Portable Golf Club Cleaning System

[0001] The present subject matter, in general, is directed to the field of golf club cleaners and, more particularly, is directed to the field of portable products made to clean golf clubs.

[0002] In the field of golf club cleaners, products of about seventy years ago included complex slide mechanisms. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 2,682,072 granted Jun. 29, 1954, to Green discloses a golf club-cleaning product including a slide-equipped tool designed, adapted, and configured to remove soft and/or caked dirt from a face and/or grooves of a golf club head. Moreover, products available about sixty years ago were cumbersome. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,148,396 granted Sep. 15, 1964, to Smith discloses a golf club head cleaner including a pair of vertically disposed shafts and a first mechanism for rotatably supporting the shafts in spaced relationship. A pair of rotary brushes is mounted on each shaft; and each pair of brushes is axially spaced along its respective shaft. This product includes a second mechanism designed to supply cleaning liquid to the brushes.

[0003] U.S. Pat. No. 4,734,952 granted Apr. 5, 1988, to Parchment et al. discloses a cleaning apparatus for golf clubs. The apparatus includes an open top tub for holding a cleaning solution, and brushes within the tub for removing dirt and grass from a golf club head when inserted into the tub between the brushes. The tub is provided with a drain near its lower end to facilitate removal of the cleaning solution. A gasket is placed over an open upper end of the tub. The gasket includes several flaps which permit a golf club head to be passed through the gasket and into the tub interior for cleaning. The flaps are adapted to retain cleaning solution in the tub interior by forming a barrier to retain cleaning solution.

[0004] Thereafter, golf club cleaners became more complex. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,965,906 granted Oct. 30, 1990, to Mauro discloses a product that is a combination golf ball and club head cleaner. U.S. Pat. No. 5,404,610 granted Apr. 11, 1995, to Coyer, Sr., et al., discloses a product called a portable dual-size (for woods, irons) golf club cleaner.

[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 5,081,735 to Wyatt et al. discloses a golf iron cleaner said to be adapted to clean all golf irons, regardless of their loft, equally well. The cleaner includes a container in which brushes are removably mounted. There are two brushes in each container and bristles of each brush project inwardly toward each other. While the brushes face each other, their bristles are said to be “not touching,” to provide a channel therebetween. In addition, bristles of the two brushes are each said to be of a length such that the channel appears to have a smooth curve. The curvature is said to match each golf iron loft as the loft is increased through a range of irons in a set of clubs. The bristles of one of the brushes are of a greater diameter and thus are stiffer than the bristles of the other brush. The container, positioned within a housing, can be removed from the housing to dispose of waste materials left in the housing and to remove the brushes to clean them separately.

[0006] US Design patent 386,847 to Petrie discloses an ornamental design for a golf club cleaner. U.S. Pat. No. 5,666,684 to Cussen discloses a golf club cleaner apparatus including a receptacle having a top end, a closed bottom end, a side wall, and an opening at the top end for receiving a golf club head to be cleaned. An absorbent material is provided adjacent to the bottom of the receptacle for receiving cleaning liquid. Cleaning bristles are disposed in the receptacle for contacting a golf club head when inserted in the receptacle.

[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 6,115,866 to Trummer discloses a portable golf club head cleaning system comprising a contoured housing equipped with brushes operated by a micromotor and rechargeable batteries. The portable golf club head cleaner has an insertion slot for receiving a golf club head and a switch for activating the system to rotate the brushes for cleaning debris from the face of the club. An exit port at the rear of the cleaning system discharges debris removed from a club face. The cleaning system includes brushes which form a cavity to receive a golf club head for simultaneously cleaning its face, its top, and its bottom. The cleaning brushes are linked to the micromotor by several shafts and gears.

[0008] US 2008/0098540 to Chen et al. discloses a golf club head cleaner device that includes a container body with an externally mounted control switch. The cleaner device also includes an interior main body comprising a top brush, a top cover, a power brush module mechanism, a motor, a middle housing, a blower, a bottom cover and a chargeable battery. The top brush, with a soft brush body, is mounted in a bottom holding seat of a middle slot of the top cover, to transform into a brushing device adapted to provide a first brushing of a golf club head. The top cover, disposed in the middle housing, has a face which is positioned at the middle slot, which retains a bottom holding seat for the mounting of the top brush. The cleaning device, using a special cleaning procedure for the club heads, is said to provide an effective way to clean the grooves formed in them.

[0009] US 2013/0036562 to Smith discloses a golf club head cleaning device having a cleaning brush removably mounted inside a bucket on one end of a telescope brush shaft. The telescope shaft has another end that extends through a side wall of a bucket of which an open top area has at least one groove for enabling golf club shaft heads to be cleaned in the bucket. The bucket includes a handle removably mounted on the other end of the shaft outside the bucket for manual actuation by hand or by an electric motor to rotate the brush to clean a club surface in the bucket. The cleaning device may further have an axle assembly to prevent the shaft from wobbling when turning the handle to rotate the brush. The cleaning device may also include a bucket lid to prevent water from splashing a user.

[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 9,566,488 to Welch discloses a golf club cleaner including a container and a cleaning unit. The container includes a base. The cleaning unit is said to have a free end, spaced from the container base, where a club face is positioned to be cleaned.

[0011] US 2018/0117430 to Pedersen discloses an apparatus including a housing for brushes used to clean golf club faces and associated friction grooves after each golf shot.

[0012] US 2022/0379183 to Taylor discloses a portable golf club cleaning system that includes two cleaning stations, each configured for different types of clubs. Each cleaning station includes, along an upper region, an arrangement including a top cover panel, a splash guard, and a bottom cover panel attached along a container opening. Adjacent to each cleaning station, inside its container, is a brush assembly with bristles that protrude into its cleaning station. After the container is filled with liquid, the clubs can be cleaned by urging them into their respective cleaning station via cutouts in and associated flaps on the arrangement. A screw-on lid seals the opening to prevent spillage during transport.

[0013] For golf enthusiasts who want clean golf club heads, it would be desirable to have available for purchase, a portable, simple-to-use, easy-to-assemble golf head-cleaning system which is scalable to an assortment of container sizes including about 2 to 20 gallons. That is why I designed a golf club head cleaning system that includes a scalable frame which I configured to fit easily very in all commercially available buckets, especially 3-gallon to 5-gallon buckets with handles. My system includes a pair of cleaning brushes, secured in a spaced-apart manner to the frame, for cleaning golf club heads in the bucket.

[0014] My portable golf club cleaning system may be summarized as follows. My system includes a frame that is “scalable,” which means that my frame is designed to be adapted and configured for removably securing it into a portable container having a handle, such as a 5-gallon or a 3-gallon bucket, for cleaning a soiled golf club head within the container.

[0015] In embodiments, the frame of the present subject matter includes a central region and is constructed of several tubular members held together by four joints. Four tubular members provide vertically oriented legs. Four other tubular members provide vertically oriented posts used to secure the frame to a bucket. Two horizontally oriented tubular members, which are longer than the eight members mentioned, are used to removably secure golf club head-cleaning brushes within the central region of the frame. Two other horizontally oriented tubular members are oriented transverse to the longer members.

[0016] My portable golf club cleaning system accordingly includes: (1) a frame; (2) a plurality of securing mechanisms mounted on the frame; and (3) at least two brushes mounted on the frame. The frame is dimensioned and configured for securable insertion into a container, e.g., a bucket. The frame has several locations for securing the frame to the container. Regarding the several locations for securing the frame to a container, each one of the several securing mechanisms is preferably removably mounted on an upper portion of the frame that is spaced from every other one of the frame-mounted securing mechanisms. Each securing mechanism is designed and configured for enabling all the securing mechanisms, collectively, to removably secure the frame within the container.

[0017] Each one of the at least two brushes include a head and a plurality of bristles extending from its head. Each brush head is removably secured to the frame such that end portions of the plural bristles of one the brushes are spaced closely adjacent to end portions of the plural bristles of the other brush(es) for enabling a soiled golf club head to be urged between the bristle end portions for quickly cleaning each soiled golf club head.

[0027] Throughout the figures—and the detailed description which follows—I shall use similar reference numerals, to refer to similar components of the present subject matter.

[0028] A portable golf-club-head-cleaning system 100 (FIGS. 1, 7, and 8) includes a frame 120 (FIGS. 2, 7, and 8) that is “scalable,” which means that the frame 120 of the present subject matter has been designed to be adapted and configured for removably securing it into a portable container 125 as shown in FIG. 1. Common containers having handles, including but not limited to a 3-gallon or a 5-gallon bucket, serve as excellent containers.

[0029] A present embodiment of frame 120 (FIGS. 2, 7, 8) of the present subject matter includes four lower legs or extensions 122, four upper legs or extensions 124, four joints 130 (FIGS. 2, 6-8), a pair of parallel spaced-apart horizontally disposed shorter members 142, a pair of parallel spaced-apart horizontally disposed longer members 144 (FIG. 2), and four optional endcaps 150 (FIGS. 1, 7 and 8), each mounted atop an upper leg 124.

[0030] In embodiments, the four lower and the four upper legs or extensions 122, 124 could all be of equal length. In addition, the two parallel spaced-apart and horizontally oriented members 142 could both be shorter and the two parallel spaced-apart and horizontally oriented members 144 could both be longer than legs or extensions 122, 124.

[0031] One aspect of the “scalable” feature of the frame 120 of the present subject matter is that each of the lower legs or extensions 122, each of the upper legs or extensions 124, each horizontally disposed shorter member 142, and each horizontally disposed longer member 144 (FIG. 2), may have its own predetermined length, for enabling frame 120 to be snuggly insertable into and easily removed from containers of various volumetric sizes.

[0032] Embodiments of the present subject matter, accordingly, could have components manufactured to produce a frame 120 (FIG. 2) that is snuggly, yet removably insertable, into a container of about 2-20 gallons, or of about 3-15 gallons, or of about 5-10 gallons.

[0033] Each joint 130 (FIG. 6) is of one-piece construction and has a main portion 160, a first branch portion 162 unitary with main portion 160, and a second branch portion 164 also unitary with main portion 160. Each portion 160, 162, and 164 of joint 130 is hollow. The main portion 160 is oriented along an axis X-X. The first and second branch portions 162, 164 are oriented transverse (preferably 90 degrees) to axis X-X and to each other. The main portion 160 has a spaced-apart pair of open ends 171, 173. The first branch portion 162 has an open end 175. The second branch portion 164 has an open end 177.

[0034] Each lower leg or extension 122 (FIGS. 2, 7, 8) includes an end portion adapted and configured to be frictionally removably securable within one of the spaced-apart pair of open ends 171 or 173 (FIG. 6) of a respective one of the joints 130. Each upper leg or extension 124 includes an end portion 181 (FIG. 9) dimensioned, adapted, and configured to be frictionally removably securable within the other open end 171 or 173 (FIG. 6) of the respective one of the joints 130. Each upper leg or extension 124 includes an opposite end portion 183 (FIG. 9) providing a spaced-apart pair of apertures 185. One aperture is shown through a front surface of upper leg or extension 124. The other, through a back surface of upper leg or extension 124, appears in dotted line. The pair of apertures 185 through end portion 183 serve as “a securing location”for the frame 120 in container 125.

[0035] When assembling the frame 120, in order for lower and upper legs or extensions 122, 124 to be removably securable to their joints 130, it may be necessary to roughen—to a predetermined surface roughness value—external surface portions of the lower and upper legs or extensions 122, 124 as well as the internal surface portions of joints 130 surrounding the open ends 171, 173 (FIG. 6) in contact with the leg external surfaces.

[0036] In embodiments, each of the parallel spaced-apart horizontally disposed shorter members 142 (FIG. 2) includes opposite end portions adapted and configured to be frictionally removably securable within the open end 175, 177 (FIG. 6) of a respective one of the first or second branch portion 162 or 164 of one of the four joints 130. Each of the parallel spaced-apart horizontally disposed longer members 144 (FIG. 2) has opposite end portions dimensioned, adapted, and configured to be frictionally removably securable within the other open end 175 or 177 of a respective one of the first branch portion 162 or the second branch portion 164 of one of the joints 130. Each parallel spaced-apart horizontally disposed longer member 144 (FIGS. 2, 10) defines a pair of spaced-apart apertures 191. One is shown through the front side. The other appears in dotted line through the backside. Each longer member 144 includes another pair of spaced-apart apertures 193. One of which is shown through the front side of longer member 144. The other appears in dotted line through the backside. (FIG. 10.) The spaced-apart pairs of apertures 191 and the spaced-apart pairs of apertures 193 are spaced from each other.

[0037] Each aperture 191, 193 of component 144 (FIG. 9) is sized, designed, and configured to align with apertures 201, 203 (FIG. 3) formed through each one of a pair of brushes 200 (FIGS. 1, 7 and 8). At least two threaded fasteners 212 (FIG. 4) that have shanks 214 of preselected length and that include nuts 216 having internal threads that mesh with external threads of each respective shank 214 (FIG. 4) are used to removably secure the brushes 200 (FIGS. 3, 7, 8, and 12) to the frame 120. (Please see FIGS. 1, 2, 7, 8, and 12.) Each of the brushes 200 includes a head 220 having a plurality of bristles 222 extending from its head 220. (Please see FIG. 1.) Each brush head 220 is removably secured to the frame 120 (FIG. 7) such that end portions of the plural bristles 222 of one of the at least two brushes 200 are spaced closely adjacent to end portions of the plural bristles 222 of the other one of the brushes 200 (FIG. 1) for enabling a soiled golf club head 235 to be urged therebetween to quickly and efficiently clean a soiled golf club head.

[0038] The pair of parallel-spaced shorter members 142 and the pair of parallel-spaced longer members 144 are transversely disposed, preferably by ninety degrees, to each other when both pair of parallel-spaced members 142, 144 are secured to the joint 130.

[0039] In embodiments of the present subject matter, a length of each member 142 could range from about 30-90% or about 45-80% or about 60-70% of a length of member 144.

[0040] Each one of the plural securing mechanisms 300 (FIG. 5) includes a knurled knob 302, an externally threaded elongated shank 304 fixed to the knob 302, a nut 306 having internal threads (not shown) that mesh with the external threads of the shank 304, and an optional washer 308 mounted on shank 304 between nut 306 and knurled nob 302.

[0041] In embodiments of the present subject matter, four securing mechanisms 300 are used to removably secure a leg or extension 124 to an inner surface portion of container 125 as shown in FIG. 1. Accordingly, the external dimensions (i.e., length and diameter) of shank 304 are sized for enabling shank 304 to be inserted through aperture 185 of an upper leg or extension 124 (FIG. 9) and the length of shank 304 is selected for enabling enable an end portion of shank 304 opposite the knurled knob 302 of each such securing mechanism (FIGS. 7, 8), for snuggly removably securing frame 120 within container 125.

[0042] In preferred embodiments, container 125 (FIG. 1) is a bucket having a base 400. Each one of the pair of brush heads 220 is horizontally disposed relative to the base 400; and each pair of brush heads 220 is spaced about 11.5 centimeters above the base 400.

[0043] Each endcap 150 (see FIGS. 1, 7, 8, 11, and 12) includes a spaced-apart pair of apertures 325. One is shown through a forward surface portion of endcap 150. The other aperture, through a rear surface portion of endcap 150, is shown in dotted line in FIG. 11. The apertures 325 (FIG. 11) are designed, dimensioned, adapted, and configured to align with the spaced-apart pair of apertures 185 formed through each upper leg or extension 124 (FIG. 9) when endcaps 150 are mounted on (FIG. 12) on each leg or extension 124.

[0044] Although each of the lower legs or extensions 122 (FIG. 2), each of the upper legs or extensions 124 (FIGS. 2, 9), each of the horizontally disposed shorter members 142 (FIG. 2), and each of the horizontally disposed longer members 144 (FIGS. 2, 10) of frame 120 are shown as tubular, the frame 120 of the present subject matter may be constructed from structurally equivalent components that have rectangular, square, or other-shaped cross sections, with the apertures 171, 173, 175, 177 of each joint 130 being configured accordingly; and if components of frame 120 are tubular, suitable materials of construction may include polymeric materials. For container 125, suitable cleaning fluids include water, with and without an effective amount of a commercial cleaning product for removing soil.

[0045] Described in detail in this patent specification is a portable golf club cleaning system. While the present subject matter is described with reference to an illustrated embodiment, the present subject matter is not limited to the present embodiment. On the contrary, many alternatives, changes, and/or modifications shall become apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art (“POSITA”) after this patent specification and its accompanying figures are reviewed. Therefore, all such alternatives, changes, and/or modifications are to be considered as constituting a part of this disclosure of the present subject matter insofar as they fall within the spirit and the scope of the appended claims.