Lighting arrangement for outdoors umbrella

• US 6,966,667 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2003
• Issued: 11/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oliver Joen-An Ma
• Original Assignee: Wanda Ying Li
• Inventors: Li, Wanda Yiing
• Primary Examiner(s): Sember, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US10/621,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20050013130A1
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• Field of Search: 362/102, 362/249, 362/252, 362/806, 362/235, 362/253, 362/234, 362/250, 362/251, 135/910, 135/16
• US Class Current: 362/102
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 2023/0012 Ground supported umbrellas or sunshades on a single post, e.g. resting in or on a surface there below
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 2023/0037 the support arm being attached to the stick or to the crown, the canopy being suspended there below
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 2023/0043 the support arm being attached to the stick or to runner, the canopy being suspended there above
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 2200/1027 with means for generating solar energy
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 23/00 Other umbrellas
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 3/04 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 135/91 Illuminated cane or umbrella

Abstract

An outdoors umbrella includes a supporting frame and a lighting arrangement. The supporting frame includes a supporting stem and a parasol frame which is supported by the supporting stem and includes a plurality of elongated awning ribs radially extended in a pivotally movable manner and a shading awning substantially supported by the awning ribs to define a shadowing area thereunder. The lighting arrangement includes a plurality of illumination holders provided along the awning ribs respectively, a power supply system mounted on the supporting frame and a chain illuminating system, which is electrically connected to the power supply system, including a plurality of chain lighting units alignedly held by the illumination holders along the awning ribs for illuminating the shadowing area.

Claims

1. An outdoors umbrella, comprising:

a supporting frame which comprises;

a supporting stem; and

a parasol frame, which is supported by said supporting stem, comprising a plurality of elongated awning ribs radially extended in a pivotally movable manner and a shading awning substantially supported by said awning ribs to define a shadowing area thereunder; and

a lighting arrangement comprising a plurality of illumination holders provided along said awning ribs respectively, a power supply system mounted on said supporting frame, and a chain illuminating system, which is electrically connected to said power supply system, comprising a plurality of chain lighting units alignedly held by said illumination holders along said awning ribs for illuminating said shadowing area, wherein each of said illumination holders has an elongated receiving groove provided on a bottom side of said respective awning rib to alignedly receive said chain lighting units, wherein said lighting arrangement further has an electric channel provided on a top side of each of said awning rib to communicate with said respective receiving groove through an interior of said respective awning rib, and a light holder slidably inserted into said respective electric channel, wherein said chain lighting units are spacedly mounted to said light holder such that said light holder is adapted to hold said chain lighting units in position along said respective awning rib and to enclose said respective electric channel to protect said chain lighting units within said receiving groove.

2. An outdoors umbrella, comprising:

a supporting frame which comprises;

a supporting stem; and

a parasol frame, which is supported by said supporting stem, comprising a plurality of elongated awning ribs radially extended in a pivotally movable manner and a shading awning substantially supported by said awning ribs to define a shadowing area thereunder; and

a lighting arrangement comprising a plurality of illumination holders provided along said awning ribs respectively, a power supply system mounted on said supporting frame, and a chain illuminating system, which is electrically connected to said power supply system, comprising a plurality of chain lighting units alignedly held by said illumination holders along said awning ribs for illuminating said shadowing area, wherein each of said chain lighting units along said respective awning rib is electrically extended in a series connection, wherein each of said illumination holders has an elongated receiving groove provided on a bottom side of said respective awning rib to alignedly receive said chain lighting units, wherein said lighting arrangement further has an electric channel provided on a top side of each of said awning rib to communicate with said respective receiving groove through an interior of said respective awning rib, and a light holder slidably inserted into said respective electric channel, wherein said chain lighting units are spacedly mounted to said light holder such that said light holder is adapted to hold said chain lighting units in position along said respective awning rib and to enclose said respective electric channel to protect said chain lighting units within said receiving groove.

3. The outdoors umbrella, as recited in claim 2, wherein said power supply system comprises a solar energy collector, which is attached on top of said supporting stem and electrically connected to said chain illuminating system, is arranged for collecting solar energy as a power source to said chain illuminating system.

4. An outdoors umbrella, comprising:

a supporting frame which comprises;

a supporting stem; and

a parasol frame, which is supported by said supporting stem, comprising a plurality of elongated awning ribs radially extended in a pivotally movable manner and a shading awning substantially supported by said awning ribs to define a shadowing area thereunder; and

a lighting arrangement comprising a plurality of illumination holders provided along said awning ribs respectively, a power supply system mounted on said supporting frame, and a chain illuminating system, which is electrically connected to said power supply system, comprising a plurality of chain lighting units alignedly held by said illumination holders along said awning ribs for illuminating said shadowing area, wherein each of said chain lighting units along said respective awning rib is electrically extended in a series connection, wherein each of said illumination holders has an elongated receiving groove provided on a bottom side of said respective awning rib to alignedly receive said chain lighting units, wherein said power supply system comprises a solar energy collector, which is attached on top of said supporting stem and electrically connected to said chain illuminating system, is arranged for collecting solar energy as a power source to said chain illuminating system.

5. An outdoors umbrella, comprising:

a supporting frame which comprises;

a supporting stem; and

a parasol frame, which is supported by said supporting stem, comprising a plurality of elongated awning ribs radially extended in a pivotally movable manner and a shading awning substantially supported by said awning ribs to define a shadowing area thereunder; and

a lighting arrangement, which comprises;

a plurality of illumination holders provided along said awning ribs respectively, a power supply system mounted on said supporting frame, and a chain illuminating system, which is electrically connected to said power supply system, comprising a plurality of chain lighting units alignedly held by said illumination holders along said awning ribs for illuminating said shadowing area; and

an elongated light holder to spacedly mounted said chain lighting units in position, wherein each of said illumination holders comprises an adhesive element provided on a bottom side of said respective awning rib to attach on said light holder so as to support said chain lighting units along said awning ribs respectively.

6. An outdoors umbrella, comprising:

a supporting frame which comprises;

a supporting stem; and

a parasol frame, which is supported by said supporting stem, comprising a plurality of elongated awning ribs radially extended in a pivotally movable manner and a shading awning substantially supported by said awning ribs to define a shadowing area thereunder; and

a lighting arrangement, which comprises;

a plurality of illumination holders provided along said awning ribs respectively, a power supply system mounted on said supporting frame, and a chain illuminating system, which is electrically connected to said power supply system, comprising a plurality of chain lighting units alignedly held by said illumination holders along said awning ribs for illuminating said shadowing area, wherein each of said chain lighting units along said respective awning rib is electrically extended in a series connection; and

an elongated light holder to spacedly mounted said chain lighting units in position, wherein each of said illumination holders comprises an adhesive element provided on a bottom side of said respective awning rib to attach on said light holder so as to support said chain lighting units along said awning ribs respectively.

7. The outdoors umbrella, as recited in claim 6, wherein said power supply system comprises a solar energy collector, which is attached on top of said supporting stem and electrically connected to said chain illuminating system, is arranged for collecting solar energy as a power source to said chain illuminating system.