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System and method for providing a semi-custom-fitted house ball to a customer of a bowling center

System and method for providing a semi-custom-fitted house ball to a customer of a bowling center description/claims

Bowling centers provide house balls for customers who do not own a bowling ball. House balls typically come in different weights, with the finger and thumb hole diameters, as well as the span between the finger and thumb holes, increasing with increasing weight. However, most conventional house balls of a given weight have the same thumb and finger hole diameters and the same span between the thumb and finger holes. Typically, a variety of different house balls are provided on racks in a bowling center, and a customer engages in trial-and-error to find a house ball with the desired weight, finger and thumb hole diameters, and span between the finger and thumb holes. Because of the inexact nature of this process and because the desired house ball may not be available, some customers may choose an ill-fitting house ball, which may cause them to bowl a poor game and become discouraged from returning to the bowling center. Even if a customer finds a properly-fitting house ball, he may find the house ball selection process so time-consuming and frustrating that he may be discouraged from becoming a frequent bowler.

The present invention is defined by the claims, and nothing in this section should be taken as a limitation on those claims.

By way of introduction, the embodiments described below provide a system and method for providing a semi-custom-fitted house ball to a customer of a bowling center. In one embodiment, a plurality of house balls in a variety of weights is provided, wherein each of the house balls comprises a thumb hole sized to receive a removable thumb insert of varying sizes, and wherein at least one house ball of a given weight comprises a different finger hole drilling pattern than at least one other house ball of that given weight. In another embodiment, a method for identifying a suitable house ball for a customer of a bowling center is provided. Other embodiments are disclosed, and each of the embodiments can be used alone or together in combination.

The embodiments will now be described with reference to the attached drawings.

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a system of house balls of an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of a bowling ball of an embodiment with an outer sleeve secured to a thumb hole.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a removable thumb insert for use in an embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of a removable thumb insert for use in an embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view showing assembly of a removable thumb insert into a bowling ball of an embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an illustration of a tray of an embodiment of removable thumb inserts of varying sizes.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are illustrations of a fitting ball of an embodiment.

By way of introduction, the embodiments described below provide a system and method for providing a semi-custom-fitted house ball to a customer of a bowling center. Each of the house balls are provided in a variety of weights. Unlike conventional house balls where a ball of a given weight have the same thumb and finger hole diameters and the same span between the thumb and finger holes, the house balls in each weight category of these embodiments have a thumb hole sized to receive removable thumb inserts of varying sizes and varying finger hole drilling patterns. As used herein, the phrase “finger hole drilling pattern” refers to finger hole diameters and/or thumb-to-finger-hole spans. The combination of different patterns of span and/or finger hole sizes and the use of a thumb insert fitting a customer's thumb allows a bowling center to provide a customer with a semi-custom-fitted house ball every time he bowls. By providing a customer with a proper-fitting house ball, the customer may bowl better and enjoy his experience more than if he used a conventional house ball. A service delivery system is also provided that can eliminate time spent by a customer in searching for a suitable conventional house ball (if one is even available). All of these benefits can encourage the customer to visit the bowling center more frequently and may even encourage the customer to purchase his own bowling ball from the bowling center.

Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 is an illustration of a system of house balls of an embodiment. This system comprises a first plurality of bowling balls 10 (the top row of three balls) of substantially the same weight and a second plurality of bowling balls 20 (the bottom row of three balls) also of substantially the same weight but of different weight from the first plurality of bowling balls 10. For example, the first plurality of bowling balls 10 can be 7 lb balls, and the second plurality of bowling balls 20 can be 8 lb balls. It should be understood that FIG. 1 is being used merely for illustration purposes and that a typical bowling center could have more than three balls in a given weight category and could have more than two weight categories. For example, a bowling center could have a variety of 7 lb to 15 lb balls. It should also be noted that the phrase “substantially the same weight” is being used because different balls in a given plurality may not weigh exactly the same. As will be discussed below, the three balls in a given plurality have finger holes of different diameters, and this diameter difference can cause one ball to weigh slightly more or less than another ball in that plurality. Nevertheless, the difference in weights is small enough that each of the balls can still be considered an X lb ball (e.g., despite the slight weight differences, each of the balls in the first plurality 10 would still be considered 7 lb balls).

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