초록 ▼

A personal cart comprises a mounting structure secured onto two parallel and aligned suspension members near their respective proximal longitudinal ends so as to rest thereon, and extending both upwardly and longitudinally so as to generally define an angle with said suspension members, two driving

A personal cart comprises a mounting structure secured onto two parallel and aligned suspension members near their respective proximal longitudinal ends so as to rest thereon, and extending both upwardly and longitudinally so as to generally define an angle with said suspension members, two driving wheels, each mounted to a respective suspension member near its proximal end, two driven wheels, each rotatably mounted to a respective suspension member near its distal end, and actuating means coupled to both driving wheels for selectively causing rotation of at least one of said two driving wheels. The actuating may includes a controller and a rechargeable battery or be in the form of a hand actuating device including two endless belts mounted along angled portions of the mounting structure. The personal cart comprises few components and is relatively compact which provides a long autonomy in the case of an electrically actuated embodiment, and less effort to actuate in the case of the hand actuating embodiment.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A personal cart comprising: two generally aligned and parallel flat resilient shock-absorbing suspension members, each having proximal and distal longitudinal ends; a passenger receiving structure secured to both suspension members near their respective proximal longitudinal

What is claimed is: 1. A personal cart comprising: two generally aligned and parallel flat resilient shock-absorbing suspension members, each having proximal and distal longitudinal ends; a passenger receiving structure secured to both suspension members near their respective proximal longitudinal ends so as to rest thereon, and extending both upwardly and longitudinally so as to generally define an angle with said suspension members; two driving wheels, each mounted to a respective suspension member near said proximal longitudinal end thereof; two driven wheels, each mounted to a respective suspension member near said distal longitudinal end thereof; and actuating means coupled to both driving wheels for selectively causing rotation of at least one of said two driving wheels. 2. A personal cart as recited in claim 1, wherein said two suspension members are made of a composite material. 3. A personal cart as recited in claim 2, wherein each of said two suspension members includes at least one of directional and bi-directional fibers. 4. A personal cart as recited in claim 2, wherein each of said two suspension members includes a central portion between first and second longitudinal end portions; each of said first and second longitudinal end portions being raised relatively to said central portion. 5. A personal cart as recited in claim 4, wherein said passenger receiving structure is secured to said central portion of both suspension members. 6. A personal cart as recited in claim 4, wherein said first longitudinal end portions include an opening to allow passage for a respective one of said two driving wheels. 7. A personal cart as recited in claim 6, wherein each of said two suspension members includes a transversal rod mounted to each of said two suspension members in said opening. 8. A personal cart as recited in claim 7, said transversal rod is removably mounted to each of said two suspension members in said opening. 9. A personal cart as recited in claim 6, wherein said suspension member includes a mudguard extending from said first longitudinal end portion adjacent said opening. 10. A personal cart as recited in claim 4, wherein said suspension member includes a mudguard extending laterally from said second longitudinal end portion. 11. A personal cart as recited in claim 4, wherein each of said two driven wheels is mounted to said second longitudinal end portion of a respective one of said two suspension members. 12. A personal cart as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said two driven wheels is selected from the group consisting of a swivel wheel and a fixed-type wheel. 13. A personal cart as recited in claim 1, wherein said passenger receiving structure and said two suspension members form an integral frame assembly. 14. A personal cart as recited in claim 13, wherein said integral frame assembly is made of a lightweight rigid material. 15. A personal cart as recited in claim 14, wherein said lightweight rigid material is selected from the group consisting of a polymer and aluminium. 16. A personal cart as recited in claim 15, wherein said lightweight and rigid material is a polymer, and said suspension member is made using a method selected from the group of consisting of injection molding, blow molding and rotational molding. 17. A personal cart as recited in claim 15, wherein said polymer is selected from the group consisting of cross-link polyethylene (PE), low-density PE, high-density PE, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), LLDPE, and polycarbonate. 18. A personal cart as recited in claim 1, wherein said passenger receiving structure includes a mounting structure and a base for securing the mounting structure to said two suspension members. 19. A personal cart as recited in claim 18, wherein said base includes a generally flat portion for receiving a standing passenger. 20. A personal cart as recited in claim 18, wherein said base includes at least one mounting structure receiving portion for receiving said mounting structure. 21. A personal cart as recited in claim 20, wherein said at least one mounting structure receiving portion includes two opposite lateral mounting structure receiving portions. 22. A personal cart as recited in claim 21, wherein said base includes two mudguard portions, each secured to a respective lateral mounting structure receiving portion opposite said flat portion. 23. A personal cart as recited in claim 21, wherein said mounting structure includes an inverted U-shaped tubular frame generally defining a plane and extending from the base so as to define an angle therewith. 24. A personal cart as recited in claim 23, wherein said U-shaped tubular frame includes two free ends; each of said two free ends being mounted in a respective of said two opposite lateral mounting structure receiving portions. 25. A personal cart as recited in claim 23, wherein said personal cart is a golf cart; said mounting structure including a bracket configured and sized for receiving a top portion of a golf bag, and said base including means for supporting a bottom portion of said golf bag. 26. A personal cart as recited in claim 25, wherein said means for supporting a bottom portion of said golf bag includes a semi-circular recess in said base. 27. A personal cart as recited in claim 26, wherein said base includes a generally flat portion for receiving a standing passenger; said semi-circular recess is practiced on a surface of said base angled relative to said flat portion of said base. 28. A personal cart as recited in claim 18, wherein said mounting structure includes a pole mounted to said base so as to extend therefrom with an angle relative to said two suspension members. 29. A personal cart as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said two driving wheels is a motor-wheel. 30. A personal cart as recited in claim 29, wherein said actuating means includes a battery connected to said motor-wheels, and a controller connected to said motor-wheels for selectively energizing at least one of said two motor-wheels. 31. A personal cart as recited in claim 29, wherein said controller includes an input port for coupling said controller to a remote computer. 32. A personal cart as recited in claim 29, wherein said controller is configured to allow regenerative braking. 33. A personal cart as recited in claim 29, further comprising a remote control for remotely sending a command to said controller. 34. A personal cart as recited in claim 29, wherein said controller includes a power limitator for limiting the acceleration of the cart from a neutral position. 35. A personal cart as recited in claim 29, wherein said controller includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and a control panel coupled to said CPU for sending command to said CPU. 36. A personal cart as recited in claim 35, wherein said control panel includes steering means, braking means, and accelerating means. 37. A personal cart as recited in claim 35, wherein said control panel is mounted to said passenger receiving structure so as to allow pivoting movement of said control panel; said controller being configured so as to be responsive to said pivoting movement and to selectively actuate at least one of said two driving wheels accordingly with said pivoting movement. 38. A personal cart as recited in claim 37, wherein said control panel includes hand receiving openings for facilitating pivoting movement thereof. 39. A personal cart as recited in claim 35, wherein said control panel includes a touch screen for displaying and receiving information. 40. A personal cart as recited in claim 35, wherein said control panel further including at least one of a contact switch, brake and accelerator command buttons, direction commands for selecting forward, backward, and neutral movement for the cart, and a battery status indicator. 41. A personal cart as recited in claim 40, wherein said controller is configured to create a first signal responsive to said at least one of a contact switch, brake and accelerator command buttons, direction commands; said controller being configured to sends a second signal representative to said first signal to a controlling electronic circuit comprised within each of said two motor-wheels. 42. A personal cart as recited in claim 30, wherein said passenger receiving structure includes a mounting structure and a base for securing the mounting structure to said two suspension members; said battery being mounted in a battery-receiving compartment in said base. 43. A personal cart as recited in claim 30, wherein said battery is rechargeable. 44. A personal cart as recited in claim 30, wherein said battery is a plug-in type battery. 45. A personal cart as recited in claim 18, wherein said two suspension members are received in a bottom portion of said base. 46. A personal cart as recited in claim 45, wherein each of said two suspension members having a generally straight portion. 47. A personal cart as recited in claim 46, wherein said bottom portion of said base is provided with two slots, each one receiving said generally straight portion of a respective one of said two suspension members. 48. A personal cart as recited in claim 47, wherein each one of said two suspension members further includes a swatted S-portion integral and aligned with said generally straight portion; said swatted S-portion upwardly biasing said distal end from said proximal end of said suspension member. 49. A personal cart as recited in claim 48, wherein each of said two driven wheels is mounted to a respective of said two suspension members near said distal end. 50. A personal cart as recited in claim 45, wherein said base includes two lateral driving wheel receiving recesses. 51. A personal cart as recited in claim 50, wherein each of said two lateral driving wheel receiving recesses defines a mudguard. 52. A personal cart comprising: a frame assembly including i) two longitudinal flat resilient shock-absorbing suspension members generally lying in a first plane, each longitudinal resilient shock-absorbing suspension member having first and second longitudinal ends, and ii) a mounting structure generally defining a second plane defining an angle with said first plane; said second plane intersecting both longitudinal resilient shock-absorbing suspension members near their first longitudinal ends; two parallel driving wheels, each rotatably mounted to said frame assembly near said first longitudinal end of a respective one of said two longitudinal resilient shock-absorbing suspension members; two driven wheels, each rotatably mounted to said second longitudinal end of a respective one of said longitudinal resilient shock-absorbing suspension members; and actuating means coupled to said two parallel driving wheels for selectively causing rotation of at least one of said two parallel driving wheels.