Bowling ball with handle

Abstract

In two exemplary embodiments, a bowling ball having a handle formed therein, the handle made by an inset having a cavity within the inset, the cavity having the general shape of the side view of a person's hand with fingers closed toward the person's palm. In a first embodiment, the inset is screwed into the ball. As a variant, the inset is pressed into a hole made in the ball and held in place by action of truncated threads, with force provided by a spring. In a second embodiment, the inset is made with traditional finger holes, and the inset is received by a cavity made to accommodate a bowler's hand.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/502,755, entitled Bowling Ball with Handle, filed on Aug. 14, 2006 which is included herein by reference.

FIELD

This invention relates to sports equipment, and more specifically the invention relates to a bowling ball having a handle.

BACKGROUND

There are an estimated 26 million bowlers in the world. Bowling is a sport that can be practiced by young and old, and is enjoyed by neophytes as well as professionals. However, bowling balls can be quite heavy and cumbersome, especially to those persons who have arthritis of the hands and fingers, as is common for the elderly. Even young persons have difficulty bowling because to the stress placed upon a few fingers when hurling a ball down the alley.

What is needed, but has not yet been invented, prior to this inventor's disclosure below, is a bowling ball that may be used by elderly people or people with impaired grip.

SUMMARY

Therefore in recognition of the need for a bowling ball that is easier to use and to carry, herein is disclosed a bowling ball having a handle that may be easily gripped, the handle being removable or replaceable by means of an inset or a plurality of insets.

In a first embodiment, the handle is formed separately from the bowling ball as an inset, and is inserted into the bowling ball after a portion of the bowling ball is removed to accept the handle. The inset is inserted and held by a plurality of threads made in the inset, which correspond to a plurality of threads in the bowling ball, which are made to engage the threads in the inset. When the handle is integrated with the ball, the ball and handle function as one continuous object; the handle shaped to permit the bowler's hand to easily and comfortably grasp the handle to hold and carry the bowling ball, and yet not interfere unduly with the dynamics of the ball when it rolls. Because the handle is formed as part of the ball, and in lieu of holes normally drilled into a ball, it is not anticipated that the cost of manufacture of a ball with a handle inset will be significantly different from a traditional ball.

In a variant of the first embodiment the inset is made to be quickly installed and removed by a single thread in the inset, which corresponds to a single thread made in the bowling ball.

In a second embodiment, the inset has traditional finger holes. The inset is made to fill and liberate a cavity in the bowling ball. The cavity is made to accommodate a person's hand. The inset is removed to allow a person's hand to fit into the cavity and the inset is installed to permit a person to grip the bowling ball in a traditional manner.

The bowling ball with handle has obvious advantages; the primary advantage is that with the handle even those persons who are physically impaired can enjoy the sport of bowling.

A second advantage is that a bowler does not have to incur the additional expense of acquiring a carrier.

A third advantage is that since the ball and carrier is a single integrated object, the chances of losing the carrier are eliminated.

And a fourth advantage is that the time required to pack or unpack a ball are eliminated; the bowler merely grasps the handle to lift and move the bowling ball.

And finally, with a separate handle that can be added to a bowling ball, it will be appreciated a bowling ball can be easily modified to provide a handle to those bowlers who need or desire such.

Additional objects, advantages, and other novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows and in part will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned with practice of the invention.

To achieve the foregoing and other objectives, and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, a bowling ball having a handle formed therein, the handle made by forming at least one hole within the ball, the hole made to accept and retain a removable inset having a cavity in the general shape of the side view of a person's hand with fingers closed toward the person's palm. And further in accordance with the purpose of the invention, an inset for a bowling ball, the inset made to provide a handle to the bowling ball, the handle made by forming at least one cavity within the inset, the cavity having the general shape of the side view of a person's hand with fingers closed toward the person's palm.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A shows a first embodiment having an inset for making a handle in a bowling ball, with a handle formed in the inset by a cavity in the inset, wherein the cavity has the general shape of the side view of a person's hand with fingers closed toward the person's palm.

FIG. 1B shows the inset having a cavity with a shape similar to that of the side of a person's hand with fingers closed toward the person's palm.

FIG. 1C illustrates a variant, wherein the inset of FIG. 1B may be replaced in a bowling ball with the inset of FIG. 1C.

FIG. 2A shows a variation of the first embodiment wherein the inset is made with a single thread.

FIG. 2B shows a second embodiment, the embodiment comprising an inset made in a bowling ball, wherein the cavity accepting the inset is made to accommodate a person's—the cavity having the shape shown in FIG. 1B, wherein the inset is configured with traditional holes to accept a person's fingers.

FIG. 2C shows a bowling ball with a cavity made within, the cavity configured to accept a bowler's hand. The cavity may be filled with an inset that may have a traditional bowling grip.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A First Embodiment

FIG. 1A shows a preferred embodiment 1000, wherein a handle is formed in the bowling ball 1100 by an inset 1400. Material is removed from the bowling ball 1100 by use of a router or similar tool, to form a hole 1200 in the bowling ball 1000, the hole 1200 having dimensions necessary to accommodate the inset 1400. Preferably, the hole is made with threads 1250 so that the inset 1400, also having threads 1410, may be screwed into the hole 1200. The inset 1400 is made with indents 1430 for engaging a spanner wrench, by which the inset is turned. Optionally, the hole may be made without threads so the inset 1300 is inserted into the hole 1200 and glued or retained by other means.

With reference to FIG. 1B, the inset 1400 is shown, having a single cavity 1350, the cavity 1350 having an entrance 1352 and a termination 1354. The finger's of a bowler's hand are inserted into the entrance 1352 of the cavity 1350, and are cupped inside the cavity 1350, with ends of the person's fingers being received by the termination 1354 of the cavity 1350.

With reference to FIG. 1A, as the ball 1100 rolls, any point on the surface may contact the surface of the bowling alley, including the portion of the ball where the bowler's fingers enter the cavity 1352 forming the handle. Since that portion of the ball's handle is formed without material, when a point in proximity of the handle 1352 contacts the surface of the alley, the ball will drop slightly. However since the ball at the point of contact deviates only slightly from a perfect spheroid, the deviation from a perfect spheroid is very slight so that the rolling characteristics of the ball will be minimally impacted—no more than the affect on the ball from the finger holes in the ball.

When the inset has been inserted into the bowling ball, the inset has been made so the rotational moment of inertia of the ball is uniform, with minimal deviation from that of a standard bowling ball without the inset. The method of varying the material properties are selected from a set of methods comprising: (1) varying the density of the composite material from which the ball is formed, or (2) adding weights to compensate for material that is removed to form the handle to accept the inset.

With reference to FIG. 1C, the invention may also comprise a second inset 1300, the second inset used to replace the inset shown in FIG. 1A or FIG. 1B.

A Variant of the First Embodiment

With reference to FIG. 2A, the inset 2400 has a single truncated thread 2450 rather than a plurality of threads as shown in FIG. 1A. In this variant the inset 1400 has a spring 2470, which rests under the inset 2400, and against the bottom of the hole 2200 made in the ball, therefore the spring 2470 exerts an upward pressure against the inset 2400. To install the inset 2400, the inset is pressed down into the ball with the spring 2470 beneath. The inset 2400 is turned with a spanner wrench engaging indents 2430 in the inset 2400. The inset is pressed down until the single thread 2450 is below the truncated thread 2250 in the hole 2200. The inset is turned so that the thread in the inset 2450 rides beneath the thread 2250 in the hole. The pressure exerted by the spring 2470 keeps the inset locked in place.

A Second Embodiment

With reference to FIG. 2B, the inset 2400 has a single truncated thread 2440 rather than a plurality of threads as shown in FIG. 1A. In this variant the inset 2400 has a spring 2470, which rests under the inset 2400, and against the bottom of the hole 2200 made in the ball, therefore the spring 2470 exerts an upward pressure against the inset 2400. To install the inset 2400, the inset is pressed down into the ball with the spring 2470 beneath. The inset 2400 is turned with a spanner wrench engaging indents 2430 in the inset 2400. The inset is pressed down until the single thread 2450 is below the truncated thread 2250 in the hole 2200. The inset is turned so that the thread in the inset 2450 rides beneath the thread 2250 in the hole. The pressure exerted by the spring 2470 keeps the inset locked in place.

Again, with reference to FIG. 2B, the inset 2400 is made having traditional finger-holes 2450. The cavity 2200 made in the bowling ball 2100 is made in the shape shown in FIG. 2C. Therefore, if a traditional bowling grip is used, the inset shown in FIG. 2B is inserted. If a hand grip is used, the inset in FIG. 2B is removed.

DISCLOSURE SUMMARY

The foregoing description of two embodiments of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications or variation are possible in the light of the above teachings. Modification to the size and dimensional relations of parts of the invention can obviously be made in response to varying hand sizes and age of bowlers. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the following claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally and equitably entitled.

Claims

1. A bowling ball having an inset made as a handle, the inset formed to accommodate a hand, the inset comprising a hollow volume made within the bowling ball, the inset formed in the shape of a hand with fingers curled toward the palm of the hand accommodated, wherein the inset may be removed.

2. An inset for a bowling ball, the inset for making an integrated handle within the bowling ball, the inset made to accommodate a hand, the inset comprising a hollow volume, the hollow volume formed in the shape of a hand with fingers curled toward the palm of the accommodated hand.

3. The bowling ball of claim 1, further including a replacement inset, wherein the inset may be replaced by the replacement inset, wherein the replacement has holes comprising a traditional bowling grip.