The present invention relates to buggies for carrying golf bags and associated equipment and, more particularly to three-wheeled golf buggies.
Golf bags for serious golfers are large affairs accommodating a large number of clubs and therefore quite heavy. Thus most golfers who still prefer to walk around a golf course, choose to use a hand pulled, pushed or battery/electric driven golf buggy to carry the golf bag and clubs.
Three-wheeled buggies are popular because, unlike two-wheeled buggies, the load is always stably supported by the three wheels.
A disadvantage of the typical three-wheeled arrangement in which the front wheel is fixed in orientation, (that is parallel to the two rear wheels), is that to steer the buggy, it must be tilted to clear the front wheel off the ground so as to allow the buggy to be swung into a new direction. Thus a tendency in the design of these buggies is to bias the load centre towards the rear wheels which is counter to a more desirable evenly distributed load.
Some buggies have a relatively long wheel base, that is, a relatively long distance between the front wheel contact point and the line of contact points of the rear wheels, so that with a heavy golf bag load, the frequent tilting of the buggy for steering becomes inconvenient.
Electrically driven buggies have a further disadvantage in steering due to the rear drive wheels rotating in locked unison driving the buggy in a straight line. Not only must the front wheel be lifted clear off the ground, effort is required to overcome the drag of the outer rear wheel as the change in direction is made.
Another disadvantage of buggies with a fixed front wheel is that when travelling across sloping terrain, gravity tends to pull the buggy down the slope and away from the desired line of travel.
It is an object of the present invention to address or at least ameliorate some of the above disadvantages or provide a useful alternative.
The term “comprising” (and grammatical variations thereof) is used in this specification in the inclusive sense of “having” or “including”, and not in the exclusive sense of “consisting only of”.
The above discussion of the prior art in the Background of the invention, is not an admission that any information discussed therein is citable prior art or part of the common general knowledge of persons skilled in the art in any country.
Accordingly in one broad form of the invention there is provided a Steering system for a non passenger carrying golf buggy or cart that has the capability of carrying golf equipment.
Preferably, when the handle of the golf buggy is rotated, a cable system attached from this handle arrangement to the front wheel's axle arrangement forces the axle and attached wheel to change direction thus enabling controlled steering by the user.
Preferably, the axle and wheel is fitted in a slot along the inside of the axle frame. The axle is free to move in both directions along the frame. The axle is held in a neutrally square position by a combination of springs at both its ends, and by tension of the controlling inner cables attached to both ends of the said axle. This enables the buggy to travel straight when no steering is used. When either of the inner cables is pulled at one end of the axle, and tension released from the opposite inner cable, the axle will move off its neutral position allowing the attached wheel to change direction.
In a further broad form of the invention, there is provided a steering system for a three-wheeled buggy; the buggy including a pair of spaced apart rear wheels and a front wheel attached to a frame; the buggy further including a handle pivotally mounted to the frame; the handle operatively interconnected with an articulated frame member supporting the front wheel.
Preferably, the articulated frame member is a fork; the fork pivoting about a generally vertical axis relative a main portion of the frame.
Preferably, rotation of the handle relative the frame results in rotation of the fork about the generally vertical axis.
Preferably, rotation of the handle is communicate to the fork and the front wheel through at least one flexible cable.
Preferably, rotation of the handle is communicated to the fork through a pair of flexible cables; a tensioning of the first flexible cable of the pair of flexible cables causing a rotation of the fork to the right relative the main portion of the frame; a tensioning of the second flexible cable of the pair of flexible cables causing a rotation of the fork to the left when the handle is rotated respectively in a clockwise and an anti-clockwise direction about a pivot axis of the handle.
Preferably, the at least one or the pair of flexible cables are Bowden cables; the cables comprising a flexible outer sheath and a flexible inner cable.
Preferably, a first end of the inner cable of the at least one, or the pair of flexible cables, is attached to a body rigidly mounted to a pivot shaft of the handle; a first end of a corresponding flexible outer sheath affixed to the main portion of the frame proximate the body.
Preferably, a second end of the inner cable of the at least one, or the pair of flexible cables, is attached to the fork; a second end of a corresponding outer sheath affixed to the main portion of the frame proximate the generally vertical axis.
Preferably, a connection point of the first end of the inner cable on the body lies at a radial distance from the pivot axis such that a maximum angle of rotation of the body with rotation of the handle causes a tensioning of the inner cable sufficient to urge a maximum rotation of the front wheel.
Preferably, the body comprises at least a portion of a cylinder; the first end of at least one or each inner cable attached at a periphery of the grooved cylinder; a portion of the inner cable passing around a portion of the periphery.
Preferably, the at least one flexible cable is a single Morse type Bowden cable; rigid rod elements at leading and trailing ends of the single Morse type Bowden cable linked respectively to the fork of the front wheel and to the steering handle; the rigid rod elements interconnected by a flexible cable extending through an outer sheath of the Morse type Bowden cable.
Preferably, a spring acts between the front wheel and the frame to bias the front wheel into a default centered position.
In another broad form of the invention, there is provided a method of steering a three-wheeled golf buggy; the method including the steps of:
Preferably, the at least one or pair of cables are flexible Bowden cables.
Preferably, the at least one or a pair of cables comprises a single Morse type Bowden cable.
Preferably, rotation of the handle is transmitted to the articulated front wheel by a pair of flexible Bowden cables.
Preferably, rotation of the handle portion rotates a grooved cylindrical body; first ends of inner cables of the pair of flexible Bowden cables attached to, and at least partly wound around, respective grooves of the grooved cylindrical body.
Preferably, second ends of the inner cables of the pair of flexible Bowden cables are attached to respective sides of a front fork of the articulated front wheel.
Preferably, rotation of the front wheel about an axis of rotation is driven by extension and retraction of a leading end rigid rod extending from a leading end of the single Morse type Bowden cable and connected to the front fork of the golf buggy; extension and retraction of the leading end rigid rod being induced by rotation of the steering handle connected to a trailing end rigid rod extending from a trailing end of the single Morse type Bowden cable.
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:
The golf buggy to which the present invention is applied, is a three-wheeled buggy for carrying a golf bag. The buggy includes a pair of spaced apart rear wheels and a front wheel attached to a frame as shown in
With reference firstly to
The fork 14 is acted upon by at least one, but preferably, as shown in
A spring 24 acts against the fork 14 to bias the fork into a default centered position as shown in
In this first preferred embodiment with reference now to
It can be seen that, as the handle 30 rotates, for example in a clockwise direction, that tension will be applied to cable 20 while cable 22 will be relaxed. By this means the rotation of the handle 30 is transmitted to the fork 14 and front wheel 12 to urge the fork and wheel into an angled position and thus steer the buggy out of the straight ahead direction.
With reference now to
The handle 120 is operatively interconnected with an articulated frame member, preferably in the form of a fork 122 supporting the front wheel 112. The fork 122 pivots about a generally vertical axis 124 relative a main portion of the frame 118.
The handle 120 and the fork 122 are interconnected by at least one, but as above, preferably two flexible cables 126 and 128. Preferably cables 126 and 128 are the inner cables of Bowden cables 127,129 which comprise of a flexible outer sheath in which the flexible inner cable is free to travel.
As can be seen from the enlargements of
With particular reference to
It can be seen from
The diameter of body 134 is selected such that a reasonable maximum rotation angle of the handle 120, that is, reasonable in respect of the ease of handling by the hand/s and wrist/s of a user, the movement of the tensioned inner cable 128 urges a maximum steering angle of the fork 122.
Rotation of the handle 120 is communicated to the fork 122 through the pair of flexible inner cables; a tensioning of the first flexible cable 128 of the pair of flexible cables causing a rotation of the fork to the right relative the main portion of the frame 118, while a tensioning of the second flexible cable 126 causes a rotation of the fork to the left when the handle is rotated respectively in a clockwise or an anti-clockwise direction.
As shown in the enlargement of
A bias towards a centering of the front wheel 112 to the straight ahead direction can be induced by a spring acting on the fork 122 as described for the first embodiment above.
In a further preferred embodiment of the invention with reference now to
In this embodiment however, movement of the articulated front wheel 212 and the fork 222 is induced by a single cable only; in this case a Morse type Bowden cable 227. Morse type Bowden cables are distinguished from the more common standard Bowden cable by having rigid rod elements 226 and 228 projecting from the respective leading end 230 and trailing end 232 which are affixed to the frame member 218. Rigid rod elements 226 and 228 are interconnected by a flexible cable running through the cable's outer sheath, as in a standard Bowden cable.
These rigid rod elements allow a Morse type Bowden Cable to be double acting in the sense that force may be provided to objects connected to the rod end at the remote or leading end of the cable in extension as well as in retraction.
As can be seen in
It will be understood that, rotation of the steering handle 220 in a counter clockwise direction, will draw the ridged rod elements of the cable in the opposite direction, acting in effect in the manner of a standard Bowden Cable, and turning the front wheel in a counter clockwise direction.
As in the previously described embodiments above, a centering spring may be provided at either the steering handle or the articulated front wheel, or at both, to bias the steering arrangement of the golf buggy into the straight forward direction.
The steering arrangement of the invention provides a relatively simple system for conveniently steering a buggy by a convenient rotation of the handle.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2014901978 | May 2014 | AU | national |
2015900262 | Jan 2015 | AU | national |