Abstract:
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.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to golf equipment. More particularly, it relates to a portable device for cleaning golf balls. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0004]    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&#39;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&#39;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. 
         [0005]    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 INVENTION 
       [0006]    According 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. 
         [0007]    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. 
         [0008]    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. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    In the drawings wherein like reference numerals denote similar components throughout the views: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is plan view of the golf ball cleaner in use according to an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a schematic view of two embodiments of the golf ball cleaner according to an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3   a  is a top view of the golf ball cleaner cartridge according to an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3   b  is a cross-section view of the golf ball cleaner cartridge of  FIG. 3   a  take along line  3 B- 3 B; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3C  is a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the golf ball cleaner cartridge; 
           [0015]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  show an alternative embodiment of the golf ball cleaner housing according to an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  shows an example of the golf ball cleaner according to yet another embodiment of the invention; 
           [0017]      FIGS. 6A and 6B  show two embodiments of the underside of the golf ball cleaner of  FIG. 5  according to the invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 7A  shows the golf ball cleaner according to yet a further embodiment of the invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 7B  is a cross-sectional view of the golf ball cleaner of  FIG. 7A ; 
           [0020]      FIGS. 8A ,  8 B,  9 A and  9 B show an implementation of a ball mark repair tool with the golf ball cleaner according to an embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0021]    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. 
         [0022]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the ball cleaner  10  can be held with one hand while the thumb on the same hand moves the ball over the cleaning pads/bristles. Alternatively, the user can how the cleaner  10  with one hand and use the other hand to move the ball while being cradled by the same. As will also be noted by  FIG. 1  (and  FIG. 5 ), when the ball  1  is positioned within the concave ball receiving portion of the cleaner  10 , more than 50% of the ball remains outside the cleaner, thus, the cleaner  10  clearly receives and supports less than 50% of the ball surface (i.e. a fraction of the ball sphere less than 50% is actually received within the cleaner) while still providing superior cleaning capability. 
         [0023]      FIG. 2  shows the ball cleaner  10  according to two implementations of the invention. In one implementation, the ball cleaner  10  includes a cleaning element (e.g., cartridge)  10 A which is received into a housing  12 . In this implementation, the cleaning element  10 A snap fits into housing  12  with a rib  16 A being received in a corresponding notch on the internal surface of the housing  12  (not shown). 
         [0024]    Alternatively, the cleaning element (e.g., cartridge)  10 B can be threaded  16 B such that it screws into a corresponding thread within the housing. Thus, with both the snap in ( 10 A) and screw in ( 10 B) 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 . 
         [0025]      FIGS. 3A-3C  depict the cartridge  10  according to various implementations. In one preferred embodiment show in  FIG. 3A , the cartridge  10  includes a centrally disposed cleaning pad  34  and a series of bristles or pads  32  along an upper circumference of the cartridge  10 . In this configuration, the golf ball cleaner does not contact more than 25% of the outer ball surface at anyone one time, and in fact, contacts significantly less that 25%. This allows the golf ball cleaner of the present invention to be more portable and significantly less cumbersome than all other known ball cleaners. 
         [0026]      FIG. 3B  shows a cross-section of one embodiment of the ball cleaner cartridge  10  showing the bristles  32  along an upper edge with the centrally disposed pad  34  as shown. In one implementation, the pad  34  can include a bladder  36  for containing a cleaning fluid. Thus, in one implementation, the user could puncture the pad  34  to allow the release of the cleaning fluid, or alternatively the pad  34  can be configured such that the pressure of the ball on the same would cause the contained cleaning fluid  36  to be slowly dispensed. In another implementation, the pad  34  can be in liquid communication with the inside  38  of the cartridge housing which can be used to contain the cleaning fluid or could be configured to be refillable so that the user could add more cleaning fluid once the existing fluid has been used or has dried up. 
         [0027]      FIG. 3C  shows an alternative implementation of the cartridge  10  where the side walls have a predetermined curvature C that enables bristles  32  to contact the ball in preferred configuration. Ideally, the bristles  32  should contact the ball such that they are substantially perpendicular to the point of contact with the ball. By implementing a curvature C that is opposite in curvature of the sphere of the ball, it allows a central portion of the bristles  32  to contact the ball at a substantially perpendicular angle thereto. In this manner, the peripheral portions of the bristles will contact the ball at angles other than perpendicular and will provide improved cleaning capability with the smaller surface area contact with the ball. 
         [0028]    As described with respect to the embodiments in  FIGS. 3B and 3C , the pad  34  can also include a cleaning solution  36  which can be dispensed by piercing the same, or by applied pressure from the ball. 
         [0029]    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. 
         [0030]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  shows the housing  12  according to one preferred embodiment. In this configuration, a ball marker  14  is releasably attached to the outer surface of the housing  12 . This releasable attachment can be magnetic, snap, or any other releasable means. As is common to ball markers, a company logo or other indicia can be put on the ball marker  14 . 
         [0031]      FIGS. 5 ,  6 A and  6 B shows the ball cleaning element  10 A as a standalone cleaner. In this embodiment, the housing  12  can be eliminated and the underside of the cleaning element  10 A can be configured with magnets  62 A or  62 B ( FIGS. 6A and 6B ), or other releasable means to hold a ball marker as shown above in  FIGS. 4A and 4B . In another implementation, it is contemplated that the housing  12  or cleaning element  10  includes spring loaded chain or other extendible tether to allow the user to maintain a connection to, for example, club bag or belt, while still enabling the use of the ball cleaner as intended by the present invention. 
         [0032]      FIG. 7A  shows an alternative ball cleaner  70  according to an embodiment of the invention. Here, the ball cleaner  7  is essentially a ring having an upper circumferential angled surface  72  with a pad or bristles  74  positioned therearound. As shown in the cross section view of  FIG. 7B , the ball  1  sits in the cleaner  70  such that the bristles  74  engage the ball so as to not prevent the rotation of the ball while disposed therein. The angle of engagement of the bristles with the ball is preferably such that the bristles contact the ball without interfering with the free rotation of the ball while resting on upper circumferential angled edge/surface. 
         [0033]    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. 
         [0034]      FIGS. 8A and 8B  show an example of a ball mark repair tool  80  having means for securing itself to its owner&#39;s person or their club bag, for example, a belt clip  84 . In one implementation of the invention, the ball mark repair tool will include internal magnets  86  which would be configured to align with magnets in the housing (for example., see  FIGS. 6A and 6B ). In this configuration, and as shown in  FIGS. 9A and 9B  the housing  12  or cleaning element  10  can be magnetically secured to the ball mark repair tool  80 . 
         [0035]    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. 
         [0036]    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.