Tilt mechanisms and actuators for umbrellas

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11206903-B2
Application number	US-202016826052-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2020
Priority date	Mar 21, 2019
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

Abstract

A patio umbrella that includes a tilt mechanism for adjusting a shade angle of the umbrella canopy. The umbrella canopy can be opened and closed by a crank and spool mechanism. The tilt mechanism can be controlled by an actuator that operates independently of the crank and spool mechanism. The actuator can be mounted on the upright pole of the patio umbrella.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An umbrella, comprising:
an upright pole, the upright pole comprising an upper pole portion and a lower pole portion;
a canopy assembly comprising the upper pole portion;
a first mechanism for opening and closing the canopy assembly;
a second mechanism for adjusting an angle between the upper pole portion and the lower pole portion, the second mechanism comprising a driver having an end disposed in a channel of a channel member, the channel guiding the end of the driver disposed therein;
an actuator for the second mechanism, the actuator coupled with the lower pole portion and configured to adjust the second mechanism from a first configuration to a second configuration, the second configuration being tilted relative to the first configuration;
an interior connection portion disposed within the lower pole portion and coupled with a tension member of the second mechanism;
an engagement member; and
a catch;
wherein lowering of the actuator moves the interior connection portion and the tension member from a raised position to a lowered position and engages the engagement member with the catch to secure the interior connection portion and the tension member in the lowered position;
wherein moving the interior connection portion into the lowered position actuates the second mechanism to the second configuration; and
wherein disengaging the engagement member from the catch releases the interior connection portion and the tension member from the lowered position to return the second mechanism to the first configuration.

2. The umbrella of claim 1 , wherein the second mechanism further comprises: an upper coupler attached with the upper pole portion, a lower coupler attached with the lower pole portion, the upper and lower couplers attached at a pivot;
a guide track assembly comprising the channel member having a channel, the channel having a camming surface disposed in the upper coupler; the driver having an upper end and a lower end, the upper end disposed in the guide track assembly and configured to be guided by the channel, the lower end coupled with the actuator by the tension member;
wherein from the first configuration, downward movement of the driver engages the upper end of the driver with the camming surface and tilts the upper pole portion relative to the lower pole portion about the pivot; and
wherein from the second configuration, upward movement of the driver engages the upper end of the driver with the camming surface and aligns the upper pole portion relative to the lower pole portion.

3. The umbrella of claim 2 , wherein the second mechanism further comprises a spring, the spring configured to bias the second mechanism in the first configuration.

4. The umbrella of claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises:
a sleeve slidingly engaged with the upright pole between the raised position and the lowered position, the sleeve coupled with the second mechanism by the tension member and the interior connection portion;
a hook member coupled with the sleeve as the engagement member, the hook member biased to engage with the catch in the lowered position of the sleeve, the hook member releasable from the catch by a button on the sleeve.

5. The umbrella of claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises:
a pivot handle, the pivot handle pivotable with respect to the upright pole between the raised position and the lowered position, the pivot handle coupled with the second mechanism by the tension member;
a positioning surface adjacent to the pivot handle as the engagement member, the positioning surface comprising at least one tilt position feature as the catch;
an engagement pin biased to engage with the at least one tilt position feature in the lowered position of the pivot handle, the pivot handle releasable from the positioning surface by disengagement of the engagement pin from the tilt position feature of the positioning surface.

6. The umbrella of claim 5 wherein the positioning surface is a ratchet and the at least one tilt position feature is at least one tooth.

7. The umbrella of claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises a pivot handle pivotably coupled with the upright pole, and the tension member includes a cord having a first end coupled with the second mechanism and a second end coupled with the pivot handle at the interior connection portion.

8. The umbrella of claim 7 , wherein the pivot handle is pivotably coupled with the lower pole portion at a point within the upright pole.

9. The umbrella of claim 8 , wherein the pivot handle comprises a linkage comprising a free end disposed outside the upright pole and a pivotable link coupled to the pivot handle at one end and to the cord at an opposite end.

10. The umbrella of claim 9 , wherein the pivot handle includes the engagement member configured to couple with a positioning surface coupled to an outside surface of the upright pole as the catch.

11. The umbrella of claim 10 , wherein the positioning surface comprises a series of tilt position features comprising the catch.

12. The umbrella of claim 11 , wherein the pivot handle is resiliently biased toward the tilt position features.

13. The umbrella of claim 1 , wherein engaging the engagement member with the catch includes a transverse surface of the engagement member contacting a transverse surface of the catch to secure the interior connection portion and the tension member in the lowered position.

14. An umbrella, comprising:
an upright pole, the upright pole comprising an upper pole portion and a lower pole portion;
a canopy assembly comprising the upper pole portion;
a first mechanism for opening and closing the canopy assembly;
a second mechanism for adjusting an angle between the upper pole portion and the lower pole portion, the second mechanism comprising a driver having an end disposed in a channel of a channel member, the channel guiding the end of the driver disposed therein;
an actuator for the second mechanism, the actuator coupled with the lower pole portion and configured to adjust the second mechanism from a first configuration to a second configuration, the second configuration being tilted relative to the first configuration;
an interior connection portion disposed within the lower pole portion and coupled with a tension member of the second mechanism;
an engagement member; and
a catch;
wherein movement of the actuator moves the interior connection portion and the tension member from a raised position to a lowered position and engages the engagement member with the catch to secure the interior connection portion and the tension member in the lowered position;
wherein moving the interior connection portion into the lowered position actuates the second mechanism to the second configuration; and
wherein disengaging the engagement member from the catch releases the interior connection portion and the tension member from the lowered position to return the second mechanism to the first configuration;
a sleeve slidingly engaged with the upright pole, the sleeve coupled with the second mechanism by the tension member, the sleeve comprising an upper sleeve portion and a lower sleeve portion, the upper and lower sleeve portions coupled together by a sliding catch;
a hook member coupled with the lower sleeve portion as the engagement member, the hook member biased to engage with the catch in the lowered position of the sleeve;
an internal projection extending from the upper sleeve portion, the internal projection configured to engage with an angled end of the hook member;
wherein relative movement of the upper sleeve portion relative to the lower sleeve portion

Assignees

• Ma Zhun An

Inventors

• Ma Zhun-An

Classifications

• A45B25/14

  Devices for opening and for closing umbrellas · CPC title

• A45B23/00

  Other umbrellas · CPC title

• A45B17/00 Primary

  Tiltable umbrellas · CPC title

• A45B2023/0012

  Ground supported umbrellas or sunshades on a single post, e.g. resting in or on a surface there below · CPC title

• A45B2023/0093

  Sunshades or weather protections of other than umbrella type · CPC title