GB2374050A

GB2374050A - Golf bag trolley

Info

Publication number: GB2374050A
Application number: GB0108224A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Colin Christie
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-04-02
Filing date: 2001-04-02
Publication date: 2002-10-09
Also published as: WO2002081285A1; GB0108224D0

Abstract

A trolley (11) for a golf bag (31) comprising a frame (12), a wheel mounting (13) with two wheels (17), and a handle (14). There is a lower support (15) including a pair of hooks (18) and a quick release mechanism (16) at the top of the trolley. The hooks (18) engage corresponding eyes (32) at the bottom of the bag. At the top of the bag there are catches (33) which engage the quick release mechanism.

Description

GOLF BAG TROLLEY The present invention relates to a golf bag trolley, and more particularly to a system for attaching and releasing a golf bag from the golf bag trolley.

Golf bags and trolleys are essential pieces of equipment used world wide in the popular game of golf. Golf bags are attached to golf bag trolleys for the purpose of transporting the bag and its contents, generally a full set of golf clubs, golf balls and tees etc around a course during a game of golf. The bag is attached to the trolley using straps or similar means that must be fastened by the user. The user must ensure that the bag is safely secured on the trolley. When the game is finished the user must then undo the straps to release the golf bag from the trolley. Fastening and unfastening the straps can be slow and laborious, and requires each strap to be attended to in turn.

This can be particularly irritating during a sudden shower of rain. Additionally, if the straps are not tightened enough, the weight of the bag may loosen the straps causing the bag to fall off the trolley.

It is an object of the present invention to solve these problems in a simple and effective manner at no major expense.

According to the present invention, there is provided a trolley for a golf bag, the trolley comprising a frame, a running arrangement mounted on the frame, a handle associated with the frame, a support for the bag at or near the bottom of the trolley and one part of a two-part quick-release mechanism.

The second part of the two-part quick release mechanism is preferably attached to the golf bag for the convenient attachment and detachment of the bag and trolley.

By replacing the restraining straps with a quick release mechanism, the time and effort required to attach and detach a golf bag from a golf bag trolley is reduced, and the release of the golf bag from the trolley is achieved via a single action on the part of the user. Simultaneously, it is ensured that the bag remains in place once it is attached.

The frame is preferably the component of the trolley to which all other parts are fixed.

The running arrangement of the trolley is attached to the frame and preferably consists of two wheels, each fitted with a ball bearing. The trolley handle preferably extends from the frame.

At or near the bottom of the trolley is the golf bag support, which preferably incorporates a pair of upwardly facing hook members. The said hook members form one part of a preferably two-part means of coupling the bases of the trolley and the golf bag. The other part of this means is preferably attached to the bag. Alternatively, the trolley lower bag support consists of a base extending from the bottom or lower part of the trolley, said base preferably having an upwardly facing rim around the whole or part of its perimeter.

The one part of the quick release mechanism is preferably housed at or near the top of the trolley. The quick release mechanism preferably comprises a latch mechanism similar to that of a car seat belt. Preferably the latch part of the mechanism is housed on the trolley, whilst the catch part is attached to the bag.

The latch mechanism may be operated by a lever. A single action by the operator upon this lever provides the necessary trigger to activate the release mechanism.

Preferably the mechanism comprises two latches/catches, one at each side of the trolley/bag. The lever is preferably mounted on a pivot. Beyond the pivot point the lever preferably extends to a rod. The rod may divide into two branches, each one extending to and terminating with a latch. In use, pressing the lever rotates the lever/

rod about the pivot point, pushing the latches at both sides of the mechanism simultaneously.

The invention extends to a combination of the golf trolley and a golf bag, whereby the second part of the quick release mechanism is preferably attached to the golf bag. The golf bag preferably has complementary eyes at its lower end for engaging the hook members at the lower end of the trolley. The bag preferably has complementary catches at or near its top end for engaging the latches on the trolley. The catch components may be manufactured in such a way that they could be retro-fitted to an existing bag, thus converting the bag for use in accordance with the invention.

The present invention will now be explained in more detail by the following nonlimiting description of a preferred embodiment and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which; Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a golf bag and a golf bag trolley according to the invention; Figure 2 is a section on line A-A in Figure 1 ; Figure 3 is a section on line B-B in Figure 1 ; and Figure 4 is a plan view of the quick release mechanism and housing.

Figure I shows where the bag and trolley are positioned in relation to each other and where the attachment/detachment components of the bag and trolley are located. The trolley 11 comprises a frame 12, a wheel mounting 13, a handle 14, a lower bag support 15 and a quick release mechanism 16.

The frame 12 consists of an elongate metallic rectangular frame or plate, of approximately the length and width of a golf bag. The frame is maintained at an angle to the vertical by a wheel mounting 13. The wheel mounting 13 consists of a short metallic frame that spans the width of the trolley 11. One of the long sides of the mounting is welded across the span of the lower part of the trolley frame 12 such that the trolley and mounting are fixed at an acute angle to each other. A pair of wheels 17 is attached to the mounting at either side near its base, allowing movement of the trolley when in use.

At the top end of the trolley is a handle 14. The lower bag support 15 consists of a small lip plate extending outwards at a right angle to the base of the trolley. The extending lip has two hooks 18 at its free end, one at each side, each of which receives an eye 32 attached to the bottom of the golf bag 31 for attachment of the bottom part of the golf bag to the golf bag trolley.

The trolley further comprises a quick release mechanism 16 and its housing 21 at the upper part of the trolley, mounted orthogonally to the uppermost surface 19 of the trolley 11. The mechanism, shown in Figure 3, consists of two catches 33 at the upper part of the golf bag and two corresponding latches 22, which are located in the mechanism housing at the upper end of the trolley. Positioned at each side of the trolley span, the latches are accessible to the golf bag catches via horizontal slots 23 in the front of the housing 21. The latches 22 take a similar form to seatbelt latches. The latches are operated via a lever handle 24 protruding from the top surface of the housing. The lever-handle is extended by a short rod, the base of which divides into two outwardly and sidewardly extending branches 25. These branches connect to the latches near the front of the housing, as best seen in Figure 4. The rod and lever handle pivot about a point P just above the housing such that if the lever handle is depressed, the lower end of the rod will extend outwards from the trolley frame. The branches are pushed forwards and the movement pushes in the release mechanism.

The golf bag 31 consists of a generally cylindrical fabric bag, designed to hold a plurality of golf clubs and other golf equipment. Its length is approximately the length of the golf clubs, its diameter large enough to hold a full set of golf clubs. Referring now to Figure 2, surrounding its base, the golf bag has a metallic support frame 34 of a generally annular shape with extended portions 35 at the back of the frame whose back edges are straight and co-linear. Protruding from each of the back edges of the extended portions of the support frame is a small eyelet 32 that is used in attaching the golf bag to the golf bag trolley. Towards the top end of the golf bag is a second metallic annular support frame 36, with extended portions at the back of the frame 37, whose back edges are straight and co-linear. Protruding from each of the back edges is a horizontally aligned catch 33, comprising a closed loop through which a latch may engage.

In use, the golf bag is attached to the golf bag trolley by placing the eyes 32 at the base of the golf bag over the hooks 18 at the trolley base, and the bag is rested in position against the trolley frame as seen in Figure 1. The catches 33 at the upper part of the golf bag line up with two slots 23 in the housing of the quick release mechanism, see Figure 4. The catches are fed into the slots, where the latches engage the catches for attachment of the bag to the trolley.

Pulling the handle 14 downwards slightly raises the bottom end of the trolley from the ground, allowing the wheels 17 to rotate freely and the trolley to be moved around the golf course.

To release the bag from the trolley, the lever 24 is depressed by the user. This pivots the rod and pushes the latches forward. The motion releases the catches from the latch mechanism, detaching the top of the bag from the trolley. The bag may then be lifted such that the eyes detach from the hooks at the trolley base and the bag is then free of the trolley.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, (not shown), the base hooks 18 and eyes 32 for securing the bag in position at the trolley base may be replaced with an alternative securing means, for example a support or base extending outwards from the trolley base, which could receive the trolley base. An upwardly extending rim could keep the bag in position.

According to a further alternative embodiment of the invention (not shown), the mechanism is utilised with the latch part of the mechanism attached to the bag and the catch part attached to the trolley.

Claims

Claims 1. A trolley for a golf bag, the trolley comprising a frame, a running arrangement mounted on the frame, a handle associated with the frame, a support for the bag at or near the bottom of the trolley and one part of a two-part quick-release mechanism.
2. A trolley as claimed in Claim 1, in which the running arrangement comprises two wheels.
3. A trolley as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the handle extends from the frame.
4. A trolley as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the bag support at the lower end of the trolley incorporates a pair of upward facing hook members.
5. A trolley as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the lower bag support consists of a base which extends from the frame and an upwardly facing rim around the base perimeter or part of the base perimeter.
6. A trolley as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the one part of the quick release mechanism is at or near the top of the trolley.
7. A trolley as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the one part of the quick release mechanism consists of a latch mechanism.
8. A trolley as claimed in Claim 7, in which a lever is employed to operate the latch mechanism.
9. A trolley as claimed in any preceding Claim, in which the quick release mechanism comprises of two latch mechanisms.
10. A trolley as claimed in any preceding claim, in combination with a golf bag.
11. A combination as claimed in Claim 10, in which the bag incorporates at its lower end complementary eyes for engaging hooks at the lower end of the trolley.
12. A combination as claimed in Claim 10 or Claim 11, in which the bag incorporates at its upper end complementary catches for engaging latches at the upper part of the trolley.
13. A combination as claimed in Claim 10, in which the bag incorporates hooks and latches and in which the trolley incorporates eyes and catches that are complementary to the said hooks and latches.
14. A trolley for a golf bag, constructed and arranged substantially as herein specifically described with reference to and as shown in Figures I to 4 of the accompanying drawings.