JP2008100547A - Golf cart - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable a golf cart to run on a fairway by reducing a load on wheels of a cart on which one group of one to four persons rides and reducing the damage imparted to lawn grass. <P>SOLUTION: At least two wheels are provided with a number of wheels of the cart having usual four wheels and it is made to be a two-wheel formation by composing so as to couple it. A leading vehicle is a vehicle for two-person riding, the load is approximately uniformly supported by the four wheels by installing the position of a seat and the position of a drive source at the central position between a steering wheel and a driving wheel, and the load for each wheel applied to the lawn grass is less than the cart for usual four-person riding. When the coupling is released, the leading vehicle and a trailing vehicle can travel as the cart for two-person riding. The golf cart is allowed to run on the fairway by reducing the load for each wheel and reducing the damage to the lawn grass. A universal joint coupling and a spring are used in combination for a coupler. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a cart used by a player used in a golf course, and more particularly to a cart that does not damage the turf even when running on a fairway.

  In recent years, golf has become popular, and the needs of people playing together have diversified, and two-seater carts are also being used. The two-seater cart reduces the weight of the vehicle itself and does not damage the turf even when traveling on the fairway. In general, golf is practiced by a set of four people, and a larger number of users can enter the golf course. However, the four-seater cart has a considerable weight when the weight of the four people and the vehicle weight are combined, and a dedicated road is provided along the outside of the fairway so as to run on the road.

  The player selects an appropriate club from the golf bag loaded on the cart and goes to the ball position. However, depending on the turf, a club having a different number is required and must be returned to the cart position again. Such time is a factor that lengthens play time, and the player's physical strength is also consumed. It is clear that if the cart can run freely on the fairway, the game can be promoted because the cart can move to the next shot position. In recent years, the number of self-plays that caddies do not follow is increasing, and the speed of progressing play is left to the player's manners, so the required time tends to be considerably long.

  Moving the cart is the best way to reduce the time required to get as fast as possible after the first shot in each hole and the next shot is taken. It is. In general, the weight of a four-person cart is approximately 250 kg to 390 kg, and if a person's weight is 65 kg, the weight is 260 kg for four people. The combined weight is shared by the four wheels, but the load on the rear drive wheels is greater than that on the front wheels, taking into account the weight of the drive mechanism such as a motor or engine and the load such as a bag. In order to reduce the load on the drive wheels, it is necessary to further increase the number of wheels.

As a proposal for traveling on the fairway, there is a golf cart for one or two passengers. In such a cart, in order to reduce the weight of the vehicle, the chassis portion is simplified and lightened, and the weight is reduced to less than 100 kg for one passenger. On the other hand, as an example of increasing the number of wheels, there is a proposal of a caddy robot with the function of a caddy. To support the space and weight of the electronic control mechanism, six wheels are integrated to reduce the load on the wheels. is doing. There are also proposals to increase the tire width of the wheels.
JP-A-3-286788 JP-A-7-51418 JP 2002-219202 A JP 2004-276702 A

  The problem to be solved is to reduce the load applied to the wheels of a cart for riding one to four people to reduce damage to the turf and to allow the fairway to run.

  In order to solve the above problem, at least two wheels are further equipped, but they are configured to be connected to form a two-vehicle formation, and when the connection is released, the leading vehicle and the following vehicle can run independently. A golf cart for 2 to 4 passengers is provided.

  The present invention is a cart used for players inside and outside a golf course, and is intended to reduce the load on the turf and its soil layer in order to run freely on fairways and rough areas, and has four wheels. The vehicle is configured as described above and is capable of traveling in a connected state as a two-vehicle formation of a leading vehicle and a succeeding vehicle. The front wheel of the first vehicle has two steering wheels and two rear wheels, and a front two-passenger vehicle that is composed of two drive wheels, and a subsequent two-passenger vehicle equipped with at least two wheels. Run. The front wheels are steered wheels but can also serve as drive wheels. In this case, a drive source is installed at the front of the vehicle, and a drive shaft using a universal shaft joint is provided to constitute a front wheel drive system. The leading vehicle has a shorter wheelbase with the rear seat of the 4-passenger cart moved to the front seat position, and a drive source such as an engine or motor and battery is installed at the center of the wheelbase below the seat. The weight of the person and the weight of the driving source are supported almost equally by the four wheels, and the load applied to the grass of the wheels is less than or equal to that of the four-seater cart, and the load is further reduced in the following vehicle towed. . In the case of front wheel drive, load equalization is further improved. When the connection is released, the vehicle can run only with the leading vehicle. Also, by installing a few parts, the following vehicle can also run alone. In these cases, it is operated as a two-person passenger cart. Further, since the load applied to the wheels is reduced, it is not necessary to further increase the contact area of the tires, and the tire width can be made equal to or less than the tire width of the wheels in the case of a four-person passenger cart.

  The succeeding vehicle mainly drives a wheel using an auxiliary drive motor, and the wheel has at least two wheels and can be further equipped with one or two wheels. When two or more vehicles are connected, when the succeeding vehicle has a three to four wheel configuration, wheels other than the driving wheels are preferably free wheels with casters, and the burden on the coupler can be reduced. In such a configuration, the succeeding vehicle itself can stand on its own, so that it can be made to travel alone as a cart for one or two people by providing additional auxiliary equipment. The free wheel on the caster operates so that the wheel of the free wheel is parallel to the direction to be pulled during the combined traveling. However, it has the property of correcting the direction by the undulation of the ground, and shows a subordinate operation to the last. Therefore, a member that supports the wheel in advance so that the caster is in a negative position is connected with a rod, and the rod can be regarded as a steered wheel by moving the rod using a simple handle. However, there is no problem if the pulling direction is forward, but the rod is obstructive when moving backward, so it is necessary to configure it as a detachable rod and omit the rod when connecting two vehicles. The power of the motor that is the driving source for the succeeding vehicle is supplied from the battery loaded on the leading vehicle. However, it may be divided and loaded on the succeeding vehicle in advance or a separately prepared battery may be loaded as a power source. It is sufficient that the mileage is at least half of the competition, and it is sufficient to change the battery after the half is over. One or two free wheels are equipped and used as a three-wheel vehicle or a four-wheel vehicle when traveling alone. The universal wheel has a simple structure, and the principle structure is also used for motorcycles. In the present invention, a suspension system used for a passenger car using a kingpin is not limited to a free wheel, and a suspension system can also be adopted.

  The connecting portion of the two vehicles uses a universal shaft and a spring in combination, and two bearings orthogonal to each other and one additional shaft as a sliding shaft are provided with a sliding and rotating bearing. Is fixed to the chassis of the following vehicle. In addition, when the cart moves forward or stops by placing springs before and after the slidable bearing, the distance between the vehicles can be made variable to buffer the impact. When the bearing of the sliding shaft is fixed to the succeeding vehicle and the succeeding vehicle has only two driving wheels, the sliding bearing receives bending stress, but the influence can be reduced if the length of the bearing is taken into consideration. However, in the configuration in which one or two wheels are provided in the front part of the succeeding vehicle, a stress acting in the direction of shearing the sliding shaft acts when passing through a stepped ground, so that the succeeding vehicle has an elastic member interposed in the sliding bearing. Or a universal shaft joint is also provided on the following vehicle side to prevent stress generation. When the distance between the two vehicles approaches rapidly, the amount of movement of the tip of the sliding shaft is transmitted to the brake pad of the brake fixed to the axle of the succeeding vehicle via the rod, and the brake is automatically applied to the succeeding vehicle. It was set as the structure which acts automatically. Instead of using a rod, the end position of the sliding shaft may be detected and converted into an electric quantity, and a braking force may be applied to the axle by an electromagnetic brake.

  The driving wheel of the succeeding vehicle is configured to have a driving motor, and gives an auxiliary driving force when climbing a steep slope. In this case as well, the wheel is driven using the amount of movement of the tip of the sliding shaft or using an angle sensor. The wheel drive source of the leading vehicle may be an engine, but driving by a motor using a battery is preferable because the power source can be shared.

  As mentioned above, the number of passengers is four and the total weight including the drive source is shared by at least six wheels, so the load applied to the grass by the individual wheels of the cart is reduced, and the grass is not damaged and it is difficult for wrinkles to occur. The fairway can be driven freely. In addition, the distance between the centers of the left and right wheels (hereinafter referred to as treads) such as the steering wheel and the driving wheel of the leading vehicle and the driving wheel of the following vehicle to be pulled or the driving wheel of the leading vehicle and the driving wheel of the following vehicle are different dimensions. Thus, a golf cart that is more friendly to the turf can be provided by reducing the overlap of wheel tracks during running.

  In recent years, in golf courses, the number of companions is not necessarily limited to four, and the demand for two-person passenger carts is also increasing. Therefore, a cart that can be separated or connected for two to four people can be more appropriately organized for the convenience of the companion. Furthermore, since the load per wheel can be reduced by adopting a connection type, the freeway can be run freely and the time required for play can be shortened. If you can check the cart on the fairway, you can enjoy playing without worrying about the ball from the following players.

  The golf cart is a two-vehicle connection type, and each vehicle is for two passengers. The leading vehicle has steering wheels and drive wheels and is equipped with accelerators and brakes, and the following vehicle to be pulled mainly has auxiliary drive wheels and brake devices to urge the climbing force while attaching a few parts. Enables independent driving. When the inter-vehicle distance approaches rapidly, the brake device of the following vehicle is automatically activated. By using a universal shaft joint and a spring at the coupling part to reduce the impact, a bearing that can slide and rotate is added to two orthogonal axes and one additional axis to detect the position of the end of the sliding shaft. Activate the brake or drive motor of the following vehicle.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing almost the entire structure of a two-vehicle coupled golf cart 1 according to the present invention excluding a roof portion. 2 is a leading vehicle and 3 is a succeeding vehicle to be pulled. The leading vehicle 2 is a two-seater vehicle, and includes a handle 5 for operating the steering wheel 4, an accelerator pedal 6, and a brake pedal 7. Reference numeral 8 denotes a seat having a width that can be seated by two persons, and reference numeral 8a denotes a backrest, which is attached above the frame body 10 fixed to the chassis portion 9 of the vehicle body. A floor 11 is installed so as to cover the chassis portion. Reference numeral 12 denotes a windshield made of a transparent resin plate, and both ends thereof are fixed to the column 13. A roof (not shown) is fixed to the upper portion of the column 13 and the frame body 10. Reference numeral 14 denotes a drive wheel which is driven by a motor which will be described later. Reference numeral 15 denotes a fender that covers the drive wheels, and has a stand on which the golf bag 16 is placed. Reference numeral 17 denotes a coupler, which will be described later in detail, and can pull the succeeding vehicle 3 freely. The succeeding vehicle 3 to be pulled includes an auxiliary drive wheel 18 pivotally supported by the chassis portion and a fender 19 thereof, a floor 20 covering the chassis portion, a frame body 21 and a seat 22, and the seat has a width that can be seated by two people. is doing. A roof (not shown) is fixed to the frame body 21, and an auxiliary column 29 is inserted into a bracket 28 fixed to the chassis so as to suspend a curtain that resists rain and wind. When the horizontal shaft 25b of the coupler is removed, the succeeding vehicle 3 is separated, and the leading vehicle 2 can travel alone as a two-seater cart. Further, as will be described later, the succeeding vehicle has a configuration equipped with one or two wheels, and is capable of traveling independently with a small number of parts attached.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the chassis portion 9 of the leading vehicle 2 and the frame body 10 for fixing a chair, a roof, and the like, and the chassis portion 23 and the frame body 21 of the succeeding vehicle 3. The chassis part and the frame form an integral structure in which an aluminum alloy pipe and a plate are welded. The control-related mechanism of the steering wheel 4 of the leading vehicle and the brake / accelerator operating system are obtained by ordinary methods and are not particularly shown. The drive shaft 14a of the drive wheel 14 of the leading vehicle 2 is pivotally supported by the chassis 9 via a bearing, and a drive motor 30 with a speed reducer that uses a battery (not shown) as a power source is provided with a drive transmission mechanism such as a belt. The casing 31 is fixed to the casing 31 and is supported by the drive shaft 14a via a bearing and one end is fixed to the chassis 9. The casing also serves as a mounting seat for the motor. The rotational force of the drive motor 30 is controlled by the accelerator pedal 6. On the other hand, the drive shaft 18a of the drive wheel 18 of the succeeding vehicle 3 is driven by a casing 33 that includes a drive motor 32 and a drive transmission mechanism. Reference numeral 17 denotes a coupler, which will be described later in detail.

  FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing the coupler 17 and the brake mechanism 24 of the following vehicle 3. The coupler 17 includes a biaxial universal joint 25, a sliding shaft 25 d orthogonal to the two axes, and a sliding bearing 26. The universal shaft joint has a vertical shaft 25a pivotally supported on the chassis 9 and a horizontal shaft 25b detachably fitted thereto, and a sliding shaft fixing member 25c is pivotally supported on the horizontal shaft. To do. A sliding bearing 26 fixed to the chassis 23 of the succeeding vehicle is slidably and rotatably fitted to the sliding shaft 25d, but springs 27 are inserted on both sides thereof, and the distance between the succeeding vehicle and the leading vehicle is between When is changed, the spring expands and contracts to buffer the impact.

  The open end of the sliding shaft 25d pushes one end of the lever 24a of the brake mechanism 24 when the inter-vehicle distance is reduced. The central portion of the lever is pivotally supported by a lever support member 24b fixed to the chassis 23, and the other end is pivotally supported by a joint 24c, to which a rod 24d and a joint 24e are connected. The central portion of the lever 24f is pivotally supported by a lever support member 24g fixed to the chassis 23, one end of the lever 24f pivotally supports the joint 24e, and the other end is fixed to one end of the brake shoe 24h and moves. A brake drum 24i is fixed to the auxiliary drive shaft 18a of the following vehicle. The other end of the brake shoe 24h that contacts the brake drum is fixed to a brake shoe fixing member 24j fixed to the chassis 23. These series of components are not particularly limited, but when the inter-vehicle distance is reduced, the amount of movement of the open end of the sliding shaft 25d can be transmitted to the brake shoe to activate the brake and stop the subsequent vehicle. .

  A sensor for controlling the driving force of the driving wheel 18 of the succeeding vehicle 3 can be realized by detecting the open end position of the sliding shaft 25d. When the cart advances or climbs, the distance between the sliding bearing 26 and the open end of the sliding shaft is reduced. Therefore, by detecting the amount of movement, the electric resistor is controlled and the rotational force of the drive motor 32 is controlled. An arm 35 is provided at the end of the sliding shaft 25d and a slider 34a is inserted into the inter-vehicle distance detector 34 using a variable resistor attached to the chassis portion to detect a change in the electric resistance value and the rotational force of the drive motor. Adjust. The end of the arm 35 is provided with an arc-shaped slot so that the slider does not bend when the following vehicle is tilted. Instead of the variable resistor, the roller can be brought into contact with the slider, and the rotational speed of the roller can be used as a digital value for controlling the take-out drive motor. Other electronic control systems such as ultrasonic inter-vehicle distance sensors can also be used.

  In FIG. 2, the tread of the steering wheel 4 is T1, the tread of the driving wheel 14 is T2, and the tread of the driving wheel 18 of the following vehicle is T3 so that these dimensions are different so that the trajectories of the wheels do not overlap as much as possible. In addition, damage to the turf can be reduced. When the cart runs in a curve, the turf recovers quickly because there is little overlap over a long distance even if the tracks overlap somewhat. When a normal four-seater cart is driven by an engine, the vehicle weight is about 400 kg. However, when the weight of four people is added to 260 kg, the weight is 660 kg, which is 165 kg / wheel even if the four wheels are equally shared. Actually, a load of 60% is applied to the rear wheel side, so that 396 kg is supported by two wheels, and running of the fairway is impossible due to wrinkles. In recent years, the weight of four-passenger carts has been reduced, but there are few golf courses that can actually run on fairways.

  In this embodiment, if the weight of the leading vehicle is kept at about 200 kg and the weight of the two people is averaged at 130 kg, if 330 kg is shared by four wheels, the weight is 82.5 kg per wheel. This is the same as 83kg people walking on the fairway, leaving no shoe marks. Actually, a driving mechanism such as a motor or a load such as a battery and a bag is applied to the driving wheel side, so that when the four wheels are not shared equally and two passengers are used, the driving wheel side is 40% and the driving wheel side is 60%. % Load is applied. Therefore, since the load of 198 kg is applied to the driving wheel side, 100 kg is registered per wheel. A player weighing 100kg can be seen, but not enough to damage the fairway grass. Damage to the turf can be avoided by avoiding sudden starts and stops. In the driving wheels of the following vehicle, the vehicle is small and the load is further reduced, and there is almost no damage to the turf. An example of enabling fairway travel by increasing the tire width of the wheel can be found in the prior art, but in the present invention, as described above, since the load per wheel is small, the tire width is not further increased. In both cases, the load per unit area is less than that of a normal four-seater cart. Moreover, if the driving force of the driving wheel 18 is supplementarily applied, the climbing force is sufficiently maintained. In this embodiment, the number of wheels of the following vehicle is two, but this is not restrictive, and 3 to 4 wheels are installed to install part of the battery of the leading vehicle to reduce the weight of the leading vehicle. You can also In this embodiment, the succeeding vehicle does not need a steering wheel, but cannot travel alone. When the succeeding vehicle is set to three wheels or four wheels, the wheels other than the drive wheels may be free wheels with casters. By adding a universal ring, there is an advantage that the burden on the sliding shaft of the coupler is reduced and the vehicle can be easily stored.

  As described above, the driving force of the two-vehicle coupled cart of the present invention is mainly the function of the leading vehicle, but the weight of a person and the weight of a driving source such as a battery, a motor, or an engine are equalized with four wheels. A front drive system in which the drive motor is disposed in the foremost part is also preferable. Since the battery is bulky, it is a good idea to use the space below the seat, and the weight is concentrated at almost the same position as the human weight. Therefore, in order to evenly distribute the load distribution to the wheels, the seat should be positioned at the center of the front and rear wheels, but there will be excess space around the position of the feet when people are seated. The load distribution is biased toward the rear wheel. This can be solved by making the wheelbase longer, but it is not a good idea to make the vehicle shorter and simpler. The engine requires a considerable volume when including its fuel tank, etc. However, if it is a motor, it is not a complicated structure just by configuring a speed reduction mechanism, a universal shaft joint and a drive shaft, and the weight is placed in front of the vehicle. Can be moved. The front drive system has good maneuverability, and it is sufficient to compensate for the climbing force with the drive wheels of the following vehicle.

  Instead of the brake mechanism 24 described in the first embodiment, an electromagnetic brake 36 as shown in FIG. 4 can be used. A brake disk 36 a is fixed to the drive shaft 18 a, and a brake pad 36 b is fixed to the chassis 23. The output of the inter-vehicle detector 34 is transmitted to a control box 39 through a lead wire 38, and a power source from a battery (not shown) is connected to the control box through a power line 40. The control box 39 energizes the amount of electric power from the battery controlled according to the output of the inter-vehicle detector through the power line 41 that operates the electromagnetic brake and the power line 42 that operates the auxiliary drive motor 32. When the output value of the inter-vehicle detector is large, the open end of the sliding shaft protrudes and the succeeding vehicle is approaching the leading vehicle. If the amount exceeds a predetermined amount, the electromagnetic brake 36 is activated to keep the inter-vehicle distance normal. Like that. Further, when the open end of the sliding shaft is retracted, the output of the inter-vehicle detector is small and the load on the driving wheel of the leading vehicle is large. Therefore, the driving motor 32 of the succeeding vehicle is operated through the power line 42. Return the vehicle distance to normal.

  The above-described two-vehicle coupled cart needs only to be able to move forward during play, but may need to be retracted during storage of the vehicle or traveling on a fairway. When the brake mechanism 24 shown in FIG. 3 is configured, it is sufficient to move the attachment position of the lever 24a so that the open end of the sliding shaft 25d does not contact the lever, but at least a manual mechanism is required. It becomes complicated. The configuration shown in FIG. 4 is only a power line that uses a battery as a power source, and a connecting member such as a rod is unnecessary, and it is only necessary to electrically control the power line 41 and / or the power line 42, thereby simplifying the operation. Can do.

  When running on a fairway with two vehicles connected, the inclination of the chassis of each car body of the leading vehicle and the following vehicle with respect to the horizontal plane may incline in different directions. It is necessary to have a rotatable configuration that follows the above. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the simplest coupler 17a. The biaxial universal shaft joint 25 is attached to the chassis 9 of the leading vehicle and the chassis 23 of the following vehicle, respectively, and an elliptical leaf spring 43 is directly fixed to the joint 25e supported by the horizontal shaft 25b with bolts. . At least one of the parts to be fixed by the bolt is configured such that the leaf spring can rotate with respect to the bolt. The plate thickness of the elliptical leaf spring is not limited to a constant value, and a thick portion and a thin portion may be configured to reduce the impact. The inter-vehicle detector 34 and the slider 34a inserted therein are attached to the joint 25e. However, when the vehicle body is tilted, the slider 34a bends. . The inter-vehicle detector is preferably a system in which a roller is brought into contact with the slider to take out the rotation speed of the roller as a digital value.

  The above-described couplers are only examples, and the present invention is not limited to these, and couplers having various configurations in which joints that can be rotated around two or three axes having different directions are supported.

  FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an example in which the drive motor 30 is arranged in the forefront of the chassis without changing the configuration of the chassis 9 of the leading vehicle 2 shown in the first embodiment. The casing 31 is fixed to the chassis 9, and the drive shaft 44 is connected to the output shaft protruding from the left and right sides via a universal joint. The other end of the drive shaft rotationally drives the steered wheels 4 that are independently suspended via a universal shaft joint. The engine or motor and the battery that powers it are loaded under the seat, so in the case of two passengers, the weight is biased toward the rear wheels, so the load is obtained by placing the drive motor in the forefront and driving the front wheels. Distribution is promoted to equalize. The front wheel drive is advantageous in improving steering stability because the wheelbase is short compared to a normal four-seater cart. Since the independent suspension structure of the steered wheels and the connection structure of the drive shaft can use a general structure such as an automobile, the details are omitted.

  In the first embodiment, the leading vehicle 2 can travel alone, and the succeeding vehicle 3 includes driving wheels 18 that are driven in an auxiliary manner. Although the configuration of the following vehicle is mainly described as being pulled, it is possible to travel alone when the connection is released by adding the following device. The succeeding vehicle 3a shown in FIG. 7 includes a chassis 23a provided with a space for installing wheels at the front. The front part of the chassis is partly raised, but the sloped part is not narrow because the player can put his legs on it. The slide shaft 25d and the slide bearing 26, which have been disconnected, have their attachment positions reversed in order to adjust the height. The foremost part of the chassis 23a is made of a plate material, and a free wheel 45 with casters is fixed to both ends of the chassis 23a, but the upper part of a U-shaped rotating member 45b that supports the wheel 45a is extended so that one end 46a of the rod 46 is formed. It is pivotally supported. The other free wheel similarly supports the rod and maintains the left and right free wheels in parallel. Also, a bracket 47 is fixed to a part of a chassis 23a made of a plate material, and a handle shaft 48 is pivotally supported. One end of a lever 49 is fixed to the handle shaft and the other end is fixed to the center of the rod 50. The rod 46 is swung to the left and right by rotating the handle shaft by engaging with the wheel, thereby determining the direction of the free wheel. The handle 51 has a rod shape, and a steering shaft 51a is fixed in an L shape. The steering shaft is detachably fitted to the handle shaft 48, and the direction of the free wheel 45 can be determined as appropriate by rotating the handle shaft. The handle 51 is provided with a travel button 52a and a brake button 52b. The circuit is set so that the drive motor 32 is started when the travel button is pressed and the electromagnetic brake 36 is operated when the brake button is pressed.

  The drive motor 32, the casing 33 and the electromagnetic brake 36 are moved to one side, and a bottomed pallet 53 is provided below the seat for loading the battery, and a predetermined amount of batteries can be loaded and unloaded in a batch using a simple crane. . Since the weight is biased, it may be divided into left and right and loaded. In any case, in the case of traveling with two vehicles connected, it is sufficient that the battery capacity can be auxiliary driven, and the handle 51 and the rod 46 need to be removed. These operations are simple, and if it is desired to run the following vehicle alone, a handle and a rod may be attached. When the wheel with a tire is preferably towed, the free wheel has better followability when the caster is in the negative position. One universal wheel may be provided at the center of the frontmost part of the vehicle, but stability is lacking when traveling alone.

  If the succeeding vehicle has only two wheels and is towed, there is no problem with the coupler 17 shown in the first embodiment. However, when the succeeding vehicle can stand on its own by providing a wheel at the front of the succeeding vehicle, there is a step on the ground. When traveling in a certain portion, a stress in the shearing direction acts on the sliding shaft 25d, and the sliding bearing may be damaged by bending stress. In order to solve this problem, an axis perpendicular to the center line of the sliding shaft may be provided as shown in FIG. A universal shaft joint 55 attached to the frontmost chassis 23a of the following vehicle includes a vertical shaft 55a that is rotatable with respect to the chassis, a bearing member 55b provided on the vertical shaft, and a horizontal shaft that is rotatably supported by the vertical shaft 55a. The horizontal axis is formed integrally with the sliding bearing 55d. The sliding shaft 25d penetrating the sliding bearing is the sliding shaft described in the first embodiment, and the shaft center and the horizontal shaft 55c are orthogonal to each other. The bearing member 55b is divided and bolted after the sliding bearing is assembled. Such a structure can follow the chassis 9a of the succeeding vehicle suddenly up and down or inclined with respect to the chassis 9 of the leading vehicle. When releasing the connection, the horizontal shaft 25b is pulled out. However, when the succeeding vehicle has two wheels, there is no function of maintaining the height of the chassis 23a from the ground, and it is necessary that the succeeding vehicle can stand on its own with three or four wheels. Although not shown, the inter-vehicle detector 34 is installed on the upper surfaces of the sliding shaft fixing member 25c and the sliding bearing 55d, and can detect the inter-vehicle distance even when the sliding shaft is inclined.

  A plate spring 56 may be arranged between the sliding bearing 26 and the chassis 23 as shown in FIG. When the height of the chassis 9 of the leading vehicle and the chassis 23 of the succeeding vehicle change suddenly, the inclination angle of the sliding shaft 25d changes, bending stress is generated on the sliding shaft, and a load is applied to the sliding bearing. Since the leaf spring absorbs a sudden change in the inclination angle, the unbalanced load of the sliding bearing is alleviated and the ride comfort is improved.

  Since the two-vehicle coupled cart of the present invention has a small load per wheel and does not damage the turf even when traveling on the fairway, it can move to the vicinity of the shot position without walking, so the substantial time required can be shortened. In addition, the number of players can be accommodated for 2 to 4 passengers, and in recent years, there is a tendency to increase the number of players who play as a pair, and the efficiency of cart distribution is improved, so a great demand can be expected.

It is a perspective view of the two-vehicle connection cart of the present invention. Example 1 It is a perspective view which shows the chassis part of the two vehicle connection cart of FIG. Example 1 It is an expansion perspective view which shows a coupler and a brake mechanism. Example 1 It is a perspective view which shows another embodiment of a brake mechanism. (Example 2) It is a perspective view which shows another embodiment of a coupler. (Example 3) It is a perspective view which shows the example of a front-wheel drive. Example 4 It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the succeeding vehicle which can drive independently. (Example 5) It is a perspective view which shows another structure of a coupler. (Example 6) It is a perspective view which shows another structure of a coupler. (Example 7)

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 2 Vehicle connection type cart 2 Lead vehicle 3 Subsequent vehicle 4 Steering wheel 9 Chassis 10 Frame 12 Windshield 13 Strut 14 Drive wheel 17 Connector 18 Drive wheel 21 Frame 23 Chassis 24 Brake mechanism 25 Universal shaft joint 26 Sliding bearing 27 Spring 30 Drive motor 31 Casing 32 Drive motor 33 Casing 34 Distance detector 36 Electromagnetic brake 39 Control box 43 Leaf spring 44 Drive shaft 45 Universal wheel 46 Rod 48 Handle shaft 51 Handle 55 Universal shaft joint 56 Leaf spring

Claims (8)

  A cart for use by a player inside and outside a golf course, comprising two vehicles and running in a connected manner.   2. The golf cart according to claim 1, wherein each of the leading vehicle and the succeeding vehicle is for two passengers.   The front vehicle is composed of four wheels, two front wheels and two rear wheels, and can travel independently using either the front wheel or the rear wheel as a drive wheel, and the following vehicle is composed of at least two wheels. The golf cart according to 1 or 2.   4. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the succeeding vehicle has two driving wheels, and further includes one or two wheels so that the vehicle can travel independently when the connection is released. Golf cart.   The load distributed to the tire of each wheel of the cart is equal to or less than the load distributed to each tire when a normal four-seater cart is used. Golf cart.   The golf cart according to claim 1, wherein an impact between the two vehicles is reduced by using a universal shaft joint and a spring at a connecting portion of the two vehicles.   The golf cart according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein when a distance between the two vehicles approaches a predetermined position or more, a brake of a succeeding vehicle is automatically operated.   8. The overlap of wheel trajectories during traveling is reduced by making the distance between the centers of the left and right wheels of the front and rear wheels of the leading vehicle and / or the wheels of the following vehicle different. Golf cart.

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