Bowling Ball Thumb Insert With Rotating Locking Wings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bowling ball thumb inserts do not accommodate varying thumb sizes effectively, particularly when a bowler's thumb swells during play, and lack interchangeability for different bowlers using the same ball.
Innovation Solution
A bowling ball thumb insert design featuring an inner and outer sleeve with mating wings and a circumferential locking tab, allowing for adjustable and secure fitting by utilizing unequal gap sizes and rotating locking wings to ensure proper alignment and locking mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed thumb insert is used in the bowling ball, then the ball can be used by a single bowler, but it cannot accommodate varying thumb sizes or swelling during play
Solution Approach 1:
The thumb insert is divided into two separate sleeves: an outer sleeve that remains in the bowling ball and an inner sleeve that can be removed and replaced. This segmentation allows the inner sleeve to be changed to accommodate different thumb sizes while keeping the outer sleeve fixed in the ball, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The insert system transitions from a static fixed insert to a dynamic interchangeable system. The inner sleeve can be rotated and locked into different positions on the outer sleeve, allowing adaptation to varying thumb conditions during play, thereby improving versatility without requiring complete redesign of the entire insert structure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If an interchangeable inner sleeve system is implemented, then varying thumb sizes can be accommodated, but the locking mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The locking wings on the inner sleeve are designed with asymmetric dimensions, where the width of the locking wings varies around the circumference. This asymmetry creates unique engagement patterns with the outer sleeve's corresponding features, enabling positive locking in specific rotational positions while simplifying the overall locking mechanism through geometric constraints rather than complex actuation systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism is designed to engage automatically when the inner sleeve is inserted into the outer sleeve and rotated to the correct position. The asymmetric locking wings self-lock into place with the outer sleeve's corresponding features, eliminating the need for separate locking actions or complex mechanisms, thus achieving interchangeability without proportionally increasing complexity.
3Manufacturing precision
If unequal gap sizes are used in the locking mechanism, then proper alignment is ensured, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The unequal gap sizes are implemented locally at specific positions on the locking wings and corresponding outer sleeve features. Rather than requiring high precision throughout the entire insert system, the critical alignment features are concentrated at these localized gap positions, where the asymmetric dimensions provide self-aligning characteristics that simplify overall manufacturing while ensuring proper alignment during operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A bowling ball thumb insert has a first and second sleeve. The second sleeve is retained in the first sleeve. The first sleeve has a coupling mechanism including a ledge extending radially inward towards the center of the sleeve. A positioning gap is adjacent the ledge. A second sleeve is positioned inside the first sleeve. The second sleeve includes a coupling mechanism. The second sleeve coupling mechanism includes a wing extending radially outward from the outer surface of the second sleeve. The wing passes through the positioning gap. When one of the sleeves is rotated with respect to the other, the sleeves lock together.