SHIELD WITH LOWER STRIP BRUSH

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a shield for use on a bowling lane and, more particularly, to a shield assembly with a lower strip brush and methods of use. The shield assembly includes: a frame having at least one frame member; a panel mounted to the at least one frame member; and a strip brush extending from the bottom of the panel and which comprises a material that allows a bowling ball to pass therethrough and which is returnable to its original position.

Claims

1. A shield assembly comprising: a frame comprising at least one frame member; a panel mounted to the at least one frame member; and a strip brush extending from a bottom of the panel and which comprises a material that allows a bowling ball to pass therethrough and which is returnable to its original position.

2. The shield assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one frame member includes a bracket which comprises a channel that receives the strip brush.

3. The shield assembly of claim 2, wherein the strip brush is slidably removable from within the channel.

4. The shield assembly of claim 1, wherein the shield assembly is positioned in at least two different positions.

5. The shield assembly of claim 4, wherein the strip brush is not visible to a bowler in a raised position of the at least two different positions.

6. The shield assembly of claim 1, wherein the strip brush comprises separate strips of material.

7. The shield assembly of claim 6, wherein the separate strips of material of the strip brush comprise rubber, belting material, polyvinyl chloride and/or polyurethane.

8. The shield assembly of claim 1, wherein the strip brush comprises bristles.

9. The shield assembly of claim 8, wherein the bristles comprise nylon material.

10. The shield assembly of claim 1, wherein the shield assembly is rotatable between at least two different angles and the strip brush comprises a material stiffness which prevents drooping in at least one raised position of the at least two different angles.

11. The shield assembly of claim 1, further comprising an actuating member connecting the shield assembly to a moving element of a pinspotter assembly, the actuating member raising and lowering the shield assembly upon activation of a pinspotter assembly.

12. The shield assembly of claim 1, wherein the strip brush is structured and comprises a material that does not retain scuffs or scratches from a bowling ball passing therethrough.

13. A shield assembly comprising: a frame comprising a brush holder and frame members; a panel mounted to the frame members and with the brush holder being at a bottom portion of the panel; and a strip brush comprising resilient and flexible material mounted to the brush holder.

14. The shield assembly of claim 13, wherein the brush holder comprises a channel that receives the strip brush such that the strip brush is slidably removable from within the channel.

15. The shield assembly of claim 13, wherein the shield assembly is positionable in at least two different positions.

16. The shield assembly of claim 13, wherein the strip brush comprises bristles.

17. The shield assembly of claim 13, wherein the strip brush comprises strips of material.

18. The shield assembly of claim 13, wherein the strip brush comprises material with a stiffness that in a raised position, the strip brush is not visible to a bowler or does not interfere with lighting from a pinspotter assembly.

19. The shield assembly of claim 13, further comprising an actuating member connecting the shield assembly to a moving element of a pinspotter assembly, the actuating member raising and lowering the shield assembly upon activation of a pinspotter assembly.

20. A shield assembly comprising: a frame; a holder mounted to the frame and which comprises a channel; a panel mounted to the frame; a strip brush mounted within the channel of the holder, the strip brush comprising bristles or separate strips of material that allow a bowling ball to pass therethrough; and an actuator which is structured to raise and lower the shield assembly into different positions upon activation of a pinspotter mechanism.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] The present disclosure is described in the detailed description which follows, in reference to the noted plurality of drawings by way of non-limiting examples of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0007] FIG. 1A shows a rear perspective view of a shield assembly in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0008] FIG. 1B shows a front plan view of the shield assembly in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0009] FIG. 1C shows a side view of the shield assembly in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0010] FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of the shield assembly in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0011] FIG. 3 shows an enlarged view of a strip brush and related assembly in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0012] FIG. 4 shows an enlarged view of the strip brush partially removed from the shield assembly in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 5 shows an enlarged view of the strip brush mounted to the shield assembly in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 6 shows the shield assembly at different positions, in use, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0015] FIGS. 7 and 8 show the shield assembly in a bowling environment in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] The present disclosure relates to a shield for use on a bowling lane and, more particularly, to a shield assembly incorporating a lower strip brush and methods of use. In embodiments, the strip brush extends from the bottom edge of the shield assembly and blocks a bowler's view of the pindeck area while the pinspotter mechanism cycles. When the shield is in the down position, the strip brush allows bowling balls to pass through the shield without imparting energy to the shield frame (e.g., sheet metal, tubing, etc.), shield panel (e.g., plastic, plexiglass, wood, etc.) or shield support structure (e.g., sheet metal, wood, etc.). Advantageously, this eliminates the risk of sheet metal (or other material) fatigue failure caused by ball impacts. Also, in embodiments, the strip brush does not discolor or show signs of mechanical/chemical damage, does not abrade (e.g., scratch) bowling balls or the bowling lane surface, and is easy to replace if needed. The shield assembly also works in conjunction with a pinspotter such that it does not need an independent actuator; instead, it can be driven by the same system that actuates the pins of the pinspotter mechanism.

[0017] FIG. 1A shows a rear perspective view of the shield assembly in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. FIG. 1B shows a front plan view of the shield assembly and FIG. 1C shows a side view of the shield assembly. Referring to FIGS. 1A-1C, the shield assembly 10 includes a panel 16 and a strip brush 22 attached to a frame 12. The frame 12 may include an upper frame member 12a, a lower frame member 12b and a vertical frame member 12c connecting the upper frame member 12a to the lower frame member 12b. In embodiments, the frame members 12a, 12b, 12c may comprise aluminum, steel, other metal alloys, plexiglass, plastic, etc. The frame members 12a, 12b, 12c may also each be composed of a box frame; although other configurations are also contemplated herein, e.g., I-frame members, sheet metal, tubing, etc. The panel 16 may be, for example, plastic, wood, or sheet metal, although other materials are also contemplated by the present disclosure.

[0018] Still referring to FIGS. 1A-1C, an actuator joint 14 may be coupled to the frame 12. In embodiments, the actuator joint 14 may be attached to a string, chain, rigid linkage, or similar mechanism in order to move the shield assembly 10 between different positions, e.g., upper positions and a lower position as shown in FIG. 6. The actuator joint 14 may be a sheet metal bracket, U-shaped wire loop, eyelet fitting, clevis, or similar mechanism.

[0019] The panel 16 is attached to the frame members 12a, 12b, 12c. As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, for example, the panel 16 may be attached to the frame members 12a, 12b, 12c by screws, rivets, or other known attachment mechanisms 18. Hinges 20 may be coupled or mounted to the panel 16 or to the frame 12. In embodiments, the hinges 20 may comprise independent panel hinges; although other configurations are also contemplated herein, e.g., piano hinge, bearing-supported pivot shaft, etc. The hinges 20 allow the shield assembly 10 to move between a lowered position and raised positions as shown in FIG. 6. The hinges 20 may also be used to attach the shield assembly 10 to shield support arms 30 of a bowling pinspotter mechanism as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.

[0020] A strip brush 22 may extend from the lower edge of the panel 16. In embodiments, the strip brush 22 may be mounted to the lower frame member 12b, and preferably between the lower frame member 12b and the panel 16. As described in more detail herein, the strip brush 22 may be held in a channel of a frame member, which allows for easy replacement (e.g., removal and insertion). In embodiments, the strip brush 22 may be held in the frame member(s) by a retainer bracket, e.g., end cap, 24. In embodiments, multiple retainer brackets 24 may be at both ends of the strip brush 22. In further embodiments, the retainer bracket 24 can be an L-shaped bracket as shown in more detail in FIGS. 4 and 5. Also, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the retainer bracket 24 can be moved by unfastening or loosening of a bolt from the frame member(s).

[0021] The strip brush 22 may be composed of a material that does not discolor, show signs of mechanical/chemical damage (e.g., abrasion, tearing, material hardening/softening, etc.) or mark (e.g., scratch or deposit material onto) bowling balls or the bowling lane surface. For example, the strip brush 22 can be composed of any material that will not abrade or otherwise deteriorate and does not leave abrasion marks on the surface of a bowling ball or bowling lane panel that would be visible to the bowler, regardless of ball or lane panel material. In addition, the strip brush 22 may be dense enough to block a bowler's view of the pindeck area, in a lowered position, while also providing the benefit of allowing bowling balls to pass through without damaging or imparting any significant energy to the frame members 12a, 12b, 12c, shield support structure 30, or the panel 16. Moreover, the strip brush 22 may be composed of a resilient and flexible material which allows a bowling ball to pass therethrough and then return to its original shape and/or position without damage.

[0022] In more specific examples, the strip brush 22 may be composed of nylon bristles or other synthetic or natural materials that are impervious to lane chemicals. These chemicals may be, for example, different oil compositions such as petroleum based, mineral based or synthetic based. In further examples, the strip brush 22 may be composed of synthetic or natural materials with a specific stiffness of approximately 0.2610.sup.6 m.sup.2/s.sup.2-3.3710.sup.6 m.sup.2/s.sup.2. Accordingly, in any of the embodiments described herein, the strip brush 22 should be of sufficient stiffness that it will not block pindeck illumination emitted by light(s) 32 or be visible by a bowler when the shield assembly 10 is in any of the raised positions shown in FIG. 6 or 8, for example. That is, the strip brush 22 should have sufficient stiffness that it does not significantly droop in any of the raised positions shown in FIG. 6 or 8, for example, such that it would interfere with the bowling game.

[0023] As a further example, the strip brush 22 may be composed of strips or multiple sheets of rubber, polyurethane, conveyor belt materials and/or polyvinyl chloride. As with bristles, the strips or multiple sheets enable use of material with sufficient stiffness to minimize droop while also allowing a ball to pass through without imparting energy to the frame members 12 or panel 16. This is in comparison, for example, to a single sheet of material, e.g., rubber, extending from the bottom of panel 16, which, if comprising sufficiently stiff material, will impart significant energy to a frame member or panel resulting in fatigue, damage and, ultimately, failure of these parts. Also, in comparison, a single sheet of stiff material will show discoloration and/or scuff/scratch marks on the material itself, leaving it in an unpleasant aesthetic state.

[0024] In embodiments, the strip brush 22 may be at least a height equal to a diameter of a standard bowling ball, e.g., at least 8.595 inches in height, plus sufficient additional height to allow for bristle flex. In specific embodiments, the strip brush 22 may have a height that is approximately the height of the entire shield assembly 10. That is, the panel 16 may have a height that is the height of the entire shield assembly 10; whereas the height of the strip brush 22 may be the remaining of the height of the entire shield assembly 10.

[0025] FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of the shield assembly 10 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. In this view, the strip brush 22 is shown removed from the frame assembly. Also, in this view, an additional frame member (e.g., brush holder) 26 is shown to be located between the frame member 12b and the panel 16. In embodiments, the strip brush 22 will be securely held within the frame member 26. Also, as described with reference to at least FIG. 4, the frame member 26 may be an extruded bracket designed and configured to allow the strip brush 22 to be easily removed and replaced by allowing the strip brush 22 to slide into and out of the frame member 26 (e.g., extruded bracket). This exploded view also shows an actuator joint 14 attached to frame member 12c, although other locations are also contemplated herein such as lower frame member 12b.

[0026] FIG. 3 shows an enlarged view of the strip brush 22 within the frame member 26. As shown in this view, the frame member 26 comprises a channel 26a and a flange 26b. The flange 26b includes at least one hole 26c in order to fasten the frame member 26 onto the shield assembly 10. The channel 26a is designed and configured to hold the strip brush 22 within the frame member 26. In more specific embodiments, the channel 26b allows the strip brush 22 to slide into and out of the frame member 26. In embodiments, the strip brush 22 may include a crimped spine 22a that is shaped and sized to fit within the channel 26b of the frame member 26. For example, the channel 26b and the crimped spine 22a will have a similar shape, e.g., rectangular, square, circular, etc.

[0027] FIG. 4 shows an enlarged view of the strip brush 22 partially removed from the shield assembly 10. More specifically, FIG. 4 shows the strip brush 22 partially removed, e.g., sliding out of, the channel 26b of the frame member 26 as shown by the arrow A. To remove the strip brush 22, the retainer bracket 24 is rotated (as shown by arrow B) so that it is in a position that does not interfere with the removal of the strip brush 22 from the channel 26b of the frame member 26. In this way, the retainer bracket 24 can remain fastened to the frame member 12b when the strip brush 22 is being removed, e.g., slid out, from the channel 26b. In embodiments, the retainer bracket 24 can be rotated by loosening the bolt assembly 28 located through the hole 24a of the retainer bracket 24 and frame member 12b.

[0028] FIG. 5 shows another enlarged view of the strip brush 22 within the shield assembly 10. More specifically, FIG. 5 shows the strip brush 22 completely inserted within the channel 26b of the frame member 26. To maintain the strip brush 22 in this assembled position, the retainer bracket 24 is rotated (as shown by arrow C) so that it interferes or blocks the removal of the strip brush 22 from the channel 26b (not shown in this view) of the frame member 26 (not shown in this view). In embodiments, the retainer bracket 24 can be fixed into position by tightening the bolt assembly 28 within the hole 24a of the retainer bracket 24 and frame member 12b.

[0029] FIG. 6 shows the shield assembly 10 at different positions relating to different bowling modes in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. More specifically, FIG. 6 shows the shield assembly hinge-mounted to a shield support arm 30 of a pinspotter mechanism using the hinges 20. In embodiments, the shield assembly 10 can be positioned or rotated between a vertical position V (e.g., a position which will contact or be slightly above a lane surface) and different horizontal positions H1, H2 (with the difference in heights between the different positions shown by arrow D) by the actuation of the pinspotter mechanism. This actuation can be achieved via a dedicated actuator which is independently controlled or passively via the same apparatus that cycles the bowling pins in a pinspotter mechanism. As to this former feature, the shield assembly 10 may be raised and lowered by an independent pneumatic system, hydraulic system, or other mechanical or electrical actuation system as is known in the art such that no further explanation is required for a complete understanding of the present disclosure. The shield may also be moved, e.g., raised and lowered, in a vertical translational movement, e.g., up and down within the same or substantially the same plane.

[0030] The different positions or angles H1 and H2 may correspond to multiple machine operating modes, wherein these operating modes differ in how the pinspotter mechanism handles the bowling pins. By way of non-limiting example, position H1 may be a league-play mode and a lower position H2 may be an open-play mode. In this example, in position H1, the string attached to bowling pins will exhibit more slack than in position H2, providing a different pin reaction to a ball hit. The strip brush shield design as described herein allows for passive actuation even when used in conjunction with different string modes.

[0031] In either raised position H1 or H2, the strip brush 22 will not droop or interfere with the bowler's sightline of the pindeck, particularly at the lower height H2. For example, the strip brush 22 is of sufficient stiffness that it will not droop below the bottom of a masking unit so as not to be seen from the foul line of a bowling lane. Again, this functionality is a consequence of the stiffness properties of the strip brush 22. Moreover, in these raised positions H1 and H2, the strip brush 22 will not droop or interfere with pindeck illumination emitted by light(s) 32 as shown by arrows labeled A.

[0032] FIGS. 7 and 8 show the shield assembly 10 in a bowling environment in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. More specifically, FIGS. 7 and 8 show the shield assembly 10 hinge-mounted to the shield support arm 30 of a pinspotter mechanism 100. In embodiments, a string 33 of the pinspotter assembly 100 is secured to the actuator joint 14 of the shield assembly 10. In operation, the passive pinspotter-driven shield assembly 10 can be rotated between a lowered position (i.e., a vertical or substantially vertical position as shown in FIG. 7) and a raised position (i.e., a horizontal or substantially horizontal position as shown in FIG. 8). This rotation is accomplished by actuation of the pinspotter mechanism 31 that also cycles the bowling pins. In the lowered position as shown in FIG. 7, for example, the strip brush 22 will allow bowling balls which roll on the surface of a bowling lane 110 to pass underneath the panel 16, without imparting any energy to the panel 16, frame assembly 12, or shield support arm 30. Also, in this lowered position, the strip brush 22 will obscure the view of the pindeck 115. In the raised position as shown in FIG. 8, for example, the strip brush 22 will be raised off the surface of the bowling lane 110. In this position, the strip brush 22 may be raised into a substantially horizontal position such that it may be obscured by other machine components and no longer visible from an end of the bowling lane. In the position of FIG. 8, for example, the shield assembly 10 will not be visible by the bowler and will not block the pin illumination, even at a smaller shield rotation angle as illustrated by H2 in FIG. 6.

[0033] The descriptions of the various embodiments of the present disclosure have been presented for purposes of illustration, but are not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain the principles of the embodiments, the practical application or technical improvement over technologies found in the marketplace, or to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.