Umbrella with an integral anchoring structure

• US 7,007,703 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2004
• Issued: 03/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: B's Knees, LLC
• Original Assignee: Wright Ventures, LLC
• Inventors: Brooks, Edward J. III
• Primary Examiner(s): WILKENS, JANET MARIE
• Application Number:
  US10/810,378
• Publication Number:
  US 20040177875A1
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 248/545, 248/530, 521/57, 521/65, 135/15.1, 135/16, 135/98
• US Class Current: 135/16
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 23/00 Other umbrellas
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 3/00 Sticks combined with other objects
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 12/2223 by screwing

Abstract

An umbrella with an integral anchoring structure is provided. The umbrella includes a post having a lower end for insertion into the ground, and an upper end for supporting an umbrella top. The umbrella includes an integral spiral shaped anchoring structure formed on the lower end of the post. The anchoring structure is formed with a width, W, greater than a diameter of the post and a length, L, which is adapted to stabilize a weight of the umbrella and secure the umbrella and the post in a variety of earthen conditions such as sand, lawn, and soil even in a prevailing breeze or stormier conditions. The umbrella further includes one or more retractable levers integrally attached along the post.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing an umbrella post, comprising:

providing an umbrella post having an upper end including an opening suitable to receive an upper portion of an umbrella top and a lower end for insertion into the ground;

integrally attaching a first handle to a first region of the post;

integrally attaching a second handle to a second region of the post;

wherein the first handle is integrally attached a predetermined distance along a length of the post from the second handle; and

wherein the first and the second handle can be locked in a first position perpendicular to the length of the post to receive a downward force applied to the first and the second handle to facilitate insertion of the lower end into the ground.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein integrally attaching includes pivotally attaching the first handle and the second handle such that the first handle and the second handle can move into the first position perpendicular to the length of the post.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein integrally attaching includes pivotally attaching the first handle and the second handle such that the first handle and the second handle can move into a second position parallel to the length of the post.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein integrally attaching includes pivotally attaching the first handle and the second handle such that the first handle and the second handle can releasably lock in the first position relative the post.

5. A method of manufacturing an umbrella, comprising:

constructing a post, where the post includes an upper end including an opening suitable to receive an upper portion of an umbrella top and a lower end for insertion into the ground;

constructing a pair of handles along a first region of the post;

constructing a handle along a second region of the post, the pair of handles along the first region being spaced apart from the handle along the second region by a predetermined distance along a length of the post; and

wherein the handles can be locked in a first position perpendicular to the length of the post to receive a downward force applied to the handles to facilitate insertion of the lower end into the ground.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein constructing the pair of handles along the first region and constructing the handle along the second region includes constructing the handles in a retractable manner such that the handles can be moved into the first position perpendicular to the length of the post.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein constructing the pair of handles along the first region and constructing the handle along the second region includes constructing the handles in a retractable manner such that the handles can be moved into a second position parallel to the length of the post.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein constructing the handles in a retractable manner includes constructing the handles such that the handles can be releasably locked in the first position and the second position relative the post.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein constructing the handles includes integrally fabricating the handles along the post.

10. A method of fabricating an umbrella, comprising:

fabricating a post having a lower end and an upper end including an opening suitable to receive an upper portion of an umbrella;

fabricating a pair of hand levers along a first region of the post and a foot lever along a second region of the post, the foot lever being spaced apart from the hand levers by a predetermined distance along a length of the post; and

wherein the hand and the foot levers can be locked in a first position perpendicular to the length of the post to receive a downward force applied to the hand and the foot levers to facilitate insertion of the lower end into the ground.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein fabricating the hand levers and the foot lever includes fabricating the hand levers and the foot lever in a retractable manner such that the pair of hand levers and the foot lever can be moved into the first position perpendicular to the length of the post and can be moved into a second position parallel to the length of the post.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein fabricating the hand levers and the foot lever in a retractable manner includes fabricating the hand levers and the foot lever such that the pair of hand levers and the foot lever can be releasably locked in the first position and the second position relative the post.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein fabricating the pair of hand levers and the foot lever includes integrally fabricating the pair of hand levers and the foot lever along the post.

14. An umbrella, comprising:

a post having a lower end and an upper end including an opening suitable to receive an upper portion of an umbrella top;

a pair of handles attached to a first region of the post;

a handle attached to a second region of the post, wherein the first region and the second region are spaced apart by a predetermined distance along the post; and

wherein the handles can be locked in a first position perpendicular to a length of the post to receive a downward force applied to the handles to facilitate insertion of the lower end into the ground.

15. The umbrella of claim 14, wherein the pair of handles attached to the first region can be retracted into a second position parallel to the length of the post.

16. The umbrella of claim 15, wherein the handle attached to the second region can be retracted into a second position parallel to the length of the post.

17. An umbrella, comprising:

a post having a lower end for insertion into the ground, and an upper end including an opening suitable to receive an upper portion of an umbrella top;

two or more handles attached at a first region of the post;

two or more handles attached at a second region of the post, wherein the first region and the second region are separated by a distance along the post; and

wherein the handles can be locked in a first position perpendicular to a length of the post to receive a downward force applied to the handles to facilitate insertion of the lower end into the ground.

18. The umbrella of claim 17, wherein the two or more handles attached at the first region and the two or more handles attached at the second region can retract into a second position parallel to the length of the post.

19. An umbrella, comprising:

a post comprising an upper region including an opening suitable to receive an upper portion of an umbrella top and a lower region;

three or more handles pivotally connected to the post, the three or more handles having a range of motion including a first position perpendicular to a length of the post to receive a downward force applied to the handles to facilitate insertion of the lower region into the ground and including a second position parallel to the length of the post;

wherein the three or more handles include at least one handle attached at the lower region of the post and at least two handles attached toward the upper region of the post; and

wherein the handles attached toward the upper region are separated from the handle attached at the lower region by a predetermined distance along the post.

20. The umbrella of claim 19, wherein the three or more handles have a downward range of motion from the first position to the second position and an upward range of motion from the second position to the first position.

21. The umbrella of claim 19, wherein where the handles attached toward the upper region are separated from the handle attached at the lower region by a distance greater than two feet.

22. The umbrella of claim 19, wherein the three or more handles pivotally connected to the post have a range of motion of 180 degrees.

23. An umbrella post, comprising:

a post having a lower region and an upper region including an opening suitable to receive an upper portion of an umbrella top;

three or more handles formed directly on the post, wherein the three or more handles include a first handle attached at the lower region of the post and a pair of handles attached at a different region of the post and spaced apart from the first handle by a predetermined distance; and

wherein the handles can be locked in a first position perpendicular to a length of the post to receive a downward force applied to the handles to facilitate insertion of the lower region into the ground.

24. The umbrella post of claim 23, wherein the pair of handles and the first handle can be movably positioned into the first position perpendicular to a length of the post and movably positioned into a second position parallel to the length of the post.