Rechargeable battery arrangement for electrical system of shading device

• US 8,015,988 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2007
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oliver Joen-An Ma
• Original Assignee: Oliver Joen-An Ma
• Inventors: Li, Wanda Ying
• Primary Examiner(s): YIP, WINNIE S
• Application Number:
  US11/985,415
• Publication Number:
  US 20090120476A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,399 Days
• Field of Search: 135/16, 135/20.3, 135/21, 135/98, 135/910, 135/155, 362/102, 320/111
• US Class Current: 135/16
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 3/00 Sticks combined with other objects
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 135/91 Illuminated cane or umbrella

Abstract

A rechargeable power source, which is detachably coupled with a shading device to electrically connect with an electrical arrangement thereof, includes a rechargeable battery unit having a battery terminal arranged to contact with the electrical terminal of the electrical arrangement, and a locking arrangement which contains a releasable locker to detachably couple the rechargeable battery unit with the shading device and to ensure the battery terminal being contact with an electrical terminal of the electrical arrangement so as to electrically connect the rechargeable battery unit with the electrical arrangement. Therefore, the electrical arrangement of the shading device is powered by the rechargeable battery unit to eliminate the power extension to the external power source.

Claims

1. An outdoor umbrella, comprising:

an umbrella awning;

an umbrella frame comprising a supporting shaft and an awning frame suspendedly supported by said supporting shaft and coupled with said umbrella awning for defining a shading area thereunder;

an electrical arrangement supported at said umbrella frame for providing an additional umbrella function, wherein said electrical arrangement comprises an electrical device coupled with said awning frame and an electrical terminal extended from said electrical device to said supporting shaft in a pre-wiring manner; and

a rechargeable power source, comprising;

a rechargeable battery unit having a power outlet for electrically connecting with an external power source in charging manner, and a battery terminal arranged to contact with said electrical terminal of said electrical arrangement; and

a locking arrangement which contains a locker slot provided at a housing positioned on said supporting shaft of said umbrella frame at a hand reachable distance and a releasable locker extended from said rechargeable battery unit to detachably couple said rechargeable battery unit with said umbrella frame and to ensure said battery terminal being contact with said electrical terminal so as to electrically connect said rechargeable battery unit with said electrical arrangement.

2. The outdoor umbrella, as recited in claim 1, wherein said releasable locker comprises two spaced apart resilient arms slidably engaging with said locker slot, wherein two locking protrusions are provided at two sidewalls of said locker slot to engage with hooking ends of said resilient arms when said releasable locker is slid into said locker slot.

3. The outdoor umbrella, as recited in claim 2, wherein said releasable locker further comprises a locking tongue slidably inserted into said locker slot, wherein said resilient arms are spacedly extended at two sidewalls of said locking tongue to define a resilient gap between each of said resilient arms and said corresponding sidewall of said locking tongue, wherein each of said resilient gaps allows said respective resilient arm to be slightly bent to engage with said respective locking protrusion when said releasable locker is slid into said locker slot.

4. The outdoor umbrella, as recited in claim 3, wherein said housing is an operation housing mounted at said supporting shaft, said umbrella frame further comprises an operational unit received at said operation housing for selectively operating said awning frame at an unfolded position and a folded position, and a battery compartment provided at a sidewall of said operation housing to receive said rechargeable battery unit, wherein said locker slot and said electrical terminal are provided at a base wall and a bottom wall of said battery compartment to slidably engage with said releasable locker and to electrically contact with said battery terminal respectively when said rechargeable battery unit is received in said battery compartment.

5. The outdoor umbrella, as recited in claim 4, wherein said releasable locker contains a mounting slot aligned with said locker slot when said rechargeable battery unit is disposed in said battery compartment and comprises a mounting screw detachably engaging with said locker slot through said mounting slot to detachably mount said rechargeable battery unit to said battery compartment.

6. The outdoor umbrella, as recited in claim 4, wherein said locking arrangement further comprises two releasing buttons for releasing said releasable locker from said locker slot, each of said releasing buttons having a pushing end aligned with said respective resilient arm and an opposed pressing end arranged in such a manner that when said pressing ends of said releasing buttons are pressed, said pushing ends of said releasing buttons push at said resilient arms towards said resilient gaps so as to disengage said hooking ends of said resilient arms with said locking protrusions respectively.

7. The outdoor umbrella, as recited in claim 6, wherein said two releasing buttons are slidably mounted at said sidewalls of said locker slot respectively at a position that said pushing ends of said releasing buttons are align with said hooking ends of said resilient arms respectively, such that when said pressing ends of said releasing buttons are pressed, said resilient arms are driven to move at said resilient gaps to disengage with said locking protrusions respectively.

8. The outdoor umbrella, as recited in claim 7, wherein said locking arrangement further comprises two resilient elements supported within said resilient gaps respectively, wherein each of said resilient elements has two ends biasing against said respective resilient arm and said sidewall of said locking tongue for applying an urging force against said resilient arm.

9. The outdoor umbrella, as recited in claim 6, wherein said locking arrangement further comprises two resilient elements supported within said resilient gaps respectively, wherein each of said resilient elements has two ends biasing against said respective resilient arm and said sidewall of said locking tongue for applying an urging force against said resilient arm.

10. The outdoor umbrella, as recited in claim 6, wherein said pushing ends of said two releasing buttons are sidewardly extended at said resilient arms respectively such that when said pressing ends of said releasing buttons are pressed, said resilient arms are driven to move at said resilient gaps to disengage with said locking protrusions respectively.

11. The outdoor umbrella, as recited in claim 10, wherein said locker slot further has two actuation slots formed at said sidewalls respectively, wherein said pressing ends of said releasing buttons are protruded out of said locker slot through said actuation slots respectively when said releasable locker is locked at said locker slot.

12. The outdoor umbrella, as recited in claim 6, wherein said pushing ends of said two releasing buttons are slidably mounted at said resilient arms respectively such that when said pressing ends of said releasing buttons are pressed to slide along said resilient arms respectively, said resilient arms are driven to move at said resilient gaps to disengage with said locking protrusions respectively.

13. The outdoor umbrella, as recited in claim 12, wherein said locker slot further has two actuation slots formed at said sidewalls respectively, wherein said pressing ends of said releasing buttons are protruded out of said locker slot through said actuation slots respectively when said releasable locker is locked at said locker slot.

14. The outdoor umbrella, as recited in claim 3, wherein said locking arrangement further comprises two releasing buttons for releasing said releasable locker from said locker slot, each of said releasing buttons having a pushing end aligned with said respective resilient arm and an opposed pressing end arranged in such a manner that when said pressing ends of said releasing buttons are pressed, said pushing ends of said releasing buttons push at said resilient arms towards said resilient gaps so as to disengage said hooking ends of said resilient arms with said locking protrusions respectively.

15. The outdoor umbrella, as recited in claim 14, wherein said two releasing buttons are slidably mounted at said sidewalls of said locker slot respectively at a position that said pushing ends of said releasing buttons are align with said hooking ends of said resilient arms respectively, such that when said pressing ends of said releasing buttons are pressed, said resilient arms are driven to move at said resilient gaps to disengage with said locking protrusions respectively.

16. The outdoor umbrella, as recited in claim 14, wherein said pushing ends of said two releasing buttons are sidewardly extended from said resilient arms respectively such that when said pressing ends of said releasing buttons are pressed, said resilient arms are driven to move at said resilient gaps to disengage with said locking protrusions respectively.

17. The outdoor umbrella, as recited in claim 16, wherein said locker slot further has two actuation slots formed at said sidewalls respectively, wherein said pressing ends of said releasing buttons are protruded out of said locker slot through said actuation slots respectively when said releasable locker is locked at said locker slot.

18. The outdoor umbrella, as recited in claim 14, wherein said pushing ends of said two releasing buttons are slidably mounted at said resilient arms respectively such that when said pressing ends of said releasing buttons are pressed to slide along said resilient arms respectively, said resilient arms are driven to move at said resilient gaps to disengage with said locking protrusions respectively.

19. The outdoor umbrella, as recited in claim 1, wherein said housing is an operation housing mounted at said supporting shaft, an said umbrella frame further comprises operational unit received at said operation housing for selectively operating said awning frame at an unfolded position and a folded position, and a battery compartment provided at a sidewall of said operation housing to receive said rechargeable battery unit, wherein said locker slot and said electrical terminal are provided at a base wall and a bottom wall of said battery compartment to slidably engage with said releasable locker and to electrically contact with said battery terminal respectively when said rechargeable battery unit is received in said battery compartment.

20. The outdoor umbrella, as recited in claim 19, wherein said releasable locker contains a mounting slot aligned with said locker slot when said rechargeable battery unit is disposed in said battery compartment and comprises a mounting screw detachably engaging with said locker slot through said mounting slot to detachably mount said rechargeable battery unit to said battery compartment.