WO2019081803A1

WO2019081803A1 - A method of adapting markings, colors, figures and / or other features into surface layer of bowling lane

Info

Publication number: WO2019081803A1
Application number: PCT/FI2018/050712
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mikko SIEVÄNEN
Original assignee: System-300 Group Oy
Priority date: 2017-10-24
Filing date: 2018-10-04
Publication date: 2019-05-02
Also published as: EP3700637A1; EP3700637A4; FI20175939A1

Abstract

The object of the invention is a method to adapt markings, colors, patterns and/or other characteristics to the surface layer (1) of the bowling lane, according to which method at least the plates (2.1 - 3.5) that form the speed lane (2) and the roll lane (3) are cut and/or machined to accurate measures of the texture or glossy quality high pressure laminate work in progress (10) and at least a part of the markings, colors, patterns and other characteristics that come to the surface layer (1) are adapted to the plates (2.1 - 3.5). Also the plate (4.1 ) that forms the surface of the pin table (4) is cut and machined to accurate measures of texture or glossy quality high pressure laminate work in progress 10. The mentioned work in progress 10 is essentially without pattern and colorless or then it has color, lines, tree cross section resemble pattern and/or some other basic pattern. At least a part of the mentioned markings, colors, patterns and other characteristics that come to the surface layer (1) can be adapted to the plates (2.1- 3.5) after they have been installed to their places and all the markings, patterns and characteristics to the plates (2.1- 4.1) are adapted permanently or temporarily by pressing, printing, inserting or with the help of the energy radiation.

Description

A METHOD OF ADAPTING MARKINGS, COLORS, FIGURES AND / OR OTHER FEATURES INTO SURFACE LAYER OF BOWLING LANE

The object of this invention i a method of adapting markings, functional components, colors, figures and / or other features into surface layer of bowling lane. According to the method, the surface layer forming plates are cut and/or machined to the measures of matt finish and/or glossy high-pressure laminate material.

The usages of the invention are both for competition and recreation purpose bowling lanes. These bowling lanes typically consist of the speed lane, lane part where the ball rolls and the pin table. In this document, the name ball lane is used of the part where the ball rolls.

The speed lane is typically about 5 m long and its surface layer is known to compose of one to three different plate parts. Its material is also in modern lanes a high-pressure laminate plate.

The ball lane is typically about 18 m long and its surface layer consists typically of three to five different plate parts. Its material is also in the modern lanes a high- pressure laminate plate.

The speed lane and the visible part of the ball lane surface quality are known either to be matt finish or glossy. The matt finish surface English term is "textured" and the glossy surface is "glossy".

The pin table is the part of the lane where the pins are placed and it is situated in the continuation of the ball lane. Its surface is also typically made of laminate.

The surface material of the speed lane is appropriate to get a suitable friction between the bowling shoes and the lane in different phases of the speed (walking, running, braking). The surface quality of the ball lane is suitable from the point of view of the adherence of the lane oil that is spread in the first part of the ball lane and on the other hand for the reason that in the end part of the lane that is kept free of oil the side spin of the ball has effect, that is the ball is got to change direction because friction be- tween the lane and the ball is greater than in the first part of the lane. So the oil is used to reduce the friction between the lane surface and the ball in the first and middle parts of the ball lane so that the side spin does not have effect there. When making the speed lane and the ball lane the number of the parts that are used depends on the standard measures that the laminate producers use. Typically, their lengths are 3.0- 3.6 m. On the other hand, the known technology ball lane plates can be partly identical to each other if they have not different markings, figures or colorings.

For the clarity, we use in this document the name '"work in progress^" about these products of the plate factories, and the name "plates" of the speed lane and the ball lane surface layer material. When composing the speed lane surface layer it is known that at least one and when composing the ball lane 3 different plates are needed. The width of the bowling lane surface can be adopted smaller than the width of the mentioned works in progress.

In the known technology, like for example the pattern of the cross section of a tree, the lane markings and the lath lines are adapted to the works in progress in their produc- tion. After this, the works in progress are machined (cuts, holes, angle bevels) and thus the plates are obtained and of these plates the surface layer of the bowling lane is composed.

The recreational usage of the bowling lanes has brought additional challenge to this phase: The need of setting different visual appearances, like for example colors, functional components to be adapted to the surface layer. These visual features can naturally in some part be utilized in competition bowling.

The laminate plates that are used as the surface layer can, as known, be made of so called massive plate and/or composite plate. The composite plate consists at least of a strong base layer and a thin surface layer. The mentioned surface layer of the composite can be for instance of urethane. It is known that the high-pressure laminate plate is produced of paper. The markings, figures and colors that come to the surface of the bowling lane are adapted to the surfaces of the works in progress by known technology by printing them to the surface construction figure paper. The information and/or impression of the markings, figures and colors to the surrounding arc transferred directly from the visual aspects of the printings.

The before mentioned known technology is used very commonly in the bowling lane production. As an example of these producers is BRUNSWICK CORPORATION. The international patent publication WO 00/76605 Al, where the applicant AMP BOWLING WORD WIDE INC presents the bowling lane system where the lane has light emitting material and that includes also a light source. With the help of light directed to the surface of the lane it is possible to get visible figures, lines, and instruction markings.

The technology of the publication consists centrally adapting certain light emitting surface layers and elements to the material that is used to produce the bowling lane. The publication presents that as the coloring and pigments are used they are recommended to be put to the bowling lane in the process o the production of the works in progress. As a primary usage of the publication it is kept that the level surface of the bowling lane consists of different parts that are joined together. This is commonly known technology in the field, because bowling lane long works in progress are not produced of the mentioned high pressure laminate. Additionally, the publication expresses that adapting the light emitting material is better to the laminate's one or more paper layers during the production of the laminate. One of the solutions is mentioned the printing of the tree cross section pattern to at least one paper layer of the laminate.

Based on what has been said the light emitting figures, markings, and other visual characteristics are fused by printing or by some other technique to the paper layer/s of the laminate that is used in the production process of the laminate.

The greatest drawbacks of the before mentioned by BRUNSWICK CORPORATION and by AMF BOWLING WORDWIDE INC used technologies are in the production of the works in progress and the logistics of these works in progress. The bowling lanes are produced with a very large scale of different visual characteristics. The variety of the markings and colors is very large and only the imagination sets the limits in their design and realization. This has caused inevitably that the high pressure lami- nate producers have been forced to increase very much the number of the articles they produce.. The specific works in progress must have been produced for each bowling lane color, figure and other visual appearance. The production has always its own different logistical and administration requirements so that among others the storage, transportations, book-keeping etc. increase the need to remove this drawback.

The before mentioned drawback is repeated in the bowling lane producers need to store a great amount of visually different works in progress. Another known drawback i the production is that every bowling lane needs works in progress that can be cut at least four differently finished plates to be used to form a certain part of the bowling lane.

The last mentioned drawback makes the whole plate series for a certain bowling lane prone to be rejected if some of its parts gets damaged in storage, transportation or installation, so that the whole series is useless when a part is missing.

When using the known technology, one significant disadvantage is the production and storage of the spare part plates. It is problematic to replace a certain damaged plate of thee bowling lane that has been made of a plate series of certain characteristics. It requires that a totally suitable work in progress exists or that it is produced.

The before described disadvantages are experienced generally the worst problems in the bowling lane business.

The patent publication US 5183262 A describe a method to build the surface layer of bowling lane. The bowling lane consists of the speed lane and the ball lane panels that have the center of phenol and the protective membrane cover and finishing material. The patent publication US 2008/0044677 Al describes forming the multi layer bowling lane construction. The different layers are piled upon each other and a sufficient pressure is applied to obtain a solid construction. The patent publication US 2005/0037853 Al describes a bowling lane where two layer roll polymer membrane is fixed to the surface of the lane with tape. To the surface of the membrane or under it/them the color material is put or pigment that reacts to the UV light. The greatest disadvantage of these three multi layer construction bowling lanes is connected to their complicated and high costs causing construction.

There is also in the market roll laminate the thickness of which is typically under a millimeter and it is used as greater pieces spread upon a thicker base.

The methods where some o the four mentioned solutions is used cannot, however, be regarded as the level of the technology that is technolog that is nearest the invention.

The meaning of this invention is to obtain such a method to adapt markings, function- al components, colors, figures and/or other characteristics to the surface of the bowling lane that drawbacks of the known technology are avoided. It is characteristic for the solution according to the invention that has been presented in the characterizing part of the claim 1. The greatest advantage of the invention in comparison to the known technology is that the number of the high pressure works in progress meant for the surface layers can be reduced strongly. When using the invention, the different products with di ferent visual capabilities like colors, figures are not needed at all. By usin the invention so only one high pressure laminate is needed in its minimum: textured quality and glossy quality.

This mentioned advantage follow the important benefits that will realize when the production lines, the logistic, and administration can be simplified remarkably. The material producers need to produce and sell at its best onl two different qualities while the total volume remains at least the same. The bowling lane producers have in its minimum need to store and administrate only one quality high pressure laminate..

The invention is described in more detail in the enclosed drawings, where fig 1 pre- sents the bowling lane schematically with its markings according to the invention seen from above, fig 2 presents the before mentioned bowling lane surface layer^'s working stages in chronological order, fig 3 presents cross section from the point A-A cut and turned left 90°. Next, one for the invention favorable solution is described by referring to the mentioned figures.

In fig 1 it is described one ball lane even surface layer 1 according to the invention. It consists of the speed lane 2, its continuation ball lane 3 and its continuation pin table 4. The material of the speed lane, ball lane and the pin table is high pressure laminate (HPL). The surface quality of the visible part of the speed lane 2 in this example is textured, which is described with the English term textured and the visible part of the ball lane 3 surface quality is glossier than textured, clear, that is described with the English term glossy. The speed lane 2 consists of two plates 2.1 , 2.2, ball lane 3 five planes 3.1- 3.5 and the pin table 4 one plate 4.1. In the finished bowling lane surface in this example there are visible 5 lath lines and lane markings like balls 6- 8 and arrow heads 9.

In figure 2 it has been presented the production phases of figure 1 surface plate 3.2 ac- cording to the method of the invention. The laminate producer produces work in progress 10 and during the production of this work in progress no lath lines, lane markings or other characteristics like cross section pattern of a tree are not adapted. From the mentioned work in progress the plane 3.2 in dimensions is machined (cutting, drilling the fixing holes, beveling) and the lath lines 5 lane markings 9 are adapted to this plate. After this, the plate 3.2 can be installed to the surface layer 1 of the bowling lane. Every plate 2.1 - 3.5 and even the plane 4.1 is prepared in the same way and to each of them the plane markings, lines and figures are adapted. The surface layer 1 of the bowling lane can be made using the method according to the invention from a completely figureless and colorless work in progress 10, so that all its visual characteristics are adapted to the plates 2.1- 4.1. On the other hand, it is possible to adapt some basic figure or lining to the work in progress 10 during its pro- duction and other desired visual characteristics can then be adapted to the plates 2.1- 4.1.

The invention can also be applied so that a part or all the markings and other visual characteristics to the plates 2.1 - 4.1 are adapted to them after the surface layer 1 instal- lation has been completed. In this case, for instance the places of the pins in the pin table 4 can be positioned accurately in relation to the markings of the speed lane and the ball lane and/or pin machine functions.

All the markings and figures are adapted in this solution of the invention to the plates 2.1 - 4.1 permanently using some known technique like for instance printing, writing, inserting or using energy rays like laser.

In figure 3 there has been described a way according to the invention but different from before mentioned to adapt the lane markings to the surface layer 1. When the planes 2.1 - 4.1 have been machined from a blank work in progress 1 and the surface layer 1 made of them is ready installed and the bowling lane is being taken into use, to the position of one or each lane marking a UV light that has the shape of the marking and covers the area of each marking is d irected from above and thus the color of these markings change. The color that appears is dependent of the UV radiation capabilities of the laminate in use. Figure 3 is a principle picture about this situation cut at the position of the arrow heads 9 (fig 1) and turned 90° and thus the surface layer 1 comes lowest in the figure. Above the surface layer 1, energy radiation unit 15 has been adapted that in this example is an UV lamp. The energy rays 16 of the lamp are directed in arrow head 9 shape markings to their positioning positions. It has been illus- trated the shape of the figure pattern that has been obtained with the energy rays by presenting their outlines 9' between the sidelines of the rays turned vertically.

More precisely, the mentioned UV rays hit the paper that is in the surface layer of the laminate and change its color in the places where the rays hit it. This kind of reactive material in the surface layer can be mentioned the photogromatic pigment or photogromatic substance. By this way obtained reactions can be temporal or permanent. Other this group solutions of the invention is to replace the before mentioned UV radiation by laser radiation, heat radiation or some other energy radiation. These energy forms or a part of them can also be used at the same time.

The invention can also be applied by changing the power and wave length of the be- fore mentioned energy radiations and thus different visual appearances appear.

With the help of the invention it is possible to get to the surface layer 1 a lane marking of any shape, size, pattern or color. A desired amount of markings patterns and colors can be reached.

Splitting the molecule structure with the energy radiation in an area in the surface layer 1 is one method of the invention to change the visual capabilities of the surface layer. For instance the molecule structure of a tattoo ink in the surface can be split with laser and the color disappears. Another example can be mentioned the polymerization of MM A to PMMA using laser.

One different way to realize the invention is to integrate for the plates 2.1 - 4.1 that form the surface layer 1 or for some of them before their installation or after that one or more such components with which information or some visual appearance is trans- ferred to the surrounding by directing to the mentioned component energy radiation. Following some to this solution based invention realizations are described.

To the plate/s 2.1- 4.1 is adapted at least one intelligent or functional component before the installation or after it. They can cover and form light, touch or warmth sensi- tivc areas and these areas' capabilities can then be changed during the use by directing to them at least one outside before mentioned stimulation (light, touch, warmth, etc.). These outside stimulations can have more than one function and thus the invention has numerous applications. The component can also be a membrane and/or additional additive that have been integrated to the plates 2.1- 4.1 of the surface layer 1 before or after the installation that can be activated by directing to it/them light or warmth energy. By activating the components the visual characteristics of the bowling lane surface can be changed in the areas they cover.

The component that has been used in the before mentioned applications can be for instance a light sensitive sensor or sensor membrane, light pointedly or area wise emitting element, display element or touch sensitive element. Lastly the mentioned func- lion principle can be for instance a piezo electric, resistive or capacitive touch membrane.

One way to integrate lane markings, patterns and/or color to the surface layer 1 according to the invention is to make a transparent surface so that one machines for the insert starting from the down surface of the plane/s 2.1- 4.1 so deep space that the layer that remains to the surface is transparent and the lane marking, pattern, color etc. of the component that has been put into the space is visible through the layer.

The integration of the components can also be made from the side of the upper sur- face.

As an application of the invention it is also possible to direct energy radiation to this kind of just mentioned component that changes its visual characteristics. One application group of the invention is to install to the surface layer 1 a component that makes a sound effect. This can be realized by integrating at least one loudspeaker element to platc/s 2.1 - 4.1 before their assembly or after it.

The component can also be made of mass, glue, paint, ink, laminate, metal, glass, wood, fiber, plastic, ceramics, or a combination of these.

The integration of the mentioned component to the plate 2.1- 4.1 can be made in many ways. As an example it can be mentioned printing to the surface of the surface layer and other machining space to the plate 2.1- 4.1 for the component. It should be noticed that even though this description sticks to one type for the invention favorable solution example this does not want to limit in any way the usage of the invention to only this type of example, instead, many variations are possible within the inventive idea that has been defined in the claims.

Claims

A method to adapt markings, colors, figures and/or other characteristics to the surface layer (1 ) of a bowling lane according to which method at least the speed lane (2) and ball lane forming plates (2.1 - 3.5) are cut and/or machined to a definite measures of the textured or glossy quality high pressure laminate work in progress (10).

characterized thereof that

a. all the plates (2.1- 3.5) of the speed lanes and the ball lanes (2, 3) of the bowling lanes are made of works in progress (10) the surfaces of which are convergent of same color or colorlessness or where there is all over the same base pattern,

b. all the other visual characteristics to be adapted to the mentioned speed and ball lanes (2, 3), like lane markings, colors and/or patterns are adapted to the plates (2.1 - 3.5).

The method according to the claim 1 characterized thereof that the plate (4.1 ) that forms the surface layer of the pin table (4) is cut and machined to its measures of textured or glossy quality high pressure laminate work in progress ( 10) that is white, colorless and/or without a pattern or where there has been adapted during its production some base color or pattern and that all its other visual characteristics, like lane markings, colors and/or patterns are adapted to the mentioned plate (4.1).

The method according to the claims 1 and 2 characterized thereof that at least a part of the mentioned markings, colors, patterns and other characteristics that come to the surface layer (1) are adapted to the plates (2.1 - 3.5) after they have been instal led to their places.

The method according to some of the claims 1- 3 characterized thereof that all the markings, patterns and characteristics that come to the plates (2.1 - 4.1) are adapted to them permanently or temporarily by printing, pressing, inserting or by energy radiation.

5. The method according to the claim 4 characterized thereof that a UV, laser, warmth or other suitable radiation is directed from above the bowling lane to every desired marking, color, pattern and/or other characteristic that radiation has the shape of the marking and covers its surface and thus the material in the surface of the plate that reacts to the radiation, like fotogromatic pigment or substance or other for the situation suitable substance when reacting to the radiation makes the mentioned area change color permanently or temporarily. 6. The method according to the claim 4 characterized thereof that forming the color, marking, pattern or other characteristic to the top surface of the plate (2.1 - 4.1 ) is made by integrating to it a component that conveys information or visual appearance into the surrounding, like an intelligent or other functional component, membrane, additive, light sensitive sensor, sensor membrane, an element that emits the light pointedly or area wise, display clement, touch sensitive element, or sound element.

The method according to the claim 6 characterized thereof that visual aspect of the color, marking, pattern or other characteristic is changed by directing to the mentioned component UV, laser or warmth radiation.

The method according to the claim 6 or 7 characterized thereof that the integration of the mentioned component is made through the bottom surface of the plate (2.1- 4.1) before assembling the surface layer (1 ) by putting the component to a place that has been made for it above which in the mentioned plate there is a transparent or translucent layer.

The method according to the claim 6 or 7 characterized thereof that the integration of the mentioned component is made through the top surface of the plate (2.1 - 4.1) before or after the assembly of the surface layer (1) by putting the element to a place that has been made for it.

10. The method according to some of the claims 6- 9 characterized thereof that a component is integrated to the plate (2.1- 4.1 ) by pressing or printing color. membrane or sensor to the surface of the plate or by machining a place for the component to the mentioned plate. The method according to some of the claims 6- 10 characterized thereof that the component to be integrated is made of mass, glue, paint, ink, laminate, metal, glass, wood, fiber, plastic, ceramics or some combination substance of these substances.