Cantilevered Canopy Extension Panel for Golf Cart Rear Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
The conversion of golf carts into lightweight personal transportation vehicles often requires replacing existing canopies and support struts with larger ones, leading to costly and environmentally unfriendly disposal of thousands of old canopies and struts each year.
Innovation Solution
A cantilevered canopy extension system that attaches to the main passenger compartment canopy, using an extension panel with a head section that connects to the main canopy and support struts, allowing a cantilevered tail section to extend without additional vertical support struts, thus extending the canopy coverage without the need for new struts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a larger, longer canopy is replaced to cover additional rear seating, then canopy coverage area is improved, but device complexity and cost increase due to requiring new support struts
Solution Approach 1:
The canopy system is divided into two independent parts: the original main canopy (covering the driver's cabin) and a separate extension panel (covering the rear seating area). The extension panel attaches to the main canopy without requiring additional support struts, thus segmenting the support requirements and maintaining structural simplicity while increasing coverage area.
2Area of stationary object
If existing canopies and support struts are removed and replaced, then canopy coverage is improved, but material waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention recovers and reuses the existing main canopy and support struts by adding an extension panel that attaches to them. This avoids discarding the original components, reducing material waste while achieving increased canopy coverage for the converted vehicle.
3Area of stationary object
If new support struts are added to support the extended canopy, then canopy coverage is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The extension panel is designed to attach to the existing main canopy structure, making the original canopy and struts serve a dual function: supporting both the original canopy area and the extended rear section. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for additional support struts, reducing manufacturing costs while achieving extended coverage.
Data Source
AI summary
A canopy extension system attachable to a vehicle main passenger compartment canopy. The canopy extension system comprises an extension panel connectable to a main canopy of a vehicle. The extension panel comprises a head section structured to overlap at least a portion of, and connect to, at least one of the main canopy and at least one main canopy support strut, and a cantilever tail section structured to be cantilevered from an edge of the main canopy when the head section is connected to the main canopy. The canopy extension system additionally comprises at least one connector assembly structured to connect the head section to the main canopy such that the cantilever tail section will be cantilevered from the edge of the main canopy.