Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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lle :invcntion relates to a shortenaL~Ie u7nbrella with blades
carrying the umbrcllcl callo~y, the b:lades bcing shortenable hy telescoping
and/or folding, of which tlle innermost blade parts are pivoted on a crown
secured on a shortenable rod assembly and respectively are horizontally
pivotable by means of at least one fork by means of at least one slider,
whereby each outermost blade part is foldably articulated on the adjacent
blade part by means of a control rod which acts on an extension of the outer-
most blade part.
;~ Shortenable or contractable umbrellas of the previously mentioned
type are known wi~h telescopic canopy rod ribs or blades as well as with
scissors-like joint folding or collapsible frame blades. With both designs
:. the folded down blade parts have a tendency during the opening of the
- ~ umbrella to fold back into the folded-up position, whereby the outer ring
of the umbrella canopy is folded up. This is eliminated by the known
; embodiments by use of control rods which engage respectively on an extension
of the outermost foldable-down blade part and :Eorce a positive or constrained
folding down movement of this outermost blade part during opening of the :
umbrella.
In order to adjust or correlate the course of movement produced by
the control rods to the movement of the remaining frame parts, with the known
.~ embodiments it is necessary either to arrange resilient intermediate elements
or to provide an elongated hole connection between the outer-lying end of
the control rod and the extension on the inner-lying end of the foldable
blade part. While the design with an elongated hole connection has the
.~ disadvantages that the folding movement of the outermost blade parts is
:j only imperfectly controlled, with the design having the resilient inter-
mediate elements there exists the disadvantage that it is expensive in
production as well as during assembly and beyond that it is particularly
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susceptible to trollhle or ~ re to a marke(l dcgre~.
h' .[n orclcr to avoid these d;sadvalltages and to eEEect a positive
forceful constraine~ ~olcling-clown of -the outermost blade parts without thc
use of rcsilicnt interlnediate elements or to effect tlle clorlgated hole
connections compensating the control movement, it has already been proposed
, to pivotally fasten the inner end of the control rods respectively on a
slide hinge which is articulated on the ork by means of a connection rod.
; In this manner the advantage is obtained that by means of fixed connections,
- an early folding-down of the outermost blade parts is achleved and the outer-
most umbrella cover ring is prevented from folding back.
By the use of control rods it is altogether not possible with the
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!~ above-mentioned explained embodiments to close the umbrella with the
~- outermost blade parts folded-down. Such a condition with folded-up together
' ' umbrella canopy and fully extended frame parts is desired when the umbrella
cover is supposed to be dry after use, without the existence of the possi-
- bility to open the umbrella canopy.
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The invention is based on the task, with a shortenable umbrella
of the introductory described type, while keeping an early folding-down of
~;' the outermost blade parts during the opening of the umbrella, to provide the
possibility during the closing of the umbrella selectively to load the outer-
~ most blade parts in the folded-down position or to fold-back the outermost
; blade parts for the engagement or abutment on the adjacent blade parts.
This task is solved with the invention in the manner that the
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inner-lying end of each control rod embraces the associated fork by means of
an area guide opening which is large with respect to the cross-section of the
fork, the guide openîng making possible a displacement of the inner-lying
end of the control rod in the longitudinal direction of the fork and/or of
the control rod.
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l~itl~ this L)rol~osal oE the inventioll, the aclvan-tclge is achieved
tllat a very early folding-down of the outefrmost kflade parts is attained
durillg the opening of the umbrella, sincc ~It tlle beginning of the opening
movcolcfnt the :inller-lying end of eacli control rod shifts along the spreading
fork, whereby -the lever arm for the control movement, the latter which is
e~erted on the outermost blade part by means o-f the control rod, is
considerably increased. At the end of the opening movement, the inner-
lying end of each control rod slides back along the fork in~o a position in
which the control rod is located approximately parallel to that blade part
which is adjacent to the outermost blade part. In this manner, automatically
an equali~ation or compensation is attained, in that the outermost blade
parts at the beginning of the opening movement executed an increased folding-
down movement. During the closing of the umbrella, the guide opening formed
on the inner-lying end of each control rod makes it possible or the outer-
most blade parts to remain selectively in the folded-down position or to be
folded up on the adjacent blade parts, since this large area guide opening
facilitates a shifting of the inner-lying end of the control rods in the
longitudinal direction of the fork as well as of the control rod, so that
independent of the respective position at the time, the outermost ring of
the umbrella canopy can be folded back or can remain in the extended position.
It is thus possible by the inventive formation with maintaining of an early
foldm g-down movement of the outermost blade parts during opening, for the
user to decide whether he wants to fold the outer canopy ring back during
the closing of the umbrella or to load it into a stretched or extended
` position. The slide movement of the inner-lying end of each control rod
; on the associated fork which takes place during the opening increases the
early folding-down movement of the outermost blade parts, so that the
inventive formation also with respect to this has advantages compared to
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the kno.~n embo(liments.
Tile al~ove-clcscriled a~vantages of the invention are achieved ~ith
simplcst ~echnical means, parti~ularly without addltional or failure prone
construction parts. According to the inverltion, thc guidc opening can be
formed either by means of a control piece mounted on ~he inner-lying end
of the control rod or integrally by means oE a plurality of hend-off portions
of the il-mer-lying end of the control rod.
The part of the control rod ~orming the guide opening according
to a further feature of the invention can ~e bent-off relative to the
` 10 longitudinal direction of the control rod with the ~ormation of an acute
angle, whereby with an opened umbrella a bending of the control rod occurs
opposite to the bend-off, which insures that with the closing of the umbrella
the inner lying-end o each control rod becomes free or releases behind the
hinge by the inherent resiliency of the control rod, with which hinge the
fork is connected with the blades forming the umbrella cover. In this manner
independent of the hinge formation, it is guaranteed that a jamming of the
control rod is prevented.
According to a further feature of the invention, the inner-lying
~ end of the control rod, with the stretched out umbrella, can lie in a recess
;~ 20 which is formed in the hinge, -the latter which pivotally connects the fork
with the blades. ~y this recess, in spite of the normally free moveability
of the control rod relative to the fork, it is possible to expose the control
rod to a compressive or pressure loading with the stretched out umbrella,
whereby an increased resistance against bending is achieved of the entire
outer blade system.
The construction according to the invention is not only useable
with shortenable umbrellas, whose blades which carry the umbrella canopy are
shortenable or collapsible at least by a factor of two by telescoping or
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fold:ing hack, the invention also permits use w:ith simple -f.olding umbrellas
which consist of a blade part connected with tlie fork and a :Eoldable-down
outermost blade part.
Various embodiment examples of the invention are illustrated on
the drawings, and indeed show:
Figure 1 a first embodiment e~ample of a triple-shortenable
umbrella in the stretched out condition, the outermost blade parts of which
are foldable and the inner-lying blade parts of which are telescopicable,
Figure 2 a plan view on the i~mer-lying end of the control rod
according to Figure 1,
Figure 3 the umbrella illustrated in Figure 1 in the almost
closed position with folded-down outermost blade parts,
Figure 4 the umbrella illustrated in Figure 3 in the nearly
closed position with folded-down outermost blade parts and a particularity
on the hinge,
Figure S an illustration corresponding to Figure 3, by which
however the outermost blade parts are almost folded-up,
Figure 6 the umbrel~la illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 at the start
of the opening operation,
:~ 20 Figure 7 an illustration corresponding to Figure 6 with further
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; advanced opening operation,
Pigure 8 a second embodiment of an umbrella illustrated in the
spread out condition, the inner-lying blade parts o:E which are :Eoldable
scissors-like,
Figure 9 a partial illustration corresponding to Figure 8 of a
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' frame which is telescopical with respect to the inner-lying blades,
Figure 10 an illustration corresponding to Figure 8 with a
~ varied embodiment of the control rod,
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~-igure 11 a plan v-icw of thc inner-lyillg Clld ot tlle control rod
according to F:igurc 10,
Figure 12 a further embodiment possibilit.y for the control rod, and
l:igure 13 a plan view of the inner-lying end of the~ control rod
?ccording to Figure 12.
The embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 7 relates to a so-called
.~ flat umbrella with a three part rod assembly 1 which comprises an outer tube
la, a center tube 1~, and an inner tube lc, which are telescopically guided
within each other. A crown 2 is secured at the free end of the outer tube
la, on which crown the umbrella cover, which is not illustrated in the draw-
ing, is fîxed by means of a cap or top 2a. Further, a slider 3 is moveably
arranged on the outer tube la of the rod assembly 1. A plurality of forks
- 4 are articulated to the slider 3. Only one fork ~ is completely illustrated
in the drawings for the sake of an improved overall view.
The outer end of each fork ~ is articulated on a hinge 5, the latter
being fastened on the inner-lying end of a middle blade part 6. A folding
hinge 8 is articulated by means of a folding pin 8a on the outer end of
this blade part 6, the folding hinge 8 being attached to the inner-lying
end of an outermost blade part 7. The outermost blade part 7 is arranged
so as to be foldable on the middle blade part 6 with the aid of the folding
hinge 8, whereby the folding movement can be controlled by means of a control
rod 9 which is articulated by means of a pivot or hinge pin 9a on that part
of the folding hinge 8 which is inwardly extended across or beyond the
folding pin 8a. For fastening oE the umbre:Lla cover, each outermost blade
part 7 is provided with a blade top end cap 7a, and a sew- or tie-on hole
on the folding hinge 8.
The inner-lying end of each control rod 9 encompasses or engages
~ around the fork ~ which is coordinated thereto, by means of a guide opening
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6:~79
10 (se~ I igure 2), ~YhiCh glli~le Opelling in proportion to the cross-scction
of tlle fork 4 has a large area an(l which makes possible a clisplacement of
the inner-lying encl of tlle control rod 9 in th~ longitudinal direction of
the fork as well as in tlle longitudinal direction of the control rod 9. In
this manner, a guiding of the inner-lying end of the control rod 9 takes
place on the fork ~, the guiding permitting a large movement play space.
The shortenable umbrella, according to Figures 1 to 7, is construc-
; ted as a telescopic umbrella and has an innermost blade part 11 in which the
middle blade part 6 telescopïcally can be pushed. This innermos~ blade part
11 is pivotably articulated with its inner-lying end on the crown 2. The
blade part 11 on the outermost-lying end carries a small band lla on which
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the hinge 5 (which is fastened to the middle blade part 6) comes into
contact or engagement with an opened umbrella, as illustrated in Figure 1.
Finally the umbrella, according to Figures 1 and 2 has auxiliary forks 12
which are articulated on the forks 4, the auxiliary forks 12 being hori-
zontally pivotable by means of an auxiliary slider 13.
With an opened umbrella, that means with a stretched out umbre11a
cover, the control rod 9 lies in the vertex of the acute angle which is
formed by the fork 4 and the innermost blade part 11. In this position,
consequently a movement of the control rod 9 is prevented. The foldable-
down outermos* blade part 7 is located in the unfolded position so that an
orderly stretching oE the umbrella cover is guaranteed.
With a closed un~brella according to Figures 3 and 5 the possibility
exists, cither to transfer tlle outermost blade parts into the folded-down
position ~Figure 3), or to fold-up the outermost blade parts on the middle
blade parts 6 (Figure 5), since in this position the guide opening 10 permits
a movement of the control rod 9 in its longitudinal direction, whereby a
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movement of the outermost blade part 7 about the folding pin 8a of the
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~old-ing hing~ 8 is possible. rrhe user o~ the um~rella consequently has the
choice ~hcther he l~ants to ~old back the ou-ter ring of thc umbrella cover
according to Figure 5, the outer rlng being -Eastened on the folding hinge 8
and the ~ole cap 7a, or to load it into the extended position according to
Figure 3.
In spite of the large movement, possibility of the control rod 9
~ith respect to the fork ~, with the opening of the umbrella, the desired
control movement for the outermost blade par-ts 7 automatically occurs.
Figures 6 and 7 illustrate tllat during the beginning of the opening operation
each control rod 9 slides with its guide opening 10 on the associated fork ~
in the direction toward tne slider 3. By the thereby resulting large spacing
of the inner end of the control rod 9 away -from the hinge 5 there is brought
about a larger lever arm for the folding movement, the latter being exerted
on the outermost blade part 7, by means of the control rod 9, so that the
outermost blade part 7 is folded-down altogether very early out from its
parallel position to the middle blade part 6. This movement operation not
only prevents a remaining behind or lagging of the outer ring of the umbrella,
but rather altogether favors the movement course during the opening of the
umbrella cover. Only near the end of the opening movement, does the inner-
lying end of the control rod 9 according to Figure 7 slide back on the fork
~ in the direction toward the hinge 5. In this manner, the necessary move-
ment equalization or compensation occurs with respect to the folding movement
of the outermost blade parts 7. With a completely opened umbrella, the inner-
lying end of the control rod 9 with the guide opening 10 lies directly behind
the hinge 5.
In order to avoid a jamming of the guide opening 10 behind this
hinge 5, by the illustrated embodiment according to Figures 1, 3, 5, 6 and 7,
the part of the control rod 9 which forms the guide opening 10, is bent off
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rel~ltive to tlle longitllcl-imll directioll of the control rocl 9 forming an
acute angle~ as th;s is clearly SIIOW~ in Pigures 3, S, 6 and 7.
With tile completely o~ened ~Imbrella accorcling to Figure 1, this
bend provides for the production of an elastic force within the control
rod 9, as this is recognized in ~igure l by the almost stretched or
straightened position of the part oE the control rod 9 which forms the
guide opening 10. When the umbrella is closed from this position, this
elastic force causes the inner-lying end of the guide opening 10 to reliably
come out from behind the hinge 5, so that the guide opening 10 does not jam
behind the hinge 5, but rather can slide Freely on the fork 4.
While in Figures 1, 3, 5, 6 and 7, the jamming of the guide opening
~ 10 in back of the hinge 5 is prevented by formation of the acute angle on
; the control rod 9, Figure 4 shows an embodiment by which an inclination 5b
is arranged on the hinge 5, which li~ewise prevents a jamming in the above
described type. Here the inclination 5b enable the inner-lying end of the
, guide opening 10 not to jam behind the hinge 5, but during closing of the
umbrella enables it to slide freely on the fork 4.
Figure 8 illustrates that the previously described embodiments and
movements of the control rod 9 can be used not only with a telescopic
umbrella with a foldable-down outermost blade part 7, but also with a so-
called scissors-joint umbrella. With an umbrella of this type, the middle
part 6 is articulated on a stretch Eork 14 by means oE the hinge 5, which
stretch fork moreover is connected pivotally with a scissors-joint~dfork 15
which extends between the crown 2 ancl the fork 4.
In spite of the large area opening 10, in order to be able to load
; the control rod 9 with compressive forces or pressure in the opening
position of the umbrella, whereby, for example, an increased bending
~i resistance of the entire outer blade system is achieved, the hinge 5 can be
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proviclecl ~ith a recess 5cl, in ~hich recess the inner-lying end of the
control rod ~ c~mes to lie ~:ith th~ openecl umbrella~ By means of the control
rod 9 fixecl in the recess 5a, the possibil:ity exists of addi.tionally support-ing the folclillg hinge 8 and of giving the entire outer blade system an
. increased sti.ffness or r:ig.i.dity. Figu:res ~ and 9 show the catching or
~' engagement of the control rod 9 in respectively one recess 5a of the hinge
5, and indeed once with a scissors-joint umbrella (Figllre 8) and on the
other hand with a telescopic umbrella ~Pigure 9).
~ In Figures 1 to 3, the guide opening 10 of the control rods under
circumstances, respectively, is formed integrally by a plurality of bent-off
portions of the inner-lying end of the control rod 9. This is particularly
to be recognized in Figure 2. Figures 10 to 13 show two further possibilities
of shape for the formation of the guide opening 10.
According to Figures 10 and 11, the guide opening 10 can be formed
by a guide piece lOa mounted on the inner-lying end of the control rod 9,
:: which guide piece has the shape of a closed eye and is fastened, with an
attached or formed-on flange piece, on the control rod 9. According to .
Figuresl2 and 13 the guide opening 10 can be formed by means of a guide fork
lOb, the fork end.s of which are connected with each other by a rivet lOc.
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