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Automatic ball cleaning apparatus and methodAutomatic ball cleaning apparatus and method description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080000036, Automatic ball cleaning apparatus and method. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001]N/A BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002]The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for cleaning and drying balls, particularly golf balls. [0003]It is desirable and economically and environmentally advantageous to clean and re-use many types of balls. Golf balls are particularly suited for such treatment due to their tendency to become dirty during normal use, making them less desirable or even wholly unsuitable for re-use thereafter unless considerable effort is expended in cleaning them, which may require taking them out of service to another location for extended periods of time in order to accomplish such cleaning. They also have the quality of performing their original purpose quite well after they have been cleaned. Other types of balls, such as baseballs, ping-pong balls, and balls used in ball bearings, may have similar characteristics. But, the golf ball is certainly a well-known example of a type of ball whose utility could be significantly enhanced by providing users with a convenient means for making the balls re-usable by cleaning them. Thus, golf balls are considered exemplary and have been the subject of previous ideas for devices to clean balls. Among the previously proposed golf ball cleaning devices are the following (it being understood that these summaries do not reflect all of the disclosed elements, features or limitations of, and are not intended as a substitute for the actual documents being referenced). [0004]U.S. Pat. No. 6,021,537 issued to Smith on Feb. 8, 2000, discloses a cleaning apparatus for golf balls with a housing filled with cleaning fluid and containing a horizontal rotating brush and a separate removable cleaning cassette with a chamber lined with upper and lower brushes that encloses the balls which balls are driven in a circular pattern within the cassette by contact with the motorized rotating brush. However, Smith appears to require manual insertion and removal of the balls into and from the cassette and manual insertion and removal of the cassette into and from the housing; and, appears to provide no means for drying the balls after cleaning. [0005]U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,597 issued to Templeton on Feb. 4, 1997, discloses a device for cleaning balls with a ball receiving recess lined with a cleaning medium (e.g., bristles) wherein, after inserting the ball into the recess (which can also contain a cleaning solvent), a motor-driven lid-mounted spindle is lowered onto and engages the ball causing the ball to rotate against the cleaning medium. However, Templeton appears to require manual opening of the lid portion of the device, insertion of the ball, and then closing and re-opening of the lid, and appears to provide no means for drying the ball after it is cleaned with use of solvent. [0006]U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,574 issued to Benkovsky on May 3, 1983, discloses a golf ball washing device with a liquid retaining foam-lined receptacle into which a golf ball is placed and held in position by a holder secured to the underside of a lid (door) while the receptacle (and the foam lining) is rotated about the ball to clean it when an electric motor is switched on (e.g., by closing the lid). However, Benkowvsky appears to require manual opening of the lid, insertion of the ball, and then closing and re-opening of the lid, and to provide no means for drying the ball. [0007]U.S. Pat. No. 5,806,122 issued to Bogle et al. on Sep. 15, 1998, discloses an automatic golf ball washer caddy with a chamber into which a golf ball is placed, the ball being held within a cradle extending from a removable cover that has a means (e.g., spring) for biasing the ball downward, and the chamber being lined with brushing means and a sealed flexible bottom for holding liquid cleaning solution, and with means (which may include a cam) for an electric motor to reciprocate a shaft that causes the ball to agitate up and down while contacting the brushing means (which can be staggered bristles to also rotate the ball). However, although Bogle discloses the use of an electronic timer for automatic shut off of the motor, it nevertheless appears to require manual opening of a cover, insertion of the ball, and then closing and re-opening of the cover; and, although Bogle discloses an external ring for a towel accessory, it nevertheless appears to provide no means for automatically drying the ball. [0008]U.S. Pat. No. 5,400,455 issued to Crossley on May 28, 1995 discloses a golf ball washing apparatus with a chamber into which a ball is placed and sealed by a removable top hatch, the ball being inserted within a ring-shaped brush that is caused by an electric motor to rotate around and, assisted by a detergent solution in the chamber, clean the ball. However, Crossley appears to require manual opening of a lid, insertion of the ball, and then closing and re-opening of the lid; and, appears to provide no means for drying the ball. [0009]U.S. Pat. No. 4,163,299 issued to Duda on Aug. 7, 1979 discloses a manually operated golf ball washer with a vertical cylindrical housing defining a washing chamber that can contain cleaning liquid and has a hemi-toroidal scrubbing means (with bristles) on one inner side of the chamber and a drive member on the other side, with the drive member having a concave front surface for impelling a ball in a circular path around the inside of the chamber (after the ball has been inserted through an opening in the upper part of the housing's cylindrical peripheral wall and the opening has been sealed closed by a removable cap), whereby the ball is scrubbed clean by the bristles as the ball travels and rotates through its path during perhaps several passes around the chamber; and, with the drive member having a convex cam-shaped back surface that, upon removing the cap and reversing the direction of the drive member, causes the ball to move in an outward direction and be automatically ejected out the opening. However, Duda appears to require manual opening of a cap, insertion of the ball, and then closing and re-opening of the cap; and, appears to provide no means for drying the ball. [0010]Thus, it appears that none of the previously proposed devices disclose a ball cleaning machine that is fully automatic in its operation or that has a means for automatically drying the balls after they are cleaned. [0011]It is contended that the present invention, which is described more fully below, provides advantages not afforded by the relevant prior art. SUMMARY OF INVENTION [0012]As used throughout this specification, unless clearly indicated otherwise, the following terms have the definitions referred to or specified in this paragraph. Terms of direction (such as "up," "down," "left," and "right"), relative time (such as "when" and "concurrent"), relative position (such as "aligned," "adjacent," "proximate," and "within"), angular position (such as "shut-off position" and "stop position"), orientation (such as "vertical" and "horizontal"), and shape (such as "circle," "circular," "arc," "arced," "ellipse," "elliptical," "toroid," and "toroidal") are not intended to be limited to the exact direction, relative time, relative position, angular position, orientation, or shape referred to but are intended to be inclusive of approximations and substantial similarities to those directions, relative times, relative positions, angular positions, orientations, and shapes. The term "described or shown" is intended to include "described and shown." The term "such as" is intended to suggest an example, without limitation to only that example. References to a thing being "within" something else are intended as references to the thing being at least partly within the something else. References to a thing moving "through" something else are intended as references to at least part of the thing moving through at least part of the something else. References to a thing occurring "while" something else occurs are not intended as a requirement that the thing be occurring for the entire time the something else occurs. The term "herein" is intended to include the drawings as well as the other sections of this specification (including the claims). [0013]The present invention relates to an apparatus for automatically cleaning and drying balls, and is particularly adaptable for cleaning and drying golf balls. The apparatus can be installed on a vehicle, such as a golf cart, and connected to the vehicle's battery for convenient use, particularly during periods when the user is not near a facility, such as a clubhouse, where other means may be available for cleaning and drying balls. [0014]According to one aspect of the invention, the apparatus comprises a housing, an entry chute, and an exit chute. The housing comprises an interior chamber having one or more sidewalls ("walls"), wherein the one or more walls comprise an entry opening and an exit opening. The wall comprising the entry opening is on an entry side of the housing, and is also referred to herein as an entry wall. The wall comprising the exit opening is on an exit side if the housing, and is also referred to herein as an exit wall. In some embodiments, the entry and exit openings can be on a single wall that, for example, is on only one side of the housing or is a continuous wall around more than one side of the housing. Therefore, in such embodiments, the entry wall and exit wall can be the same wall. However, preferably, the entry wall and exit wall are separated, and, preferably, on opposite sides of the housing. [0015]The interior chamber comprises a lower chamber, which comprises a scrubbing channel; an upper chamber, which comprises a drying section; and, a rotator, which comprises a ball carrying means. The entry chute is adapted to receive a ball of predetermined size outside the housing and to channel the ball, preferably along a downward incline, through the entry opening to the interior chamber. (Preferably, the entry chute channels the ball, at least in part, into the interior chamber. Thus, references herein to the ball being channeled "to" the interior chamber should be understood to include configurations in which the ball is channeled, at least in part, into the interior chamber.) [0016]The rotator is disposed and rotatable within the interior chamber and the ball carrying means can be any means that moves together with the rotator and is effective for receiving and moving the ball. The rotator is at an entry position when the angular position of the rotator sufficiently aligns the ball carrying means with the entry chute for the ball carrying means to receive the ball from the entry chute. [0017]A start sensor (such as a photo-electric, motion, or pressure sensor) is positioned (such as by attaching it to the entry chute) for detecting the presence of the ball in the entry chute, the start sensor being in electrical communication with, and adapted to send an electrical signal in response to detecting such presence of the ball, to a start switch (such as a conventional motor starter or "on"/"off" switch) that is adapted to automatically close an electric power circuit, between an electric motor and an electric power source, to switch the motor "on" (if it is "off"). The start switch can be co-located with the start sensor or located separately, for example, in an electric control box. [0018]The motor can be any electric motor that is effective for rotating the rotator while the ball is being moved through the lower and upper chambers. Preferably, the motor is operable using an electric vehicle battery, such as a golf cart battery, as its power source. Preferably, the motor is adapted to rotate the rotator by transferring at least some torque to the rotator through torque transferring means, such as conventional gears, sprockets, drive chains, or shafts, or any combination of all or some of them operably connected to one another. [0019]Rotation of the rotator causes the ball carrying means to move along a circular path through the scrubbing channel and then through the drying section. Preferably, the ball carrying means comprises a rotator hole large enough for the ball to pass through the rotator. And, preferably, the ball carrying means comprises a ball-roller wheel, wherein the ball-roller wheel is rotatably connected to the rotator and is positioned to contact and spin the ball while the ball is being moved through the interior chamber. And preferably a ball-roller drive wheel is attached to the shaft of the ball-roller wheel for turning the ball-roller wheel in response to contact by the drive wheel with a drive pad that is disposed within the interior chamber (preferably, stationary relative to the movement of the rotator). Preferably, the drive pad is a friction pad and the drive wheel is a friction wheel; although, they may be any combination of conventional parts, such as a gear and a gear track, that result in the drive wheel turning in response to contact between the drive wheel and the drive pad while the drive wheel is being moved by the rotator relative to the drive pad. [0020]The scrubbing channel comprises a scrubbing means (such as a plurality of bush bristles), the scrubbing means being disposed within the scrubbing channel. At least a portion of the scrubbing means (such as the tips of at least some of the bristles) contacts the ball while the ball is being moved through the scrubbing channel. And, a cleaning liquid is disposed preferably within the lower chamber, wherein at least a portion of the ball is wetted by the cleaning liquid, preferably while the ball is being moved through the lower chamber. (As used herein, "cleaning liquid" includes any liquid that is effective for helping to clean the surface of the ball, and "liquid" includes not only any single-substance liquid, such as water, but also any liquid solution, such as soap and water.) [0021]A drying means (such as a plurality of compressible roller pads) is disposed within the upper chamber, wherein at least a portion of the drying means is able to remove at least some of the cleaning liquid from the surface of the ball while the ball is being moved through the drying section. (Preferably, the drying means comprises a material such as terry cloth or other highly liquid-absorbent material on or within the drying means. Although, in alternative embodiments, the drying means can comprise any other conventional material or device that is effective for removing cleaning liquid from the surface of the ball, such as a chamois material or a heat generating or air circulating device.) Continue reading about Automatic ball cleaning apparatus and method... Full patent description for Automatic ball cleaning apparatus and method Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Automatic ball cleaning apparatus and method patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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