I went to pick up my umbrella the other day to go out for lunch on a wet day, and guess what? - some blert, had already "borrowed" it.

If only its shaft had been fitted with a small lock, requiring a key to be turned before it would unfurl, no-one would have bothered taking it.
-- xenzag, Dec 07 2007

Chubb Lock http://www.chubblocks.co.uk/start.html
for a very secure umbrella [xenzag, Dec 07 2007]

The Homing Umbrella Homing_20Umbrella*
[Canuck, Dec 08 2007]

Somehow I thought this was going to be about a chubby Cinderella. [+] anyway
-- 37PiecesOf Flair, Dec 07 2007


Simple and practical ... [+]
-- 8th of 7, Dec 07 2007


Simple and practical...but [+] anyway.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Dec 07 2007


... yes I was thinking that too - a dubious compliment in this place.
-- xenzag, Dec 07 2007


i thought you were going to protect chubby, oversized kids (like i was) from the rain.
-- crazyrog17, Dec 07 2007


And I thought it was going to be foul weather protection for the chupacabra.
-- normzone, Dec 07 2007


Shameless self-promotion-based WIFRT - for some reason my Homing Umbrella idea came to mind. : )

Then I realized that would be like closing the barn door etc. etc.

How about an anti-theft remote sensor? The umbrella comes with a keychain type remote control you can use to activate an alarm. The alarm is in the umbrella so when someone "borrows" your brolly, as soon as it gets out of range it begins to play a tone or tune that prevents the perpetrator from leaving the premises undetected.

I'd like mine to play a really cheesy, low-fidelity version of "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head" the entire time the light-fingered lunchgoer holds onto my purloined parasol.

However, should you choose to loan out your umbrella you simply grab your handy remote and deactivate the alarm so, for example, when a cow orker says something like "If it wasn't raining I'd go across the street and buy everyone a treat" you could hand him your unsecured umbrella.
-- Canuck, Dec 08 2007


//requiring a key to be turned before it would unfurl//
Or perhaps to prevent a package of red dye from exploding.
-- ldischler, Dec 08 2007


What about instead of a spike at the end, one of those mini-caribiner things that some people put keys on... except that the latch part is a 3 digit barrel-lock... come into the office, hook the brolly onto the pole in the coat-closet and give the lock a twirl.

Slightly less useful but more entertaining and satisfying would be an umbrella that, 15 seconds after being unfurled, turns inside out unless an innocuous button is pressed.

(I too thought the title referred to a willie wellie of some sort)
-- FlyingToaster, Dec 11 2007


I saw an intricate arrangement of hinged fishes.

But [+]
-- Ned_Ludd, Dec 11 2007


it's interesting that you should say that, because I have a design for an umbrella, which consists of overlapping fish shapes. It's called Umbreamella. It's not really bakery material - just looks nice.
-- xenzag, Dec 11 2007


I thought that this was going to be a fairy tale about a fish with two ugly step-sisters. Instead it turned out to be a very sensible idea. Shame on you xenzag! +
-- DrBob, Dec 11 2007



random, halfbakery