Pocketable folding umbrella as maximally flattened

Abstract

A pocketable folding umbrella includes a flat central shaft consisting of a plurality of flat tubes each formed as a rectangular shape and telescopically engageable with one another; a rib assembly including a plurality of flat-side rib means (or devices) respectively universally secured to an upper notch and a lower runner by a plurality of pivoting devices each projectively aligned with a long axis X on the upper notch or the lower runner, and a plurality of extremity rib means (or devices) respectively pivotally secured to opposite extremity end portions of the upper notch or lower runner; whereby upon closing of the umbrella, the rib means may be folded to maximally flatten a folded umbrella.

1 . A pocketable flat folding umbrella comprising: 
 a flat central shaft consisting of a plurality of flat tubes telescopically engaged with one another;    a flat upper notch formed at a top of said flat central shaft and defining a long axis and a short axis on said notch;    a flat lower runner slidably held on said central shaft and defining a long axis and a short axis on said runner;    a rib assembly having an umbrella cloth secured thereon including a plurality of flat-side rib means respectively universally secured to said flat upper notch and said flat lower runner by a plurality of pivoting means which are respectively formed in said flat upper notch and in said lower runner, each said pivoting means projectively aligned with each said long axis formed at the flat upper notch or at the flat lower runner; and a plurality of extremity rib means each respectively pivotally secured to opposite extremity end portions of said upper notch and of said lower runner;    whereby upon closing of the umbrella, said rib means will be universally or pivotally folded to maximally flatten and fold an umbrella.    
   
   
       2 . An umbrella according to  claim 1 , wherein said flat central shaft includes a plurality of flat tubes each generally formed as a rectangular shape and said flat tubes telescopically engaged with one another for forming multiple folds of the shaft, said tubes gradually or gradationally increasing the number of concave portions, each recessed inwardly into an interior of said tube, from an outermost tube to an innermost tube; whereby two neighboring tubes will be slidably engaged with each other by engaging one concave portion formed in one tube with the other concave portion formed in the other tube.  
   
   
       3 . An umbrella according to  claim 1 , wherein said flat central shaft consisting of said flat tubes defines a long axis at a latitudinal center line in said shaft linearly connected between an east direction and a west direction disposed about a shaft center; and 
 a short axis defined at a longitudinal center line in said shaft linearly connected between a north direction and a south direction to intersect the long axis at said shaft center.    
   
   
       4 . An umbrella according to  claim 3 , wherein each said tube has at least a concave portion inwardly recessed in a tube wall and positioned in a direction, selected from the group consisting of: 
 east, west, north, south, southeast, southwest, northeast and northwest, about the shaft center.    
   
   
       5 . An umbrella according to  claim 1 , wherein each said extremity rib means includes: at least a top rib pivotally secured to an end portion of the upper notch, and at least a stretcher rib pivotally connected to said top rib and pivotally secured to an end portion of the lower runner.  
   
   
       6 . An umbrella according to  claim 1 , wherein said upper notch includes a central flat sleeve portion disposed about a shaft center for securing an uppermost tube of the central shaft into the central flat sleeve portion; and the lower runner having a central flat sleeve formed on a central portion of the lower runner for slidably engaging the central shaft.  
   
   
       7 . An umbrella according to  claim 1 , wherein each said flat-side rib means includes: at least a top rib universally secured to the upper notch by a universal pivoting means, and at least a stretcher rib pivotally connected with said top rib and universally secured to the lower runner by a lower universal pivoting means.  
   
   
       8 . An umbrella according to  claim 1 , wherein said universal pivoting means are linearly arranged on the upper notch to be projectively aligned with said long axis of the upper notch, and are disposed on opposite sides about the shaft center in between two opposite end portions of the upper notch.  
   
   
       9 . An umbrella according to  claim 7 , wherein each said universal pivoting means includes: a rib holder having a vertical pivot vertically rotatably engaged in a pivot hole formed in the upper notch for rotating the rib holder about a pivoting center generally perpendicular to a long axis of said upper notch, and a horizontal pivot transversely formed in the rib holder for pivotally securing the top rib of the flat-side rib assembly to the rib holder, thereby allowing the top rib to be universally pivotally secured to the upper notch.  
   
   
       10 . An umbrella according to  claim 7 , wherein said lower universal pivoting means are linearly arranged on the lower runner to be projectively aligned with the long axis of the lower runner, and are disposed on opposite sides about the shaft center in between two opposite end portions of the lower runner.  
   
   
       11 . An umbrella according to  claim 10 , wherein each said lower universal pivoting means includes: a lower rib holder having a lower vertical pivot vertically rotatably engaged in a lower pivot hole formed in the lower runner for rotating the lower rib holder about a lower pivoting center generally perpendicular to the long axis of the lower runner, and a lower horizontal pivot transversely formed in the lower rib holder for pivotally securing the stretcher rib of the flat-side rib assembly to the lower rib holder, thereby allowing the stretcher rib to be universally pivotally secured to the lower runner.  
   
   
       12 . An umbrella according to  claim 1 , wherein each said pivoting means is rotatably held in a socket recessed in said upper notch or in said lower runner.  
   
   
       13 . An umbrella according to  claim 2 , wherein an inner tube has one said concave portion recessed in said inner tube, said concave portion in said inner tube corresponding to a portion in an outer tube neighboring to said inner tube having zero concave portion formed in said outer tube, defining an air chamber in between said concave portion of said inner tube and said outer tube having zero concave portion formed therein.