Automatic Safety Device for an Umbrella

Abstract

The invention is an automatic safety device for opening and closing an umbrella. The device is disposed within the grip body of an umbrella and includes a reel member, a ratchet, a coil spring, a rocker, a reset spring and a dragline. The reel member is secured to the ratchet and coil spring and is rotatably mounted about a reeling axis. When an umbrella is fully closed, the sidewall of a step-cone within a central shaft engages the releasing convex causing a pawl to disengage from the ratchet. The dragline is tied to the reel member and to the upper nest at the top of the umbrella. When closing the umbrella, the central shaft is only allowed to move downwards as restricted by the unidirectional feature of the ratchet. When the downward force is removed, the dragline holds the central shaft in position, thereby avoiding sudden deployment of the umbrella.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An automatic safety device disposed within a grip body of an umbrella for opening and closing said umbrella comprising:
 a reel member;   a ratchet;   a coil spring;   a rocker;   a reset spring;   and a dragline;   whereby said reel member includes a pair of ends, each said end separately mounted into a hole along a sidewall of said grip body about a reeling axis, said reel member being rotatable with respect to said grip body;   said reel member has a first side coupled to said ratchet and a second side coupled with an inner end of said coil spring;   a first end of said dragline tied to said reel member and a second end tied to an upper nest at a top end of said umbrella;   said ratchet has a plurality of ratchet teeth;   an outer end of said coil spring secured to said grip body;   one end of said rocker pivotally mounted to said grip body about a pivot axis and another end of said rocker includes a pawl;   said pawl and said ratchet teeth engage with or disengage from each other to form a unidirectional intermittent motion mechanism by virtue of a biasing force from said reset spring;   a releasing convex mounted on an interior wall of said rocker;   said releasing convex passing through an opening along said sidewall of said grip body and further extending into a shaft hole along said grip body;   when said umbrella is fully closed, a step-cone within a lower tube of a central shaft contacts said releasing convex disengaging said pawl from said ratchet teeth.   
     
     
         2 . The automatic safety device of  claim 1  whereby said reset spring is disposed between an exterior side of said rocker and an interior side of said grip, said reset spring applies an urging force onto said rocker so that said pawl engages said ratchet teeth. 
     
     
         3 . The automatic safety device of  claim 1  whereby said step-cone has an opening through which an upper end of the said dragline extends to said upper nest at said top end of said umbrella and is fastened there to.