Bloom pops up like a flower bud blossoms, brightening up a dull rainy day. When not in use, Bloom is conveniently folded to a flat round piece of approx. 6.5' in diameter. To use Bloom, simply unfold the stem, then push the button at lower end of the stem. Bloom will flourish to protect you from rain.

How Bloom works:

Have you ever seen a pop-up hamper?

Bloom uses the same mechanic used for the pop-up hamper that consists of wire-suspended panels interconnected to each other.

Bloom has eight petals (panels) joined together. Each petal houses twistable metallic wire at its very outer edge. This twistable metallic frame makes each petal to tri-fold in round shape. At the center of the petal is drawstring that goes through the stem all the way to the lower end of the stem. Bloom houses a rewinder in the round lower end of the stem. This uses the mechanic seen in the measuring tape. When one pushes the button, this rewinder releases drawstring, enabling the petals to open. Push the same button in the other direction, then the drawstring is pulled back in, resulting the petals to fold back in their original position.

Here is a link to an example of a pop-up hamper just for reference: LINK

(*Patent Category Inc. holds patent on pop-up twistable wired panels when multiple panels are jointed together. Bloom will either use wire that is jointed by fabric, or pay royalty to Patent Category.)

How Bloom benefits the environment:

* Bloom uses less than 50% of metallic parts than the regular umbrellas.

* The stem of Bloom is plastic made from Corn, which biodegrades unlike regular plastic, and safe to the environment.

* The fabric used in Bloom is polyester for now but will shift to textiles/polymer films derived from corn when they are available.

That's it, thank you!

20060901-8723-6760