Bowling ball having an RFID tag

• US 20070275787A1
• Filed: 12/08/2006
• Published: 11/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alfred Dabrowski, Kurt Dykema, Raymond Edwards, Roland Bouchard
• Original Assignee: Alfred Dabrowski, Kurt Dykema, Raymond Edwards, Roland Bouchard
• Inventors: Dykema, Kurt, Edwards, Raymond, Dabrowski, Alfred, Bouchard, Roland
• Application Number:
  US11/636,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20070275787A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/125
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/54 Transponders, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0001 Balls with finger holes, e.g. for bowling
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/00 Balls with special arrangements

Abstract

A bowling ball with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag is disclosed, as are methods and systems for manufacturing such a bowling ball. Methods and systems for using a bowling ball with an RFID tag are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A bowling ball with a radio frequency identification (RFID) device, the bowling ball comprising:

a core;

an outer layer; and

a radio frequency identification (RFID) device.

2. The bowling ball of claim 1, wherein the RFID device is located in the core.

3. The bowling ball of claim 1, wherein the RFID device is integrated in the core during manufacturing.

4. The bowling ball of claim 1, wherein the RFID device is attached to the core during manufacturing.

5. The bowling ball of claim 1, wherein the core comprises an inner core and an outer core, and wherein the RFID device is located between the inner core and the outer core.

6. The bowling ball of claim 5, wherein, during manufacturing, the RFID device is attached to the inner core before the outer core is cast over the inner core.

7. The bowling ball of claim 1, wherein the RFID device is attached to the outer layer.

8. The bowling ball of claim 1, wherein the RFID device is located in the bowling ball at a location away from a location for a finger hole.

9. The bowling ball of claim 1, wherein the RFID device is encased in epoxy.

10. The bowling ball of claim 1, wherein the RFID device is encased in ceramic.

11. The bowling ball of claim 1, wherein the RFID device is encased in glass.

12. The bowling ball of claim 1, wherein the RFID device comprises plastic.

13. A method for manufacturing a bowling ball with a radio frequency identification (RFID) device, the method comprising:

providing a weight block material in a core mold;

providing an RFID device in the core mold; and

providing a core fill material in the core mold;

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the RFID device is provided in the core mold by suspending the RFID device in the core mold.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the RFID device is provided in the core mold before the core fill material is provided in the core mold.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the core fill material is provided in the core mold before the RFID device is provided in the core mold, and wherein the RFID device is provided in the core mold by pushing the RFID device into the core fill material in the core mold.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the core fill material is provided in the core mold in increments, with some core fill material being provided in the core mold before the RFID device is provided in the core mold and additional core fill material being provided in the core mold after the RFID device is provided in the core mold.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

attaching the RFID device to an inner core; and

casing an outer core over the inner core.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the RFID device is made of a material that can withstand a temperature experienced during curing of the core fill material.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the RFID device is encased in epoxy.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the RFID device is encased in ceramic.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein the RFID device is encased in glass.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein the RFID device comprises plastic.

24. The method of claim 13, wherein the RFID device is provided in the core mold at a location that is away from a location for a finger hole.

25. The method of claim 13, wherein the core fill material comprises a resin having a first density, and wherein the weight block material comprises a resin having a second density greater than the first density.

26. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

removing a core from the core mold, wherein the core comprises the weight block material, the RFID device, and the core fill material;

providing the core in a ball mold; and

providing a resin in the ball mold, the resin being for an outer layer of the bowling ball.