Technical Field

This invention relates to a ball disinfection cart with UV-C content that provides sterilization frequently and in every respect of all shapes of balls used in sports such as basketball, football, volleyball, tennis, etc.

Background of Invention

Sports is constitutively the evaluating activity of staying healthy, having fun, and using free time. While sports activities are used for basic needs like work and physical education to increase the strength of the body, today it is seen as a social activity, a means of gaining health, a job, or fun.

Ball types are among the most important equipment of many professional and amateur sports. Balls are often used not only in sports competitions but also in games. Especially young children can spend time playing fun games with ball types at home, in the park, school and on the street. In daily life, there are these products used in exercises such as pilates. All ball types are produced in different sizes in accordance with these different usage areas.

The ball is one of the equipment frequently used in sports activities. Balls that are frequently used become dirty and deformed over time. For long-lasting and healthy use, the balls should be washed at routine intervals and the deformed ones should be changed. Due to continuous use, many bacteria, viruses, and other harmful microorganisms can be contaminated on the surface of the balls. Viruses, bacteria, and harmful factors are passed on to humans when the hand, mouth, nose, and eyes are touched after touching the balls that contact the surfaces contaminated with microbes. Since the player frequently touches the surface of the ball, he can inadvertently infect his body with the microorganism. Balls that are used actively in daily life should be cleaned and disinfected. In this way, people playing with the ball are protected from diseases without being exposed to microorganisms. In the current case, the balls used are cleaned with a moist, wet cloth or wet wipe. In the present method, the ball cleaning process is carried out by spraying disinfectant liquid on the ball and wiping the surface of the ball with a towel. However, the fact that the function of wiping the balls continuously during long working periods is tiring and the manual wiping process does not occur homogeneously on the ball cannot create an effective cleaning process. Besides, the surface of the balls is not completely sterile by wiping.

The application originating in China with reference number CN207286609U includes a ball disinfection storage device for sports equipment. The aim of the invention is to provide sterilization of the ball used as sports equipment. For this purpose, the invention; includes a sterilization storage device, disinfection chamber, a dryer, a chassis, and a storage box.

In the invention described above, the sterilization process is provided by oxygen ions and micro-ozone. There are also heating, drying, and ventilation processes for this process. This system, which contains very costly parts for the sterilization of the ball, is also very difficult to perform the disinfection process of the ball on time during the match.

The invention has been developed as a solution to existing problems. This invention is related to the ball disinfection cart that provides sterilization of balls of all shapes and sizes which are frequently used in sports branches such as basketball, football, volleyball, tennis, etc. The invention can immediately sterilize the ball belonging to any sports branch thanks to the UV lamp, since this process takes place in as short as 3-4 seconds, the disinfection process of the balls can be performed quickly during the match.

The subject invention is a UV-C ball disinfection cart that provides effective cleaning without leaving a dead angle on the surface of the ball, it is practical, easy to use, portable, and contains a new technology suitable for every ball size. It is easy to use and long-lasting with its feature that does not require frequent maintenance.

Since the invention has a wheeled structure, it can be easily moved to the desired location. Since the parts that make up the invention are small in size, they do not take up much space in the area used. Besides, it is easy to install thanks to the easy fixation of the parts to each other, and the costs are low due to the short installation time. Since it contains durable materials, the invention has a solid structure. This invention is available to anyone and thus is simple to use.

The structural and characteristic specifications and all the advantages of the invention will be more clearly understood by the following figures and the detailed explanation written with reference to these figures, and therefore this evaluation should be carried out by taking these figures and detailed explanation into consideration.

Auxiliary Figures for the Explanation of Invention

Figure 1 : Rear side perspective view of the ball disinfection cart with UV-C content Figure 2: Front side perspective view of the ball disinfection cart with UV-C content Figure 3: Perspective view of the ball disinfection cart with UV-C content in disassembled state

Figure 4: Planarly opened interior view of the tube of the ball disinfection cart with UV-C content

Auxiliary References for the Explanation of Invention

1. Body

1.1 Entry gap

1.2 Exit gap

1.3 Shelf

2. Handle

3. Tire

3.1 Tire stabilizer

4. Pipe

4.1 Motion sensor 4.2 Linear motor

4.3 Ball slot

5. Brushes

6. UV-C LEDs

7. On/off button

8. Charge input

Description of the Invention

The invention comprises of the pieces of,

• the body (1 ) with iron material, which consists of the entry gap (1.1 ), exit gap (1.2), shelf (1.3), handle (2), tire (3), tire stabilizer (3.1 ), on/off button (7) and charge input (8) on and outside of it, and other parts inside of it,

- the entry gap (1.1), which is the entrance part of the cart where the ball will be thrown, and which is provided with brushes (5) located inside to cover the entrance part of it,

- exit gap (1 .2) that allows the disinfected ball to come out of the hole,

- shelf (1.3) located at the rear of the cart that allows the put of personal equipment (water, towel, thermos, etc.) that hand-held during the match,

• the handle (2), which helps to control the movement of the car and provides balance,

• 4 tires (3) at the total that positioned on the sides of the cart, 2 at front and 2 at the rear,

- tire stabilizer (3.1 ), that located 1 piece on each tire (3), which ensures that the tires (3) are firmly attached to the body (1 ).

• the pipe (4) that disinfects the ball thrown into the cart, - A motion sensor (4.1) that starts the engine by activating as a result of detecting the movement of the ball thrown from the entry gap (1.1 ) to the Pipe (4),

- linear motor (4.2) that allows the thin rod at its end to move back and forth,

- ball slot (4.3) that located at the end of the linear motor (4.2), that able to stand like "c” and reverse "c” shape with the back and forth movement of the motor, keeps the ball by preventing the ball from going to the exit by coming into the shape of "c” during the disinfection process, provides the disinfected ball to reach to the exit by becoming into the shape of reverse "c” after the disinfection process is completed,

• brushes (5) which are located at both entry gap (1.1 ) and exit gap (1.2) that preventing of any material except the ball from entering in accidentally at the entry part, that preventing the ball which is coming from the inclined pipe (4) to hurtle out from the cart,

• UV-C LEDs (6) that each of which sees an angle of 120 degrees and irradiates between 254-280 nm and prevents reproduction and contamination by disrupting the DNA of harmful microorganisms,

• on/off button (7) that has a place at the lower back of the body (1 ) that allows the system to be manually turned on and off,

• charge input (8) that has a place at the lower back of the body (1 ), which enables the battery to be charged for the system to operate.

As seen in Figure 4, the UV-C LEDs (6) are arranged between the holes in the perforated part of the pipe (4), 1 row at every 90 degrees when viewed from below or above in the circle.

By closing the entrance part with the brush (5), the entrance of foreign matter and the leakage of UV-C rays that working inside is prevented during the matches.

At the invention, a motion sensor (4.1 ) that mounted at the lower part of the pipe (4) starts the linear motor (4.2) by sensing the movement of the ball when the ball thrown from he entry gap (1.1) starts moving inside the pipe (4). Ball slot (4.3) holds the ball by preventing movement of the ball towards the exit with the forth and back movement of the working motor, meanwhile, with the activation of the UV-C LEDs (6), the ball is disinfected in a determined time. After the UV-C LEDs (6) turn off, the ball slot (4.3) takes shape of reverse "c”, and the held ball release towards the exit. The speed of the ball is preventing due to the brushes (5) in the exit part and the ball stops at the mouth of the exit so the user can take the ball.

The technical and all other features mentioned in each claim are followed by a reference number, and these reference numbers are used only to facilitate understanding of the claims, therefore they should not be considered as limiting the scope of any of the elements indicated by these reference numbers for exemplary purposes.

It is obvious that a person skilled in the art can demonstrate the novelty revealed in the invention by using similar embodiments and/or can apply this embodiment in other areas of similar purpose used in the art. It is therefore obvious that such embodiments will not accommodate the criterion of overcoming novelty and in particular the known status of art.