Collapsible single passenger riding golf bag cart

• US 10,016,666 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2016
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eric W. Reimers
• Original Assignee: Sun Mountain Sports Incorporated
• Inventors: Reimers, Eric W., Deden, Michael J., Truett, Dale H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shriver, II, James A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coolman, Vaughn
• Application Number:
  US15/254,384
• Publication Number:
  US 20180056152A1
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2210/50 Size reducing arrangements for stowing or transport
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 55/61 motorised
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 2202/404 Golf articles, e.g. golfbags
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 2205/145 retractable in the direction of the shaft, e.g. with telescopic shafts
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/022 folding down the body to the wheel carriage or by retracting projecting parts collapsible containers B65D, e.g. B65D7/24, B65D9/12, B65D11/18
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/106 the objects being bags
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/0033 Electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/0053 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 51/005 Vehicular characteristics of load handling vehicles, e.g. pedestrian trucks fork-lift trucks B66F9/06
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 51/02 the driver standing in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 15/008 foldable about 2 or more axes
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 2005/002 with adaptations to be used as golf carts
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 21/18 Connections between forks and handlebars or handlebar stems
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 5/01 Motorcycles with four or more wheels specially adapted for disabled riders B62K5/003
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 5/08 with steering devices acting on two or more wheels

Abstract

A standing riding golf bag cart (10) is provided for transporting a passenger and a golf bag (13) around a golf course. The cart (10) is adapted to covert between an expanded mode (12) for usage and a compact mode (14), for storage. The cart includes a base tube (22), a front carriage subassembly (24), a steering subassembly (26); a bag support subassembly (28); a central support subassembly (30), and a rear drive subassembly (32). The central support subassembly (30) is provided with running boards (80) upon which the passenger stands. The cart (10) is propelled by a pair of rear drive wheels (86) each having an associated electric motor (88) controlled by the passenger using a throttle control (94).

Claims

1. A collapsible single passenger riding golf bag cart, comprising:

a structural frame assembly including, a base tube, a front carriage subassembly, a steering subassembly, a bag support subassembly, a central support subassembly, and rear drive subassembly, wherein

said front carriage subassembly includes a pair of steerable front wheels;

said rear drive subassembly includes at least one fixed position but rotatable rear wheel, each said rear wheel being powered by an electric motor;

said central support subassembly includes running boards on either side of said base tube to support a rider;

the cart may be converted to and from an expanded mode for riding and use to a compact mode for storage and transport; and

said front wheels utilize an offset parallelogram linkage configuration in order to convert between said expanded mode and said compact mode.

2. The riding golf bag cart of claim 1, wherein:

said bag support subassembly is situated in front of the rider and pivots with said steering subassembly.

3. The riding golf bag cart of claim 1, wherein:

said front carriage subassembly is configured in accordance with the Ackerman principle for steering and stability.

4. The riding golf bag cart of claim 1, wherein:

said rear drive subassembly is slidably joined to said base tube by a telescoping tube, with a slide lock for affixing the sliding interface therebetween.

5. The riding golf bag cart of claim 1, wherein:

said front wheels have a larger diameter than said rear wheels.

6. The riding golf bag cart of claim 1, wherein:

said front wheels have fat tires which are inflated at relatively low pressure for a soft ride.

7. The riding golf bag cart of claim 1, wherein:

said running boards can pivot from extending outward from each side of said base tube for riding by a user to extending upward beside said base tube in said compact mode.

8. The riding golf bag cart of claim 1, wherein:

said steering assembly includes a steering column;

in said expanded mode said front wheels are deployed outward and forward of said steering column, and said steering column is deployed upright toward perpendicular with said base tube; and

in said compact mode said front wheels are folded backward and inward and said steering column is pivoted downward to be near parallel with said base tube.

9. A collapsible standing powered golf bag cart comprising:

a collapsible frame adapted to support a golf bag and a rider during use on a golf course

a collapsible steering subassembly extending upward to be easily accessible to the rider;

central support means for supporting a single rider during use, including a pair of running boards which may be folded up for compact storage; and

wherein

a front wheel subassembly is adapted to support a pair of steerable front wheels which subassembly may be expanded to provide a wide wheel-base during use and folded inward and rearward for compact storage and transport.

10. The collapsible standing powered golf bag cart of claim 9 and further comprising:

a rear drive subassembly including at least one drive wheel; and

at least one electric motor for driving each said drive wheel in order to propel the cart.

11. The collapsible standing powered golf bag cart of claim 10 wherein,

said rear drive subassembly includes two spaced-apart rear drive wheels in fixed alignment.

12. The collapsible standing powered golf bag cart of claim 11 wherein,

said at least one electric motor includes a disk motor associated with each said rear drive wheel and independently electronically controlled as to speed of rotation during turns.

13. The collapsible standing powered golf bag cart of claim 10 and further comprising:

a rechargeable battery mounted on said collapsible frame to power each said motor; and

user accessible throttle controls and associated wiring to vary the rate of rotation of each said drive wheel.

14. The collapsible standing powered golf bag cart of claim 9 wherein,

said cart is generally laterally symmetrical about a bisecting vertical plane.

15. A collapsible single passenger riding golf bag cart, comprising:

a structural frame assembly including, a base tube, a front carriage subassembly, a steering subassembly, a bag support subassembly, a central support subassembly, and rear drive subassembly, wherein

said front carriage subassembly includes a pair of steerable front wheels;

said rear drive subassembly includes at least one fixed position but rotatable rear wheel, each said rear wheel being powered by an electric motor;

said central support subassembly includes running boards on either side of said base tube to support a rider;

said steering assembly includes a steering column; and

wherein

the cart may be converted to and from an expanded mode for riding and use to a compact mode for storage and transport;

in said expanded mode said front wheels are deployed outward and forward of said steering column, and said steering column is deployed upright toward perpendicular with said base tube; and

in said compact mode said front wheels are folded backward and inward and said steering column is pivoted downward to be near parallel with said base tube.

16. A single passenger riding cart, comprising:

a structural support frame, including a base;

a front carriage subassembly with two front wheels;

a steering subassembly;

a cargo support subassembly situated forward of said steering subassembly and substantially between said front wheels;

a central support subassembly having a pair of running boards on each side of said base upon which the passenger may stand; and

a rear drive subassembly having at least one drive wheel for propelling the cart, cargo, and passenger forward around a golf course, wherein

said front carriage subassembly is adapted to fold inward and backward to a compact mode; and

said steering subassembly is adapted to fold downward toward said base in said compact mode.

17. The single passenger riding cart of claim 16, wherein:

said rear drive subassembly is telescopically mounted within said base so as to partially slide forward into said base to reduce the overall length of said cart in said compact mode.