Umbrella Skeleton Segmented Rods Reduce Space
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional umbrella and canopy skeletons occupy excessive space and lack sufficient strength for reliable inclined support, leading to inefficient use and safety concerns.
Innovation Solution
A skeleton design featuring a coaxial, movably connected sub-center rod with a connecting member and screw mechanism, along with a telescopic main supporting rod and foldable structure, which allows for reduced space occupation and enhanced strength through internal force interactions and adjustable support angles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the main center rod is made longer to ensure skeleton strength, then the strength is improved, but the space occupied at the top portion increases resulting in waste
Solution Approach 1:
The skeleton is divided into multiple segments: main supporting rod, main center rod, sub-center rod, and sub-supporting rod. The sub-center rod is a separate component that can be independently adjusted, allowing the main center rod to be shorter while maintaining overall structural strength through the segmented configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a new dimensional aspect by adding the sub-center rod that extends radially from the main center rod. This creates a three-dimensional support structure where strength is distributed across multiple dimensions, reducing the need for excessive length in any single rod while maintaining overall strength.
2Strength
If the sub-center rod is made longer to ensure sufficient supporting strength for inclined support, then the strength is improved, but the space occupation increases and utility decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The sub-center rod is designed with threaded connection to the main center rod, allowing its length and position to be dynamically adjusted. This enables the sub-center rod to provide sufficient supporting strength for inclined support only when needed, while being retractable to minimize space occupation when not in use.
Solution Approach 2:
The sub-center rod can be threaded into and nested within the main center rod, creating a compact configuration when not in use. This nesting arrangement allows the sub-center rod to be stored inside the main center rod, significantly reducing space occupation while maintaining the capability to extend when supporting strength is required.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the main center rod and sub-center rod are made longer to achieve inclined supporting, then the inclined support capability is improved, but the space occupation increases and operation becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The threaded connection between the main center rod and sub-center rod enables dynamic adjustment of the sub-center rod's position and angle. This allows easy adjustment of the inclined support angle by simply rotating the sub-center rod along the threads, making operation convenient while achieving the desired inclined supporting capability.
4Strength
If the acute triangle configuration is used to ensure skeleton strength, then the strength is improved, but the top portion space is wasted resulting in poor utility
Solution Approach 1:
The skeleton is segmented into main supporting rod, main center rod, sub-center rod, and sub-supporting rod, allowing flexible configuration. The sub-center rod can be adjusted to create different geometric configurations, enabling both strong structural support and efficient space utilization without being locked into a fixed acute triangle configuration.
Data Source
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AI summary
A skeleton including a main supporting rod, an upper fixing member, a main center rod, a push handle, a middle connecting piece and a sub-supporting rod is disclosed. The main supporting rod is hinged to the sub-supporting rod via the middle connecting piece. An upper end of the main center rod is fixedly connected to the upper fixing member. The push handle is hinged to an end of the sub-supporting rod and is coaxial with the main center rod, and an inner hole of the push handle has a diameter larger than that of the main center rod. Where the skeleton is to be used, the push handle is pushed upwardly until the push handle is surroundingly coupled with the main center rod, and the interior angle formed by the main center rod and the sub-supporting rod, in the triangle formed by the main supporting rod, the main center rod and the sub-supporting rod, is an obtuse angle. With the skeleton, the distance between the upper fixing member and the push handle is shortened, thereby the space occupied by the skeleton is reduced, space of the skeleton that can be used is increased, and the utility is improved. An umbrella and a canopy having the above skeleton and the same advantages are further disclosed.