Bowling ball maintenance device

Abstract

A bowling ball maintenance device performs a de-oiling process on bowling balls having porous surfaces. The maintenance device may comprise a container sized to store at least one bowling ball within the container and structured to receive the bowling ball. A heating element is structured to warm an internal environment of the container at least to a level at which oil that may have accumulated in the pores of the ball begins to flow out of the pores. Embodiments also include a ball support within the container that is structured to contain the oil that has flowed out of the pores of the ball. Depending on the embodiment, the ball support may include three or more ball support extensions structured to support the ball in a stationary position over a height of a floor of the ball support during operation of the maintenance device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A bowling ball maintenance device, comprising:
 a container sized to store at least one bowling ball within the container and structured to receive the bowling ball, the bowling ball including a plurality of pores formed on a shell;   a heating element structured to warm an internal environment of the container between about 100° F. to 160° F. at which oil that may have accumulated in the pores of the ball begins to flow out of the pores; and   a ball support structured to contain oil that has flowed out of the pores of the ball, the ball support including three or more ball support extensions structured to support the ball in a stationary position over a height of a floor of the ball support during operation of the maintenance device.   
     
     
         2 . The bowling ball maintenance device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an air circulation device structured to move heated air within the container and around the bowling ball.   
     
     
         3 . The bowling ball maintenance device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a user interface on an outside of the container and structured to receive input from an operator of the maintenance device.   
     
     
         4 . The bowling ball maintenance device of  claim 3  in which the user interface comprises a timer control. 
     
     
         5 . The bowling ball maintenance device of  claim 4  in which the user interface further comprises a temperature control. 
     
     
         6 . The bowling ball maintenance device of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a processor coupled to the user interface and structured to control one or more operations of the maintenance device based on input received through the user interface.   
     
     
         7 . The bowling ball maintenance device of  claim 6 , further comprising a memory coupled to the processor and structured to hold data for one or more pre-programmed processes of maintenance device operation. 
     
     
         8 . The bowling ball maintenance device of  claim 7  in which at least one of the pre-programmed processes, when implemented, causes the maintenance device to warm the internal environment of the container to a first temperature for at least a first time duration. 
     
     
         9 . The bowling ball maintenance device of  claim 8  in which the at least one of the pre-programmed processes, when implemented, further causes the maintenance device to change the internal environment of the container to a second temperature for a second duration after having warmed the internal environment to first temperature for at least the first time duration. 
     
     
         10 . A method of operating a bowling ball maintenance device, the method comprising:
 receiving a bowling ball within a chamber, the bowling ball having a plurality of pores in an outside shell;   heating air within the chamber to a level that causes oil within the plurality of pores to flow;   holding the ball in a fixed position within the chamber while oil flows from the plurality of pores; and   capturing the expended oil in a container disposed below the ball within the chamber.   
     
     
         11 . The method of operating a bowling ball maintenance device of  claim 10 , in which holding the ball in the fixed position comprises supporting the ball by a plurality of posts within the container. 
     
     
         12 . The method of operating a bowling ball maintenance device of  claim 10 , in which heating air comprises:
 heating air within the chamber until a temperature of the air in the chamber is within a desired range of temperatures; and   then discontinuing to heat the air in the chamber.   
     
     
         13 . The method of operating a bowling ball maintenance device of  claim 12  in which the air in the chamber is heated to within the desired range of temperatures for a predetermined time period, the method further comprising:
 heating the air within the chamber until the temperature of the air in the chamber is within a second desired range of temperatures, the second range of temperatures different that the first range of temperatures. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method of operating a bowling ball maintenance device of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 finishing the bowling ball maintenance when a second predetermined time duration has elapsed.   
     
     
         15 . The method of operating a bowling ball maintenance device of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 circulating the heated air within the container.   
     
     
         16 . The method of operating a bowling ball maintenance device of  claim 10 , further comprising
 finishing the bowling ball maintenance when a pre-determined time duration has elapsed.