Product: Umbrella: Shape
Inverted Umbrella   (+5, -5)  [vote for, against]
More environmentally friendly and more reliable

[Brevity ] version (could have posted just this): Inverted saves water deceives wind.

[Full ] version (seemed more fun to post this longer explanation as well):

Problem 1:

Umbrellas are actually environmentally unfriendly. Not only do they intercept nature's built-in-shower systems and force you to expensively shower with treated and chemical laden tap water; but they waste all the fresh rain water they intercept.

Problem 2:

If the wind blows, umbrellas turn inside-out. Especially whilst in films. This is bad. A serious design flaw.

Solution:

Enter the inverted umbrella. This umbrella is fairly identical to a standard umbrella which has inverted due to high winds, apart from the fact that the mechanism is reworked to support it better in this shape and allow easy folding.

Rain water is neatly collected in this cup-like shelter and runs down the center of the pipe via an inlet in the environmentally-exposed section.

At the other end of the pipe is a length of rubber hosing which attaches to a soon-to-be-ubiquitous backpack containing a large flexible water-tight bag to collect water.

Should the wind come along and attempt to peskily invert your umbrella, it will be thwarted by the fact that it is already inverted.

Once you arrive home, you can empty out the water into your water tank or water butt, neatly saving the environment.

Conclusion:

Two problems are solved using very basic technology.
-- vincevincevince, Nov 06 2007

Isn't it the idea that the [Brevity] version should go in "Summary"?
-- Ling, Nov 06 2007


I'm suspending my vote until I have your assurance that severing the hose at a convenient length and dispensing with the back pack, so that the rainwater simply runs out onto the ground somewhere behind one's heels, will not cause an armed corps to threaten one authoritatively with violence.
-- Ned_Ludd, Nov 06 2007


The idea of the [brevity ] tag is to identify short ideas that don't need "full version"s to make sense.
-- theleopard, Nov 06 2007


[OS X 10.5] - I've space-broken the tags to avoid them clouding tag-searches; thanks.
-- vincevincevince, Nov 06 2007


What if the rain is blowing sideways? Then you don't get the protection you're hoping to obtain with the usage of said umbrella. Which makes it redundant.
-- Shadow Phoenix, Nov 06 2007


have you considered the weight of this water? do you need the exercise?
-- po, Nov 06 2007


So you want me to hold a gallon of sloshing water above my head on stick ?

Each rain drop forms around a spec of dust. This is why there is mud at the bottom of a rain barrel.

still +
-- popbottle, Jan 22 2017


//Each rain drop forms around a spec of dust// Angels descending, bring from above, Echoes of mercy, whispers of love. ~Fanny J. Crosby
-- wjt, Jan 23 2017



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