Drive unit for a golf cart

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention refers to a drive unit for a golf cart, said drive unit comprising two drive wheels mounted on a common shaft which is coupled to an electric motor connected to a battery for electric energy, and which golf cart comprises an elongate, rigid container for golf equipment, one end of which in normal position of use is located at a lower level than the opposite end, and at least two support wheels being connected to the container and being foldable towards one side of the container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A golf cart is used for transporting golf equipment in an ergonomically suitable manner over terrain. Motor driven golf carts are known, which further facilitates such transport.

A motor driven golf cart usually comprises three support wheels of which at least one is driven by an electric motor which obtains its energy from a battery located within the cart. Naturally, these additions increase the weight of the cart, which is a disadvantage when it is to be lifted, e.g. into or out from the boot of a car. In order to facilitate this handling, a motor driven golf cart usually comprises detachable sections. Regretfully, it will be rather bulky with a number of separate sections in the baggage compartment. Also, it will be difficult to move these sections, e.g. into an apartment or a storage room.

Also, it has proven that known motor driven golf carts are unstable with reference to the direction of travel, in such a way that they, depending upon the inclination of the

surface, tend to turn in any direction and therefore require constant attention to steer them via a handle.

THE TECHNICAL PROBLEM One object of the present invention is to provide a drive unit which for example may be used on an existing golf cart and may form a compact unit together with this cart. Another object is to provide a self-sustaining golf cart which is direction stable independent of the inclination of the surface, and which therefore can move in its own pace, without constant care.

THE SOLUTION

For this purpose the invention is characterized in that cooperating means are arranged for detachable connection of the drive unit to the area of the bottom end of the container, and that the battery is located between the drive wheels alongside the shaft.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described hereinafter with reference to embodiments that are shown in the enclosed drawings, wherein

Fig. 1 is a side view of a golf cart with a drive unit according to the invention,

Fig. 2 shows the drive unit in a larger scale in a plane view, and

Fig. 3 shows in a still larger scale, the drive means of the drive unit.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The figures shows a golf cart 10 which is known for example from US 4396205, which has been provided with a drive unit

11 according to the invention. Naturally, it would also be possible to adapt the drive unit to some other golf cart of similar type.

The golf cart 10 is provided with an elongate container 12 not shown golf equipment, e.g. clubs and balls. One end 13 of the container is in normal position of use located at a lower level than the opposite end 14, which is provided with openings through which the club handle may be inserted. Two support wheels 15 are foldable connected via arms 16 to the container 12, so that they may be folded into an aperture in the adjacent side of the container. In this folded position, both support wheels 15 with their arms 16 and the draw bar 17 are accommodated completely within the outer dimensions of the container. The container 12, including its bottom 13, is manufactured from a light, rigid material, e.g. a rigid plastic.

The drive unit 11 is detachably mounted at the outside of the container bottom 13 by means of a hook means constituted by an L-shaped angular sheet plate 18 (see Fig. 3), which grips around the top side of the bottom via an aperture in said bottom, and two across the longitudinal axis of the container displaceable latch means in the form of pins 19. These pins are mounted upon a respective side flange 20 which runs for some distance up along the container and engages a respective hole in each of the two opposing sides of the container (not shown in the drawing).

The drive unit is located at a horizontal distance from the normal centre of gravity of the golf cart, when it is in its normal position of use with the support wheels folded out, and the drive unit comprises two drive wheels 21 which are arranged on a common shaft 22, which is connected via a first toothed belt 23 and a gear wheel 24 and a second toothed belt 25 to the output shaft 26 of an electric motor. The electric motor is connected to a battery 27 for electric energy. The shaft 22 extends, in the mounting position of the drive unit at the container, substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the container. The drive transmission of the electric motor is preferably

disengageable from the wheels 21 or vice versa, so that the cart can be moved rolling upon the wheels 21, without participation of the electric motor.

The drive unit is designed with an inner, by three walls defined space which constitutes a holder for the battery 27. The holder also comprises a pivoting lid 29 for protection of the two electric terminals 30 of the battery, which lid is provided with two elastic contact sheets for power supply from the terminals. The battery 27 is shown located at the left side in Fig. 1 and 3 of the drive wheel shaft 22, between the two drive wheels 21.

When the golf cart is raised up to the vertical position shown in Fig. 3, the battery holder and the wheels of the drive shaft 21 constitutes a support against a surface, so that the golf cart stands in a stable position, with the support wheels 15 either folded out or folded in. In this position the container may, by means of a few simple manipulations, be coupled to the drive unit in the above described way, or may be detached from said drive unit. The drive unit itself forms a compact unit with a weight of about 14 kg.

When the golf cart is resting upon its four wheels upon a surface 31 as Fig. 1 shows, the distribution of weight is such that about 80% of the total weight rests upon the drive wheels 21 while the support wheels 15 receives the remaining amount of weight. This implies that the self moving golf cart can move itself in a straight line, also on surfaces which are inclined to one or the other side.

The invention is not limited to the above described embodiment, instead more variants are conceivable within the scoop of the following claims. For example, both the golf cart and the drive unit may be designed in many different ways within the frame of the invention.