| 摘要 |
An umbrella features a rigid structural stem for supporting a canopy. The rim of the canopy is inflatable, thus providing a circular shape to the canopy periphery. The canopy is made of a flexible material, such as cloth, plastic, canvass or combinations thereof. The plastic material can be transparent or diaphanous. Radially extending rods, that are substantially equally spaced about the canopy, project from the stem towards the inflatable rim to provide further structural support for the canopy. The radial rods do not extend past the rim, thus providing safety. There are three embodiments of the umbrella of this invention. The first embodiment features an umbrella design having a standard curvilinear canopy with inflatable rim. The second embodiment is a conically shaped canopy with inflatable rim. The third embodiment of this invention is a canopy having an upper conically shaped portion surrounded by an inflatable rim. A skirt is attached to the upper portion. The skirt has an inflatable rim about its periphery. The second and third embodiments are substantially different from prior umbrellas in that they have no joints, or movable parts, save the inflatable rims and the flexible material of the umbrella itself. The radially extended rods are not connected to the stem at the apex and they are not connected to the rim of the umbrella.
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