Background Art In general, a usual umbrella is comprised of a tube shaft, a plurality of whale bone-shaped ribs coupled to the upper end of the tube shaft and adapted to be retracted, and a waterproof cloth adapted to cover the ribs.

Such a conventional umbrella is, designed such that its ribs and waterproof cloth are retracted and folded to reduce its volume, thereby affording convenient portability, and are substantially horizontally extended to provide a user with a space capable of sheltering the user from the rain.

However, even if the umbrella is folded for the sake of

storage, its storage is inconvenient due to its relatively long length. In addition, since a user has to grip the shaft of the umbrella with at least his one hand in order to extend and use the umbrella, it is very inconvenient for the user to carry an article such as a suitcase or a bag while using the umbrella.

Furthermore, since it is difficult for a user to view all around him due to his viewing field being obstructed by the umbrella, the user has to raise the umbrella high in order to obtain clear viewing field. Consequently, a substantial portion of the user's body is inevitably exposed to the rain.

To prevent the user's body from being exposed to the rain, the waterproof cloth of the umbrella must be enlarged.

Consequently, the conventional umbrella has disadvantages in that a structure of folding the umbrella and a manufacturing process of the umbrella are complicated, thereby increasing its manufacturing cost.

To overcome the above-mentioned problems, the present inventor has proposed a hat type umbrella in Korean Patent application No. 10-199914533 filed April 22,1999, which comprises a head part 10 made of flexible and transparent material which does not allow rain water to penetrate therethrough, and adapted to be worn on a user's head, a band 12 attached to the inner surface of the head part 10 by coupling pieces 13 and fasten the head part 10 to a user's

head at a gentle pressure to hold the head part 10 thereon, a body covering part 20 connected to a lower circumferential edge of the head part 10 and formed into a skirt shape or a conical shape to cover an area larger than an area defined by user's shoulders, an annular elastic member 22 coupled to an outer peripheral edge of the body covering part 20 by being interposed in a folded outer edge of the body covering part 20, and holding straps 24 attached to both sides of the outer peripheral edge of the body covering part 20 with the free ends being coupled to a user's body.

The hat type umbrella disclosed in the above Korean Patent has advantages in that it enables user's hands to be freely used while being worn by the user and the elastic member can be folded two times, resulting in 4 plies, thereby affording ease of storage and carriage.

However, since the umbrella requires the holding straps 24 to be coupled to each other in order to prevent the body covering part 20 from being shaken during use, it is somewhat cumbersome to wear the umbrella. In addition, since the umbrella must be dried prior to storage, the umbrella must be maintained and carried in its extended condition until the umbrella is completely dried. Therefore, a user, who cannot wait until the umbrella is completely dried, usually shakes the umbrella to remove rainwater and then folds the umbrella for the sake of storage.

Furthermore, since the elastic member 22 must be folded two times because of its relatively large diameter, it is inconvenient to fold the umbrella while twisting the elastic member 22.

As described above, a conventional hat type umbrella has disadvantages in that it is cumbersome for a user to wear the umbrella, it is inconvenient for a user to carry the umbrella until completely dry, and it is inconvenient for a user to fold the umbrella by twisting action.

Disclosure of the Invention Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a hat type umbrella, which can be conveniently twisted and folded, and can be conveniently carried and stored until it is completly dry.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a hat type umbrella with means for maintaining a stable state of its body covering part which is easily worn by a user, and is not cumbersome in its worn state.

In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a hat type umbrella comprising: a head part which is provided at its front face with a front facial

opening and provided at its upper portion with a hook ; a body covering part comprised of first and second covering halves and connected to the head part to shield user's shoulders and body from the rain; and elastic members provided at peripheral edges of the first and second covering halves of the body covering part.

The body covering part may be provided at its lower surfaces with shoulder straps having elastic force sufficient to hold the first and second covering halves on user's shoulders.

Brief Description of the Drawings The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a hat type umbrella according to the present invention, which is in a state prior to wearing; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the hat type umbrella shown in FIG. 1, which is worn by a user; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the hat type umbrella shown in FIG. 1, which is primarily folded to be dried; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the hat type umbrella

shown in FIG. 1, in which a head part is inserted between the first and second covering halves of the body covering part in the course of its secondary folding procedure ; FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of a hat type umbrella according to another embodiment of the present invention ; FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of a hat type umbrella according to still another embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 7 shows a procedure of secondarily folding the hat type umbrella according to the present invention ; FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a conventional hat type umbrella ; FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the conventional hat type umbrella shown in FIG. 8, in which holding straps are removed ; and FIG. 10 is a bottom plan view of the conventional hat type umbrella shown in FIG. 8, in which holding straps are removed.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention Reference now should be made to the drawings, in which the same reference numerals are used throughout the different drawings to designate the same or similar components.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a hat type umbrella

according to the present invention, which is in a state prior to wearing, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the hat type umbrella shown in FIG. 1, which is worn by a user, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the hat type umbrella shown in FIG. 1, which is primarily folded to be dried.

As shown in the drawings, the hat type umbrella according to the present invention comprises a head part 100 with a front facial opening, a body covering part 200 comprised of a right covering half 210 and a left covering half 220 and connected to the head part 100 to shield user's shoulders and body from the rain, and elastic members 300 provided at peripheral edges of the right and left covering halves 210 and 220.

The hat type umbrella according to the present invention is identical to conventional hat type umbrellas in that it is designed to enable user's hands to be freely used while being worn by the user and to be folded for the sake of storage and carriage.

The head part 100 and the body covering part 200 are made of flexible waterproof synthetic resin, which does not allow rainwater to penetrate therethrough.

As shown in FIG. 3, according to the hat type umbrella according to the present invention, the body covering part 200 is divided into the right and left covering halves 210 and 220, which can be primarily folded about the head part 100 to

allow the umbrella to be conveniently dried.

Since the right and left covering halves 210 and 220 are connected to the head part 100 at rear portions and intermediate portions of inner sides thereof, the head part 100 serves as a hinge when the umbrella is folded and unfolded.

The right and left covering halves 210 and 220 are provided at front portions of the inner sides thereof with a fastening member 400 comprised of male and female fastening elements, which are selectively coupled to each other.

The fastening member 400 is comprised of a pair of mating elements, such as Velcro fasteners, snaps, magnetic elements, slide fasteners and the like.

Alternatively, to allow the right and left covering halves 210 and 220 to be folded, they may be provided therebetween with hinge members 600, instead of the fastening member 400, as illustrated in FIG. 5.

The head part 100 is provided at its upper portion with a hook 110, so that the umbrella can be temporarily hung until the umbrella is dried or the umbrella can be stored or carried while being hung on a wall, a bag and the like.

Accordingly, after use, the hat type umbrella according to the present invention can be hung at an appropriate location in a state of being primarily folded until the umbrella is dry.

The right and left covering halves 210 and 22 are provided at peripheral edges thereof with the elastic members 300 having high elastic force. Each of the elastic members 300 is constructed in such a way that an elastic element 310 is fitted into each of the right and left covering halves 210 and 220 and the body covering half is sewn so as to prevent the elastic element 310 from being displaced. By the elastic members 300, the right and left covering halves 210 and 220 can remain predetermined shapes in a normal condition but can be selectively twisted and folded.

The right and left covering halves 210 and 220 are provided at their lower surfaces with shoulder straps 500 having elastic force sufficient to hold the right and left covering halves 210 and 220 on user's shoulders.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, the hat type umbrella according to the present invention is shown to have the body covering part 200, which are divided into the right and left covering halves 210 and 220. Alternatively, the body covering part 200 of the hat type umbrella according to the present invention may divided into a front covering half 220a and a rear covering half 210a, as shown in FIG. 6. In this embodiment, the boundary between the front and rear covering halves 220a and 210a may be provided with hinges 600 so that the front and rear covering halves 220a and 210a can be folded and unfolded about the hinges 600.

The hat type umbrella according to the present invention, which is constructed in the above-described manner, can be conveniently carried in a bag, a knapsack and the like when a user goes to school, goes climbing in the mountains or goes fishing, and can be easily extended to serve as an umbrella when a user is exposed to the rain or intensive sunlight.

Upon use of the hat type umbrella according to the present invention, the right and left covering halves 210 and 220 of the body covering part 200 are first allowed to be unfolded by elasticity of the elastic elements 310 of the elastic members 300, as illustrated in FIG. 3. Thereafter, the right and left covering halves 210 and 220 of the body covering part 200 are horizontally extended, as illustrated in FIG. 1, and the head part 100 is worn on a user's head while the shoulder straps 500 are disposed under the user's axillae.

Subsequently, the fastening elements of the fastening member 400, which are provided at front portions of the right and left covering halves 210 and 220, are coupled to each other, as illustrated in FIG. 2.

Once the hat type umbrella is worn by a user, the umbrella can be maintained in its stable state without shaking of the umbrella because the body covering part 200 are held on the user's shoulders by the shoulder straps 500.

The head part 100 serves to shield a user's head from the rain while assuring user's clear forward viewing field, and

the body covering part 200 serves to shield a user's body from the rain.

In other words, since the head part 100 is held on a user's head and the body covering part 200 is held on user's shoulders, the hat type umbrella can be maintained in its normal wearing position even if the umbrella is not gripped by a user's hand. Therefore, since both the user's hands can be freely employed in other works, a user, e. g., a student can carry a crib bag, a shoe bag and the like with both his hands when the user travels to and from school.

In other applications, the hat type umbrella according to the present invention can be used to shield a user from ultraviolet light of the sun when the user is exposed to intensive sunlight during fishing or climbing. Therefore, the hat type umbrella enables the user's hands to be free, thereby providing considerable convenience to the user during fishing or climbing.

After use of the hat type umbrella, the fastening elements of the fastening member 400 are disconnected from each other, and the hat type umbrella is taken off.

Subsequently, the right and left covering halves 210 and 220 of the body covering part 200 are primarily folded about the head part 100, as illustrated in FIG. 3, and the hat type umbrella is hung at an appropriate location on the wall, a bag, knapsack and the like by its hook 110, so as to be dry.

When the user is caught in the rain again during drying of the umbrella in a user's bag or knapsack, the user can quickly take the hat type umbrella out of the bag and can wear the hat type umbrella.

When the hat type umbrella is completely dried, the head part 100 is inserted between the right and left covering halves 210 and 220 of the body covering part 200, as illustrated in FIG. 4. Thereafter, the elastic members 300 are secondarily twisted and folded to cause the covering halves 210 and 220 to be scaled down into 1/4 size, as illustrated in FIG. 7. As a result, the hat type umbrella can be conveniently stored and carried in a user's bag.

Though the secondarily folded umbrella can be stored in a dedicated circular case, the body covering part 200 in a state shown in FIG. 3 may be twisted and folded and inserted into the head part 100 for the sake of its storage.

Accordingly, when there is need to use the umbrella, the completely folded umbrella is taken out of the dedicated case, or the body covering part 200 is taken out of the head part 100. Thereafter, upon releasing the body covering part 200, the right and left covering halves 210 and 220 of the body covering part 200 are automatically extended by their elastic force, as illustrated in FIG. 3.

Industrial Applicability As described above, the present invention provides a hat type umbrella, which can be conveniently carried and stored until the umbrella is dried, and can be conveniently twisted and folded to be compact for the sake of storage, and which is provided with shoulder straps adapted to be comfortably worn by a user, thereby enabling its body covering part to be stably held on a user's shoulders, without being cumbersomeness to a user in its worn state.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.