Tilt mechanisms and actuators for umbrellas

Abstract

A patio umbrella that includes a tilt mechanism for adjusting a shade angle of the umbrella canopy. The umbrella canopy can be opened and closed by a crank and spool mechanism. The tilt mechanism can be controlled by an actuator that operates independently of the crank and spool mechanism. The actuator can be mounted on the upright pole of the patio umbrella.

1 . An umbrella, comprising:
 an upright pole, the upright pole comprising an upper pole portion and a lower pole portion;   a canopy assembly comprising the upper pole portion;   a first mechanism for opening and closing the canopy assembly;   a second mechanism for adjusting an angle between the upper pole portion and the lower pole portion, the second mechanism comprising a driver having an end disposed in a channel of a channel member, the channel guiding the end of the driver disposed therein; and   an actuator for the second mechanism, the actuator coupled with the lower pole portion and configured to adjust the second mechanism from a first configuration to a second configuration when the actuator is moved within a slot of the upright pole, the second configuration being tilted relative to the first configuration.   
     
     
         2 . The umbrella of  claim 1 , wherein the second mechanism further comprises: an upper coupler attached with the upper pole portion, a lower coupler attached with the lower pole portion, the upper coupler and the lower coupler attached at a pivot;
 a guide track assembly comprising the channel member having the channel, the channel having a camming surface disposed in the upper coupler; the driver having an upper end and a lower end, the upper end disposed in the guide track assembly and configured to be guided by the channel, the lower end coupled with the actuator by a tension member;   wherein from the first configuration, downward movement of the driver engages the upper end of the driver with the camming surface and tilts the upper pole portion relative to the lower pole portion about the pivot; and   wherein from the second configuration, upward movement of the driver engages the upper end of the driver with the camming surface and aligns the upper pole portion relative to the lower pole portion.   
     
     
         3 . The umbrella of  claim 2 , wherein the second mechanism further comprises a spring, the spring configured to bias the second mechanism in the first configuration. 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . The umbrella of  claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises:
 a sliding driver slidingly engaged along a channel between a raised position and a lowered position, the sliding driver coupled with the second mechanism by a tension member;   a transverse pin coupled with the sliding driver, the transverse pin biased to engage with a catch in the lowered position of the sliding driver, the transverse pin releasable from the catch by an outward movement of the transverse pin;   wherein moving the sliding driver into the lowered position actuates the second mechanism into the second configuration; and   wherein releasing the sliding driver from the lowered position returns the second mechanism into the first configuration.   
     
     
         8 . The umbrella of  claim 7 , wherein the transverse pin is releasable from the catch by an outward rotation of the sliding driver. 
     
     
         9 . The umbrella of  claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises:
 a pivot handle, the pivot handle pivotable with respect to the upright pole between a raised position and a lowered position, the pivot handle coupled with the second mechanism by a tension member;   a positioning surface adjacent to the pivot handle, the positioning surface comprising at least one tilt position feature;   an engagement pin biased to engage with the at least one tilt position feature in the lowered position of the pivot handle, the pivot handle releasable from the positioning surface by disengagement of the engagement pin from the at least one tilt position feature of the positioning surface;   wherein moving the pivot handle into the lowered position actuates the second mechanism into the second configuration; and   wherein releasing the pivot handle from the lowered position returns the second mechanism into the first configuration.   
     
     
         10 . The umbrella of  claim 9  wherein the positioning surface is a ratchet and the at least one tilt position feature is at least one tooth. 
     
     
         11 . The umbrella of  claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises:
 a pivot handle, the pivot handle pivotable with respect to the upright pole between a lowered position and a raised position, the pivot handle coupled with the second mechanism by a tension member;   a housing adjacent to the pivot handle, the housing and the pivot handle comprising a projection configured to engage with a corresponding divot in the raised position, the pivot handle releasable from the raised position by disengagement of the projection and divot;   wherein moving the pivot handle into the raised position actuates the second mechanism into the second configuration; and   wherein releasing the pivot handle from the raised position returns the second mechanism into the first configuration.   
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . The umbrella of  claim 1 , further comprising a housing coupled with the upright pole and wherein the actuator is slideable in a slot formed in the housing between a first position at a first end of the slot and a second position at a second end of the slot,
 wherein the first position of the slideable actuator actuates the upper pole portion and the canopy assembly into the first configuration; and   wherein the second position of the slideable actuator actuates the upper pole portion and the canopy assembly into the second configuration.   
     
     
         15 . The umbrella of  claim 14 , wherein the slideable actuator can rotate about an axis transverse to a longitudinal axis of the upright pole to retract an engagement member thereof away from a catch disposed at one or both of the first end of the slot and the second end of the slot. 
     
     
         16 . The umbrella of  claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises a pivot handle pivotably coupled with the upright pole, and further comprising a cord having a first end coupled with the second mechanism and a second end coupled with the pivot handle. 
     
     
         17 . The umbrella of  claim 16 , wherein the pivot handle is pivotably coupled at a point within the upright pole. 
     
     
         18 . The umbrella of  claim 17 , wherein the pivot handle comprises a linkage comprising a free end disposed outside the upright pole and a pivotable link coupled to the pivot handle at one end and to the cord at an opposite end. 
     
     
         19 . The umbrella of  claim 18 , wherein the pivot handle is configured to couple with a positioning surface coupled to an outside surface of the upright pole. 
     
     
         20 . The umbrella of  claim 19 , wherein the positioning surface comprises a series of tilt position features. 
     
     
         21 . The umbrella of  claim 20 , wherein the pivot handle comprises an engagement member resiliently biased toward the tilt position features. 
     
     
         22 . The umbrella of  claim 16 , wherein the pivot handle comprises a first end disposed outside the upright pole, a second end opposite the first end, and a central portion disposed between the first end and the second end, the central portion being pivotably coupled to a housing coupled with a side surface of the upright pole. 
     
     
         23 . The umbrella of  claim 22 , wherein the housing comprises at least two protrusions and the pivot handle comprises at least one divot, a first of the at least two protrusions engaging the at least one divot when the first mechanism is in the first configuration and a second of the at least two protrusions engaging the at least one divot when the first mechanism is in the second configuration, the first protrusion being disposed below the second protrusion. 
     
     
         24 . The umbrella of  claim 23 , wherein the central portion of the pivot handle is pivotable in a slot of the housing and the at least two protrusions are formed on one or more surfaces bounding the slot. 
     
     
         25 . The umbrella of  claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises:
 a pivot handle configured to be moved between a raised position and a lowered position, the pivot handle coupled with the second mechanism by a tension member;   an engagement member of the pivot handle configured to engage with a catch in one of the raised and lowered positions, the pivot handle releasable from the one of the raised and lowered positions by disengagement of the engagement member from the catch;   wherein moving the pivot handle into the one of the raised and lowered positions actuates the second mechanism into the second configuration; and   wherein releasing the pivot handle from the other one of the raised and lowered positions returns the second mechanism into the first configuration.