Golf-Club Head Cleaning Device

This invention relates to golf-club head cleaning devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to a device, in the form of a panel that can be secured to a golf shoe, for cleaning the head of a golf club during a round of play.

In playing the game of golf, the heads of the golf clubs often become coated with grass and earth. With all golf clubs, but most particularly with putters, the presence of grass or earth on the club head interferes with the accuracy of a golfer's shots. Therefore, grass and earth must be removed, periodically and repeatedly during play, from the golf-club heads. In the past, golfers have normally utilized a piece of cloth or their clothing to clean golf-club heads. Utilizing clothing to clean golf-club heads soils and often stains the clothing. Utilizing a piece of cloth to clean golf-club heads requires the golfer to handle a cloth which becomes more soiled with use. The pieces of cloth are also easily lost or misplaced. Therefore, locating and using the cloth can be time consuming and distracting.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,122,577, issued to Catania, relates to golf-club head cleaning devices. Catania discloses a plate worn on a right or left golf shoe which is held by the standard pointed shoe spikes on the soles of golf shoes. The plate, which extends outward from the shoe sole, carries a wiping element for cleaning golf-club heads. The device disclosed by Catania is necessarily limited to use on spiked shoes. As the Catania device extends away from the surface of the shoe, there is also a risk that the device will catch or snag something thereby tripping the wearer or reducing the wearer's mobility in getting into and out of a golf cart. As the Catania device is a rigid member, it can also reduce the flexibility of the shoe to which it is attached. U.S. Pat. No. 4,697,362, issued to Wasserman relates to the application of tabs to footwear. Wasserman discloses the removable application of a tab containing identifying indicia or colors to various components of a shoe for the purpose of identifying product source. U.S. Pat. No. 4,823,426, issued to Bragga relates to a shoe cleaning device. Bragga's device has a inner cushion pad enclosed in a terry cloth fabric cover and has attachment members for removably clasping it around the fastened footwear laces of a shoe. Bragga's device, being covered with terry cloth, is clearly water absorbent. Moreover, Bragga's device is attached to the shoe by means of straps that are positioned beneath the shoes laces and necessarily requires laced shoes.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a golf-club head cleaning device that can be secured to golfer's shoe in a manner that does not interfere with the shoe's flexibility, that does not extend appreciably from the surface of the shoe, that can be easily cleaned and that can be utilized on any substantially enclosed golf shoe.

The golf-club head cleaning device of the present invention includes a panel member that is removably secured to the outer surface of a golf shoe. While the panel is preferably constructed of advanced polyamide fiber, it can be constructed of any material, not damaging to golf-club heads, which has a friction producing or roughened surface to facilitate the removal of grass and earth from golf-club heads. The panel in the preferred embodiment is secured to the side of the upper of the shoe on the outer surface of the shoe. The panel is detachably secured to the shoe's upper by various conventional methods, but preferably is secured to the shoe by means of an adhesive, such as NORTON ADHESIVE #V1331 or STIK-II 2257, with a foam core that prevents the adhesive from wicking into the shoe. The panel is of a size and shape that will facilitate easy cleaning of golf-club heads, the particular size and shape varying depending upon the size and style of the golfer's shoe.

The above mentioned features of the invention will become more clearly understood from the following detailed description of the invention read together with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a side elevation view of the golf-club head cleaning device of the present invention secured to a golfer's shoe; and

FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded cross-sectional view (not to scale) of the golf-club head cleaning device of the present invention.

A golf-club head cleaning device constructed in accordance with the present invention is illustrated generally as 10 in the figures. Golf-club head cleaning device 10 consists of a panel member 15 preferably constructed of advanced polyamide fiber 20 seen in FIG. 2. Those skilled in the art will recognize that panel member 15 can be constructed of any durable, moisture resistant material, not damaging to golf-club heads, which has a friction producing or roughened surface to facilitate the removal of grass and earth from golf-club heads. In the preferred embodiment, advanced polyamide fiber 20 has a short, stiff nap that allows efficient cleaning of the golf-club head (not shown) and prevents grass clippings, dirt, etc, from becoming matted within advanced polyamide fiber 20. Panel member 15 is secured to golf shoe 12 by means of a layer of adhesive 25. In the preferred embodiment, an adhesive such as NORTON ADHESIVE #V1331 or STIK-II 2257 is utilized. A urethane foam core 30 is interposed between advanced polyamide fiber 20 and adhesive 25. Urethane foam core 30 prevents adhesive 25 from wicking into golf shoe 12, thus preventing damage to golf shoe 12 as a result of the adhesive 25. Further, in the preferred embodiment, a moisture resistant urethane coating 40 is interposed between advanced polyamide fiber 20 and urethane foam core 30 in order to provide a moisture barrier between advanced polyamide fiber 20 and adhesive 25 to insure adhesion and to prevent separation in moist conditions. In this regard, urethane coating 40 is sprayed onto the back of advanced polyamide fiber 20, an additional layer of adhesive 45 is interposed between urethane foam core 30 and urethane coating 40 to provide adhesion between the urethane coated advanced polyamide fiber 20 and the urethane foam core 30. In the preferred embodiment, adhesive 25 allows panel member 15 to be detachably secured to golf shoe 12.

Panel member 15 is of a size which will facilitate easy cleaning of golf-club heads. The shape of panel member 15 will vary depending on the style of the golf shoe 12 to which it is to be secured, and further, on the location on the golf shoe 12 at which it is secured. While those skilled in the art will recognize that panel member 15 can be secured at various locations on the upper 35 of golf shoe 12, in the preferred embodiment, panel member 15 is of a size and shape that substantially conforms to the side of upper 35.

Golf-club head cleaning device 10 is utilized by wiping the head of the club (not shown) across panel member 15 secured to upper 35 of golf shoe 12. This allows a golfer (not shown) to clean the golf-club head without releasing his/her grip on the club or substantially altering his/her stance. Of course, the method of using the device will vary depending upon the location of the panel member 15.

From the foregoing description, it will be recognized by those skilled in the art that a golf-club head cleaning device offering advantages over the prior art has been provided. Specifically, the present invention eliminates the need to carry a cleaning cloth while golfing. It also provides a device for cleaning golf-club heads which can be secured to the surface, and preferably the upper, of any substantially enclosed shoe. It further provides a device for cleaning golf-club heads which does not extend appreciably from the surface of the shoe, eliminating the risk that the device will catch or snag something thereby tripping the golfer or reducing the golfer's mobility in getting into and out of the golf cart. It further provides a device for cleaning golf-club heads which does not interfere with the flexibility of the shoe to which it is secured.

While a preferred embodiment has been shown and described, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the disclosure, but rather it is intended to cover all modifications and alternate methods falling within the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims and their equivalents. Having thus described the aforementioned invention,