PORTABLE BOWLING SYSTEM AND METHOD OF USE

Abstract

The present invention relates to a portable bowling system and method of use thereof. The portable bowling system may have a frame from which bowling pins are suspended above a playing surface. The playing surface may be an uneven playing surface. A ball catcher may also be configured on the playing surface whereby the frame is configured between the ball catcher and a player. A player may insert their thumb into a thumb hole of a bowling ball and two of their fingers into finger holes of the bowling ball. The player may roll the bowling ball towards the frame whereby the bowling ball contacts one or more of the bowling pins. The bowling pins may fall to the playing surface. The bowling ball may pass beyond the frame and be stopped within the ball catcher.

Claims

1. A portable bowling system comprising: a frame comprising: a crossbar; two frame posts connected to the crossbar; two feet, each foot being connected to a frame post; pin arms extending from the crossbar; bowling pins removably connected to the pin arms, whereby one bowling pin is removably connected to each pin arm; a ball catcher comprising: a front crossbar; a rear crossbar; flaps extending from the front crossbar; and a bowling ball, wherein the frame and ball catcher are configured on a playing surface whereby the bowling pins hang above the playing surface when removably connected to the pin arms, wherein the frame is configured between the ball catcher and a player, wherein the player rolls the bowling ball towards the frame whereby the bowling ball contacts at least some of the bowling pins, whereby the at least some of the bowling pins are detached from their respective pin arms and fall to the playing surface, wherein the bowling ball contacts the flaps of the ball catcher, wherein the flaps of the ball catcher create frictional drag on the bowling ball whereby the bowling ball is slowed by the flaps, and wherein the flaps move to allow the bowling ball to pass beyond the flaps.

2. The portable bowling system of claim 1, wherein the flaps are non-rigid sheets.

3. The portable bowling system of claim 1, wherein the bowling ball contacts the rear crossbar of the ball catcher after passing beyond the flaps, whereby the bowling ball is redirected back towards the flaps, wherein the bowling ball contacts the flaps, whereby the flaps stop the bowling ball from exiting the ball catcher.

4. The portable bowling system of claim 1, wherein the frame posts are connected to the crossbar by angled bars, wherein one angled bar is configured between each frame post and the crossbar.

5. The portable bowling system of claim 1, wherein the playing surface is an even playing surface.

6. The portable bowling system of claim 1, wherein the playing surface is an uneven playing surface.

7. The portable bowling system of claim 1, wherein the number of bowling pins is 3 or more.

8. The portable bowling system of claim 1, wherein the number of bowling pins is 6 or more.

9. The portable bowling system of claim 1, wherein the number of bowling pins is 10 or more.

10. The portable bowling system of claim 1, further comprising two foot ends configured on each foot, wherein each foot end is configured to rotate about its respective foot independently of the other foot ends, and wherein rotating the foot ends about their respective causes the frame to be adjusted vertically relative to the playing surface.

11. The portable bowling system of claim 1, wherein each pin arm comprises: a crossbar end connected to the crossbar; and a pin end removably connected to a bowling pin, and wherein each bowling pin comprises: a pin arm end removably connected to the pin end of its respective pin arm; and a hanging end that hangs above the playing surface when the bowling pin is removably connected to its respective pin arm.

12. The portable bowling system of claim 11, wherein a pin magnet is configured within the pin arm end of each bowling pin, wherein a pin arm magnet is configured within the pin end of each pin arm, wherein the pin magnets and pin arm magnets are of opposite polarity, wherein the pin arm end of each bowling pin contacts the pin end of a pin arm to removably connect a bowling pin to each pin arm.

13. The portable bowling system of claim 11, wherein a suction cup is configured at the pin end of each pin arm, wherein the pin arm end of each bowling pin contacts the suction cup of each pin arm to removably connect a bowling pin to each pin arm.

14. The portable bowling system of claim 1, wherein the bowling ball comprises: a thumb hole; and pairs of finger holes arranged in a pattern around the bowling ball.

15. The portable bowling system of claim 14, wherein the pairs of finger holes comprise: a pair of small finger holes a pair of medium finger holes; and a pair of large finger holes, wherein the medium finger holes are larger than the small finger holes, and wherein the large finger holes are larger than the medium finger holes.

16. The portable bowling system of claim 15, wherein the small finger holes each have a diameter in the range of 0.65 in - 0.77 in, inclusive of said values, wherein the medium finger holes each have a diameter in the range of 0.72 in -0.85 in, inclusive of said values, and wherein the large finger holes each have a diameter in the range of 0.82 in -0.9 in, inclusive of said values.

17. The portable bowling system of claim 15, further comprising: a pair of extra small finger holes; and a pair of extra large finger holes, wherein the extra small finger holes are smaller than the small finger holes, and wherein the extra large finger holes are larger than the large finger holes.

18. The portable bowling system of claim 17, wherein the extra small finger holes each have a diameter of 0.675 in or less, and wherein the extra large finger holes each have a diameter in the range of 0.85 in - 0.95 in, inclusive of said values.

19. A method of playing a bowling game, comprising: providing the bowling system of claim 14; configuring the frame and ball catcher on a playing surface; providing a first player; providing a second player; the first player inserting their thumb into the thumb hole of the bowling ball and two of their fingers into one of the pairs of finger holes; the first player rolling the bowling ball towards the pins, whereby the bowling ball contacts one or more of the bowling pins whereby said one or more of the bowling pins are detached from their respective pin arms and fall to the playing surface, and whereby the bowling ball is stopped within the ball catcher; re-connecting the bowling pins to their respective pin arms; retrieving the bowling ball from the ball catcher; the second player inserting their thumb into the thumb hole of the bowling ball and two of their fingers into one of the pairs of finger holes; and the second player rolling the bowling ball towards the pins, whereby the bowling ball contacts one or more of the bowling pins whereby said one or more of the bowling pins are detached from their respective pin arms and fall to the playing surface, and whereby the bowling ball is stopped within the ball catcher.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the playing surface is an even playing surface.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the playing surface is an uneven playing surface.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0028] FIG. 1 is a front right perspective view of a frame of a portable bowling system.

[0029] FIG. 2 is a front view of a frame of a portable bowling system.

[0030] FIG. 3 is a top view of a frame of a portable bowling system.

[0031] FIG. 4 is a right-side view of a frame of a portable bowling system.

[0032] FIG. 5 is a top view of a ball catcher of a portable bowling system.

[0033] FIG. 6 is a front view of a ball catcher of a portable bowling system.

[0034] FIG. 7 is a left-side view of a ball catcher of a portable bowling system.

[0035] FIG. 8 is a front right perspective view of a frame of portable bowling system configured in front of a ball catcher of a portable bowling system.

[0036] FIG. 9 is a front view of a bowling ball of a portable bowling system.

[0037] FIG. 10 is a top view of a bowling ball of a portable bowling system.

[0038] FIG. 11 is a bottom view of a bowling ball of a portable bowling system.

[0039] FIG. 12 is a side view of a frame of a portable bowling system wherein foot ends of the frame are rotated 0 degrees about their respective feet.

[0040] FIG. 13 is a side view of a frame of a portable bowling system wherein foot ends of the frame are rotated 45 degrees about their respective feet.

[0041] FIG. 14 is a side view of a frame of a portable bowling system wherein foot ends of the frame are rotated 90 degrees about their respective feet.

[0042] FIG. 15 is a top view of a frame of a portable bowling system wherein foot ends of the frame are rotated 0 degrees about their respective feet.

[0043] FIG. 16 is a top view of a frame of a portable bowling system wherein foot ends of the frame are rotated 45 degrees about their respective feet.

[0044] FIG. 17 is a top view of a frame of a portable bowling system wherein foot ends of the frame are rotated 90 degrees about their respective feet.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] The description provided herein describes example embodiments of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention to any particular embodiment, feature, component, design, size, shape, method, or any other property. Furthermore, the figures provided herein show example embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the invention to any particular embodiment, feature, component, design, shape, size, method, or any other property. The term “connected” as used herein may mean both permanently connected and removably connected. The term “rolled” as used herein to describe the motion of a bowling ball may have the common meaning of “rolled”, “thrown”, “slid”, or combinations of two or more of said terms. It shall be noted that said terms may be used in other tenses (ex: “roll”, “rolling”, etc.) that shall not alter the general meaning of said terms.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 1, a frame 20 of a portable bowling system 10 has a crossbar 24 connected to two angled bars 34, with one angled bar 34 being connected at each end of the crossbar 24. Each angled bar 34 is also connected to a frame post 30. Each frame post is connected to a foot 36. Pin arms 40 extend from the crossbar 24. Each pin arm 40 has a crossbar end 42 that connects to the crossbar 24, and a pin end 44 that connects to a bowling pin 50. There is one bowling pin 50 for each pin arm 40. A total of six bowling pins 50 and six pin arms 40 are shown in FIG. 1. Each bowling pin 50 has a pin arm end 52 that connects to the pin end 44 of its respective pin arm 40. Each bowling pin 50 has a hanging end 54 opposite its pin arm end 52. The hanging end 54 of each bowling pin 50 hangs above a playing surface (not shown in FIG. 1).

[0047] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the feet 36 of the frame 20 are configured on a playing surface 28 whereby the rest of the frame 20 and the bowling pins 50 are configured above the playing surface 28. The playing surface 28 shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 is an uneven playing surface.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 3, six bowling pins 50 are arranged in a triangular pattern when suspended from the pin arms 40. In this triangular pattern, one bowling pin 50 is configured at the front of the pattern, two bowling pins 50 are configured in the middle of the pattern, and three bowling pins 50 are configured at the back of the pattern.

[0049] As shown in FIGS. 5-7, a ball catcher 60 has a front crossbar 62 and a rear crossbar 64 that are configured parallel to one another. Flaps 66 extend from the front crossbar 62 towards the playing surface 28. The playing surface 28 shown in FIGS. 6-7 is an uneven playing surface (no playing surface is shown in FIG. 5). The flaps 66 may extend towards the rear crossbar 64 when an external force such as that of a rolling bowling ball contacts the flaps 66 and forces them to extend towards the rear crossbar 64.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 8, the frame 20 of the portable bowling system 10 is configured in front of the ball catcher 60. In this configuration, a bowling ball (not shown in FIG. 8) may be rolled towards the frame 20 and may contact one or more of the bowling pins 50. The bowling ball may then roll beyond the frame 20 to the ball catcher 60. The bowling ball may contact one or more of the flaps 66 of the ball catcher 60.

[0051] As shown in FIGS. 9-11, a bowling ball 70 of a portable bowling system 10 has a thumb hole 72 and pairs of finger holes arranged in a pattern around the bowling ball 70. The pairs of finger holes are a pair of extra small finger holes 74, a pair of small finger holes 75, a pair of medium finger holes 76, a pair of large finger holes 77, and a pair of extra large finger holes 78. The extra small finger holes 74 are configured closest to the thumb hole 72, and the extra large finer holes 78 are configured furthest from the thumb hole 72. The small finger holes 75 are larger than the extra small finger holes 74 and smaller than the medium finger holes 76. The medium finger holes 76 are smaller than the large finger holes 77. The large finger holes are smaller than the extra large finger holes 78. The thumb hole 72 may be the largest of all the holes in the bowling ball 70.

[0052] As shown in FIGS. 12-17, each foot 36 of the frame 20 has two foot ends 38. Each foot end 38 may have a curved or angled shape. The foot ends 38 may rotate about their respective feet 36. As shown in FIGS. 12 and 15, the foot ends 38 are rotated 0 degrees about their respective feet 36 whereby the frame 20 is raised from the playing surface 28. This may be useful when protrusions such as grass extend from the playing surface. Only the foot ends 38 of the feet 36 contact the playing surface 28 when the foot ends 38 are rotated 0 degrees about their respective feet 36.

[0053] As shown in FIGS. 13 and 16, the food ends 38 are rotated 45 degrees about their respective feet 36 whereby the frame 20 is still raised above the playing surface 28, but less so than when the foot ends 38 are rotated 0 degrees about their respective feet 36. This may allow for greater stability of the frame 20 against the playing surface 28. Only the foot ends 38 of the feet 36 touch the playing surface 28 when the foot ends 38 are rotated 45 degrees about their respective feet 36.

[0054] As shown in FIGS. 14 and 17, the foot ends 38 are rotated 90 degrees about their respective feet 36 whereby a large portion of each foot 36 contacts the playing surface 28. If the playing surface 28 is an even playing surface, then the entirety of each foot 36 may contact the playing surface 28 when the foot ends 38 are rotated 90 degrees about their respective feet 36. This may allow for the greatest stability between the frame 20 and the playing surface 28.

[0055] In addition to the angles described above, the foot ends may be configure to rotate at any angle about their respective feet. Furthermore, each foot end may rotate independently. Therefore, it is possible that all 4 foot ends of the frame be rotated at different angles about their respective feet. By rotating about their respective feet, the foot ends may cause the frame to be adjusted vertically relative to the playing surface.