Bowling ball thumb and finger insert

Abstract

A thumb and finger insert for a bowling ball including a barrel having a thumb or finger hole for insertion of either a human thumb or finger and capable of facilitating a properly timed release of a bowling ball and of adapting to digit swelling during play. The barrel has a complete annular portion and a partial annular portion, the latter forming a gap into which a flexible tab is disposed. The flexible tab is connected to the partial annular portion with one or more flexible members and includes an underside that engages the dorsal side of a user's thumb or finger, wherein the flexible members will flex so as to allow said flexible tab to flex outwardly when pressure is exerted against the underside of the flexible tab.

What is claimed as invention is: 
     
         1 . A thumb and finger insert for a bowling ball, comprising:
 a cylindrical barrel having a thumb hole adapted to accommodate a human thumb or finger and having an interior end, an exterior end, and an interior wall, said barrel having a complete annular portion proximate and extending to said interior end and a partial annular portion extending from said complete annular portion to said exterior end, said partial annular portion including spaced apart terminal walls defining a gap;   a flexible tab interposed in said gap between and spaced apart from said terminal walls of said partial annular portion, said flexible tab having an upper surface recessed from upper edges of said terminal walls and an underside that engages a user's thumb when a user inserts his or her thumb into the thumb insert; and   at least one flexible connection element connecting said flexible tab to either or both of said partial annular portion and said complete annular portion of said cylindrical barrel;   wherein said flexible element will flex so as to allow said flexible tab to flex outwardly when pressure is exerted against said underside.   
     
     
         2 . The thumb and finger insert of  claim 1 , wherein said flexible tab is cantilevered from a distal end of said complete annular portion. 
     
     
         3 . The thumb and finger insert of  claim 2 , wherein said flexible tab is integrally connected to said complete annular portion. 
     
     
         4 . The thumb and finger insert of  claim 1 , wherein said flexible tab is connected to said complete annular portion with a flexible bar. 
     
     
         5 . The thumb and finger insert of  claim 1 , wherein said underside of said flexible tab includes a surface configured with a concave shape substantially continuous with a curvature of the interior wall of said barrel. 
     
     
         6 . The thumb and finger insert of  claim 1 , wherein said thumb hole of said cylindrical barrel includes an outward taper extending inwardly to said interior end. 
     
     
         7 . The thumb and finger insert of  claim 6 , wherein said taper begins at a truncation line interior of said exterior end. 
     
     
         8 . The thumb and finger insert of  claim 6 , wherein said underside of said flexible tab includes an outward taper. 
     
     
         9 . The thumb and finger insert of  claim 8 , wherein the outward taper of said flexible tab conforms to the outward taper of said thumb hole. 
     
     
         10 . The thumb and finger insert of  claim 1 , wherein said flexible tab is connected to said partial annular portion with a plurality of flexible bars. 
     
     
         11 . The thumb and finger insert of  claim 10 , wherein flexible tab connects to said complete annular portion with a living hinge. 
     
     
         12 . The thumb and finger insert of  claim 10 , wherein said flexible tab is spaced apart from said complete annular portion and is connected to said annular portion with a flexible bar. 
     
     
         13 . The thumb and finger insert of  claim 10 , wherein said flexible tab is connected to said terminal walls with first and second flexible elongate Z-bars, each having a tab connecting stem and a terminal wall connecting stem. 
     
     
         14 . The thumb and finger insert of  claim 13 , further including first and second flexible L-bars smaller than said Z-bars connecting said flexible tab to said terminal walls. 
     
     
         15 . The thumb and finger insert of  claim 10 , wherein said plurality of flexible bars includes three spaced apart L-bars disposed on one side of said flexible tab and connecting said flexible tab to only one of said terminal walls or with a horizontal shelf contiguous with one of said terminal walls, such that the flexible tab translates radially under upward pressure. 
     
     
         16 . The thumb and finger insert of  claim 10 , wherein said flexible bars comprise a plurality of flexible bars disposed on each side of said flexible tab. 
     
     
         17 . The thumb and finger insert of  claim 1 , wherein said flexible tab is spaced apart from each of said partial and complete annular portions of said barrel and is connected to said complete annular portion on an inboard end and to both of said terminal walls of said partial annular portion with a plurality of flexible bars. 
     
     
         18 . The thumb and finger insert of  claim 1 , wherein when viewed from said exterior end, said partial annular portion defines a tipped C-shape. 
     
     
         19 . A thumb and finger insert for a bowling ball, comprising:
 a cylindrical barrel having an interior end and an exterior end and a gap extending longitudinally from said exterior end to a point short of said interior end, said gap having terminal walls;   a flexible tab disposed in said gap and connected to said terminal walls with at least one flexible member so as to allow said flexible tab to flex upwardly.   
     
     
         20 . The thumb and finger insert of  claim 19 , wherein said flexible tab is connected to said barrel with a plurality of flexible members.