MANUAL OPENING AND CLOSING MECHANISM FOR ELECTRICALLY OPERATED UMBRELLAS

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the field of electrically operated umbrellas.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The mechanism of electrically operated umbrellas suggested by most of patent documents in the field includes an electrical motor, whose operation relies on the availability of electrical energy.

Motor malfunctioning e.g. due to low power of the battery energizing it, paralyzes the umbrella by prohibiting further changing its opening state.

Override mechanisms has been suggested, which can solve the problem.

Generally, override mechanisms are aimed to allow for disengagement between the motor and the canopy's opening and closing mechanism such that the canopy may be opened and closed manually by a mechanical arrangement neutralized from motor's influence. In most of the cases this is associated with freeing the canopy nest plate (to which the canopy struts are connected and which normally is motor driven) for direct movement by the user in the usual way in which manual umbrellas being operated.

One example of an override mechanism is disclosed by US Patent No. 5,141,010. This US patent presents an automatic opening and closing umbrella, that has an umbrella canopy, a hollow shaft, a driven member which is driven by means of a threaded drive shaft and has at least one radial spline extending through an axial slot in the wall of the hollow shaft, and a handle located at the proximal end of the hollow shaft containing a drive motor which powers a threaded drive shaft to drive the driven member along the hollow shaft, incorporates a manual override mechanism to engage and disengage the drive motor to manually operate a driven member along the hollow shaft to open and close the umbrella. The disengagement of the threaded drive shaft from the motor neutralizes the drive shaft so it won't prohibit manual movement of the driven member along the shaft.

Another example of override mechanism is disclosed by GB 2228674. In this GB patent the motor driven umbrella has a moveable nest plate to which the umbrella ribs are connected, which can be engaged and disengaged from a flexible driving means by means of a releasing button.

US 6,543,464 also relates to a motor driven umbrella. In this US patent the disclosed mechanism includes means for conveniently converting the umbrella to ordinary manually opened and closed umbrella should the necessity occur.

WO 2005/102097 presents another override arrangement in which the connection between a canopy conducting mechanism and the pole of the umbrella may be released in order to allow relative movement between the pole and a part of the canopy conducting mechanism.

All said override arrangements interfere with the normal mechanism of the umbrella and change the relations between the motor and other certain parts of the opening and closing mechanism of the umbrella.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method for providing motor driven umbrella mechanism with a manual operation option, the method comprising providing means for coupling between a manual actuation member and the motor driven umbrella mechanism without disengaging between the motor and the mechanism driven by, thereby allowing manually driving the motor and the mechanism driven by.

The present invention further relates to a manual opening and closing mechanism for use in a motor driven umbrella mechanism, the manual mechanism is characterized by an actuation member configured to transmit a manual torque to a drive shaft of the motor driven mechanism for rotating it manually and thereby (due to the rotation of the drive shaft) opening or closing the umbrella.

Generally, the manual opening and closing mechanism for use in umbrellas having a motorized opening and closing mechanism, is based on at least one actuation member which is couplable to the drive shaft of the motorized opening and closing mechanism, thus allowing for manually actuating rotation of the drive shaft, wherein the rotation of the drive shaft drives the umbrella open or close respective to the rotation direction. The rotation direction is determined by a direction of movement of the actuation member, the design of which and the nature and

direction of its movement may be varied from one embodiment to another.

According to some preferred embodiments the actuation member is constantly coupled to the drive shaft. According to alternative preferred embodiments the actuation member is moveable against a biasing force as will be explained in more detail hereinafter.

It should thus be appreciated that in the context of the present invention the scope of 'couplable' includes also 'coupled', 'geared', 'gearable'.

As can be appreciated, according to the present invention the manual operation mode of the opening and closing mechanism differs from the electrical operation mode only in the origin of energy powering the rotation of the drive shaft which in turn drives the canopy open or close. In the electrical operation mode the driving force for the shaft's rotation is originated in the motor whilst in the manual operation mode its origin is in the user's palm muscles. In both cases the rotation of the drive shaft forces the opening or closing of the umbrella according to rotation's direction.

The mechanism of the present invention is advantageous comparing to override mechanisms in that neither the disengagement of the motor nor of other parts of the motorized opening and closing mechanism is required for the manual operation.

The umbrella according to the invention is thus always ready for manual operation, and is protected against malfunctioning or damage which may be associated with involvement in the cooperation between internal

components of the umbrella mechanism as suggested in the art.

Loss of correlation between different parts of the umbrella mechanism which may result from independent operation of different components of the mechanism during their disengagement state is prevented according to the present invention, since no disengagement is applicable.

The availability of each of the operation modes, i.e. the manual and the electrical, is independent of the other, so according to the present invention no preset is asked from the user when returning from one operation mode to the other.

The manual opening and closing mechanism in accordance with the present invention is especially useful for electrically operated umbrellas of the type having electrical motor accommodated inside the umbrella's handgrip or stick. According to various preferred embodiments the mechanism comprises a tubular actuation member having an outer wall to be gripped by user's fingers or palm when need rises for manual opening or closing operation, and an inner wall facing an outer wall behind which located a drive shaft of the motorized opening and closing mechanism. The wall behind which located the drive shaft, has an opening or openings through which the inner wall of the tubular actuation member is couplable to the drive shaft, e.g. by gear wheels. According to various preferred embodiments the actuation member has a gearable pattern on its inner wall. The gear wheels the drive shaft and the tubular actuation member constitute a planetary transmission

system through which a manual torque from the actuation member may be transmitted to the drive shaft.

According to alternative embodiments the actuation member is coupled or geared to the drive shaft by means of e.g. rubber coated pressure wheels, by transmission belts, or combinations thereof.

Being coupled or geared to the drive shaft, manual rotation of the actuation member will force manual rotation of the drive shaft followed by respective opening or closing of the umbrella according the rotation direction, in a similar manner to that of electrically powered rotation of the shaft originated in the motor.

According to some preferred embodiments the actuation member is normally uncoupled to the motorized opening and closing mechanism. According to some of these embodiments the actuation member is situated against a biasing force generated by e.g. a spring, a leaf spring, or any elastic member acting as spring for retaining the actuation member normally uncoupled to the motor. When manual operation of the umbrella is needed, the user presses the actuation member against the biasing force for coupling it to the drive shaft while simultaneously rotating it for manually rotating the shaft. Upon releasing the actuator it will automatically retracted by the biasing force to its normally uncoupled state.

According to other preferred embodiments the actuation member is constantly coupled or geared to the motor, thus allowing for rotation of the drive shaft without pressing the actuation member for coupling. According to these

embodiments, the configuration of both the motorized opening and closing mechanism and the actuation member for manual operation is exactly the same in both manual and electrical operation. In these embodiments the actuation member will rotate not only actively when forcing rotation of the drive shaft, but also passively by the rotation of the drive shaft upon electrically powered motor operation. The mechanism may further comprise a removable sheath which covers the actuation member in order to hide it when passively rotated during normal electrical operation of the umbrella.

According to some preferred embodiments the actuation member is constantly coupled to the drive shaft. According to alternative preferred embodiments the actuation member is moveable against a biasing force as will be explained in more detail hereinafter.

As will be further explained in the detail description the drive shaft is provided with an integral gear wheel especially dedicated for coupling with the actuation member. It is however within the scope of this invention where a gearwheel serving in the motorized mechanism is utilized also for coupling to an actuation member for the manual operation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention will be further explained by the accompanying Figures. These figures intend to exemplify some embodiments of the invention. The graphical nature of these Figures may serve a descriptive support for some features omitted from the textual specification of this

invention. In no manner should these Figures be interpreted, however, as a renunciation of the broadest eligible scope of protection textually claimable by this invention .

Brief Description of the Figures

Fig. 1 illustrates a side view of an opened lower part of a motorized opening and closing umbrella mechanism comprising a manual opening and closing mechanism according to the present invention.

Figs. 2—2C illustrate the manual opening and closing mechanism of Fig. 1 in a dismantled state showing some of the mechanism parts separately.

Figs. 3A - 3B illustrate the embodiment illustrated by Fig. 1, further comprising a biasing spring for automatically uncoupling the actuation member of the manual mechanism when not in use.

Fig. 4 illustrates a lateral cross section view of a manual opening and closing mechanism according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGs.

Fig. 1 illustrates a side view of an opened lower part of a motorized opening and closing umbrella mechanism comprising a manual opening and closing mechanism according to the present invention. This lower part of

the mechanism is shown accommodated inside a first half of a housing which together with a second half of the housing (the second half, not shown in the figure, is substantially similar to and mirroring the first half) constituting the (or at least a core part) of the umbrella's handgrip. The absence of the second half of the housing in this Fig. leaves the handgrip open such that those internal parts thought to be of importance for the understanding of this invention may be visualized. The motorized opening and closing umbrella mechanism is powered by an electrical motor 2 energized by batteries 15. The motor transmits the rotation of its drive shaft 22 to a drive shaft 4 of the motorized opening and closing mechanism through a motor gearbox 3. The connection between a gearbox drive shaft 13 and the drive shaft 4 is preferably fixed. In the illustrated embodiment the fixation is by a connector 5 formed at the lower end of the drive shaft 4. Alternative connection methods may be used as a mater of design. In the illustrated embodiment the actuation member 7 is coupled to the drive shaft 4 by a planetary transmission system having the following configuration; the drive shaft 4 has a gear wheel 10 near its lower end. An actuation member 7, shown in a vertical cross section view, is coupled to the drive shaft 4 through a pair of coupling gear wheels

11 and 12 located from opposite sides of the gear wheel 10 of the drive shaft 4. The coupling gear wheels 11 and

12 protrude each through a cylindrical wall 1 behind which located the motor 2 as well as the lower part of the drive shaft 4. Either by itself or as a core part for an outer cylindrical wall or sheath covering its exteriors (not illustrated in this specification) , the cylindrical wall 1 forms a hollow umbrella handgrip

serving as a housing for the motor and its accompanying parts. The actuation member 7 is of a tubular shape sharing the same longitudinal axis as the drive shaft 4, and is configured to rotate about said axis. An interior tubular wall surface of the actuation member 7 is toothed by vertically extending protrusions and grooves so as to form an inwardly toothed gear ring 14 by which the actuation member 7 is couplable to the pair of coupling gear wheels 11 and 12 and through them to the drive shaft's 4 gearwheel 10.

By said configuration, the umbrella can always be electrically operated, with no special preset. With no special preset required as well, the user can opening and closing the umbrella manually by simply rotating the actuation member to the clockwise or counterclockwise rotation direction associated with the desirable umbrella state. As can be appreciated, in both options the umbrella mechanism functions similarly, with the origin of force powering the drive shafts' (4, 13, 22) rotation being the only difference between electrical and manual operation modes of the umbrella.

Accordingly, on user's choice (or in case of malfunctioning of the electrical system) the umbrella can be opened or closed manually without any interference changing the internal relations between the different components of the mechanism.

The ratio between the radiuses of gear wheels 10 and 11 (which is equivalent to the ratio between the radiuses of gear wheel 10 and 12) determines the number of rotations and the force moment to be applied by the user on the actuation member 7 for changing the state of the umbrella

from closed to opened or vice versa. Determining the ratio is a matter of design which can vary from one umbrella design to another for optimization.

In the illustrated embodiment the actuation member 7 has a narrow top portion configured to encircle a collar portion 6 protruding from above the top of the umbrella's handgrip to integrate with a hollow stick 9 of the umbrella. The narrower portion of the tubular actuation member thus prevents the actuation member from slipping down the handgrip. The bottom end of a tubular closure 8 secures the actuation member 7 from above. The actuation member is thus trapped between the top of the handgrip and the bottom of the closure 8, prevented from linear movement and may only be rotated about the longitudinal axis of the umbrella.

Figs. 2—2C illustrate the manual opening and closing mechanism of Fig. 1 in a dismantled state showing some of the mechanism parts separately. Fig. 2 illustrates a side view of an opened lower part of a motorized opening and closing umbrella mechanism. This Figure differs from Fig.

1 in that it does not contain the parts associated with the manual opening and closing of the umbrella. These

(except for the gear wheel 10 which is shown in this Fig. although relating to the manual system) are shown separately in Figs 2A, 2B, and 2C. The removal of the parts associated with the manual opening and closing mode does not affect the normal operation of the motorized opening and closing mechanism, which remains in its entirety with no change in the relations between its internal components. Due to the removal of the coupling

gear wheels 11 and 12, the openings 27 and 28 made in the cylindrical wall 1 become visible in this Figure. In this exemplifying embodiment the cylindrical wall 1 is formed thicker at its portion behind which located the drive shaft's 4 gear wheel 10. The openings 27 and 28 each comprises a semi cylindrical concavity made in the wall's thickness for accommodating respective semi cylindrical portions (and the associated gear teeth) of the gear wheels 11 and 12. In the lateral cross section shown by Fig. 4 the concavities are better visualized. Pairs of smaller half cylindrical recesses 23—24 and 25—26, are also formed in the wall's thickness at the tops and bottoms of openings 27 and 28 for bearing the respective axes of the coupling gear wheels 11 and 12.

Fig. 2A illustrates the coupling gear wheel 11 with its axis 21, the opposite ends of which are to be swiveling within respective bores each being formed by the half cylindrical recesses 23-24 and respective mirroring recesses formed in the mate part (31 in Fig. 4, not shown in this Fig.) of the open housing. The coupling gear wheel may be fabricated together with its axis by casting, as a single piece of plastic material.

Figure 2B illustrates in a vertical cross section view the actuation member 7. An inwardly oriented gear ring 14 is formed in the internal side of the tubular shaped actuation member, to face the portion of cylindrical wall 1 from which the coupling gear wheels 11—12 slightly protrude through the openings 27-28, so as to form a gearing connection with the coupling wheels 11—12. The actuation member has a narrower top portion forming a hole 20 dimensioned to loosely encircling the collar portion 6 which protrudes from above the top of the

umbrella's handgrip. The actuation member may be formed from a polymeric material, and is preferably comprises a patterned outer surface, having for example spaced vertical protrusions for a better grip by users fingers when forcing it to rotate.

Fig. 2 C illustrates a closure 8 having a tubular shape, the inner face of which snugly matching the outer face of the collar portion, such that when fitted on the collar its lower ends nearly contact the top surface of the actuation member, thus preventing it from escaping upwardly .

Figs. 3A and 3B illustrate a portion of the embodiment illustrated by Fig. 1, differing however from said embodiment by comprising a biasing spring 30 for automatically uncoupling the actuation member 37 of the manual mechanism when not in use. In Fig. 3A the spring 30 is in its normal uncompressed state, thus the actuation member 37 is retained upwardly so that its top surface is in contact with the bottom of the closure 8. In this position the gear ring 14 is situated from above the coupling wheels 11 and 12 forming no contact with them, thus the actuation member is in neutral state. The situation illustrated by Fig. 3A changes in Fig. 3B, in which the actuation member is under a pressure exerted by a user in the direction indicated by arrow 31. In this Fig. the spring 30 is in its compressed state, the actuation member is in a lower position, and the gear ring 14 thus becomes coupled to the coupling wheels 11 and 12, and allows for forcing rotation of the drive shaft 4. In case the user releases the pressure he exerts on the actuation member 37 in the direction indicated by arrow 31, the spring 30 will return to its uncompressed

state shon in Fig. 3A while returning the actuation member to its normal neutral state with the gear ring 14 uncoupled to the coupling wheels 11 and 12.

Fig. 4 illustrates a lateral cross section view of a manual opening and closing mechanism according to the present invention. An actuation member 7 having an inwardly oriented gear ring 14 is coupled to a drive shaft 4 through a pair of coupling gear wheels 11 and 12 geared to a gear wheel 10 integral to the drive shaft 4. The coupling gear wheels 11 and 12 protrude each from a respective opening 27 and 28 formed in wall 1 behind which the drive shaft is hidden. As can be appreciated, counterclockwise rotation of the actuation member 37 will force clockwise rotation of the drive shaft 4, and vice versa, clockwise rotation of the actuation member 37 will force counterclockwise rotation of the drive shaft 4. By its forced rotation the drive shaft is forcing in turn opening or closing of the umbrella according to the rotation direction.