JPH0634843B2 - Body structure of a four-wheel standing golf cart - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a four-wheel standing type golf cart for carrying golf equipment, and more particularly to a structure around the vehicle body.

[Conventional technology]

As a golf cart for carrying golf equipment, the applicant of the present invention has recently proposed a four-wheel standing type golf cart in which a driver rides in an upright posture, and has already proposed "Japanese Patent Application No. 60-2980".
No. 21 ”has been filed.

In this type of golf cart, the front wheel and the rear wheel, including the drive mechanism provided on the frame, are integrally covered with a body panel made of synthetic resin, and a steering wheel that penetrates the upper surface of the body panel is used. A bar handle extending in the vehicle width direction is attached to the upper end of the shaft.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

By the way, in consideration of assembling workability, this body panel is assembled after assembling all functional parts such as steering system parts to the frame, in other words, in a state where it can be run as a golf cart. After that, it is desirable to put it on the frame.

However, since a wide bar handle is attached to the upper end of the steering shaft that penetrates the body panel, with this bar handle attached,
This becomes an obstacle and makes it difficult to cover the body panel.

The present invention has been made based on such circumstances,
The body panel can be covered at the end of the vehicle body assembly process, improving the assembly workability and removing the body panel without disassembling the steering area at all. A four-wheeled standing golf cart that can be positioned on the frame by using it and can be easily mounted on the frame even though the rigidity of the body panel itself can be sufficiently secured and the body panel has a large shape. The purpose is to provide a body structure.

[Means for solving problems]

To achieve the above object, the present invention comprises a frame that supports the left and right front wheels and the left and right rear wheels and extends in the front-rear direction, and a drive mechanism that is disposed on the frame and that drives the rear wheels. , A steering shaft having a steering handle that extends obliquely upward and backward from between the front wheels and has an upper end portion that extends in the vehicle width direction is attached to the front portion of the frame, and the frame is made of synthetic resin. It is premised on a four-wheel standing golf cart in which a body panel is detachably covered and fixed, and a rear end portion of the body panel is provided with a riding space in which a driver stands in a standing posture.

The body panel covers the frame and has a panel body having an opening through which the steering shaft is inserted with play, left and right front fenders that cover the front wheels from above, and left and right covers the rear wheels from above. The rear fender and the front fender and the rear fender are integrally connected to each other, and the front and rear connecting walls that continuously surround the periphery of the opening in cooperation with the left and right side portions of the panel body are integrally provided. A tubular steering cover that covers the steering shaft drawn out from the opening is detachably attached to the upper surface of the body of the body panel, and the riding space at the rear end of the body panel is continuous with the left and right rear fenders. And the left and right side walls that cover the left and right rear wheels from the inside, and these side walls. The front end and the rear end of the rear connecting wall are integrally formed with a front wall that covers the drive mechanism on the frame from the rear, and the riding space itself is continuously opened above and below and behind the body panel. It is characterized in that it has a concave shape.

[Action]

According to this structure, since the steering cover is separate from the panel body and there is a gap between the opening of the panel body and the steering shaft, a wide handle is provided at the upper end of the steering shaft. Even if it is attached, if you insert one end of the handle into the above opening and tilt the body panel at various angles while looking at the hit of this handle and the peripheral edge of the handle, rotate it back and forth, etc. The handle can be passed inside the opening.

Therefore, although the steering shaft extends diagonally upward and rearward, the assembly direction of the body panel is not significantly restricted, and the body panel can be covered at the end of the vehicle body assembly process. Therefore, it is possible to assemble and adjust the steering system components, which require assembling precision, including the functional components that enter the inside of the body panel in a bare state, and the assembling workability is improved.

Further, in this case, since the periphery of the opening is continuously connected, the body panel is not divided at the opening, and the rigidity of the body panel itself is improved accordingly. Therefore, when the body panel is put on the frame, the body panel is not distorted or bent, which also contributes to the improvement of the assembling workability.

In addition, when removing the body panel, after removing the steering cover, the body panel may be pulled out upward while avoiding the handle in the same manner as above. Therefore, it is not necessary to disassemble the steering around, which requires high precision in assembly and is also a safety component, and the steering cover can be simply removed alone, so that the body panel can be easily removed.

Further, according to the above configuration, the riding space at the rear end of the body panel has a recessed shape that is continuously open toward the top, bottom, and rear of the body panel, and the side wall and the front wall of the riding space are the panel body. Since they extend in a direction intersecting with, the side wall and the front wall function as ribs that reinforce the body panel. For this reason, the rigidity of the rear end portion of the body panel can be further enhanced by utilizing the riding space, and no special reinforcement measure is required.

Further, since the riding space and the portion covered by the rear wheel and the body panel are partitioned by the presence of the front wall and the side wall, the frame and the complicated parts around the rear wheel are not exposed to the riding space, The appearance of this boarding space becomes good.

At the same time, since the side wall of the riding space enters between the left and right rear wheels, when the body panel is put on the frame, it may be set on the frame so that the riding space faces between the rear wheels. Therefore, the body panel can be positioned with respect to the frame using the riding space, and the work of assembling the body panel does not require any labor.

Example of Invention

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings applied to a four-wheel golf cart.

The frame indicated by reference numeral 1 in the drawing is composed of left and right main pipes 2 and 2 extending in the front-rear direction and a plurality of cross pipes 3 connecting the main pipes 2 and 2.

A front axle 5 that supports the left and right front wheels 4, 4 and a rear axle 7 that also supports the left and right rear wheels 6, 6 are supported on the frame 1. The rear axle 7 is a member of the frame 1. It is rotationally driven by a drive mechanism 8 such as an engine or an electric motor installed in a substantially central portion. Further, at the rear end portion of the frame 1, a step 9 for the driver to ride in an upright posture is installed, and the step 9 is located between the rear wheels 6 and 6.

The front end of the frame 1 is extended forward of the front wheels 4 and 4, and the caddy bag 10 is attached to this extended portion.
A basket-shaped bag receiver 11 for receiving is attached.

The frame 1 has a pair of bridges 12, 1 located on both front and rear sides of the drive mechanism 8 and straddling between the main pipes 2, 2.
7 is welded. Each of the bridges 12 and 17 is formed by bending a single pipe material downward in a U-shape, and a bracket 13 installed between the center portion of the bridge 12 on the front side in the vehicle width direction and the front portions of the main pipes 2 and 2. A steering support pipe 14 is attached to and. The steering support pipe 14 extends obliquely rearward and upward from between the front wheels 4 and 4.

A steering shaft 15 is inserted into the steering support pipe 14. The steering shaft 15 is connected to the front wheels 4 and 4 via a steering mechanism, and a bar handle 16 extending in the vehicle width direction is attached to the upper end of the steering shaft 15.

As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the steering shaft 1
A connection portion between the bar 5 and the bar handle 16 is covered with a handle cover 29 made of synthetic resin, and a main switch 47, a choke lever 48 and an indicator lamp 49 are arranged on an upper surface of the handle cover 29.

A pair of left and right steering supports 18, 18 extending obliquely upward and forward from the upper ends of the left and right side portions of the rear bridge 17 are connected to the rear bridge 17. The front portions of these steering supports 18, 18 are connected by a cross member 19, and the cross member 19 is
As shown in FIG. 5, it is bolted to a bracket 20 welded to the upper end of the steering support pipe 14.

The front ends of the steering supports 18, 18 are connected to each other in front of the steering support pipe 14. At the front end connecting portion of the steering supports 18 and 18,
A plate-shaped bag support 21 that supports the upper portion of the caddy bag 10 is attached. Bag support 21
Extend in the vehicle width direction, and the left and right ends of the front wheel 4 are
It projects more laterally than No. 4.

By the way, the frame 1 is covered with a body panel 22 formed by molding a synthetic resin material. As shown in FIGS. 1, 4, and 5, the body panel 22 is integrally formed with a panel main body 22a that covers the frame 1 from above and both front end portions of the panel main body 22a. , A front fender 23 covering 4 from above,
23, the rear fenders 24, 24 integrally formed on both sides of the rear end of the panel body 22a and covering the left and right rear wheels 6, 6 from above, and the front fenders 23, 23 and the rear fenders 24, 24 are integrally formed. And front and rear connecting walls 22b and 22c integrally connected to both front and rear ends of the panel body 22a.

In addition, the fourth main body 22a is provided with a fourth
As shown in the figure, an opening 26 for maintenance and inspection is formed. Around the opening 26, as shown in FIG.
Both left and right sides of the panel body 22a and the front and rear connecting walls 22
It is surrounded by b and 22c in the circumferential direction so that the body panel 22 is not divided at the opening 26.

The opening 26 has a rectangular shape that opens in a space surrounded by the left and right main pipes 2 and 2 and the front and rear bridges 12 and 17 in plan view, and faces the drive mechanism 8 directly above. There is.

A notch portion 27 through which the steering support 18 is inserted is formed at the rear ends of the left and right edges of the opening portion 26. Further, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, a front end cutout portion 28 through which the steering support pipe 14 is inserted with play is formed at the front edge portion of the opening portion 26. A sufficient gap is secured between the front end cutout portion 28 and the steering support pipe 14.

The left and right steering supports 18, 18 are
As shown in FIG. 5, the separation width becomes narrower as it goes forward, and its front end portion is located inside the opening portion 26 in plan view.

Further, the body panel 22 is integrally provided at the rear end thereof with a boarding space S continuing to the step 9. This boarding space S is, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3,
The left and right side walls 24 which are continuous with the left and right rear fenders 24, 24 and are interposed between the rear wheels 6, 6
a and 24b, and a front wall 24c that is continuous with the front ends of the side walls 24a and 24b and the rear ends of the rear connecting walls 22c.

The side walls 24a, 24b extend in the up-down direction so as to cover the left and right rear wheels 6, 6 from the inside, and partition the rear wheels 6, 6 from the boarding space S. The front wall 24c extends in the vertical direction so as to cover the rear axle 7 and the drive mechanism 8 on the frame 1 from the rear side, and the body panel 22
The space between the area covered by and the boarding space S is partitioned.

Therefore, the boarding space S has a recessed shape that is open vertically and rearward of the body panel 22, and its side walls 24a and 24b and the front wall 24c intersect the panel body 22a and the rear fenders 24 and 24. It also extends vertically and functions as a rib that reinforces the body panel 22.

Such a body panel 22 is placed over the frame 1 from above, and is fixed to the frame 1 at the four corners of the opening 26. To describe this fixing structure, flat plate-shaped brackets 30 ... Are welded to both upper end portions of the front and rear bridges 12 and 17, and the openings 26 are formed on the upper surfaces of the brackets 30.
The flange portion 31 formed on the inner peripheral edge of the opening is overlapped. As shown in FIG. 7, a bolt 32 is inserted from above in the overlapping portion of the bracket 30 ... And the flange portion 31, and the bolt 32 is attached to the nut 33 welded to the back surface of the bracket 30. The body panel 22 is fixed to the frame 1 by screwing.

In addition, an opening 26 is formed on the upper surface 25 of the body panel 22.
A lid 35 made of synthetic resin for covering is attached detachably. This lid 35 is used for the steering support pipe 14
It is also located inside the left and right steering supports 18, 18. The lid 35 has a rectangular box shape with an open lower surface, and the peripheral edge of the opening is as shown in FIG.
The sealing material 36 is superposed on the flange portion 31 formed at the opening edge portion of the opening portion 26 with the sealing material 36 interposed therebetween. The lid 35 is detachably fixed to the body panel 22 at four positions before and after the lid 35.

This fixing structure will be described with reference to FIG. 9 and FIG. 10. Plates 39 having pins 38 projecting forward are riveted at two positions on the left and right of the front wall 37 of the lid 35. A rubber stopper 42 having a fitting hole 41 is attached to the support wall 40 on the body panel 22 side facing the front wall 37. The pin 38 is fitted in the fitting hole 41 of the stopper 42, whereby the front end of the lid 35 is hooked and held on the body panel 22.

Further, the rear end portion of the lid body 35 has the flange portion 3 of the opening 26.
1, and the bolts 43 are inserted from above at two places on the left and right of this overlapping portion. The bolt 43 is a nut 44 held on the flange portion 31 side.
Is screwed into.

Therefore, the lid 35 is detachably fixed to the body panel 22 by fitting the pins 38 on the front surface into the fitting holes 41 and then tightening the two rear ends with the bolts 43. Bolts 32 for fixing the body panel 22 to the frame 1 are hidden.

In the case of the present embodiment, the portion where the steering support 18 penetrates the notch 27 is shown in FIGS.
As shown in the figure, a rubber boot 45 is attached. The inner peripheral surface of the upper end of the boot 45 is held in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the steering support 18 over a certain range. A skirt portion 46 that covers the gap between the steering support 18 and the lid 35 from above while covering the outside of the rising portion 27a provided at the opening edge portion of the cutout portion 27 at the lower end opening portion of the boot 45. Has been formed.

On the other hand, the periphery of the steering support pipe 14 that extends upward through the front end cutout portion 28 of the body panel 22 is
It is covered by a cylindrical synthetic resin steering cover 50. The steering cover 50 is divided into a front cover 51 and a rear cover 52. The openings of the covers 51 and 52 are fitted to each other, and the inner surface of the lower end of the fitted portion is bolted to the support stay 53 welded to the steering support pipe 14 as shown in FIG. It is tightened and held via 54 and nut 55.

Further, as shown in FIG. 14, the upper ends of the fitting portions of the front cover 51 and the rear cover 52 are tightened and fixed to each other via bolts 56 and nuts 57, and
As shown in FIG. 15, the upper end portion of the rear cover 52 is fastened and fixed to the bracket 20 via bolts 60.

According to this structure, the panel body 22a of the body panel 22 is provided with the opening 26 for maintenance and inspection, and the front end notch in which the steering support pipe 14 is inserted with play at the front end of the opening 26. Since 28 is continuously formed, a sufficient gap is secured between the front end cutout portion 28 and the steering support pipe 14.

Therefore, even when the wide bar handle 16 is attached to the upper end of the steering shaft 15, one end of the bar handle 16 is inserted into the front end cutout 28 to incline the body panel 22 at various angles. If the position of the front end cutout portion 28 is displaced by rotating the front end cutout portion 28 while shifting the bar handle 16 forward and backward, the bar handle 16 can be sequentially passed through the inside of the front end cutout portion 28.

Particularly in the case of the present embodiment, the opening 26 where the front end notch 28 is connected is for inserting fingers, tools, etc. around the drive mechanism 8 for performing work, and therefore the left and right main pipes 2, 2 are connected. There is a large opening in the space surrounded by the front and rear bridges 12 and 17. Therefore, when the steering support pipe 14 is passed through the front end cutout 28, the large opening 26 is formed in the bar handle 16 and the body panel 2.
It can be used as an escape to avoid interference with 2.

Therefore, although the steering shaft 15 extends obliquely upward and rearward from between the front wheels 4 and 4, the assembly direction of the body panel 22 is not significantly restricted,
It is possible to cover the body panel 22 with the bar handle 16 and all the functional components necessary for traveling mounted on the frame 1. Therefore, body panel 2
Assembling and adjusting work of various functional parts that enter the inside of 2 and steering system parts such as the steering shaft 15 that requires assembling accuracy can be performed without being naked, and the assembling workability is improved.

Further, in this case, since the periphery of the opening 26 is continuously connected in the circumferential direction, the body panel 22 has the opening 2
The body panel 22 itself has high rigidity without being divided at the portion 6. Therefore, even if the body panel 22 is put on the frame 1 by the above-described procedure, the body panel 22 is not distorted and deformed or bent, and accordingly, the body panel 2 is not deformed or bent.
The handling of No. 2 becomes good, which contributes to the improvement of the assembling workability.

When removing the body panel 22, the bolts 54 and 60 and the nut 57 are loosened, the front cover 51 and the rear cover 57 are removed from the outer periphery of the steering support pipe 14, and the bolt 43 is loosened to open the lid 35. 26, then loosen the bolts 32 and pull the body panel 22 upward, avoiding the bar handle 16.

Therefore, it is not necessary to disassemble the steering system, which is a safety component, as well as the assembly precision, and it is only necessary to remove the steering cover 50 and the lid 35, so that the body panel 22 can be easily removed. You can do it.

Further, according to the above configuration, the riding space S located at the rear end of the body panel 22 includes the left and right side walls 24a and 24b and the front wall 24c extending in the direction intersecting with the panel body 22a. 24a, 2
4b and the front wall 24c function as ribs that reinforce the body panel 22. Therefore, the rigidity of the rear end portion of the body panel 22 can be further enhanced by utilizing the boarding space S, and no special reinforcement measure is required.

Further, since the side walls 24a, 24b and the front wall 24c partition between the riding space S and the portions covered by the rear wheels 6, 6 and the body panel 22, the frame 1 and the rear wheels 6, 6 are surrounded. The intricate components are not exposed in the riding space S, and the riding space S
The appearance of can be maintained well.

At the same time, the side walls 24a, 24b of the boarding space S
Has entered between the left and right rear wheels 6, 6, so that when the body panel 22 is put on the frame 1, the riding space S is made to face the rear wheels 6, 6.
When set up, the body panel 22 is roughly aligned with the frame 1 in the front-rear, left-right direction.

Therefore, the body panel 22 can be positioned with respect to the frame 1 using the riding space S,
Although the body panel 22 has a large shape so as to cover the frame 1 over the entire length, there is an advantage that the assembling work of the body panel 22 can be easily performed.

〔The invention's effect〕

According to the present invention described in detail above, the body panel can be covered in a state where the entire vehicle body is assembled to a state in which the vehicle body can travel, and when the body panel is removed, steering around the steering wheel that requires assembling accuracy is prevented. There is no need to disassemble at all, improving workability of assembly and disassembly.

Moreover, since the periphery of the opening through which the steering shaft passes is continuously connected in the circumferential direction, the body panel itself has high rigidity, and when the body panel is put on the frame,
The body panel will not be distorted, deformed or bent. Therefore, handling of the body panel is good, and this also contributes to improvement of workability in assembling.

Further, according to the above configuration, the side wall and the front wall of the riding space function as ribs that reinforce the body panel, so that the rigidity of the rear end portion of the body panel can be further enhanced by utilizing the riding space. No need for additional reinforcement measures.

Also, due to the presence of the side wall and front wall, the frame and the complicated parts around the rear wheel are not exposed to the riding space, and the appearance of this riding space can be maintained well and the body panel can be covered on the frame. In this case, if the riding space is set on the frame so as to face the rear wheels, the body panel is roughly aligned with the frame in the front-rear, left-right direction.
Therefore, the body panel can be positioned with respect to the frame using the riding space, and the body panel can be easily assembled even though the body panel has a large shape that covers the frame over the entire length. There is an advantage that it can be done.

[Brief description of drawings]

The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1 is a plan view of a golf cart, Fig. 2 is a side view of the golf cart, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the golf cart, and Fig. 4 is a body. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the panel, Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the size of the opening of the body panel and the bar handle and bag support, Fig. 6 is a plan view of the frame, Fig. 7 is VII in Fig. 1. -VII is a sectional view taken along line VII, Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in Fig. 1, Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken along line IX in Fig. 1, and Fig. 10 is shown in Fig. 1. 11 is a sectional view taken along line XI-XI in FIG. 1, FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along line XII-XII in FIG. 11, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line XIII-XIII in FIG. 2, FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along line XIV-XIV in FIG. 2, and FIG. It is a figure. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Frame, 4 ... Front wheel, 6 ... Rear wheel, 15 ... Steering shaft, 16 ... Steering wheel (bar handle), 22 ... Body panel, 22a ... Panel body, 22b, 22c ... Connecting wall, 23 ... Front fender, 24 ... Rear fender, 24a, 24b ... Side wall, 24c ... Front wall, 28 ... Opening (front end notch), 50 ... Steering cover, S ... Riding space.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A front portion of the frame, comprising a frame that supports the front left and right wheels and the rear left and right wheels, and extends in the front-rear direction; and a drive mechanism that is disposed on the frame and that drives the rear wheels. A steering shaft that extends diagonally rearward and upward from between the front wheels and has a steering handle that extends in the vehicle width direction at its upper end, and removes a synthetic resin body panel from above from the frame. A four-wheel standing golf cart, in which the body panel is covered and fixed as much as possible, and a rear end portion of the body panel is provided with a riding space in which the driver stands in an upright posture. ,
A panel body having an opening through which the steering shaft is inserted with play, left and right front fenders that cover the front wheel from above, left and right rear fenders that cover the rear wheel from above, and the front fender and the rear fender are connected to each other. In addition, it is integrally provided with front and rear connecting walls that continuously surround the periphery of the opening in cooperation with the left and right sides of the panel body. A tubular steering cover that covers the derived steering shaft is removably attached, and the riding space at the rear end of the body panel is continuous with the left and right rear fenders, and the left and right sides that cover the left and right rear wheels from the inside. Of the frame and the front end of these side walls and the rear end of the rear connecting wall, The four-wheeled golf cart is characterized in that it integrally has a front wall that covers the driving mechanism of the vehicle from the rear, and that the riding space itself has a recessed shape that continuously opens above and below and behind the body panel. Car body structure.