AU681284B2 - A cleaning device - Google Patents

Description

WO 95/29742 PCT/AU95/00244 "A CLEANING DEVICE" TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to a device which can be used for the cleaning of heads of golf clubs and particularly relates to a device which can be used in conjunction with golf carts.

BACKGROUND ART In playing a golf shot, particularly with heads having a steeply angled face, the head of the club invariably accumulates soil and/or turf. This problem is exacerbated when playing a golf course after rain or when playing a shot from a waterlogged section of the course.

The existing solution to this problem is for players to carry a cloth or some other cleaning device which is used to manually clean the accumulated material from the club head.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for cleaning golf club heads which may be simpler and more convenient to use than existing devices or methods.

In one aspect, this invention provides a device for cleaning the head of a golf club, the device having a boss with at least one concentric brush member associated therewith, wherein the device is adapted for fitting to a golf cart wheel or axle so that movement of the cart causes rotation of the device.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing paragraph that the device of the invention includes a brush member against which the head of a golf club is placed when cleaning is required. Rotation of the brush member with movement of the cart effects cleaning of the club head.

The term "cart" is used in the following description to denote a manually operated (pushed or pulled) golf cart or a mechanically driven cart such as an electric golf cart. Manually operated golf carts are also referred to as "buggies".

The boss of the device is advantageously an WO 95/29742 PCT/AU95/00244 2 elongate member of circular transverse cross section. The boss typically has a transverse plate at an end thereof via which the device can be fitted to a wheel of the cart. The plate is preferably a disc having a diameter greater than the maximum diameter of the brush member or members. This can help to prevent accidental contact of the club head with the wheel of the cart.

The boss is not necessarily symmetrical and can have a projecting surface or member, such as a web, for carrying a brush member. Each end of the boss can also be extended, or have a projecting member or members, beyond the portion of the boss with which the brush member or members is or are associated. The projections from ends serve to stand the device away from a wheel or other cart component an appropriate distance.

The brush member comprises a plurality of individual bristles or groups of bristles. The bristles can be arranged in rows or at random. In one embodiment, the bristles radially extend from the boss. In other embodiments, the bristles lie at an angle to, or parallel to, the longitudinal centre line of the boss and can be supported by, or extend from, projecting portions of the boss.

Preferably, the device includes two brush members, the bristles of one of the brush members being differently orientated to the bristles of the second brush member. Advantageously, surfaces of the two brush members form a groove into whicn the club head can be placed. In this way, both the face and back of the head can be simultaneously cleaned with the device.

The device of the invention can be fitted inboard or outboard of the wheel of a cart. Typically, a device is fitted to only one wheel of a cart but can be fitted to both wheels of a two-wheeled cart. The device is typically fitted to a manually operated golf cart but can also be fitted to mechanical golf carts such as electric golf carts.

When fitted inboard of a cart wheel, the boss WO 95/29742 PCT/AU95/00244 3 advantageously has a central bore therethrough which fits over the axle or stub axle to which the wheel is mounted.

The boss can also have a cavity in the face closest the wheel to allow for a hub, a bearing, axle projection, or the like.

The adaption for fitting the device to the wheel of a cart includes any suitable manner of fixing the boss to the spokes or disk of the wheel. Examples of manner of fixing are wire clips extending from the boss over wheel spokes, studs projecting from the boss which can be screwed or bolted to the wheel, and riveting the boss to the wheel.

The adaption for fitting the device to a wheel includes fabricating the boss as an integral part of the wheel.

In embodiments of the invention where the device fits over the cart axle or a stub-axle, the central bore of the boss can be dimensioned to be a tight fit over the axle or stub-axle. A pin can also be passed through the axle and at least part-way through the boss. Rotation of the axle with movement of the cart then also rotates the device.

The boss of the device can be fabricated from any suitable material. Typically the boss is fabricated from a plastics material or a metal. Preferably, the boss is fabricated from a plastics material. The brush member bristles can be any suitable synthetic or natural material.

In another aspect, the invention provides an arrangement for cleaning the head of a golf club, the arrangement comprising a boss coupled to means for imparting rotary motion to the boss, wherein the boss has associated therewith first and second brush members, and wherein the ends of bristles comprising the first brush member are disposed with respect to ends of bristles comprising the second brush member so as to form a groove for receiving the head of the golf club.

The boss of the arrangement is essentially the boss described above in relation to the first aspect of the invention.

The means for imparting rotary movement to the WO 95/29742 PCT/AU95/00244 4 boss can be any suitable means including an electric motor, an internal combustion engine or an hydraulic drive. A preferred means is an electric motor.

The coupling between the boss and the rotary movement means includes, but is not limited to a shaft, gears, a clutch, a belt and pulleys, or a chain and sprockets. Control means can also be provided to regulate the motion of the boss.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device fitted to the wheel of a golf cart with portions of the device and cart shown in outline.

Figure 2 is a plan view and partial cross-section of the device shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the rear of a motorised golf cart having an arrangement for cleaning the head of a golf club.

DESCRIPTION OF THE BEST MODES Referring now to Figure 1, there is shown a device according to the invention fitted to a golf cart of the manually operated type: that is, a cart that is either pushed or pulled by the player. The figure depicts wheel 1 and cleaning device 2. Part of the frame of the cart is shown in outline at 3 and a housing for the axle supporting wheel 1 is shown at 4. Device 2 comprises boss 5, and brush members 6 and 7 shown in outline.

Figure 2 similarly depicts wheel 1 and device 2.

Boss 3 and brush members 6 and 7 can be seen plus axle housing 4. In addition, axle 8 of the cart and a concentric web 9 projecting from boss 3 are shown. Bore is provided in boss 3 to clear axle 8 and web 9 stands boss 3 away from wheel 1. Boss 3 is secured to wheel 1 by wire clips fixed around spokes of wheel 1 and into holes in web 9, details of which are not shown in the figure.

It can be seen from Figure 2 that the bristles of first brush member 6 project radially away from the axis of the boss whereas the bristles of second brush member 7 lie parallel to the axis of the boss. It can also be seen that i WO 95/29742 PCT/AU95/00244 the outer surfaces of the brush member form a groove, indicated at 11, into which the head of a club can be placed.

It can also be appreciated from Figures 1 and 2 that the device is mounted inboard of a wheel of the cart.

In this example, the cart and device are configured for use by a right-handed player. With the cart being pushed by the player using his or her right hand. The wheel and device assembly shown in the figures lies to the left hand side of the player. A club held with the left hand can then be positioned so that the head lies in groove 11 of Figure 2. The rotating brush members then clean the face and back side of the club head, such rotation being generated by the movement of the cart.

The device shown in Figures 1 and 2 can be fixed to the right hand wheel of a cart for use by a left-handed player, the handedness of the cart wheel being relative to facing the cart when the cart is being pushed. However, the device can also be fixed outboard of a cart wheel. In such an instance, a disc-shaped plate would preferably be included in the boss which would radially project from the portion of the boss shown at 12 in Figure 2. The devicoe shown in Figures 1 anrd 2 when mounted outboard of the wheel would be suitable for use by a right handed player.

Another embodiment of the invention is depicted in Figure 3. The figure shows the rear portion of a golf cart 12. Cart 12 has mcounted at the rear thereof a motorised brush cleaning arrangement 13. Arrangement 13 comprising an electric motor contained within a housing 14 which drives a device 15 via shaft 16. Device 15 is essentially the same as the boss and brush member combination depicted in Figures 1 and 2. A cover, not shown in Figure 3, can be provided to protect against inadvertent contact with device 15. Advantageously, the cover includes an aperture through which the head of a club can be passed for contact with the cleaning device. The electric motor is advantageously supplied with electricity from the golf cart's electricity supply. It will be WO 95/29742 PCT/AU95/00244 6 appreciated that cleaning arrangement 13 also includes control circuitry so that the electric motor can be turned on and off as desired.

For cleaning a golf club head, the electric motor is switched on and the head applied to the groove formed between the first and second brush members of device The rotary motion of the device effects cleaning of the club head.

It will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that additional changes and modifications can be made to the cleaning device as exemplified above without departing from the broard ambit and scope of the invention.

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Claims (14)

1. A device for cleaning the head of a golf club, the device having a boss with at least one concentric brush member associated therewith, wherein the device is adapted for fitting to a golf cart wheel or axle so that movement of the cart causes rotation of the device.

2. Device according to claim i, wherein said boss is an elongate member of cil.:cular transverse cross section.

3. Device accordii.l to claim i, wherein said boss includes a transverse plate at an end thereof for fitting said device to a wheel.

4. Device according to claim 1, wherein said boss includes a projecting surface or member for carrying a brush member.

5. Device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one brush member comprises a plurality of bristles or groups of bristles.

6. Device according to claim 5, wherein said bristles extend radially from said boss.

7. Device according to claim 5, wherein said bristles extend from said boss at an angle to the longitudinal axis of said boss.

8. Device according to claim 5, wherein said bristles extend from said boss parallel to the longitudinal axis of said boss.

9. Device according to claim 5 comprising first and second brush members, wherein the ends of bristles comprising said first brush member are disposed with respect to the ends of bristles comprising said second brush member so as to form a groove for receiving the head of the golf club.

Device according to claim 1, wherein said device is an integral part of a wheel of said cart.

11. Device according to claim 1, wherein said device is mounted inboard of a wheel of said cart.

12. An arrangement for cleaning the head of a golf club, the arrangement comprising a boss coupled to means for imparting rotary motion to the boss, wherein the boss U WO 95/29742 PCT/AU95/00244 8 has associated therewith first and second brush members, and wherein the ends of bristles comprising the first brush member are disposed with respect to ends of bristles comprising the second brush member so as to form a groove for receiving the head of the golf club.

13. Arrangement according to claim 12, wherein said means for imparting rotary motion to said boss is selected from an electric motor, an internal combustion engine or an hydraulic drive.

14. Arrangement according to claim 12, wherein said means for imparting motion to said boss is coupled thereto by a shaft, gears, a clutch, a belt and pulleys, or a chain and sprockets. Arrangement according to claim 12, wherein said means for imparting motion to said boss is an electric motor coupled thereto by a shaft. is