WO2009144416A2

WO2009144416A2 - Device for reducing wind resistance of protective fabric of parasol or other covering

Info

Publication number: WO2009144416A2
Application number: PCT/FR2009/000601
Authority: WO
Inventors: François RIERA; Mathieu Riera; Julien Riera
Original assignee: Riera Francois; Mathieu Riera; Julien Riera
Priority date: 2008-05-30
Filing date: 2009-05-26
Publication date: 2009-12-03
Also published as: US20110048480A1; EP2291094B1; CN101980628A; FR2931631B1; WO2009144416A3; FR2931631A1; EP2291094A2; AU2009252961A1; CA2720809A1

Abstract

Device for reducing the wind resistance of the protective fabric, particularly of a parasol of the type mainly including a pole (1), a protective fabric (6) attached to the top of said pole, and a supporting frame generally including a plurality of stiff ribs (2) connected, via one end thereof and by means of a hinge (3), to the top portion of the pole, each rib being connected, by means of a connecting rod or brace (4) and hinges, to a socket or annular block (5) slideably mounted along said pole to enable the deployment of the fabric or the closing thereof along the latter, and characterized in that the fabric (6) freely rests on the ribs (2), at least on the distal portion (2b) of the latter, and in that a flexible slat (7) capable of elastic deformation in the vertical plane and connected to the fabric (6), at least in the distal portion thereof, is placed on the top side of each rib (2), in the vertical plane and along the latter, said flexible slats (7) being attached to the ribs (2) at a point remote from the distal end (2b’) of the latter.

Description

DEVICE FOR REDUCING THE WINNING OF PROTECTIVE WEB OF A PARASOL OR OTHER SHELTER

The present invention relates to a device for reducing the wind resistance of the protective fabric of an umbrella or other shelter against the sun or rain.

A classic umbrella mainly includes a mast on the top of which are fixed, by means of joints, whales, which support a protective fabric especially against the sun, or even against the rain. An annular slide or nut mounted with a sliding ability along the mast and connected to the whales by means of articulated links, allows the deployment of said whales and the fabric around the mast or the folding thereof along said mast.

When the sunshade is deployed, its protective fabric offers a catch to the wind which is amplified by the increase in the surface of said fabric.

Depending on their destination, the parasols can have relatively large dimensions, for example a diameter of 3 m or more, which leads to the use of a protective fabric having an approximate area of 7 m ² . It is understood that such umbrellas provide an important hold wind so that they are very exposed to overturning when the wind is strong.

In order to reduce the wind load of a deployed parasol, a solution proposed in document JP-2005-081 129 consists in producing each whale in the form of a succession of at least two segments, namely a proximal segment connected to a distal segment by means of a helical spring mounted under the adjacent ends of the two consecutive segments of each whale. Thus, in the absence of particular stress, a proximal segment and a corresponding distal segment together form a substantially rectilinear whale. In the event of wind, the springs curl and the distal segments rise up causing a lifting of the edge of the fabric. When the wind stops becomes very weak, the springs recall the distal segments in the prolongation of the proximal segments of the whales.

A problem inherent in such a device is that, when the distal segment of the whales is lifted, the spring bends, folds, and the greater the force exerted under said segment, the more the spring moves away from the axis allowing it to to have an optimum yield. The repetition and intensity of such movements lead to a more or less rapid deterioration of the springs.

Another serious risk of damage is the possible fall of the parasol. Indeed, the final point of contact of the parasol with the ground is at the level of the springs, even if the latter, at first, to damp the fall. The shock occurs on the side of a spring already folded, unable to oppose its elasticity in resistance due to the direction of impact.

One solution that comes to mind would be to put very strong springs, but the devices would then become inoperative for medium winds and the parasol could fall or fly off; with more flexible springs, it is the distal segment that rises from a block at the slightest breeze, unattractive and, in case of a fall, we find the disadvantage mentioned above.

Another drawback related to this system is due to the fact that the umbrella fabric is generally attached to the top of the latter and the end of its whales. When the device is put into action under the influence of the wind, the distance between the points of attachment of the fabric is shortened, it becomes hollow, but there is always the same canvas surface offered to the wind, with a different shape, certainly, but only moderately mitigating the windward grip of the parasol.

It is difficult, with such mechanisms using this type of springs and fastening of the fabric, to obtain an appropriate response, spontaneously and effectively adapted to the different wind intensities that the umbrellas are faced with during their use. The invention aims in particular to make available to users, an umbrella offering good wind resistance, while being of simple design.

According to the invention, this objective is achieved by means of a parasol of the kind mainly comprising a mast, a protective fabric attached to the top of this mast, and a support frame of this fabric generally comprising a plurality of rigid whales fixed by the intermediate of one of their ends and by means of a hinge, to the upper part of the mast, each whale being, on the other hand, connected, by means of a connecting rod or strut and joints, to a sleeve or annular nut mounted with a sliding ability along said mast, so as to allow the deployment of the fabric or its folding along the latter, said umbrella being remarkable in that the fabric is not related to whales, at least in the distal portion thereof, and in that a flexible slat having an elastically deformable capacity in the vertical plane and bonded to the web, at least in its distal portion, is disposed on the the upper side of each whale, in the vertical plane and along it, said flexible slats being fixed on the whales at a point remote from the distal end thereof.

In this way, the web is supported by double whales, each of which comprises a fixed whale not bound to the web and a movable whale integral with said web and constituted by a flexible batten.

When the wind rushes under the umbrella, the peripheral edge of the fabric rises thanks to the flexibility of the slats, thus considerably reducing wind resistance. When the wind stops, the flexible slats resume their initial rectilinear state, bringing with them the canvas against the fixed whales.

Preferably, the slats are constituted by flat flexible slats.

These flat slats are sufficiently wide so as to offer support surfaces to the force of the wind, so that it is not only the canvas that causes the bending of said slats during gusts of wind. Advantageously, the distal ends of the flexible slats protrude distal ends of the whales.

In this way, when the sunshade cloth is deployed and under tension, the distal portion of the flexible slats protruding from the distal end of the whales, is slightly bent downwards, so as to oppose the lifting of the periphery of the canvas when the wind is weak.

According to a preferred embodiment, the flexible slats have increasing flexibility towards their distal end.

According to one embodiment, at least the distal portion of the flexible slats is housed, removably, in radial sleeves which is provided with the inner face or underside of the fabric, these sleeves being advantageously provided with a longitudinal closure , preferably positioned along one of their lateral sides, so as not to hinder the action of said flexible slats.

According to an interesting embodiment, the proximal end of the flexible slats is fixed on the upper proximal portion of the whales.

The device according to the invention is advantageously applicable to parasols. However, with some adjustments within the reach of those skilled in the art, this device could also be applied to other shelters or comparable articles of protection against the sun and / or rain, such as, for example, pergolas, gloriettes, even umbrellas. In these circumstances, the term "umbrella" should not be considered in a restrictive sense but in a wider sense of shelter or protection from the sun and / or rain.

The above and other objects, features and advantages will become more apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a partial view, in vertical section, of an exemplary embodiment of a parasol according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a bottom view of a parasol portion. Figure 3 is a detail view, in perspective, showing the insertion of a flexible lath in one of the radial sleeves that has the inner face of the protective fabric.

FIG. 4 is a view on a larger scale and in cross section along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a detail and side view showing the attachment of the proximal end of a flexible lath to the proximal portion of a whale and the freedom of bending movement, in the vertical plane, of the remaining portion of said slat flexible relative to the rigid whale, the flexible slat being shown clear of its sheath, for a good illustration and explanation of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a side view showing a first exemplary embodiment of a flexibly growing batten towards its distal end.

Figure 7 is a similar side view showing another embodiment of the flexible flexibility slats.

Figure 8 is a partial view similar to Figure 1 and showing a shape that can take the protective fabric in case of gust; the dashed line illustrating an example of greater lifting of the border of the canvas.

Referring to said drawings to describe an interesting embodiment, although not limiting, the device according to the invention, which according to this example is applied to a parasol.

It is pointed out that in the present description and in the claims, the word "proximal" designates the part of the whales and flexible slats closest to the mast, while the term "distal" designates the part of said whales and said flexible slats. further away from said mast.

On the other hand, the words "vertical", "horizontal", "upper" and "internal" are used with reference to the normal use position of the umbrella. The parasol according to the invention essentially comprises, in a conventional manner:

A mast 1 intended to be implanted in a base or in the ground;

A support frame, comprising a plurality of rigid radial ribs 2 fixed, through their proximal end and by means of a hinge 3, to the upper part of this mast; these whales are usually made of wood, or aluminum or composite material;

Rods or struts 4 hinged, on the one hand, on the whales 2 and, on the other hand, on an annular bush or nut 5 mounted with a sliding ability along the mast 1; in a manner known per se, these struts can be made in one piece, or constituted by an assembly of several rods hinged together;

Means (not shown) for immobilizing said bushing in the upper part of the mast, in a position corresponding to the unfolding of the umbrella;

A protective fabric 6, for example fixed in a manner known per se, to the upper part of the mast and resting on the support frame.

The movement of the maneuvering nut 5 upwards thus causes the whales 2 to rise upwards in vertical planes and the deployment of the protective fabric 6 around the mast 1 in an approximately horizontal plane, while the displacement downward of said maneuver causes the folding of the whales and the fabric along said mast.

The whales 2 can be executed in one piece, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, or made of several elements hinged together (see for example: GB-1.31 1.612). In both cases, they are rigid when they are deployed for the use of the umbrella. In shelter applications in which the protective fabric is supported by a fixed structure, the rigid support arms of said fabric are considered as comparable to rigid whale bodies.

According to a first characteristic arrangement of the invention, the fabric 6 is not connected to the whales 2 at least in the distal part thereof and rests freely on said distal part of the whales, while a flexible lath 7 provided with an elastic deformation capacity in the vertical plane and connected to the web 6, at least in its distal portion, is disposed on the upper side of each whale, in the vertical plane and along the latter, said flexible slats 7 being attached to the whales at a location remote from the free end of the whales.

Advantageously, the flexible slats 7 are fixed, via their proximal portion 7a, on the proximal portion 2a of the ribs 2, preferably by means of rings or clamps January 1, which has the advantage of avoid perforating said flexible slats and, in this way, not to weaken the resistance of the latter to bending. However, it is obvious that it would be possible to achieve this fixation otherwise, for example, by means of bolts.

The fixing of the flexible slats 7 on the whales 2 is provided at a sufficient distance from the free end of the latter, so that a large peripheral portion of the fabric 6 integral with said flexible slats can lift under the action from the wind, to take a position tending towards the parallel to the force of the wind and reduce all the resistance to the latter.

According to a very advantageous embodiment, the slats 7 are constituted by flexible slats with flattened section; however, they could have a round, square or other section. They can be made of any material with the required flexibility and strength, for example fiberglass, plastics, carbon fiber, batten wood, various composite materials or others.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the distal ends 7b 'of the flexible slats 7 protrude from the distal ends 2b' of the ribs 2. The flexible slats 7 have a large degree or coefficient of flexibility in a first plane (corresponding to a vertical plane), this flexibility being, for example, such that it is possible to bend them in this plane, so that their ends opposites can come into contact with each other. By cons, in a second plane (or horizontal plane) perpendicular to said first plane, the flexible slats 7 are rigid and have sufficient rigidity not to be bent laterally and to stay in the vertical planes passing through the whales especially when the protective cloth of the sunshade is under tension.

According to another characteristic arrangement, the flexible slats 7 spontaneously have a degree of flexibility increasing toward their distal end 7b ', at least from their attachment point on the whales 2.

This variable flexibility can result from a decreasing thickness of the flexible slats towards their free distal end 7b '(FIG. 7).

It can also be obtained by superimposing a plurality of flexible slats 7A, 7B, 7C ₁ ..., of decreasing length in the direction of the proximal end 7a for fixing the flexible slats consisting of such a stack of slats ( Figure 8). In this case, the superimposed slats 7A, 7B, 7C, ..., can be fixed against each other, face to face, to form compact flexible slats, the longer slat being that which is applied against the whale 2.

The progressive flexibility of the flexible slats in the direction of the periphery of the umbrella can be obtained otherwise, for example by a studied distribution of materials (or combinations of materials) in which these flexible slats can be made.

It is near the periphery of a parasol that is located most of the surface of the canvas; it is therefore the one that constitutes the essential of the windward sunshade. It is therefore in this part that the degree of flexibility of the slats is the most important. The inner face or underside of the protective fabric 6 is provided with radially oriented and angularly spaced fixing means, for securing the flexible slats and said fabric, at least in the distal portion of said flexible slats, and, preferably, on an extended portion of these.

Advantageously, the inner face or underside of the protective fabric 6 is provided with a plurality of sleeves or sheaths 8 extending radially. The number of these sleeves 8 corresponds to that of the whales 2 and flexible slats 7 coupled to them. In each sheath 8 is housed at least the distal portion 7b of a flexible lath 7.

Preferably, the sleeves 8 have a length such that the flexible slats 7 are housed over most or almost all their length, from their location of attachment to the whales 2. In this way, the fabric protection 1 is secured to the flexible slats 7 on a circular ring of large width.

In order to facilitate the engagement of the flexible slats 7 in the sleeves 8, to remove and replace the canvas of the umbrella, the latter are provided, preferably laterally, with a longitudinal slot 9 provided with a quick closure 10, by example of the type zipper, or self-gripping strips.

Each flexible slat 7 is housed without significant play in a sheath 8, said sleeves and said flexible slats having correspondingly sized sections.

The sleeves 8 can be fixed on the underside of the protective fabric 6, in any manner known per se.

It is understood that in the absence of wind, the protective fabric 6 rests on the whales 2 on which support the flexible slats 7 housed in their sleeves 8 and, therefore, integral with said fabric.

In case of wind V, it engulfs in the umbrella by causing an uprising of the edge 6a of the protective fabric, authorized by the flexibility slats 7. The protective fabric thus takes on a convex shape of an inverted bell, thus considerably reducing its hold in the wind (Figure 8).

When the action of the wind stops, the flexible slats return to their original position, bringing back the protective cloth against the whales.

On a theoretical level, taking for example an umbrella 3 meters in diameter corresponding to a canvas surface of approximately 7 m ² , the surface of a strip of canvas between the end of the whales and a point at 50 cm towards the mast, over the entire perimeter of the sunshade, is equivalent to more than 3.5 m ² . Preventing the downwind on this surface, already allows to reduce by more than 50% the wind gain of the umbrella, which gives an overview of the effectiveness of the device.

The action of the device according to the invention can be supplemented by the provision of a windproof chimney arranged, in a manner known per se, in the top of the protective fabric.

Reducing the wind gain of the parasol, also reduces the weight of the ballast required for its stability so that it will be easier to move.

The free end portion of the distal portion 2b of the ribs 2 may be made of a material having an elastic flexibility capacity but preferably having a coefficient of flexibility lower than that of the flexible laths 7. Such an arrangement advantages :

at. to reduce the wind gain of the parasol in the event of "pulling" wind;

b. to serve as a buffer, in case of fall of the parasol.

The invention is applicable to all types of umbrellas; umbrellas with central mast, sunshade with offset mast, beach umbrella, market umbrella with folding or non folding whales, parasols round, oval, curved, rectangular, etc., including umbrellas with whales of different lengths.

Claims

1. Device for reducing the wind resistance of the protective fabric, in particular a parasol of the kind mainly comprising a mast (1), a protective fabric (6) attached to the top of this mast, and a frame of support of this fabric generally comprising a plurality of rigid whales (2) fixed, via one of their ends and by means of a hinge (3), to the upper part of the mast, each whale being, d on the other hand, connected by means of a connecting rod or strut (4) and hinges to an annular bush or nut (5) mounted with a sliding ability along said mast, so as to allow the deployment of the canvas or its folding along the latter, characterized in that the fabric (6) rests freely on the whales (2), at least on the distal portion (2b) of the latter, and in that a flexible lath ( 7) with elastic deformation capacity in the vertical and bound plane e to the web (6), at least in its distal portion, is disposed on the upper side of each whale (2), in the vertical plane and along the latter, said flexible slats (7) being fixed on the whales (2) at a point remote from the distal end (2b ¹ ) thereof.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the inner face or underside of the protective fabric (6) is provided with fixing means

(8), oriented radially and angularly spaced, for securing the flexible slats (7) and said fabric, at least in the distal portion of said flexible slats.

3. Device according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the proximal portion (7a) of the flexible slats (7) is fixed on the proximal portion

(2a) whales (2).

4. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the proximal portion (7a) of the flexible slats (7) is fixed on the proximal portion (2a) of the whales (2), by means of collars of tightening (11).

5. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the flexible slats (7) are constituted by flat slats, rigid in the horizontal plane.

6. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the distal ends (7b ') of the flexible slats (7) protrude distal ends (2b ¹ ) of the ribs (2).

7. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the flexible slats (7) have an increasing flexibility towards their distal end (7b ').

8. Device according to any one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that the securing means which is provided with the inner face or underside of the fabric (1) are constituted by radial sleeves (8) in which is accommodated, preferably removably, at least the distal portion (7b) of the flexible slats (7).

9. Device according to claim 8, characterized in that the sleeves

(8) have a length for accommodating the flexible slats (7) over most or almost all of their length, from their attachment location on the whales (2).

10. Device according to one of claims 8 or 9, characterized in that the radial sleeves (8) are provided with a longitudinal slot (9), preferably provided along one side of said sleeves, said slot (9) being provided with a quick closure (10).

11. Device according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that the flexible slats (7) have a decreasing thickness towards their distal end (7b ¹ ), or consist of the superposition of a plurality of flexible slats (7A, 7B, 7C, ...) of decreasing length towards their proximal end (7a ').

12. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the end portion of the distal portion (2b) of the whales (2) is made of a material having an elastic bending capacity, the degree of elastic bending of said end portion being less than the coefficient of flexibility of the flexible slats (7).

13. Parasol characterized in that it comprises a device for reducing the wind resistance of its protective fabric (1), according to any one of claims 1 to 12.