Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Vehicles simulating standard types of vehicles but reduced...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-02
2002-03-19
Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Vehicles simulating standard types of vehicles but reduced...
Reexamination Certificate
active
06357817
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a fast-dismountable covering panel for an electric cart, and more particularly to an electric cart covering panel having a longitudinal slit for the covering panel to be elastically stretched apart along the slit and thereby facilitate quick mounting and dismounting of the covering panel onto and from the electric cart.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Cars have become very important traffic means in the modern society, particular in cities. With the increasing requirement for environmental protection, there is also developed a four-wheel electric cart that not only enables reduced environmental pollution but also has reduced dimensions and weight compared with the common cars and motorcycles. Such electric cart can be easily operated and is therefore widely welcome and employed by the invalid and the aged to conveniently assist them in moving usually within a short distance.
For the electric cart to have various and beautiful appearance, differently designed and colored covering panels are provided for mounting onto a top of a chassis of the electric cart.
FIGS. 13 and 14
illustrate a conventional electric cart A, a covering panel A
1
and a chassis A
2
of which are so designed that they must be assembled together in the process of manufacturing the electric cart. And, a handlebar A
3
of the electric cart and a decorative cover A
4
thereof could be connected to related mechanisms in the chassis only when the covering panel A
1
has been assembled to the chassis. Similarly, other parts, such as brake cable, electric control wiring and the like having close connection with the handlebar A
3
, could not be sequentially installed along with the handlebar A
3
until the covering panel has been mounted onto the chassis. As a result, the manufacture and assembling of the electric cart A is difficult and troublesome and requires a lot of time and labor.
Moreover, the conventional electric cart A is sent for quality inspection in a completely assembled state. That is, the electric cart A is inspected for quality with the covering panel A
1
fully mounted onto the chassis A
2
and the power mechanism, electric wiring, braking mechanism thereof completely installed in the chassis A
2
. The fully assembled electric cart A has a considerable weight that forms a hindrance in hoisting or sideward turning the cart for the purpose of quality inspection. The covering panel A
1
tends to be scraped or otherwise damaged during such quality inspection. In the event the chassis A
2
or other mechanism or wiring installed in the chassis is found unqualified in the quality inspection and must be dismounted and replaced, it would be inevitable to sequentially dismount the decorative cover A
4
, the handlebar A
3
and the covering panel A
1
from the chassis A
2
before such internal mechanism or wiring can be checked, repaired or replaced. And, the covering panel A
1
, the handlebar A
3
and the decorative cover A
4
must be sequentially assembled to the chassis A
2
again when the unqualified parts are repaired or replaced. The troublesome mounting and dismounting of the covering panel A
1
to the chassis A
2
obviously increases the manufacturing costs of the electric cart A.
Another problem with the conventional electric cart A is the covering panel A
1
and the chassis A
2
that are assembled together during the production of the electric cart A would disadvantageously necessitate time and labor consumed replacement of the covering panel in the above-mentioned troublesome procedures when a buyer prefers to a covering panel of different color or style. This obviously does not meet the requirement of efficiency in the industrial field.
Moreover, it is very possible that a second time mistake in the installation of the related brake cable and/or electric wiring occurs when the decorative cover A
4
, the handlebar A
3
and the covering panel A
1
are repeatedly dismounted and mounted. This would also form a factor disadvantageously affecting the quality of the electric cart A.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a fast-dismountable covering panel for easily mounting onto and dismounting from a chassis of an electric cart.
In one aspect of the present invention, the covering panel is provided along a centerline with a slit, so that the covering panel is elastically stretchable apart along the slit for conveniently covering it onto the chassis after the chassis and the related parts and wirings have been fully assembled and inspected for quality. Time and labor needed for manufacturing and QC inspection of the electric cart can therefore be largely reduced.
In another aspect of the present invention, the covering panel is provided along a centerline with a slit and at a front end of the slit with a round opening for a handlebar stem of the electric cart to move through the elastically stretched slit and engage into the round opening. That is, the handlebar stem can be assembled to the chassis before the covering panel is mounted onto the chassis, and any possible dismounting of the covering panel could be performed independently of the handlebar.
In a still another aspect of the present invention, the covering panel is provided along a centerline with a slit that allows the covering panel to be elastically stretched apart along the slit to enable easy and fast dismounting and replacement of the covering panel with another one to freely give the electric cart different color or style to attract more buyers.
To achieve the above and other objects, the fast-dismountable covering panel for an electric cart according to the present invention includes a front round opening and a rearward opened elongate opening opposite to the round opening. The elongate opening is adapted to engage with a handlebar stem upward extended from a front end of the chassis. A very narrow slit is provided along a centerline of the covering panel to extend between the round opening and the elongate opening, allowing the covering panel to be elastically stretched apart at the elongate opening along the slit for the handlebar stem to move forward along the slit into the round opening and causing the covering panel to cover and be screwed to a top of the chassis. A gasket is removably engaged with the slit to seal the same. Footrest panel, mat fixing strips and mat may be detachably connected to the covering panel and the covering panel may be mounted onto the chassis after the latter has been fully assembled and passed quality inspection. When necessary, the covering panel may also be quickly dismounted from the chassis by stretching it apart along the slit.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5036938 (1991-08-01), Blount et al.
patent: 5503243 (1996-04-01), Kruse
patent: 6170592 (2001-01-01), Wu
Carpenter Scott
Pape Joseph D.
Pihsiang Machinery Co., Ltd.
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