Umbrella with cooling misting screen

Abstract

An umbrella incorporates a misting system to provide a curtain of mist outside a user placement area within a perimeter defined by the umbrella, assuming substantially windless conditions. Misting nozzles project the curtain of mist downward and slightly radially outward relative to a central axis of the umbrella. The curtain of mist reduces heat transfer to the area covered by the umbrella from the ambient environment outside that area, thereby providing a cooling effect without causing persons sitting under the umbrella to become wet. The misting system employs flexible tubing and can be easily and compactly stored, brought out of storage for a social occasion and placed on a patio table, and then removed following the occasion for compact storage.

1 . An umbrella comprising: 
 a pole defining a substantially vertical axis;    a plurality of spokes having first and second ends and operatively connected at respective first ends to the pole and configurable between an open position and a closed position;    an umbrella member supported on the spokes, the umbrella member defining a perimeter when the spokes are configured in the open position, the umbrella member compactly fitting around the pole when the spokes are configured in the closed position; and    a plurality of misting nozzles located proximate respective second ends of the spokes, the misting nozzles being coupled to tubes adapted to feed the misting nozzles when the tubes are coupled to a water source, the misting nozzles being directed to provide a curtain of mist substantially outside a user placement zone located within the perimeter defined by the umbrella member under substantially windless conditions when the spokes are configured in the open position and the tubes are coupled to the water source.    
   
   
       2 . The umbrella of  claim 1 , further comprising a manifold having an inlet adapted to be coupled to the water source and having a plurality of outlets coupled to the tubes.  
   
   
       3 . The umbrella of  claim 2 , further comprising a valve in fluid communication with the manifold and configured to adjust a water pressure of water supplied to the tubes when the tubes are coupled to the water source.  
   
   
       4 . The umbrella of  claim 1 , wherein the misting nozzles are directed to provide the curtain of mist downwardly from the spokes radially outward relative to the substantially vertical axis.  
   
   
       5 . The umbrella of  claim 1 , wherein the tubes are formed from a flexible material.  
   
   
       6 . The umbrella of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of clips to secure the tubes to the spokes.  
   
   
       7 . A misting system for use with an umbrella supported on a plurality of spokes and defining a perimeter when the umbrella is opened, the misting system comprising: 
 a fluid port adapted to be coupled to a water source;    a manifold having an inlet in fluid communication with the fluid port and having a plurality of outlets;    a plurality of tubes each coupled to a respective outlet; and    a plurality of misting nozzles each coupled to a respective tube and each adapted to be secured proximate an end of a respective spoke, the misting nozzles directed to provide a curtain of mist substantially outside a user placement zone located within the perimeter under substantially windless conditions when the umbrella is opened and the fluid port is coupled to the water source.    
   
   
       8 . The misting system of  claim 7 , further comprising: 
 a pole defining a substantially vertical axis; and    a water conduit substantially concentric with the pole, the water conduit in fluid communication with the fluid port and with the inlet of the manifold.    
   
   
       9 . The misting system of  claim 7 , wherein the misting nozzles are directed to provide the curtain of mist downwardly from the spokes radially outward relative to the substantially vertical axis.  
   
   
       10 . The misting system of  claim 7 , wherein the tubes are formed from a flexible material.  
   
   
       11 . The misting system of  claim 7 , further comprising a plurality of clips to secure the tubes to the spokes.  
   
   
       12 . The misting system of  claim 7 , further comprising a valve in fluid communication with the manifold and configured to adjust a water pressure of water supplied to the tubes when the tubes are coupled to the water source.  
   
   
       13 . The misting system of  claim 7 , wherein the umbrella comprises a patio umbrella.  
   
   
       14 . A method of manufacturing an umbrella, the method comprising: 
 providing a pole defining a substantially vertical axis;    providing a water conduit within the pole;    operatively connecting a plurality of spokes at respective first ends to the pole;    supporting an umbrella member on the spokes so as to define a perimeter when the spokes are configured in an open position and to compactly fit around the pole when the spokes are configured in a closed position;    locating a manifold proximate the first ends of the spokes, the manifold having an inlet in fluid communication with the water conduit and having a plurality of outlets;    locating a plurality of misting nozzles proximate respective second ends of the spokes;    directing the misting nozzles to provide a curtain of mist substantially outside a user placement zone within the perimeter defined by the umbrella member under substantially windless conditions when the spokes are configured in the open position and the tubes are coupled to a water source;    coupling a plurality of tubes to the outlets of the manifold and to the misting nozzles such that, when the water conduit is coupled to the water source and the spokes are configured in the open position, water is provided through the manifold and the tubes to the misting nozzles and emitted as the curtain of mist.    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising directing the misting nozzles to provide the curtain of mist downwardly from the spokes radially outward relative to the substantially vertical axis.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising providing a valve in fluid communication with the manifold and configured to adjust a water pressure of water supplied to the tubes when the tubes are coupled to the water source.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising forming the tubes from a flexible material.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising clipping the tubes to the spokes.