DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a motorized golf cart 10 to which an embodiment of a canopy attachment in accordance with the present invention, generally indicated as a canopy assembly 34 in FIG. 3 , can be attached. Cart 10 has a top 12 that is attached to the upper ends of rear frame members 14 A and 14 B and the upper portion of a front frame member 16 using fasteners. Top 12 is preferably a molded plastic part and is used to protect passengers sifting in a passenger compartment 22 from rain. The passengers sit on a seat 18 with their back resting on a seat back 20 . Behind seat back 20 is a bag storage area 24 .

[0032] With reference again to FIG. 1 , bag storage area 24 is used to store one or more golf bags 26 containing golf clubs 28 . The bottom of golf bag 26 rests on a bottom 30 of a cart body 36 . The upper portion of the golf bag is supported by a U-shaped bag support 32 that prevents golf bag 26 from tipping over. Bag support 32 is preferably a molded plastic part with straps 54 attached to it to secure the golf bag to the bag support. Bag support 32 is mounted onto frame extensions 38 A and 38 B of cart 10 using fastening means (not shown), as for example threaded bolts and nuts. Frame extensions 38 A and 38 B are made of metal and attached to rear frames 14 A and 14 B by fastening means, welding or are a continuous extension of the rear frames.

[0033] Referring again to FIG. 1 , bag storage area 24 is generally formed as part of cart body 36 that opens toward the rear of the cart. The bag storage area is defined by bottom 30 , two opposite sides 23 , 25 and seat back 20 . Top 12 has a front edge 11 and a rear edge 13 and is located above passenger compartment 22 , The top does not cover the bag storage area to allow the player to remove golf clubs 28 from golf bag 26 without hitting the golf club on the underside of top 12 while trying to lift the golf club out of the golf bag. Therefore, the bag storage area and the golf bag are exposed to rainfall. In order to protect bag storage area 24 it is necessary to have a cover that can be folded out of the way so that the player may remove the golf clubs without being hindered by a covering directly above golf bag 26 .

[0034] FIGS. 2 and 2 A show the components necessary to mount an embodiment of this invention referred to as a canopy assembly 34 , shown in FIG. 3 , to cart 10 . A channel 40 is secured to a rear face 42 of top 12 preferably using rivets 44 . However, screws, bolts or other fastening means could be used in place of rivets 44 . A base member 46 is a structural bracket that is attached to bag support 32 by U-bolts 50 , as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 . The U-bolts surround the bag support and pass through holes 52 in flanges 58 .

[0035] The channel, shown in FIGS. 2 and 2 A, is preferably one continuous piece of extruded aluminum, however, extrude plastic will also work. The channel is preferably elongated having a width about equal to the width of face 42 on top 12 . The channel has a substantially C-shaped cross section with a rearward opening 92 .

[0036] A canopy 84 , shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , has a rolled and a sewn top edge 90 forming a sleeve 91 that a rod 93 is slid endwise into until the end of rod 93 corresponds to the ends of the sleeve forming rounded top edge 90 . Rod 93 has a length about the same as the length of channel 40 . The sleeve and rod are sized to allow them to be inserted as an assembly endwise into the C-shaped cross section of channel 40 . Top edge 90 has a diameter larger than opening 92 in channel 40 preventing the top edge from passing through opening 92 , therefore, securing the top edge within channel 40 . Rod 93 may be constructed of a rigid material as for example plastic or metal.

[0037] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , U-bolts 50 are used to secure base member 46 to bag support 32 and are secured using washers 68 placed onto U-bolt ends 80 and threaded nuts 82 that thread onto ends 80 of the U-bolts. When the nuts are tightened, flanges 58 contact the back face of bag support 32 clamping them together. U-bolts 50 are preferably made from metal as for example steel.

[0038] With reference to FIGS. 5, 7 and 7 A, base member 46 is preferably one continuous piece of high strength molded plastic, as for example nylon, with a beam 56 spanning the upper portion and two mounting flanges 58 extending from the bottom of the beam. The width of the beam corresponds to the width of the bag storage area. End faces 62 A and 62 B are located on opposite ends of beam 56 . A cylindrical inner boss 60 extends from each end face 62 A and 62 B to form a mounting cylinder for a pivot arm 64 , shown in FIG. 6 A, to mount onto. A cylindrical outer ring 61 also extends off of end faces 62 A and 62 B surrounding inner boss 60 . Both the inner boss and the outer ring are formed as part of base member 46 . The outer ring provides a mating surface 63 that contacts a pivot face 65 on pivot arm 64 when the pivot arm is assembled onto inner boss 60 using a screw 66 . The surface to surface contact between surface 63 and pivot face 65 creates constant resistance to rotation of the pivot arm due to friction between them. This resistance holds canopy 84 , shown in FIG. 8 , in a folded position when the user forces the canopy upward to allow access to golf clubs 28 and prevents the weight of canopy 84 from rotating pivot arms 64 downward which would result in extending the canopy. Beam 56 has a generally I-beam shaped cross section that provides structural rigidity for the base member 46 . Flanges 58 provide mounting extensions of the beam that contact the back face of bag support 32 , as previously described. The flanges contain holes 52 that the ends of the U-bolts pass through. The flanges are formed as a continuous part of beam 56 .

[0039] With reference to FIGS. 6A, 7 and 7 A, on each end of beam 56 are end faces 62 A and 62 B. Inner boss 60 , formed as part of the base member, contains a small diameter screw bore 86 in the center of the boss. The bore has a diameter slightly smaller than the outside diameter of the threads on screw 66 and is sized to allow screw 66 to self-tap into the screw bore to secure pivot arm 64 onto inner boss 60 on each end of beam 56 , as shown in FIG. 6 . Washer 68 is used to distribute the clamp force of screw 66 on pivot arm 64 holding the pivot arm on the inner boss and keeping mating surface 63 in contact with the pivot face 65 , shown in FIG. 5 , on pivot arm 64 .

[0040] With reference to FIGS. 5, 6A and 7 A, pivot arm 64 is a separately molded plastic part made from a high strength, molded plastic, as for example nylon . The pivot arm contains a pivot hole 88 that has a diameter that is slightly larger than the outside diameter of inner boss 60 allowing the pivot arm to rotate around the inner boss when the pivot arm is slid over the boss and secured in place by washer 68 and screw 66 , as shown in FIG. 6A . Both the screw and the washer are preferably made of steel. Pivot arm 64 extends outward from a cylindrical mounting end 74 and transitions to a rectangular cross section receiving a end 70 , shown in FIG. 6 A, that has a hollowed rectangular socket 72 , shown in FIG. 5 , that is sized to receive end 75 of a support bracket 76 as shown in FIG. 4 .

[0041] With reference again to FIGS. 4 and 5 , support bracket 76 is used to structurally support canopy 84 and is generally a U-shaped continuous rigid support with opposite ends 75 that have a rectangular cross section to facilitate insertion into socket 72 . In this way, the support bracket is pivotally connected to base member 46 . The length of support bracket 76 corresponds to the size of bag storage area 24 to ensure that when the support bracket is extended it covers the majority of the bag storage area. Near the ends of the support bracket 76 are rivet holes 94 that align with clearance holes 78 in the pivot arms to allow the insertion of rivets 45 . Rivets 45 secure ends 75 of support bracket 76 into sockets 72 and prevent the ends of the support bracket from coming out of sockets 72 because the rivets cannot slide through sockets 72 .

[0042] With reference again to FIG. 3 , canopy 84 is made from a thin sheet of flexible water-resistant material like vinyl that is sewn together. Canopy 84 is defined by a canopy top 85 and two generally opposing canopy sides 87 and 89 . The canopy has a bottom edge 120 , top edge 90 and a front canopy edge 122 that define the limits of the canopy.

[0043] With reference again to FIG. 4 , support bracket 76 and a mid-support bracket 96 provide structural support for the canopy. The mid-support bracket is generally a U-shaped continuous support with opposite ends 95 that have rectangular cross sections. The length of the mid-support bracket corresponds to the desired shape of the canopy that it supports. Both the support bracket and the mid-support bracket are made of a semi-rigid material like spring steel or a high strength plastic, as for example nylon. Both the support bracket and mid-support bracket pass through sewn channels 124 A and 124 B respectively in the canopy to locate them in the desired position within canopy 84 . In this way, the canopy is attached to support bracket 76 and mid-support bracket 96 . Support bracket 76 has pin holes 98 A that align with pin holes 98 B in mid-support bracket 96 to allow pins 100 to pass through, pivotally connecting the support bracket and midsupport bracket together. Lock pins 102 are assembled onto the ends of pins 100 to secure the pins in position. In this way, the mid-support bracket is free to pivot about pins 100 relative to support bracket 76 . Support bracket 76 and mid-support bracket 96 together makeup a frame structure for supporting the canopy.

[0044] With reference again to FIGS. 3 and 4 , canopy assembly 34 is attached to cart 10 and is extended to protect golf bag 26 and golf clubs 28 from adverse weather conditions like rainfall. In the extended position shown, canopy 84 is pulled taunt from within channel 40 and stretches over mid-support bracket 96 and down over support bracket 76 . Therefore, channel 40 , mid-support bracket 96 and support bracket 76 cooperate to support canopy 84 . In this way, canopy 84 covers bag storage area 24 and remains in this position due to the weight of the canopy, support bracket 76 and mid-support bracket 96 .

[0045] With reference to FIG. 8 , canopy assembly 34 is attached to cart 10 and is in a folded up position to allow access to golf bag 26 and golf clubs 28 . Canopy 84 is folded up from the extended position, as shown in FIG. 4 , by gripping the bottom of canopy 84 near support bracket 76 and lifting the support bracket upwardly, toward the back of top 12 . The moment force created from this lifting action causes pivot arms 64 to rotate around inner bosses 60 . The mid-support bracket pivots relative to support bracket 76 around pins 100 . At approximately the halfway point of folding up the canopy support bracket 76 contacts mid-support bracket 96 with the cover material folded in-between them and begins to rotate upwardly toward the back of top 12 . When the lifting action is completed, as shown in FIG. 8 , both support bracket 76 and mid-support bracket 96 are substantially vertical and the user may release the canopy. The friction between mating surfaces 63 on beam 56 and pivot face 65 on each pivot arm 64 prevents the canopy from falling back into the extended position. Therefore, the canopy is held in the folded position, as shown in FIG. 8 , by the friction between mating surface 63 and pivot face 65 . If the weather conditions improve and the player wishes to have the cover retained in the folded position while driving the cart, he or she may choose to fasten the cover in this position using the hook and loop fastening method, shown in FIG. 8 . A hook strap 104 is sewn to the canopy on the outer face near top edge 90 and is wrapped around the folded canopy and attached to a loop strap 106 that is sewn to the inner face of the canopy near the top edge. The player may extend the canopy by separating the hook strap from the loop strap and pulling the bottom of canopy 84 near support bracket 76 downwardly and toward the back of the cart. This will extend the cover over bag storage area 24 , as shown in FIG. 3 .

[0046] In a second embodiment of this invention, shown in FIG. 9 , pivot arms 64 and rivet holes 94 are eliminated. Pivot holes 194 and assembled directly onto inner boss 60 . In this embodiment, the modified support bracket 176 is pivotally attached directly to base member 46 in the same way as pivot arms 64 , as previously described.

CONCLUSION, RAMIFICATIONS, AND SCOPE OF INVENTION

[0047] Accordingly, one skilled in the art will recognize that the canopy rain cover of this invention can be used for rain protection on a motorized golf cart easily and conveniently, can be installed just as easily using simple tools and is aesthetically pleasing when installed on the cart. Furthermore, this invention has the additional advantages in that;

[0048] (a) it provides a canopy rain cover that mounts to the bag support on a variety of different golf carts without having to modify the design for each;

[0049] (b) it provides a canopy rain cover that is relatively inexpensive having fewer and simpler parts than currently known covers;

[0050] (c) it provides a rain cover that is robust and durable; and

[0051] (d) it provides a rain cover that is made up of components that are simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

[0052] Although the description above contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention. For example, the plastic molded base member 46 could be replaced with a steel or wood base member; the base member could have a different shape or be made an assembly of different parts; the U-bolts used to mount the base member to the bag support could be replaced with another fastening means like a threaded nut and bolt passing through the bag support; screw 66 fastening pivot arms 64 onto inner boss 60 could be replaced be snap fitting pivot hole 88 over a corresponding inner boss; one pivot arm 64 could be removed by only attaching one end of support bracket 76 to base member 46 ; pivot arm socket 72 could be eliminated with bracket 76 attaching another way to the pivot arm; pivot arms 64 could be eliminated by pivotally attaching support bracket 76 directly to base member 46 ; mid-support bracket 96 could also be directly attached to base member 46 or additional pivot arms 64 instead of attaching to the mid section of support bracket 76 ; both the support bracket and the mid-support bracket do not have to pass through sewn channels in the canopy, they could be attached using other fastening means like hook and loop straps; channel 40 could be replaced by another type of fastening means to connect the canopy's top edge to top 12 , as for example, a hook strip attached to top 12 and a loop strip attached to the top edge of the canopy; and sleeve rod 93 could be eliminated by rolling and sowing top edge 90 , etc.

[0053] Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.