Patent Publication Number: US-2005127657-A1

Title: Quick-release mechanism for an electric cart

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to an electric cart, and more particularly to a quick-release mechanism for an electric cart.  
      2. Description of the Prior Arts  
      To save installation space and make transportation easier, the frame of many electric carts is designed to be disassembleable. For example, the frame of the electric cart can be loaded into a car easily after being disassembled. So far, most of the electric carts are designed to have a front frame and a rear frame, wherein the front frame is connected to the rear frame simply by an inserting shaft. However, after being connected together, the front frame and the rear frame will rotate relative to the inserting shaft. Thereby, the electric cart will not be able to move stably.  
      The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a quick-release mechanism for an electric cart capable of enabling the front frame and the rear frame of an electric cart to be jointed firmly and stably, meanwhile, the front the front frame and the rear frame also can be disengaged from each other quickly and easily.  
      The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which show, for purpose of illustrations only, the preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an electric cart in accordance with the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the electric cart in accordance with the present invention;  
       FIG. 3  is a side view of the electric cart in accordance with the present invention;  
       FIG. 4  is an enlarged view of a portion of the electric cart in accordance with the present invention;  
       FIG. 5  is top plan view of the electric cart in accordance with the present invention;  
       FIG. 6  is a side view of the electric cart in accordance with the present invention, wherein the front and the rear frames are disconnected;  
       FIG. 7  is a side view of the electric cart in accordance with the present invention, wherein the front and the rear frames are being connected;  
       FIG. 8  is a top plan view of the electric cart in accordance with the present invention, wherein the front and the rear frames are connected. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      Referring to  FIGS. 1-5 , a quick-release mechanism for an electric cart in accordance with the present invention is shown and generally includes a front frame  20  and a rear frame  30 , on the front and rear frames  20 ,  30  are provided a female connector  12  and a male connector  11 , respectively.  
      The rear frame  20  is made up of a plurality of rods, at both sides of the front edge  21  of the rear frame  20  is provided a locking slot  22  which is formed by a plurality of plates  221 . A guide plate  23  is slantwise disposed at the upper edge of the locking slot  22 , an upright column  24  stands at the center of the front edge  21  of the rear frame  20  and is located between the two locking slots  22 . The upright column  24  is provided with a locking portion  25  extending ahead of the front edge  21 . On the locking portion  25  is formed a gap  251  whose mouth  252  faces the same direction as the front edge  21  of the frame  20 . The locking portion  25  is further provided with a moveable hook  26  an end of which is installed in the gap  251 , and another end of the moveable hook  26  is located outside the gap  251 .  
      The front frame  30  is made up of a plurality of rods and provided at its rear edge  31  with a cross bar  32 . At the center of the cross bar  32  is provided an upright bar  33 . Both ends of the cross bar  32  are locked in the locking slots  22  at both sides of the rear frame  20 , while the upright bar  33  is locked in the gap  251  of the locking portion  25  by the hook  26 .  
      With reference to  FIG. 6 , to joint the front and the rear frames  30 ,  20  together, the user can position the cross bar  32  of the front frame  30  above the front edge  21  of the rear frame  20 , then pushing the cross bar  32  downward so that both ends of the cross bar  32  will be guided by the guide plates  23  into the locking slot  22  of the rear frame  20 . Consequently, the front and the rear frames  30 ,  20  are roughly positioned, as shown in  FIG. 7 . Referring further to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , by pushing the front frame  30  upward, the upright bar  33  will moves toward the locking portion  25  of the rear frame  20  and finally will be locked in the gap  251  of the locking portion  25 , meanwhile, the upright bar  33  will also be locked by an end of the hook  26 . thereby, the front and the rear frames  30 ,  20  are firmly jointed.  
      With reference to  FIG. 8 , to disconnect the front and the rear frames  30 ,  20 , the user can turn the hook  26  so as to make the end of the hook  26  move away from the upright bar  33  of the front frame  30 , and then pushing the upright bar  33  toward the mouth  252  of the gap  251  of the locking portion  25 , so that the upright bar  33  is unlocked from the locking portion  25 , as shown in  FIG. 7 . After that, with reference to  FIG. 6 , pulling the front frame  30  upward, the both ends of the cross bar  32  will disengage the locking slots  22  of the rear frame  20 . Consequently, the front and the rear frames  30 ,  20  are disconnected.  
      The present invention provides a quick connection and disconnection between the front frame  30  and the rear frame  20 , especially when the front frame  30  and the rear frame  20  are connected, the cross bar  32  of the front frame  30  is locked in the slots  22  of the rear frame  20 , meanwhile, the upright bar  33  of the front frame  30  is locked with the locking portions  25  of the rear frame  20 . In this case, when the user sits on the seat A (as shown in  FIG. 3 ), his or her body weight will press the cross bar  32  downward against the locking slots  22 , thus making the upright bar  33  of the front frame  30  lock with the locking portion  25  of the rear frame  20  more firmly.  
      While we have shown and described various embodiments in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.