U.S. patent application number 11/369919 was filed with the patent office on 2007-09-13 for golf car splash guard.
This patent application is currently assigned to Textron Inc.. Invention is credited to Bradley J. Hanson, Donald S. Hanson, Richard Krall, Albert Packard.
Application Number | 20070210603 11/369919 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38229970 |
Filed Date | 2007-09-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070210603 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hanson; Bradley J. ; et
al. |
September 13, 2007 |
GOLF CAR SPLASH GUARD
Abstract
A golf car splash guard including: a base portion; a locking
flange protruding from the base portion, the locking flange having
a locking detail; a wall extending from the base portion at an
angle relative to the base portion; a first wire retention device
extending from the base portion; and a second wire retention device
extending from the wall.
Inventors: |
Hanson; Bradley J.; (North
Augusta, SC) ; Krall; Richard; (Augusta, GA) ;
Hanson; Donald S.; (Evans, GA) ; Packard; Albert;
(Evans, GA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HARNESS, DICKEY & PIERCE, P.L.C.
P.O. BOX 828
BLOOMFIELD HILLS
MI
48303
US
|
Assignee: |
Textron Inc.
Providence
RI
|
Family ID: |
38229970 |
Appl. No.: |
11/369919 |
Filed: |
March 7, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
296/70 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B62D 31/003 20130101;
B62D 25/2018 20130101; B62D 25/14 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
296/070 |
International
Class: |
B62D 25/14 20060101
B62D025/14 |
Claims
1. A golf car splash guard comprising: a base portion; a locking
flange protruding from said base portion, said locking flange
having a locking detail; a wall extending from said base portion at
an angle relative to said base portion; a first wire retention
device extending from said base portion; and a second wire
retention device extending from said wall.
2. The golf car splash guard of claim 1, wherein said base portion
is at least substantially planar.
3. The golf car splash guard of claim 1, wherein said locking
flange protrudes from said base portion at a right angle relative
to said base portion.
4. The golf car splash guard of claim 1, wherein said first wire
retention device comprises a plurality of hooks extending from said
base portion.
5. The golf car splash guard of claim 4, wherein said plurality of
hooks comprise a first group of hooks, a second group of hooks, and
a third group of hooks; wherein said first group of hooks, said
second group of hooks, and said third group of hooks are arranged
in a generally "Y" shaped configuration.
6. The golf car splash guard of claim 1, wherein said second wire
retention device comprises a flange extending from said wall.
7. The golf car splash guard of claim 6, wherein said flange
extends at a right angle relative to said wall.
8. The golf car splash guard of claim 1, wherein said base portion
comprises an aperture extending through said base portion.
9. The golf car splash guard of claim 1, wherein said splash guard
comprises at least one of the group of fiberglass, sheet metal,
moldable plastic, and plastic composite.
10. An instrument panel for a golf car comprising: a main body; an
extension portion extending from said main body; a splash guard
mounted to said main body; and a flange extending from said splash
guard, said flange having a retention detail; wherein said
retention detail cooperates with said extension portion to secure
said splash guard to said main body.
11. The instrument panel of claim 10, wherein said splash guard
comprises a wall that is at least substantially vertical to a base
portion of said splash guard.
12. The instrument panel of claim 11, wherein a wire harness flange
extends from said wall.
13. The instrument panel of claim 10, wherein said splash guard
further comprises a wire retention hook.
14. The instrument panel of claim 10, further comprising an
aperture extending through said splash guard.
15. A golf car comprising: a front end and a front body at said
front end; a rear end and a rear body at said rear end; a seat
assembly mounted to said rear body; an instrument panel mounted to
said front body, said instrument panel comprising a main body and a
splash guard; a center support mounted to said main body; an
extension portion extending from said main body; a flange extending
from said splash guard, said flange having a retention detail; and
a wall extending from said splash guard, said wall extending from a
side of said splash guard proximate said rear end; wherein said
retention detail cooperates with said extension portion to secure
said splash guard to said main body; and wherein said wall is
seated within said center support.
16. The golf car of claim 15, wherein said flange extends from a
base of said splash guard at about a 90.degree. angle relative to
said base.
17. The golf car of claim 16, further comprising a plurality of
hooks extending from said base, said plurality of hooks operable to
secure a wire.
18. The golf car of claim 16, further comprising a wire harness
extending from said wall.
19. The golf car of claim 16, further comprising an opening
extending through said base.
20. The golf car of claim 15, wherein said splash guard further
comprises an aperture operable to accommodate a fastening device.
Description
FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for
a golf car, light weight utility vehicles, and cargo vehicles.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The statements in this section merely provide background
information related to the present disclosure and may not
constitute prior art.
[0003] Golf car instrument panels can be provided with a splash
guard. Splash guards can serve a number of purposes, such as to
prevent water and other foreign materials from passing through the
instrument panel into the passenger area of the golf car. While
conventional splash guards are suitable for their intended uses,
they are subject to improvement.
SUMMARY
[0004] The present teachings provide for a golf car splash guard
including: a base portion; a locking flange protruding from the
base portion, the locking flange having a locking detail; a wall
extending from the base portion at an angle relative to the base
portion; a first wire retention device extending from the base
portion; and a second wire retention device extending from the
wall.
[0005] The present teachings further provide for an instrument
panel for a golf car including: a main body; an extension portion
extending from the main body; a splash guard mounted to the main
body; and a flange extending from the splash guard, the flange
having a retention detail. The retention detail cooperates with the
extension portion to secure the splash guard to the main body.
[0006] The present teachings also provide for a golf car including:
a front end and a front body at the front end; a rear end and a
rear body at the rear end; a seat assembly mounted to the rear
body; an instrument panel mounted to the front body, the instrument
panel including a main body and a splash guard; a center support
mounted to the main body; an extension portion extending from the
main body; a flange extending from the splash guard, the flange
having a retention detail; and a wall extending from the splash
guard, the wall extending from a side of the splash guard proximate
the rear end. The retention detail cooperates with the extension
portion to secure the splash guard to the main body. The wall is
seated within the center support.
[0007] Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the
description provided herein. It should be understood that the
description and specific examples are intended for purposes of
illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the
present disclosure.
DRAWINGS
[0008] The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes
only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present
disclosure in any way.
[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a golf car according to
various embodiments;
[0010] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an instrument panel of the
golf car;
[0011] FIG. 3 is a perspective rear view of a splash guard showing
its relationship to the instrument panel;
[0012] FIG. 4 is a perspective front view of the splash guard
mounted to the instrument panel;
[0013] FIG. 5 is an exploded view of FIG. 3;
[0014] FIG. 6 is perspective rear view of the splash guard;
[0015] FIG. 7 is a perspective front view of the splash guard;
[0016] FIG. 8A is close-up view of cooperation between the
instrument panel and the splash guard; and
[0017] FIG. 8B is a close-up view of the cooperation between the
instrument panel and the splash guard.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] The following description is merely exemplary in nature and
is in no way intended to limit the present disclosure, application,
or uses. Throughout this specification, like reference numerals
will be used to refer to like elements.
[0019] A golf car according to the present teachings is illustrated
in FIG. 1 at reference numeral 10. The golf car 10 can include a
front end 12 and a rear end 14. The front end 12 can be opposite to
the rear end 14. The front end 12 can include a front body 16 and
the rear end 14 can include a rear body 18. A main seat assembly 20
can be mounted to the rear body 18.
[0020] With additional reference to FIGS. 2-4, the front body 16
can include an instrument panel 22 and a steering wheel 24
extending from the instrument panel 22. The instrument panel 22 can
include an instrument panel main body 26, an instrument panel
splash guard 28, an ignition switch 30, a center console 32 that
can include a cup holder 34 and at least one golf ball retention
device 36A and 36B, and an instrument panel trim portion 38.
[0021] With additional reference to FIGS. 4-7, the splash guard 28
can include: a base 40; at least one retention flange, such as a
first retention flange 42A and a second retention flange 42B; a
wall portion 44; a wire harness flange 46; a plurality of retention
devices, such as hooks 48; one or more retention apertures, such as
a first retention aperture 50A and a second retention aperture 50B;
and a flap 52 seated within an opening 54.
[0022] The base 40 can be a generally planar base. The first and
the second retention flanges 42A and 42B can vertically extend from
the base 40 at about a right angle to the base, or any other
suitable angle. The first and the second retention flanges 42A and
42B can include retention details 56A and 56B respectively that can
protrude from the first and the second retention flanges 42A and
42B. The first and the second retention flanges 42A and 42B can be
positioned at opposite ends of the base 40.
[0023] The wall portion 44 can extend from the base 40 and can be
about perpendicular to the base 40, or positioned at any other
suitable angle relative to the base 40. The wall portion 44 can be
at a general mid-point of the base 40 and can be between the first
and the second retention flanges 42A and 42B. The wall portion 44
can be at an edge of the base 40 that is generally toward the rear
end 14 of the car 10 when the car 10 is fully assembled.
[0024] The wire harness flange 46 can be mounted to the wall 44 and
can extend from the wall 44 at about a right angle to the wall, or
at any other suitable angle. The wire harness flange 46 can include
one or more apertures 58, such as apertures 58A, 58B, and 58C. The
apertures 58A-58C can be any suitable retention device, such as a
device for retaining a wire harness.
[0025] The hooks 48 can be located generally at a center portion of
the base 40, or at any other suitable location on the base 40. The
hooks 48 can extend from the base 40 and can be any suitable
retention device for retaining, for example, wiring for the golf
car 10. As illustrated, the hooks 48 are generally arranged in
three groups of hooks 48, such as a first group 48A, a second group
48B, and a third group 48C. The first, second, and third groups
48A, 48B, and 48C can generally be arranged in the shape of a "Y",
or any other suitable configuration. Each group 48A, 48B, and 48C
can include three hooks 48. The neighboring hooks 48 of each group
48A, 48B, and 48C can be orientated in opposite directions.
[0026] The opening 54 can be proximate to the hooks 48. The opening
54 can extend through the base 40. The opening 54 can be defined by
a cut-out in the base 40. A portion of the base 40, such as the
flap 52, can extend within the opening 54. The flap 52 can be a
flexible flap that can be flexed out of the opening 54 to permit
access to the opening 54 and can be flexed to be in position within
the opening 54 to at least substantially deny access to the opening
54.
[0027] The retention apertures 50A and 50B can extend from a
perimeter edge of the base 40, such as at an edge of the base 40
proximate to the rear end 14 of the car 10. The apertures 50A and
50B can be any suitable retention device operable to receive a
fastening device. The apertures 50A and 50B can also take the form
of any suitable device operable to mount the instrument panel
splash guard 28 to the instrument panel main body 26.
[0028] The instrument panel splash guard 28 can further include at
least one angled surface of the base 40, such as a first angled
surface 60A and a second angled surface 60B. The first angled
surface 60A can be offset from the remainder of the base 40 and can
be angled relative to the remainder of the base. The first angled
surface 60A can be angled such that the first angled surface 60A is
most offset from the remainder of the base 40 at a side of the base
nearest the front end 12 of the golf car 10 when fully assembled.
The second angled surface 60B can be similar to the first angled
surface 60A. Therefore, the description of the first angled surface
60A can also apply to the second angled surface 60B.
[0029] As illustrated in FIG. 7, the instrument panel splash guard
28 can further include at least one lower flange 62, such as a
first lower flange 62A and a second lower flange 62B. The first
flange 62A and the second flange 62B can extend from an
undersurface of the base 40 as illustrated. The first and the
second flanges 62A and 62B can be any suitable flange or fastening
device to facilitate the mounting of the splash guard 28 at the
front end 12 of the car 10.
[0030] With continued reference to FIGS. 3, 4, and 8, the
instrument panel main body 26 can include a front side 66 proximate
to the front end 12 of the car 10 and a rear side 68 that can be
opposite to the front side 66. The instrument panel main body 26
can include a frame 70 and a nose portion 72 that can extend from
the frame 70. The nose portion 72 can extend to the front side 66
of the main body 26 and the frame 70 can be proximate to the rear
side 68 of the main body 26 when the car 10 is assembled.
[0031] As illustrated in FIGS. 4, 8A, and 8B, the nose portion 72
can include at least one extension portion, such as a first
extension portion 74A and a second extension portion 74B. The
extension portions 74A and 74B can extend from opposite ends of the
nose portion 72. The extension portions 74A and 74B can also be any
suitable fastening device for securing the main body 26 to the
first and the second side flanges 42.
[0032] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the instrument panel main body 26
can further include a center support 76. The center support 76 can
be any suitable support device for supporting the center console
32. The center support 76 can also be sized and shaped to support
the wall 44 and the wire harness 46 of the instrument panel splash
guard 28. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the center support 76 can be a
well or a basin that extends from the nose portion 72 toward the
rear end 14 of the car 10. The instrument panel splash guard 28 can
include any suitable material. For example, the splash guard 28 can
include fiberglass, sheet metal, moldable plastic, plastic
composite, and impact molded polypropylene.
[0033] Mounting of the instrument panel splash guard 28 to the
instrument panel main body 26 will now be described. The instrument
panel splash guard 28 can be positioned such that the wall portion
44 is positioned within the center support 76 and extends from one
end of the center support 76 to another end, as illustrated in FIG.
3. The splash guard 28 can be mounted to the front side 66 of the
main body 26 through cooperation between the extension portions 74A
and 74B and the side flanges 42A and 42B respectively.
Specifically, the first extension portion 74A can be slid into
cooperation with the retention details 56A of the first side flange
42A. The second extension portion 74A can be slid into cooperation
with the retention details 56B of the second side flange 42B. The
splash guard 28 can be further mounted to the main body 26 using
suitable fasteners inserted through the first and second apertures
50A and 50B respectively and into cooperation with the main body
26.
[0034] The splash guard 28 can be used for a variety of different
purposes. For example, the wall portion 44 can be used to prevent
the passage of water and other unwanted foreign materials through
the instrument panel 22. The wire harness flange 46 can be used to
mount a wire harness for wiring used in the instrument panel 22.
Wiring of the instrument panel 22 can also be wrapped around the
hooks 48 to secure the wiring. The wiring can be inserted through
the aperture 54 to permit passage of the wiring through the splash
guard 28.
[0035] The description herein is merely exemplary in nature and,
thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of that which is
described are intended to be within the scope of the disclosure.
Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the
spirit and scope of the disclosure.
* * * * *