Patent Application
20060260075
The present invention relates to a cleaning device, and more particularly, to a ball cleaning device which cleans whole surface of each ball in the device.
A conventional ball cleaning device for cleaning and removing wax on outer surface of balls such as bowling balls generally includes a base with a rotatable member received therein and pieces of cleaning fabric are connected on the rotatable plate and an inside of upright wail of the rotatable member. Balls are received in the cleaning device and the rotatable member rotates to roll the balls which are in contact with the fabric so as to be cleaned by the fabrics. The balls roll at first stage when the rotatable member starts to rotate, however, due to eccentric force of the rotation of the rotatable member, the balls eventually contact against the inside of the upright wall of the rotatable member and do not roll. This restricts the areas that are in contact with the fabric and the balls cannot be cleaned as expected.
The present invention intends to provide a ball cleaning device which includes blocks extending radially inward from the peripheral cleaning member to roll the balls during cleaning process so that the balls are cleaned completely.
The present invention relates to a ball cleaning device which comprises a base with a recess for receiving balls and a rotatable member is located in the recess which has a friction piece connected on a top surface thereof. A collar-shaped peripheral cleaning member is connected to an inner periphery of the recess and a plurality of blocks extend radially inward from an inner periphery of the peripheral cleaning member. A cover is pivotably connected to the base and a pressing plate is connected to a bottom of the cover. A plurality of pressing assemblies are connected between the cover and the pressing plate so as to press the pressing plate toward the recess.
The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.
Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, the ball cleaning device of the present invention comprises a base 10 which has an enlarged portion and a recess 11 is defined in a top of the enlarged portion. Balls 60 to be cleaned as shown in
A collar-shaped peripheral cleaning member 30 is connected to an inner periphery of the recess 11. The peripheral cleaning member 30 includes a connection layer 31 on an outer periphery thereof so as to be connected to the inner periphery of the recess 11. A fabric layer 32 is connected to the inner periphery of the connection layer 31 and a support material 33 is sandwiched between the connection layer 31 and the fabric layer 32. A plurality of blocks 34 extend radially inward from an inner periphery of the connection layer 31 and each block 34 includes inclined surfaces or edges so that the balls 60 in the recess 11 are guided to roll.
A cover 20 pivotably connected to the base 10 and has an extension 21 which is pivotably connected between two lugs 16 extending from a periphery of the base 11. A plurality of locking members 17 are pivotably connected to a periphery of the base 10 so as to be locked on ridges 22 extending from a top of the cover 20.
A pressing plate 40 is connected to a bottom of the cover 20 and a plurality of pressing assemblies 50 are connected between the cover 20 and the pressing plate 40 so as to press the pressing plate 40 toward the recess 11. The cover 20 includes a plurality of through holes 23 and a plurality of skirt portions 24 extend from an underside of the cover 20. The pressing plate 40 has a plurality of threaded recesses 45 are defined in a top of the pressing plate 40. Each pressing assembly 50 includes a central bar 51 which extends through a first washer 52, the through hole 23 in the cover 20, a second washer 53, a spring 54 and is threadedly engaged with the threaded recess 45 corresponding thereto. The skirt portions 24 enclose the second washers 53 and provide a restriction area for positioning the second washers 53 and the springs 54 when assembling the pressing assemblies 50. The pressing plate 40 has a central hole 41 and a shaft 42 extends through a flexible separation member 43 and the central hole 41, the shaft 42 is fastened with a nut 44. The pressing plate 40 has a second friction piece 46 connected to an underside thereof.
A limit switch 18 is connected between the base 10 and cover 20 so that when the cover 20 is opened during operation, the motor 12 is stopped for safety sake. The balls 60 are in contact with the second friction piece 46 when the cover 20 is opened so that the balls 60 are frictionally stopped quickly.
By the blocks 34, the balls 60 are pushed by the inclined surfaces or edges of the blocks 34 so that the balls 60 roll in the recess 11 during cleaning process. The balls 60 are cleaned completely by the first friction piece 15 on the rotatable member 14, the second friction piece 46 on the pressing plate 40, and the fabric layer 32 on the peripheral cleaning member 30.
While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
