Stickless exteriorly operated umbrella canopy

• US 10,704,290 B1
• Filed: 04/09/2018
• Issued: 07/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Regalo International LLC
• Original Assignee: Regalo International LLC
• Inventors: Flannery, Mark A., McMahon, Brian M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yip, Winnie
• Application Number:
  US15/948,672
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 135 90, 135 98, 135135, 135147, 135159, 135905, 1351203, 5 97, 5113, 5 991
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 19/10 with collapsible ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 2019/001 with elastic ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 2023/0006 Portable, self supported sunshades or weather protections
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 25/08 Devices for fastening or locking
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 29/003 Bed canopies
• CPC Class Codes: A47D 13/06 Children's play- pens
• CPC Class Codes: A47D 13/063 with soft walls
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 15/006 Tents used as toys
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 15/02 Tents combined or specially associated with other devices
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 15/28 Umbrella type tents

Abstract

An umbrella canopy that opens and closes not from a stick from within the interior of the umbrella canopy but from the exterior crown where a line is pulled to open the umbrella canopy and where a button is pushed to close the umbrella canopy. The interior of the umbrella canopy includes no stick to hold up the umbrella canopy. Taut edges of the umbrella canopy hold up the umbrella canopy, for instance, on the top edges of a playyard.

Claims

1. A structure comprising:

a) a foldable playyard comprising six wall sections, a floor, and a sidewall frame, the six wall sections being endless such that the playyard takes a hexagonal shape, the sidewall frame of the foldable playyard having uppermost sidewall frame portions and lowermost sidewall frame portions, the six wall sections of the playyard having uppermost wall portions and lowermost wall portions, the uppermost sidewall frame portions being adjacent to the uppermost wall portions, the lowermost sidewall frame portions being adjacent to the lowermost wall portions, the floor of the playyard being adjacent to the lowermost wall portions and lowermost sidewall frame portions such that the floor of the playyard is adjacent to a surface on which the lowermost sidewall frame portions and foldable playyard rest; and

b) a top for the playyard, the top being engaged to the playyard at six locations adjacent to the uppermost wall portions, the top comprising;

i) a first hub;

ii) a second hub, the second hub drawable to and away from the first hub, the second hub engageable to and disengageable from the first hub;

iii) a set of six long ribs radially extending from the first hub, each of the long ribs having a proximal end, a distal end and an intermediate section therebetween, each of said proximal ends of the long ribs pivotally engaged to said first hub, the long ribs having a flexed state when the top is in an open flexed shape and a relaxed state when the top is in the closed relaxed shape;

iv) a set of at six short ribs radially extending from the second hub, each of the short ribs having a proximal end and a distal end, each of the proximal ends of the short ribs pivotally engaged to the second hub, each of the distal ends of the short ribs pivotally engaged to the intermediate section of one of said long ribs;

v) the second hub being drawable in the direction of the first hub such that the short ribs push against the long ribs and place the long ribs into the flexed state;

vi) the second hub being drawable in the direction of the first hub until the second hub engages the first hub to lock the long ribs in the flexed state;

vii) one of the first and second hubs including a male member, the other of the first and second hubs including a female member that engages the male member to lock the first and second hubs to each other;

viii) a first cap that is elongate and cylindrical, said proximal end of said long rib being engaged in said first cap to minimize fractures in the proximal end of the long rib, the first cap including an integral plate projection that is pivotally engaged to the first hub, the integral plate projection being between the first cap and the first hub;

ix) a second cap that is elongate and cylindrical, said proximal end of said short rib being engaged in said second cap to minimize fractures in the proximal end of the short rib, said second cap including a proximal integral plate extension that is pivotally engaged to the second hub, the proximal integral plate extension being between the second cap and the second hub;

x) a third cap that is elongate and cylindrical, said distal end of said short rib being engaged in said third cap to minimize fractures in the distal end of the short rib, said third cap including a distal integral plate extension;

xi) a piece having a tube and further having ears, the tube being rigidly affixed to the intermediate section of said long rib, said ears pivotally engaging the distal integral plate extension of the third cap to engage said short rib to said long rib, said tube being elongate such that the tube applies pressure from the short rib over a length of the long rib to minimize fracturing of the long rib; and

xii) a flexible top portion engaged between the long ribs, the flexible top portion having a taut state when the long ribs are in the flexed state and a loose state when the long ribs are in the relaxed state.

2. The structure of claim 1, and further comprising a release to disengage the first and second hubs from each other to permit the top to collapse from the open flexed shape to the closed relaxed shape.

3. A structure comprising:

a) a foldable playyard comprising six wall sections, a floor, and a frame, the six wall sections being endless such that the playyard takes a hexagonal shape, the sidewall frame of the foldable playyard having uppermost sidewall frame portions and lowermost sidewall frame portions, the six wall sections of the playyard having uppermost wall portions and lowermost wall portions, the uppermost sidewall frame portions being adjacent to the uppermost wall portions, the lowermost sidewall frame portions being adjacent to the lowermost wall portions, the floor of the playyard being adjacent to the lowermost wall portions and lowermost sidewall frame portions such that the floor of the playyard is adjacent to a surface on which the lowermost sidewall frame portions and foldable playyard rest; and

b) a top for the playyard, the top being engaged to the playyard at six locations adjacent to the uppermost wall portions, the top comprising;

i) a first hub;

ii) a second hub, the second hub drawable to and away from the first hub, the second hub engageable to and disengageable from the first hub;

iii) a set of six long ribs radially extending from the first hub, each of the long ribs having a proximal end, a distal end and an intermediate section therebetween, each of said proximal ends of the long ribs pivotally engaged to said first hub, the long ribs having a flexed state when the top is in an open flexed shape and a relaxed state when the top is in the closed relaxed shape;

iv) a set of at six short ribs radially extending from the second hub, each of the short ribs having a proximal end and a distal end, each of the proximal ends of the short ribs pivotally engaged to the second hub, each of the distal ends of the short ribs pivotally engaged to the intermediate section of one of said long ribs;

v) the second hub being drawable in the direction of the first hub such that the short ribs push against the long ribs and place the long ribs into the flexed state;

vi) the second hub being drawable in the direction of the first hub until the second hub engages the first hub to lock the long ribs in the flexed state;

vii) one of the first and second hubs including a male member, the other of the first and second hubs including a female member that engages the male member to lock the first and second hubs to each other;

viii) a first cap that is elongate and cylindrical, said proximal end of said long rib being engaged in said first cap to minimize fractures in the proximal end of the long rib, the first cap including an integral plate projection that is pivotally engaged to the first hub, the integral plate projection being between the first cap and the first hub;

ix) a second cap that is elongate and cylindrical, said proximal end of said short rib being engaged in said second cap to minimize fractures in the proximal end of the short rib, said second cap including a proximal integral plate extension that is pivotally engaged to the second hub, the proximal integral plate extension being between the second cap and the second hub;

x) a third cap that is elongate and cylindrical, said distal end of said short rib being engaged in said third cap to minimize fractures in the distal end of the short rib, said third cap including a distal integral plate extension;

xi) a piece having a tube and further having ears, the tube being rigidly affixed to the intermediate section of said long rib, said ears pivotally engaging the distal integral plate extension of the third cap to engage said short rib to said long rib, said tube being elongate such that the tube applies pressure from the short rib over a length of the long rib to minimize fracturing of the long rib; and

xii) a flexible top portion engaged over the long ribs, the flexible top portion including a UV protective material, the flexible portion including a peripheral portion that extends downwardly below top edges of said six wall sections.

4. The structure of claim 3, and further comprising a release to disengage the first and second hubs from each other to permit the top to collapse from the open flexed shape to the closed relaxed shape.