Golf Cart Rain Shield with Retractable Panels

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Solution Overview

Problem

Golf carts, including covered ones, lack adequate protection from sun and rain, and existing after-market solutions are often cumbersome, difficult to install, and interfere with parking and storage profiles, making them unsuitable for standard golf cart paths.

Innovation Solution

A semi-permanently attached rain and sun shield for golf carts that is easy to install, retrofits to any standard roof, and can be easily opened and closed, featuring adjustable panels that extend beyond the cart's roofline to provide protection without interfering with parking or storage profiles.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If panels are extended beyond the roofline to provide sun and rain protection, then protection effectiveness is improved, but the parking and storage profile is worsened

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesun and rain protectionVSAvoidparking and storage profile

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The panels are designed to be movable between an extended position for protection and a retracted position for storage. The dynamic capability allows the same structure to fulfill opposing requirements at different times, resolving the contradiction between providing extended protection and maintaining a compact profile.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The shield is divided into multiple independent panels that can be individually adjusted. This segmentation allows the panels to be extended only when needed for protection while being retracted to minimize the storage profile, effectively resolving the contradiction between protection effectiveness and compactness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Object-affected harmful factors

If after-market protection devices are added to golf carts, then sun and rain protection is improved, but ease of operation is worsened due to interference with ingress and egress

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesun and rain protectionVSAvoidingress and egress

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The panels are designed to be dynamically adjustable and movable. When not in use, they can be retracted or folded to clearances that do not interfere with people entering or exiting the cart, thus resolving the contradiction between providing protection and maintaining ease of access.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Strength

If rigid support structures are used for the shield, then structural strength is improved, but ease of manufacture is worsened

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural strengthVSAvoidease of manufacture

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs flexible or semi-rigid panel materials that can be formed into protective shields. These materials provide sufficient structural strength for protection while being easier to manufacture and install compared to fully rigid structures, resolving the contradiction between strength and ease of manufacture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Data Source

PatentUS11584208B2Method of enhancing rain and sun protection using a rain and sun shield for golf carts

Publication Date: 2023.02.21 SWIC LLC

AI summary

A method for enhancing the rain and sun protection of a golf cart roof using a rain and sun shield device. The rain and sun shield for a covered golf cart is semi-permanently attached to the roof of a golf cart. The device is easy to install; will retrofit to any standard golf cart roof; does not interfere with the parking and storing profile (i.e. are sized to fit within the perimeter of any standard golf cart roof when in the closed position) of a fleet of golf carts. The device is easily opened and closed to provide the golf cart user with added sun and rain protection when in use.