Quick set-up and take-down umbrella system

Abstract

An umbrella system adapted for easy use on rafts and other moving vehicles is described. The umbrella system hangs from an overhead curved arm, and preferably includes one or more quick-connection/quick-disconnection systems so that the umbrella system can be quickly removed from the raft or vehicle and disassembled into several, shorter, more compact parts. The preferred umbrella opening and closing system does not include cables, cranks, or other complex structure, but rather is made from a handle underneath the center of the umbrella that can be manually pushed and pulled upward and downward, respectively, to open and close the umbrella. The handle pushes a hub unit to operatively engage or receive a shaft extending down from the apex of the umbrella shade so that the hub unit is generally centered before and during the period of maximum force on the hub unit, that is, the hub unit is centered on the shaft well before the push-rods are being forced past a position wherein they are perpendicular to the axis of the umbrella. Preferably, the hub unit has an interior hollow space that receives and slides along the shaft, the hollow space having a constant inner diameter or a plurality of inner diameters, for example. The umbrella system can be adjusted to shade a large area by a few simple adjustments of a preferred pivotal joint, or by quick detachment of the support system from the raft and re-attachment in another location on the raft, for example.

1 . An umbrella system comprising a support system comprising a mast and a curved arm, and an umbrella portion with a center shaft on an umbrella axis, the umbrella portion being suspended from the curved arm so that the umbrella portion is offset to a side of the mast; and 
 the umbrella portion comprising a fabric shade provided on a plurality of ribs, and a plurality of push-rods pivotally connecting the ribs to a hub unit, the hub unit being moveable generally parallel to the umbrella axis down to a collapsed position wherein the hub unit is distanced from and below the lowermost end of the center shaft and the push-rods are generally parallel to the umbrella axis, and the hub unit being moveable generally parallel to the umbrella axis upwards so that the hub unit receives the center shaft in a hollow space in the hub unit when the push-rods are between parallel and perpendicular to the umbrella axis, so that the hub unit is generally centered on the center shaft when the hub unit is pushed to move the push-rods past perpendicular to the umbrella axis and into the open position wherein the push-rods are slanted upward from their outer ends to their inner ends.    
   
   
       2 . An umbrella system as in  claim 1 , wherein the hub unit and the center shaft are not connected when the hub unit is in the collapsed position.  
   
   
       3 . An umbrella system as in  claim 1 , wherein the hub unit and the center shaft are not connected by any cable or cord.  
   
   
       4 . An umbrella system as in  claim 1 , comprising no cord or cable.  
   
   
       5 . An umbrella system as in  claim 1 , wherein the hub unit receives the center shaft when the push-rods are pivoted to be in the range of 40-60 degrees relative to the umbrella axis.  
   
   
       6 . An umbrella system as in  claim 1 , wherein the center shaft extends through ½-¾ of the length of the hub unit when the push-rods are perpendicular to the umbrella axis.  
   
   
       7 . An umbrella system as in  claim 1 , wherein the center shaft does not extend below the hub unit when the umbrella portion is in the open position.  
   
   
       8 . An umbrella system as in  claim 1  that is held in said open position without any cables.  
   
   
       9 . An umbrella system as in  claim 1 , wherein said hub unit is not attached to said center shaft and is separated from the center shaft in the collapsed position by a distance of 6-18 inches.  
   
   
       10 . An umbrella system as in  claim 1 , wherein said hub unit comprises a hollow funnel member that receives said center shaft.  
   
   
       11 . An umbrella system as in  claim 10 , wherein the hollow funnel member with an enlarged diameter top end and a smaller-diameter lower end parallel to the umbrella axis, wherein, when the umbrella portion is opened, the enlarged diameter top end of the hollow member abuts against a center member at an apex of the umbrella shade, and the center shaft extends into the smaller-diameter lower end so that the center shaft is maintained coaxial with the umbrella axis.  
   
   
       12 . An umbrella system as in  claim 11 , wherein said enlarged diameter top end has an inner diameter that is 2-8 times the outer diameter of the center shaft.  
   
   
       13 . An umbrella system as in  claim 12 , wherein said smaller-diameter lower end has an inner diameter that is 1.1-2 times the outer diameter of the center shaft.  
   
   
       14 . An umbrella system as in  claim 1 , wherein said hub unit comprises a right cylinder that receives said center shaft.  
   
   
       15 . An umbrella system as in  claim 1 , wherein said hub unit hollow space has a constant inner diameter.  
   
   
       16 . An umbrella system as in  claim 1 , wherein said hub unit hollow space has a plurality of inner diameters.  
   
   
       17 . An umbrella system as in  claim 1 , wherein the support system comprises a lockable pivotal joint for adjusting the arm position relative to the mast to move the umbrella axis to be non-parallel to the mast axis.  
   
   
       18 . An umbrella system as in  claim 1 , wherein the support system comprises a plurality of quickly-releasable quick-connections connecting the curved arm to the mast and the umbrella portion to the curved arm.  
   
   
       19 . An umbrella system comprising a support system comprising a mast and a curved arm, and an umbrella portion with a center shaft on an umbrella axis, the umbrella portion being suspended from the curved arm so that the umbrella portion is offset to a side of the mast; and 
 the umbrella portion comprising a fabric shade provided on a plurality of ribs, and a plurality of push-rods pivotally connecting the ribs to a hub unit;    the hub unit being moveable along said umbrella axis to a collapsed position wherein the hub unit is unconnected from the center shaft and below the lowermost end of the center shaft and wherein the push-rods are in a first position generally parallel to the umbrella axis; and    the hub unit also being moveable along the umbrella axis upwards to move the push-rods from said first position, to a second position generally perpendicular to the umbrella axis, and to a third position that is past-perpendicular wherein the push-rods are slanted upward from their outer ends to their inner ends to hold the umbrella open;    wherein the hub unit receives the center shaft in a hollow space in the hub unit before the push-rods are moved into said second position perpendicular to the umbrella axis; and    wherein the umbrella system comprises no cords or cables connecting the hub unit to the center shaft.    
   
   
       20 . An umbrella system as in  claim 19 , wherein said hub unit hollow space has a single inner diameter.  
   
   
       21 . An umbrella system as in  claim 19 , wherein said hub unit hollow space has a plurality of inner diameters.