Reading Posh
Sophisticated rhetorician
Umbrellas may be turned inside out in the future - after a design graduate unveiled a spokeless brolly that he claims will not fall apart in windy weather.
Designers have spent nearly 500 years wrestling with how to create the ultimate lightweight yet sturdy folding umbrella.
Richard Lawson, 23, from Sutton Coldfield, near Birmingham, has created a pocket-size rain shelter made from spring steel loops it folds into a tiny round disc that fits into the palm of your hand.
It has no spokes or sharp edges to injure fellow pedestrians and is resistant to strong winds that usually cause traditional umbrellas to give up the ghost.
Splu - spring loaded umbrella - is a complete redesign of the traditional brolly and follows months of research and production.
The Nottingham Trent University graduate said: "I had an idea about using spring steel loops in a similar fashion to portable photography reflectors and applying it to the umbrella.
"It was a challenging brief but I felt I could come up with a solution and after 30 odd prototypes I reached the finished concept."
Splu is constructed from little more than spring steel, waterproof fabric and a simple plastic moulding. The central plastic handle can be pushed to one side to allow for maximum coverage space and can also be moved to collapse the umbrella.
Made of lightweight rip-proof nylon, the sturdy design is claimed to be resistant to strong winds but can be easily righted if inverted. The umbrella folds down by twisting the flexible spring steel loops into thirds, forming a 14cm diameter disc, allowing it to be easily carried in the hand, pocket or handbag.
Mr Lawson, who gained a 2:1 in Product and Furniture Design at the university, has just returned from exhibiting Splu in London where he says it received interest from a number of parties, including Nike.
Designers have spent nearly 500 years wrestling with how to create the ultimate lightweight yet sturdy folding umbrella.
Richard Lawson, 23, from Sutton Coldfield, near Birmingham, has created a pocket-size rain shelter made from spring steel loops it folds into a tiny round disc that fits into the palm of your hand.
It has no spokes or sharp edges to injure fellow pedestrians and is resistant to strong winds that usually cause traditional umbrellas to give up the ghost.
Splu - spring loaded umbrella - is a complete redesign of the traditional brolly and follows months of research and production.
The Nottingham Trent University graduate said: "I had an idea about using spring steel loops in a similar fashion to portable photography reflectors and applying it to the umbrella.
"It was a challenging brief but I felt I could come up with a solution and after 30 odd prototypes I reached the finished concept."
Splu is constructed from little more than spring steel, waterproof fabric and a simple plastic moulding. The central plastic handle can be pushed to one side to allow for maximum coverage space and can also be moved to collapse the umbrella.
Made of lightweight rip-proof nylon, the sturdy design is claimed to be resistant to strong winds but can be easily righted if inverted. The umbrella folds down by twisting the flexible spring steel loops into thirds, forming a 14cm diameter disc, allowing it to be easily carried in the hand, pocket or handbag.
Mr Lawson, who gained a 2:1 in Product and Furniture Design at the university, has just returned from exhibiting Splu in London where he says it received interest from a number of parties, including Nike.