JPH0738887B2 - Golf ball automatic washing machine - 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 automatic washing machine for automatically washing a golf ball.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A golf ball washing machine for automatically washing dirty golf balls one by one while playing on a course has already existed, for example, Jikkoku Sho 63-2059.
No. 57/152171.

[0003]

The conventional washing machine cannot completely clean the dimples on the entire circumferential surface of the golf ball until it reaches the dimples. It is an object of the present invention to provide a golf ball automatic washing machine capable of doing the above.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, a brush device for rubbing the surface of a golf ball, and cleaning water is supplied to the ball during the rubbing process by this device. A cleaning water supply device for supplying the cleaning water and a drive control device for operating the supply device and the brush device are provided. In the brush device, the upright support members are arranged side by side on the base member so as to support them. A pair of main brush rollers for rubbing the sides of the golf ball are laid between the members at substantially horizontal required intervals, and one side of the lower part of the ball is supported at the lower position of these rollers. An auxiliary brush roller for supporting the roller is installed substantially parallel to the roller, and a guide support rod for supporting the other side portion of the lower part of the ball is installed obliquely at a position adjacent to the support roller. One end of the support rod is to be slanted outwardly, and a kick mechanism is provided on the lower side of the support rod for kicking up the ball toward the higher side of the support rod. After the lowering operation, the structure is provided with a passage for taking out the golf ball, which was guided by the supporting rod and fell down, to the outside of the machine, and the cleaning water supply device causes the cleaning water to flow out to a required position. And a filter device for filtering the used cleaning water, a tank for containing the filtered cleaning water, and a pump for pumping the cleaning water in the tank to the conduit, Further, the drive unit is provided with devices such as a motor and a control circuit for causing the main brush roller, the auxiliary brush roller, the kick mechanism, and the support guide rod to perform a required operation.

[0005]

The main brush roller, the auxiliary brush roller and the guide support rod hold the periphery of the golf ball, and the pair of main brush rollers are arranged at an interval that allows the golf ball to pass in the vertical direction. Since the ball is set, the ball is held as described above simply by dropping it from above toward the main brush rollers.

When the drive control device is operated, the main brush roller and the auxiliary brush roller are rotated to rub the peripheral surface of the golf ball and the cleaning water supply device is operated to supply cleaning water to the ball. In addition to actuating, the kick mechanism also actuated and rolled to the lower side of the guide support rod by its own weight, kicked the ball to the higher side of the support rod and rolled again. It works by repeatedly kicking the same ball many times. On the other hand, the cleaning water supply device is activated to supply the cleaning water to the ball. As a result, the ball rotates in various directions, and the entire surface of the ball is evenly cleaned. At this time, the cleaning water after removing the dirt on the ball is filtered by a filter device and is circulated.

When this operation is continued for a certain period of time, the main brush roller and the auxiliary brush roller are automatically rotated by the operation of the drive controller while the main brush roller and the auxiliary brush roller are rotated, and the golf ball is drained. Is done.

After a certain period of time has passed, the drive control device is actuated to automatically stop the rotation of the main brush roller and the auxiliary brush roller, and the higher end of the guide support rod descends outward. To be done. As a result, the golf ball is guided by the auxiliary brush roller and the guide support rod and rolls down along them along with the force of gravity, and is taken out through the passage to the outside of the machine.

[0009]

1 to 4 relate to an embodiment of a washing machine according to the present invention, FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view, FIG. 2 is an overall plan view, and FIG. 3 is a front view showing a part of a drive controller. FIG. 4 is a view seen from the rear.

As shown in the figure, the washing machine according to the present invention is a brush device 1 for rubbing the surface of a golf ball b. In the process of rubbing the peripheral surface of the golf ball b with the brush device 1, the brush device 1 is used. It comprises a cleaning water supply device 2 for supplying the cleaning water w to the air conditioner, and a drive control device 3 for operating the supply device 2 and the brush device 1.

Here, the brush apparatus 1 has standing support members 5a and 5b arranged side by side on the base member 4 so as to face each other, and the side portions of the golf ball b are rubbed between these support members 5a and 5b. Pair of main brush rollers 6a, 6b for
Of the rollers 6a, 6b are installed in parallel with each other at a substantially horizontal required interval (having a dimension about the diameter of the ball b).
An auxiliary brush roller 7 for supporting one side part of the lower part of the ball b at a lower position of the same is installed substantially in parallel with the rollers 6a and 6b, and at a position adjacent to the auxiliary brush roller 7 of the lower part of the ball b. A guide support rod 8 for supporting the other side portion is installed obliquely, and its higher end portion 8a descends downward toward the diagonal side outward by a mechanism described below by a mechanism described below. A kick mechanism 9 for kicking up the ball b toward the higher side of the support rod 8 is provided at a position near the support member 6a on the lower side of the guide support rod 8. A path is provided for taking out the golf ball, which has been provided and guided by the support rod after the descent operation, and which has fallen down to the outside of the machine.

In this embodiment, the auxiliary brush roller 7 is not shorter than the brush hairs of the main brush rollers 6a and 6b, and its rotation generates a feeding force for feeding the golf ball b to the support member 6b side. In order to do so, brush hair is planted in a spiral shape. Further, in order to form a passage for taking out the rubbed golf ball b to the outside of the machine, a through hole 10 through which the ball b should pass and a guide member 11 for guiding the same to the through hole 10 are formed in the support member 5a. The ball b, which is provided and guided by the lowered guide support member 8, passes through the through hole 10 through the guide member 11 and falls to the outside of the support member 6a by its own weight. Note that this is an example, and instead of this, for example, the ball b may be dropped below the guide support member 8 and then guided to the outside of the machine through an appropriate passage. Further, the kick mechanism 9 is configured such that a disk body 9a having a protrusion e on its peripheral edge is fixed to the end portion of the auxiliary brush roller 7 on the side of the support member 6a.

Therefore, the mechanism for lowering the guide support rod 8 is as follows. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the lower end portion 8b of the support rod 8 is inserted into a relatively large through hole provided in the support member 6a and is formed on a support fitting 12 fixed to the support member 6a. The bearing holes 12a are shaped so as to be supported. On the other hand, the higher end 8a is supported by the bearing hole of the support arm 14 which is swingably fixed to the support member 5a via the shaft 13 as shown in FIG. The support arm 14 is provided with a locking projection 14a and a spring 15 for urging the arm 14 in the arrow direction f1. A locking arm 17 is swingably fixed to the support member 5a via a shaft 16, and a bent portion 17a for hooking the locking projection 14a is provided midway in the longitudinal direction.
To provide. Reference numeral 18 is a spring for pulling the locking arm 16 to the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 4, and reference numeral 19 is a support member 6a for enabling the lowering operation of the guide support rod 8.
Is a cutout provided in the support member 6a, 6
Reference numeral 21 denotes a drive shaft that is installed between the two b's.
The support arm 1 is a winding drum fixed to the end of the support arm 1.
It is assumed that the chain 22 connected to the tip of 4 is wound up.
In such a mechanism, the operation is performed as follows: the winding drum 21 winds the chain 20 by the rotation of the drive shaft 20, and the support in the position shown by the solid line in FIG. Arm 14 is a virtual line k1
Is moved to the position of the locking projection 14a.
In the swinging process, it pushes the locking arm 16 and reaches the bent portion 16a, which causes the support arm 14 to move along the imaginary line k1.
When the locking arm 16 is oscillated to the position of the imaginary line k2, the locking protrusion 14a hooked on the bent portion 16a is released, and thereby the position of the imaginary line k1 is locked. The stopped support arm 14 becomes free and is returned to the position indicated by the solid line in FIG. 4 by the force of the spring 15.

The cleaning water supply device 2 is provided with a conduit 23 for supplying the cleaning water to the position of the golf ball b being rubbed by the brush device 1, a filter device 24 for filtering the used cleaning water, and a filter. A tank 25 for accommodating the cleaned water and a pump 26 for pumping the cleaning water in the tank 25 to the conduit 23 are provided. In this embodiment, two nozzle holes a1 and a2 are formed at the tip of the conduit 23, and the cleaning water supplied from each nozzle hole a1 and a2 is in contact with each of the main brush rolls 6a and 6b and the golf ball b. It is set to be jetted toward.
Further, the filter device 24 is provided with a tray 27 that covers the entire lower surface of the brush device 1, and a sponge plate 28 as a filter is pushed into the inside of the tray 27 so that the filtered cleaning water reaching the bottom of the tray 27 is stored in the tank 25. It is supposed to be flowed into.

The drive control device 3 includes a main brush roller 6a,
6b, the auxiliary brush roller 7, the kick mechanism 9, and the guide support rod 8 are provided with devices such as a motor and a control circuit for performing required operations. Specifically, the following is performed. . That is, the two motors 29 and 30, the electromagnetic device 31, and the two limit switches 32 and 33 are provided in the same body as the base member 4, and the main brush roller 6a is provided.
The two sprockets 34 and 35 are fixed to the shaft end of the pump, the two sprockets 36 and 37 are fixed to the shaft end of the other main brush roller 6b, and the sprocket 38 is also fixed to the drive shaft of the pump 26. Then, the sprocket 39 is fixed to the output shaft 29a of the motor 29, and the sprocket 3 and the sprocket 34 are connected to each other.
5 and sprocket 37 and sprocket 3
An endless chain 40, 41, 42 is wound around each of the 6 and the sprocket 38. Further, another sprocket 43 is fixed to the shaft of the main brush roller 6a, and a support shaft 44 is projectingly provided on the inner surface side of the support member 6a.
Two sprockets 4 integrally formed on the support shaft 44
5 and 46 are rotatably mounted, and a sprocket 47 is fixed to the shaft of the auxiliary brush roller 7. Then, endless chains 48 and 49 are wound around the sprocket 43 and the sprocket 45 and between the sprocket 46 and the sprocket 47, respectively. When the output shaft 29a of the motor 29 is rotated, the main brush rollers 6a, 6b and the auxiliary brush roller 7 are rotated in the same direction and at substantially the same peripheral speed, and the auxiliary brush roller 7 is rotated at a relatively low peripheral speed. It is supposed to be rotated. A clutch member 50 for switching the connection state between the drive shaft and the pump 26 to the non-connection state is provided in the middle of the drive shaft of the pump 26, and the clutch member 50 and the output member of the electromagnetic device 31 are provided around a fulcrum 51. The clutch member 50 is interlocked and coupled via the swingable lever 52, and the clutch member 50 is switched by the on / off control of the electric power supply to the electromagnetic device 31, and the limit switch 32 does not apply the load acting on the guide support rod 8. It shall be possible to detect that the size exceeds a certain size. A gear portion 53 is formed at the tip of the output shaft of the motor 30, and the gear portion 53 meshes with a gear 54 fixed to the end portion of the drive shaft 20. This drive shaft 20
The cam 55 is fixed to the limit switch 33
When the cam 55 rotates by a certain angle, it is detected by the limit switch 33. Further, a control circuit 56 is provided which is operated in association with the limit switches 32, 33, which allows the motor 29,
30 and the electromagnetic device 31 are appropriately controlled. In this case, the power source for driving the motors 29, 30 may be a power line, a storage battery, or a solar cell.

Although not shown in the drawings, the product of the present invention is entirely covered with a cover. In this case, the brush device 1 is provided with an insertion opening for the golf ball b, and the support member 6 is provided.
A hole for taking out the ball, which coincides with the through hole 10, is provided at a portion along the outside of b.

When using the product of the present invention configured as described above, the product is installed in the middle of the course or is carried in a cart. Then, when cleaning a dirty golf ball, it is dropped from above the brush device 1 toward the central portion thereof, whereby the main brush rollers 6a, 6b cover the side portion of the ball b and assist the ball. The brush roller 7 and the guide support rod 8 support the bottom of the ball b. At this time, since the support arm 14 is in the position indicated by the solid line in FIG. 4, the guide support rod 8 is in the state of being held in the position indicated by the solid line in FIG. When the guide support rod 8 supports the dropped ball b, the load actuates the limit switch 32, and in response to this, the motor 29 starts rotating. As a result, the main brush roller 6a,
6b and the auxiliary brush roller 7 rotate,
The ball b receives the rotational force of these rollers 6a, 6b, 7 and rotates in a rotating state. This ball b
The kick mechanism 9 is driven by the action of the helical brush hair of the auxiliary brush roller 7 in the longitudinal direction and the action of the guide support rod 8 in the inclined state to give the lower rolling force.
When it reaches the kick mechanism 9, it is bounced off by the protrusion e of the disk body 9a and moved upward along the inclination of the guide support rod 8 to move the same while the motor 29 is rotating. Repeatedly, the ball b is evenly rubbed by the brush rollers 6a, 6b and 7 on its peripheral surface. On the other hand, the pump 26 is driven by the motor 29, and the cleaning water in the tank 25 is supplied from the tip of the conduit 17 toward the ball b. The cleaning water thus supplied, together with the rubbing action of the brush device 1, effectively cleans and removes dirt such as mud attached to the balls b. After this, the wash water falls on the filter 28, where it is filtered and then the tank 2
It flows into 5 and is recycled.

When such processing is carried out for a fixed time (for example, several tens of seconds), the electromagnetic device 31 is turned on and operated by the operation of the timer of the drive control device 36, the clutch member 50 is displaced, and the rotation of the pump 26 is stopped. To be done. However, even during this period, the main brush rollers 6a and 6b and the auxiliary brush roller 7 are still driven, so that the water adhering to the ball b is spattered by the centrifugal force and the ball is drained.

After a certain time (for example, several tens of seconds) has passed, the motor 29 is stopped and the other motor 30 is started to operate. As a result, the winding drum 21 is rotated via the drive shaft 20, the chain 22 is wound, and the support arm 14 is oscillated and displaced obliquely downward. Then, when the support arm 14 reaches the position of the imaginary line k1, the cam 55 rotationally displaced together with the drive shaft 20 activates the limit switch 33, and the operation of the motor 30 is stopped.
In this case, the guide support rod 8 is in a state shown by an imaginary line k in FIG. 2, and the end 8a which has been higher until then is lower than the other end 8b. Therefore, the ball b is guided by the guide support rod 8 to roll and move toward the support member 8a by gravity, and further guided by the guide member 11 to pass through the through hole 10 and is taken out of the machine.

After that, when the locking arm 16 is rocked to the position of the imaginary line k2, the support arm 14 is moved to the locking arm 16.
4 is released, and the spring 15 returns to the position indicated by the solid line in FIG. 4, so that each part is ready for the next cleaning of the ball b. This time the locking arm 1
It is preferable that the swinging operation of 6 is automatically performed by providing an operating mechanism that operates in association with the ball b taken out of the machine.

[0021]

As described above, according to the present invention, an effective cleaning process can be automatically performed by simply dropping the ball to an appropriate position. In addition to allowing the water to be drained, the same cleaning water can be used for a long time by filtering the cleaning water with a filter and circulating it.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an overall plan view of the same washing machine.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing a drive control device portion of the washing machine.

FIG. 4 is a view of the washing machine viewed from the rear.

[Explanation of symbols]

 b golf ball 1 brush device 2 wash water supply device 3 drive control device 6a and 6b main brush roller 7 auxiliary brush roller 8 guide support rod 9 kick mechanism 17 conduit 24 filter device

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A brush device for rubbing the surface of a golf ball, a cleaning water supply device for supplying cleaning water toward the ball being rubbed by the device, and a supply device and a brush device. In the brush device, the upright support members are arranged side by side on the base member so as to face each other, and the side portions of the ball are rubbed between the support members. A pair of main brush rollers for substantially horizontal installation at a required horizontal interval, and an auxiliary brush roller for supporting one side of the lower part of the ball at the lower position of these rollers is installed substantially parallel to the rollers. In addition, a guide support rod for supporting the other side of the lower part of the ball is installed diagonally at a position adjacent to the auxiliary brush roller, and the higher end of the guide support bar descends obliquely outward. What is done None and provided with a kick mechanism on the lower side of the support rod for kicking the ball toward the higher side of the support rod, and is guided by the support rod after the descent operation to roll down. An automatic golf ball washing machine characterized in that a passage for taking out the golf ball from the machine is provided.