Tent – canopy – umbrella – or cane – Umbrella – Runners and notches
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-25
2003-06-03
Wilkens, Janet M. (Department: 3637)
Tent, canopy, umbrella, or cane
Umbrella
Runners and notches
C135S041000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06571813
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A conventional safety runner R as shown in
FIG. 9
is slidably held on a central shaft of an umbrella and is locked when opening the umbrella by a catch C resiliently held in the central shaft. For closing and folding the umbrella, a tab (or push button) T is depressed inwardly (transversely or horizontally) to disengage the catch C from the runner R, thereby allowing a downward movement of the runner R for retracting the ribs and closing the umbrella.
However, when raising the runner R to extend the ribs in order to open the umbrella, the tab T may be always depressed by a user's fingers to retard the resilient protruding of the catch C from the central shaft, thereby influencing the engagement of the catch C with the runner R and affecting the smooth operation for opening the umbrella.
The present inventor has found the drawbacks of the conventional safety runner and invented the present safety runner for an ergonomic operation when opening and closing the umbrella.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a safety runner of a foldable umbrella includes a runner body slidably held on a central shaft of the umbrella, and an actuating sleeve slidably coupled with the runner body having a thrusting protrusion formed on the actuating sleeve for engaging a sloping portion formed on a spring catch, which is resiliently held on the central shaft for locking the runner when opening the umbrella; whereby upon a downward movement of the runner by cooperatively pulling the actuating sleeve downwardly, the thrusting protrusion on the actuating sleeve will thrust the sloping portion of the spring catch inwardly to disengage the spring catch from the runner, thereby allowing a smooth operation for closing the umbrella; and upon an upward movement of the actuating sleeve and the runner body, the spring catch will be smoothly resiliently protruded for locking the runner for opening the umbrella without being retarded by any part of the runner.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3856032 (1974-12-01), Schafer
patent: 5494064 (1996-02-01), Chuang Lee
patent: 5588455 (1996-12-01), Kuo
patent: 5615698 (1997-04-01), Ko
patent: 5911233 (1999-06-01), Wu
patent: 6006771 (1999-12-01), Wu
patent: 6371141 (2002-04-01), Lin et al.
patent: 2321007 (1998-07-01), None
Chang Jung-Jen
Lin Chung-Kuang
Fu Tai Umbrella Works Ltd.
Troxell Law Office PLLC
Wilkens Janet M.
LandOfFree
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