Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Tops – Load cover
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-08
2001-04-24
Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Tops
Load cover
C296S111000, C280SDIG005, C135S088010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06220647
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to coverings and awnings for golf carts. A standard golf cart has an area for stowage of golf clubs and other equipment at the rear of the cart. While the cart's roof covers persons riding in the cart, it leaves the equipment in the stowage area uncovered. Golfing equipment can be very expensive, and it is undesirable for it to get wet because of rain. As such, a cover extending over the rear stowage area of the cart is desirable. However, ready access by a golfer to his equipment is essential, so the cover should not obstruct the golfer's ability to reach for clubs as needed. Further, if rainy conditions are not present, the cover is not needed and must be moved out of the way. There exist retractable covers that extend over the cart's stowage area, but they often do so in a cumbersome fashion. While some covers, when deployed, may do an adequate job in keeping rain off the equipment, they do not fold away in a neat, compact fashion when retracted after use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
By means of the instant invention there is provided a retractable awning for the rear equipment stowage area of a golf cart. The awning is comprised of a framework having a fabric covering extended over a plurality of U-shaped rib members joined at their ends at a common pivot point. The rib members are moveable relative to each other so that the awning can be moved in fan-like fashion between an open, deployed position to a closed, retracted position. A first top rib member forms the top, forward lateral edge of the awning, and each successive rib member supports a portion of the fabric to give structural shape to the awning in its deployed state. The awning is attached to the rear of a golf cart by fastening the top rib member to the underneath side of the rear edge of the roof of the golf cart. The respective pivot points of the rib members are supported against the cart's vertical support posts. Each successive rib member has an incrementally smaller dimension than its preceding rib member such that all the rib members can be nested together in a common plane when the awning is in the closed retracted position. Sleeves are disposed on the inner surface of the fabric to receive the rib members which allows the fabric to deploy smoothly over the framework. A fabric flap is provided at the top lateral edge to enable the loose awning fabric to be gathered neatly together when the awning is held against the rear edge of the cart's roof in the closed retracted state.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a retractable awning for attachment to the rear of a golf cart to protect equipment stored in the cart's stowage area. Another object of the invention is to provide a retractable awning having a framework comprised of rib members that nest together in planar alignment when in a closed retracted position. These and other object of the present invention are realized in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, described by way of example and not by way of limitation.
Additional object, advantages and novel features of the present invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following more detailed description and drawings in which like elements of the invention are similarly numbered throughout.
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Greensfelder Hemker & Gale, P.C.
Pape Joseph D.
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