella 2. The cover body 20 may also be cylindrical. The third fastener 28 may be a hook that is provided only on the cover body 20 and hooked onto the ribs 4.

[0033] [Second Embodiment] A second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 12. Parts that are the same as or can be considered the same as those in the above embodiment are indicated by the same reference numerals, and the explanations of the configuration and function already given will be omitted as appropriate (the same applies to the other embodiments below).

[0034] In this embodiment, the upper end of the cover body 20 is detachably attached to the ribs 4 with a small gap using fasteners (not shown). Instead, multiple ventilation holes 32 are formed at intervals around the periphery of the upper part of the cover body 20. Furthermore, a ventilation mesh portion 34 is formed in the area of ​​the cover body 20 closest to the face of the person P holding the umbrella 2, i.e., the area corresponding to the segments 6a and 6h. It is not necessary to form both the ventilation holes 32 and the mesh portion 34; only one of them is sufficient. This ventilation configuration prevents stuffiness and fogging inside the cover body 20. In addition to the configuration that forms the gap g shown in FIG. 1, a configuration that forms the ventilation holes 32 and the mesh portion 34 may also be used.

[0035] [Third Embodiment] A third embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 13 and 14. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 13, two vertically extending zipper openings 36, 38 are provided in the portion of the cover body 20 corresponding to the front of the person P holding the umbrella 2, i.e., the area corresponding to the divided piece 6a of the umbrella cloth 6. The zipper openings 36, 38 are spaced apart along the circumferential direction of the tubular shape. A fastening member 40a is provided as one of the fourth fasteners 40 (see Figure 14) for folding and fastening the portion 20b between the zippers upward when the two zipper openings 36, 38 are open. The fastening member 40a includes a narrow flexible member 40a-1 and a hook-and-loop fastener 40a-2 attached to the back of the free end of the flexible member 40a-1. A hook-and-loop fastener 40b is attached to the inner surface of the divided piece 6a of the umbrella cloth 6 to secure the fastening member 40a. Reference numerals 36a and 38a denote sliders. The fourth fastener 40 has a detachable structure that connects two members, and one (here, the other) member (the hook-and-loop fastener 40b) is provided on the umbrella 2 side.

[0036] The two zipper openings 36, 38 can be opened, the section 20b between the zippers can be folded upward while rolling it inward, and then fastened with the fourth fastener 40 as shown in Figure 14 to open the section 20b between the zippers. Opening it when the rain starts to subside can prevent stuffiness and fogging and improve visibility. A single zipper opening is sufficient, and opening at least a portion of it can prevent stuffiness and fogging and make it convenient to access or receive external items. The fourth fastener 40 may be provided as a hook only on the cover body 20 side, and can be hooked onto the rib 4.

[0037] [Fourth Embodiment] The fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 15. As shown in Figure 15(a), the umbrella cloth 6 of the parasol 44, an umbrella according to this embodiment, is UV-treated, and the umbrella cover 46 is detachably attached to the ribs 4 via fasteners 24. The cover body 48 is primarily intended to provide sun protection for the face, so its length (height) is shorter than that of the umbrella 2. The cover body 48 has regions 48a and 48h corresponding to the segments 6a and 6h located on the front side, made of a transparent material such as vinyl sheeting, while the other regions (the regions corresponding to the segments 6b to 6g) are made of a non-transparent material and are UV-treated. This provides sun protection without obstructing visibility. As shown in Figure 15(b), an open configuration may be used in which the areas of the cover body 48 corresponding to the segments 6a and 6h are not part of the cover body 48. In Figures 15(a) and 15(b), the transparent and open regions may correspond to only one of the segments of the umbrella cloth 6. In this embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, the diameter of the cover body 48 may be increased.

[0038] While the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims and the technical concepts described in the specification and drawings. For example, while the above embodiments illustrate octagonal umbrellas 2 and parasols 44, the umbrella cloth 6 can also be polygonal, with six, seven, ten, or sixteen divisions. Furthermore, the material of the umbrella cloth 6 may be a combination of transparent and opaque materials.

Claims

1. An umbrella cover comprising: a cover body that forms at least a portion of a cylindrical shape that covers the circumference of a person holding the umbrella; a plurality of first fasteners that are provided at intervals around the upper end of the cover body and are attached to the inside of the umbrella between the intersection with the rib and the tip of the rib on the main rib, or to the rib; and a second fastener that allows the cover body to be attached and detached to the tip side of the rib rather than to the first fastener; wherein, when the umbrella is opened, the cover body, when attached to the inside of the umbrella, hangs down so as to cover at least a portion of the circumference of the person holding the umbrella, and the diameter of the cylindrical shape formed by the cover body can be changed by fastening the first fastener and attaching and detaching the second fastener.

2. The umbrella cover according to claim 1, further comprising a third fastener for fastening the cover body inside the umbrella by folding it.

3. An umbrella cover as described in claim 2, characterized in that the part of the cover body corresponding to the front of the person holding the umbrella has two zipper opening and closing sections extending in the vertical direction and spaced apart around the circumference of the tube, and has a fourth fastener for folding and fastening the part between the zippers upward when the two zipper opening and closing sections are open.

4. The umbrella cover described in claim 1, characterized in that the first fastener is configured to form a gap between the inside of the umbrella and the upper end of the cover body, or a ventilation hole is formed on the upper end side of the cover body.

5. An umbrella comprising an umbrella cover according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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