Outdoor umbrella with solar power supply

• US 7,562,667 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2006
• Issued: 07/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oliver Oen-An Ma
• Original Assignee: Wanda Ying Li
• Inventors: Li, Wanda Ying
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn; David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jackson; Danielle
• Application Number:
  US11/325,058
• Publication Number:
  US 20080006312A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,295 Days
• Field of Search: 135/16, 135/20.1, 135/21, 135/910, 362/102
• US Class Current: 135/21
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 2023/0031 Cantilever umbrellas or sunshades with a support arm
• 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 3/04 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 9/035 the solar unit being integrated within the support for the lighting unit, e.g. within or on a pole
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/006 General building constructions or finishing work for buildings, e.g. roofs, gutters, stairs or floors; Garden equipment; Sunshades or parasols
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/72 in street lighting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 135/91 Illuminated cane or umbrella

Abstract

An outdoor umbrella includes a foldable umbrella awning, an umbrella frame, a lighting system mounted on the umbrella frame, and a solar power supply arrangement which converts solar energy into electrical energy and provides the converted electrical energy to the lighting system for lighting up the lighting system. The solar power supply arrangement includes a solar collecting device supported by the main supporting stem, wherein the solar collecting device has a collecting surface arranged to expose to sunlight for extensively collecting solar energy.

Claims

1. An outdoor umbrella, comprising:

an umbrella awning;

an umbrella frame comprising a main supporting stem, an awning frame supporting said umbrella awning to define a shielding zone under said umbrella awning, and a connecting arm pivotally extended from a top portion of said main supporting stem to said awning frame to substantially support said awning frame, wherein said connecting arm has two longitudinal mounting slots at two sides thereof;

a lighting system which comprises one or more illuminating units mounted on said awning frame for providing illumination to said shielding zone; and

a solar power supply arrangement comprising a solar collecting device having a collecting surface mounted on said umbrella frame at a position above said shielding zone for exposing in sunlight to collect solar energy, wherein said solar collecting device is electrically connected to said lighting system for converting said solar energy into electrical energy so as to provide said electrical energy to said lighting system, wherein said solar collecting device comprises two sliding guiders extended downwardly to be slidably mounted along said two mounting slots of said connecting arm to securely mount said solar collecting device along said connecting arm that said collecting surface of said solar collecting device is inclinedly orientated for facing towards sunlight to collect said solar energy.

2. The outdoor umbrella, as recited in claim 1, wherein said solar power supply arrangement further comprises a storage battery electrically connected between said lighting system and said solar collecting device, wherein said storage battery is adapted for storing said electrical energy converted by said solar collecting device to supply said electrical energy to said lighting system.

3. The outdoors umbrella, as recited in claim 2, wherein said solar power supply arrangement further comprises a power switch electrically connected said storage battery with said solar collecting device, so as to selectively connect and disconnect said solar collecting device with said storage battery to control an electrical charging of said storage battery.

4. The outdoors umbrella, as recited in claim 1, wherein said awning frame comprises an upper housing supported by said main supporting stem and a plurality of awning supporting arms outwardly and radially extended from said upper housing.

5. The outdoors umbrella, as recited in claim 4, wherein said lighting system further comprises a plurality of electrical wires extended along said awning supporting arms respectively to electrically connect to said illumination units such that said illumination units are spacedly aligned along said awning supporting arms for providing illumination to said shielding zone.

6. The outdoors umbrella, as recited in claim 5, wherein each of said awning supporting arms has a light receiving slot formed along a bottom side thereof to receive said respective electrical wire such that said illumination units are spacedly embedded in said awning supporting arms within said light receiving slots thereof.

7. The outdoors umbrella, as recited in claim 6, wherein said awning supporting arms are pivotally connected to said awning frame in such a manner that said awning supporting arms are adapted to move between a folded position and an unfolded position, wherein at said folded position, said awning supporting arms are pivotally and inwardly folded to overlappedly lay in position, and at said unfolded position, said awning supporting arms are pivotally and outwardly extended to maximize said shielding zone under said umbrella awning.

8. The outdoors umbrella, as recited in claim 5, wherein said awning supporting arms are pivotally connected to said awning frame in such a manner that said awning supporting arms are adapted to move between a folded position and an unfolded position, wherein at said folded position, said awning supporting arms are pivotally and inwardly folded to overlappedly lay in position, and at said unfolded position, said awning supporting arms are pivotally and outwardly extended to maximize said shielding zone under said umbrella awning.