Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US5388881?dq=patent:3079728
Timestamp: 2017-09-22 17:39:35
Document Index: 686989778

Matched Legal Cases: ['art.\n24', 'art.\n27', 'art 11', 'art 11', 'art 11', 'art 11', 'art 11']

Patent US5388881 - Portable golf cart cover and method of manufacture therefor - Google Patents
A portable golf cart cover which is made of a lightweight flexible material may be folded to a compact size for storage in a golf club bag. The cover is easily attached to and removed from any golf cart of the type having a roof. The cover requires a minimal number of attachment means, thereby enabling...http://www.google.com/patents/US5388881?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US5388881 - Portable golf cart cover and method of manufacture therefor
Publication number US5388881 A
Application number US 08/028,129
Publication number 028129, 08028129, US 5388881 A, US 5388881A, US-A-5388881, US5388881 A, US5388881A
Inventors Wayne R. Spencer, Bernard C. Smith, William M. Smith
Original Assignee Wayne R. Spencer
Patent Citations (21), Non-Patent Citations (2), Referenced by (45), Classifications (5), Legal Events (6)
Portable golf cart cover and method of manufacture therefor
US 5388881 A
1. A cover for a golf cart of the type having a roof over a cabin section of the cart, wherein the cover rests on the roof, comprising:
a roof panel,
opposed side panels connected to the roof panel,
a front panel connected to the roof panel, and
a rear panel connected to the roof panel,
the panels, to the extent that they are not formed as one piece with adjacent panels, being connected together by a plasticizer resistant adhesive in the form of a double-sided adhesive tape, such that the entire cover, including the joints, can be readily folded into a compact size and shape for compact storage.
2. A cover for a golf cart according to claim 1, wherein the material of the cover is transparent.
6. A cover for a golf cart according to claim 1, wherein the cover may be folded to dimensions of approximately 10×12×2.5 inches.
13. A cover for a golf cart of the type having a roof over a cabin section of the cart, wherein the cover rests on the roof, comprising:
a front panel connected to the roof panel,
a rear panel connected to the roof panel, and
means for removably attaching each side panel to a handle on the side of the golf cart,
the side panels meeting the rear panel essentially at the corner of the cart where the sides meet the rear of the cart, the side panels being separated from the rear panel at said corner, such that (1) the side panels are liftable up along the side of the cart to provide access to the interior of the cart, and (2) the rear panel is liftable to cover a golf club compartment.
14. A cover for a golf cart according to claim 13, wherein the material of the cover is transparent.
22. A cover for a golf cart according to claim 21, wherein the cover may be folded into a compact shape of approximately 10×12×2.5 inches.
23. A cover for a golf cart of the type having a roof over a cabin section of the cart, wherein the cover rests on the roof, comprising:
the side panels being separated from the rear panel at the corner whereat they meet, access to the interior of the cart being solely at the separation between the side panels and rear panel, and
attachment means having two ends for attaching the side panels to a part of the cart, the first end of each attachment means being movable to be positionable at different locations on its respective side panel, and the second end including means for attachment to different edge locations on the cart.
24. A cover for a golf cart according to claim 23, wherein said attachment means includes, for each side panel, an attachment device comprising two ends and a flexible material extending therebetween, a first of said ends comprising a first part having a recess therein and a second part conforming to the shape of the recess, these two parts engaging a portion of the side panel securely retained therebetween, and the second end being engageable with an edge of a fender well of the golf cart.
27. A cover for a golf cart of the type having a roof over a cabin section of the cart, wherein the cover rests on the roof, comprising:
a roof panel, opposed side panels, a front panel, and a back panel, all panels being formed from a lightweight material, and wherein those panels which are not formed as one piece with adjacent panels are joined to adjacent panels by using a double-sided adhesive tape.
28. A cover for a golf cart according to claim 27, wherein the material of the cover is transparent.
29. A cover for a golf cart of the type having a roof over a cabin section of the cart, wherein the cover rests on the roof, comprising:
wherein the panels, to the extent that they are not joined to other panels as one piece, are connected together by double-sided adhesive tape,
30. A cover for a golf cart according to claim 29, wherein the material of the cover is approximately 6 mil vinyl.
31. A cover for a golf cart according to claim 30, wherein the cover may be folded into a compact shape of approximately 10×12×2.5 inches.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention there is provided a portable cover for a golf cart comprising: a roof panel, opposed side panels, a front panel, and a back panel, all panels being of a lightweight material sufficiently light and flexible to enable the cover to be folded to a compact size and shape when not in use, the weight of the cover being no more than 8 pounds. Preferably the cover may be folded to dimensions of 10×12×2.5 inches and has a total weight of no more than 4 pounds.
If the front window 61 is equipped with a windshield made of an acrylic such as Plexiglas® or other suitable material, no front panel attachment is necessary. However, if the front window 61 is open, the front panel 26 should be attached to the cart 11, and is most preferably attached to the supporting posts 13, 14 by attachment means 51d. This attachment is necessary in order to keep the front panel 26 taut.
Generally, the material used for the cover 12 should also be sufficiently flexible to enable the cover 12 to be folded to a compact size and shape such that it can be stored in a golf bag when not in use. Vinyl materials are particularly advantageous because they are less likely to develop mold than are the canvas and tarpaulin materials which are typically utilized for golf cart covers. Thus, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cover is made from a 2 to 12 mil vinyl, weighing not more than 8 pounds. Even more preferably, the cover is made of a 6 mil vinyl, having a total weight of no more than 4 pounds, which can be folded to dimensions of 10×12×2.5 inches.
Once the cover 12 is mounted on the cart 11, the side panels 27, 28 may be attached to the base 9 using any appropriate attachment means 51a such as clips and hooks. FIG. 6 shows a top view of a preferred attachment means 51 comprised of a slide clip 53 and a hook 93 connected by a strip of material 91. Typically, the moveable clips 53 are first attached to the cover 12 after it is mounted onto the cart 11, followed by attachment of the hooks 93 at appropriate locations. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the back panel 29 is held in place by attaching a moveable clip 53 to the upper portion of the back panel 29 and the hook 93 to a suitable structure in the golf club compartment 19. The connecting strip of material 91 should be a flexible material and extend down inside of back panel 29. A Bungee cord is desirable because it is sufficiently flexible to enable attachment of the hook 93, yet remains relatively taut when there is a wind gust, thereby preventing the back panel 29 from flying upward. It is preferable to utilize surgical tubing for attachment of the side panels to the fender wells 18, 64; however, surgical tubing tends to be more flexible than a Bungee cord, thereby allowing the side panels to be lifted for access into and out of the cabin 20 without the need to detach the hooks 93 from the front fender wells 18. Where the golf cart 11 is equipped with handles 17 adjacent the seats 22 as shown in FIG. 3, it is desirable to use hook and loop fasteners, such as Velcro®, for the strip of material 91 which may be looped around the handles 17, thereby eliminating the need for a hook. Similarly, attachment means 51d may comprise moveable clips 53 attached to the front panel 26 with hook and loop fasteners attached to the cart 11 by looping the material 91 around supporting posts 13, 14.
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U.S. Classification 296/77.1, 296/79
Owner name: SPENCER, WAYNE R., VIRGINIA
Free format text: ASSIGNORS ASSIGN AN UNDIVIDED 16 2/3% INTEREST TO ASSIGNEE.;ASSIGNORS:SMITH, BERNARD C.;SMITH, WILLIAM M.;REEL/FRAME:006504/0579