Patent Application
20230061481
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The disclosure relates to cleaning devices and more particularly pertains to a new cleaning device for on demand cleaning of golf balls. The present invention discloses a cleaning device comprising a tube to which a plurality of bristles are attached, wherein a cleaning solution and a golf ball can be positioned in the tube, a cap affixed, and the tube shaken to clean the golf ball
The prior art relates to cleaning devices. Prior art cleaning devices for golf balls may comprise containers having scrubbing elements on their inner surfaces. Some of these cleaning devices are cylindrically shaped but require a plunger to motivate golf balls against the scrubbers. What is lacking in the prior art is a cleaning device comprising a tube to which a plurality of bristles are attached, wherein a cleaning solution and a golf ball can be positioned in the tube, a cap affixed, and the tube shaken to clean the golf ball.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a tube, which has a top that is open and a bottom that is closed. A cap is selectively engageable to the tube to close the top. The tube and the cap define an interior space. A plurality of scrubbing elements is engaged to the tube and is positioned in the interior space. The top is configured for insertion of a cleaning solution and a golf ball, positioning a user to engage the cap to the tube and to shake the tube. The golf ball is motivated repeatedly across the plurality of scrubbing elements to clean the golf ball.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A plurality of nubs 22 may be engaged to and extends from an outer face 24 of the tube 12. The nubs 22 may be positioned proximate to the top 16 and the bottom 18 of the tube 12. The nubs 22 are configured to facilitate gripping of the tube 12 in a respective hand of the user.
A D-ring 26 is engaged to the cap 14. A fastener 28 is engaged to the D-ring 26 and is configured to selectively engage a substrate so that the tube 12 is removably engaged to the substrate, such as a golf cart, golf bag, belt, and the like. The fastener 28 may comprise a carabiner 30, as shown in
A plurality of scrubbing elements 32 is engaged to the tube 12 and is positioned in the interior space 20. The top 16 is configured for insertion of a cleaning solution 34, such as water, detergent solution, and the like, along with a golf ball 36, positioning a user to engage the cap 14 to the tube 12 and to shake the tube 12. The golf ball 36 is motivated repeatedly across the plurality of scrubbing elements 32 to clean the golf ball 36. The plurality of scrubbing elements 32 may comprise a plurality of bristles 38, as shown in
Respective scrubbing elements 32 of the plurality of scrubbing elements 32 may be engaged to the bottom 18 of the tube 12. The respective scrubbing elements 32 thus are configured to at least partially absorb an impact from the golf ball 36 as the tube 12 is shaken.
As shown in
The golf ball cleaning device 10 also may comprise a sleeve 46, which is selectively insertable into the tube 12. The sleeve 46 is porous and substantially rigid. The scrubbing elements 32 are engaged to the sleeve 46. The sleeve 46 is configured for insertion of the golf ball 36 to clean the golf ball 36 with the cap 14 attached to the tube 12. The user is positioned to remove the cap 14 and to extract the sleeve 46 and the golf ball 36 while retaining the cleaning solution 34 in the tube 12.
The sleeve 46 comprises an upper ring 48, a lower disc 50, and a plurality of bars 52. A plurality of holes 54 is positioned in the lower disc 50. Each bar 52 is engaged to and extends between the lower disc 50 and the upper ring 48. The plurality of scrubbing elements 32 is engaged to an inner facet 56 of each bar. The sleeve 46 is configured for insertion of the golf ball 36 to clean the golf ball 36 with the cap 14 attached to the tube 12. The user is positioned to remove the cap 14 and to extract the sleeve 46 and the golf ball 36 while retaining the cleaning solution 34 in the tube 12.
A cutout 58 is positioned in the upper ring 48 so that the upper ring 48 is selectively compressible, facilitating its insertion into the tube 12. Respective scrubbing elements 32 of the plurality of scrubbing elements 32 are engaged to the lower disc 50. The respective scrubbing elements 32 are configured to at least partially absorb an impact from the golf ball 36 as the tube 12 is shaken.
A pull ring 60 is engaged to and extends from the upper ring 48. The pull ring 60 is configured for insertion of a digit of a respective hand of the user, positioning the user to extract the sleeve 46 and the golf ball 36 from the tube 12.
Each aperture 40 extends from proximate to the top 16 to proximate to the bottom 18 of the tube 12. Each of a plurality of channels 62 from the top 16, along an associated strut 42, to proximate to the bottom 18, as shown in
The golf ball cleaning device 10 also may comprise a cylinder 64. The cylinder 64 has an upper end 66 and a lower end 68. The cylinder 64 is externally threaded proximate to the upper end 66 so that the cap 14 is selectively threadedly engageable to the cylinder 64. A cavity 70 extends into the upper end 66 of the cylinder 64 and is configured for positioning of a cleaning agent, such as a detergent. The user is positioned to threadedly engage the cap 14 to the cylinder 64 to retain the cleaning agent in the cavity 70. A recess 72 extends into a lower end 68 of the cylinder 64. The recess 72 is threaded so that the cylinder 64 is selectively threadedly engageable to the tube 12 to close the top 16.
Respective scrubbing elements 32 of the plurality of scrubbing elements 32 may be engaged to the cylinder 64 and positioned in the recess 72. The respective scrubbing elements 32 are configured to at least partially absorb an impact from the golf ball 36 as the tube 12 is shaken.
In use, the sleeve 46 and the cleaning solution 34 are positioned in the tube 12. Either the cap 14 or the cylinder 64 with the cap 14 attached is engaged to the tube 12 to close the top 16. The fastener 28 then is affixed to a substrate so that the golf ball cleaning device 10 is readily available as needed. When cleaning of a golf ball 36 is required, the cap 14 or the cylinder 64 is rotated to remove it from the tube 12 and the golf ball 36 is inserted into the tube 12. The cap 14 or the cylinder 64 then is reattached and the tube 12 is shaken to motivate the golf ball 36 back and forth along the bristles 38. Confirmation of cleaning can be obtained by viewing the golf ball 36 through the panels 44. The cap 14 or the cylinder 64 is again detached. The sleeve 46 and golf ball 36 are extracted from the tube 12 by pulling on the pull ring 60.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
