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This invention relates to improved methods and apparatus concerning golf related devices, and more particularly devices for cleaning golf clubs.
Golfers often need to clean their golf clubs, and most especially the club face of the club head of a golf club. One example of this occurred during a live TV broadcast of a professional golf tournament. Perhaps the world's greatest golfer, Tiger Woods, was on the fairway getting ready to hit a golf ball with a golf club. He took a pre-swing stance then made a check swing. He saw some dirt or grass on the club face of the club head of his golf club. Instead of going to his caddy to clean the club face and/or the club head of the golf club, he remained in his stance and rubbed the club face onto the lower front portion of the cloth of his right pants leg. With the club face and/or club head cleaned, he then proceeded to strike the golf ball by swinging the golf club and thereby hitting the golf ball with the club face of the golf club. As shown by this example, there is a need for cleaning the club face and/or club head when a golfer is in his or her swing stance or when he or she is closely located to where they would approach or address the golf ball to swing at it.
One embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus comprising a first pad having a cleaning portion, and means for attaching the first pad to a shoe. The first pad is configured so that a golf club head can be cleaned with the cleaning portion of the first pad, while the first pad is attached to the shoe. The apparatus may include a second pad having a cleaning portion and a means for attaching the second pad to the shoe. The second pad may be configured so that a golf club head can be cleaned with the cleaning portion of the second pad, while the second pad is attached to the shoe.
A connecting portion may connect the first pad and the second pad. A first strap may be connected to the first pad, wherein the first strap has a first attachment device located on it. The first attachment device may include a plurality of connecting hooks or loops. A second strap may be connected to the second pad, wherein the second strap has a second attachment device located on it. The second attachment device may include a plurality of connecting hooks or loops.
Each of the first and second pads may include a backing portion and the cleaning portions of the first and second pads may be mounted to their respective backing portion.
One embodiment of the present invention includes a method comprising attaching an apparatus to a shoe, wherein the apparatus may be as previously described having first and/or second pads as previously described. The method may include cleaning a golf club head of a golf club using the first and/or second pads of the apparatus.
FIG. 1 is a simplified illustration of a front perspective view of an apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a simplified illustration of a rear perspective view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a top view of a shoe with the apparatus of FIG. 1 attached;
FIG. 4 is a right side outer view of the shoe of FIG. 3 with the apparatus of FIG. 1 attached;
FIG. 5 is a left side outer view of the shoe of FIG. 3 with the apparatus of FIG. 1 attached; and
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a cleaning pad of the apparatus of FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 is a simplified illustration of a front perspective view of an apparatus 100 accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a simplified illustration of a rear perspective view of the apparatus 100.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the apparatus 100 includes a pad 102, a pad 112, a connecting portion 108, and straps 120 and 130. The pad 102 includes a cleaning portion 104 and a mounting member or backing portion 106. The cleaning portion 104 has a surface 104a and the backing portion 106 has a surface 106a. The pad 112 includes a cleaning portion 114 and a mounting member or backing portion 116. The cleaning portion 114 has a surface 114a and the backing portion 116 has a surface 116a.
Each of the cleaning portions 104 and 114 may be comprised of a fabric so that each of the surfaces 104a and 114a, has a coarse, soft and resilient surface such as brush like or foam like surfaces. In this embodiment, the cleaning portions 104 and 114 may have a plurality of protruding straight, or curly, or looping bristles 103 and 113, respectively. The cleaning portion 104 may have a different number of bristles for bristles 103 or a different density of bristles compared to the number of bristles for bristles 113. The bristles 103 may have a uniform stiffness or rigidity and the bristles 113 may have a uniform stiffness or rigidity. The stiffness or rigidity of bristles 103 may differ from the stiffness or rigidity of bristles 113.
The fabric or cleaning portions 102 and 112 may be mounted onto mounting members or backing portions 106 and 116, respectively by for example being sewn onto the backing portions 106 and 116.
The strap 120 may include portion 122 and portion 124. The portions 122 and 124 have surfaces 122a and 124a, respectively. Similarly the strap 130 may include portion 132 and portion 134. The portions 132 and 134 have surfaces 132a and 134a. The portions 122 and 134 may have Velcro (trademarked) minute hooks and loops.
FIG. 3 is a top view of a shoe 200 with the apparatus 100 of FIG. 1 attached. FIG. 4 is a right side outer view of the shoe 200 with the apparatus 100 attached. FIG. 5 is a left side outer view of the shoe 200 of FIG. 3 with the apparatus 100 of FIG. 1 attached.
As shown by FIGS. 3-5, the apparatus 100 is attached to the shoe 200 so that the connecting portion 108 is underneath the bottom or sole 202 of the shoe 200 substantially centrally between the heel and the toe of the shoe 200. The apparatus 100 is wrapped around the shoe 200 and the portion 134 of the strap 130 is placed on top of the portion 122 of the strap 120. The portion 134 may be Velcro (trademarked) such as hooks or loops, and the portion 122 may be a mating or connecting portion of Velcro (trademarked) such as hooks or loops. The portion 134 thus attaches to the portion 122 on top of the shoe 200 as shown in FIG. 3. With the apparatus 100 secured as shown in FIGS. 3-5, it can be used by a golfer.
Another embodiment may be that the fabric or cleaning portions 102 and 112 may be directly sewn or mounted onto the upper of the shoe 200 in the position shown by FIG. 3-5. In this embodiment, mounting member 120, 130, 108, 106 116 may be not needed.
As an another alternative embodiment, straps of Velcro (trademarked) minute loops (or other attaching device) may be sewn or mounted onto the upper of the shoe 200 at the location where cleaning portion 102 and 112 located, shown in FIG. 3-5. With the mating Velcro (trademarked) minute hooks (or other attaching device) on the surfaces of the backing portions 106 and 116. The fabric or cleaning portions 102 and 112 may be attached to the upper of the shoe, such as shoe 200 as shown in FIGS. 3-5. And the fabric or cleaning portions 102 and 112 may be detachable after use. In this embodiment, the portions 120, 130, 108 may be not needed.
In operation, after the apparatus 100 has been attached to a shoe, such as 200, as shown in FIGS. 3-5, a golfer can then wipe a club face and/or a club head of a golf club on the cleaning portions 104 and 114 to clean the club face and/or club head of the golf club.
An apparatus 100 can be attached to one shoe of a golfer, while a second identical apparatus can be attached to the other shoe of the golfer. For a right-handed golfer, holding a golf club in his right hand, the golfer can rub a club face of the golf club onto the cleaning pad, such as one or portions 112 or 114 on the inner side on the right shoe, or onto the cleaning pad, such as one of identical portions 112 or 114 on the outer side on the left shoe. A left-handed golfer typically would use cleaning portions on the inner side of the left shoe and the outer side on the right shoe. However, any use by any golfer of any of the portions 104 and 114 of either shoe, can be done in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the pad 102. The pad 102 shown includes cleaning portion 104, and backing or mounting portion 106. The cleaning portion 104 includes a plurality of protruding straight, or curly, or looping bristles 103 which are shown in FIG. 6.
Although the invention has been described by reference to particular illustrative embodiments thereof, many changes and modifications of the invention may become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to include within this patent all such changes and modifications as may reasonably and properly be included within the scope of the present invention's contribution to the art.