Patent ID: 7690714

Claim:
A golf cart, comprising: a base construction of electrically conductive material; ground wheels supporting the base construction; a body extending over the base construction; a seat supported over the body to extend transversely of the cart for access from either side of the cart; a roof extending over the cart, at least part of an upper surface of said roof being electrically conductive; two electrically conductive forward roof supports located one to each side of the cart, each in effective electrical contact with said electrically conductive roof upper surface and also in effective electrical contact with the base construction; two electrically conductive rearward roof supports located one to each side of the cart, each in effective electrical contact with said electrically conductive roof upper surface and also in effective electrical contact with the base construction; means effectively electrically connected to the base construction to ensure that said base construction remains in effective electrical contact with the ground, said electrical contacting means comprising a plurality of short flexible electrically conductive members each in effective electrical connection with said base construction at their respective upper ends and each touching the ground at their respective lower ends; two electrically conductive members located one to each side of the cart and each movable between (a) a first position allowing unobstructed access to the seat at either side thereof and (b) a second position in which each electrically conductive member extends downwards from a generally mid point of the side edge of the roof, each electrically conductive member being in effective electrical contact with both the electrically conductive roof upper surface and said base construction, at least when said members are in their respective second positions, at least one of said electrically conductive members being connected to at least one of said roof or said base construction by a bearing; whereby, when said members are in their second positions, the roof, the roof supports, the electrically conductive members, and the base construction in effective electrical contact with the ground jointly define a protective cage against the effects of a lightning strike.