Umbrella / Parasol

Last summer I took a trip to Hong Kong. I was impressed by the large number of people using umbrellas, mostly for the sun. I decided then that an umbrella would be an excellent thing to make on a 3D printer. It has certainly taken me a while to get around to it (Valentine's Day did offer a convenient deadline), but I finally have something I'm happy with.

This is a small umbrella (or parasol) that folds, printed in place. It combines two things I enjoy: flexible structures and moving parts, with no assembly required.

With the printed canopy, this umbrella is mostly for decoration. It seems like it would be useless for rain, though it does provide some shade. However, a version without the canopy is included, so that you can attach a (more effective) paper or cloth one.