GB2348626A

GB2348626A - Adjustable handlebar mounting for a golf cart

Info

Publication number: GB2348626A
Application number: GB9907830A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Wu
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-04-06
Filing date: 1999-04-06
Publication date: 2000-10-11
Anticipated expiration: 2019-04-06
Also published as: GB2348626B; GB9907830D0

Abstract

A mounting assembly for adjusting the angle between a main frame member 3 of a golf cart and a handlebar 4 pivotally mounted on said frame member comprises a bracket 1 for mounting securely on the frame member and having two substantially parallel arms 10 each including a longitudinal slot 101, a coupling member 2 for mounting on the handlebar, movable between the arms and including a transverse through bore 20, a screw 6 for passing through the bore and longitudinal slots and a lock nut 5 threaded on to the shank of the screw to fix the coupling member to the side arms of the bracket. Said side arms each comprise two toothed racks 1011 either side of the longitudinal slot for engagement with a pair of toothed locating blocks 7 each mounted on the screw adjacent the screw head and the lock nut respectively. Said blocks are biased out of engagement with the racks by biasing means 60. To adjust the angle the lock nut is loosened to disengaged the racks and the blocks to allow the connecting member to be moved between the arms. Once the handle is at the desired angle the lock nut is tightened to re-engage the racks and blocks.

Description

LJJiLML E HANDLEBAR MOUNTING ARRANGEMENTFOR A GOLF CART This present invention relates to an adjustable handlebar mounting arrangement for a golf cart.

Figures 1 and 2 show an adjustable handlebar mounting arrangement for a golf cart. This adjustable handlebar mounting arrangement comprises a bracket fastened to the front end of the main rod member of a golf cart, a handlebar pivoted to the main rod member of the golf cart, a coupling member sleeved onto the handlebar and moved between two parallel side arms of the bracket, a screw inserted through an elongated sliding slot at the first side arm of the bracket and one of four linked locating holes at the second side arm of the bracket, and a lock nut having an internally threaded locating portion inserted into one of the four linked locating holes at the second side arm of the bracket and threaded onto the threaded shank of the screw to fix the coupling member to the side arms of the bracket, enabling the handlebar to be secured to the main rod member of the golf cart at the desired angular position. This arrangement has drawbacks.

Because the coupling member can only be fixed to the side arms of the bracket at one of four positions corresponding to the four linked locating holes at the second side arm of the bracket, the angular position of the handlebar can not be adjusted steplessly. Further, when adjusting the angular position of the handlebar, the lock nut must be disengaged from the threaded shank of the screw and removed from the second side arm of the bracket, and then inserted into the desired one of the four linked locating holes and threaded onto the threaded shank of the screw again. This adjusting procedure is comPlicated. Figures 3 and 4 show another adjustable handlebar mounting arrangement for a golf cart. This arrangement comprises a bracket fastened to the front end of the main rod member of a golf cart, a handlebar pivoted to the main rod member of the golf cart, a couling member sleeved onto the handlebar and moved between two parallel side arms of the bracket along an elongated sliding slot at each of the side arms of the bracket, a screw inserted through the elongated sliding slot at each of the side arms of the bracket and a transverse through hole at the coupling member, and a lock nut threaded onto the threaded shank of the screw to fix the coupling member to the side arms of the bracket, enabling the handlebar to be secured to the main rod member of the golf cart at the desired angular position. When the lock nut is loosened, the coupling block can be moved between the side arms of the bracket along the elongated sliding slot at each of the side arms of the bracket to move the handlebar to the desired angular position relative to the main rod member of the golf cart. This arrangement enagles the user to adjust the angular position of the handlebar freely and steplessly between the ends of the elongated sliding slot at each of the side arms of the bracket. However, the coupling member tends to be vibrated and moved out of position when the golf cart moved over an uneven road surface.

The present invention has been accomplished to provide an adjustable handlebar mounting arrangement for a golf cart which eliminates the aforesaid drawbacks. According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the adjustable handlebar mounting arrangement comprises a bracket fastened to the front end of the main rod member of a golf cart, a coupling member sleeved onto a handlebar being pivoted to the main rod member and moved along an elongated sliding slot at each of two side arms at the bracket, a screw and a lock nut fastened together to fix the coupling member to the side arms of the bracket in position, enabling the handlebar to be secured to the main rod member at the desired angular position, wherein two spring-supported locating blocks with toothed portions are mounted on the screw and forced into engagement with respective racks at the side arms to ensure positive Positioning of the coupling member between the side arms of the bracket after fixation of the lock nut with the screw. When the lock nut is loosened from the screw, the coupling member can be moved between the side arms of the bracket along the elongated sliding slot at each of the side arms of the bracket to adjust the angular Position of the handlebar steplessly. When the lock nut is fastened tight, the toothed portions of the locating blocks are respectively forced into engagement with the racks at the side arms of the bracket to prevent displacement of the coupling member between the side arms of the bracket.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example with referrence to the accompsnying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an adjustable handlebar mounting arrangement for a golf cart according to the prior art ; Fig. 2 is an exploded view of Fig. 1 ; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of another structure of adjustable handlebar mounting arrangement for a golf cart according to the prior art ; Fig. 4 is an exPloded view of Fig. 3 ; Fig. 5 is an exploded view of an adjustable handlebar mounting arrangement according to the present invention ; Fig. 6 is an assembly view of Fig. 5 ; Fig. 7 is similar to Fig. 6 but showing the angular Position of the handlebar adjusted ; and Fig. 8 is a sectional view in an enlarged scale of a part of the present invention ; Referring to the various drawings attached herewith, a detailed description of the structural features of an adjustable handlebar mounting arrangement for a golf cart of the present invention is as follows : Referring to Figures from 5 through 8, an adjustable handlebar mounting arrangement for a golf cart in accordance with the present invention comprises a bracket 1 securely mounted on the front end of the main rod member 3 of a golf cart (not shown), a coupling member 2 coupled to a handlebar 4, which is pivoted to the main rod member 3, a screw 6 and a lock nut 5 fastened to the coupling member 2 to adjustably fix the coupling member 2 to the bracket 1, enabling the handlebar 4 to be secured to the main rod member 3 at the desired angular position. The bracket 1 comprises a bottom coupling hole 11 (see Figure 8), which receives the front end 31 of the main rod member 3, and two parallel side arms 10, each side arm 10 defining an elongated sliding slot 101. The coupling member 2 is moved between the parallel side arms 10 of the bracket 1 along the elongated sliding slot 101 at each side arm 10, having an axially extended coupling through hole 21, which receives the handlebar 4.

The main features of the present invention is outlined hereinafter with reference to Figures from 5 through 8 again. Each of the side arms 10 of the bracket 1 further comprises two racks 1011 extended along two opposite along sides of its elongated sliding slot 101. The coupling member 2 further comprises two recessed portions 201 at two opposite lateral side walls thereof, and a transverse through hole 20 extended through the recessed portions 201. The screw 6 is inserted through the elongated sliding slot 101 at each of the side arms 10 of the bracket 1 and the transverse through hole 20 at the coupling member 2, and then screwed up with the lock nut 5 to fix the coupling member 2 to the side arms 10 of the bracket 1.

After instllation, the head of the screw 6 is stopped outside one side arm 10 of the bracket 1, and the threaded shank of the screw 6 is screwed up with the lock nut 5. Further, two locating blocks 7 are respectively mounted on the screw 6 and stopped between the side arms 10 of the bracket 1 and the head of the screw 6 or the lock nut 5, and two compression springs 60 are respectively mounted on the screw 6 in the recessed portions 201 between the coupling member 2 and the locating blocks 7. Each of the locating blocks 7 comprises a body 72 inserted through the elongated sliding slot 101 at one side arm 10 of the bracket 1, a through hole 71 through the body 72 which receives the screw 6, two projecting strips 73 raised from top and bottom side walls of the body 72 in reversed directions and respectively dispose in contact with the side arms 10 of the bracket 1 at an outer side, the projecting strips 73 each having a toothed portion 731 respectively forced into engagement with the racks 1011 at one side arm 10 of the bracket 1, and a recessed portion 711 at one end of the body 72 which receives one end of one of the compression springs 60. When the lock nut 5 is loosened, the compression springs 60 impart an outward pressure to the locating blocks 7, causing the toothed portions 731 of the projecting strips 73 of the locating blocks 7 to be disengaged from the racks 1011 at the side arms 10 of the bracket 1, and therefore the coupling member 2 is allowed to be moved between the side arms 10 of the bracket 1 along the elongated sliding slot 101 at each side arm 10 to adjust the angular position of the handlebar 4 (see Figures 6 and 7). After adjustment, the lock nut 5 is fastened tight to force the toothed portions 731 of the projecting strips 73 of the locating blocks 7 into engagement with the racks 1011 at the side arms 10 of the bracket 1 again, the therefore the handlebar 4 is fixed to the main rod member 3 at the desired angular position.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. An adjustable handlebar mounting assembly for adjusting an angle between a frame of a golf cart and a handlebar pivotally mounted on the frame, the assembly comprising : a bracket for mounting securely on the frame, the bracket having two substantially parallel arms each including a longitudinal slot and toothed bracket engagement means; a coupling member for mounting on the handlebar and movable between the arms of the bracket and including a transverse through bore and toothed coupling engagement means for co-operating engagement with the bracket engagement means; fixing means for passing through each of said longitudinal slots and said bore; and biasing means for biasing the coupling engagement means out of engagement with the bracket engagement means; wherein the fixing means can be moved from a free position in which the biasing means prevents the bracket engagement means engaging the coupling engagement means for adjustment of the angle between the handlebar and the frame and a fixed position in which the fastening means forces the coupling engagement means into engagement with the bracket engagement means to maintain the handlebar at a selected angle to the frame.
2. An adjustable handlebar mounting arrangement comprising : a main rod member for a golf cart, said main rod member having a front end, a bracket securely mounted on the front end of said main rod member, said bracket comPrising a bottom coupling hole fastened to the front end of said main rod, and two parallel side arms, said side arms each comPrising an elongated sliding slot : a handlebar pivoted to said main rod member ; a coupling member sleeved onto said handlebar and moved between the side arms of said bracket along the elongated sliding slot at each of the side arms of said bracket, said coupling member comprising an axially extended coupling through hole, which receives said handlebar, and a transverse through hole ; a screw, said screw having a head stopped outside one of the side arms of said bracket and a threaded shank inserted through the sliding slot at each of the side arms of said bracket and the transverse through hole at said coupling member ; and a lock nut threaded onto the threaded shank of said screw to fix said coupling member to the side arms of said bracket, enabling said handlebar to be secured to said main rod member at the desired angular position ; wherein the side arms of said bracket each comprise two racks along two opposite long sides of the respective elongated sliding slot ; and two locating blocks are respectively mounted on said screw and respectively stopped between the side arms of said bracket, and the head of said screw or said lock nut, said locating blocks each comprising a body inserted through the elongated sliding slot at one of the side arms of said bracket, a through hole through said body which receives the threaded shank of said screw, and two projecting strips raised from top and bottom side walls of said body in revered directions and respectively disposed in contact with the side arms of said bracket at an outer side, said projecting strias each having a toothed portion respectively forced into engagement with the racks at one of the side arms of said bracket.
3. The adjustable handlebar mounting arrangement of claim 1 wherein said coupling member comprises two recessed portions at two oPposite lateral side walls thereof at two opposite ends of said transverse through hole, said locating blocks each comprise a recessed portion at one end of the respective body, and two compression springs are respectively mounted on the threaded shank of said screw and stopped between the recessed portions at said coupling member and the recessed portion at each of said locating blocks.
4. An adjustable handlebar mounting arrangement substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in figures 5 to 8 of the accompanying drawings