Umbrella with an illumination device

• US 6,341,873 B1
• Filed: 04/03/2000
• Issued: 01/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: JENG Tai Umbrella Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: JENG Tai Umbrella Manufacturing Corporation
• Inventors: Yang, Chiu-Hsiung
• Primary Examiner(s): Sember, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US09/541,195
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• Field of Search: 362/102, 362/800, 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 an illumination device is disclosed. The illumination device has a top illumination assembly on the top end of the shaft, a tip illumination assembly on the free end of each rib and a control assembly to provide electricity to each illumination assembly. The top illumination assembly comprises a transparent connecting tube, a transparent tubular member, an internal wall integrally formed in the tubular member, an LED received in the tubular member and two electrical wires connected to the LED. The tip illumination assembly comprises a transparent tip, a conical hole defined in the tip, an LED and two branch electrical wires connected to the LED. The control assembly comprises a control unit in the shaft, an electrical connecting unit and two main electrical wires connected between the control unit and the electrical connecting unit. By such an arrangement, the illumination device can provide good illumination to increase the safety of using the umbrella.

Claims

1. An umbrella comprising:

a shaft;

a sliding hub slidably mounted on the shaft;

multiple ribs;

a spreader pivotally mounted between the sliding hub and each rib;

a canopy covering all of the ribs; and

an illumination device having a top illumination assembly disposed on a top end of the shaft, a tip illumination assembly disposed on a free end of each rib and a control assembly to provide electrical power to each illumination assembly;

wherein the top illumination assembly comprises a transparent connecting tube securely mounted on the top end of the shaft, a transparent tubular member detachably attached to a top end of the connecting tube, an internal wall integrally formed in the tubular member to divide the tubular member into two portions, a first LED received in the tubular member and two electrical wires connected with an anode and a cathode of the first LED respectively;

the tip illumination assembly comprises a transparent tip securely attached to a free end of each rib, a conical hole is defined in each tip, an LED received in each tip and two branch electrical wires connected with an anode and cathode of the LED, respectively;

each tip has a central hole defined in one end and a ball integrally formed on the other end;

a base is received in the central hole of each tip to mount the LED;

two prongs extend from the base to connect with the anode and cathode of the LED, respectively;

each branch electrical wire is connected to one of the prongs of the base; and

the control assembly comprises a control unit disposed in the shaft, an electrical connecting unit connected to the electrical wires connecting to the LED in the top illumination assembly and to the branch electrical wires connecting to the LED in the tip illumination assemblies and two main electrical wires connected between the control unit and the electrical connecting unit,

wherein the electrical connecting unit is composed of a first conducting ring and a second conducting ring;

the first conducting ring is connected with one of the electrical wires that is connected to the anode of the LED in the top illumination assembly and one of the branch electrical wires that is connected to the anode of the LED in the tip illumination assembly; and

the second conducting ring is connected with the other one of the electrical wires that is connected to the cathode of the LED in the top illumination assembly and the other one of the branch electrical wires that is connected to the cathode of the LED in the tip illumination assembly, and

wherein each conducting ring has multiple contacts longitudinally extending therefrom; and

a connector is mounted on one end of each wire to connect to the contact of the conducting rings.

2. The umbrella as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plug is attached to a top end of the tubular member.

3. The umbrella as claimed in claim 1 wherein a radial through hole is defined in the tip and communicates with the central hole to attach the canopy.

4. The umbrella as claimed in claim 1, wherein an electrical socket is received in the tip and securely attached to the free end of the corresponding rib;

and

a through hole is defined in the electrical socket for each branch electrical wire to pass through the socket.

5. The umbrella as claimed in claim 1, wherein a handle is fixedly mounted on a bottom end of the shaft to receive the control unit.

6. The umbrella as claimed in claim 5, wherein the control unit is composed of a circuit board, a switch mounted on the circuit board in addition to electrically connecting with the two main electrical wires and at least one battery to the circuit board.

7. The umbrella as claimed in claim 6, wherein a switch button is mounted on the handle and is in contact with the switch on the circuit board.

8. The umbrella as claimed in claim 7, wherein

the first conducting ring is connected with one of the main electrical wires that is connected to an anode of the battery;

and

the second conducting ring is connected with the other one of the main electrical wires that is connected to a cathode of the switch.

9. The umbrella as claimed in claim 1, wherein each rib has a U-shaped cross section to receive the branch electrical wires therein;

and wherein a U-shaped connecting member is mounted at the middle point of each rib;

a tab with a bore defined therein integrally extends downward from each side of the connecting member; and

two ears extend laterally from one end of each spreader to pivotally connect with the tabs on the corresponding connecting member.

10. The umbrella as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a lever pivotally mounted in the shaft;

a protrusion integrally formed on a bottom end of the lever and extending out of the shaft;

a hook integrally formed on a top end of the lever and extending out of the shaft to engage with the sliding hub;

a torsion spring mounted on the lever and having two ends each abutting an inside of the shaft; and

a pushbutton mounted on the shaft in contact with the protrusion.

11. The umbrella as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a stationary hub mounted near the top end of the shaft so that all of the ribs are pivotally connected to the hub.

12. The umbrella as claimed in claim 11, wherein a pivotal member is fixedly mounted on the end of each rib and is connected to the stationary hub,

a pivot hole is defined in the pivotal member to pivotally attach the pivoting member to the stationary hub with a pivot pin;

and

a central hole is laterally defined through the pivotal member to allow the branch electrical wires to pass through the pivoting member.

13. The umbrella as claimed in claim 1, with the first conducting ring having an internal diameter of a size corresponding to and for slideable receipt on the shaft, with the second conducting ring having an internal diameter of a size corresponding to and for slideable receipt on the shaft and of a size corresponding to the first conducting ring, with the first and second conducting rings being axially spaced on the shaft.

14. An umbrella comprising:

a shaft;

a sliding hub slidably mounted on the shaft;

multiple ribs;

a spreader pivotally mounted between the sliding hub and each rib;

a canopy covering all of the ribs; and

an illumination device having at least a top illumination assembly disposed on a top end of the shaft and a control assembly to provide electrical power to each illumination assembly, with the top illumination assembly comprising a transparent tubular member with a central hole extending between first and second ends, with the transparent tubular member being detachably attached relative to the shaft with the central hole extending parallel to the shaft, an internal wall integrally formed in the central hole intermediate the first and second ends and dividing the central hole into first and second portions, a first LED for emitting light and received in the first portion of the central hole and located intermediate the internal wall and the shaft, with electrical power being provided by the control assembly to the LED, and a plug at the second end of the tubular member for closing the central hole, with the internal wall reflecting light emitted by the first LED.

15. The umbrella as claimed in claim 14, with the internal wall being generally conical in shape having a base which is integrally connected to the transparent tubular member and which terminates in a point, with the point located intermediate the LED and the base.

16. The umbrella as claimed in claim 15, with the top illumination assembly further comprising, in combination:

a transparent connecting tube removably securely mounted to the top end of the shaft, with the shaft being of a size corresponding to and for slideable receipt within the central hole, with a lower end of the transparent tubular member including outer threads detachably attached to inner threads of a top end of the transparent connecting tube, and with a portion of the control assembly located between the transparent connecting tube and the shaft below the transparent tubular member.

17. The umbrella as claimed in claim 16, with the illumination device further having a tip illumination assembly disposed on a free end of at least one of the multiple ribs, with the tip illumination assembly comprising a transparent tip securely attached to a free end of the rib, with the transparent tip having a first end and a second end, with a ball being integrally formed on the transparent tip adjacent the second end, with a tip central hole extending from the first end towards but spaced from the second end and the ball, with a conical hole extending from the tip central hole towards but spaced from the second end and from outwardly of the ball into the ball, and a second LED for emitting light and received in the tip central hole and spaced from the ball and the conical hole, with the conical hole reflecting light emitted by the second LED.

18. An umbrella comprising:

a shaft;

a sliding hub slidably mounted on the shaft;

multiple ribs;

a spreader pivotally mounted between the sliding hub and each rib;

a canopy covering all of the ribs; and

an illumination device having at least a tip illumination assembly disposed on a free end of at least one of the multiple ribs and a control assembly to provide electrical power to each illumination assembly, with the tip illumination assembly comprising a transparent tip securely attached to a free end of the rib, with the transparent tip having a first end and a second ends with a ball being integrally formed on the transparent tip adjacent the second end, with a tip central hole extending from the first end towards but spaced from the second end and the ball, with a conical hole extending from the tip central hole towards but spaced from the second end and from outwardly of the ball into the ball, and a LED for emitting light and received in the tip central hole and spaced from the ball and the conical hole, with the conical hole reflecting light emitted by the LED).

19. The umbrella as claimed in claim 18, with the tip illumination assembly further including a radial through hole communicating with the central hole and for receiving stitching for fixing the canopy to the rib.

20. The umbrella as claimed in claim 18, with the transparent tip including a frustoconical portion having a first portion of a larger size than a second portion, with the ball extending from the second portion and being of a size larger than the second portion, with the conical hole extending from the tip central hole adjacent to the first portion of the frustoconical portion.