Patent landscapes › Sports & games
Is a bowling ball patented?
Short answer: specific designs of a bowling ball have been patented many times, but "a bowling ball" as a general idea is not what is protected. What matters is the exact combination of features in your version.
What our index shows
- 396 US and WO patent publications since 2000 have a title matching “bowling” or a close variant (our index of 9.7 million patent families; one publication per family).
- Among the 302 best keyword matches we examined, 54 were published in 2020 or later, and the earliest was published in 2000.
- Most frequent assignees in those matches: BRUNSWICK BOWLING (10), KEGEL LLC (8), BLD ORIENTAL LTD (6), BRUNSWICK BOWLING PRODUCTS LLC (6).
- Most common patent classes (CPC subclasses): A63D (183), A63B (125), B29C (14), A47L (13).
Counts come from keyword matching on titles and abstracts, so they are indicative, not a legal count. Some matches are different products that share a word.
14 real patent publications related to a bowling ball
- Apparatus and method for preventing ball return stops in bowling pinsetter machines US-11541300-B2 2023 · FUNKE EDWARD
A system for preventing ball return stops in automatic pinsetter machines includes a substantially wedge-shaped solid body mounted in a specific location along a transport band of an automatic pinsetter machine. The solid body is …
View on Google Patents - Arrangement and method related to a string-operated pin-setting apparatus of a bowling lane provided with automated bowling equipment WO-2021023916-A1 2021 · SYSTEM 300 GROUP OY
This invention concerns an arrangement and a method related to a string-operated pin- setting apparatus (100) of a bowling lane provided with automated bowling equipment, the arrangement comprising, associated with the pin- settin…
View on Google Patents - Core of bowling ball US-2020197749-A1 2020 · LAN CHI FENG
A core of bowling ball includes a rotating disk, a center bearing, a finger hole bar and a plurality of joint pole. The center bearing is disposed on the center of the rotating disk. The finger hole bar is linked to the center bea…
View on Google Patents - Bowling balls and methods of forming the same US-2020368585-A1 2020 · BRUNSWICK BOWLING PRODUCTS LLC
A bowling ball can have an inner core layer that is shaped, constructed, and/or configured to provide the bowling ball with one or more prescribed properties or characteristics, and a cover stock layer comprising a liquid curable …
View on Google Patents - Bowling Ball Stop Assembly US-2019314711-A1 2019 · BRUNSWICK BOWLING PRODUCTS LLC
A bowling ball stop assembly for a pinsetter of a bowling lane is provided. The bowling ball stop assembly can include a moveable blocking feature that moves between a plurality of positions. The plurality of positions include an …
View on Google Patents - Bowling ball elevating assembly for an automatic pinsetter US-8998736-B2 2015 · KEGEL LLC
A bowling ball elevating assembly for an automatic pinsetter includes an idler pulley assembly having an idler arm and a tension spring causing the idler arm to maintain tension on a ball wheel belt driving a ball elevating ring m…
View on Google Patents - Bowling ball and pin separator US-9192851-B2 2015 · GENESIS BOWLING PRODUCTS LLC
A bowling ball and pin separator to prevent bowling pins from being caught up by a ballwheel within an electromechanical pinsetter machine. The separator includes a base plate, a hinge with a spring, and a rigid arm. The hinge con…
View on Google Patents - Pin-setting apparatus for bowling or skittle lanes US-9180360-B2 2015 · DE LANGE CORNELIUS
The invention relates to a pin-setting apparatus for bowling or skittle lanes ( 3 ′- 6 ′) comprising a plurality of pins ( 3 - 6 ), wherein each pin is connected to an associated string ( 3 ′- 6 ′). The apparatus comprises for eac…
View on Google Patents - Ten pin bowling ball US-2010093456-A1 2010 · THOMSON SKENE
The present invention concerns a bowling ball having an arrangement of holes for allowing a bowler to grip the ball. The arrangement includes a thumbhole having a profile which is shaped to accommodate the thumb of the bowler in a…
View on Google Patents - Shifting guides for gutter ball prevention on a bowling alley US-7677986-B2 2010 · BLD ORIENTAL LTD
Bowling game apparatus allowing children to get strikes and spares for a high score. Two guides ( 10 ) are provided longitudinally along lane ( 3 ); two first retainers ( 15 ) are arranged outside the end of lane ( 3 ) near approa…
View on Google Patents - Hydraulic drive pin setter for bowling alley with hydraulic linkage ball lift US-7591732-B2 2009 · SPEIGL BOWLING SYSTEMS INC
An electromechanical pin setter including a hydraulic drive component. The present invention includes a deck assembly holds pins in deck chutes and reciprocates vertically to spot and re-spot pins on a pin setting location on a bo…
View on Google Patents - Bowling game apparatus with pin toppling device and ball detector US-7582022-B2 2009 · BLD ORIENTAL LTD
Bowling game apparatus allowing even children of little strength to obtain high score by strikes and spares. The bowling game apparatus comprising an approach as an area where players roll a ball, a lane extending from the approac…
View on Google Patents - Bowling ball with core having low density roll blocks US-2003017881-A1 2003
A bowling ball is disclosed with a core having low density roll blocks or end caps which lowers the differential radius of gyration and lowers the maximum radius of gyration of the ball in order to create a different ball path fro…
View on Google Patents - Bowling lane ball return capping US-6340335-B1 2002 · BRUNSWICK BOWLING
A pair of spaced uprights defining a ball return channel therebetween, a pair of gutters astraddle the uprights, each gutter having an outer edge portion on the adjacent uprights, a plurality of anchor plates extending over said b…
View on Google Patents
What this means for your idea
Because patents cover specific combinations of features, the useful question is not “has a bowling ball been patented?” but “has my combination of features been described before?” Sports equipment patents tend to cover the grip, impact absorption, training feedback, and how gear is adjusted.
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Guides that help with this
First-look landscape. Not exhaustive. Not legal advice. This page lists keyword-matched publications from a limited database; it does not say whether any product is or isn't covered by a patent, whether a patent is still in force, or whether your idea is patentable. Consult a registered patent attorney or agent.