How umbrella springs store energy to open our shades

UPDATE - follow-up to On umbrellas, springs, and superconductivity: An umbrella's rod is made of multiple cylinders placed one around the other, and a spring opens them up one after another in succession. When you close an umbrella, you press down on the spring and store mechanical energy inside it. Springs are usually metal wires wound in a spiral shape, which lets us store this kind of energy.

Context

Everyday objects like umbrellas use basic physics principles like springs and stored energy to work automatically. These simple mechanisms help make routine tools easier to use when the weather changes.