Bowling Glove Adjustable Nub for Grip and Thumb Strain
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Solution Overview
Problem
Bowling gloves do not adequately address the chronic irritation and pain in the bowler's thumb, leading to the 'thumb out' technique that compromises grip, and there is a need for an improved glove that integrates with bowling balls to accommodate user preferences and physiology.
Innovation Solution
A bowling glove with a selectively adjustable protruding nub that can be attached to the palm portion and configured to fit into a bore on the bowling ball, allowing for customizable attachment points and materials to enhance grip and reduce thumb strain.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional bowling glove is used to cover the palm and fingers, then grip enhancement and hand protection are improved, but thumb irritation and pain are not addressed
Solution Approach 1:
The glove is segmented into distinct functional zones: a covered palm area for grip enhancement and an exposed thumb area to prevent irritation. This segmentation allows the glove to simultaneously provide grip improvement while avoiding thumb-related injuries by leaving the thumb hole open or partially open.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the glove have different coverage properties: the palm and certain fingers are covered with material for enhanced grip, while the thumb area is left exposed or partially exposed. This local quality differentiation addresses the conflicting needs of grip enhancement and thumb protection.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the thumb is left out of the bowling ball thumb hole to prevent injury, then thumb irritation is reduced, but grip is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The glove merges the functions of thumb protection and grip enhancement by providing an exposed thumb area that prevents irritation while simultaneously incorporating palm coverage and finger stalls that maintain or improve overall grip on the bowling ball.
Solution Approach 2:
The glove serves multiple functions: it enhances grip on the palm and covered fingers, protects against general hand wear, and specifically addresses thumb irritation by allowing the thumb to remain exposed. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction between thumb protection and grip maintenance.
3Ease of manufacture
If a fixed glove design is used, then manufacturing is simplified, but adaptability to different user preferences and physiology is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The glove incorporates adjustable elements such as removable finger stalls and configurable thumb hole coverage that allow users to customize the glove's fit and coverage according to their specific physiological needs and preferences, while maintaining a relatively simple base manufacturing process.
Data Source
AI summary
A bowling glove includes a glove body including a palm portion configured to cover a palm of a wearer, and a protruding nub securably attachable to the palm portion of the glove body such that the location of the protruding nub relative to the palm portion of the glove body is selectively adjustable. The protruding nub is configured to protrude from the palm portion of the glove body, and the protruding nub is configured to be received by a bore of a bowling ball. A method of manufacturing the bowling glove and a method of fitting a bowling ball to the bowling glove are further described.