Portable Umbrella With Ground Engagement Element
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional umbrellas are tiring to hold for long durations, especially in windy conditions, as they require significant manual effort to counteract uplift and twisting forces, limiting user mobility and ability to use other items.
Innovation Solution
A portable umbrella with a collapsible canopy, a first shaft, a handle, a telescopically stowable second shaft, and a ground engagement element that allows the umbrella to be secured to the ground, reducing the force required to counteract wind and enabling hands-free use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the umbrella canopy size is increased to provide better shielding, then the protective effect is improved, but the weight and wind resistance increase making it more tiring to hold
Solution Approach 1:
The umbrella is divided into two functional segments: a handheld portion for portability and a ground-engagement portion for stability. The shaft is segmented into a first shaft held by the user and a second shaft that extends to the ground, allowing the large canopy to be supported by both hand and ground rather than hand alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The support mechanism transitions from a single-dimensional hand-held support to a two-dimensional support system involving both hand grip and ground contact. The second shaft provides vertical extension to the ground, creating a new dimension of support that distributes the canopy's weight and wind load.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the umbrella canopy size is increased to provide better shielding, then the protective effect is improved, but the wind resistance increases causing more twisting force on the user's wrist
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft is segmented into two parts: the first shaft held by the user and the second shaft extending to the ground. This segmentation transfers the pivot point for wind-induced rotation from the user's wrist to the ground contact point, dramatically reducing the twisting moment on the user's arm.
Solution Approach 2:
The second shaft acts as an intermediary element between the canopy and the ground. It provides a direct structural connection to the ground, allowing wind forces to be dissipated through the ground contact point rather than being transmitted entirely through the user's hand and wrist.
3Ease of operation
If a ground engagement element is added to enable hands-free use, then the ease of operation for long-duration use is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The second shaft serves multiple functions: it acts as a structural support element, a telescopic extension mechanism, and a carrier for the ground engagement element. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components and minimizes overall device complexity despite the added capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The second shaft is telescopically stowable within the first shaft or handle, creating a nested configuration when not in use. The ground engagement element is attached to the second shaft and can be stowed alongside it. This nesting approach minimizes the increased complexity by keeping components compact and integrated.
4Ease of operation
If a telescopic second shaft with ground engagement element is added, then the ease of operation for long-duration use is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The telescopic second shaft is designed to nest within the first shaft or handle when retracted, creating a compact configuration. The ground engagement element attaches to the second shaft and follows the same nested storage pattern. This nesting significantly reduces the apparent complexity by consolidating multiple components into a compact integrated structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The second shaft employs a telescopic mechanism that allows it to dynamically extend and retract. This dynamic capability enables the shaft to adapt between a compact stowed state (reducing complexity) and an extended operational state (providing ground engagement functionality), making the added complexity situation-dependent rather than constant.
Data Source
AI summary
An umbrella (10) comprising a handle (16) and a stand (18). The stand (18) is connected to and telescopically stowable in the handle (16). A tethering element (26) is provided for a user to step upon.