Tent – canopy – umbrella – or cane – Portable shelter – Canopy supported by vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-28
2001-05-08
Friedman, Carl D. (Department: 3635)
Tent, canopy, umbrella, or cane
Portable shelter
Canopy supported by vehicle
C296S083000, C296S026080, C005S119000, C160S045000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06227217
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to protective coverings for golf bags, and more particularly to such protective coverings that are mounted to a golf cart for movement between covered and uncovered relation with respect to a golf bag mounted on the rear of a golf cart.
Golf is a game which requires its players to travel a great distance in order to complete a typical round of 9 or 18 holes. While walking a course and carrying a golf bag, or having a caddy carry a golf bag, is a typical means of traversing a course, many players prefer the speed and comfort of using a golf cart to move about a course.
When using a golf cart, a player's clubs are positioned in a golf bag compartment positioned at the rear of the cart. With many styles of carts, the compartment in which the players sit includes a roof positioned in covering relation thereover. The golf bag compartment is, however, uncovered, thereby leaving the bags, and clubs positioned within the bags, exposed to the elements.
As golf bags and clubs are relatively expensive tools of the sport, their owners generally take care to preserve them. Consequently, keeping the clubs and bags out of inclement weather, such as rain, is generally considered good maintenance. Thus, as many play the game of golf in inclement weather, it is useful to have an apparatus to cover their clubs positioned on the rear of the carts.
There have been several covers created to provide shelter for golf bag and clubs positioned on the rear of a cart. Examples can be readily seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,008,874 to Conway, Jr.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,671,071 to Evinrude; U.S. Pat. No. 4,037,614 to Hines, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,098,536 to Mills; U.S. Pat. No. 4,013,315 to West; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,830,037 to Held. The '315 and '536 patents each teach covers which loosely drape over the golf bags positioned on the rear of the cart. While these covers do serve their intended purpose, they are cumbersome and do not provide easy access to the clubs. The '874 and '037 patents each teach covers which mount to the sweater basket posts or rear roof support posts. These devices also serve their intended purpose, but lack versatility due to the varying designs of the rear post assemblies of golf carts. Moreover, these devices are also cumbersome and difficult to effectively install.
It is therefore a principal object and advantage of the present invention to provide a roof mounted, golf bag canopy that is lightweight and easy to install on golf carts.
It is an additional object and advantage of the present invention to provide a roof mounted golf bag canopy that is inexpensive to manufacture and distribute.
It is a further object and advantage of the present invention to provide a roof mounted golf bag canopy that may effectively be positioned in covered or uncovered relation to a golf bag.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will in part be obvious, and in part appear hereafter.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the foregoing objects and advantages, the present invention is essentially comprised of an awning track that is fixedly secured along the rear edge of a golf cart's roof, and a canopy assembly removably attached to the awning track. The canopy assembly includes a fabric cover supported by a framework that permits it to be pivotally moveable between covered and uncovered relation with respect to a golf bag positioned in the golf bag compartment at the rear of the cart.
More specifically, the framework includes a pair of J-bars, one attached to and extending downwardly from each end of the awning track, a U-shaped bow pivotally attached at its ends to the ends of the J-bars, and a stabilizer rod extending horizontally across and attached to the J-bars at their respective vertices. The entire framework hangs freely from the awning track, and the U-shaped bow provides the structural support for the cover.
To install the canopy on a golf cart, the awning track is secured to the rear edge of the roof by screws or similar fasteners passing therethrough. A dowel, which is longitudinally inserted into an open-looped leading edge of the cover, is then longitudinally inserted into a C-shaped channel formed in the awning track.
In operation, a user manually pivots the U-shaped bow in order to move the cover into and out of covering relation to the golf bags positioned on the rear of the cart. When in its non-covering position, a strap securely attached to the bow may be releasably secured (via a strap having a snap fastener, VELCRO® strap, or the like) to the vertically extending portion of one of the J-bars in order to prevent inadvertent opening thereof.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2930051 (1960-03-01), Kampmeier
patent: 3466082 (1969-09-01), Branch
patent: 3671071 (1972-06-01), Evinrude
patent: 3918510 (1975-11-01), Hayward
patent: 4008874 (1977-02-01), Conway, Jr.
patent: 4013315 (1977-03-01), West
patent: 4037614 (1977-07-01), Hines et al.
patent: 4097169 (1978-06-01), Kelly
patent: 4098536 (1978-07-01), Mills
patent: 4310194 (1982-01-01), Biller
patent: 4830037 (1989-05-01), Held
patent: 5758379 (1998-06-01), Tamburelli
patent: 3517-967A (1985-05-01), None
Friedman Carl D.
Hancock & Estabrook, LLP
J. G. Peta, Inc.
McGuire George R.
Varner Steve
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