A ball lift assembly includes: a housing having an entrance and an exit; a motor which drives a ball lift system; an electronic control unit (ECU); and a plurality of sensors providing signals to the electronic control unit, including: a first sensor which detects a ball entering the lift system through the entrance; and a second sensor which detects the ball exiting the lift system through the exit. The first sensor provides a first signal to the ECU when the first sensor detects the ball entering the lift system through the entrance. The second sensor provides a second signal to the ECU when the second sensor detects the ball exiting the lift system through the exit. The ECU will turn on the motor to drive the ball lift system upon receiving the first signal, and turn off the motor of the ball lift system soon after receiving the second signal, while making sure the ball actually exits the unit.

An appliance for setting up at least one bowling pin. The appliance includes an object recognition device for detecting the bowling pin and an orientation of the bowling pin, wherein the orientation of the bowling pin encompasses a vertical orientation and a horizontal orientation of the bowling pin, at least one robot arm which is designed for gripping and holding the bowling pin and for setting up the bowling pin onto a predefined desired position and a control unit which is designed to evaluate data of the object recognition device and to activate the robot arm in dependence on the predefined desired position of the bowling pin and/or on the detected orientation of the bowling pin.

An appliance for setting up at least one bowling pin. The appliance includes an object recognition device for detecting the bowling pin and an orientation of the bowling pin, wherein the orientation of the bowling pin encompasses a vertical orientation and a horizontal orientation of the bowling pin, at least one robot arm which is designed for gripping and holding the bowling pin and for setting up the bowling pin onto a predefined desired position and a control unit which is designed to evaluate data of the object recognition device and to activate the robot arm in dependence on the predefined desired position of the bowling pin and/or on the detected orientation of the bowling pin.

The personal bowling equipment is an apparatus that allows a child/user to have a personal sports equipment for bowling. The apparatus includes a rectangular flexible mat or a fabric that has two handles or grips at one of the shorter sides of the mat. Accordingly, a ball placed on the mat will spin and roll away from a user, when the user pulls the handles on the mat, in an upward direction. Preferably, the mat or fabric is washable. Further, the length of the grips and the length of the mat or fabric may be personalized and adjusted according to the size of the user. This personalization or length adjustment will enable the user to attain a preferred proficiency in bowling the ball with the personalized bowling equipment. Thus, the bowling equipment aims to provide the experience of bowling for users, especially younger children in the form of a simple equipment.

A bowling ball ramp includes a substantially transparent, generally hollow, tubular stand assembly, a substantially transparent, generally hollow, tubular ramp assembly structurally coupled to the stand assembly, and lighting embedded within at least one of the stand assembly and the ramp assembly. A detection sensor is provided for detecting a bowling ball on the ramp assembly. Electronics activate the lighting to illuminate the stand assembly and/or the ramp assembly in response to the detection sensor detecting the bowling ball on the ramp assembly. The electronics may also activate an audio speaker to produce an audible sound in response to the detection sensor detecting the bowling ball on the ramp assembly. The embedded lighting and/or the audible sound enhance the enjoyment of a bowling experience for a child or handicapped individual using the bowling ball ramp.

A method for controlling a bowling ball return device comprises following steps: detecting, by using one or more sensors, an obstruction inside the bowling ball return device in vicinity of an accelerator belt, turning off, by using processing circuitry, a motor of the accelerator belt of the bowling ball return device and closing, by using the processing circuitry, bowling lanes coupled with the bowling ball return device.

An appliance for setting up at least one bowling pin. The appliance includes an object recognition device for detecting the bowling pin and an orientation of the bowling pin, wherein the orientation of the bowling pin encompasses a vertical orientation and a horizontal orientation of the bowling pin, at least one robot arm which is designed for gripping and holding the bowling pin and for setting up the bowling pin onto a predefined desired position and a control unit which is designed to evaluate data of the object recognition device and to activate the robot arm in dependence on the predefined desired position of the bowling pin and/or on the detected orientation of the bowling pin.

An appliance for setting up at least one bowling pin. The appliance includes an object recognition device for detecting the bowling pin and an orientation of the bowling pin, wherein the orientation of the bowling pin encompasses a vertical orientation and a horizontal orientation of the bowling pin, at least one robot arm which is designed for gripping and holding the bowling pin and for setting up the bowling pin onto a predefined desired position and a control unit which is designed to evaluate data of the object recognition device and to activate the robot arm in dependence on the predefined desired position of the bowling pin and/or on the detected orientation of the bowling pin.

A bowling ball ramp includes a substantially transparent, generally hollow, tubular stand assembly, a substantially transparent, generally hollow, tubular ramp assembly structurally coupled to the stand assembly, and lighting embedded within at least one of the stand assembly and the ramp assembly. A detection sensor is provided for detecting a bowling ball on the ramp assembly. Electronics activate the lighting to illuminate the stand assembly and/or the ramp assembly in response to the detection sensor detecting the bowling ball on the ramp assembly. The electronics may also activate an audio speaker to produce an audible sound in response to the detection sensor detecting the bowling ball on the ramp assembly. The embedded lighting and/or the audible sound enhance the enjoyment of a bowling experience for a child or handicapped individual using the bowling ball ramp.

A customizable housing for a bowling ball return at a bowling lane can be provided. The housing can include a housing body, and a throat defined in the housing body that is sized, dimensioned, or configured to allow for passage of the one or more bowling balls to a retrieval area. The housing further can include one or more customizable, modular, or interchangeable portions of a selected size, dimension, shape, or configuration that are configured to be selectively coupled to the housing body, which portions include a surface or face with one or more selected colors, images, depictions, graphics, themes, finishes, textures, or combinations thereof provided thereon.