Bowling Finger Grip Aid with Adjustable Extended Support
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Bowling finger injuries due to the weight of the bowling ball are common among competitive bowlers using the fingertip grip, and existing solutions are often expensive, cumbersome, and lack ease of use.
Innovation Solution
A finger grip aid comprising a finger collar and adjustable extended support that can be easily placed on and removed from the fingers, providing support and reducing strain, with an adjustable mechanism to accommodate different finger sizes and a design that allows for use with other aids.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a finger grip aid is designed to provide strong support and reduce strain, then injury protection is improved, but the device becomes more complex and cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into separate components: a collar portion that fits around the finger and an extended support portion that provides structural backing. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the collar for comfort and fit, the support for injury protection - while keeping the overall design simple and easy to apply without complex fastening mechanisms.
2Reliability
If existing bowling aids are made to provide comprehensive support, then injury protection is improved, but they become expensive and cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts only the essential function needed - finger support and strain reduction - without incorporating unnecessary features found in more expensive comprehensive aids. The design uses simple materials and construction methods to achieve the core protective function, making it cost-effective while avoiding the cumbersome features of prior art.
3Ease of operation
If a finger grip aid is designed to be simple and inexpensive, then ease of use is improved, but it may lack the structural support needed for injury protection
Solution Approach 1:
The design extends the support structure in a new dimension by adding an extended support portion that projects from the collar. This dimensional extension provides the necessary structural support for injury protection while keeping the overall design simple and inexpensive. The support portion can be made from similar simple materials, maintaining cost-effectiveness while adding protective capability.
4Adaptability or versatility
If a finger grip aid uses adjustable mechanisms to accommodate different finger sizes, then adaptability is improved, but the device becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The collar portion is designed with flexible or adjustable characteristics that allow it to adapt to different finger sizes and shapes. This dynamic design enables the same simple device structure to fit various users without requiring complex adjustable mechanisms, maintaining ease of use while improving adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
An aid for protecting and/or supporting a user's finger(s) or hand during an activity is described. The aid is particularly suited for activities involving repeated grasping which causes strain to the finger(s) and/or hand. The aid may be of a one-piece or two-piece design with features which allow adjustment to accommodate various finger and hand sizes. Generally speaking, the aid includes a finger collar which is placed about a user's fingers, and an extended support which combined with the collar holds the user's finger(s) in a particular curved state.