Flexible canopy

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a flexible canopy. In one embodiment, the flexible canopy includes a central shaft, a sliding collar, a plurality of supports, a plurality of tensioners, a tensioner connection hub, and a membrane. The sliding collar is slidably connected to and surrounds the central shaft. A first end of each of the supports is connected to the sliding collar, and a second end of each of the supports is connected to the membrane near the edge of the membrane. Each of the tensioners is connected at one end to a different one of the supports and at the other end to the tensioner connection hub. In one embodiment, the flexible canopy includes a handle connected to a first, lower end of the central shaft. In other embodiments, the first, lower end of the central shaft includes or is insertable into a base.

The invention is claimed as follows: 
     
         1 . A canopy comprising:
 a membrane having a folded configuration and an unfolded configuration;   a plurality of sheaths attached to the membrane;   a plurality of supports each having an undeformed shape and including a top end, an opposing bottom end, and a body extending therebetween, wherein the top ends the plurality of supports are respectively disposed within the plurality of sheaths;   a plurality of tensioners each having a top end connected to one of the sheaths at a fixed location along said sheath and an opposing bottom end;   a central shaft including a top end and an opposing bottom end, wherein each support is coupled to the central shaft; and   a collar to which the bottom ends of the plurality of tensioners are connected, the collar surrounding the central shaft and being slidably connected to the central shaft such that the collar is movable relative to the central shaft toward the bottom end of the central shaft to cause the membrane to shift from the folded configuration to the unfolded configuration via the tensioners exerting tensile forces on the sheaths to which the tensioners are connected, which causes the supports that have their top ends disposed within the sheaths to bend such that the top ends of the supports move toward the bottom end of the central shaft and radially outward relative to the central shaft,   wherein when the membrane is in the unfolded configuration: (1) the supports are biased to return to their undeformed shapes and cause the sheaths within which the top ends of the supports are disposed to exert tensile forces on the tensioners connected to the sheaths, and (2) the tensioners exert corresponding tensile forces on the sheaths that prevent the supports from returning to their undeformed shapes.   
     
     
         2 . The canopy of  claim 1 , wherein the undeformed shape is a substantially straight line. 
     
     
         3 . The canopy of  claim 1 , wherein the central shaft is insertable into a base. 
     
     
         4 . The canopy of  claim 1 , which includes a handle attached to the bottom end of the central shaft. 
     
     
         5 . The canopy of  claim 1 , which includes a restrainer connected to the central shaft and surrounding the tensioners, the supports, and the central shaft. 
     
     
         6 . The canopy of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom ends of the supports are spaced apart from the bottom end of the central shaft. 
     
     
         7 . The canopy of  claim 1 , wherein the supports are separate from the central shaft. 
     
     
         8 . The canopy of  claim 1 , which includes a locking mechanism engageable to the collar to lock the collar in place relative to the central shaft when the membrane is in the unfolded configuration. 
     
     
         9 . The canopy of  claim 1 , wherein one of the tensioners includes a rope. 
     
     
         10 . The canopy of  claim 1 , wherein one of the tensioners includes a fabric strip. 
     
     
         11 . The canopy of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of supports are not attached to the collar. 
     
     
         12 . The canopy of  claim 1 , wherein when the collar is moved away from the bottom end of the central shaft to cause the membrane to shift from the unfolded configuration to the folded configuration, the top ends of the supports move away from the bottom end of the central shaft and radially inward relative to the central shaft to return the supports to their undeformed shapes. 
     
     
         13 . The canopy of  claim 1 , wherein when the membrane is in the unfolded configuration, for each support, an angle formed between a longitudinal axis of a first portion of the body of said support and a longitudinal axis of a second portion of the body of said support is at least about 90 degrees. 
     
     
         14 . The canopy of  claim 13 , wherein when the membrane is in the folded configuration, for each support, the longitudinal axis of the first portion of the body of said support is substantially coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the second portion of the body of said support. 
     
     
         15 . The canopy of  claim 1 , wherein the membrane is substantially flat when in the unfolded configuration. 
     
     
         16 . The canopy of  claim 1 , wherein, for each tensioner, an angle formed between said tensioner and the central shaft when the membrane is in the folded configuration is smaller than when the membrane is in the unfolded configuration. 
     
     
         17 . The canopy of  claim 1 , wherein, for each support, the entire body of said support is contained within one of the plurality of sheaths. 
     
     
         18 . The canopy of  claim 17 , wherein, for each support, said support is coupled to the central shaft via attachment of the sheath within which said support is contained to the central shaft. 
     
     
         19 . The canopy of  claim 1 , wherein the collar is movable relative to the central shaft between the bottom ends of the supports and the bottom end of the central shaft. 
     
     
         20 . The canopy of  claim 1 , wherein the supports are fixedly coupled to the central shaft.