Decorative Bowling Balls and Methods and Apparatuses for Decorating Bowling Balls

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are for decorating bowling balls. A spherical bowling ball inner core has opposing first and second hemispheres. Pressure is applied to adhere a first portion of a conformable decorative first film of material onto the first hemisphere. A combination of pressure and vacuum is applied to adhere a second portion of the first film of material onto the first hemisphere. Pressure is applied to adhere a first portion of a conformable decorative second film of material onto the second hemisphere. A combination of pressure and vacuum is applied to adhere a second portion of the second film of material onto the second hemisphere. Thereafter the bowling ball inner core is covered with a transparent outer cover.

1 . A method of decorating a bowling ball, the method comprising: providing a spherical bowling ball inner core having opposing first and second hemispheres, applying pressure to adhere a first portion of a conformable decorative first film of material onto the first hemisphere and then applying a combination of pressure and vacuum to adhere a second portion of the first film of material onto the first hemisphere; and thereafter covering the bowling ball inner core with a transparent outer cover. 
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , comprising, before covering the bowling ball inner core with the transparent outer cover, applying pressure to adhere a first portion of a conformable decorative second film of material onto the second hemisphere and then applying the combination of pressure and vacuum to adhere a second portion of the second film of material onto the second hemisphere. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the first hemisphere has an axis of symmetry, a pole located on the axis of symmetry, and an outer surface that circumferentially extends away from the pole towards an equator of the inner core; and further comprising adhering the first portion of the first film of material onto the pole of the first hemisphere and then progressively adhering the second portion of the first film material onto the outer surface towards the equator. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the second hemisphere has an axis of symmetry coincident to the axis of symmetry of the first hemisphere, a pole located on the axis of symmetry, and an outer surface that circumferentially extends away from the pole towards an equator of the inner core and further comprising adhering the first portion of the second film material onto the pole of the second hemisphere and then progressively adhering the second portion of the second film of material onto the outer surface towards the equator. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the pressure in the combination of pressure and vacuum tends to press together the first film of material and first hemisphere and wherein the vacuum in the combination of pressure and vacuum tends to draw the first film of material away from the first hemisphere. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the pressure in the combination of pressure and vacuum tends to press together the second film of material and second hemisphere and wherein the vacuum in the combination of pressure and vacuum tends to draw the second film of material away from the second hemisphere. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , comprising selecting and applying certain amounts of pressure and vacuum to achieve a desired amount of stretching of the first and second portions of the first film of material. 
     
     
         8 . A method of decorating a bowling ball, the method comprising:
 providing a spherical bowling ball inner core;   providing a mold having a cavity for receiving the bowling ball inner core;   placing a conformable decorative first film of material over the cavity;   pressing the bowling ball inner core into the cavity so that the bowling ball inner core stretches the first film of material into the cavity and so that the first film of material adheres onto the bowling ball inner core;   creating a vacuum in the cavity and simultaneously further pressing the bowling ball inner core into the cavity so that the bowling ball inner core further stretches the first film of material and the first film of material further adheres onto the bowling ball inner core; and   covering the bowling ball inner core and first film of material with a transparent outer cover.   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the vacuum in the cavity tends to draw the first web of material into the cavity. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the bowling ball inner core has opposing first and second hemispheres, wherein the first hemisphere is pressed into the cavity to thereby apply the first film of material to the first hemisphere. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , further comprising placing a conformable decorative second film of material over the cavity, pressing the second hemisphere of the bowling ball inner core into the cavity so that the second hemisphere stretches the second film of material and so that the second film of material adheres onto the second hemisphere, and thereafter creating a vacuum in the cavity and simultaneously further pressing the second hemisphere into the cavity so that the second hemisphere further stretches the second film of material and the second film of material further adheres onto the second hemisphere. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , comprising providing a circular anchor ring; attaching the first film of material to the circular anchor ring and sealing the circular anchor ring to the mold before pressing the bowling ball inner core into the cavity so that the bowling ball inner core stretches the first film of material into the cavity. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , comprising trimming a circumferential edge of the first film of material at the base of the first hemisphere after the first film of material is stretched onto the first hemisphere. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , comprising trimming a circumferential edge of the second film of material at the base of the second hemisphere after the second film of material is stretched onto the second hemisphere. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 8 , comprising supporting the bowling ball inner core vertically above the mold and vertically lowering the bowling ball inner core into the cavity to thereby stretch the first film of material into the cavity and adhere the first film of material onto the bowling ball inner core. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , comprising continuing to vertically lower the bowling ball inner core into the cavity while applying a vacuum in the cavity so that the bowling ball inner core further stretches the first film of material and the first film of material further adheres onto the bowling ball inner core. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , comprising continuing to vertically lower the bowling ball inner core into the cavity until the bowling ball inner core is fully seated in the cavity. 
     
     
         18 . A decorative bowling ball comprising: a spherical inner core of a first material, the inner core having opposing first and second hemispheres; first and second decorative films of material, the first decorative film of material adhered to the first hemisphere and the second film of material adhered to the second hemisphere; and an outer cover of a second, different material covering the inner core and the first and second films of material. 
     
     
         19 . The decorative bowling ball according to  claim 18 , wherein the first hemisphere has an axis of symmetry, a pole located on the axis of symmetry, and an outer surface that circumferentially extends away from the pole towards an equator of the spherical inner core; wherein the first decorative film of material has a central portion that is applied to the pole by pressure alone and wherein the first decorative film of material has an outer portion surrounding the central portion and applied to the outer surface by a combination of pressure and vacuum. 
     
     
         20 . The decorative bowling ball according to  claim 19 , wherein the second hemisphere has an axis of symmetry coincident to the axis of symmetry of the first hemisphere, a pole located on the axis of symmetry, and an outer surface that circumferentially extends away from the pole towards an equator of the bowling ball inner core; wherein the second decorative film of material has a central portion that is applied to the pole by pressure alone and wherein the second decorative film of material has an outer portion surrounding the central portion and applied to the outer surface by a combination of pressure and vacuum. 
     
     
         21 . The decorative bowling ball according to  claim 20 , wherein the first and second films of material both have inner surfaces with adhesive for adhering to the bowling ball inner core. 
     
     
         22 . The decorative bowling ball according to  claim 21 , wherein the first and second decorative films of material together form an image when the first and second films of the material are adhered to the first and second hemispheres, respectively. 
     
     
         23 . An apparatus for decorating a bowling ball, the apparatus comprising:
 a mold having a cavity for receiving an inner core of a bowling ball;   a circular anchor ring that holds a conformable decorative film of material so as to close the cavity;   a vacuum source that applies vacuum to the cavity;   a mechanism that progressively lowers the inner core of the bowling ball onto the film of material and into the cavity; and   a control circuit that controls operation of the vacuum to apply the vacuum to the cavity once the lowering mechanism lowers the inner core of the bowling ball onto the film of material and into the cavity by a predetermined amount.   
     
     
         24 . A method of decorating a bowling ball, the method comprising: providing a spherical bowling ball inner core; applying a conformable decorative first film of material onto the bowling ball inner core; and thereafter covering the bowling ball inner core and decorative first film of material with a transparent outer cover. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the spherical bowling ball inner core has opposing first and second hemispheres; and further comprising applying the conformable decorative first film of material onto the first hemisphere and then applying a conformable decorative second film of material onto the second hemisphere; and thereafter covering the bowling ball inner core with the transparent outer cover. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising applying pressure to adhere a first portion of the conformable decorative first film of material onto the first hemisphere and then applying a combination of pressure and vacuum to adhere a second portion of the first film of material onto the first hemisphere, and further comprising applying pressure to adhere a first portion of the conformable decorative second film of material onto the second hemisphere and then applying the combination of pressure and vacuum to adhere a second portion of the second film of material onto the second hemisphere. 
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 26 , wherein the first hemisphere has an axis of symmetry, a pole located on the axis of symmetry, and an outer surface that circumferentially extends away from the pole towards an equator of the inner core; and further comprising adhering the first portion of the first film of material onto the pole of the first hemisphere and then progressively adhering the second portion of the first film material onto the outer surface towards the equator. 
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 27 , wherein the second hemisphere has an axis of symmetry coincident to the axis of symmetry of the first hemisphere, a pole located on the axis of symmetry, and an outer surface that circumferentially extends away from the pole towards an equator of the inner core; and further comprising adhering the first portion of the second film material onto the pole of the second hemisphere and then progressively adhering the second portion of the second film of material onto the outer surface towards the equator. 
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 28 , wherein the pressure in the combination of pressure and vacuum tends to press together the first film of material and first hemisphere and wherein the vacuum in the combination of pressure and vacuum tends to draw the first film of material away from the first hemisphere. 
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein the pressure in the combination of pressure and vacuum tends to press together the second film of material and second hemisphere and wherein the vacuum in the combination of pressure and vacuum tends to draw the second film of material away from the second hemisphere.