Umbrella with heated handle and a water repellant canopy fabric

Abstract

An umbrella has an integral stem portion and a water repellant canopy portion. The stem portion has an integral handle, a central shaft, a spring for closing the umbrella and extensions supporting the canopy. The handle is thermally insulating, wound with wrapped flexible heating tape or strip, and connected through an on-off switch to a plurality of batteries present in a hollow cavity of the central shaft. Optionally, a thermally insulating foam tape is inserted between the heating element and the thermally insulating handle. An infrared reflector may be placed below the heating element to direct heat to the user's hand. The heating element raises the temperature of the umbrella handle, radiating heat to the hand of the user, thereby providing a comfortable grip during deployment of the umbrella in wintry weather.

1 . An umbrella, comprising:
 a. an integral stem portion and a canopy portion;   b. said integral stem portion comprising a handle, a central shaft, a spring member and a plurality of extension rods;   c. said central shaft retaining a plurality of batteries;   d. said handle portion being constructed from a thermally insulating material;   e. said handle portion being wrapped with integral heating elements;   f. said batteries being connected in series and powering said heating element through an on-off switch;   g. said canopy having an external surface and an internal surface;   h. said external surface of the canopy being water repellent and thereby resisting saturation and shedding or facilitating the repellency of rain drops;   whereby said water repellent canopy prevents accumulation of water on the handle portion and said heating element and the handle is warmed efficiently, to thereby raise the handle temperature to a level that provides a comfortable grip for the user.   
   
   
       2 . An umbrella as recited by  claim 1  wherein said water repellant canopy external surface is coated with a material selected from a group consisting of wax, silicone or Teflon (polytetrafluroethylene). 
   
   
       3 . An umbrella as recited by  claim 1 , wherein said thermally insulating material is selected from a group consisting of molded polymer, wood and ceramic. 
   
   
       4 . An umbrella as recited by  claim 1 , wherein said central shaft has a hollow cavity and retains batteries within said cavity. 
   
   
       5 . An umbrella as recited by  claim 1 , wherein said batteries are rechargeable. 
   
   
       6 . An umbrella as recited by  claim 1 , wherein said integral heating element is a wound flexible tape. 
   
   
       7 . An umbrella as recited by  claim 6 , wherein said wound flexible tape has zig zag pattern of 25 micrometer wire. 
   
   
       8 . An umbrella as recited by  claim 1 , wherein said integral heating element is a wound flexible strip. 
   
   
       9 . An umbrella as recited by  claim 8 , wherein said wound flexible strip is a graphite foil strip. 
   
   
       10 . An umbrella as recited by  claim 1 , wherein an infrared reflective membrane or foil is inserted between said integral heating element and said insulating material of said handle. 
   
   
       11 . An umbrella as recited by  claim 10 , wherein said infrared reflective membrane or foil is a metallic foil. 
   
   
       12 . An umbrella as recited by  claim 10 , wherein said infrared reflective membrane or foil is a metallized polymeric sheet. 
   
   
       13 . An umbrella as recited by  claim 1 , wherein a thermally insulating flexible foam tape is inserted between said thermally insulating material of the handle and said integral heating element to thereby provide a cushioned grip on said umbrella handle. 
   
   
       14 . An umbrella as recited by  claim 13 , wherein an infrared reflective membrane or foil is inserted between said integral heating element and said thermally insulating flexible foam tape. 
   
   
       15 . An umbrella as recited by  claim 1 , wherein said batteries have an open circuit voltage of 12 V and are chargeable from the cigarette lighter connection in a car or SUV. 
   
   
       16 . An umbrella as recited by  claim 1 , wherein said batteries have an open circuit voltage of 12 V and said heating elements are powered from the cigarette lighter connection within a car or SUV. 
   
   
       17 . An umbrella as recited by  claim 1 , wherein said handle is a “J” curved handle. 
   
   
       18 . An umbrella as recited by  claim 1 , wherein said handle is a finger grooved handle. 
   
   
       19 . An umbrella as recited by  claim 1 , wherein said handle is a straight handle. 
   
   
       20 . An umbrella as recited by  claim 1 , wherein said on-off switch additionally comprises 50% and 100% power settings.