Tent – canopy – umbrella – or cane – Umbrella
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-04
2001-12-11
Stephan, Beth A. (Department: 3635)
Tent, canopy, umbrella, or cane
Umbrella
C052S165000, C248S156000, C248S530000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06328046
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is in the field of umbrellas for use at the beach or other locations where it is desired to provide shade or protection from the weather. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a beach umbrella that additionally provides a means for anchoring the pole of the umbrella into a beach or ground surface.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The harmful and damaging effects of the sun's ultraviolet rays have been well documented. These effects can be intensified at the beach. Umbrellas are often used to provide protection from both weather and the damaging ultraviolet rays of the sun, especially at the beach. These umbrellas typically include an umbrella canopy and an umbrella pole. In some instances, it is desired to anchor the umbrella pole into a ground or beach surface. In these instances, the canopy is attached to the top end of the umbrella pole, and the other end of the pole is typically anchored into a ground surface. Anchoring an umbrella's pole into a ground surface eliminates the need for an individual to hold the umbrella, and allows freedom of movement in and out of the area where the umbrella provides its protection. However, anchoring traditional umbrellas can sometimes be difficult or cumbersome, especially if the ground surface into which the umbrella is to be anchored is hard.
Various attempts have been made to provide devices for anchoring umbrellas into a ground surface. Anchoring devices have been suggested that are designed to be screwed into a ground surface on one end, and another end in which to secure the bottom end of an umbrella. Such devices can be found in Andiarena, U.S. Pat. No. 5,906,077, Plourde, U.S. Pat. No. 5,457,918, Rodriguez et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,978, Buttimore, U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,944, McDaniel, U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,304, Goldberg et al., U.S. Pat. No. D402,803, Perls, U.S. Pat. No. D371,901, and Tropiano, U.S. Pat. No. D394,544. A disadvantage of having a separate anchor into which an umbrella pole is inserted is that it is necessary to transport both the umbrella and the separate anchoring device to the point of use. Additionally, the orifice in the anchor into which the umbrella pole is to be inserted can become clogged with sand or such in the installation process.
Another beach umbrella anchoring means requires attaching the umbrella pole to a bucket-like anchor device and burying the anchor in the sand (Buttimore, U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,944). However, the '944 device is also a component separate from the umbrella itself. Another device suggested for anchoring umbrellas into a ground surface has provided an umbrella comprising an umbrella pole and one or more umbrella canopies, with an attached handle for forcing the umbrella standard into the ground surface. Griggs, U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,720. However, to anchor the umbrella disclosed in Griggs '720, one is taught to urge the umbrella pole into the ground surface by rotating while pushing downward on the pole, and depends on the strength of the user to accomplish its anchoring feature.
A further umbrella device is disclosed by Pesaturo, U.S. Pat. No. 2,759,486. The Pesaturo device includes a slide hammer mechanism. In the Pesaturo device, two anvils are affixed to the umbrella pole and a hammer is slideably disposed between them. Impacting the hammer upon either anvil allows the user to drive the umbrella pole into the ground surface, or upwardly force the umbrella standard from the ground surface. Pesaturo '486 however requires the addition of three heavy pieces of metal to the umbrella pole. This makes the umbrella appreciably heavier and requires the user to devote more resources to carrying an umbrella with a hammer and two anvils in addition to other items that would normally be transported on an outing where such an umbrella is used.
It would be beneficial to have available a self-anchoring beach umbrella wherein the umbrella incorporates a means for facilitating the anchoring of the umbrella without requiring separate hardware or additional mass to accomplish.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention solves a number of the problems inherent in the prior art by providing a self-anchoring beach umbrella comprising an umbrella canopy and an umbrella pole. The canopy is typical of such umbrella elements as are presently known in the art. The umbrella pole has an upper member for supporting the canopy and a lower member for self-anchoring the umbrella into a ground surface. The upper member is an elongated tubular sleeve having a first upper end communicating with and supporting the umbrella canopy section of the umbrella. The top end of the umbrella canopy optionally may terminate in an handle for facilitating the transport, use and storage of the present beach umbrella. The upper member or tubular sleeve also contains a lumen disposed along the axis within the elongated tubular sleeve, and has a second lower end for receiving a pole standard into the axial lumen. The lower member is a pole standard with its first upper end formed for insertion into the axial lumen of the elongated tubular sleeve. The pole standard has a second or anchor end formed for anchoring into the ground surface. A hammer is fixed to the elongated tubular sleeve for transmitting an axial force applied to the elongated tubular sleeve onto an anvil. The anvil is fixed to the pole standard for receiving the axial force from the hammer and transmitting the force to the pole standard to anchor the pole standard into the ground surface.
The axial lumen is formed inside of the tubular sleeve to coaxially and slideably receive the first upper end of the pole standard. The hammer and the anvil, respectively, are capable of transmitting and receiving a downward axial force of sufficient magnitude to drive the pole standard into the ground surface and provide an anchoring effect. The impact force of the hammer is developed by the mass of the upper member, either alone or in combination with the mass of the attached canopy.
The hammer can be formed inside the tubular sleeve and fixed to a wall of the lumen far from the second end of the sleeve with the anvil fixed at the first end of the pole standard. The anvil is slideably received into the lumen of the tubular sleeve and the tubular sleeve is slid down the length of the pole standard to cause the hammer to impact the anvil.
In an alternative embodiment the hammer is fixed at the second end of the tubular sleeve and configured to allow insertion of the first end of the pole standard into the lumen of the tubular sleeve. In this case the hammer may be configured as an annulus. Further, in this embodiment, the anvil is a collar fixed on the outer surface of the pole standard between the first and second ends of the pole standard, and disposed to receive the downward axial force from the hammer. Other alternative embodiments of the hammer and anvil are practicable by one of ordinary skill in the art.
Anchoring the self-anchoring umbrella into a ground surface involves positioning the second anchor end of the pole standard at the ground surface, then inserting the tubular sleeve coaxially over the pole standard to receive the pole standard into the lumen of the tubular sleeve. A downward axial force is then applied on the tubular sleeve to slideably receive the pole standard into the lumen of the tubular sleeve and to cause the hammer to impact the anvil. Impacting the hammer onto the anvil initiates penetration of the ground surface by the pole standard. Finally, reapplying the downward axial force on the tubular sleeve to repeatedly impact the hammer upon the anvil will cause the pole standard to be driven into the ground surface.
Once the standard is driven into the ground sufficiently to anchor the umbrella pole, the tubular sleeve is left in place and the umbrella canopy can be positioned and deployed. Optionally, a slide/sleeve lock can be included on the umbrella pole to allow the tubular sleeve to be set at different positions along the length of the standard. This feature enables the
Glessner Brian E.
Pernia Sherman D.
Stephan Beth A.
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