Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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OPENING/CLOSING STRUCTURE FOR
AN AUTOMATIC UMBRELLA
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an umbrella, and more
particularly to an opening/closing structure for an automatic
umbrella which is opened and closed completely.
Description of the Prior Art
A conventionally umbrella is employed to shield rains in a
rainy day and contains a frame manually pushed to a certain
position to expand the umbrella. To improve manually expand the
umbrella, an automatic umbrella is developed and contains a
button fixed on a handle to be pressed to expand the automatic
umbrella automatically, but such an automatic umbrella cannot be
retracted automatically, i.e., the automatic umbrella is retracted
manually, so a user will get wet during manually retracting the
automatic umbrella.
However, when a driving structure drives a first tube to
move upwardly relative to a second tube, a shaft assembly causes
vibration, so a user cannot hold the automatic umbrella comfortably.
In other words, when a screw rod of the driving mechanism drives
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a push post to move upwardly toward a complete opening position,
inner threads on a lower end of the push post actuate the first tube
to rotate relative to the second tube, and then the shaft assembly
vibrates after receiving a rotating force of the first tube, thus
reducing service life of the automatic umbrella.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate
the afore-described disadvantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One aspect of the present invention is to provide an
opening/closing structure for an automatic umbrella which
enhances comfort, avoid vibration, and prolongs service life of the
automatic umbrella.
To obtain the above, an opening/closing structure for an
automatic umbrella provided by the present invention contains: a
shaft assembly, a frame, a notch, a first runner, a second runner, a
driving mechanism, and a handle in which a power source is
configured.
The shaft assembly includes a first tube and a second tube,
a length of the second tube is larger than that of the first tube, a
lower end of the second tube is fixed on the handle, an upper end
of the second tube matches with the notch, the first tube is fitted on
the second tube to move between the notch and the handle on the
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second tube, and the second runner is fitted on the first tube.
= The frame couples with the notch and the second runner.
The driving mechanism includes a screw rod and a push
post for cooperating with the screw rod.
A lower end of the screw rod is joined with the power
. source in the handle.
The push post has a drive portion for matching with the
screw rod and inner threads formed on the drive portion and
screwing with the screw rod, such that the power source is started
to drive the screw rod to rotate clockwisely or counterclockwisely,
and the push post is driven by the screw rod to move upwardly or
downwardly relative to the screw rod.
The push post is inserted into the second tube and its
upper end is connected with the first tube by inserting a joining
element into the second tube, and the second tube has a slot
longitudinally formed on an outer wall thereof, such that the joining
element moves upwardly or downwardly along the slot, the push
post has the drive portion arranged on a lower end thereof to
match with the screw rod, a coupling portion formed on an upper
end thereof, and a deforming portion connecting with the drive
portion and the coupling portion; the deforming portion is rigid to
shaft itself in an axial direction and deforms and recovers its
original shape in a torque direction.
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Since the push post has three portions, when the
automatic umbrella is opened completely, the power source drives
the screw rod to rotate relative to the drive portion, wherein the
drive portion is driven to rotates by ways of the deforming portion
and the coupling portion, and the deforming portion deforms to
resist against the drive portion, such that the coupling portion is not
influenced by the drive portion, the first tube moves stably, thus
preventing vibration of the shaft assembly, enhancing comfort of
the automatic umbrella, and prolonging service life of the automatic
umbrella.
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided
an opening/closing structure for an automatic umbrella comprising:
a shaft assembly, a frame, a notch, a first runner, a driving
mechanism, and a handle in which a power source is configured;
the shaft assembly including a first tube and a second tube,
a length of the second tube being larger than that of the first tube,
a lower end of the second tube being fixed on the handle, an upper
end of the second tube matching with the notch, the first tube being
fitted on the second tube to move between the notch and the
handle on the second tube, and the first runner being fitted on the
first tube;
the frame coupling with the notch and the first runner;
the driving mechanism including a screw rod and a push
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post for cooperating with the screw rod; wherein
a lower end of the screw rod is joined with the power
source in the handle;
the push post has a drive portion for matching with the
screw rod and inner threads formed on the drive portion and
screwing with the screw rod, such that the power source is started
to drive the screw rod to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise, and
the push post is driven by the screw rod to move upwardly or
downwardly relative to the screw rod;
the push post is inserted into the second tube and its upper
end is connected with the first tube by inserting a joining element
into the second tube, and the second tube has a slot longitudinally
formed on an outer wall thereof, such that the joining element
moves upwardly or downwardly along the slot, the push post has
the drive portion arranged on a lower end thereof to match with the
screw rod, a coupling portion formed on an upper end thereof, and
a deforming portion connecting with the drive portion and the
coupling portion;
the deforming portion having generally fixed length in an
axial direction along the shaft assembly so as to generally maintain
constant spacing between the drive portion and the coupling
portion;
and the deforming portion being twistable about an axis of
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the shaft assembly, which is parallel to the axial direction, from an
original position angularly of said axis and arranged to return to
said original position.
Twisting of the deforming portion occurs in a torque
direction which is any one of two rotational directions about the
axial direction.
The deforming portion may be a rigid piece rotatable about
the axis of the shaft assembly.
Alternatively the deforming portion may be at least two
cables which are symmetrically arranged, two ends of each cable
are joined with the drive portion and the coupling portion such that
each cable extends along the shaft assembly, and the cables are
arranged so as to be substantially incompressible along their
respective length for maintaining the constant spacing between the
drive portion and the coupling portion.
Alternatively the deforming portion may be plural cables
equidistantly arranged between the drive portion and the coupling
portion, wherein two ends of each cable are joined with the drive
portion and the coupling portion such that each cable extends
along the shaft assembly and the cables are arranged so as to be
substantially incompressible along their respective length for
maintaining the constant spacing between the drive portion and the
coupling portion.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the exploded
components of a shaft assembly of an opening/closing structure for
an automatic umbrella according to a preferred embodiment of the
present invention.
FIG. 1A is an amplified cross-sectional view of a part of a
portion AA of FIG. I according to the preferred embodiment of the
present invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view showing the assembly of
the opening/closing structure for the automatic umbrella according
to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is another cross sectional view showing the
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assembly of the opening/closing structure for the automatic
umbrella according to the preferred embodiment of the present
invention.
FIG. 4 is a perspective cross sectional view showing the
assembly of a shaft assembly of the opening/closing structure for
the automatic umbrella according to the preferred embodiment of
the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the operation of a
screw rod and a push post of the opening/closing structure for the
automatic umbrella according to the preferred embodiment of the
present invention.
FIG. 6 is another perspective view showing the operation of
the screw rod and the push post of the opening/closing structure
for the automatic umbrella according to the preferred embodiment
of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED
EMBODIMENTS
The present invention will be clearer from the following
description when viewed together with the accompanying drawings,
which show, for purpose of illustrations only, a preferred
embodiment in accordance with the present invention.
With reference to FIGS. 1-4, an opening/closing structure
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for an automatic umbrella according to a preferred embodiment of
the present invention, the automatic umbrella comprises: a shaft
assembly 1, a frame 2, an umbrella cloth (not shown) disposed on
the frame 2, a notch 4, a first runner 6, a second runner 5, a driving
mechanism 7, and a handle 8 in which a power source 8A is
configured.
The frame 2 includes a plurality of ribs 21, plural first
auxiliary stretchers 22, and plural second auxiliary stretchers 23; a
first end of each rib 21 is connected with the notch 4, and a second
end of each rib 21 is a free segment 211; a first end of each first
auxiliary stretcher 22 is coupled with the second runner 5, and a
second end of each first auxiliary stretcher 22 is joined with each
rib 21; a first end of each second auxiliary stretcher 23 is in
connection with the first runner 6, and a second end of each
second auxiliary stretcher 23 is coupled with each rib 21. In
addition, between the first runner 6 and each rib 21 is defined a
spring 24.
Referring to FIG. 1, the shaft assembly 1 includes a first
tube 11 and a second tube 12, wherein a length of the second tube
12 is larger than that of the first tube 11, and a lower end of the
second tube 12 is fixed on the handle 8, an upper end of the
second tube 12 matches with the notch 4. The first tube 11 is fitted
on the second tube 12 to move between the notch 4 and the
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handle 8 on the second tube 12, and the second runner 5 and the
first runner 6 are fitted on the first tube 11; wherein the first tube 11
has a limiting member 111 fixed thereon to limit the second runner
to move above the limiting member 111. In this embodiment, the
5 limiting member 111 is a shoulder formed on the first tube 11, and
the limiting member 111 is a stop ring or a bolt fitted on the first
tube 11 in another embodiment. To avoid a removal of the second
runner 5 from the first tube 11, after the second runner 5 is fixed on
the first tube 11, an anti-off member 112 are mounted on the first
tube 11 and its structure is identical to that of the limiting member
111. Furthermore, the first tube 111 also has a connecting orifice
113 defined thereon.
The driving mechanism 7 includes a screw rod 71 and a
push post 72 for cooperating with the screw rod 71; a lower end of
the screw rod 71 is joined with the power source 8A in the handle 8,
the push post 72 has a drive portion 720 for matching with the
screw rod 71 and inner threads 721 formed on the drive portion
720 and screwing with the screw rod 71, such that the power
source 8A is started to drive the screw rod 71 to rotate clockwisely
or counterclockwisely, and then the push post 72 is driven by the
screw rod 71 to move upwardly or downwardly relative to the screw
rod 71. The push post 72 is inserted into the second tube 12 so
that its upper end is connected with the first tube 11 by inserting a
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joining element 73 into the second tube 12 and the connecting
orifice 113, and the second tube 12 has a slot 121 longitudinally
formed on an outer wall thereof so that the joining element 73
moves upwardly or downwardly along the slot 121.
It is to be noted that the push post 72 has the drive portion
720 arranged on a lower end thereof to match with the screw rod
71, a coupling portion 722 formed on an upper end thereof, and a
deforming portion 723 connecting with the drive portion 720 and
the coupling portion 722. The coupling portion 722 cooperates with
an inner wall of the second tube 12 and is coupled with the first
tube 11 by inserting the joining element 73 into the first tube 11.
The deforming portion 723 is any one of a rigid piece, at least two
rigid cables which are symmetrically arranged, and plural rigid
cables equidistantly arranged between the drive portion 720 and
the coupling portion 722, wherein two ends of each rigid cable are
joined with the drive portion 720 and the coupling portion 722. The
deforming portion 723 is rigid to shaft itself in an axial direction X1
and deforms and recovers its original shape in a torque direction
Y1. As shown in FIG. 5, the screw rod 71 actuates the push post 72
to rotate; and as illustrated in FIG. 6, the screw rod 71 stops
actuating the push post 72, and then the deforming portion 723
stops deformation to maintain a pushing force of the push post 72
stably and to avoid structural impact. It is to be noted that a
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longitudinal moving stoke of the inner threads 721 along the screw
rod 71 is a longitudinal moving stoke of the second runner 5
relative to the second tube 12.
The handle 8 is formed in a cover shape to accommodate
the power source 8A and includes a control button 81 for starting
the power source 8A to rotate clockwisely or counterclockwisely.
The power source 8A is a speed change gear or a motor.
With reference to FIG. 3, when the automatic umbrella is
closed, the drive portion 720 is located at the lower end of the
screw rod 71, i.e., the push post 72 is located at the lower end of
the screw rod 71 relative to the second tube 12.
Referring to FIG. 2, when the automatic umbrella is opened,
the power source 8A is started to output a clockwise rotating force
by which the screw rod 71 is driven to rotate, and the drive portion
720 moves upwardly along the screw rod 71, the deforming portion
723 pushes the coupling portion 722 to drive the first tube 11, and
then the first tube 11 moves upwardly relative to the second tube
12, the limiting member 111 simultaneously pushes the second
runner 5 to move upwardly, such that the plurality of first auxiliary
stretchers 22 push the plurality of ribs 21 to expand outwardly, and
the plurality of ribs 21 drive the second auxiliary stretchers 22 to
expand upwardly and actuate the first runner 6 to move upwardly
toward an upper end of the first tube 11, thus opening the
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automatic umbrella completely, wherein the second runner 5 drives
the plurality of first auxiliary stretchers 22 to expand the plurality of
ribs 21 of the frame 2. Thereafter, plural springs 24 pull the plurality
of ribs 21, and the umbrella cloth forces the frame 2 so that an
angle forms between the frame 2 and the plurality of second
auxiliary stretchers 23, thereby stopping an upward movement of
the first runner 6.
To obtain aesthetics appearance of the shaft assembly 1, a
protective sleeve 116 is covered on a lower end of the first tube 11.
Moreover, a buffer pad 9 is defined between the second runner 5
and the first runner 6 to buffer an impact force between the second
runner 5 and the first runner 6, when the first runner 6 is pulled
upwardly toward the second runner 5. As closing the automatic
umbrella, a protrusion 114 is disposed on the lower end of the first
tube 11 and its outer diameter is larger than an inner diameter of
the first runner 6, such that when the automatic umbrella is opened,
the protrusion 114 acts the first runner 6, thus opening the
automatic umbrella easily. Between the lower end of the second
tube 12 and the handle 8 are fitted a protective fitting 115 and a
fixing loop 117 for fixing the protective fitting 115 on the handle 8
tightly.
As shown in FIG. 4, when the automatic umbrella is
opened completely, the power source 8A drives the screw rod 71 to
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rotate relative to the drive portion 720. Since the push post 71 has
three portions, the drive portion 720 rotates by ways of the
deforming portion 723 and the coupling portion 722, and the
deforming portion 723 deforms to resist against the drive portion
720 in the torque direction Y1, such that the coupling portion 722 is
not influenced by the drive portion 720, and the push post 72
moves in the axial direction X1, the first tube 11 moves stably, thus
preventing vibration of the shaft assembly 1, enhancing comfort of
the automatic umbrella, and prolonging service life of the automatic
umbrella.
As shown in FIG. 1A, when the deforming portion 723 are
the at least two rigid cables, a sound eliminating layer 724 is fitted
on the deforming portion 723. Thereby, the deforming portion 723
does not hit the second tube 12 to make noise. Preferably, the
sound eliminating layer 724 is a rubber sleeve or other flexible
casing.
While various embodiments in accordance with the
present invention have been shown and described, it is clear to
those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made =
without departing from the scope of the present invention.
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