JP3015804B2 - Golf ball cleaning equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a golf ball cleaning apparatus for removing contaminants adhering to a golf ball used mainly in a driving range and for cleaning.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A golf ball has a golf driving range because a flying ball obtained by a shot may be disturbed by a slight contamination of a contaminant adhering to a surface of the golf ball or a damaged unevenness. The golf balls used in the above are always provided in a clean state.

[0003] For this purpose, as one of the conventionally provided golf ball cleaning devices, a large number of thrown golf balls are arranged in a line, and then the disk-shaped rotating brush bottom with a brush planted on the bottom surface. The golf ball surface is polished while being fed and rolled with the rotation of the rotating brush, dropped from the drop port provided at the center position of the rotating brush, and transported to the drying mechanism continuously arranged at the drop port. is there.

[0004]

However, according to the conventional golf ball cleaning apparatus, when the inserted golf ball rolls in a ball passage arranged in a line, the rotation of the rotating brush causes the golf ball to rotate. Even if the golf ball itself is forcibly rolled, since the rolling is performed only in one direction on the circumference along the rotation direction of the rotating brush itself, the golf ball itself has only the surface in the vertical direction where the golf ball is rolling. It is only polished by. Therefore, the surface of the rolling golf ball in the left-right direction is rarely polished, and dirt that is not washed or removed is often left as it is.

In addition, since the conventional golf ball cleaning apparatus arranges the golf balls in a line and feeds them into the ball passage, it is difficult to process the golf balls in a large amount, the number of hits is large, and the golf balls are used in a large amount. At the driving range, the capacity was insufficient.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned various circumstances, and has been developed to evenly polish the surface of a golf ball to be cleaned and completely remove contaminants adhering to the surface. In addition, the cleaning and removing process can adjust the rolling residence speed of the golf ball in the ball passage so that a cleaning operation corresponding to the degree of contamination can be realized, and a large amount can be continuously processed. It is an object of the present invention to provide a golf ball cleaning device according to the present invention.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, according to the present invention, a rotating brush which feeds a charged golf ball B into a groove-shaped ball passage 21 and rotates on the ball passage 21 is provided. The cleaning mechanism 10 is provided with a cleaning mechanism 10 for cleaning while rubbing and rolling with the brush 28 on the bottom surface of the body 25. At least a semi-circular portion is formed in a state where the ball passage 21 formed in a substantially U-shape in a plane where the space is continued by the folded portion 22 and the rotation direction matches the feeding direction of the golf ball B in the ball passage 21. It is characterized by having a plurality of rotating brush bodies 25A, 25B for cleaning arranged so as to cover the ball passage 21.

Further, the cleaning mechanism 10 itself includes an input port 12 for aligning and inputting the golf balls B to be cleaned, a ball passage 21 having a substantially U-shape in a plane through which the input golf balls B travel and pass. A brush 28 rubbing the top surface of the golf ball B in the passage 21 is planted on the bottom surface,
A plurality of cleaning rotating brush bodies 25A, 25B,... Arranged on the ball passage 21 so that the rotation direction is along the running direction of the golf ball B in the ball passage 21, and an opening is formed at the end of the ball passage 21. The ball drop opening 31 is provided.

In the vicinity of the end of the ball passage 21, a rotary brush 35 for speed adjustment is provided, which is capable of adjusting and setting the feed speed, washing speed, discharge amount, etc. of the golf ball B in the ball passage 21. Can be configured.

The cleaning brush bodies 25A, 25B... Are arranged so as to straddle the forward path and the return path parallel to each other in a semicircular portion in the ball passage 21 in the rotation direction corresponding to the forward direction and the return path. A first rotating brush body 25A that covers substantially the entirety, and a second rotating brush body 25B that covers a semicircular portion that is a rotating direction that matches the feed direction on the outward path.
And a third rotary brush body 2 that covers almost the entire U-shaped forward path and return path of the folded portion 22 with the semicircular portions of the folded portion 22 in the rotating direction coinciding with the folding direction.
5C, and a fourth rotating brush body 25D that is covered with a semicircular portion that is a rotating direction that matches the feed direction on the return path,
The rotation directions of the first and third rotating brush bodies 25A and 25C and the second and fourth rotating brush bodies 25B and 25D can be configured to be set in directions opposite to each other.

[0011]

In the golf ball cleaning apparatus according to the present invention,
The rotation of the cleaning brushes 25A, 25B... Is performed by rotating the golf balls B in the ball passage 21 having a substantially U-shape in a plane because the ball brushes 25A, 25B. The surface is polished while rolling in the ball passage 21.

At this time, the rotating brush bodies 25A, 25B...
Are rotated so that the brushes 28 of the
, The peripheral surface of the golf ball B rolling in the ball passage 21 changes at random with respect to the brush 28, so that the brush 28
Rubbing over the entire surface of the golf ball B
Removes contaminants adhering to the surface evenly.

A plurality of rotating brush bodies 25 formed in a group
A, 25B... Themselves are at least covered with semicircular portions each having a rotation direction coinciding with the feed direction with respect to each of the forward path and the backward path of the ball path 21, and the rolling passage of the golf ball B in the ball path 21. Make it smooth. In other words, the first and third rotary brush bodies 25A and 25C are disposed substantially on the center line of the U-shaped ball passage 21, and the second and fourth rotary brush bodies 25B and 25D are disposed on the side edges of the ball path 21. , The at least semicircular portions of the respective rotating brush bodies 25A, 25B... Along the feeding direction of the golf ball B cause the golf ball B in the ball passage 21 to be sent while being polished.

The variable speed of the rotating brush body 35 for adjusting the speed of the arrangement provided near the end of the ball passage 21 is as follows.
Feed speed of the golf ball B in the ball passage 21;
The cleaning speed, the discharge amount, and the like are adjusted and set to correspond to the degree of contamination of the golf ball B and the processing amount of the golf ball B.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, reference numeral 1 denotes a frame formed by appropriately framing a steel material having a predetermined cross section. A cleaning mechanism 10 for cleaning the golf ball B is disposed at an upper part of the apparatus 1, and a drying mechanism 40 for drying cleaning water attached to the golf ball B after the cleaning is disposed at a lower part (see FIG. 2).

The cleaning mechanism 10 has a slot 12 for aligning and inserting the golf balls B, a ball passage 21 having a substantially U-shape in a plane through which the golf ball B travels, and rubs the upper surface of the golf ball B in the ball passage 21. A brush 28 is implanted on the bottom surface of the ball passage 21 so that the rotation direction is along the running direction of the golf ball B in the ball passage 21.
A plurality of cleaning rotary brush bodies 25A, 2 disposed on the upper side
5B... Are provided with a ball drop port 31 formed at the end of the ball passage 21.

As shown in FIG. 2, the cleaning mechanism 10 itself includes a cleaning base 11 which defines an upper portion of the frame 1.
The whole is inclined so that the folded portion 22 side in the U-shaped ball passage 21 is at the lowest level position.

The inlet 12 communicates with the entrance of the ball passage 21 which is the start end of the ball passage 21 set at the highest level, and randomly inserts the partition wall 13 erected on the washing base 11 into the partition wall 13. A charging roller 15 that rotates on the entrance of the ball passage 21 and a shower that injects washing water onto the golf ball B so that the golf balls B are aligned and sent correspondingly to the ball passages 21 in each row. 18.

The partition wall 13 is formed by the inserted golf ball B.
Is centrally guided to the entrance of the ball passage 21 and is formed, for example, in a substantially rectangular shape in a plane at a corner position of the cleaning base 11.

Then, the charging roller 15 and the shower 1
8 is arranged in a roller box 14 formed on the entrance of the ball passage 21 so as to be continuous with the partition wall 13 and formed in a frame.
The bottom wall of the entrance of the ball passage 21 is formed such that a portion below the roller box 14 and continuing from the main body of the ball passage 21 toward the insertion port 12 becomes gradually shallower as it reaches the insertion port 12 side. It is inclined (see FIG. 2).

The input alignment roller 15 is a roller box 1
4, which is rotated via a transmission means such as a chain by a driving force of a roller motor 16 stored and fixed in the upper part,
The projecting alignment rod 17 fixed to the peripheral surface allows the input port 12
The mountain of the golf ball B thrown into the inside is broken down, and the golf ball B is aligned and sent in each ball passage 21.

The shower 18 in the illustrated example is formed by forming a large number of injection holes on the lower surface of a pipe disposed above the charging and aligning roller 15, and is connected to a tap water pipe. I have.

The ball passage 21 is formed in a groove shape, and sends each of the golf balls B fed in an aligned state while washing the inside of the plurality of rotating brush bodies 25A, 25B. In the illustrated example, the starting point starts at one end of the frame 1 where the input port 12 is located substantially on the center line along the front-rear direction on the cleaning base 11 in three rows. Folded part 22 formed
Is a turning point, and is formed to have a substantially U-shape in a plane such that it returns to the end point on the ball drop port 31 side provided on one end side of the frame 1 adjacent to the insertion port 12 (FIG. 1). reference). That is, due to the inclination of the cleaning base 11 itself, the folded part 2 is turned from the inlet 12 side, which is the starting point.
The straight forward path up to 2 has a downward slope, and the straight return path from the turn-back portion 22 to the ball drop port 31 which is the end point has an upward slope.
Between the return paths, rotating brush bodies 25B, 25D to be described later.
The non-brush parts are spaced apart by the width. The ball passages 21 are not limited to being formed in three rows in the illustrated example, but may be formed in a plurality of rows such as two rows, four rows or more, or in a single row. .

The depth of the ball passage 21 is, as shown in FIG.
1 is set to project upward, and the ball passage 2
The golf balls B in 1 are rotating brush bodies 25A, 25B ...
The brush 28 is polished by a brush 28, and is rolled and driven by the frictional force.

A drain hole 23 for draining the washing water jetted and supplied by the shower 18 is opened in the turn-back portion 22 so that the washing water can be discharged to the outside together with the contaminants separated and removed from the golf ball B. is there.

Rotating brush bodies 25A, 25B for cleaning
Are arranged and arranged as a group, and the golf ball B sent into the ball passage 21 is
The brush is polished while rolling on the upper surface, and is formed by planting a brush 28 on a bottom surface of a disk-shaped rotating base 27 which is rotated in a substantially horizontal plane by a driving force of a brush motor 26. The rotating base 27 covers at least the semicircular portion of the ball base 21 in a state where the rotating brush bodies 25A, 25B... It is arranged like this. The rotating brush bodies 25A, 25B... Themselves are supported on the ball passage 21 by fixing the brush motor 26 by a motor stay 29 laid on the upper portion of the frame 1, and the surface of the brush 28 is Along the slope.

As shown in FIG. 1, this rotating brush 25
A, 25B... Group is a semicircular portion in the ball passage 21 which is a rotation direction corresponding to the forward direction and the return direction of the ball, respectively, and covers almost the entire parallel so as to straddle each of the forward direction and the backward direction. A first rotating brush body 25A that rotates in a counterclockwise direction, and a second rotating brush body 25B that covers a semicircular portion that is a rotating direction that matches the feed direction on the outward path and rotates clockwise when viewed from a plane. A third rotation in which the U-shaped forward and backward paths of the folded portion 22 are almost entirely covered by the semicircular portions of the folded portion 22 which are the rotating directions coinciding with the folded direction, and are rotated counterclockwise when viewed from above. It comprises a brush body 25C and a fourth rotating brush body 25D which is covered with a semicircular portion which is a rotation direction coinciding with the feed direction on the return path and rotates clockwise as viewed from a plane. That is, the first and third rotating brush bodies 25
A and 25C are disposed substantially on the center line of the U-shaped ball passage 21 in the cleaning mechanism 10, and substantially the entire area of the brush 28 covers the ball passage 21. The second and fourth rotating brush bodies 25 are provided. Is arranged on the side edge of the ball passage 21, and only the left semicircular portion along the feeding direction of the golf ball B covers the ball passage 21.

The rotating brush bodies 25A, 25B...
The number is not limited to four, but may be five or more by symmetrically or asymmetrically arranged on the outward path or the return path. The rotating brush body 25
A, 25B... The upper opening surface of the ball passage 21 which is not covered with the group is covered with a suitable cover so as to prevent the golf ball B from falling off at the time of feeding.

The individual rotating brush bodies 25A, 25B
The rotation directions of the first and third rotations are as follows.
The second and fourth rotating brush bodies 25B and 25D are clockwise, whereas the rotating brush bodies 25A and 25C are clockwise, but the feeding direction in the folded portion 22 is clockwise. It goes without saying that the respective rotation directions are reversed.

Further, in the vicinity of the end position of the ball passage 21, a rotation speed for rotation is variable so as to adjust and set a feed speed, a washing speed, a discharge amount and the like of the golf ball B in the ball passage 21. A brush body 35 is provided, and like the rotating brush bodies 25A, 25B for cleaning,
It has a structure including a brush motor 36, a rotating base 37, and a brush 38. The rotating brush body 35 is provided in the ball passage 2
1 is covered with a semicircular portion which is a rotation direction coinciding with the feed direction on the return path near the end position in FIG. 1 and rotates clockwise as viewed from a plane. Brush 3 on golf ball B
8 is rotated, and the golf ball B is sent out by the frictional force. Further, the rotating brush body 35 itself is supported on the ball passage 21 by fixing the brush motor 36 by a motor stay 39 which is laid on the upper portion of the frame 1.

That is, by adjusting the rotation speed of the rotating brush body 29 for speed adjustment, if the rotating speed is lower than the rotating brush bodies 25A, 25B. The golf ball B to be washed is retained in the ball passage 21 to extend the washing time.
By quickly moving the above, the cleaning time is shortened.

The speed adjusting rotary brush body 35
Of course, the golf ball B can be washed with the brush 38, but it can be omitted when speed adjustment or the like is unnecessary.

A ball drop opening 31 formed at the end position of the ball passage 21 is provided adjacent to the above-mentioned insertion port 12 so that the drying mechanism 40 can drop the golf ball B after washing is guided. The ball drop port 31 and the starting end of the drying mechanism 40 are connected by a duct 32 or the like. The ball drop port 31 is provided on the cleaning base 1.
Since the golf ball B rolling on the return path of the ball path 21 set uphill because it is near the highest level position of 1 is automatically sent into the drying mechanism 40 after the washing water is removed.

The drying mechanism 40 rotates at the lower part of the frame 1 between the left and right roller bases 41 laid so as to be inclined upward in the feeding direction, with a brush 42 being implanted on the peripheral surface. A plurality of roller brush bodies 43 are sequentially arranged and mounted along the feed direction, and the entire roller brush bodies 43 are covered with a drying duct 44.
An appropriate number of drying fans 45 are arranged on the drying duct 44 (see FIGS. 2 and 4). That is, the roller brush body 43 that rotates in the feed direction is the ball drop port 3
The golf balls B dropped from 1 are sequentially rolled forward while being sent forward, and are dried by the drying air supplied from the drying fan 45 while removing water with the brush 42.

In the drawing, reference numeral 46 denotes a shower having a pipe structure for injecting and supplying cleaning water for finishing, and 47 denotes a discharge port connected to the end of the drying duct 44.

Next, an example of use of the apparatus of the present invention will be described. Each of the cleaning brushes 25A, 25B,...
When the golf ball B is thrown into the slot 12, the golf ball B is sent into each of the ball passages 21 while being aligned by the throwing alignment roller 15 together with the washing water jetted and supplied by the shower 18. Ball passage 2
The golf ball B fed into the first rotating brush body 25 is rotated by a first rotating brush body 25A and a second rotating brush body 25B, which are rotating along the forwarding direction, in the forward path of the ball path 21 on the downhill. It rolls while being polished, and its feeding direction is changed and fed into the return path by the third rotating brush body 25C at the folded portion 22. Next, in the return path of the ball path 21 having the upward slope, the fourth rotating brush body 25D and the first rotating brush body 25A rotating along the feed direction are rolled while being polished by the respective brushes 28 and rotated. The golf ball B is sent out by a predetermined amount by staying or passing for a predetermined washing time set in the ball passage 21 in accordance with the rotation speed of the brush body 35, and the drying mechanism 40 Let it fall.

At this time, the ball passage 21 is inclined, the brushes 28 of the rotating brush bodies 25A, 25B... Rotate with respect to the linear ball passage 21, and the rotating brush body in the ball passage 21. In combination with the setting of the feed speed by the rotating brush body 35 which is different from the feed by rotation of 25A, 25B..., The polished surface of the golf ball B itself is changed in the left-right direction with respect to the feed direction. It is done. That is, the peripheral surface of the golf ball B to be sent changes randomly, and the polishing by the brush 28 removes the contaminants adhered to the surface of the golf ball B evenly over the entire surface of the golf ball B.

The washing water supplied from the shower 18 into the ball passage 21 is injected into the golf ball B on the outward path of the ball passage 21, and then is discharged into the drain hole 2 of the folded portion 22.
3 and is gradually removed from the surface of the golf ball B during the return path of the ball passage 21.

Golf ball B dropped on drying mechanism 40
Is supplied with the drying air supplied by the drying fan 45 while the cleaning water for the finish is again supplied by the shower 46 and then is rolled and fed on the roller brush bodies 43 set at an ascending gradient. It is dried and discharged from the discharge port 47 into an appropriate storage container.

[0040]

The present invention is configured as described above.
For this reason, the surface of the golf ball B to be cleaned can be polished evenly, and contaminants adhering to the surface can be completely removed,
In addition, in the cleaning and removal process, the rolling and staying speed of the golf ball B in the ball passage 21 is adjusted, so that a cleaning operation corresponding to the degree of contamination can be realized, and a large amount can be continuously processed. .

That is, the cleaning mechanism 1 in the apparatus of the present invention.
0 is a plane substantially parallel to the straight forward path and the return path, which are arranged in parallel at appropriate intervals, and is continuous by the folded portion 22.
A ball passage 21 formed in a character shape, and the ball passage 21
A plurality of cleaning brushes 25A, 25 are arranged so as to cover the ball passage 21 in a state where the rotation direction matches the feed direction of the golf ball B in the above.
B, the golf ball B to be fed in the ball passage 21 can be rolled in a random direction and its surface can be evenly polished by the rotating brush bodies 25A, 25B.

When the golf ball B to be washed is thrown into the slot 12, the washing mechanism 10 aligns the golf ball B and sends it into the ball passage 21, and the rotating brush bodies 25A, 25B. Since the brush 28 rubs and polishes the surface of the golf ball B and drops it from the ball drop hole 31 after polishing, a large amount of the golf ball B
However, it can be easily and continuously processed.

Further, since a rotating brush body 35 for adjusting the speed, which is variable in speed, is provided near the end of the ball passage 21, the discharge speed and the discharge amount of the golf ball B sent from the ball passage 21 are determined. By appropriately setting, the feeding speed and the cleaning speed of the golf ball B in the ball passage 21 can be appropriately adjusted and changed, and can easily correspond to the degree of contamination of the golf ball B to be processed and the processing amount of the golf ball B. It is.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of a cleaning mechanism.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a drying mechanism.

[Explanation of symbols]

B Golf Ball 1 Frame 10 Cleaning Mechanism 11 Cleaning Base 12 Input Port 13 Partition Wall 14 Roller Box 15 Input Alignment Roller 16 Roller Motor 17 Alignment Bar 18 Shower 21 Ball Passage 22 Folding Portion 23 Drain Hole 25A First Rotary Brush Body 25B 2 rotating brush body 25C third rotating brush body 25D fourth rotating brush body 26 brush motor 27 rotating base 28 brush 29 motor stay 31 ball drop port 32 duct 35 rotating brush body for speed adjustment 36 brush motor 37 rotating base 38 brush 39 motor stay 40 drying mechanism 41 roller base 42 brush 43 roller brush body 44 drying duct 45 drying fan 46 shower 47 discharge port

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A golf ball cleaning device having a cleaning mechanism for feeding a loaded golf ball into a groove-shaped ball passage, rubbing it with a brush on the bottom surface of a rotating brush body rotating on the ball passage, and cleaning while rolling. In the apparatus, the cleaning mechanism includes a ball path formed by arranging a straight forward path and a return path in parallel at appropriate intervals and forming a substantially U-shaped plane with a continuous portion between the forward path and the return path by a folded portion. A plurality of cleaning brushes arranged so that at least a semi-circular portion covers the ball passage in a state where the rotation direction matches the golf ball feed direction in the above. A golf ball cleaning device characterized by the above-mentioned. 2. The cleaning mechanism itself includes: a charging port for aligning and charging a golf ball to be cleaned; a ball passage having a substantially U-shape in a plane through which the charged golf ball travels; and a golf ball in the ball passage. A plurality of rotating brush bodies for cleaning, which are arranged on the ball passage so that the brush for rubbing the upper surface is planted on the bottom surface and the rotation direction is along the running direction of the golf ball in the ball passage, and a terminal portion of the ball passage 2. The golf ball cleaning device according to claim 1, further comprising a ball drop opening formed in the opening. 3. A variable speed rotating brush for adjusting and setting a feed speed, a washing speed, a discharge amount, and the like of the golf ball in the ball passage is disposed near an end of the ball passage. The golf ball cleaning device according to claim 1. 4. A cleaning brush body group is a semicircular portion having a rotation direction corresponding to a forward direction and a return direction of a ball passage, respectively, and is substantially entirely so as to straddle a parallel forward path and a return path. A first rotating brush body to be covered, a second rotating brush body to be covered by a semicircular portion that is a rotating direction that matches the feed direction on the outward path, and a semicircular portion that is a rotating direction that matches the folding direction in the folded portion. A third rotating brush body that covers almost the entire U-shaped forward and backward paths of the folded portion, and a fourth rotating brush body that covers a semicircular portion in the rotating direction matching the feed direction on the backward path. 4. The golf ball cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the rotation directions of the first, third and fourth rotating brush bodies and the second and fourth rotating brush bodies are set to be opposite to each other. apparatus.