Hand-Operated Umbrella Linkage for Easier Canopy Folding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cantilever umbrellas are labor-consuming to unfold or fold, have complex structures, and pose safety hazards due to reliance on ropes or pneumatic springs, with center-support umbrellas being inefficient and unsafe.
Innovation Solution
A hand-operated umbrella design featuring a quadrilateral linkage mechanism composed of transverse, tilted, connecting, and supporting rods, facilitated by a slider mechanism, allowing easy opening and closing with a simple and stable structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a rope and crank rope winding mechanism are used to control canopy folding, then the umbrella can be operated, but the operation time is long, the structure becomes complex, and safety hazards arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the rope and crank mechanism from the system, replacing it with a direct manual operation system where the canopy is folded and unfolded by directly pushing or pulling the canopy itself, eliminating the intermediate transmission components that caused complexity and safety issues
Solution Approach 2:
The canopy structure is divided into multiple independent ribs that can be operated separately, allowing each rib to be folded or unfolded independently through direct manual force applied to individual canopy sections, reducing the need for complex centralized control mechanisms
2Ease of operation
If a scissor-type connecting mechanism is used to control canopy folding, then the canopy can be folded or unfolded, but pneumatic springs or energy storage components are needed to ensure labor saving, otherwise the operation is labor-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates pneumatic springs and other energy storage components from the system, replacing the scissor-type mechanism with a simplified direct-force operation system where the canopy is folded and unfolded by applying manual force directly to the canopy ribs without requiring auxiliary energy storage devices
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using energy storage components to assist the folding operation, the patent inverts the approach by designing the canopy structure to be directly manipulated by user force, where the user's manual input directly drives the folding motion without needing stored energy to supplement the operation
3Ease of operation
If a rope winding mechanism is used to unfold or fold the whole umbrella, then the operation can be performed, but potential safety hazards arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the rope winding mechanism entirely, replacing it with a direct manual operation system where the canopy is folded and unfolded by directly pushing or pulling the canopy ribs, eliminating the rope-related safety hazards such as entanglement, snapping, or mechanical failure
Solution Approach 2:
The canopy structure is designed to be self-operating through direct manual force, where the user's action on the canopy ribs directly produces the folding or unfolding motion without requiring intermediate transmission elements like ropes that could fail or create safety issues
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 design enables labor-saving, easy operation, increased shading area, and enhanced stability with a reduced center of gravity shift during unfolding, while maintaining a cost-effective and safe design.
Implementation Method 1
The transverse rod, the tilted rod, the connecting rod and the supporting rod form a quadrilateral linkage mechanism which can compress and expand to open or close the umbrella under the movement of the slider
Implementation Method 2
a slider slidably disposed on the column
Data Source
AI summary
A hand-operated umbrella comprises a column, a tilted rod, a transverse rod, a connecting rod, a supporting rod, an upper nest, a lower nest, a plurality of long rods, a plurality of short rods, and a slider slidably disposed on the column. The transverse rod, the tilted rod, the connecting rod and the supporting rod form a quadrilateral linkage mechanism. The umbrella of the present invention is simple and reasonable in structure, labor-saving and easy to unfold and fold and low in cost. Since each of four sides of the column has the groove for mounting the umbrella frame, so that a shading area of the umbrella is effectively increased, and a shading effect is improved, and the assembled umbrella is stable and reliable.