Umbrella

Abstract

An umbrella provided with motor means suitable for automatically carrying out the closing and opening operations. The umbrella is provided with sticks suitable for rotating so as to move, in a closed configuration, into a shaft of the umbrella, along with the relevant covering sheet.

1 . An umbrella comprising a support staff directed along a prevailing extension, a covering sheet, at least one stick, suitable for supporting said covering sheet, said stick being hinged to a support plate, moving relative to said support staff along said prevailing extension wherein said umbrella comprises motor means operatively connected to said support plate suitable for moving the sticks from an open configuration to a closed configuration, in said closed configuration the sticks moving to a configuration substantially parallel to the prevailing direction, and wherein said umbrella comprises a shaft, directed along said prevailing extension and arranged about said support staff so that in a closed configuration of the umbrella, said shaft internally encloses said sticks and said covering sheet. 
   
   
       2 . An umbrella according to  claim 1 , comprising a stick movement unit, suitable for allowing in automatic manner the opening/closing movement of the umbrella, said movement unit being operatively connected to the motor means for allowing the opening/closing of the umbrella. 
   
   
       3 . An umbrella according to  claim 2 , wherein said movement unit is contained within the shaft. 
   
   
       4 . An umbrella according to  claim 2 , wherein said movement unit comprises a threaded staff that acts as support staff. 
   
   
       5 . An umbrella according to  claim 4 , wherein said threaded staff is associated by engaging to a nut screw that can axially slide on the threaded staff. 
   
   
       6 . An umbrella according to  claim 5 , wherein the nut screw is integral in translation with a support plate to which the sticks are hinged through hinges. 
   
   
       7 . An umbrella according to  claim 6 , wherein the support plate slides on sliding guides, arranged along said prevailing direction. 
   
   
       8 . An umbrella according to  claim 7 , wherein the sliding guides are contained within said shaft. 
   
   
       9 . An umbrella according to  claim 8 , wherein the nut screw is supported by bearings and supports an electro-magnetic brake, suitable for making the nut screw integral with the plate. 
   
   
       10 . An umbrella according to  claim 1 , wherein the sticks comprise a sleeve and a stem sliding into the sleeve so as to be seated in said sleeve in a closed configuration of the umbrella. 
   
   
       11 . An umbrella according to  claim 1 , wherein said sticks, at a moving end of the stem are connected to the covering sheet. 
   
   
       12 . An umbrella according to  claim 1 , wherein the sticks comprise an inner screw on which a sliding block, contained inside the sleeve, engages, said block being integral in translation with the stem so as to allow a translation movement of the stem and of the sheet constrained thereto. 
   
   
       13 . An umbrella according to  claim 12 , wherein the inner screw is supported by bearings and is integral in rotation with a friction wheel. 
   
   
       14 . An umbrella according to  claim 1 , comprising a plate integral in rotation with the motor means, said plate being associated to a sliding plate suitable for interfacing by contact with friction wheels integral with said stems for actuating the opening/closing movement of the stems. 
   
   
       15 . An umbrella according to  claim 1 , comprising a driving joint that connects the drive shaft of the motor means to the threaded staff. 
   
   
       16 . An umbrella according to  claim 15 , wherein thrust means are inserted between the joint and the plate suitable for influencing in abutment a sliding surface associated to the plate against the friction wheels so as to ensure a friction force sufficient for transmitting the rotational motion from the motor to the stems of the sticks. 
   
   
       17 . An umbrella according to  claim 1 , comprising a stick guiding stop that allows maintaining the sticks in equidistant position and provides a counter-thrust to the stick, such as to allow the best adhesion of the screw connecting wheel to the sliding surface. 
   
   
       18 . An umbrella according to  claim 1 , wherein the umbrella comprises a sheet tensioning plate, axially sliding on said support staff, said plate being suitable for tensioning the sheet towards the support staff. 
   
   
       19 . An umbrella according to  claim 18 , wherein a threaded bush or nut screw is inserted between the sheet tensioning plate and the threaded staff so as to engage with the threading of the threaded staff. 
   
   
       20 . An umbrella according to  claim 18 , wherein the plate is preferably connected to return or tensioning springs, operatively connected to the sheet, so as to pre-tension the sheet, constraining the sheet to the axial movement of the plate. 
   
   
       21 . An umbrella according to  claim 1 , wherein said stick movement unit comprises cables, controlled by motor means, intended for the vertical pulling of the plate on the support guides. 
   
   
       22 . An umbrella according to  claim 1 , wherein said stick movement unit comprises a rack staff, associated to a gear controlled by said motor means, for transforming the rotational motion into translatory motion from the bottom upwards, and vice versa, of the plate on the support guides. 
   
   
       23 . An umbrella according to  claim 1 , wherein said stick movement unit comprises an actuator, consisting of a motor with telescopic stem, intended for the vertical translation movement of the plate on the support guides. 
   
   
       24 . An umbrella according to  claim 1 , wherein said umbrella is provided with a covering cap provided, at outlet zones of the sticks, with hinged tongues for ensuring the umbrella protection from water. 
   
   
       25 . An umbrella according to  claim 1 , wherein said covering sheet is arranged below the sticks. 
   
   
       26 . An umbrella according to  claim 1 , wherein said covering sheet is arranged above the sticks. 
   
   
       27 . An umbrella according to  claim 1 , wherein said covering sheet is arranged laterally between the sticks. 
   
   
       28 . An umbrella according to  claim 1 , wherein said motor means comprise an electrical motor driven by DC, CA, or by electrical energy produced by solar cells. 
   
   
       29 . An umbrella according to  claim 1 , wherein the motor means are of the oil-pressure or pneumatic type. 
   
   
       30 . An umbrella according to  claim 1 , wherein said motor means are arranged inside the shaft or on top of the umbrella. 
   
   
       31 . An umbrella according to  claim 1 , wherein the umbrella comprises a sheet tensioning counterweight, arranged at the end of the sheet itself, which can freely slide by gravity. 
   
   
       32 . An umbrella according to  claim 1 , wherein the rotational motion is transmitted from the motor to the stems of the sticks through gears connected to each other. 
   
   
       33 . An umbrella according to  claim 1 , wherein the rotational motion is transmitted from the motor to the stems of the sticks through motors inserted in the sleeve outer stick, which are integral with an inner screw. 
   
   
       34 . An umbrella according to  claim 1 , comprising cables, with or without winding reels which, inserted in the sleeve outer stick and connected to the stem, thanks to the rotational motion transmitted by the motor, move the stems.