Apparatus and method for conditioning a bowling lane using precision delivery injectors

• US 20060107894A1
• Filed: 01/09/2006
• Published: 05/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brunswick Bowling Products, LLC
• Original Assignee: Brunswick Bowling & Billiards Corporation (Brunswick Corporation)
• Inventors: Davis, Richard A., Burkholder, Roy A., Mitchell, Patrick J., Recknagel, Troy A., Meade, Mark H., Gonring, Steven J., Buckley, George W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,611,583 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 118/207
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/03 characterised by having provisions for supplying cleaning or polishing agents A47L11/065, A47L11/085, A47L11/125, A47L11/145, A47L11/161, A47L11/1625, A47L11/185, A47L11/201 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/185 with supply of cleaning agents
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4011 Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4036 Parts or details of the surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4041 Roll shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4044 Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4047 Wound-up or endless cleaning belts
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4088 Supply pumps; Spraying devices; Supply conduits
• CPC Class Codes: A63D 1/00 Installations for bowling games, e.g. bowling-alleys or bocce courts bowling greens A63C19/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63D 5/10 Apparatus for cleaning balls, pins, or alleys
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/04 in flat form, e.g. fan-like, sheet-like
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/14 with multiple outlet openings B05B1/02, B05B1/26 take precedence; with strainers in or outside the outlet opening
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/3053 the actuating means being a solenoid
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 13/005 mounted on vehicles or designed to apply a liquid on a very large surface, e.g. on the road, on the surface of large containers
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/658 the spraying apparatus or its outlet axis being perpendicular to the flow conduit

Abstract

The invention relates generally to the conditioning of bowling lanes, and, more particularly to an apparatus and method for automatically applying a predetermined pattern of dressing fluid along the transverse and longitudinal dimensions of a bowling lane.

Claims

1. A bowling lane conditioning system comprising:

a dressing application system including at least one precision delivery injector for injecting high viscosity dressing fluid directly onto a bowling lane, said at least one precision delivery injector including a valve reciprocable between open and closed positions for respectively injecting and preventing injection of the dressing fluid through said at least one precision delivery injector; and

a cleaning system including at least one telescoping nozzle for injecting cleaning fluid forward of said lane conditioning system.

2. A bowling lane conditioning system comprising:

a housing;

at least one injector carried by the housing and comprising;

at least one opening; and

a valve;

wherein the at least one injector is positioned to output lane dressing fluid directly onto a bowling lane as the bowling lane conditioning system moves along the bowling lane; and

a cleaning fluid delivery and removal system carried by the housing, wherein the cleaning fluid delivery and removal system comprises;

a cleaning fluid reservoir;

at least one cleaning fluid delivery nozzle in communication with the cleaning fluid reservoir; and

a vacuum.

3. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 2 further comprising:

a lane dressing fluid tank carried by the housing.

4. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 2, wherein the at least one opening is configured to output lane dressing fluid in a predetermined injection pattern.

5. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 2, wherein the valve is movable between first and second positions for respectively injecting and preventing injection of a predetermined volume of lane dressing fluid through the at least one opening.

6. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 2, wherein the at least one injector is in a fixed position with respect to the housing as the bowling lane conditioning system moves along the bowling lane.

7. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 2, wherein the at least one injector is configured to move with respect to the housing as the bowling lane conditioning system moves along the bowling lane.

8. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 2, wherein the bowling lane comprises N number of boards, and wherein the at least one injector comprises N injectors.

9. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 2, wherein the at least one injector comprises 39 injectors.

10. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 2 further comprising:

an injector rail carried by the housing, the injector rail comprising at least one opening, wherein the at least one injector is connected to the at least one opening in the injector rail.

11. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 2, wherein the lane dressing fluid comprises a viscosity in a range of 10-65 centipoises.

12. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 2, wherein the at least one injector comprises a plurality of injectors, and wherein the bowling lane conditioning system further comprises a control system operative to independently control a duration of a valve opening period of each of the plurality of injectors as the bowling lane conditioning system moves along the bowling lane to create a predetermined lane dressing pattern on the bowling lane.

13. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 2 further comprising:

a user interface carried by the housing and operative to allow a user to choose a predetermined lane dressing pattern from a plurality of stored lane dressing patterns.

14. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 2 further comprising:

a user interface carried by the housing and operative to allow a user to customize a predetermined lane dressing pattern.

15. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 2 further comprising:

a user interface carried by the housing and operative to allow a user to visually specify a lane dressing pattern along a length of the bowling lane.

16. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 2 further comprising:

a user interface carried by the housing and operative to allow a user to choose a lane dressing pattern from viewing a two-dimensional layout of lane dressing fluid at a plurality of locations along a length of the bowling lane.

17. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 2 further comprising:

a user interface carried by the housing and operative to allow a user to choose a lane dressing pattern from viewing a three-dimensional layout of lane dressing fluid at a plurality of locations along a length of the bowling lane.

18. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 2 further comprising:

a user interface operative to allow a user to control a distance of a predetermined lane pattern.

19. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 2 further comprising:

a user interface operative to allow a user to specify how much lane dressing fluid the at least one injector will apply to each board of the bowling lane within a resolution of a single board.

20. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 2 further comprising:

a user interface operative to allow a user to specify how much lane dressing fluid the at least one injector will apply to each board of the bowling lane within a resolution of two or more boards.

21. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 2 further comprising:

a user interface carried by the housing and comprising diagnostics software.

22. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 2 further comprising:

a buffer carried by the housing and configured to smooth the lane dressing fluid outputted onto the bowling lane.

23. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 22 further comprising:

a dispersion roller carried by the housing and disposed in contact with the buffer.

24. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 2 further comprising:

a drive system carried by the housing and operative to move the bowling lane conditioning system along the bowling lane.

25. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 24, wherein the bowling lane comprises a pin deck and a foul line, and wherein the drive system is operative to propel the bowling lane conditioning system toward the foul line at a faster speed than a speed at which the drive system propels the bowling lane conditioning system toward the pin deck.

26. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 25, wherein the drive system is operative to propel the bowling lane conditioning system toward the pin deck at a speed in a range of 12-36 inches/second, and wherein the drive system is operative to propel the bowling lane conditioning system toward the foul line at a speed in a range of 15-60 inches/second.

27. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 24, wherein the bowling lane comprises a pin deck, and wherein the drive system is operative to propel the bowling lane conditioning system toward the pin deck at a constant one of a plurality of selected speeds.

28. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 24, wherein the drive system comprises drive wheels and a motor coupled with the drive wheels.

29. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 2 further comprising:

a calibration system carried by the housing and operative to calibrate the at least one injector.

30. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 2, wherein the cleaning fluid delivery and removal system further comprises a squeegee.

31. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 2, wherein the cleaning fluid delivery and removal system further comprises a duster roller.

32. A bowling lane conditioning system comprising:

a housing;

a transfer roller carried by the housing;

at least one injector carried by the housing and comprising;

at least one opening; and

a valve;

wherein the at least one injector is positioned to output lane dressing fluid onto the transfer roller;

a buffer carried by the housing and disposed in contact with the transfer roller, wherein the buffer receives lane dressing fluid from the transfer roller and applies the lane dressing fluid onto a bowling lane as the bowling lane conditioning system moves along the bowling lane; and

a cleaning fluid delivery and removal system carried by the housing, wherein the cleaning fluid delivery and removal system comprises;

a cleaning fluid reservoir;

at least one cleaning fluid delivery nozzle in communication with the cleaning fluid reservoir; and

a vacuum.

33. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 32, wherein the at least one opening is configured to output lane dressing fluid in a predetermined injection pattern.

34. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 32, wherein the valve is movable between first and second positions for respectively injecting and preventing injection of a predetermined volume of lane dressing fluid through the at least one opening.

35. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 32, wherein the at least one injector is in a fixed position with respect to the housing as the bowling lane conditioning system moves along the bowling lane.

36. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 32, wherein the at least one injector is configured to move with respect to the housing as the bowling lane conditioning system moves along the bowling lane.

37. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 32 further comprising:

a first motor carried by the housing and operative to rotate the buffer; and

a second motor carried by the housing and operative to rotate the transfer roller.

38. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 32 further comprising:

a motor carried by the housing and operative to rotate both the buffer and the transfer roller.

39. A bowling lane conditioning system comprising:

a housing;

a drive system carried by the housing and operative to propel the bowling lane conditioning system along a bowling lane;

a dressing application system carried by the housing and comprising;

a lane dressing fluid tank;

at least one injector in communication with the lane dressing fluid tank and comprising;

at least one opening; and

a valve;

wherein the at least one injector is positioned to output lane dressing fluid directly onto the bowling lane as the drive system propels the bowling lane conditioning system along the bowling lane;

a buffer; and

a dispersion roller disposed in contact with the buffer; and

a cleaning fluid delivery and removal system carried by the housing and comprising;

a duster roller

a cleaning fluid reservoir;

at least one cleaning fluid delivery nozzle in communication with the cleaning fluid reservoir;

a squeegee; and

a vacuum.

40. A bowling lane conditioning system comprising:

a housing;

a dressing application system carried by the housing, wherein the dressing application system is configured to output lane dressing fluid directly onto a bowling lane as the bowling lane conditioning system moves along the bowling lane;

a user interface carried by the housing and operative to allow a user to specify how much lane dressing fluid the dressing application system will apply to each board of the bowling lane within a resolution of a single board; and

a cleaning fluid delivery and removal system carried by the housing, wherein the cleaning fluid delivery and removal system comprises;

a cleaning fluid reservoir;

at least one cleaning fluid delivery nozzle in communication with the cleaning fluid reservoir; and

a vacuum.

41. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 40, wherein the user interface is operative to display a two-dimensional layout of lane dressing fluid at a plurality of locations on the bowling lane.

42. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 40, wherein the user interface is operative to display a three-dimensional layout of lane dressing fluid at a plurality of locations on the bowling lane.

43. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 40, wherein the user interface is operative to allow the user to control how much lane dressing fluid the dressing application system will apply along a length of the bowling lane.

44. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 40, wherein the dressing application system comprises at least one injector comprising at least one opening and a valve.

45. A bowling lane conditioning system comprising:

a dressing application system including at least one precision delivery injector for injecting high viscosity dressing fluid directly onto a bowling lane, said at least one precision delivery injector including a valve reciprocable between open and closed positions for respectively injecting and preventing injection of the dressing fluid through said at least one precision delivery injector.

46. A bowling lane conditioning system according to claim 45, said dressing fluid having a viscosity greater than 10 centipoises.

47. A bowling lane conditioning system according to claim 45, said at least one precision delivery injector being mounted on an injector rail reciprocable generally parallel relative to a central longitudinal axis thereof.

48. A bowling lane conditioning system according to claim 45, said at least one precision delivery injector being mounted on an injector rail and being shuttled in predetermined intervals generally parallel relative to a central longitudinal axis of said injector rail.

49. A bowling lane conditioning system according to claim 45, further comprising:

a control system for controlling various functions of said lane conditioning system.

50. A bowling lane conditioning system according to claim 49, further comprising:

a user interface for controlling said control system.

51. A bowling lane conditioning system according to claim 45, further comprising:

a calibration system for calibrating said at least one precision delivery injectors.

52. A bowling lane conditioning system according to claim 45, further comprising:

thirty-nine precision injectors for injecting dressing fluid onto thirty-nine respective boards of a bowling lane.

53. A bowling lane conditioning system according to claim 45, further comprising:

a cleaning system including at least one telescoping nozzle for injecting cleaning fluid forward of said lane conditioning system.

54. A bowling lane conditioning system according to claim 45, said at least one precision delivery injector being mounted on an injector rail reciprocable generally vertically relative to the bowling lane.

55. A bowling lane conditioning system according to claim 45, said at least one precision delivery injector being mounted on an injector rail pivotable about an axis disposed generally parallel to a longitudinal length of the bowling lane.

56. A bowling lane conditioning system according to claim 45, said at least one precision delivery injector being mounted on a fixed injector rail.

57. A bowling lane conditioning system comprising:

a dressing system including at least one precision delivery injector for injecting high viscosity dressing fluid onto a transfer roller, said at least one precision delivery injector including a valve reciprocable between open and closed positions for respectively injecting and preventing injection of the dressing fluid through said at least one precision delivery injector.

58. A bowling lane conditioning system comprising:

a housing; and

at least one injector carried by the housing and comprising;

at least one opening; and

a valve;

wherein the at least one injector is positioned to output lane dressing fluid directly onto a bowling lane as the bowling lane conditioning system moves along the bowling lane.

59. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 58, wherein the at least one opening is configured to output lane dressing fluid in a predetermined injection pattern.

60. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 58, wherein the valve is movable between first and second positions for respectively injecting and preventing injection of a predetermined volume of lane dressing fluid through the at least one opening.

61. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 58, wherein the at least one injector is in a fixed position with respect to the housing as the bowling lane conditioning system moves along the bowling lane.

62. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 58, wherein the at least one injector is configured to move with respect to the housing as the bowling lane conditioning system moves along the bowling lane.

63. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 58, wherein the bowling lane comprises N number of boards, and wherein the at least one injector comprises N injectors.

64. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 58, wherein the at least one injector comprises 39 injectors.

65. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 58 further comprising:

an injector rail carried by the housing, the injector rail comprising at least one opening, wherein the at least one injector is connected to the at least one opening in the injector rail.

66. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 58, wherein the lane dressing fluid comprises a viscosity in a range of 10-65 centipoises.

67. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 58, wherein the at least one injector comprises a plurality of injectors, and wherein the bowling lane conditioning system further comprises a control system operative to independently control a duration of a valve opening period of each of the plurality of injectors as the bowling lane conditioning system moves along the bowling lane to create a predetermined lane dressing pattern on the bowling lane.

68. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 58 further comprising:

a user interface carried by the housing and operative to allow a user to choose a predetermined lane dressing pattern from a plurality of stored lane dressing patterns.

69. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 58 further comprising:

a user interface carried by the housing and operative to allow a user to customize a predetermined lane dressing pattern.

70. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 58 further comprising:

a user interface carried by the housing and operative to allow a user to visually specify a lane dressing pattern along a length of the bowling lane.

71. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 58 further comprising:

a user interface carried by the housing and operative to allow a user to choose a lane dressing pattern from viewing a two-dimensional layout of lane dressing fluid at a plurality of locations along a length of the bowling lane.

72. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 58 further comprising:

a user interface carried by the housing and operative to allow a user to choose a lane dressing pattern from viewing a three-dimensional layout of lane dressing fluid at a plurality of locations along a length of the bowling lane.

73. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 58 further comprising:

a user interface operative to allow a user to control a distance of a predetermined lane pattern.

74. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 58 further comprising:

a user interface operative to allow a user to specify how much lane dressing fluid the at least one injector will apply to each board of the bowling lane within a resolution of a single board.

75. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 58 further comprising:

a user interface operative to allow a user to specify how much lane dressing fluid the at least one injector will apply to each board of the bowling lane within a resolution of two or more boards.

76. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 58 further comprising:

a user interface carried by the housing and comprising diagnostics software.

77. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 58 further comprising:

a drive system carried by the housing and operative to move the bowling lane conditioning system along the bowling lane.

78. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 77, wherein the bowling lane comprises a pin deck and a foul line, and wherein the drive system is operative to propel the bowling lane conditioning system toward the foul line at a faster speed than a speed at which the drive system propels the bowling lane conditioning system toward the pin deck.

79. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 77, wherein the bowling lane comprises a pin deck, and wherein the drive system is operative to propel the bowling lane conditioning system toward the pin deck at a constant one of a plurality of selected speeds.

80. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 58 further comprising:

a calibration system carried by the housing and operative to calibrate the at least one injector.

81. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 58 further comprising:

a cleaning fluid delivery and removal system carried by the housing.

82. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 81, wherein the cleaning fluid delivery and removal system comprises:

a cleaning fluid reservoir;

at least one cleaning fluid delivery nozzle in communication with the cleaning fluid reservoir; and

a vacuum.

83. A bowling lane conditioning system comprising:

a housing;

a transfer roller carried by the housing;

at least one injector carried by the housing and comprising;

at least one opening; and

a valve;

wherein the at least one injector is positioned to output lane dressing fluid onto the transfer roller; and

a buffer carried by the housing and disposed in contact with the transfer roller, wherein the buffer receives lane dressing fluid from the transfer roller and applies the lane dressing fluid onto a bowling lane as the bowling lane conditioning system moves along the bowling lane.

84. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 83, wherein the at least one opening is configured to output lane dressing fluid in a predetermined injection pattern.

85. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 83, wherein the valve is movable between first and second positions for respectively injecting and preventing injection of a predetermined volume of lane dressing fluid through the at least one opening.

86. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 83, wherein the at least one injector is in a fixed position with respect to the housing as the bowling lane conditioning system moves along the bowling lane.

87. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 83, wherein the at least one injector is configured to move with respect to the housing as the bowling lane conditioning system moves along the bowling lane.

88. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 83 further comprising:

a cleaning fluid delivery and removal system carried by the housing.

89. A bowling lane conditioning system comprising:

a housing;

a drive system carried by the housing and operative to propel the bowling lane conditioning system along a bowling lane;

a dressing application system carried by the housing and comprising;

a lane dressing fluid tank;

at least one injector in communication with the lane dressing fluid tank and comprising;

at least one opening; and

a valve;

wherein the at least one injector is positioned to output lane dressing fluid directly onto the bowling lane as the drive system propels the bowling lane conditioning system along the bowling lane;

a buffer; and

a dispersion roller disposed in contact with the buffer; and

a cleaning fluid delivery and removal system carried by the housing and comprising;

a duster roller

a cleaning fluid reservoir;

at least one cleaning fluid delivery nozzle in communication with the cleaning fluid reservoir;

a squeegee; and

a vacuum.

90. A bowling lane conditioning system comprising:

a housing;

a dressing application system carried by the housing, wherein the dressing application system is configured to output lane dressing fluid directly onto a bowling lane as the bowling lane conditioning system moves along the bowling lane; and

a user interface carried by the housing and operative to allow a user to specify how much lane dressing fluid the dressing application system will apply to each board of the bowling lane within a resolution of a single board.

91. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 90, wherein the user interface is operative to display a two-dimensional layout of lane dressing fluid at a plurality of locations on the bowling lane.

92. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 90, wherein the user interface is operative to display a three-dimensional layout of lane dressing fluid at a plurality of locations on the bowling lane.

93. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 90, wherein the user interface is operative to allow the user to control how much lane dressing fluid the dressing application system will apply along a length of the bowling lane.

94. The bowling lane conditioning system of claim 90, wherein the dressing application system comprises at least one injector comprising at least one opening and a valve.