Source: http://freshpatents.com/Pan-for-golf-cart-dt20060622ptan20060131313.php
Timestamp: 2014-10-31 16:52:31
Document Index: 174366466

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 18', 'art 18', 'art 18', 'art 18', 'art 18', 'art 18', 'art 18', 'art 18', 'art 18']

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06/22/06 | Class 220 Monitor | RSS | Industry | Agents | Inventors
Pan for golf cart * PDF temporarily unavailable. Check back later for PDF.Note: For the newest patent filings there may be a short delay until the PDF is available. Patent images should be available for most patents within 1 day of publication (further down this page). Title: Pan for golf cart.Abstract: A garage floor pan for golf carts to collect battery acid that drips from the golf cart during filling or charging of the batteries thereof. The golf cart pan comprises a generally rectangular configuration having a peripheral ridge that serves to prevent any battery acid dripping from the golf cart onto the pan from flowing off the pan onto the garage floor. The golf cart pan comprises two rows of raised tracks, spaced apart by a distance approximately equal to the conventional wheel span of a golf cart. The raised tracks serve to elevate the tires of the golf cart by slightly raising the tires of the golf cart above the floor of the pan. In this manner, accumulated battery acid within the pan is precluded from contacting the tires of the golf cart and be “tracked” onto the garage floor as the golf cart is driven off the pan. ...
- Tampa, FL, USInventor: Jerry M. ShowalterUSPTO Applicaton #: #20060131313 - Class: 220573000 (USPTO) - 06/22/06 - Class 220 Related Patent Categories: Receptacles, Drain Pan Or Drip Pan, For A VehicleThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060131313, Pan for golf cart.
[0002] This invention relates to golf carts. More particularly, this
invention relates to a garage floor pan that may be positioned underneath
the golf cart for collecting battery acid that may otherwise drip onto
the floor of the garage from the batteries of the golf cart.
[0004] Modern golf carts are in wide use today, particularly in retirement
communities where they have become a dominant means of transportation.
Oftentimes, the golf carts are stored within the resident's garage along
with their conventional automobile. Unfortunately, however, oftentimes
the garage floor is damaged by battery acid that drips from the golf cart
during filling of the batteries or during recharging of batteries that
have been overfilled.
[0005] Presently, there exists many types of garage floor pans that are
designed to collect dripping precipitation such as rain and snow and
particulates such as dirt and grease that might drain from an automobile.
A widely popular type of garage floor pan is that sold under the
trademark "Autosport" through catalog companies and websites such as
frontgate.com and skymall.com. This type of garage floor pan consists of
a sheet of plastic material which is bordered with a snap-on rim that
functions to provide a peripheral edge such that the melting snow and
rain are dammed-up and kept within the periphery of the garage floor pan.
[0006] While the TM "Autosport" garage floor pan has achieved considerable
appeal for use with automobiles, it is not particularly suitable for use
in conjunction with golf carts. Specifically, since the "Autosport"
garage floor pan simply includes a rim positioned about its outer
peripheral edges, the entire surface area of the pan itself remains
relatively level. While this is of no concern with regard to dripping
rain and melting snow, the dripping battery acid from a golf cart
typically disperses across the entire surface area thereof to contaminate
the tires of the golf cart only to then be tracked onto the garage floor
when the golf cart is pulled out of the garage. Hence, there presently
exists a need for an improved garage floor pan that is particularly
adapted for use with golf carts to not only collect the battery acid as
it drips from a golf cart but to also prevent such battery acid from
flowing to the tires of the golf cart.
[0007] Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide an
improvement which overcomes the aforementioned inadequacies of the prior
art devices and provides an improvement which is a significant
contribution to the advancement of the golf cart art.
[0008] Another object of this invention is to provide a garage floor pan
for golf carts that includes a raised peripheral edge to assure
collection of any dripping battery acid, rain, melting snow, or the like
within the confines of the pan itself.
[0009] Another object of this invention is to provide a garage floor pan
for golf carts comprising raised tracks positioned along the longitudinal
sides of the pan to slightly raise the tires of the golf cart above the
bottom floor of the pan and to thereby prevent the tires from being
contaminated by the battery acid being contained within the pan itself.
[0010] Another object of this invention is to provide a garage floor pan
for golf carts which includes raised ridges that serve as a guide for
driving the golf cart into proper position on top of the pan.
[0011] The foregoing has outlined some of the pertinent objects of the
invention. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of
some of the more prominent features and applications of the intended
invention. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the
disclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the invention
within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a
fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the
summary of the invention and the detailed description of the preferred
embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the
claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
[0012] For the purpose of summarizing this invention, this invention
comprises a garage floor pan for golf carts which is principally designed
to collect battery acid that drips from the golf cart during filling of
the batteries thereof or during charging of the batteries that may
"over-boil" due to having been over-filled or over-charged.
[0013] More particularly, the golf cart pan of the invention comprises a
generally rectangular configuration. Preferably, the area of the golf
cart pan is about one-half the "footprint" area of a conventional golf
cart. The golf cart can be driven onto the pan and then slightly off the
pan to a position whereby the front wheels are off the pan and the rear
wheels are on the pan. In this manner, the pan is positioned immediately
below the battery compartment of the golf cart. However, it should be
noted that the pan may be made full-length, if desired.
[0014] The pan includes a peripheral ridge that serves to prevent any
liquids dripping onto the pan from flowing off the pan onto the garage
floor. Importantly, the golf cart pan of the invention comprises two rows
of raised tracks, spaced apart by a distance approximately equal to the
conventional wheel span (i.e., the distance between the rear tires) of a
golf cart. The raised tracks serve to elevate the tires of the golf cart
by slightly raising the tires of the golf cart above the floor of the
pan. In this manner, accumulated battery acid within the pan is precluded
from contacting the tires of the golf cart and otherwise contaminating
them. It should be appreciated that since the tires of the golf cart do
not "sit" in the battery acid that may be collected within the pan, the
golf cart may be driven off the golf cart pan without concern that the
battery acid would otherwise be "tracked" onto the garage floor as would
otherwise occur if the tires were contaminated with the battery acid.
[0015] Another important feature of the garage floor golf cart pan of the
invention is the inclusion of side ridges and ingress and egress ridges
that serve as a visual guide to direct the driver of the golf cart to
align the golf cart relative to the pan so that it can be driven onto the
pan in the proper position.
[0016] The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the more pertinent and
important features of the present invention in order that the detailed
description of the invention that follows may be better understood so
that the present contribution to the art can be more fully appreciated.
Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter which
form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated
by those skilled in the art that the conception and the specific
embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or
designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the
present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art
that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and
[0017] For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the
invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description
taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:
[0018] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the golf cart pan of the invention;
[0019] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 along lines 2-2;
[0020] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 along lines 3-3; and
[0021] FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of a conventional golf cart
parked on top of the golf cart pan of the invention.
[0022] Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the
[0023] Referring to FIG. 1, the golf cart pan 10 of the invention
comprises a generally rectangular configuration having lateral edges 12
and ingress and egress edges 14. The lateral edges 12 and the ingress and
egress edges 14 define a volume of space within the confines of the outer
periphery of the pan 10 defined thereby that precludes any liquids being
deposited on the bottom 10B of the pan 10 from flowing out of the pan 10
and onto the floor on which the pan 10 may be positioned. By way of
example, but not by limitation, the lateral edges 12 and the ingress and
egress edges 14 preferably comprise a height of about one inch.
[0024] The ingress and egress edges 14 preferably comprise a pair of
reduced height tire edges 14T that are spaced apart from each other and
positioned adjacent the lateral edges 12. The reduced-height edges 14T
serve as ingress and egress portions to allow ingress and egress of the
golf cart tires. By way of example, but not by limitation, the height of
the reduced-height edges 14T is about one-eighth to one-half inch and
most preferably, one-eighth of an inch.
[0025] It should be appreciated that the volume of liquid that may be
contained within the pan 10 is defined by the cross-sectional area of the
pan 10 multiplied by the height of the lowest edge 12 or 14. In the case
of the preferred embodiment with the tire edges 14T being the lowest
point, the volume that could be contained within the pan 10 is equal to
the height of the tire ridge 14T multiplied by the area of the pan 10.
[0026] The golf cart pan 10 of the invention further comprises a plurality
of raised tire stand-offs or tracks 16T positioned in alignment with the
tire edges 14T of the ingress and egress ridges 14 to define two rows of
tire tracks from one end to the other thereof. Each of the raised tire
tracks 16T preferably comprises a generally rectangular configuration
that is raised to a height substantially equal to that of the tire edge
14T. By way of example, and not limitation, the raised tire tracks 16T
may be dimensioned to be approximately three-quarters of an inch wide and
one-eight of an inch high. Further, by way of example and without
limitation, the raised tire tracks 16T are preferably spaced from each
other by a distance such as one-half of an inch. It should be appreciated
that the height of the tire tracks 16T need not necessarily be any higher
than the tire edges 14T, since the tire edges 14T are the lowest ridge of
the pan 10. One or more of the tire tracks 16T may have an increased
height, or be of a different configuration to serve as a "stop" for
accurate positioning of one of the rear tires.
[0027] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the golf cart pan 10 is preferably
manufactured from a sheet of ABS plastic using vacuum forming techniques.
[0028] As best shown in FIG. 4, the pan 10 of the invention is dimensioned
to be one-half in area of the footprint of a conventional golf cart 18.
Further, the spacing between the opposing tire edges 14T and the opposing
rows of raised tire tracks 16T aligned therewith, are dimensioned to be
approximately equal to or greater than the wheel span of a conventional
golf cart 18.
[0029] Referring now to FIG. 4, in use, the golf cart pan 10 is positioned
in a garage or other location where the golf cart 18 is customarily
stored while charging. Using the lateral edges 12, tire edges 14T and the
ingress and egress edges 14 as visual guides, the driver of the golf cart
aligns the golf cart 18 such that its tires are aligned with the rows of
raised tire tracks 16T. The golf cart 18 can then be driven onto the pan
10 and then further to be partly off the pan with the front tires 18T off
the pan 10 and the rear tires 18T on the pan 10. When so positioned, the
rear golf cart tires 18T will be seated on top of at least one of the
raised tire tracks 16T. As such, the rear golf cart tires 18T are raised
above the bottom 10B of the pan 10. As the batteries of the golf cart 18
are being filled or charged, any battery acid that may overflow or boil
over from the batteries and drip from the golf cart 18 will drip onto the
pan 10 and be accumulated thereby. The accumulated battery acid is
precluded from flowing onto the garage floor by virtue of the lateral
edges 12 and ingress and egress edges 14 and are thereby precluded from
contacting both the front and rear golf cart tires 18T by virtue of the
raised tire tracks 16T as the cart 18 is driven onto or off of the pan
10. Thus, it should be appreciated that even with a significant
accumulation of battery acid within the pan 10, the golf cart 18 can be
driven off of the pan 10 without tracking the battery acid onto the
garage floor as would otherwise occur with the prior art pans having a
flat bottom 10B and without the raised tire tracks 16T or ingress and
egress edges 14T.
[0030] The present disclosure includes that contained in the appended
claims, as well as that of the foregoing description. Although this
invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree
of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the
preferred form has been made only by way of example and that numerous
changes in the details of construction and the combination and
arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit
[0031] Now that the invention has been described,
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Patent InfoApplication # US 20060131313 A1Publish Date 06/22/2006 Document # File Date 10/31/2014 USPTO Class Other USPTO Classes International Class / Drawings 0 Follow us on Twitter@FreshPatents