Abstract:
A motor drive mounting arrangement includes a wheel holder fixedly fastened to the front end of the main shaft member of a golf cart to hold a motor holder and a transmission gearbox, a driving wheel supported on the transmission gearbox for synchronous rotation to move the golf cart upon operation of the motor in the motor holder, a battery holder mounted on the main shaft member of the golf cart to support the golf bag being carried on the golf cart and controlled by a circuit control box at the wheel holder to provide battery power supply to the motor in the motor holder.

Description:
The present invention relates to golf carts and, more particularly, to a motor drive mounting arrangement for golf cart. 
     Various motorized golf carts are known. FIG. 1 shows a motorized golf cart according to the prior art. This structure of motorized golf cart  80  comprises a main shaft member  81 , a front wheel  82  coupled to the bottom side of the front end of the main shaft member  81 , a bottom bracket  83  coupled to the main shaft member  81 , two rear wheels  86  coupled to the bottom bracket  83  at two opposite lateral sides, and a motor drive unit  84  and a storage battery  85  installed in the bottom bracket  83 . The motor drive unit  84  comprises a motor  851 , and a transmission gearbox  852  driven by the motor  851  to rotate the rear wheels  86 . This structure of motorized golf cart  80  occupies much storage space when not in use. FIG. 2 shows a folding collapsible type motorized golf cart  90  according to the prior art. According to this structure of folding collapsible type motorized golf cart  90 , an additional front wheel  93  is provided at the bottom side of the front end of the main shaft member  94 , and the motor drive unit  91  and the storage battery  95  are disposed behind the rear wheels  92 . Because the motor drive unit  91  and the storage battery  95  are positioned behind the rear wheels  92 , it is inconvenient to fold up the motorized gold cart  90 . 
     The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present invention to provide a motor drive mounting arrangement for golf cart, which requires less installation space, enabling the golf cart to be conveniently folded up. It is another object of the present invention to provide a motor drive mounting arrangement for golf cart, which serves as a lower bag cradle to support the bottom cuff of the golf bag being carried on the golf cart. According to one aspect of the present invention, the motor drive mounting arrangement comprises a wheel holder fixedly fastened to the front end of the main shaft member of a golf cart to hold a motor holder and a transmission gearbox, a driving wheel supported on the transmission gearbox for synchronous rotation with the transmission gearbox to move the golf cart upon operation of the motor in the motor holder, a battery holder mounted on the main shaft member of the golf cart and controlled by a circuit control box at the wheel holder to provide battery power supply to the motor in the motor holder. According to another aspect of the present invention, the driving wheel has an insertion hole, which receives the transmission gearbox for enabling the driving wheel to be rotated with the transmission gearbox, and a receiving chamber, which receives the motor holder to minimize space occupation. According to still another aspect of the present invention, the wheel holder has a rear sidewall matching a top sidewall of the battery holder to serve as a lower bag cradle for supporting a golf bag on the main shaft member of the golf cart. According to still another aspect of the present invention, the wheel holder has a smoothly arched top sidewall suspending over the driving wheel to function as a front mudguard. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a motorized golf cart according to the prior art. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates the collapsed condition of a folding collapsible type motorized golf cart according to the prior art. 
     FIG. 3 is an elevational view of a folding collapsible type motorized golf cart constructed according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the front part of the folding collapsible type motorized golf cart shown in FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a part of FIG. 3 showing the structure of the handle of the golf cart. 
     FIG. 6 is an exploded view of a part of the present invention, showing the arrangement of the motor holder, the transmission gearbox, and the driving wheel. 
     FIG. 7 is an assembly view of the parts shown in FIG.  6 . 
     FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the transmission gearbox according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 9 is an elevational view of the circuit control box according to the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to Figures From  3  through  9 , a motorized golf cart  7  is shown comprising a motor drive system controlled to move the motorized golf cart. The motor drive system is comprised of a driving wheel  1 , a wheel holder  2 , a circuit control box  31 , a storage battery  41 , a battery holder  42 , a transmission gearbox  5  (see FIG.  6 ), and a motor holder  6 . The motor holder  6  holds a motor (not shown) on the insides. The motor in the motor holder  6  is electrically connected to the circuit control box  31  by electric wires  60 , having an output shaft  61  coupled to the driving wheel  1  through the transmission gearbox  5 . The battery holder  42  is electrically connected to the circuit control box  31 , and adapted to provide the necessary working voltage to the motor inside the motor holder  6 . The handle  71  of the golf cart  7  comprises an On/Off switch  711 . When switching on the On/Off switch  711 , the circuit control box  31  drives the motor in the motor holder  6  to rotate its output shaft  61 , thereby causing the transmission gearbox  5  to rotate the driving wheel  1 . 
     The features of the present invention are outlined hereinafter with reference to Figures from  3  through  9  again. The wheel holder  2  comprises a backwardly extended mounting flange  25  (see FIG. 4) fastened to the front end of the main shaft member  72  of the golf cart  7 , a rear sidewall  21  adapted to support the bottom cuff of the golf bag (not- shown) being carried on the golf cart  7 , two lateral sidewalls  22 , and a smoothly arched top sidewall  24  forwardly extended from the rear sidewall  21  between the lateral sidewalls  22 . One lateral sidewall  22  of the wheel holder  2  is fixedly fastened to the motor holder  6 . The lateral sidewalls  22  and the smoothly arched top sidewall  24  serve as a front mudguard around the driving wheel  1  to protect against splashing mud. The motor holder  6  comprises a cylindrical holder body  63  inserted into the driving wheel  1 , and a mounting flange  62  at one side of the cylindrical holder body  63 . The mounting flange  62  has a plurality of mounting holes  621  respectively fixedly fastened to one lateral sidewall  22  of the wheel holder  2  by fastening elements, for example, screws  23  (see FIG.  6 ). The transmission gearbox  5  comprises a cylindrical casing  51 . The cylindrical casing  51  comprises a plurality of longitudinal coupling ribs  511  equiangularly spaced around the periphery for coupling to the driving wheel  1 . The driving wheel  1  comprises an axially extended insertion hole  11  adapted to receive the cylindrical casing  51  of the transmission gearbox  5 , a receiving chamber  12  concentrically disposed in communication with the insertion hole  11  at one side and adapted to receive the cylindrical holder body  63  of the motor holder  6 , an annular flange  110  extended around the insertion hole  11  at one side opposite to the receiving chamber  12 , a plurality of coupling grooves  111  equiangularly spaced around the insertion hole  11  and adapted to receive the coupling ribs  511  of the cylindrical casing  51  of the transmission gearbox  5 . The annular flange  110  has a plurality of equiangularly spaced mounting holes  1101 . After insertion of the cylindrical casing  51  of the transmission gearbox  5  into the insertion hole  11  of the driving wheel  1 , fastening elements, for example, screws  10  are respectively mounted in the mounting holes  1101  to fixedly secure the driving wheel  1  to the transmission gearbox  5 , for enabling the driving wheel  1  to be rotated with the transmission gearbox  5 . The circuit control box  31  comprises a plurality of mounting holes  311  (see FIG. 9) respectively fastened to the mounting flange  25  of the wheel holder  2  by fastening elements. The battery holder  42  is fixedly fastened to the main shaft member  72  of the golf cart  7  behind the circuit control box  31 , comprising a battery chamber  420 , which receives the storage battery  41 , belt holes  4211  in the top sidewall  421  thereof, and a harness  43  installed in the belt holes  421  and adapted to secure a golf bag on the top sidewall  421  of the battery holder  42 . 
     Referring to FIG. 8, the transmission gearbox  5  is comprised of the aforesaid cylindrical casing  51 , a mounting disk  52 , a drive gear  53 , a first gear wheel mount  54 , a second gear wheel mount  55 , first transmission gears  56 , second transmission gears  57 , and a cover plate  58 . The cylindrical casing  51  comprises an internal gear  510 . The mounting disk  52  is pivoted to the output shaft  61  of the motor in the motor holder  6 , comprising a plurality of screw holes  521  respectively fastened to the mounting holes  1101  of the driving wheel  1  to the transmission gearbox  5  by the aforesaid screws  10 . The drive gear  53  is fixedly mounted on the output shaft  61  of the motor of the motor holder  6 . The first gear wheel mount  54  comprises a plurality of gear shafts  541  axially disposed at one side, and a driven gear  540  disposed at the center of the other side. The first transmission gears  56  are respectively pivoted the gear shafts  541  of the first gear wheel mount  54  and meshed with the drive gear  53 . The second gear wheel mount  55  comprises a plurality of gear shafts  551  axially disposed at one side, and a coupling shaft  552  disposed at the other side. The coupling shaft  552  has a non-circular cross section. The second transmission gears  57  are respectively pivoted to the gear shafts  551  of the second gear wheel mount  55  and meshed between the driven gear  540  and the internal gear  510  of the cylindrical casing  51 . The cover plate  58  has a center coupling hole  581 , which receives the coupling shaft  552  of the second gear wheel mount  55 , and a plurality of mounting through holes  582  respectively connected between the screw holes  521  of the mounting disk  52  and the mounting holes  1101  of the driving wheel  1  by the aforesaid screws  10 . When starting the motor in the motor holder  6  to rotate the output shaft  61 , the drive gear  53  is rotated with the output shaft  61  to rotate the first transmission gears  56 , thereby causing the driven gear  540  to rotate the cylindrical casing  51  and the driving wheel  1  through the second transmission gears  57  (because the coupling ribs  511  of the cylindrical casing  51  of the transmission gearbox  5  are respectively coupled to the coupling grooves  111  of the driving wheel  1 , the driving wheel  1  is rotated with the cylindrical casing  51  during rotary motion of the cylindrical casing  51 ).