Power- and/or manually-driven collapsible golf cart

A power- and/or manually-driven collapsible golf cart, comprising:

• a golf bag support frame having an upper frame member and a lower frame member and having a front side and a rear side;
• a handle attached to an upper end of said upper frame member;
• golf bag support means mounted on said golf bag support frame for mounting a golf bag on said front side of said golf bag support means, said golf bag support means comprising an upper and lower bag cradle;
• hinge means, operably connected between a lower end of said upper frame member and an upper end of said lower frame member, for permitting said upper frame member and said lower frame member to be pivotally moved between a substantially longitudinally aligned extended position and a substantially adjacent generally parallel folded position;
• releasable lock means for releasably locking said upper and lower frame members in said extended position;
• a pair of freely-rotatable ground-support wheels;
• at least two lateral support members pivotally connected at one end to said lower frame member and at an opposite end to opposite ones of said ground-support wheels;
• at least two connecting rods each pivotally connected at one end to said upper frame member and at an opposite other end to opposite ones of said lateral support members;
• a power-driven wheel supported at said lower end of said lower frame member adjacent to said front side thereof;
• power drive means for driving said power-driven wheel including an electrical battery power source mounted on said front side of golf bag support frame member, generally above said power-driven wheel;
• and
• an on-off switch, a forward-reverse switch, and a variable speed control knob disposed closely adjacent said handle, each of said switches and knob being operably connected to said power drive means to operate said power-driven wheel;
• so that when said upper frame member and said lower frame member are pivotally moved to a substantially longitudinally aligned extended position, said ground-support wheels are moved laterally and rearwardly outward from said golf bag support frame, and when said upper frame member and said lower frame member are pivotally moved to a substantially adjacent, generally parallel folded position, said upper end of said upper frame member and said handle are moved closely adjacent to said lower end of said lower frame member, and said ground-support wheels are moved laterally and forwardly inward toward said golf support frame so as to be disposed closely adjacent to the rear side of said golf support frame, with said upper end of said upper frame member and said handle being disposed between said ground-support wheels and closely adjacent to said power-driven wheel disposed on said front side of said lower frame member, and wherein said power drive means including said battery maintains its same mounted position on said golf cart in both said extended and folded positions thereof.