Patent Publication Number: US-2005115998-A1

Title: Towing belt

Description:
The application claims the benefit of provisional application Ser. No. 60/526,412 filed Dec. 2, 2003. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates to towing devices, particularly those that are adapted to be attached to the waist of a wearer for towing carts and the like.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      Belt type towing devices for golf carts are known. Such devices are disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,328,043; 5,244,217; 4,236,723; and 5,622,294.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,294 discloses a belt to be worn by the golfer. The belt includes a buckle to engage its free ends and a tube connected to a back outer surface of the belt for receiving a horizontally disposed handle grip of a typical golf cart. The tube is a plastic PVC material tube. The belt is adjusted in overall length by use of an adjusting ring along the length of the belt. The tube  28  includes a resilient tubular insert which is intended to grip the handle of the golf cart within the tube and also to protect the handle from damage. The tube is held to the belt by an elastic strip.  
      The present inventor has recognized that the assembly of U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,294 could be improved by providing a belt assembly which is more cost-effectively manufactured, comprises fewer parts, is more easily adjusted, is more comfortable to the golfer while in use, or between uses, and is less bulky.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The invention provides an improved belt adapted to encircle the torso of a wearer for towing an object, such as a golf cart. The belt of the invention includes a first band having a length sufficient to encircle the wearer&#39;s torso. The first belt can be wrapped around the wearer&#39;s waist and free ends of the first belt mutually engaged. A second band is attached to the first band and has engageable hook and loop regions carried at opposite ends of the second band. The second band has a length sufficient to wrap around a portion of the object wherein engagement of the hook and loop regions captures the portion within the second band.  
      Advantageously, the first band comprises hook and loop regions at respective free ends of the first band for engagement and length adjustment. As a further advantage, at least one integrated reinforcing panel is provided that extends transversely of the first band and is adapted to allow cutting of the band through the reinforcing panel to adjust the length of the first belt. The reinforcing panel can be located between or within loop regions adjacent one free end of the band and/or between or within hook regions adjacent an opposite free end of the band.  
      The second band can be composed of stretchable material and/or can be pivotally attached to the first band.  
      The first band can comprise a central region substantially composed of mesh material for enhanced breathability and lightweight construction.  
      A central section of the first band can be provided with reinforcing stays sewn therein to give structural rigidity to the first band in the region of the second band and to prevent twisting or curling of the first band on the golfer during use.  
      The second band can comprise a single piece of fabric or separate pieces of fabric. Advantageously, the second band can comprise a single piece of fabric sewn into the first band along two horizontal seams.  
      Although the belts of the invention are illustrated for use in towing a golf cart, the belt can also be used to tow other items, including wagons, coolers, luggage, carts, dollies, sleds, and other wheeled or otherwise movable objects.  
      Numerous other advantages and features of the present invention will be become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and the embodiments thereof, from the claims and from the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the golf cart towing belt of the present invention in use;  
       FIG. 2  is a rear view of the belt of the present invention;  
       FIG. 3  is a top view of the belt shown in  FIG. 2 ;  
       FIG. 4  is a top view of the belt configured as engaged around a user&#39;s torso;  
       FIG. 5  is a sectional view taken generally along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4 ;  
       FIG. 5   a  is an alternate embodiment to the section shown in  FIG. 5 ;  
       FIG. 6  is a diagrammatic top view of an alternate embodiment belt of the present invention; and  
       FIG. 7  is a diagrammatic rear perspective view of the belt shown in  FIG. 6 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there are shown in the drawings, and will be described herein in detail, specific embodiments thereof with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated.  
       FIG. 1  illustrates a golf cart towing belt  10  of the present invention. A golfer  12  is shown pulling a golf cart  14  via a handle  16  by use of the belt  10  of the invention. The handle  16  is typically provided has a part of the cart  14 .  
       FIGS. 2 and 3  illustrate the belt  10  in more detail. The belt  10  includes a waist encircling first band  24  which can be reinforced around its perimeter by a hem or fabric piping  26 . The piping  26  can be a folded over and sewn edge of the band that captures a reinforcing string. The first band  24  includes a central section  28  that advantageously can be partially or entirely a mesh fabric which provides comfort advantages to the belt such as breathability and lighter weight. The mesh section  28  can be attached to fabric sections  30 ,  32 .  
      A handle-engaging member  36 , in the form of a second band, is attached to the central section  28 . The handle-engaging member  36  can be a three panel fabric piece attached by sewing along seams  42 ,  44  to the central section  28 . Preferably, the handle-engaging member  36  is a somewhat elastic fabric which allows for some stretching and distortion to absorb some vibration and jostling caused by the cart rolling along golf terrain. A hook region  48  of a hook and loop type of fastener arrangement, such as a VELCRO fastener, is arranged on a front side of a top panel  46  of the member  36 . A loop region  54  of the hook and loop type fastener arrangement is arranged on a back side of a bottom panel  52 . The hook and loop regions, in the form of commercially available fabric or plastic pieces, such as VELCRO material, can be sewn to the respective panels.  
      The band  24  includes a mechanism for engagement of the free ends of the first band for adjustably securing the first band around the golfer&#39;s waist.  
      According to the preferred embodiment, one or more loop regions are provided on a back side thereof such as the regions  62 ,  64 ,  66  shown. The regions are separated by one or more non-fraying, reinforcing panels  68 ,  70 . To adjust the overall length of the band  24 , the band  24  can be cut along a selected line  72 ,  74  within the respective panels  68 ,  70  to shorten the band  24  without leaving a frayed or friable cut end.  
      At an opposite end of the band, one or more hook regions  75 ,  76 ,  77  are provided on a front side of the belt. One or more non-fraying, reinforcing panels  78 ,  79  can be provided between the hook regions  75 ,  76 ,  77 . The panels  78 ,  79  can also be cut along a selected line  80 ,  81  for band length adjustment. The loop regions and hook regions can be in provided from commercially available hook and loop fabrics, such as VELCRO material, sewn to the band.  
      The reinforcing panels  68 ,  70 ,  78 ,  79  can, for example, be composed of fabrics or plastic or plastic impregnated fabric.  
      Alternative to the hook and loop regions on the first band, according to another embodiment of the invention, a male/female buckle arrangement can be used to secure the free ends of the first band. Such an arrangement is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,294, the patent herein incorporated by reference.  
      A plurality of stays  82  can be sewn within fabric pockets to the central region  28  of the band  24 , to give vertical structural rigidity to the band  24  in the region of the member  36 . This additional structural rigidity prevents twisting or curling of the band on the user&#39;s waist during use. The stays  82  preferably comprise thin plastic bars.  
       FIG. 4  illustrates the first band  24  engaged in a wrapped configuration by one or more of the hook regions  75 ,  76 ,  77  engaging one or more of the loop regions  62 ,  64 ,  66 . The member  36  is shown wrapped around a handle grip  92  of the handle  16 , and engaged to itself.  
       FIG. 5  illustrates the member  36  wrapped around the handle grip  92  wherein the hook region  48  of the top panel  46  is engaged to the loop region  54  of the bottom panel  52 . A central panel  96  of the member  36  can be sewn to the center region  28  along the seams  42 ,  44 . The central panel  96  provides additional support, but is not necessarily required, i. e., the top panel  46  and the bottom panel  52  could be separate pieces sewn directly to the band  24 .  
       FIG. 5   a  illustrates an alternate embodiment wherein an alternate member  36 ′ is directly attached to the center region  28  by means of a rivet  98  or other attachment. Advantageously, the rivet  98  can allow a turning of the member  36 ′ about an axis  100  of the rivet  98 .  
       FIGS. 6 and 7  illustrate an alternate belt  120 . The alternate belt  120  is identical to the belt  10  except as noted. According to this embodiment, the handle engaging member  36  is connected to the central section  28  via a connecting web  126 , separating the handle engaging member  36  from the central section  28  by about one-half inch to absorb twisting, displacement, force, vibration, and shock from the cart rolling on terrain, and to allow for the cart riding on uneven terrain. The web  126  can be made of a two layer fabric piece.  
      As shown in  FIG. 7 , a flexible stiffener  136  can be sewn into the central section  28  to provide a vertical stiffness to the belt at the position where the handle engaging member  36  is connected to the central section  28 . The stiffener  136  can be about six inches in length, about two inches wide, and about ⅛ inch thick and composed of a hard rubber material. The stiffener functions to keep the belt rigid and upright and is located to prevent twisting of the belt at the location of the handle engaging member  36  when the belt is wrapped around the wearer. The stiffener can be captured between two layers of the central section  28 .  
      Although the belts of the invention are illustrated for use in towing a golf cart, the belt can also be used to tow other items, including wagons, coolers, luggage, carts, dollies, sleds, and other wheeled or otherwise movable objects.  
      From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific apparatus illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred. It is, of course, intended to cover by the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims.