Umbrella with alert device

• US 5,954,417 A
• Filed: 09/03/1998
• Issued: 09/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kuei Ying Mai
• Original Assignee: Kuei Ying Mai
• Inventors: Mai, Kuei Ying
• Primary Examiner(s): Sember, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US09/146,515
• Time in Patent Office: 383 Days
• Field of Search: 362/102, 362/800, 362/234, 362/249, 135/16, 135/910
• US Class Current: 362/102
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 3/04 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 135/91 Illuminated cane or umbrella
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

An umbrella with alert device includes a circular umbrella cover made of waterproof fabric or plastic material, an umbrella frame for supporting the umbrella cover to form an umbrella body, and an alert device for providing visual warning signal to others on the road. The alert device includes a battery receiver mounted below the umbrella cover, a battery stored within the battery receiver for providing power supply, a plurality of LEDs which are electrically connected with each other and the battery by electrical wires and spacedly disposed around an outer edges of the gores, a transparent strip water-sealedly welded on the outer edges of the panels by ultrasonic welding or sewed on the outer edges of the gores to cover the LEDs and the electrical wires, and a power switch electrically connected to the battery for controlling on and off of the alert device. The umbrella with alert device is specifically designed to enhance the visibility of the user during nighttime raining condition, so that the user can be more easily located by the drivers on the road, so as to avoid accident.

Claims

1. An umbrella, comprising

an umbrella frame for supporting a circular umbrella cover made of water proof material to form an umbrella body, wherein said umbrella cover comprises a plurality of gores sewing edge to edge to form a circular covering, said umbrella frame comprising a rod, a plurality of ribs each having a first end jointed at an upper portion of said rod and a second end extended outwardly and downwardly to form a tip for supporting said umbrella cover by fastening said gores thereof on said ribs respectively, a runner slidably mounted on said rod, a plurality of stretchers each having a first end pivotally jointed at said runner and a second end pivotally jointed at a middle position of the respective rib, and a controlling means for operating said umbrella frame to fully stretch out to open said umbrella and to fold up to close said umbrella;

and

an alert device comprising

a battery receiver mounted on an underside of said umbrella cover,

at least a battery stored within said battery receiver for providing power supply, a plurality of LEDs electrically connected with each other and said battery by electrical wires,

a power switch electrically connected to said battery for switching on and off of said alert device, and

a plurality of LED holders which are respectively mounted on said tips of said rids, wherein each LED holder has a narrow entrance passage that leads to an inner LED receiving chamber, wherein said LEDs are respectively placed inside said LED receiving chambers of said LED holders so as to hold said LEDs in position, wherein a diameter of said narrow entrance passage is larger than a diameter of said tip of said rib of said umbrella, so that said LED holder is slipped and mounted on said tip of said rib of said umbrella, moreover said electrical wires are extended along and below said outer edges of said gores so as to electrically connected said LEDs to said battery.

2. The umbrella as recited in claim 1 further comprising at least a transparent strip welded along said outer edge of said gores by ultrasonic welding for enclosing said electrical wire in water-sealed manner, wherein each of said corresponding electrical wires is connected to said respective LED through said narrow entrance passage of said corresponding LED holder.