Golf club cleaning apparatus

• US 6,454,875 B1
• Filed: 09/28/1999
• Issued: 09/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pro Club Cleaner, L.L.C.
• Original Assignee: Pro Club Cleaner, L.L.C.
• Inventors: Vogel, Donald Darold
• Primary Examiner(s): Graham, Gary K.
• Application Number:
  US09/407,833
• Time in Patent Office: 1,092 Days
• Field of Search: 151/049.2, 151/049, 15/77, 15/881, 15/882, 15/211, 15/31.4, 134/198, 134/199, 134/151, 134/32, 134/34, 211/70.2, 211/86.01
• US Class Current: 134/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/70 Coin-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 57/60 Cleaning or maintenance of golf clubs, putters, shoes or other golf accessories cleaning balls A63B47/04; devices for cleaning handles or grips of golf clubs or putters A63B60/36
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/36 Devices for cleaning handles or grips

Abstract

An apparatus for cleaning golf clubs having an enclosure with a lower reservoir for holding water and an upper spray chamber in communication with said lower reservoir. The spray chamber houses a cleaning path for cleaning golf clubs. The cleaning path is defined by a plurality of opposingly spaced bristle brushes with a plurality of high pressure spray nozzles strategically located between the bristle brushes. A low volume/high pressure pump is utilized for providing highly pressurized fluid to the spray nozzles. Golf clubs are inserted along the cleaning path of the apparatus wherein all portions of the golf club are cleaned through the use of the bristle brushes and the high pressure spraying of fluid.

Claims

1. A golf club cleaning apparatus for cleaning golf clubs having heads, grooves and grips comprising:

a single chamber enclosure having a single opening for manually inserting and removing said golf clubs;

a cleaning path defined by a plurality of opposingly spaced, stationary bristle brushes, and said cleaning path extending from said opening and into said enclosure, and defining a path of travel, having a beginning and an end, for the manual insertion and removal of said golf clubs;

a plurality of high pressure, stationary spray nozzles strategically mounted along said cleaning path for cleaning said heads, grooves and grips; and

said plurality of opposingly spaced stationary bristle brushes spaced less toward the end of said path of travel than toward the beginning of said path of travel.

2. A golf club cleaning apparatus for cleaning golf clubs having heads, grooves and grips comprising:

a single chamber enclosure having a single opening therein;

a plurality of opposed and adjacent stationary bristle brushes extending from said opening and into said enclosure, and said bristle brushes defining a path of travel, having a beginning and an end, for guiding said golf club through the manual insertion and removal of said golf club;

a plurality of high pressure, stationary spray nozzles strategically mounted between said adjacent bristle brushes along said path of travel for cleaning said heads, grooves and grips of said golf clubs; and

said opposed bristle brushes being spaced less toward the end of said path of travel than those toward the beginning of said path of travel.

3. A golf club cleaning apparatus for cleaning golf clubs having heads, grooves and grips comprising:

an enclosure having an opening therein;

a plurality of stationary bristle brushes extending from said opening and into said enclosure, and said bristle brushes defining a path of travel for the manual insertion and removal of said golf clubs;

a plurality of high pressure, stationary spray nozzles strategically mounted along said path of travel for cleaning said head, grooves, and grips of said golf clubs;

a first positive stop mounted at the end of said path of travel opposite said opening and said enclosure for prohibiting said golf clubs from extending beyond said cleaning path; and

a second positive stop located substantially midway along said path of travel for prohibiting the insertion of large heads of said golf clubs beyond said positive stop.

4. A golf club cleaning apparatus for cleaning golf clubs having heads, grooves, and grips comprising:

an enclosure having an opening therein;

a plurality of stationary bristle brushes extending from said opening and into said enclosure and said bristle brushes defining a path of travel for the manual insertion and removal of said golf clubs;

a plurality of high pressure stationary spray nozzles strategically mounted along said path of travel for cleaning said heads, grooves and grips of said golf clubs; and

a rack mounted to said enclosure for holding said golf clubs prior to and after the manual insertion of said golf clubs into said golf club cleaning apparatus.

5. A golf club cleaning apparatus for cleaning golf clubs having heads, grooves, and grips, comprising:

an enclosure having a single chamber with a single opening therein for inserting and removing said golf clubs from said enclosure;

a plurality of opposed and adjacent stationary bristle brushes extending from said opening and into said enclosure, and said opposing bristle brushes defining a downward path of travel relative to a horizontal plane for the manual insertion and removal of said golf clubs wherein said path of travel has a beginning and an end with said opposing bristle brushes spaced less toward said end of said path of travel than said beginning;

a plurality of high pressure, stationary spray nozzles strategically mounted between said adjacent bristle brushes along said path of travel for cleaning said heads, grooves, and grips of said golf clubs; and

a high pressure, low volume pump in communication with said high pressure spray nozzles for providing a highly pressurized fluid to said spray nozzles.

6. The golf club cleaning apparatus stated in claim 5, wherein said spray nozzles further comprise:

at least one of said spray nozzles mounted at the end of said path of travel for cleaning a bottom of said head of said golf club;

at least one of said spray nozzles mounted substantially midway along said path of travel for cleaning said grooves of said head of said golf club; and

at least one of said spray nozzles located toward said opening of said enclosure for cleaning said grips of said golf club.

7. The golf club cleaning apparatus as stated in claim 6, further comprising:

a pair of said spray nozzles directed at said grooves of said head of said golf club, and said pair of said spray nozzles offset with respect to one another to provide different angles of spray at said grooves of said head of said golf club.

8. The golf club cleaning apparatus as stated in claim 5, wherein said enclosure further comprises:

a spray chamber having said bristles brushes and said spray nozzles disposed therein; and

a reservoir in fluid communication with said spray chamber for accumulating and holding said fluid for said pump.

9. The golf club cleaning apparatus as stated in claim 8, further comprising:

a low level fluid indicator connected to said enclosure for indicating a low level of fluid in said reservoir.

10. The golf club cleaning apparatus as stated in claim 5, further comprising:

said spray nozzles providing a spray of said fluid at substantially 100 PSI.

11. The golf club cleaning apparatus as stated in claim 5, further comprising:

said spray nozzles providing a spray of fluid defined by a pair of rays extending from said spray nozzle wherein said rays are separated at a substantially 65°

angle.

12. A golf cleaning apparatus for cleaning golf clubs having heads, grooves and grips, comprising:

an enclosure having an opening therein;

a plurality of stationary bristle brushes extending from said opening and into said enclosure, and said bristle brushes opposing one another in a substantially parallel and spaced manner to define a path of travel for the manual insertion and removal of said golf clubs;

a plurality of high pressure, stationary spray nozzles strategically mounted between said bristle brushes along said path of travel for cleaning said heads, grooves and grips of said golf clubs;

a high pressure, low volume pump in communication with a high pressure spray nozzles for providing a highly pressurized fluid to said spray nozzles;

a first positive stop mounted at the end of said path of travel opposite said opening and said enclosure for prohibiting said golf clubs from extending beyond said cleaning path; and

a second positive stop located substantially midway along said path of travel for prohibiting the insertion of large heads of said golf clubs beyond said midway of said path of travel.

13. A golf club cleaning apparatus for cleaning golf clubs having heads, grooves and grips, comprising:

an enclosure having an opening therein;

a plurality of stationary bristle brushes extending from said opening and into said enclosure, and said bristle brushes opposing one another in a substantially parallel and spaced manner to define a path of travel for the manual insertion and removal of said golf clubs;

a plurality of high pressure, stationary spray nozzles strategically mounted between said bristle brushes along said path of travel for cleaning said heads, grooves and grips of said golf clubs;

a high pressure, low volume pump in communication with a high pressure spray nozzles for providing a highly pressurized fluid to said spray nozzles; and

a rack mounted to the top of said enclosure and having a pair of substantially parallel rails with hemispherical recesses formed therein for receiving said shafts and grips of said golf clubs prior to and after the manual insertion of said golf clubs into said golf cleaning apparatus.

14. A golf club cleaning apparatus for cleaning golf clubs having heads, grooves, and grips comprising;

an enclosure having an opening therein;

a cleaning path extending from said opening and into said enclosure and defining a path of travel for the manual insertion and removal of said golf clubs;

a plurality of high pressure, stationary spray nozzles strategically mounted along said cleaning path for cleaning said heads, grooves, and grips of said golf clubs; and

a rack mounted to said enclosure for mounting said golf clubs prior to and after the manual insertion of said golf clubs into said golf cleaning apparatus.

15. A method for cleaning a golf club having heads, grooves and grips comprising:

inserting said golf club into an enclosure having a single chamber and a single opening therein;

guiding said golf club along a cleaning path wherein said cleaning path is defined by a plurality of opposedly and adjacently spaced bristle brushes;

spraying said golf club with a plurality of high pressure spray nozzles strategically mounted between said adjacently mounted bristle brushes; and

withdrawing said golf club from said enclosure.