Stickless exteriorly operated umbrella canopy

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10557282-B1
Application number	US-201815863461-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jan 5, 2018
Priority date	Jan 7, 2017
Publication date	Feb 11, 2020
Grant date	Feb 11, 2020

Abstract

An umbrella canopy that opens and closes not from a stick from within the interior of the umbrella canopy but from the exterior crown where a line is pulled to open the umbrella canopy and where a button is pushed to close the umbrella canopy. The interior of the umbrella canopy includes no stick to hold up the umbrella canopy. Taut edges of the umbrella canopy hold up the umbrella canopy, for instance, on the top edges of a playyard.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An umbrella canopy having an open flexed shape and a closed relaxed shape, the umbrella canopy having an exterior and interior, the umbrella canopy comprising:
a) a first hub having an outer portion on a crown of the umbrella canopy and an inner portion on the interior of the umbrella canopy;
b) a second hub in the interior of the umbrella canopy, the second hub drawable to and away from the first hub, the second hub engageable to and disengageable from the first hub;
c) a set of at least three long ribs radially extending from the first hub, each of the long ribs having a proximal end, a distal end and an intermediate section therebetween, each of said proximal ends of the long ribs pivotally engaged to said first hub, the long ribs having a flexed state when the umbrella canopy is in the open flexed shape and a relaxed state when the umbrella canopy is in the closed relaxed shape;
d) a set of at least three short ribs radially extending from the second hub, each of the short ribs having a proximal end and a distal end, each of the proximal ends of the short ribs pivotally engaged to the second hub, each of the distal ends of the short ribs pivotally engaged to the intermediate section of one of said long ribs;
e) a flexible cover engaged to the long ribs and extending generally from the first hub to generally said distal ends of the long ribs, the flexible cover having generally a concave taut state when the long ribs are in the flexed state and a folded loose state when the long ribs are in the relaxed state, the flexible cover having an inner peripheral edge;
f) a line having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end of the line being engaged to the second hub, the line extending through the first hub, the proximal end of the line being disposed outside the interior of the umbrella canopy such that the proximal end of the line can be pulled to i) draw the second hub in the direction of the first hub such that the short ribs push against the main ribs and place the long ribs into the flexed state and ii) further draw the second hub in the direction of the first hub until the second hub engages the first hub to lock the long ribs in the flexed state and the flexible cover in the concave taut state;
g) a set of flaps, each of said flaps engaged to said inner peripheral edge continually to and between two distal ends of two respective adjacent long ribs;
h) each of said flaps extending beyond said inner peripheral edge to define an outer periphery;
i) each of the flaps being in a relaxed and nontaut state both when the flexible cover is in the concave taut state and when the flexible cover is in the folded loose state;
j) said set of flaps extending completely about the flexible cover;
k) each of the flaps having first and second adjacent flaps, each of the flaps having a right end and a left end, the right end of each of the flaps being adjacent to a left end of said first adjacent flap, the left end of each of the flaps being adjacent to a right end of said second adjacent flap;
l) each of the flaps extending horizontally; and
m) wherein one of the first and second hubs includes an elongated extension with an annular oblique face adjacent to an annular channel and wherein the other of the first and second hubs includes a pair of opposed transversely sliding members that are normally biased toward each other; and wherein said elongated extension of the second hub is insertable into the first hub, such that the sliding members engage the annular channel to releasably lock the first hub and the second hub together.

2. The umbrella canopy of claim 1 , wherein the first hub includes a button accessible from the exterior of the umbrella canopy, the button being depressible to disengage the second hub from the first hub, whereupon the long ribs unflex and push the short ribs and second hub away from the first hub and such that the flexible cover collapse from the concave taut shape to the folded loose state.

3. The umbrella canopy of claim 1 , wherein the flexible cover includes a set of cover sections, each of the sections having first and second edges defined by adjacent long ribs, each of the sections having a distal edge running between the distal ends of said adjacent long ribs, the distal edges of the sections defining a plane when the flexible cover is in the concave taut shape.

4. The umbrella canopy of claim 1 , wherein the inner peripheral edge defines a plane when the flexible cover is in the concave taut shape.

5. The umbrella canopy of claim 1 , wherein the second hub includes a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being adjacent to the first hub when the first and second hubs are engaged, the second portion being opposite of the first portion, the second portion being coaxial with the line when the flexible cover is in the concave taut state, the second portion being an under face of the second hub, the under face being free of a stick.

6. The umbrella canopy of claim 1 , wherein said elongated extension is includes an integral shaft that is coaxial with the first and second hubs, the line running through the integral shaft.

7. The umbrella canopy of claim 1 , wherein the flexible cover includes netting.

8. The umbrella canopy of claim 1 , wherein the flexible cover includes a portion that is water resistant.

9. The umbrella canopy of claim 1 , wherein the flexible cover includes a portion that is reflective to minimize capture of heat from the sun.

10. The umbrella canopy of claim 1 , wherein the line is a flexible line.

11. The umbrella canopy of claim 1 , wherein each of said long ribs bends under less force than each of the short ribs.

12. The umbrella canopy of claim 1 , wherein each of said short ribs has a greater diameter than each of the long ribs.

13. An umbrella canopy having an open flexed shape and a closed relaxed shape, the umbrella canopy having an exterior and interior, the umbrella canopy comprising:
a) a first hub having an outer portion on a crown of the umbrella canopy and an inner portion on the interior of the umbrella canopy;
b) a second hub in the interior of the umbrella canopy, the second hub drawable to and away from the first hub, the second hub engageable to and disengageable from the first hub;
c) a set of at least three long ribs radially extending from the first hub, each of the long ribs having a proximal end, a distal end and an intermediate section therebetween, each of said proximal ends of the long ribs pivotally engaged to said first hub, the long ribs having a flexed state when the umbrella canopy is in the open flexed shape and a relaxed state when the umbrella canopy is in the closed relaxed shape;
d) a set of at least three short ribs radially extending from the second hub, each of the short ribs having a proximal end and a distal end, each of the proximal ends of the short ribs pivotally engaged to the second hub, each of the distal ends of the short ribs pivotally engaged to the intermediate section of one of said long ribs;
e) a flexible cover engaged to the long ribs and extending generally from the first hub to generally said distal ends of the long ribs, the flexible cover having generally a concave taut state when the long ribs are in the flexed state and a folded loose state when the long ribs are in the relaxed state, the flexible cover having an inner peripheral edge;
f) a line having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end of the line being engaged to the second hub, the line extending through the first hub, the proximal end of the line being disposed outside the interior of the umbrella canopy such that the proximal end of the line can

Assignees

• Regalo Int Llc

Inventors

• Flannery Mark A
• Mcmahon Brian M

Classifications

• E04H15/006

  Tents used as toys · CPC title

• E04H15/02

  Tents combined or specially associated with other devices · CPC title

• A47D13/06

  Children's {play-} pens · CPC title

• A47C29/003

  Bed canopies · CPC title

• E04H15/28 Primary

  Umbrella type tents · CPC title