WO1999039961A1

WO1999039961A1 - Trolley for a golf bag

Info

Publication number: WO1999039961A1
Application number: PCT/NL1999/000059
Authority: WO
Inventors: Henk Wendelgelst
Original assignee: Henk Wendelgelst
Priority date: 1998-02-09
Filing date: 1999-02-08
Publication date: 1999-08-12
Also published as: AU2302699A; NL1008246C2

Abstract

The invention relates to a trolley for a golf bag, comprising a frame which can be detached from, and can at least partially be placed flat against the golf bag, and wheels mounted directly or indirectly onto the frame, as well as supporting legs which are pivotably attached to the frame. The frame comprises a first frame portion (20) that can be mounted flat against or, at least partially, into the golf bag, and a second frame portion (11) which is pivotably attached at a pivoting point (21) at the lower side of the first frame portion, which first and second frame parts are provided at the upper side with a coupling to a movable and in position securable supporting bracket (18) for adjusting the first and the second frame portion at a predetermined angle.

Description

Trolley for a golf bag

The invention relates to a trolley for a golf bag, comprising a frame which can be detached from, and can at least partially be placed flat against the golf bag, wheels mounted on the frame and pivotably attached sup- porting legs .

The British patent specification GB-A-648 714 discloses a trolley of which the frame is foldable such that a first portion of the frame can be mounted flat against the golf bag and during operation, a second portion of the frame is positioned at an angle in such a manner that from the first portion of the frame and the golf bag the angle decreases in the direction of the user. After use, the second frame portion is folded in by pivoting around the hinge by which it is attached to the first frame portion. In practice, this construction is not optimally satisfactory because of the inconvenient weight proportions.

A similar disadvantage is attached to the trolley for a golf bag disclosed in US-A-4 629 202. This trolley is provided with a handle and wheels that are detachable from the golf bag.

Further, a trolley is disclosed in US-A-4 792 152, wherein the wheels are placed on and are detachable from an intermediate frame. In the extended direction of the frame, an operating handle is provided extending from the upper end of the golf bag which, depending on how the golf bag is being used during operation, may project in the extended direction of the golf bag or may extend sideways above the top of the golf bag.

US-A-5 454 576 discloses a trolley wherein the frame comprises a first frame portion that can be mounted flat against the golf bag and a second frame portion, pivotably coupled with said first frame portion which, in order to be able to operate the trolley, can be pivoted in the extended direction of the first frame portion. Such a trolley is also known from US-A-5 074 577, wherein the second frame portion is provided with pull 2 bars connected with carrier arms for the wheels. By this means the wheels are brought into the operative position when the trolley is ready to be deployed. This publication further discloses that another frame has permanent pivot points with pivotably attached supporting legs for placing the golf bag in the so-called back-stand position. The trolley known from said publication therefore has the disadvantage that it is not possible to deploy the trolley and use the back-stand position without changing the frame mounted to the golf bag.

The international patent application WO 92/18206 (PCT/GB92/00655) discloses a combined golf bag and trolley, wherein the trolley is foldable . The trolley comprises an intermediate frame to which are mounted a pair of fold-in wheels. The trolley is pivotably attached to the golf bag, in a manner as to allow the intermediate frame to be folded from an operative position with the wheel axes transverse to the longitudinal axis of the golf bag, to a stowed-away position, wherein the wheels lie flat in the longitudinal direction and at the bottom of the golf bag. In addition, the golf bag is provided with a space into which the intermediate frame together with several frame parts can be stowed.

The trolley for a golf bag as proposed in accord- ance with the invention is characterized in that the frame comprises a first frame portion that can be mounted flat against or, at least partially, into said golf bag and a second frame portion which is pivotably attached at a hinge at the lower side of the first frame portion, which first and second frame parts are provided at the upper side with a coupling to a movable and in position securable supporting bracket for adjusting the first and the second frame portion at a predetermined angle . Compared with the prior art this has the advantage that there is sufficient room for the golf clubs projecting above the bag. In the proposed arrangement according to the invention said clubs will not come into contact with the second frame portion extending above the bag. As already mentioned, the first frame portion is mounted against or into 3 the golf bag, so that this will form no hindrance for the golf clubs.

In another aspect of the invention the trolley is characterized in that the first frame portion has perma- nent pivot points where pivotably attached supporting legs are provided which can be coupled by a sliding coupling with the second frame portion, and that the pivot points are directed slightly sideways in such a manner that when the second frame portion pivots around the hinge, the sup- porting legs will swivel around the pivot points away from the first frame portion and from one another. The support legs can be deployed in the situation where the use of wheels on the golf course is not allowed. By this means the golf bag can still be firmly placed on the course, even on uneven terrain. It should be noted, that compared to the prior art trolleys , an important advantage of the trolley according to the invention is that the changeover from exclusively trolley deployment (use of the wheels) to deployment of the support legs (back-stand positioning) can be performed without any modification of the frame mounted onto the golf bag.

.An advantageous embodiment of the trolley according to the invention is further characterized in that the second frame portion comprises an external tube and, movable in the longitudinal direction of the external tube, an internal tube which can be locked in the extended position. This ensures that when the internal tube is stowed away and retracted, the entire trolley takes up as little space as possible. While in the operative condition all user requirements regarding a golf trolley with golf bag are fulfilled, the limitation of the occupied space in the stowed-away condition is further promoted by the embodiment which is characterized in that the supporting bracket is pivotably coupled to a sleeve provided around and slidable along the external tube and having at least one inwardly directed projection extending through a slot in the external tube, and that the internal tube is provided with at least one stop pin which is suitable to engage 4 said projections such that when the internal tube is in the locked extended position, the supporting bracket is secured in its position.

This arrangement can be advantageously realized by means of an embodiment wherein the sleeve around the second frame portion is provided with a rotatable hook which can be coupled to a connective tube which is slidably attached to the supporting legs.

It is an advantage that at its end near the supporting bracket, the second frame portion is provided with means to facilitate the detachable coupling of a handle .

In the embodiment of the trolley wherein the wheels are mounted on an intermediate frame, and are adjustable between an operative position and a stowed away position, and wherein locking means are provided for securing the wheels in the operative position, it is advantageous that the locking means comprise a locking chamber incorporated in the intermediate frame in which movable locking plates are located which, by means of a locking pin, can be secured at a position removed from one another and with which locking plates wheel suspension members are pivotably coupled to the intermediate frame for bearing the wheels. In this manner one single locking pin suffices to reliably lock the wheels in the operative position.

It is further desirable that the locking means comprise pull bars which at a first end are pivotably attached to the wheel suspension members, which pull bars are at their other end provided with coupling elements that are movably accommodated in gliding slots which are provided in the intermediate frame, that the gliding slots are provided with recesses suitable for the accommodation of the coupling elements, and that the coupling elements accommodated in the recesses are secured therein when the wheels are in the operative position. For one thing this results in the pull bars making the construction more stable and solid, while for another thing an additional locking function is provided for the wheels in their operative position. 5

To achieve this, one convenient embodiment is characterized in that the coupling elements of the pull bars are secured in the recesses of the gliding slots by means of at least a portion of the wheel suspension members . The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the drawings, which in Fig. 1 show a front view of a portion of the frame that forms part of the trolley according to the invention; in Fig. 2A-C show the frame of the trolley according to the invention in the stowed away position, in an operative position, and in a front view of a detail of the frame, respectively; and in Fig. 3 show the intermediate frame of the trol- ley according to the invention.

In the Figures identical reference numbers are used to indicate similar parts.

To begin with, a first main aspect of the trolley according to the invention is elucidated, namely the intermediate frame shown in Fig. 3. This intermediate frame 30 is suitable to be detachably mounted on the frame to be elucidated below. Such mounting is performed by sliding the intermediate frame 30 with the projections 31 over the thicker portion 19 (shown in Fig. 2C in detail) which forms part of the second frame portion. At this portion 19 the intermediate frame 30 can be locked. The intermediate frame 30 is provided with locking means 32, 33 for securing the wheels (not shown) , in the operative position. Said wheels are then placed on the axes 39. The locking means 32, 33 comprise a locking chamber 40 incorporated in the intermediate frame 30, in which movable locking plates 32 are placed which, as shown in the Figure, can be secured at a position removed from one another by means of a locking pin 33. Also by means of said locking plates 32 wheel suspension members 34, 35, 36, 39 are pivotably coupled to the intermediate frame 30 for bearing the wheels (not shown) . The locking means 32, 33, 34, 37, 41 further comprise pull bars 37 6 which are at a first end pivotably attached to the wheel suspension members 36, and are at their other end provided with coupling elements 41 movably accommodated in gliding slots 38 which are provided in the intermediate frame 30. The gliding slots 38 are provided with recesses suitable for the accommodation of the coupling elements 41. The Figure shows that the coupling elements 41 are placed in said recesses. When the coupling elements 41 are in this position, the pull bars 37 can also be secured, so that the wheels, or at least the wheel suspension members 34, 35, 36, 39 are doubly secured. The coupling elements 41 are secured with the aid of the supporting bars 34 that are part of the wheel suspension members 34, 35, 36, 39. Here follows the discussion about the frame. The frame is shown in Fig 1 and Figs. 2A, B and C. The frame comprises a first frame portion 20 that can be mounted flat against or - partially - into the golf bag and, as is clearly shown in Figs. 2A and 2B, a second frame portion 11 which is pivotably attached at a hinge at the lower side of the first frame portion 20. At the upper side the first and second frame parts 20, 11 are provided with a coupling to a movable and in position securable supporting bracket 18 for adjusting the first and the second frame portions 20, 11 at a predetermined angle in relation to one another. At the end near the supporting bracket 18, the second frame portion 11 is provided with means 2 to facilitate the detachable coupling of a handle, which is not shown. The second frame portion 11 comprises an external tube 11 and an internal tube 1 serving as pull bar (see also Fig. 1) , which can be locked in an extended position. The supporting bracket 18 is pivotably coupled to a sleeve 22 provided around and slidable along the external tube 11 and having at least one inwardly directed projection 7 (see Fig. 1) extending through a slot 4 in the external tube 11. The internal tube 1 is provided with a stop pin 9 which is suitable to engage said projection 7 such that when the internal tube 1 is in the locked extended position, the supporting bracket 18 is secured into its position. As can further be clearly seen in Fig. 7

1 and Fig. 2B, the first frame portion 20 has permanent pivot points 23 where pivotably attached supporting legs 15 are provided which can be coupled by a sliding coupling with the second frame portion 11. The pivot points 23 are directed slightly sideways in such a manner that when the second frame portion 11 pivots around the hinge 21, the supporting legs 15 will swivel around the pivot points 23 away from the first frame portion 20 and from one another. The sleeve 22 around the second frame portion 11 is fur- ther provided with a rotatable safety hook 13, shown in Figs. 1 and 2B, which can be coupled to a connective tube

14 which is slidably attached to the supporting legs 15.

Referring to Figs . 1 and 2 , the deployment of the trolley can be explained as follows. The base of the trol- ley is formed by hinge 21 located at the lower side of the frame portions 20 and 11, near the bottom attachment 16 for the bag. In the second frame portion 11 a preferably rectangular internal tube 1 is mounted as pull bar. Said internal tube 1 is bearing-mounted by means of guides 3 and 12 to allow smooth extension and retraction. At the top the pull bar 1 is provided with a locking pin 2 which combines two functions. One is that it serves to lock the external tube and the pull bar 1 behind blocks 17, as in the locked position shown in Figs. 1 and 2A. In addition, the pin 2 serves for snapping on a handle, which is not shown. In the stowed-away position, the safety hook 13 is snapped onto the tube 14. By moving up the pull bar 1 in such a manner that the pin 2 slides from behind the lock 17, the second frame portion 11 can be brought into the position shown in Fig. 2B. This movement causes the supporting legs 15 to fold out into the desired supporting position. By reversing this movement the supporting legs

15 will fold back into the stowed-away position. In order to deploy the trolley, the hook 13 must be lifted to uncouple it from tube 14. Subsequently pull bar 1 can be slid out of the external tube 11 of the second frame portion. As explained earlier, the internal tube 1 (see Fig. 1) is provided with a stop pin 9 and a locking pin 10. Stop pin 9 catches the projections 7 which are locked in CLAIMS

1. A trolley for a golf bag, comprising a frame which can be detached from, and can at least partially be placed flat against the golf bag, wheels mounted on the frame and pivotably attached supporting legs, character- ized in that the frame comprises a first frame portion (20) that can be mounted flat against or, at least partially, into the golf bag and a second frame portion (11) which is pivotably attached at a pivoting point (21) at the lower side of the first frame portion (20) , which first and second frame parts are provided at the upper side with a coupling to a movable and in position securable supporting bracket (18) for adjusting the first and the second frame portion at a predetermined angle.

2. A trolley according to claim 1, characterized in that the first frame portion (20) has permanent pivot points (23) where pivotably attached supporting legs (15) are provided which can be coupled by a sliding coupling with the second frame portion (11) , and that the pivot points (23) are directed slightly sideways in such a man- ner that when the second frame portion pivots around the hinge (21) , the supporting legs (15) will swivel around the pivot points (23) away from the first frame portion (20) and from one another.

3. A trolley according to claim 1 or 2 , character- ized in that the second frame portion comprises an external tube (11) and, movable in the longitudinal direction of the external tube, an internal tube (1) which can be locked in the extended position.

4. A trolley according to claim 3, characterized in that the supporting bracket (18) is pivotably coupled to a sleeve (22) provided around and slidable along the external tube (11) and having at least one inwardly directed projection (7) extending through a slot in the external tube (11) , and that the internal tube is provided with at least one stop pin (9) which is suitable to engage said projection (7) such that when the internal tube (1) is in

Claims

8 the two slots 4 of the external tube 11. The projections 7 are mounted in the sleeve 22. Performing these operations brings the trolley into the operative position, secures it in said position by the locking pin 10 dropping into the pin hole 6 (see Fig. 1) . In this position the internal tube 1 serving as pull bar is extended to the appropriate length to allow the handle to be attached. The support brackets 18 ensure that the distance from the second frame portion 11 and the pull bar 1, which is part thereof, to the golf bag suffices to allow the golf clubs to be put into and removed from the golf bag without obstruction. An additional result is that when walking with the trolley, the weight is distributed properly and is proportionally in balance . As explained above, the intermediate frame shown in Fig. 3 is snapped onto the mounting plate 19 shown in Fig. 2C to obtain the operative rideable position.

To stow the trolley, the above-discussed operations are performed in reverse . In order to be able to retract the internal tube 1 into the external tube of the second frame portion 11, it is necessary to first push in the safety hook 13. This causes a pin 8 (see Fig. 1) , mounted on the hook 13, to push locking pin 10 out of the pin hole 6, allowing retraction of the internal tube 1. The external tube 11 of the second frame portion can then be repositioned against the first frame portion 20, as shown in Fig. 2A, because sleeve 22, by means of the unlocking procedure just now explained, which involves unlocking pin 10 and retracting internal tube 1 so that stop pin 9 is able to move downward, has released projection 7 for movement. 10 the locked extended position, the supporting bracket (18) is secured in its position.

5. A trolley according to claim 4, characterized in that the sleeve around the second frame portion (11) is provided with a rotatable hook (13) which can be coupled to a connective tube (14) which is slidably attached to the supporting legs (15) .

6. A trolley according to one of the claims 1-5, characterized in that at its end near the supporting bracket (18) , the second frame portion (11) is provided with means (2) to facilitate the detachable coupling of a handle .

7. A trolley according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the wheels are mounted on an intermediate frame, and are adjustable between an operative position and a stowed away position, and wherein locking means are provided for securing the wheels in the operative position, characterized in that the locking means (32,33) comprise a locking chamber (40) incorporated in the intermediate frame (30) in which movable locking plates are located which, by means of a locking pin, can be secured at a position removed from one another and with which locking plates wheel suspension members (34, 35, 36, 39) are pivotably coupled to the intermediate frame for bearing the wheels.

8. A trolley according to claim 7, characterized in that the locking means (32, 33, 34, 37, 41) comprise pull bars (37) which at a first end are pivotably attached to the wheel suspension members (36) , which pull bars are at their other end provided with coupling elements (41) that are movably accommodated in gliding slots (38) which are provided in the intermediate frame, that the gliding slots (38) are provided with recesses suitable for the accommodation of the coupling elements (41) , and that the coup- ling elements (41) accommodated in the recesses are secured therein when the wheels are in the operative position.

9. A trolley according to claim 8, characterized in that the coupling elements (41) of the pull bars (37) are 11 secured in the recesses of the gliding slots by means of at least a portion (34) of the wheel suspension members (34, 35, 36, 39) .