Many people do not want to waste time fixing a broken umbrella and are looking for a replacement. But it is quite difficult to choose a product that will not break after several exits in rainy and windy weather. Yes, and it will not be cheap. Therefore, it will be better to save time and money by renovating your old umbrella. We hope our tips will help you do this.
The umbrella serves as an indispensable accessory in rainy weather, protecting from the currents of water and wind. If after another bad weather it has lost its attractiveness or one of its main parts has broken, do not despair and do not rush to throw it away. It can always be fixed! Before repairing an umbrella, study its device, determine whether it is possible to repair a faulty spare part. Sometimes, for automatic constructions, you may need the help of a specialist.
There are varieties of designs and differences between folding mechanisms from each other. The most important part of any umbrella is the canopy, which consists of a metal frame or plastic knitting needles, on which fabric is stretched and a one-piece or foldable handle. Each model can be equipped with a simple or automatic movement. All umbrellas are conventionally divided into:
Depending on the opening mechanism, there is a division into the following types:
The designs differ from model to model, but there are basic details for all umbrellas. Main elements:
The most common malfunction is when automatic umbrellas lose their rigidity. This happens when the wind turns them inside out, arching the thin spokes. It is important to periodically check the knitting points and, if necessary, reinforce the weakened fabric. For all umbrellas, there is a single rule: the fewer connections on the rod and knitting needles, the less often the structure breaks.
Whatever the expensive and high-quality umbrella, it cannot be insured against breakage. Before you throw your old one away and buy a new one, try to get your umbrella repaired. If you have a second - unnecessary copy - then it can become a source of scrap materials for restoration. Urgent repair of umbrellas, if necessary, can be carried out by professional craftsmen in specialized modern institutions like the House of Life.
Prepare the required materials and tools, depending on the cause of the malfunction. This can be a finished part from an old umbrella, round nose pliers, wire, or a tool for soldering metal parts. At home, you can repair the automatic umbrella with your own hands, fix the following breakdowns:
To join the seam on the dome, select the threads of the appropriate color: you should carefully, manually, sew the fabric. If the material comes off the end of the knitting needle, then wrap the edge with a thin fishing line and fix it with a knot. Pass the ends of the fishing line into the hole of the knitting needle and fasten it with several knots. This procedure is performed with a free arrangement of tissue on the frame.
How to repair an umbrella if the spokes are damaged? Follow the step by step instructions:
If the umbrella does not hold open, try repairing the product yourself. Such damage is easily repaired if the latch is bent. To do this, press the ledge and sharply move the part to the side. This pulls out the tab of the retainer and gently straightens it. Install it back in the same way. Please note: if the spare parts for the umbrellas are of poor quality, then such repairs will not last long. In this case, you just need to replace the damaged part. It can be taken out of an old umbrella and inserted into the handle.
Repairing an automatic umbrella is a little more difficult than a mechanical one, and it takes more time. Sometimes the breakdown is associated with improper use of the product, then the parts are severely deformed and they can only be replaced with new ones. If the machine itself is faulty, it is better to contact the craftsmen in specialized institutions where umbrellas are repaired. This process is carried out in a short time.
Repair of damaged products of any complexity is carried out by specialized workshops or shops, which provide for the repair of shoes and clothes. In large cities, such as Moscow, St. Petersburg, there are service centers that provide high-quality repair of umbrellas. Small towns also have centers where the service will cost even less. Pay attention to advertisements on the Internet, in newspapers, read reviews, customer recommendations, compare prices.
Probably everyone uses an umbrella, since the rains fall on almost all places on our planet. And of course, almost everyone is faced with the fact that sooner or later the umbrella breaks.
An umbrella usually consists of such main parts - a handle with a button, sliding pipes (of which the number can be different, but most often these pipes are 6 or 8), a lower support for the needles, the upper support for the needles to which the main cord of the umbrella is attached, thick short and thin long springs, plastic tube - the upper part of which is thickened, has a wheel and is inserted into the upper support.
Depending on what exactly broke, you will need the following things - ready-made parts from another umbrella, pliers, stainless wire, a soldering iron, a metal tube with a diameter of 6 centimeters.
- flute needles break very often.
In order to fix this, you need to take a metal pipe with a diameter of 6 centimeters and cut off a piece from it about 3 centimeters in length. Then you will need to straighten the ends of the knitting needle that broke, then put the cut piece of the tube on it and squeeze these two ends with pliers.
- damaged tubular rivets at the ends of the spokes. In order to fix the umbrella in this case, you need to insert a small piece of soft stainless wire into the hole, and then you will need to tighten the ends.
- the rod broke at the point of their articulation.
It is necessary to cut a small plate of 20 by 12 mm from a piece of tin and bend it along its length so that it looks like a trough. After that, you will need to tin the ends and install the patch itself. Then you need to take a soldering iron and use it to solder the place where the umbrella was being repaired.
- often in umbrellas that open automatically there is such a problem that the retainer refuses to work. It is the latch that holds the umbrella when it is closed.
In order to eliminate this, you need to press the locking tab and move it closer to the handle. Then you need to get the faulty clip out of the tube, straighten it - and then put it back in its place.
VIDEO
Here's what to do if your umbrella is broken. The most detailed do-it-yourself umbrella repair master class (video)
Usually, many throw away umbrellas due to minor breakdowns, which, in fact, are easy to fix even for an inexperienced craftsman. Basically, the rods break at the point of their articulation, carried out using the axle. More often this happens with a large thrust at node “A” (Fig. 1), since this thrust in the open umbrella carries the main load, and even a slight lateral pressure on it leads to the breakage of the thrust, as a result of which the compression hook of the power spring is usually lost.
When starting to repair the traction, first of all, you should relieve the stress in the elements of the umbrella frame created by the power spring. For this, the upper end of the umbrella is abutted against some surface, for example, a door, and the power spring is compressed with the folded umbrella fixing sleeve so that all the hooks holding the spring in a compressed state can be freely detached from the rods. When releasing the hooks, the compression of the spring must not be loosened, otherwise other rods may break.
To repair a broken rod, you will have to make a connecting pad. To do this, a 45 × 13 mm plate should be cut out of 0.2 ... 0.3 mm tinned sheet (the width is given in excess, since it is not always possible to symmetrically bend the plate exactly along the longitudinal axis), turn the plate into a "trough" so that the latter was tightly put on the traction being repaired, to give the lining the desired shape (Fig. 2, a).
The broken and whole rods are freed from the fabric, if the first is deformed, it is straightened. The sections of the connecting rod ends, which will be located under the pad, must be tinned with excess. If the axle on the attached (whole) rod has no defects, the rod with the axle is installed in place, as shown in Fig. 2, b, the axle on both sides is tacked to the rod by soldering, a connecting plate is installed (Fig. 2, c). Having fixed in the desired position the end of the rod and the pad using a squeezing clamp, the pad is soldered to the rod without disturbing the axle soldering. Insert the other half of the rod tightly into the pad (Fig.2, d), after which the rod is fixed and the pad is soldered along its entire length. The joint is brought into proper form, checking the functionality of the articulated joint.
If the axle on the connecting rod is strongly bent and has any other defect, it is removed, a hole with a diameter of 1.5 mm is drilled in the lining, which coincides with the hole on the repaired rod, a wire is inserted into the hole, which will act as an axle. Further, the same operations for connecting the rods are carried out, which were described above. It remains to take out the wire, make an axis of the required length out of it and connect it with the thrust axis. So that the axle does not fall out of the rods and does not catch the fabric, it is soldered to the pad on both sides (Fig. 2, e). The fastening of the fabric to the rods is restored. If there is easy access to the soldering point of the traction, it is better not to disconnect the fabric from the frame, but in order to avoid hot drops of tin from getting on the fabric, it is necessary to first put a gasket between the fabric and the soldering point. The breakdown in node B is eliminated in a similar way (see Fig. 1).
There are times when, after repair, umbrellas of this type do not fully fold. One of the reasons for this is the displacement of the lug inserts in the repaired nodes (especially in the A node), usually due to poor-quality crimping by the sidewalls of the rods. To eliminate such a defect, you will have to move the eyelet to the right place with light blows of a small hammer on the part of the eyelet protruding from the traction and again tightly squeeze the insert with the sidewalls of the traction. I draw your attention to the fact that grooves are made on the ear inserts for a more reliable connection with the rods (see Fig. 3, a).
In general, broken rods are repaired only in the absence of intact rods from some other umbrella that cannot be repaired. It will not be difficult to separate the required traction from the umbrella frame. It is enough to cut off the flaring of the axles on a suitable rod from the samokal with a knife and disconnect it from other rods and assemblies. And the axles for the "new" thrust can be easily made of wire (or a stud) of the required diameter, not forgetting to solder the ends of the axle to the sides of the thrust.
In umbrellas with an extended power spring, along with the above breakdowns, the bushing of the power spring often cracks. Note that all the failed bushings that I dealt with could not be repaired, so to replace them I had to use suitable bushings from umbrellas of other designs. The new bushing can be installed both through the upper and lower parts of the umbrella shaft. It is only necessary to determine which pin is easier to knock out: either the pin that secures the handle, or the pin that holds the upper rod attachment point. First of all, of course, you need to free the rods from the broken bushing and remove the last one. The installation of the bushing through the upper part of the rod is carried out in the following sequence: the damping spring is shifted down (see Fig. 1), the pin is knocked out of the upper linkage attachment of the rods, this unit is removed and a new bushing is installed. The assembly of the umbrella, of course, is carried out in the reverse order.
All of the above repairs are performed with the power spring compression hooks removed. At the end of the repair, the presence of these hooks is checked, the missing number is made according to the shape of the existing ones, the sleeve for fixing the umbrella is folded down so that the cavity (slot) of the hook on it is in line with the protrusion of the retainer, hooks are hooked onto the sleeve, squeeze the power spring and hooks are inserted into the traction holes.
Opening and folding the umbrella, they check the correctness of its repair and assembly.
You can repair the mechanism in another way.It is a little simpler and takes less time to repair, but the ears are less durable. In this case, take a small piece of plywood (or a strip) with a thickness of about 5 mm and insert it into the slot of the fixing mechanism between the broken ears. On the remaining part of the lug in the plywood, mark and drill a hole for the axis, insert a stud of the appropriate diameter into the hole, install the plywood on the axis in the slots, weld on the mechanism body from the fragments of the ears or other suitable material or glue the missing parts of the ears to it. Next, from tin (stainless steel, copper, brass), cut out two strips half the width of the ear, bend them with a half-collar. Putting one half-collar on the ear, as shown in fig. 6, the semi-collar is heated with a soldering iron, gradually pressing it into the ear. We also press the second semi-collar into the other ear. It remains to take out the carnation-axle, remove the plywood, process the ears, and then assemble the mechanism. Do not forget to check the welding quality for strength. (For those who have not worked with plastic parts, I advise that this work is done in a well-ventilated area.)
For children's umbrellas with automatic opening, it happens that the hook protrusion at the retainer holding the umbrella in a folded state stops returning to its original position. This is due to the fact that the retainer is made of low-quality metal, and simply bends under load. You can quickly fix this problem. To do this, you have to press the locking lug (Fig. 7), move the lug towards the handle, pull the retainer out of the rod tube, bend the retainer at the bend point, and then insert the retainer into place. True, after a while the retainer will lose its shape again, so it is better to immediately replace it with a new retainer made of high-quality steel. If there is none, it is not difficult to make the retainer yourself from elastic metal.
For those who decide to do repairing umbrellas , I recommend making the devices shown in Fig. 8 and 9. Although they are primitive, they greatly simplify the repair process. So to form the linings (see Fig. 2, a), you will have to make a simple stamp. The die matrix (Fig. 8, a) is bent from sheet steel 1.5 mm thick. In the center of the bottom, a "trough" is formed with a beard or other suitable tool, a depression. The punch (Fig. 8, b), which has a protrusion in the center, is made from a strip of steel with a thickness of 3 ... 4 mm. When forming an overlay, a plate with a size of 45 ... 50 × 13 mm is placed on the matrix so that there is a depression under the center of the plate, a punch is placed on top and hit with a hammer. Everything. The cover is ready, you just have to work on it a little. By the way, the matrix described above is also useful for editing the rods, but the punch will have to be made a new one (Fig. 8, c). The deformed rod is placed in the recess of the matrix, after which it is straightened with a punch.
VIDEO
It is also necessary to make devices for compressing the power spring (Fig. 9). The principle of operation of this device is similar to the principle of operation of a simple screw press. Here, two crossbars "walk" along two guides (Fig. 10), one of which acts as a base, and the other acts as a slider, which can be moved by turning or unscrewing the thumbs on the guides where the M6 thread is cut. Each cross member consists of two halves (Fig. 10, a).
We will tell you a little how to compress a spring using this device. First, on each pin (guide), two halves of the jumper are put on and screwed onto a lamb. The complete assembly of the device is carried out directly on the umbrella.The halves are connected with screws, as a result of which the resulting jumpers clasp the umbrella handle shaft. The fixture is now ready to compress the spring. You just need to spin the lambs. This simplifies the process of removing and installing the spring compression hooks described at the beginning of the text.
A little about the fabric. Broken ends of the rods tend to tear the fabric of the umbrella. Small holes can be sealed with the same cloth using BF-6 glue, which is sold in pharmacies, but it is easier to stick, as my friends do, a transparent self-adhesive film to the damaged area.
What's better in rainy weather than a bright umbrella? Nothing cheers up like a new purchase!
All folding umbrellas can be divided into the following types:
a mechanical umbrella is endowed with the simplest mechanism, and you have to open and close it yourself;
the semi-automatic umbrella has an automatically opening dome, which is triggered by pressing a button, but you have to close it manually;
a fully automatic umbrella has the most convenient and simple use, because the dome of such an umbrella will open and close automatically, just pressing a button.
Let's take a look at the benefits of the most popular fully automatic umbrella and see why it deserves such widespread adoption.
Men's umbrellas are mostly in discreet colors, such as black, blue, gray, brown. You can also see umbrellas with checkered patterns, which are great for any style of clothing. Frequently traveling men will become a convenient model of an automatic umbrella in 2 additions, with a strong handle and automatic opening. Young people prefer umbrellas in unisex colors, they differ in a wide range of colors and patterns. It should be noted that the automatic umbrella will be a great gift for a man.
Think automatic umbrellas are less durable than the cane model? It's a delusion. Modern technologies allow the production of umbrellas with the probability of breakage tending to zero. Feel free to choose an automatic umbrella, trusting your taste!
Mom will stop worrying when the baby has a fully automatic umbrella. After all, he will always help out a child in rainy weather, for whom it is not so easy to use the mechanism that requires self-closing. An umbrella that opens and closes with a simple push of a button, a godsend available to modern society! Having presented the child with an automatic umbrella with a cheerful pattern, and a trace of sadness will not remain on the child's face in rainy weather.
A fully automatic umbrella is an ideal solution! Easy to use, small in size, lightweight. The child will learn to use it instantly! A small bright umbrella is so convenient to hang on a hanger in the wardrobe or put in a side pocket of a briefcase.
Before heading to the store to buy an umbrella, open your closet and see what style the main piece of your wardrobe is. After all, umbrellas are produced in a wide variety of models and fashion trends. You can see the ruffles on the umbrellas, sewn on animal ears, and umbrellas sewn from combined materials, including various oilcloth details. The presence of embroidery, colorful patterns, decorations from ribbons will not be uncommon. We can safely say that an umbrella in the modern world serves as a fashion accessory.
So, you have decided on the umbrella model and its color scheme. The choice of automatic umbrellas is so huge that it is difficult to make a choice. Various doubts arise about its structure.
In the store, be sure to press the button several times so that the umbrella responds to each command, check the operability of the entire mechanism and, in particular, the automation.
When you press the button, the automatic umbrella must fully unfold the dome, tighten the spokes tightly. Should be closed automatically when pressed again.
Automatic umbrellas are equipped with a spring that protects the canopy from self-opening. Is the fabric attached to the knitting needles loose? It is better to refuse to purchase such an umbrella.
Give preference to the following fabrics: polyester, rubberized satin, twill, any other fabrics with a water-repellent coating. Bubble umbrellas are made of polyvinyl, a film-like material. This list is just a small part of what you can find on the shelves in stores. The fabric from which the umbrellas are made must be waterproof and durable in strong winds. Teflon-coated fabrics dry quickly due to their water-repellent properties.
In the manufacture of the cheapest umbrellas, nylon is used; silk and cotton can be found in the fabrics of expensive umbrellas. The umbrella, the dome of which is covered with a soft shiny fabric, is made of twill.
Umbrellas for protection from sunlight are made of satin, silk, satin, chiffon, linen. It makes no sense to walk in the rain with such an umbrella, because it does not have water-repellent characteristics.
The spokes, which are made of an aluminum frame, are less durable, but the umbrella itself is lighter. The strongest are titanium-coated steel spokes. Spokes made of carbon fiber have become widespread. Such an umbrella practically does not break, the needles can be bent without violating the integrity of the structure.
An important role is played by the automatic umbrella locking system, which prevents sudden opening. If water drops enter the automatic mechanism, it can cause premature failure of the umbrella.
In modern society, we are used to using light umbrellas. The umbrella industry strives to provide consumers with ever lighter models every year. The knitting needles are made of materials such that the umbrella is as light as possible and at the same time durable.
There are several weight groups of umbrellas:
weight less than 200 grams - the lightest umbrella
201 to 300 grams - lightweight;
301 to 500 grams - average weight;
501 to 1000 grams is heavy.
Automatic umbrellas have the ability to fold to the smallest size. They are convenient for daily carrying in a purse, school bag or women's backpack.
The largest in size is the canopy of an automatic umbrella with two knitting needles. The most popular are 3-fold umbrellas. But umbrellas in 4 additions will be small in size and are considered to be rightfully lightweight. The lightest umbrellas available today are 5-fold.
The lighter the automatic umbrella, the smaller the dome will be. Keep this in mind when purchasing.
You will find three and two-stage folding on the majority of women's and men's automatic umbrellas.
Umbrellas of various designs can have from six to twenty-four spokes. The construction is stronger than the more needles in the umbrella. Automatic umbrellas with 24 needles are the most durable and, accordingly, their price is higher. Most of the 24-spoke umbrellas are walking sticks.
Below are the various handles of automatic umbrellas.
The design of the handles of automatic umbrellas is very different. You can find handles of very small sizes, square, rectangular or spherical. Most models have a drawstring for convenience. With the help of a cord, you can wear an umbrella on your wrist.
Automatic folding umbrellas are made by all major umbrella companies. Companies Fulton and Zest known for umbrellas with traditional English quality. On hearing a Japanese manufacturer "Three elephants" , which has been popular on the Russian market for many years and annually pleases consumers with interesting models. Talk about the German quality of the company's umbrellas "Dolphin" does not take long. Such umbrellas are of high quality, durable, comfortable, modern design! The smallest umbrellas are made by a German company Knirps ... Umbrella manufacturers are working on the creation of models for men, women and children. And strive for maximum satisfaction of the requirements of the most demanding customers!
First of all, don't worry too much. Excitement will not help you to quickly cope with the problem that has arisen! Consider carefully the simplest umbrella design diagram and you will immediately understand how to cope on your own in case of any breakdown of the automatic umbrella.
Often, due to the smallest breakdowns, many throw away the umbrella. Although a completely inexperienced and without special skills, a person can fix the malfunction on his own.
Most often, the rods break, in the figure they are indicated by the letters A, B. More often, the breakdown occurs in the rod A, because when the umbrella is opened, it carries the greatest load. When the rod breaks, the power spring compression hook is immediately lost. Relieve tension from the frame and it will not be difficult to repair the traction. Place the umbrella against any vertical surface, squeeze the power spring by lowering the umbrella fixing sleeve.
Freely detach all hooks from the rods.
It happens with children's umbrellas full of automatic devices that it stops returning to its original position. This is due to the fact that the lug of the latch hook could change its shape or break. If the integrity of the latch protrusion is violated, the umbrella will stop folding. And this breakdown cannot be eliminated on your own, in the umbrella repair service you will be offered to replace the failed retainer with a new one. But if the retainer has not changed its geometric shape, it is enough to press the retaining protrusion, lower the protrusion towards the handle, and bend the retainer. Such measures will help extend the life of the retainer, but be ready for another bend in the tab of the retainer soon. Therefore, we recommend that you purchase a high-quality retainer in advance or make it yourself from available materials, for example, from wire or any soft metal.
To repair more serious breakdowns, special tools are required, which are available from umbrella repair services. Therefore, you should look at the product warranty card. Manufacturers give a guarantee of at least 6 months. In the event of a warranty case, you will be repaired free of charge or the broken umbrella will be replaced with a new one.
Warranty cases do not include:
Scratches or dents on the handle;
Chipped handle;
Cuts on the fabric of the dome;
Burnt places on the dome;
Bent rod;
Any damage due to mechanical stress on the umbrella.
Remember that the umbrella is repaired by specialized services. The addresses of such services can be recommended by the umbrella seller. Various manufacturers of umbrellas also use various structural elements, such as a spoke, a rod, a handle, a cap and others. Not always a part from one umbrella will fit another, therefore, you will not always be able to fix the breakdown yourself. If the umbrella is dear to you, and you are not ready to change it, do not hesitate to contact a specialized repair service!
Video (click to play).
In order for an umbrella to last a long time, it requires proper care. Dry the umbrella open. Fold gently into the pouch, straightening each fold. If you find streaks or stains on the umbrella dome, wipe it with a soapy solution. Do not wash with chemical powders or use a stain remover. Do not put an umbrella on the bottom of your bag. Under the weight of various things, bending of the spokes or breakdown of the structure is possible.
