US20060207640A1

US20060207640A1 - Combination of a shade and rain umbrella with an emergency indication on the rain cover

Info

Publication number: US20060207640A1
Application number: US11/440,320
Authority: US
Inventors: Kevin Connelly
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-07-07
Filing date: 2006-05-25
Publication date: 2006-09-21

Abstract

The invention is directed to a shade and rain combination. The basic umbrella includes a shaft having at its top expending ribs with peripheral points at the ends of the ribs. A woven mesh cover is attached to the ribs and is extending to the peripheral points and attached thereto. The mesh cover protects a person under the umbrella from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun while at the same time allowing ventilating air to pass there through. In the event of rain a water proof cover may be placed over the mesh cover to prevent rain water from passing there through. The rain cover is fastened at each of ribs at their peripheral point thereof. The shaft of the umbrella can be fastened in an upright position at objects having different orientations, that is, vertical or horizontal. One surface of the rain cover is used to indicate an emergency by displaying a bright color or by displaying the emergency words “HELP” or “SOS”.

Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation-In-Part of application Ser. No. 10/613,946 having a filing date of Jul. 7 2003

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a combination of a shade and a rain umbrella. That is, the umbrella is useful as a shading instrument when a person is located in a hot sunshine area, such as being located on a beach, for example, but at the same time a quick rain squall can develop whereby the shade constructed umbrella is of no value because the rain water would penetrate through the open mesh shade cover.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to provide a shading umbrella as well as a rain umbrella in the same structure and usefulness of the combination of a shade and rain umbrella. The object of the invention is to quickly convert the shading part of the umbrella with a rain proof cover over the same so that a rain proof cover is obtained to shield a person under the umbrella from being soaked by rain water coming down while penetrating through the open mesh shade cover. The rain cover is also instrumental in alerting potential rescue personal of a pending emergency by having one surface of the rain cover constructed and designed in such a manner so that one surface will signal an emergency by having printed thereon the words of a pending emergency that can clearly be seen from a distance such as a higher elevation or from the air.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective and an exploded view of the umbrella combination;
FIG. 2 shows views of different ways of fastening the rain cover to the ribs of the umbrella;
FIG. 3 shows a container for the rain cover on the shaft of the umbrella;
FIG. 4 illustrates a clamp for clamping the shaft of the umbrella to an object;
FIG. 5 illustrates the clamp of FIG. 4 but clamped in a different direction;
FIG. 6 shows the handle of the shaft having screw threads at a bottom thereof;
FIG. 7 shows two ways of extending the shaft of the umbrella to different lengths;
FIG. 8 illustrates the casing for the umbrella when not in use.
FIG. 9 shows a rain cover having an emergency message on one side thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective and an exploded view of the umbrella according to the invention. The reference character 1 illustrates the shading part or the basic umbrella. the shaft of the umbrella is shown at 2 having the bottom handle 3 thereon the shading part of the combination is shown at 4. The shade material consists of a knit mesh material as a fabric which protects against the ultraviolet (UV) rays of the sun while providing a shaded area below the umbrella but at the time affording ventilation through the mesh fabric. The fabric is a HDPE polyethylene knit mono-tape construction designed to block greater than 90% of the ultraviolet radiation below the cover. The top point of the umbrella shaft is shown at 5 as it penetrates through the mesh fabric 4. The inside of the mesh fabric 4 has a pocket therein to receive and store the rain cover therein when not in use, as will be explained below. The basic umbrella further has a multiple of ribs 10 thereon, as is well known, including the exterior peripheral ends or points 9. The inventive umbrella combination includes a rain proof cover 7, which is of the same size as the shade cover 4.
In the event of rain, the umbrella can easily be converted to a rain umbrella by simply removing the stored rain cover from the pocket 6 and placing the rain cover over the mesh shade cover to thereby prevent any rain from penetrating through the mesh fabric. The rain cover is fastened to the mesh cover by placing the opening 11 over the shaft top 5 and by placing the eyelets 8 over the peripheral rib ends.
FIGS. 2A through 2D illustrate various ways of fastening the ends of the rain cover to the peripheral ends 9 of the ribs 10 of the basic umbrella. FIG. 2A has snaps 15 and 16 that merely snap together to make a connection.
FIG. 2B shows a rigid plastic eyelet that is placed over the end 9 of rib 10.
FIG. 2C shows corresponding parts 18 and 19 of a hook and loop fastening system that are merely pressed together.
FIG. 2D shows a plain eyelet system using one flexible eyelet 8 which is slipped over the ends 9 of any of the ribs 10. This system has already been explained with reference to FIG. 1. For simplicity reasons, this latter fastening system is preferred.
FIG. 3 shows a different way of storing the rain cover 7 (FIG. 1) in a pocket or container 20 which is removably attached to the shaft 2 by way of the hook 23 fastener 21 and the loop fastener 22.
FIG. 4 shows a clamp to clamp the vertical shaft 3 to a horizontal object 40. To this end, the shaft handle 3 with its interior threads 3 a (FIG. 6) are screwed onto the upstanding threads 41 on the clamp 42 until seated. The clamp 42 has a lower clamp jaw 43 that is movable in an up and down manner by the screw threaded shaft 44 which is movable by the handle wheel 45. When the umbrella is to be fastened to any horizontal object, the clamp 42 is moved over the object with its jaw open and then the handle wheel 45 is turned which in turn rotates the screw shaft upwardly which in turn will move the lower movable jaw 43 upwardly until the bottom 43 a will seat against the lower surface of the horizontal object 40 to thereby seat the clamp.
FIG. 5 illustrates how the umbrella can be installed on a vertical object. In this arrangement, again, there is a vertical threaded shaft 41, as was shown in FIG. 4. The handle 3 with its interior threads (3 a in FIG. 6) is screwed onto this shaft 41 until seated. The clamp 52 and 52 a has a horizontally movable jaw 53 which is operated or moved by the threaded shaft 54 which in turn is turned by the handle wheel 55. The operation of this clamp is the same as was explained with regard to FIG. 4 except in a different orientation.
Both uses of the clamps shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 may be described as a C-clamp being usable in two different orientations.
FIG. 6 shows the lower handle 3 installed on the end of the shaft 2 and having the interior threaded recess therein.
FIG. 7 illustrates how the shaft 2 (FIGS. 1-6) of the umbrella can be extended to different lengths. The shaft 71 (formerly 2) has the upstanding screw threads 70 thereon for the reception of the interior threads 3 a in handle 3. To make the shaft 71 extendible to different lengths a telescoping shaft or tube 72 is superimposed over the shaft 71. The lower end of shaft 72 has a pointed end 73 thereon to be pushed into the ground for support. The upper end of shaft 72 carries a sleeve 74 thereon. the sleeve has a lever 75 pivoted thereon which can be moved up and down as shown by the arrow. The inner end of the lever 75 has a cam 76 thereon which will clamp against the shaft 71 to arrest when the shaft 71 is at a predetermined length. An alternative way of adjusting the length of the shaft 71 is shown on the right side of FIG. 7. In this embodiment there is made a use of a the well known compression fitting 77. Further details are omitted.
FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate a casing or container 80 for storing the umbrella combination when not in use. The casing is opened and closed by a zipper 81. The casing 80 has a carrying handle 82 thereon. There are two pockets 83 and 84 on the casing. One may be used for storing the rain cover therein while the other may be used for storing the two way C-clamp therein. The extendible shaft itself may easily be stored within the casing together with the basic umbrella.
FIG. 9 illustrates the use of one surface side of the rain cover 97 as an indicator of an emergency. The basic umbrella is shown at 94 having ribs 100 thereon that when fully expanded establish the umbrella. The basic umbrella has a carrying shaft 92 thereon which is to be carried by the handle 93. The various sections of the umbrella between the ribs is shown at 94 and the fabric of theses sections correspond to the fabric as was explained with regard to FIG. 1. The top of the handle 92 has a top 95 protruding therefrom which would be the center for receiving the opening 111 in the center of the cover 97. FIG. 9 also shows the storage pocket 96 which will receive the folded cover 97 when not in use. At each of the outer ends of the cover 97 there are means 98 and 99 for attaching the cover to the basic ends of the ribs 100 as was explained with regard to FIG. 1, above. The one side of the cover 97 is designed in bright yellow or orange color to attract attention by a potential rescuer in case of an emergency. In case of an emergency, this side of the rain cover would be displayed and directed toward a potential rescuer, whether it is raining or not.
The bright color of the outer surface could be enhanced by the wording “HELP” or the international code of “SOS”. The lettering could be in dark colors to accentuate the difference between bright orange, yellow or white. The lettering of the words could be enhanced by the use of iridescent colors or metallic colors that will reflect bright sunshine or search lights in the event of darkness

Claims

1. A shade and rain umbrella combination including a basic umbrella having a shaft and expanding ribs at a top of said shaft, a shade cover placed over said ribs and fastened to a peripheral point at the end of said ribs, said shade cover consisting of a woven mesh fabric for protection against ultraviolet rays of the sun but at the same time allowing ventilation air to pass through said fabric, a water proof rain cover is placed over said shade cover in the event of rain, said rain cover is substantially the same size as said shade cover, means for fastening said rain cover to said peripheral point at each of the ends of said ribs, whereby said shade cover is used in sunshine and said rain cover is added in the event of rain but kept separate otherwise, said rain cover having an indication of an emergency on one surface thereof.

2. The umbrella combination of claim 1 including means for storing said rain cover within said shade cover when not in use.

3. The umbrella combination of claim 1 including means for storing said rain cover on said handle of said umbrella.

4. The umbrella combination of claim 1, wherein said means for fastening is a snap fastener combination.

5. The umbrella combination of claim 1, wherein said means for fastening is a hook and loop fastener combination.

6. The umbrella combination of claim 1, wherein said means for fastening are rigid eyelets on said rain cover placed over each point at the end of each of said ribs.

7. The umbrella combination of claim 1 including means on said shaft for extending its length.

8. The umbrella combination of claim 1 including means for clamping said shaft in an upright position on an object.

9. The umbrella combination of claim 1 including a casing for storing said umbrella combination when not in use.

10. The umbrella combination of claim 9 including a pocket attached to said casing for storing said rain cover therein.

11. The umbrella combination of claim 9 including a pocket attached to said casing for storing a clamp therein.

12. The umbrella combination of claim 1, wherein said shaft has a pointed bottom end for the shaft to be driven into the ground for stability.

13. The umbrella combination of claim 1, wherein said shade cover is constructed of a knitted fabric including a HDPE polyethylene mono-tape.

14. The umbrella combination of claim 1, wherein said emergency indication on said rain cover surface is a bright color.

15. The umbrella combination of claim 1, wherein said emergency indication on said rain cover surface is a letter printing of said emergency.

16. The umbrella combination of claim 15, wherein said letter printing is of a color darker than said surface color.

17. The umbrella combination of claim 15, wherein said letter printing is of an iridescent color.

18. The umbrella combination of claim 15, wherein said letter printing is of a reflex metallic material.