Many people enjoy outdoor activities. However, some people, particularly in environments with intense sunlight must avoid some or all exposure to sunlight. Studies have shown that in most people, prolonged exposure to intense sunlight increases the risk of certain types of skin cancer.
Many devices have been developed in the past to provide shade in environments with significant amounts of sunlight. One common device for providing shade is an oversized umbrella which may be anchored to an unstable substrate such as sand. At seaside resorts, portable cabanas are often offered. Each of these devices are large and cumbersome making them unattractive to many potential users.
Another device which has been used in the past is an umbrella which has been configured with a clamp instead of a handle wherein the clamp may be used to attach the umbrella to the back of a chair or table top. While this device is portable, it provides only partial shade and it must be constantly adjusted to be effective. All of the abovementioned shade devices are easily blown away or damaged by high wind.
For the foregoing, no device is known which provides a large shaded area when erected, which is highly stable in windy conditions, and which collapses to a compact size for storage and transportation.
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