Convertible golf car

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Partially convertible golf cars are known but it is believed that none has the comfortable seating and threeway adjustment which characterizes the vehicle disclosed.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

On a frame which has front and rear floor portions, the front seats are conventional and form no part of the present invention. There is a rear seat back which normally stands erect in a slightly tilted position adjacent a rearwardly facing rear seat spaced at a comfortable height above the rear portion of the floor. Links connected with the rear seat permit it to be swung from the generally horizontal position it occupies for seating purposes to a generally upright position in which it serves as the rear wall of a well in which golf bags are carried upright to hold the clubs in easily accessible positions for use in play. With the seat thus adjusted to its rear and nearly vertical position, the rear seat back may be swung down by releasing a catch. When lowered, the back has an exposed top surface which is flush with a deck surface normally concealed beneath it. These surfaces together provide an extensive and substantially horizontal deck for luggage. The entire deck is preferably carpeted. Linkage controls the movement of the back between its normally upright position and its normally horizontal position in which its exposed surface provides a part of the deck.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view in three-quarter rear perspective of a golf car embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the convertible rear seat portion of the car in side elevation.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the rear seat in an alternate position to which it may be adjusted to provide a back for a well in which golf bags will stand upright.

FIG. 4 is a still further enlarged detail view fragmentarily illustrating the linkage and latch structure for the rear seat back.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the rear seat back moved upon its linkage to a position in which it serves as a deck extension.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view in perspective on the line 6—6 of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The golf car frame 10 has a front floor portion 12 and a rear floor portion 14. The present invention is not concerned with the forward seat 16.

The frame includes upwardly bowed side portions 18 connected by a transverse frame member 20. At each side there are hand rails 22.

Behind the front seat 16 on the elevated frame portion 18, there is a short deck 24 which is normally somewhat concealed by the rear seat 26 and the rear seat back 28. As clearly appears in FIG. 1, the rear seat is adapted 5 to carry two people comfortably, the passengers facing in a rearward direction.

The side portions 18 of the frame are connected with the rear floor portion 14 by gussets 30 at opposite sides of the vehicle. Pivoted to these gussets at each side of the 10 vehicle are links 32 and 34 which are also pivoted to the base 36 of the rear seat 26. The relatively straight link 32 has its lower pivotal connection 38 rearwardly of, and well below, the pivotal connection 40 of the longer curved link 44.

When it is desired to transport golf bags with the clubs exposed for use, the seat 26 is pivoted rearwardly from the position of FIG. 2 to the position of FIG. 3, being guided by its pivotal connection at 42 and 44 with the respective links 32 and 34. The connection 42 is near the 20 rearward side of the seat while the connection at 44 is near the forward side of the seat. The geometry of the linkage is such that the seat 26 moves from the generally horizontal position of FIG. 2 to a position shown in FIG. 3 in which the seat is nearly upright and its base 36 forms 25 the rear wall of a well in which golf bags can be carried upright.

The seat back member 28 has remained in the upright position in which it is illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. If it now be desired to carry the golf bags or other luggage 3θ on a horizontal deck surface, the seat back 28 may be swung out to the position shown in FIG. 5. The deck 24 has upstanding flanges 46 at each side of the vehicle. Connected with the seat back 28 is a deck extension 50 which is provided at each side with flanges 52 connected 35 by links 54 and 56 with the flanges 46 at the ends of the permanent portion 24 of the deck. The short link 56 normally projects forwardly, as in FIGS. 2 and 3 from its pivotal connection at 58 to the fixed flange 46. It is pivotally attached at 60 to the lower forward corner of ⁴⁰ the flange 52 on the movable deck element 50. The seat back 28 is in a protected location beneath deck element 50.

The longer link 54 is pivotally connected at 62 with 45 a rear end portion of the lateral flange 46 and it is connected at 64 with an upper portion of the flange 52 on the movable section 50 of the deck. A latch lever 66 pivoted at 68 to the latter flange has a terminal hook portion 70 normally engaged with the stop 72 on the 50 fixed flange 60. A tension spring 74 maintains the hook 70 normally engaged with lug 72 as best shown in full lines in FIG. 4. When the lever is swung against the bias of spring 74 to its dotted line position, the hook is disengaged from the lug 72 to permit the seat back 28 to be swung manually to the position of FIG. 5, where the movable deck section 50 is in the plane of the fixed deck section 24 to provide a rear deck of very substantial area for luggage of all kinds. This entire rear deck is preferably ₆₀ carpeted (not shown).

Conversion from one to another of the three functions is very easily effected. Conversion from the FIG. 1 position of the parts to that of FIG. 5 has already been described. To reverse the operation, it is only necessary to 65 raise the seat back 28 to the position of FIGS. 1 to 3, whereupon its latch lever 66 will automatically engage itself. The well for golf clubs is now exposed.

If the car is to be used for passenger transportation, the seat 26 is now manually raised from the position of 7° FIG. 3 to that of FIG. 2. It will remain by gravity in this position, no latch being required.

3,671,071