US20050005382A1

US20050005382A1 - Golf cart mounted apparatus for cleaning golf shoe

Info

Publication number: US20050005382A1
Application number: US10/615,001
Authority: US
Inventors: Philip Korodi
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-07-08
Filing date: 2003-07-08
Publication date: 2005-01-13

Abstract

In general the invention is directed toward an apparatus for cleaning golf shoes which includes a sheet of material having a cleaning surface which can be attached to the floorboard of a golf cart such that the cleaning surface is exposed to the operator of the golf cart. The invention allows a golfer to clean their shoes during the normal course of the round without undue delay due to the convenient location of the device on the golf cart.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to golf equipment. More particularly, the present invention concerns the cleaning of the soles of golf shoes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

One of the important purposes of golf shoes is to provide traction for the player, both to prevent slippage during the golf swing and to provide for safe navigation of the golf course. This purpose is accomplished by various spikes, lugs, cleats, etc., attached to the soles of typical golf shoes. During the course of a round of golf, debris, including mud, grass, and leaves, accumulates on the soles of the shoes reducing the effectiveness of these various traction providing devices. Thus, the soles of the shoes must be frequently cleaned to provide the appropriate traction for playing the game and walking the course.
The frequent cleaning of golf shoes is accomplished through the use of brushes, tees, sticks or whatever is available to the player. Often stationary brushes are located around the golf course for the purpose of cleaning the soles of the golfer's shoes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally comprises a sheet of material having a cleaning surface. The cleaning surface could, for example, comprise a plurality of projections The sheet of material may be configured to be removably attached to the floor board of a power golf cart. This cleaning surface, when attached to the cart, provides an efficient and effective means for cleaning the soles of golf shoes. Since the cleaning surface is attached to the cart rather than scattered around the course like stationary brushes, little delay in play occurs because the player does not have to go out of their way to use the shoe cleaning device.
In one embodiment, the sheet of material is wrapped around the outside edge of the floorboard. An advantage of this embodiment is that the debris removed from the shoes can easily fall off of the edge of the floorboard as a result of normal jostling of the cart, preventing unsightly accumulation of debris on the device and ensuring continued effectiveness. The sheet of material may be attached to the floorboard by friction, a hook and loop fastener, a snap fastener, a threaded fastener, or by other mechanism well known in the art.
A second embodiment of the invention has the first sheet of material with the cleaning surface attached to an underlying second sheet of material, where the underlying second sheet of material is configured to be removably attached to the floor board of a golf cart. The second sheet of material can be attached as described above. In this embodiment the second sheet of material may be advantageously made of a more durable constituent to improve the durability of the invention and the security of the attachment to the golf cart.
The invention may also comprise a sheet of material having a cleaning surface, the second sheet of material described above, and a tapered border surrounding the at least a portion of the perimeter of the second sheet of material, where the tapered border provides an aesthetically pleasing transition from the shoe cleaning device to the floor board and improves the safety by minimizing any abrupt edges of the shoe cleaning device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a golf cart with an embodiment of the invention attached.
FIG. 2 is an exploded view of an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a second embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 4 is a view of a third embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 5 is a view of a fourth embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a golf cart. It shows a golf cart 40 with a floorboard 10, a dash 20, and a seat 30. The cleaning surface 50 of an embodiment of the invention is shown attached to the floorboard 40.
FIG. 2 is an exploded view of an embodiment of the invention. The invention is directed at an apparatus for cleaning golf shoes. This embodiment of the apparatus includes a sheet of material with a cleaning surface 50, a second sheet of material 60, a tapered border 70, and an attachment mechanism 80. The second sheet of material 60 has a U-shaped configuration. Its shape is configured so that it can be slid over the outside edge of the floorboard 10 of the golf cart 40 between the dash 20 and the seat 30. The tapered border 70 extends around at least a portion of the periphery of the sheet of material 60 so that it extends onto the floorboard 10 of the golf cart 40. In this embodiment the cleaning surface 50 is attached to the second sheet of material 60 with epoxy, glue, or a similar bonding material. The cleaning surface 50 is inset within the tapered border 70 so that the tapered border provides a protective and decorative covering for the second sheet of material 60. The assembled device may be slid over the outside edge of the floorboard 10 of the golf cart 40 between the dash 20 and the seat 30. It is then removably attached to the floorboard 10.
The embodiment shown in FIG. 2 may also be narrower at one end than the other. This would allow for attachment to the floor board 10 of the golf cart 40 with the narrower end disposed more near dash 20 to minimize interference with the player's feet while riding in the golf cart. Alternatively, the embodiment could be of a constant width or any other size or shape.
To use the invention, the person wanting to clean their shoe simply rubs the shoe across the cleaning surface 50 of the invention until the bottom of the shoe is clean. This can be done in the ordinary course of entering, exiting, or riding in the cart. This eliminates the delay inherent in using stationary brushes installed around the course or brushes located in other less convenient locations. Since the invention is removably attached to the cart, it may be easily removed for occasional cleaning or replacement. The invention can be attached anywhere on the floorboard 10 of the golf cart 40 so that it is easily accessible to the driver of the golf cart and any passenger. More than one unit of the invention may be attached to a single golf cart to provide ease of access and use.
In one embodiment of the invention, the cleaning surface 50 is made of plastic and contains a plurality of bristles, each approximately ½″ long. The sheet of material from which the bristles extend is about ⅛″ thick. The cleaning surface 50 is inset within the tapered border 70 and fastened to the tapered border with epoxy. The tapered border 70 in this embodiment is made of formed rubber. The second sheet of material 60 in this embodiment is made of stainless steel and is glued to the tapered border with epoxy to provide a durable base for attachment to the floorboard 10.
Turning now to FIG. 3, another embodiment of the invention is represented. The cleaning surface 50, tapered border 70 and the second sheet of material 90 each have holes 100 for accommodating threaded fasteners. In this embodiment the cleaning surface 50 is inset within the tapered border 70 and affixed to the second sheet of material 90 with epoxy or a similar adhesive. In some models of golf carts, the floorboard 10 may have a step plate attached to the indented area 110 shown. Golf carts manufactured by E-Z-GO® of Augusta, Ga., for example, have such a removable step plate attached to the floorboard 10 by threaded fasteners. In this embodiment, the invention is specially sized and shaped to replace the removable step plate originally provided with the golf cart and to be removably fastened in its place. This embodiment may be provided without the holes 100 and could also be removably fastened to the floorboard by any mechanism known in the art.
Turning now to FIG. 4, a single component embodiment designed to replace the step plate of the golf cart 40 is shown. This embodiment may be constructed of one component, for example injection molded plastic, instead of several pieces, and may then be attached to the floorboard 10 in place of the removable step plate by any mechanism as described above. This embodiment may have a tapered border 70, and a cleaning surface 50 with holes 100 all formed from the same piece of material.
Turning now to FIG. 5, the device could be designed so that sheet of material itself provides the attachment mechanism 80. A single component embodiment of this invention can be constructed from plastic using injection molding techniques, for example. A U-shaped cleaning surface formed of a single piece of material can be removably attached to the floorboard 10 of the golf cart 40. This would be accomplished by constructing the invention from material which is elastic, such that the U-shaped embodiment can be opened to slide over the floorboard 10 but will return to its original shape with enough elastic tension to clamp firmly to the floorboard 10. Some golf cart models have a strip of metal along the edge of the floorboard 10 to secure the flooring material, while others have exposed structural members or other irregularities on or around the floorboard 10. Connection of the invention in this manner may be aided by projections on the invention which engage with suitable irregularities in the area of attachment. This attachment mechanism 80 may also include one or more projections or cavities on either the invention or the floorboard specially formed to improve the security of the attachment. Alternatively, the attachment mechanism 80 could be a hook and loop fastener, a snap fastener, a threaded fastener, or any fastening mechanism known in the art. This embodiment could include a tapered border 70 also formed of the same piece of material.
In another embodiment, the cleaning surface 50 of the invention could simply be wrapped around or attached to the floor board 10 of the golf cart 40 directly using the above-mentioned attachment mechanisms or any well known in the art.
While exemplary embodiments of this invention have been illustrated and described, it should be understood that various changes, adaptations, and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An apparatus for cleaning golf shoes comprising:

a. a sheet of material having a cleaning surface; and

b. an attachment mechanism configured to be attached to a floorboard of a golf cart for mounting the sheet of material such that the cleaning surface is exposed to an operator of the golf cart.

2. The apparatus for cleaning golf shoes of claim 1, wherein the cleaning surface is made of injection molded plastic.

3. The apparatus for cleaning golf shoes of claim 1, wherein the cleaning surface comprises a plurality of projections.

4. The apparatus for cleaning golf shoes of claim 3, wherein the projections are bristles.

5. The apparatus for cleaning golf shoes of claim 1, wherein the sheet of material is mounted on the floorboard between a seat and a dash of the golf cart.

6. The apparatus for cleaning golf shoes of claim 5, wherein the sheet of material is configured to replace a step plate on the golf cart.

7. The apparatus for cleaning golf shoes of claim 1, wherein the sheet of material is wrapped around an outside edge of the floorboard between a seat and a dash of the golf cart.

8. The apparatus for cleaning golf shoes of claim 7, wherein the sheet of material is flexible and the attachment mechanism comprises the elastic tension of the sheet of material.

9. An apparatus for cleaning golf shoes comprising:

a. a first sheet of material having a cleaning surface;

b. and a second sheet of material attached to and underlying the first sheet of material, said second sheet of material comprising an attachment mechanism configured to be attached to a floorboard of a golf cart such that the cleaning surface is exposed to an operator of the golf cart.

10. The apparatus for cleaning golf shoes of claim 9, wherein the cleaning surface comprises a plurality of projections.

11. The apparatus for cleaning golf shoes of claim 10, wherein the projections are bristles.

12. The apparatus for cleaning golf shoes of claim 9, wherein the first sheet of material and the second sheet of material are mounted on the floorboard between a seat and a dash of the golf cart.

13. The apparatus for cleaning golf shoes of claim 12, wherein the first sheet of material and the second sheet of material are configured to replace a step plate on the golf cart.

14. The apparatus for cleaning golf shoes of claim 9, wherein the first sheet of material and the second sheet of material are wrapped around an outside edge of the floorboard between a seat and a dash of the golf cart.

15. An apparatus for cleaning golf shoes comprising a sheet of material having a cleaning surface;

a. a second sheet of material attached to and underlying the first sheet of material, said second sheet of material comprising an attachment mechanism configured to be attached to a floorboard of a golf cart such that the cleaning surface is exposed to an operator of the golf cart;

b. and a tapered border attached to at least a portion of the perimeter of the second sheet of material, said tapered border decreasing in thickness from the second sheet of material outward so that the transition from the floorboard to the apparatus is less abrupt.

16. The apparatus for cleaning golf shoes of claim 15, wherein the cleaning surface comprises a plurality of projections.

17. The apparatus for cleaning golf shoes of claim 16, wherein the projections are bristles.

18. The apparatus for cleaning golf shoes of claim 15, wherein the first sheet of material, the second sheet of material, and the tapered border are mounted on the floorboard between a seat and a dash of the golf cart.

19. The apparatus for cleaning golf shoes of claim 18, wherein the first sheet of material, the second sheet of material, and the tapered border are configured to replace a step plate on the golf cart.

20. The apparatus for cleaning golf shoes of claim 15, wherein the first sheet of material, the second sheet of material, and the tapered border are wrapped around an outside edge of the floorboard between a seat and a dash of the golf cart.