WO2016030155A1

WO2016030155A1 - Cleaning tool

Info

Publication number: WO2016030155A1
Application number: PCT/EP2015/067984
Authority: WO
Inventors: Luca CARASSALE
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-08-26
Filing date: 2015-08-04
Publication date: 2016-03-03
Anticipated expiration: 2017-02-26

Abstract

Cleaning tool comprising -) a substantially flat base (10) of foldable material having on its inner surface (10a) relative coupling means (11) of the male/female type; -) a cloth (20) in turn provided with female/male coupling means (21) which are arranged opposite the means (11) of the base (10), complement them and are of the same type so as to allow reversible fastening of the cloth (20) to the base (10); -) a magnetic element (12) arranged along each of the opposite longitudinal-end edges (10b) of the base (10) and designed to be coupled with the opposite magnetic element so as to allow the tool to be closed once folded along a transverse folding line (P); said magnetic elements (12) being designed to attract and retain magnetic metallic elements (40) against the outer surface of the base surface and at least one pocket (30) for containing auxiliary means (31), formed in at least one of the two halves of the base surface (10) and with a transverse extension and length such that the latter is contained within the two opposite longitudinal edges of the said base surface.

Description

CLEANING TOOL

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a cleaning tool.

It is known in the technical sector relating to the sporting practice of the game of golf that there exists the need to keep the ball always clean in order to ensure both rolling precision when in contact with the ground (in particular on the green) and precision of its trajectory when in flight, said rolling and flight precision being prone to alteration if dirt is present on the external surface of the ball.

It is also known that the players or their caddies usually carry a cloth for cleaning the ball when necessary; this practice, however, is not particularly liked since it means that it is required to keep a moist cloth in one's pocket which becomes increasingly dirtier with use, soiling the trousers with an unattractive effect and consequent need for frequent washing.

In addition, it is also known that the player must have always available in his/her pockets various tools which are constantly used during the various stages of the game; these tools include in particular ball markers (namely metal disks used to mark the landing point of the ball so that it may be removed) and the so-called divot fork (or tool used to rearrange the turf after removing the ball) .

Golf players do not like carrying these tools loose inside their pockets because they may interfere with a correct movement of the club and therefore influence the trajectory and speed of the ball in addition to soiling the inside of the pocket.

Also known from WO 2007/082375 is a cleaning cloth formed by two layers, i.e. an absorbent inner layer and a waterproof outer layer, which are hermetically and irreversibly fastened together with magnets arranged in between for sealed closure after folding the cloth onto itself .

US 6,226,827 also discloses moist cleaning cloths associated with waterproof foldable containers; the moist internal cloth, when removable, is oriented in a transverse direction parallel to the folding direction so as to reduce the dimensions and allow insertion inside the player's pocket.

The preamble of Claim 1 is based on this document.

These known devices do not allow, however, the said devices which are useful for the player during the course of a game to be transported as a single tool. The technical problem which is posed, therefore, is to provide a tool which is designed to clean small-size objects, such as golf balls, and which has small dimensions so that it may be kept in a pocket and does not soil the player's trousers.

In connection with this problem it is also required that this tool should be easy and inexpensive to produce and assemble and be easily transportable and allow easy replacement of the dirty cloth with a clean one.

In addition it is desirable that the tool should allow the devices which the player uses during the course of the game to be combined in a single body.

These results are obtained according to the present invention by a cleaning tool according to the characteristic features of Claim 1.

Further details may be obtained from the following description of a non-limiting example of embodiment of the subject of the present invention, provided with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 : shows a plan view of a first example of embodiment of the cleaning tool according to the present invention, in the open condition;

Figure 2 : shows a cross-section along the plane II-II of the tool according to Fig. 1 ;

Figure 3 : shows a plan view of the cleaning tool according to Fig. 1, in the closed condition; Figure 4 : shows a cross-section along the plane IV- IV of the cleaning tool according to Fig. 3;

Figure 5 : shows a plan view of a second example of embodiment of the cleaning tool according to the present invention, in the open condition;

Figure 6: shows a cross-section along the plane VI -VI of the tool according to Fig. 5;

Figure 7 : shows a plan view of the cleaning tool according to Fig. 5, in the closed condition;

Figure 8 : shows a cross-section along the plane VIII- VIII of the cleaning tool according to Fig. 5;

Figure 9: shows a plan view of the cleaning tool according to Fig. 1, open with accessories inserted inside special pockets; and

Figure 10 : shows a plan view of the cleaning tool according to Fig. 9, in the closed condition.

As shown in Fig. 1 and assuming solely for the sake of easier description, without any limiting meaning, a pair of reference axes in a longitudinal direction X-X, corresponding to the greater dimension or length, and transverse direction Y-Y, corresponding to the smaller dimension or width, the cleaning device according to the invention substantially comprises:

-) a substantially flat base 10 made of soft foldable and preferably waterproof material; the inner surface 10a of the base is provided with a plurality, preferably pairs, of relative coupling means 11 of the male/female type; in preferred embodiments these relative coupling means are of the automatic button, Velcro® or similar type.

Preferably said coupling means 11 are arranged at different distances from the transverse longitudinal-end edges 10b of the base surface so as to limit the thickness of the tool as will be clarified in greater detail below;

a magnetic element 12 is arranged along each of the opposite longitudinal-end edges 10b of the base 10 and is designed to be coupled with the opposite magnetic element so as to allow the tool to be closed once folded along a transverse folding line P substantially central in the longitudinal direction;

-) a cloth 20 in turn provided with female/male coupling means 21 which are arranged opposite the means 11 of the base 10, complement them and are of the same type so as to allow reversible fastening of the cloth 20 to the base 10. Preferably the cloth is made of microfiber as schematically shown in Fig. 9.

With this configuration operation of the cleaning tool according to the invention is as follows: - the base 10 is opened flat in the longitudinal direction;

- if required, the cloth 20 is moistened in order to increase its cleaning capacity;

- the cloth 20 is applied to the base by means of the relative coupling means 11,21;

- the surface 10 is closed in the longitudinal direction by folding it along the transverse folding line P until the magnetic elements 12, being attracted together, come into contact, thus ensuring closure of the tool; once the tool is closed, the asymmetrical position in the longitudinal direction of the coupling means 11,21 avoids that they are arranged superimposed one over the other, thus allowing the overall thickness of the tool to be kept small.

- following the reduction in its dimensions the tool may be placed inside a pocket of the player's trousers .

As shown in Figs. 5-8 an embodiment of the cleaning tool according to the present invention is envisaged where at least one pocket 30 is formed in one of the two halves of the base surface 10; preferably the pocket extends in the transverse direction Y-Y and its length is contained within the two opposite longitudinal edges of the said base surface; as shown in Figs 9-10, the pocket is designed to contain at least one divot fork 31, this tool being always needed during the course of a game. The divot fork 31 is preferably provided with a gripping tab 31a projecting transversely from the pocket 30 so as to facilitate extraction thereof.

Owing to the configuration and the orientation of the pocket 30, the divot fork can be extracted by means of the tab 31a even when the tool is closed, this being a particularly favourable and convenient feature for the player .

Since the magnets have opposite polarity in order to allow the tool to be closed, a concatenated magnetic flux is also formed on the outside of the tool, this allowing to also hold attached to the tool (Figs. 7, 10), one or more ball markers 40 for marking the position of the ball, when it is picked up for cleaning. Preferably, the ball markers 40 are made of metallic material so they may be arranged on the outer surface of the base surface 10 opposite the location of the magnetic elements 12 and be retained by the latter so that they cannot be accidentally detached.

With this solution it is also possible to remove and reposition the ball marker on either one of the two side faces of the base 10 even when the tool is inside a pocket, making it easy for the player to use the ball marker 40 without having to extract the tool from the pocket .

It is therefore clear how the cleaning tool according to the invention is particularly suitable for the game of golf since it is always available inside the player's pocket, being equipped with cloths which may be easily replaced, being waterproof and therefore designed to avoid soiling the player's trousers; furthermore it may incorporate accessories which are useful for the player and may also be used on the green where the golf-bag is not close by and where the player must have within easy reach, but all together in one place, the means needed to play the game correctly.

It is pointed out, however, that, although described in connection with an example of application for practising the game of golf, the tool, owing to its easy portability characteristics, may equally well be also used in other applications, for example for cleaning skiing glasses should they become misted up, or similar applications .

Although described in connection with a number of embodiments and a number of preferred examples of embodiment of the invention, it is understood that the scope of protection of the present patent is determined solely by the claims below.

Claims

1. Cleaning tool comprising:

- a substantially flat base (10) of foldable material provided on its inner surface (10a) with relative coupling means (11) of the male/female type;

a cloth (20) in turn provided with female/male coupling means (21) which are arranged opposite the means (11) of the base (10), complement them and are of the same type so as to allow reversible fastening of the cloth (20) to the base (10);

characterized in that it comprises

- a magnetic element (12) arranged along each of the opposite longitudinal-end edges (10b) of the base (10) and designed to be coupled with the opposite magnetic element so as to allow the tool to be closed once folded along a transverse folding line (P) ,

and in that

said magnetic elements (12) are designed to attract and retain magnetic metallic elements (40) against the outer surface of the base

and in that

it comprises at least one pocket (30) for containing auxiliary means (31), formed in at least one of the two halves of the base (10) and extending transversely such that its length is contained within the two opposite longitudinal edges of the said base.

2. Tool according to Claim 1, characterized in that said base surface (10) is waterproof.

3. Tool according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said coupling means (11) are arranged at different distances from the transverse longitudinal-end edges (10b) of the base surface (10) .

4. Tool according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said mutual coupling means (11,

21) are of the automatic button, Velcro® or similar type .

5. Tool according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said transverse folding line (P) of the base surface (10) is substantially central in the longitudinal direction with respect to said surface (10) .

6. Tool according to any preceding claim, characterized in that said cloth (20) is made of microfiber.

7. Tool according to any Claim 1-6, characterized in that said pocket (30) extends in the transverse direction (Y-Y) with a length contained within the two opposite longitudinal edges of the base surface and designed to contain a divot fork (31) .

8. Tool according to any preceding claim, characterized in that said metallic element comprises one or more ball markers (40) for marking the position of the ball.