Patent Application
20070278816
The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present teachings in any way.
The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the present teachings, application, or uses. Throughout this specification, like reference numerals will be used to refer to like elements.
The golf car 10 further includes a seat 26 to accommodate a driver and a passenger, a utility basket 28 utilized for holding a golfer's personal items and/or golfing equipment, such as golf balls, club head covers, gloves, hats, jackets, sweaters, shoes, etc., and a golf bag yoke 30 for securing the golf clubs and bag 16 in place on the cargo platform 18. The utility basket 28 and bag yoke 30 can be separate components cooperatively coupled to a pair of roof support side struts 34, or integrally formed into a combined basket and yoke component coupled to the side struts 34. Furthermore, the golf car 10 includes a steering wheel 32 which controls a steering angle of the front wheels 20.
Referring to
An upper portion 60 of each of the mounting frame legs 58 includes a retention mechanism 62 to frictionally retain the mounting frame 46 between the roof support side struts 34, as described further below. Each retention mechanism 62 can be any mechanism, device or system suitable for frictionally retaining each mounting frame leg 58 effectively in physical communication with the corresponding roof support side struts 34. For example, as illustrated in
The one or more deployment frames, described herein with reference to upper and lower deployment frames 50 and 54, are pivotally connected to the mounting frame 46 at distal end portion of arms of the deployment frames, e.g., arms 74 and 78 of deployment frames 50 and 54, respectively. The deployment frames 50 and 54 are generally C-shaped to correspond with and sufficiently match the shape of the mounting frame 46. The pivotal connection and shape of the deployment frames 50 and 54 allow the deployment frames to be pivotally transitioned between the stowed and deployed positions. In the stowed position, the deployment frames 50 and 54 are ‘folded’ up to generally ‘stack’ with the mounting frame 46. That is, in various embodiments, the lower deployment frame 50 is pivotally connected to an outer side of the mounting frame legs 58, such that the lower mounting frame will pivot and collapse around the outer side of the mounting frame 46, as illustrated in
In accordance with various embodiments, the canopy system 14 is a preassembled system that is installed on the golf car 10. That is, the canopy cover 42 is mounted over the canopy frame 38 so that the canopy system 14 can be quickly and easily installed, and operationally ready, on the golf car 10, as described below, as a single unit. As illustrated in
In various embodiments, the canopy cover 42 includes a hinge port 82 approximately adjacent the pivot points of the deployment frames 50 and 54, i.e., approximately adjacent the points where the deployment frame arms 74 and 78 pivotally connect to the mounting frame 46. The hinge ports 82 allow the canopy cover 42 to collapse and fold when being transitioned to the stowed position without binding or pinching between the mounting frame 46 and the deployment frames 50 and 54. Additionally, in various embodiments, the canopy cover 42 can include one or more translucent panels integrally formed with the canopy cover 42 to allow view of objects, e.g., golf clubs, covered by the canopy system 14 when in the deployed position.
Referring now to
As described above, each of the mounting frame legs 58 includes a retention mechanism 62 to frictionally retain the mounting frame 46 between the roof support side struts 34. In various embodiments, each retention mechanism 62 can include a pair of binding pins 66, as shown in
The canopy system 14 is then rotated such that the mounting frame legs 58 effectively frictionally engage the respective roof support side struts 34 with roof support side struts 34 retained by the retention mechanisms. For example, the roof support side struts 34 are retained between the binding pins 66 or between legs of the U or C-bracket. With the upper portions 60 of the mounting frame legs 58 frictionally retained between upper portions 84 of the roof support side struts 34, distal ends 86 of the mounting frame legs 58 are lowered to contact a top of any suitable fixed structure of the golf car located at the rear of the golf car 10. For example, in various embodiments, the fixed structure can be the utility basket 28 and/or the yoke 30, as illustrated throughout the Figures. More particularly, the mounting frame 46 includes a mounting bracket 90 formed or connected at the distal end 86 of each mounting frame leg 58 that is lowered into contact with a top of the fixed structure, e.g., the utility basket 28 and/or the yoke 30. Each mounting bracket 90 is coupled, or fastened, to the fixed structure, e.g., the utility basket 28 and/or the yoke 30, using any suitable coupling or fastening means. For example, each mounting foot 90 could be bolted, screwed or riveted to the utility basket 28 and/or the yoke 30. The mounting bracket 90 can be any bracket or component suitable for securing coupling the distal ends 86 of each mounting frame leg 58 to the fixed structure. For example, in various embodiments, the mounting brackets 90 are flat plates formed or connected at the distal end 86 of each mounting frame leg 58.
Once each mounting bracket 90 is coupled, or fastened, to the fixed structure, e.g., the utility basket 28 and/or the yoke 30, the mounting frame upper portions 60 can not move and the retention mechanisms 62 can not disengage from the roof support side struts 34. Therefore, the mounting frame is securely connected between the roof support side struts 34 and the canopy system 14 is securely installed on the golf car 10. More particularly, to install and secure the canopy system 14 to the golf car 10 only the fastening means, e.g., nuts and bolts, are needed. The canopy system 14 is frictionally secured at the top between the roof support side struts 34, via the retention mechanisms, and secured at the bottom, via the mounting frame mounting brackets 90. Therefore, the preassembled canopy system 10 can be easily and quickly installed as an operationally ready single unit absent any roof support side strut 34 invasive fastener, i.e., without the need for holes to be formed or drilled in the roof support side struts 34, which may weaken the roof support side struts 34, and without the need for time consuming assembly of the canopy system during installation.
The description herein is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of that which is described are intended to be within the scope of the teachings. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the teachings.
