US20060042293A1

US20060042293A1 - Cooling device of umbrella

Info

Publication number: US20060042293A1
Application number: US10/923,697
Authority: US
Inventors: Joen-Shen Ma
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-08-24
Filing date: 2004-08-24
Publication date: 2006-03-02

Abstract

A cooling device is integrated with a runner of an umbrella. The umbrella includes an upright central post along which the runner is movable. A crown is mounted to an upper end of the central post. A plurality of ribs is pivoted to and radially extending from the crown and each rib is linked to and driven by a stretcher having opposite ends pivoted to the runner and the rib respectively. A canopy is attached to and supported by the ribs whereby when the runner moves upward/downward along the central post, the canopy is selectively opened/closed. The cooling device includes a casing fit over and movable along the central post. The cooling device defines an interior space forming a water container containing an amount of water and accommodating a mist generator receiving water from the water container and generating mist. Tubes convey the mist to outlet nozzles that are formed in the casing to direct the mist to a space under the canopy for cooling purposes.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the field of large-sized sun-shading umbrellas and in particular to an umbrella incorporating a cooling device that generates and sprays mists into a space under of a canopy of the umbrella for cooling the space under the canopy.
2. The Related Art
A large-sized sun-shading umbrella, such as a garden umbrella and a beach umbrella, is often fixed on a heavy base or fit into a center hole defined in a table surface, or pierced into the ground to hold the umbrella in an upright configuration. The umbrella has a canopy that can be opened to provide a sun-shaded surface of large area.
However, in case of intense sun light, together with dry atmosphere, the canopy of the umbrella, although effective in shielding the intense sun light, is not able to eliminate the hot and dry feeling of a person staying in the space under the canopy. This is often observed in beach umbrellas or even garden umbrellas.
Thus, the present invention is aimed to provide a cooling device for an umbrella to eliminate the hot and drying feeling of a person staying under the canopy.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Thus, a primary objective of the present invention is to provide an umbrella comprising a cooling device for overcoming the “hot” feeling of a person staying under a canopy of the umbrella.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an umbrella having a cooling device of simple structure, which emits mists to lower down surrounding temperature under the umbrella canopy.
To achieve the above objectives, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a cooling device adapted to combine an umbrella. The umbrella includes an upright central post along which a runner is movable. A crown is mounted to an upper end of the central post. A plurality of ribs is pivoted to and radially extending from the crown and each rib is linked to and driven by a stretcher having opposite ends pivoted to the runner and the rib respectively. A canopy is attached to and supported by the ribs whereby when the runner moves upward/downward along the central post, the canopy is selectively opened/closed. The cooling device is fixed to and movable with the runner along the central post and comprises a casing fit over and movable along the central post. The cooling device defines an interior space forming a water container containing an amount of water and accommodating a mist generator receiving water from the water container and generating mist. Tubes convey the mist to outlet nozzles that are formed in the casing to direct the mist to a space under the canopy for cooling purposes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an umbrella constructed in accordance with the present invention with a canopy inclined;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the umbrella taken from a different perspective;
FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the umbrella, with a portion of a post and the canopy being omitted for clarity and simplification;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a cooling device incorporated in the umbrella in accordance with the present invention; and
FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the umbrella particularly showing extension of a power cord through the umbrella for supplying power to a mist generator of the cooling device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to the drawings and in particular to FIGS. 1 and 3, an umbrella constructed in accordance with the present invention comprises an umbrella frame comprised of a central post 10, a pivot joint 11 rotatably connecting a lower end of a top extension (not labeled) to an upper end of the central post 10, a runner 12 slidable along the central post 10, a crown 13 mounted to an upper end of the top extension of the central post 10, a plurality of ribs 15 each having an inner end pivoted to the crown 13 and radially extending from the crown 13 to support a canopy 16, and a stretcher 14 having opposite ends pivoted to the runner 12 and substantially a middle portion of each rib 15 whereby the movement of the runner 12 along the central post 10 in upward/downward direction causes the stretchers 14 to drive the ribs 15 upwards/downwards thereby selectively opening/closing the canopy 16. The pivot joint 11 allows the top extension and thus the crown 13 to be selectively orientated at different angle with respect to the post 10 for shielding sun light from different directions. Preferably, a lower end of the central post 10 is fixed to and supported by a heavy base 19.
The opening/closing can be manipulated by means of an opening/closing device 18 mounted to the post 10. The opening/closing device 18 comprises a crank 17 that drives a reel (not shown) to pull and release a cable that is coupled to the runner 12 thereby causing the runner 12 to move along the post 10. This is generally known and thus no further detail is needed herein.
Also referring to FIGS. 1 and 4, the umbrella of the present invention comprises a cooling device, generally designated with reference numeral 20, mounted to a lower end of the runner 12 and movable wit the runner 12 in opening/closing the canopy 16. The cooling device 20 comprises a conic casing 21 having a reduced upper end fixed to the lower end of the runner 12. The conic casing 21 encompasses and is slidable along the central post 10. The casing 21 defines a hollow interior that forms a water container 22. The casing 21 also accommodates, at a lower portion thereof, a mist generator 25 that receives water from the water container 22 and generates water mist. The cooling device 20 further comprises a plurality of tubes 26, serving as mist passages extending from the mist generator 25 to an outer circumference of the casing 21 and communicating mist outlets 27 formed on and preferably equally spaced along the circumferential wall of the casing 21 for conveying the mist outside the casing 21 and into a space under the canopy 16.
The water container 22 comprises a water inlet 23, preferably selectively closed by a removable cap (not labeled). The water inlet 23 extends beyond the casing 21 for replenishment of water into the water container 22. A water level indicator 24 (best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3) is provided and can be observed outside the casing 21 for visual inspection of the amount of water residual in the water container 22 after operations.
The mist generator 25 comprises an electrically driven device (not shown) that is powered by an external power source. A power cord 28 is connected to the mist generator 25 by a power switch 29 and forms a plug at a distal end thereof for selective connection with the external power source, such as a wall outlet of an electric main. The power switch 29 allows for selective transmission/supply of electrical power received from the plug to the mist generator 25. The mist generator 25 is constructed to receive water from the water container 22 and driven by the electrical power from the cord 28 to generate and supply atomized water in the form of mist through the tubes 26 to the mist outlets 27. The mist outlets 27 spray the mist outwards.
Also referring to FIG. 5, the cord 28 extends through an interior channel defined along the central post 10 to the crown 13 and then extends along one of the ribs 15 and the associated stretcher 14 to the runner 12 and then to the mist generator 25.
In practice, when an operator rotates the crank arm 17 to operate the opening/closing device 18 for opening the umbrella, the runner 12 moves toward the crown 13 along the central post 10 to expand the canopy 16. Once the canopy 16 is expanded, electrical power is selectively supplied to the mist generator 25 via the switch 29 and the cord 28. The mist generated by the mist generator 25 is supplied to the mist outlet 27 that is configured to direct and distribute the mist into the atmosphere under the canopy 16. Continuously spraying mist into the space under the canopy 16 effectively lowers down the temperature of the air under the canopy 16 and makes the space under the canopy 16 cooled and comfortable. The mist can be stopped by simply switched off the power supply by the switch 29.
To close the umbrella, the operator simply rotates the crank arm 17 is a reversed direction, which lowers down the runner 12 along the central post 10 thereby collapsing the canopy 16. The cooling device 20 moves downward with the runner 12 and eventually stops at the lower portion of the central post 10, which leaves the packing and storage of the umbrella unaffected.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that a variety of modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention which is intended to be defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A cooling device adapted to be incorporated in an umbrella comprising a central post rotatably supporting a plurality of ribs that carry a canopy, a runner movably along the central post to drive the ribs via a plurality of stretchers for expanding/collapsing the canopy, the cooling device comprising:

a casing fit over and slidable along the central post, the casing having an upper end fixed to the runner;

a water container formed inside the casing and in communication with a water inlet defined in the casing for replenishment of water into the container;

a mist generator accommodated in the casing and in fluid communication with the water container for receiving water from the water container and converting the water into mist; and

a plurality of mist outlets formed in the casing and in communication with the mist generator to receive the mist from the mist generator and ditribute the mist into a space under the canopy;

wherein the cooling device is integrated with the runner and is thus movable with the runner in expanding/collapsing the canopy and wherein when the mist generator is in operation, mist is generated and distributed into the space under the canopy for cooling purposes.

2. The cooling device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mist generator is electrically driven by power transmitted through a power cord under the control of a switch, the cord extending through an interior channel defined along the central post to a crown mounted to an upper end of the central post, then extends along one of the ribs and the associated rib to the runner and is then connected to the mist generator.

3. The umbrella as claimed in claim 1, wherein the water container comprises a water level indicator to allow for inspection of amount of water residual in the water container.