Traffic light umbrella does not close

Alternatively, use a screw slightly! larger and screw it in (with gentle force). However, I fear the screw material is steel, while the crank is probably made of aluminum in a softer (cheaper) alloy. You have to proceed very carefully so you don't "break" the part.

I actually don't dare to do that. As you can see from the pictures, there's not much "meat" left there anyway, and I don't have a larger screw on hand that I could forcibly insert with a similar thread. I have lots of those Fischer screws used to anchor shelves to walls, but the individual threads have a significantly wider spacing. The strange screw that was in the umbrella, on the other hand, somehow has an unbelievable number of threads, a very odd part. I also didn't have anything like that in my (small but existing) collection. Now I don't know what to do. My husband is not a handyman and is responsible for the return. I'm a cheapskate and don't want to spend more than €100 on an umbrella that we only want to use for 2-3 years. The umbrella we have was the last of its kind and is now sold out. The alternatives look significantly "rickety" in the photos compared to our €100 umbrella, so I somehow don't want to exchange it. I could write to Obi again and ask if they would offer the 25% discount on the price and we keep it after all. Then I have to find a workable solution for the crank problem somehow. You can also buy the crank separately for €5, but I doubt that will help with the broken thread.

Have you ever screwed the bolt in without the crank? Does it grip then or does it slip out as well?

Have you ever screwed the bolt in without the crank? Does it catch then or does it slip out as well?

Yes, I have tried, you can practically push it in with your finger and pull it out again without much resistance, it doesn't hold anymore as it is.

If I remember the picture correctly, that is a grub screw. Available at a well-stocked hardware store.

I don't see a grub screw anywhere there. That is a Phillips screw that fixes the rectangular part so that the crank engages.

As I said, it was from memory. It's been a few days and I haven't looked at it again.