Cypress Umbrella

Projects
1

Hi Everyone,

If you have been stopping by VHS in the evenings, you may have noticed me and Kevin @ktruong (aka. Team Hedgehog) working on an umbrella concept. The past 10 months (yes it took us that long) seems to be an endless cycle of design->fabricate->test->break->repeat. However, I’m happy to say that we finally completed our final prototype and got some decent pictures to show! We get a lot of requests to share this on Talk … so here we go.

But before I go further, we’re currently running a survey to select a logo. So I’m going to shamelessly insert the link here —> Link Removed, thanks for voting. It’s a quick 1 question survey, vote —> click done, should take 2 min tops.

Now back on track. I think VHS’s 5 “W’s” should cover most of it.

Who:
Cahay Ho and Kevin Truong. We’re team of two with a background in mechanical engineering and a keen interest in product design and development.

What:
Traditionally the smaller the umbrella, the less durable it is. Therefore people usually carry full sized non-collapsible umbrellas, or go through the painful process of going through multiple cheap $10 umbrellas every season. We think we may have a solution and we’re calling it the Cypress Umbrella.

Umbrellas are complicated (over 200 parts) none of which are off-the-shelf components. Imagine building a 3D printer without the ability to buy off-the-self stepper motors, bearings, or standard sized screws…yikes! Therefore to make this feasible, we must build this in large quantities. Our plan is to crowdfund this project via Kickstarter and make the Cypress Umbrella into a reality. More info about Kickstarter/crowdfunding here → https://www.kickstarter.com/hello?ref=footer

Where:
Started in my 400 sqft apartment, we eventually grew out and found our way into the wonderful world of VHS.

When:
Expected to launch mid October 2015 on Kickstarter.

Why:
Because its challenging and we think we got a better solution than what’s out there. We’ve designed race cars, landing gears, Chevy Camaro’s, and LNG fuel pumps…so yeah…umbrellas? Why not!

Now here are some pictures of our most recent Cypress Umbrella so far. Stay tuned for more pictures, videos, and updates!

Regards,
Team Hedgehog

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16 Likes
2

I carry full-sized, non-collapsible umbrellas because I have not found a collapsible umbrella that gives me the coverage area of a $3 Ikea umbrella.

I do like your design, I would buy one.

How well does it handle updrafts … or better know as the hurricane wind that tries to rip the umbrella out of your hand?

1 Like
3

I’ve seen you guys doing INSANELY cool manufacturing in the space.

You’re what a hackspace is meant for. So happy to see this come out of VHS. Great GREAT job guys.

The product looks amazing.

Logo voted.

5 Likes
4

Wonderful work!

If you’re ready, please consider putting this out through VHS’ twitter feed.

1 Like
5

Awesome to see the umbrella at last! Congrats & good luck with the crowd funding direction.

2 Likes
6

I also like the design and same questions as hectorh.

The folded design actually reminds me (from a distance) of this Swedish
folding stool

1 Like
7

Let me know if you need access to the blog, I’ll definitely retweet on the VHS tweeter when you’re launching the KS.

1 Like
8

The Cyprus umbrella looks superb.

On a related note I wonder if you have seen the Kazbrella that was on Kickstarter http://www.kazbrella.com/video/

Ian

1 Like
9

Make a video for yours, but don’t make it that damn cheesy.

2 Likes
10

It would be cool if you could demo it in a wind tunnel on video. Is there
one at UBC? I have no doubt this is the real deal as I’ve seen you guys
working on this for months. Great job.

2 Likes
11

Does it come in blue?

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12

does it come with a VHS logo? :wink:

1 Like
13

That would be awesome. We’re actually working on couple studio images with better lighting. I’ll prefer to tweet/blog that image. I’ll let you know. Thanks!

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Yeah we did. We’ve been hawking over all umbrella related crowd campaigns for the last 10 months actually.

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We’re actually working on an update that’ll address all this. Still a work in progress, will post it on Thursday.

1 Like
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Will there be some cosmetic/ergonomic updates? Right now the handle looks uncomfortable.

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Update #1 - September 10, 2015 (Sorry little late)

Hi Everyone,

Thank you everyone for voting on the logo. Here it is.
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Now the update.

We’ve been busy for the last couple days working on some studio pictures. Kevin @ktruong actually had to rearrange most of his furniture and MacGyver a studio to make this happen. Without further adieu, here are some of our best so far.

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And here is Kevin’s @ktruong setup. Yes…thats a desk lamp and aluminum foil.

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Stay tuned for the next update coming Tuesday September 15.

Regards,
Team Hedgehog

@hectorh @hjsvhsweb @Rob_MacKenzie and @Janet. We haven’t forgot about your question, we have something in the works. I promise we will have it posted for our next update.

3 Likes
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Nice work, guys! I like your makeshift photo studio. Regarding the logo image you provided:

  • I’d recommend moving the hedgehog and the word “HEDGEHOG” up 2-3 pixels to align the base of the text.
  • “design and developed by” should probably be “designed and developed by”
1 Like
19

Looks great you guys! Very nice product shots.

1 Like
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VHS Update #2 - September 15, 2015

“What makes the Cypress Umbrella different from a normal umbrella?” We get that a lot … and I mean A LOT.

Hi Everyone,

The Cypress Umbrella has several special features not found in common umbrellas. In this update we’ll cover the Independent Suspension System. We are working on some pictures and videos to showcase the remaining features, so hang in there for our next update.

Foldable umbrellas on the market are not very wind resistant, a small draft is all that’s required to flip the entire canopy inside out. Some users therefore opt for full-size umbrellas with stronger and stiffer frame structures. This got us thinking, is it possible to develop a foldable umbrella with the wind resistance of a full-size umbrella? What began as mere speculation was immediately added as a must-have requirement. It can’t be that difficult, can it? Oh… we were so wrong.

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It took many late nights before we discovered how difficult this was. One simple solution would be to stiffen up the canopy, thereby boosting the threshold required to flip it inside out. This can be easily achieved by adding additional ribs or designing larger rib members. However, that would compromise on flexibility, allowing the umbrella to function as a more effective “parachute”. Subsequently, this would create a chain reaction increasing load on the remaining downstream components. We would have to strengthen the stem, reinforce the joints, and bolster up the stretchers. The final product would weigh in excess of 2.5 lbs and be larger than a footlong Subway sandwich. Not a compelling product, and of no interest to us.

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We’ve considered a vented canopy, a popular design with sewn-in vents atop the canvas. This allows high-pressure air to escape, reducing the “parachute” effect. The problem we had with this design is its collapsed size. Vented canopy designs on the market range between 14”-20” long, far too large using our internal Subway sandwich scale.

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After countless weeks of analysis, we figured out that we needed to come up with something radical. The result is a canopy rigid enough to hold a hemispherical shape, yet flexible enough to relieve high-pressure air underneath. This reminds us of our experience in the automotive industry when Cahay @cho was developing race cars. (bear with us, this will all tie in together)

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The chassis for most race cars is designed to be very stiff, giving the vehicle quick, sharp, and predictable handling characteristics. The suspension system is what remains flexible, allowing the vehicle to iron out road imperfections and gain maximum traction when cornering. We took that same philosophy and incorporated it into the Cypress Umbrella. The canopy was designed to be very stiff, similar to the chassis of a race car. Each individual rib has a sliding mechanism, comparable to the suspension of a race car. This results in a rigid canopy that holds its shape, yet the entire assembly is flexible enough to avoid the “parachute” effect.

Click link below to see the Cypress Umbrella’s Independent Suspension System in action.
http://bit.ly/cypress_windtest
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Be sure to check out our Facebook Page and give us a Like! We are also on Twitter and Instagram.
Next update will be posted Tuesday September 22nd.

Cheers,
Team Hedgehog

Facebook: Redirecting...
Twitter: @CypressUmbrella
Instagram: @CypressUmbrella

***By the way, I’m not really a big fan of calling this the “Independent Suspension System”. Can anyone suggest a more catchy name?

6 Likes