Tent – canopy – umbrella – or cane – Umbrella – Nonsymmetrical – axially offset – or inclined canopy
Reexamination Certificate
2002-04-15
2003-12-16
Yip, Winnie S. (Department: 3637)
Tent, canopy, umbrella, or cane
Umbrella
Nonsymmetrical, axially offset, or inclined canopy
C135S021000, C403S084000, C403S090000, C248S288510
Reexamination Certificate
active
06662815
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a canopy support frame for a sunshade. In particular, the present invention relates to a canopy support frame for a sunshade that assures reliable opening of the canopy of the sunshade even if the sunshade is placed on an inclined surface.
2. Description of the Related Art
A sunshade may provide a comfortable space for outdoor activities. U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,156 to Tung issued on Nov. 28, 2000 discloses a sunshade with a tiltable canopy. As illustrated in
FIGS. 8 and 9
of the drawings, the sunshade disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,156 includes a supporting rod
12
, a canopy support frame
2
, and a canopy
3
. An adjusting sleeve
14
is slidably mounted around the supporting rod
12
. A holding sleeve
18
is pivotally connected to an upper end of the supporting rod
12
. An arcuate tube
24
is slidably extended through the holding sleeve
18
. An elbow
34
is mounted to a first end of the arcuate tube
24
and a reel
28
is mounted to a second end of the arcuate tube
24
. A connecting rod
222
is connected between the second end of the arcuate tube
24
and the adjusting sleeve
14
. An anchor
50
is releasably engaged in an anchor room
38
in a vertical section
36
of the elbow
34
to reliably retain the canopy support frame
2
in a desired tilting angle relative to the supporting rod
12
. However, it was found that, when the supporting rod
12
is placed on an inclined surface, the longitudinal axis of the anchor room
38
is not located in the vertical direction such that the anchor
50
could not enter the anchor room
38
when required, as shown in FIG.
9
. Further, it is not uncommon that the vertical section
36
of the anchor
34
is not aligned with the suspension member
44
in which the anchor
50
is mounted. As a result, the anchor
50
could not enter the anchor room
38
when required, resulting in malfunction when unfolding the sunshade.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a canopy support frame for a sunshade that assures reliable opening of the canopy of the sunshade even if the sunshade is placed on an inclined surface. Further, the canopy can be reliably retained in its fully open state.
A sunshade in accordance with the present invention comprises:
a supporting rod having a lower end and an upper end;
a tube supported by the supporting rod and including a first end and a second end;
an elbow connected to the first end of the tube and including a vertical section and a horizontal section, the vertical section including two spaced lugs having a space therebetween, an upper wall defining the space including a toothed section, the lugs including aligned vertical guide holes;
a canopy support frame for supporting a canopy and including an upper support base having a plurality of ribs attached thereto for supporting the canopy, a lower support base having a plurality of stretchers attached thereto for supporting the ribs, and a suspension member fixed to the upper support base to move therewith, the suspension member including a suspension head having a toothed portion for releasable engagement with the toothed section of the elbow;
a pivot extending through the vertical aligned holes of the lugs and the suspension head, allowing relative pivotal movement between the suspension head and the elbow when the toothed section of the elbow is disengaged from the toothed portion of the suspension head;
a reel mounted to the second end of the tube and including a handle;
a cable having a first end connected to the handle and a second end connected to the lower support base, the cable being movable in a retracting direction and a releasing direction;
wherein when the handle is operated to release the cable in the releasing direction, the toothed portion of the suspension head is disengaged from the toothed section of the elbow while the canopy is folded, and when the handle is operated to retract the cable in the retracting direction, the toothed portion of the suspension head is engaged with the toothed section of the elbow when the canopy reaches a fully open state.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5002081 (1991-03-01), Stromeyer
patent: 5116258 (1992-05-01), Vennik
patent: 5499644 (1996-03-01), Geniele
patent: 5678585 (1997-10-01), May
patent: 5785069 (1998-07-01), Glatz
patent: 5845665 (1998-12-01), Koehn
patent: 5937882 (1999-08-01), Harbaugh
patent: 6014980 (2000-01-01), Glatz
patent: 6152156 (2000-11-01), Tung
patent: 6321763 (2001-11-01), Ma
patent: 3229776 (1983-04-01), None
Kamrath Alan D.
Rider Bennett LLP
Yip Winnie S.
LandOfFree
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