GOLF BALL CLEANER
The golf ball cleaner as disclosed is completely portable and which enables a user to clean their ball at any point on a golf course, and particularly when putting on a green. The cleaner is configured in a ring shape and includes an outer ring of bristles and an optional centrally disposed pad such that all cleaning bristles or pads contact no more than 25% of the ball surface at any one time, and in some instance, less than 10% of the ball surface is contacted by the cleaner bristles or pads. A cleaning solution can be provided in a centrally disposed pad or the outer ring of bristles which is activated either by pressure from the ball or by puncturing.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to golf equipment. More particularly, it relates to a portable device for cleaning golf balls.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As is well known to anyone who plays golf, the golf ball will frequently become dirty and in order to maintain desired flight properties and to make the ball suitable for putting, it is frequently necessary to clean the golf ball. Mechanical golf ball washers are found on most golf courses adjacent the teeing grounds but such locations are not tally not convenient when putting. In other words, when on the putting green, it is standard procedure to mark one's ball and clean it prior to putting. Since the ball washers are not adjacent to the greens, other systems need to be employed in order to clean the ball. Many golfers carry wet towels on their golf bag or merely rub the ball against the grass on the green or surrounding area as a means of cleaning the ball. However, neither system is always desirable because all golfers don't carry towels and the grass on the green or surrounding areas is not always wet enough to effect an adequate cleaning of the ball.
Many different portable golf ball cleaners are known in the prior art. However, each of these and other portable cleaners are still too bulky and difficult for a player to carry, even on their club bag.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAccording to aspects of the invention, the golf ball cleaner includes a cleaning element having an concave ball receiving portion configured to receive and support less than half of the golf ball sphere, the concave ball receiving portion having an upper edge and a bottom, and cleaning bristles disposed around the upper edge of the concave ball receiving portion such that said cleaning bristles contact less than 25% of an overall surface area of the golf ball.
According to another embodiment, the golf ball cleaner includes a circular ring having a circumference defining a ball receiving portion having an upper edge, the upper ball receiving portion being configured to receive and support less than half of the golf ball sphere, and cleaning bristles disposed around the upper edge such that said cleaning bristles contact less than 25% of an overall surface area of the golf ball.
Other objects and features of the present principles will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the present principles, for which reference should be made to the appended claims. It should be further understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and that, unless otherwise indicated, they are merely intended to conceptually illustrate the structures and procedures described herein.
In the drawings wherein like reference numerals denote similar components throughout the views:
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the golf ball cleaner is a hand held device that is designed and configured such that the ball is driven under hand or thumb power. Furthermore in accordance with the preferred implementation, the cleaner and its corresponding cleaning pads/bristles only contacts a very small portion of the overall surface area of the ball at any one time.
As shown in
Alternatively, the cleaning element (e.g., cartridge) 10B can be threaded 16B such that it screws into a corresponding thread within the housing. Thus, with both the snap in (10A) and screw in (10B) cleaning elements, the user can replace the same while retaining the same housing 12. As shown, and will be described in more detail below, the housing 12 can include other gold related equipment. For example, a ball marker 14 can be releasably connected to the back or sides of the housing 12.
As described with respect to the embodiments in
In accordance with a preferred aspect of the present invention, the cleaning bristles 34 and/or pad 34 are configured such that when the ball is positioned within the cleaner, the bristles and/or pad contact no more than 25% of ball at any given time, while cleaning the same. In other implementations, the percentage of ball contact with the cleaning bristles can be in a range of 5%-25% of the total surface area of the ball sphere.
In this embodiment, the bristles/pad 74 can be a dry cleaning type pad and the user can either add a cleaning solution or use the cleaner without the same.
In other contemplated embodiments, the bristles 32, 74 could be connected to a motorized system which rotates or agitates the bristles to provide additional cleaning action. For example, the agitation of the bristles could be in the form of ultrasonic agitation. Alternatively, the cleaner could include individual rotating bristles, groups of rotating bristles and/or a combination of rotating and non rotating groups of bristles.
While there have been shown, described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the present principles, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form and details of the methods described and devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the same. For example, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements and/or method steps which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results are within the scope of the present principles. Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/or elements and/or method steps shown and/or described in connection with any disclosed form or implementation of the present principles may be incorporated in any other disclosed, described or suggested form or implementation as a general matter of design choice. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.
Claims
1. A golf ball cleaner comprising:
- a cleaning element having an concave ball receiving portion configured to receive and support less than half of the golf ball sphere, the concave ball receiving portion having an upper edge and a bottom; and
- a cleaning pad disposed at the bottom of the cleaning element such that the cleaning pad contacts less than 25% of an overall surface area of the golf ball.
2. The golf ball cleaner of claim 1, further comprising cleaning bristles disposed around the upper edge of the concave ball receiving portion of the cleaning element.
3. The golf ball cleaner of claim 1, wherein said cleaning pad further comprises cleaning solution contained therein, said cleaning solution being selectively dispensed from the cleaning pad under pressure from the gold ball.
4. The golf ball cleaner of claim 1, further comprising a housing for receiving the cleaning element, said housing having connection means for connecting the golf ball cleaner to one of a users golf bag or a user's belt.
5. The golf ball cleaner of claim 4, further comprising a golf ball marker releasably attached to the housing.
6. The golf ball cleaner of claim 4, further comprising a ball mark repair tool having a belt clip on one side and flat receiving area on an opposing side, said housing being configured to be releasably attached to the flat receiving area of the ball mark repair tool.
7. The golf ball cleaner of claim 1, further comprising a housing for receiving the cleaning element, and means for securing the cleaning element into the housing.
8. The golf ball cleaner of claim 8, wherein said securing means comprises a snap fit.
9. The golf ball cleaner of claim 8, wherein said securing means comprises a mating threaded configuration on the cleaning element and the housing.
10. A golf ball cleaner comprising:
- a housing; and
- a cleaning element configured to be inserted and retained within said housing, said cleaning element having a cleaning pad disposed at the bottom of the cleaning element such that the cleaning pad contacts less than 25% of an overall surface area of the golf ball, said cleaning element having a circumference defining a ball receiving portion, the ball receiving portion being configured to receive and support less than half of the surface area of the golf ball.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 23, 2010
Publication Date: Mar 29, 2012
Inventors: RONALD BORGESE (Port Jefferson, NY), Mark W. Spencer (Massapequa, NY)
Application Number: 12/888,856