Abstract:
A thermally insulated cooler adapted to attach to the front of a motorized golf cart. The cooler having a top wall, a bottom wall and a sidewall wherein the top, bottom and sidewalls are made of flexible, thermally insulating material. The cooler rests on the front face of the golf cart&#39;s body and provides a thermally insulated storage area for items. The cooler includes a connecting mechanism for detachably connecting at least one edge of the top wall to a corresponding edge of the sidewall to allow access to the storage area.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention relates generally to the field of food and beverage coolers for motorized golf carts.  
         DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART  
         [0002]    Golf cart coolers in the past have been utilized to keep beverages and other perishable items cool and to provide a storage area for these items. Since golfing is a summer sport, players are often subjected to very hot weather conditions and they desire fluids and snacks to help maintain their strength during play. However, golf carts typically do not have any means for storing items in a thermally insulated environment.  
           [0003]    An example of a cooler that was invented for a golf cart is U.S. Pat. No. 4,989,767 to Vernon D. Buschbom. This patent describes a cooler designed for a golf cart. The cooler is meant to be portable and attaches either to the inner front of the cart&#39;s body within the passenger compartment or the outer front face of the cart. It is described as a hard body cooler with a rigid mounting member for attaching to the cart&#39;s body. The top of the cooler is attached to the back sidewall of the cooler using a rigid hinge member and screws. The bottom of the cooler is fitted with a rubber cushion member to prevent damaging the cart. The cooler is affixed to the inside front of the passenger compartment, being secured into this position using a floor mounting plate. Alternatively, the cooler may be attached to the outside front face of the cart&#39;s body using either a rigid hook, screws or bolts.  
           [0004]    There are several key disadvantages of the cooler described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,989,767 to Vernon D. Bijschbom. Since the cooler is a hard body structure it is not easy to store or transport. The cooler cannot be rolled or folded up, therefore, it cannot be stored in a player&#39;s golf bag and also takes up a significant amount of room in a player&#39;s car. The cooler described in this patent is not convenient to store and transport. In addition, the cooler is described as having a rigid mounting hook system. This hook system is not flexible to hook onto any cart in the market. If the body of the cart does not lend itself to allow the hook to attach, the cooler cannot be attached without securing it to the golf cart using screws or bolts. Therefore, the cooler is not versatile to allow a player to connect it to any cart temporarily for a round of golf and then disconnect it and take it home.  
           [0005]    Another example of a cooler used in a golf cart is the POWER CART SPORTS COOLER that is currently being sold in the United States by SPORTS COOLERS UNLIMITED. This cooler is designed to fit inside of the golf cart&#39;s sweater rack between the passenger seating compartment and the golf bag storage area. The cooler is made out of soft panel construction with a zipper sealing three edges of the top to the side panels. It is clear in the advertisement of this product that the cooler is specifically designed to be positioned within the sweater rack of the cart and that it has no means to allow it to be attached to the front of the cart.  
           [0006]    There are several key disadvantages of the type of cooler described in the SPORTS COOLER UNLIMITED advertisement. The first disadvantage is that the cooler is only designed to be positioned within the sweater rack. Typically, this rack is utilized to store jackets, sweaters, club head covers, hats and other items. If a player uses this cooler, he or she loses the storage space provided by the sweater rack to store other items. It would also be difficult to access the cooler from outside of the cart when golf bags are stored in the golf bag storage department with the bags secured to the bag rack attached to the sweater rack. The golf clubs in the bags are much taller than the top of the cooler, restricting access to the cooler from the outside of the cart. It would also be difficult to unzip the zipper on the top of the cooler that is closest to the golf bags from either within or outside of the cart since the zipper and bags are in close proximity to each other. The access to the cooler would be further hindered if the cart had a rearwardly extending golf bag canopy rain cover that is very popular on golf carts. The canopy rain cover would extend over the cooler even when the rain cover is retracted to allow access to the golf clubs. Another disadvantage to this design is that the cooler is limited in size by the inside dimensions of the sweater rack. If one cooler is used for four to six players having several golf carts, there is not adequate space within the cooler to store enough beverages and sandwiches to provide for all of the players.  
           [0007]    Another cooler design that has been patented in the United States is Design Patent No. 293,551. This design patent describes a design for a cooler that is to be sewn or otherwise permanently mounted to the side of a golf bag. As can be clearly determined by the figures in this patent, this cooler has a distinct shape and contour, and is not designed to be mounted on a golf cart.  
           [0008]    Therefore, a portable, easily transportable golf cart cooler that can be mounted to a golf cart in an area that does not reduce the storage room of the cart and is easily secured onto the cart is desired.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    The present invention provides a golf cart cooler that is portable and easy to mount to the front of almost any golf car:. The cooler provides additional storage space to the cart for storing beverages, snacks and other perishable items in a thermally insulated container. The cooler is made from a soft body construction making it easy to fold up, transport and store.  
           [0010]    It is to be understood that both the preceding summary and the following detailed description are intended to be exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide a further explanation of the invention claimed. The invention will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.  
         OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES OF INVENTION  
         [0011]    Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the present invention are:  
           [0012]    (a) to provide a golf cart cooler that mounts to the front of a golf cart providing additional storage room for beverages and perishable foods;  
           [0013]    (b) to provide a golf cart cooler that is robust and durable;  
           [0014]    (c) to provide a golf cart cooler with plenty of storage capacity that does not take up existing space within the golf cart;  
           [0015]    (d) to provide a golf cart cooler that can be quickly and easily mounted to the front of a golf cart;  
           [0016]    (e) to provide a golf cart cooler that can be easily accessed from within or outside of the cart;  
           [0017]    (f) to provide a golf cart cooler that is esthetically pleasing and is mounted in front of the cart where an advertisement can be displayed on the front, top and sides of the cooler; and  
           [0018]    (g) to provide a golf cart cooler that is made from a soft body construction making it easy to fold up, transport and store. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0019]    These and other advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent as the following description is read in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a golf cart with a cart top in which the first embodiment of the present invention is mounted onto the front of the cart;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the golf cart with a windshield in which an alternative first embodiment of the present invention is mounted onto the front of the cart;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the first embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 3A is an enlarged view of the buckle members detached;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 3B is an enlarged view of the buckle members connected;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the first embodiment of the present invention with the top open;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of the first embodiment of the present invention mounted onto a golf cart with the top open;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of the second embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of the third embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 7A is an enlarged view of the hook strap shown in the third embodiment;  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 8 is a front perspective view of the fourth embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 9 is a front perspective view of the fifth embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0032]    [0032]FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a motorized golf cart  10  having a body  12 , a passenger compartment  14 , vertically extending and laterally spaced apart front right and left frame members  16 R and  16 L and rear right and left frame members  18 R and  18 L. The frame members support a cart top  20  shown in FIG. 1. The front right and left frame members can alternatively support a windshield  34  shown in FIG. 2 or both the windshield and the cart top.  
         [0033]    Body  12  of cart  10  has a front face  22  on which a first embodiment of the present invention, a cooler  24 , is shown resting in FIG. 1. The cooler is mounted to the cart by resting a bottom  26  of cooler  24  onto front face  22  of the cart and surrounding right front frame member  16 R with a right strap  28 R and securing a male buckle member  46  that is sewn or otherwise attached onto the end of the right strap into a female buckle member  48 , as shown in FIG. 3. A left strap  28 L is secured around left front frame member  16 L in the same way the right strap was secured. The right and left straps cooperate to support the cooler preventing it from sliding down the declining front face of the golf cart. Alternatively, the male and female buckle members on the straps could be replaced by hook and loop type fasteners, snaps, hooks or other fastening mechanisms. An elastic cord  30  with a hook  32  secured to the elastic cord&#39;s end is used to hook the bottom of the cooler to a lower face edge  23  of front face  22 . The attachment of hook  32  onto lower front face edge  23  prevents the wind from raising bottom  26  off of the front face of the cart when the cart is traveling. The elastic cord is stretched to attach the hook on the end of the elastic cord over lower face edge  23  shown in FIG. 1. The stretched elastic cord has resultant tension within the cord that applies a downward force on the bottom of the cooler keeping bottom  26  in contact with front face  22  on cart  10 . It should be noted that a rubber or other elastic material could replace the elastic cord. Additionally, the elastic cord could be replaced by a strap or could be eliminated completely by using the weight of the contents within cooler  24  to hold the cooler clown in position. The hook on the end of elastic cord  30  can be made out of tough plastic as for example nylon, however, a metal hook would also work.  
         [0034]    Turning now to a more detailed description of cooler  24 , shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Right strap  28 R is sewn to the outer face of the right portion of a rear sidewall  42  and left strap  28 L that is sewn to the outer face of the left portion of rear sidewall  42 . On the ends of the right and left straps are male buckle members  46  that are designed to be detachable received by female buckle members  48  connected onto loops  49  that are sewn onto the outer face of the right and left hand portions of rear sidewall  42 . The male and female buckle members can be made of a tough plastic, as for example nylon. Male buckles  46  have flexible latches  47  that engage the inside cavity of the female buckle members causing the latches to deflect toward each other as the male buckle member is inserted into the female buckle member. When the barbed ends of the latches reach slots  50  in the female buckle member, the latches snap outwardly away from each other through slots  50 , as shown in FIG. 3B. This type of buckle and latch system is well known to those skilled in the art and will not be described further. The left and right straps and the loops can be constructed of polyester webbing material, however, cotton webbing material would also work. Alternatively, the right and left straps could be replaced by one longer strap that is capable of surrounding both the front right and left frame members. Additionally, a rope could replace the straps.  
         [0035]    A storage area  52  defined by a top  36 , a sidewall  38 , bottom  26  and rear sidewall  42 , all being constructed of a flexible material made out of nylon, polyester, pack clothe, foam-backed foil or similar materials with thermally insulating properties. Alternatively, a combination of the mentioned materials may be attached together. The top, sidewall, bottom and rear sidewall can be additionally lined with a polymer material to further thermally insulate the walls and add to their wear resistance. Sidewall  38 , bottom  26  and rear sidewall  42  are sewn together at corresponding edges, however, they could also be attached by gluing or using other connection methods like hook and loop strips, interlocking tongue and groove edges or buckled together. In this way, the sidewall, bottom, top and rear sidewall make up the flexible structural body of the cooler, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Alternatively, two or more of these walls could be made from a single piece of material. For example, sidewall  38  and rear sidewall  42  could be made using the same continuous piece of material, reducing the amount of sewing required. The rear edge of top  36  is sewn onto the upper edge of rear sidewall  42  forming a seam  41 , as can be seen in FIG. 4. Alternatively, the rear edge of top  36  could be glued, snapped or hook and loop fastened to the upper edge of rear sidewall  42 . A right handle  44 R is sewn onto the outer face of the right side portion of sidewall  38  and a left handle  44 L is sewn onto the outer face of the left side portion of sidewall  38 . It should be noted that the right and left handles could be sewn in different locations than indicated. Additionally, the handles may be attached using other attachment methods, as for example glue, rivets or plastic welding. Both the right and left handles can be made of tough vinyl or polyester webbing material. The handles are used for lifting the cooler and transporting it. A zipper  54  is sewn onto the upper edge of sidewall  38  and the top&#39;s corresponding edge. The zipper can be made from tough plastic, as for example nylon, however, metal zippers may be used as well. The zipper serves as a convenient fastener to secure the upper edge of the sidewall to the corresponding edge of the top. The zipper could be replaced by a hook and loop fastener, snaps  55 , as shown in FIG. 2, or other fastening mechanisms.  
         [0036]    Referring now to FIG. 5, the cooler can be used to store items  53  within storage area  52  by unzipping zipper  54 , lifting top  36  and placing the items within storage area  52 . Items  53  stored within the storage area are supported by sidewall  38  and rest on bottom  26 . Zipper  54  can be zipped closed to seal the upper edge of sidewall  38  to the corresponding edge of top  36 . In this way, the items are secured within the storage area and cannot fall out of cooler  24 . The stored items  53  are thermally insulated from the warmer outside ambient temperature.  
         [0037]    In a second embodiment of this invention, shown in FIG. 6, a modified storage area  152  has a substantially cylindrical shape. In this embodiment, a modified top  136  is round and a modified sidewall  138  is one continuous sheet of flexible insulating material made out of nylon, polyester, pack clothe, foam-backed foil or similar materials with thermally insulating properties. However, it could also be made of several pieces of material attached together. A modified strap  128  replaces the two smaller original right and left straps included in the first embodiment. However, it should be noted that two or more straps could be used for this second embodiment. Additionally, the right and left handles have been eliminated. Alternatively, the cooler of this embodiment could include one or more handles. The cooler could also have a number of other shapes, as for example oval, rectangular, etc.  
         [0038]    In a third embodiment of this invention, shown in FIG. 7, the left and right straps have been replaced by a left hook strap  56 L and a right hook strap  56 R. Both the left and right hook straps have hooks  32  attached at their ends, as shown in FIG. 7A. The hooks are used to hook over an upper face edge  40  shown in FIG. 7. The cooler can be secured to front face  22  of golf cart  10  by first hooking hooks  32  on the ends of the hook straps over upper face edge  40 , resting the cooler on front face  22  and then stretching elastic cord  30  to enable hook  32  on the end of the elastic cord to be hooked onto lower face edge  23 . In this way, cooler  24  is retained on front face  22  by the left and right hook straps preventing the cooler from slipping down the declining front face and elastic cord  30  with hook  32  hooked to the lower face edge providing a downward force on cooler  24  preventing the hooks on the ends of the left and right hook straps from shaking loose while the golf cart is moving. The left and right hook straps can be made from polyester webbing material, cotton webbing material or from an elastic material. Alternatively, the left and right hook straps could be replaced by a single hook strap that was connected in the center of the cooler. Another feature of this embodiment is that zipper  54  has been replaced with a hook strip  58  and a loop strip  60 . The hook and loop strips cooperate to form a fastening seal that secures the outer edge of top  36  to the corresponding edge of sidewall  38 . Alternatively, the outer edge of top  36  could be secured to the corresponding edge of sidewall  38  using mechanically interlocking plastic.  
         [0039]    In a fourth embodiment of this invention, shown in FIG. 8, seam  41  has been moved from the rear edge of top  36  to the front edge of top  36 . In this embodiment, storage area  52  opens toward passenger compartment  14 . Zipper  54  allows for the fastening of the remaining outer edge of top  36  as shown in the figure. This embodiment facilitates easier access of the cooler from within the golf cart.  
         [0040]    In a fifth embodiment of this invention, shown in FIG. 9, sidewall  38  has been replaced by a left sidewall  239 L, a front sidewall  238  and a right sidewall  239 R. The left, front and right sidewalls are sewn together at corresponding edges as shown. Alternatively, they could be glued, snapped or otherwise attached at each corresponding edge. This embodiment facilitates the use of different types of panel material for improved appearance. It also enables the use of small pieces of material attached together to cooperate to make up the entire wall.  
       CONCLUSIONS, RAMIFICATIONS AND SCOPE OF INVENTION  
       [0041]    Accordingly, one skilled in the art will recognize that the golf cart cooler of this invention can be used for storing beverages and other items within the cooler in a thermally insulated environment on the front of a golf cart. That it can be used easily and conveniently, installed just as easily without the need for tools, accessed from within or outside of the golf cart and is aesthetically pleasing when installed on the cart. Furthermore, this invention has the additional advantages in that;  
         [0042]    (a) it provides a golf cart cooler that can be folded up and easily transported and stored;  
         [0043]    (b) it provides a golf cart cooler that securely fits on the front end of a variety of golf carts;  
         [0044]    (c) it provides a golf cart cooler that provides additional storage to the players on the cart that is not normally available, therefore, this invention increases the storage space of the cart; and  
         [0045]    (d) it provides a golf cart cooler that is robust and durable.  
         [0046]    Although the description above contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention. For example, the straps used to secure the cooler to the front frame members could be replaced by snaps, a hook and loop fastener, magnets or a magnetic strip sewn into the cooler; the cooler could be mounted onto the front of a golf cart cover by sewing, snapping, hook and loop fasteners or other attachment methods; the elastic cord could be replaced with a rubber, nylon or other elastic material; the elastic cord could be eliminated completely; the elastic cord could be replaced with a hook and loop fastener with one portion being fixed onto the cart body and the other being fixed onto the bottom of the cooler; the hook could be replaced with another attachment mechanism; the sidewall and the rear sidewall could be combined into one continuous wall; the sidewalls and the bottom could be combined into one continuous piece of material; the sidewalls, bottom and top could be combined into one continuous piece of material; the handles on the cooler could be eliminated or replaced by one large handle attached to the top or rear sidewall; the buckle members could be replaced by hook and loop fasteners, snaps or other fastening mechanisms; the zipper could be replaced with a series of snaps, a hook and loop fastener or a mechanically interlocking plastic, etc.  
         [0047]    Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.