Counterweight-Filled Umbrella Base Structure for Low-Cost Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing umbrella bases are either costly due to high material usage or bulky and complicated in structure, making them difficult to manufacture and use effectively.
Innovation Solution
A counterweight-filled umbrella base with a simple and cost-effective design comprising an upper cover, base plate, sleeve, and ring, where the counterweight is filled with iron sand or quartz, and magnetic elements are embedded to increase weight, allowing for flexible use and easy assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If umbrella bases are made with high self-weight materials such as iron plates, marble and granite, then the stability is improved, but the cost of material and production increases
Solution Approach 1:
The base is divided into a hollow shell structure that can be separately filled with counterweight material, rather than using solid high-weight materials throughout. This segmentation allows using lighter structural materials while adding weight only where needed for stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The base combines a hollow plastic or metal shell with fillable counterweight material (water, sand, or other materials) to create a composite structure that achieves the stability of heavy materials while avoiding their high cost and manufacturing complexity.
2Ease of manufacture
If umbrella bases are made as fillable hollow bases with integral molding, then the cost is reduced, but the base becomes bulky and not easy to use
Solution Approach 1:
The base incorporates adjustable elements such as height-adjustable legs or movable components that allow the base to adapt to different usage scenarios and space requirements, making it more versatile and easier to use despite the hollow structure.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the base structure is made integral and bulky to ensure stability, then the stability is improved, but the device complexity increases and manufacturing becomes cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The base is segmented into a simple hollow shell and separate fillable counterweight components, avoiding the need for complex integral molding while achieving the same stability function.
Solution Approach 2:
The hollow base shell can be manufactured as a simple, inexpensive component using standard molding techniques, and the counterweight material can be refilled or replaced as needed, reducing overall system complexity and cost.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a stable, reliable, and environmentally friendly umbrella base that is easy to use and adjust, reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining stability and versatility.
Implementation Method 1
magnetic elements are embedded to increase weight
Data Source
AI summary
An umbrella base filled with a counterweight comprises an upper cover having a through hole in the center, a base plate, a sleeve, a ring and a counterweight; wherein, the upper cover is placed on top the base plate forming a chamber; the ring stands vertically inside the chamber separating the upper cover and the base plate; the sleeve has a tubular and receives an umbrella column, and is placed vertically on the center of the top surface of the upper cover and aligns with the ring; and a connecting piece is inserted through the base plate, the ring and the upper cover and connects to the sleeve. Or, the bottom of the sleeve passes through the upper cover and screws onto the ring. The umbrella base in the present invention is simple and reasonable in structure, stable and reliable in use, and low in cost, which can meet both usage and environmental protection requirements. It has an appearance not significantly different from that of parasol bases integrally molded by iron plates, and is worth popularizing.