The present invention relates to a bowling lane and a construction
element of the same. Said construction element comprises a laminate layer, a board
layer as well as a supporting structure layer.
Typically, bowling lanes are composed of a substructure and boards
attached thereto or of wood strips attached to each other. The substructure is usually
a trussed construction made of wood beams. Typically, there are several boards placed
on top of each other so that the required strength properties are attained. If the
surface material of the lane is synthetic material instead of wood, a laminate layer
is typically attached on the outer surface of the topmost board. The boards are
mounted on the substructure by means of screws in such a manner that in the direction
of the lane the difference in levels of the joints between the elements may be 0.635
mm (1/40") at the most.
The bowling lane is composed of an approach, a ball track and a pin
deck. Different parts of the bowling lane require different qualities, which have
to be taken into account when the lane is designed. By the approach, the lane has
to endure e.g. the weight of the bowler, and as far as the ball track and the pin
deck are concerned, impact resistance and the friction on the surface of the lane
are important features.
Known bowling lanes and construction elements of bowling lanes are
discussed for example in patents of General Electric Co US 4231573, US4307883, US4320898,
US 4337290, US 4379553, US 4456253 and US 4599124 as well as US 4205842. The applicant
of this patent also manufactures bowling lanes by applying a particular method.
The patents US 4231573, US4307883, US 4337290, US 4379553, US 4456253
and US 4599124 all introduce a similar construction in which the laminate is fixed
on a bottom plate, whereby the topmost construction element of the bowling lane
is formed. The material of the laminates and/or bottom plates varies to some extent,
for example in the patent US 4379553 the laminate is fireproof and in the patent
US 4231573 concrete is suggested as a bottom plate. Typically the bottom plates
used are wood-based boards. The patent US 4456253 discloses a two-sided construction
element which can be turned around when the surface which is used is worn out.
The patent US 4320898 discloses a somewhat different solution for
a construction element of a bowling lane. The inner part of the construction element
is composed of wood strips which are attached to each other by means of glue or
nails. The humidity of the wood strips in the inner part is standardized and the
inner part is closed from the environment by means of a laminate attached on the
outer surfaces as well as a moisture barrier attached to the corners. The construction
element can be attached directly on top of the substructure.
The patent US 4205842 discloses a bowling lane solution in which the
ball track is formed of fibre board on top of which a laminate is attached. On the
approach lane as well as on the pin deck the laminate is attached on rigid boards
which can be made of e.g. aluminum.
At present, the applicant of this patent manufactures bowling lanes
in such a way that two superimposed MDF boards are attached on top of a trussed
construction made of wood beams, as well as a high pressure laminate board which
is made of paper impregnated with resin. The term MDF board refers to a board in
which the wood-based construction parts, for example the fibres and wood chips,
are treated with an adhesive medium, thus forming a mat, whereafter it is pressed
in the form of boards by means of pressure and heat.
The MDF boards are placed on top of the truss in such a way that the
joint of the boards in the first board layer is situated in a different location
than the joint of the boards in the second boards layer. Thus, weak spots do not
occur in the construction.
The problems of known construction elements of bowling lanes include
complexity of installation, heavy elements, relatively high price of the elements
as well as poor sales value due to the complexity of the installation/disassembly.
The construction of the bowling lanes is not optimized either, but known bowling
lane constructions comprise components which are substantially too durable with
respect to the target of use, which components, however, easily react to changes
in climate conditions. On the other hand, the different parts of the lane require
different qualities, and thus, a completely equal lane construction is not the best
possible one all over the lane.
The purpose of the bowling lane element according to the invention
is to avoid the problems of known bowling lane constructions. The bowling lane element
according to the invention will be characterized in what will be presented in the
characterizing part of the appended claim 1.
The bowling lane element according to the invention is light, cheap
and it can be easily disassembled, assembled and transferred, wherein it also possesses
resale value. It endures humidity and temperature changes better than known bowling
lane constructions.
By using said elements, it is also possible to build bowling lanes
for temporary use, e.g. for happenings which last only a fixed period of
time. The elements can also be constructed in such a way that they can be used either
side facing upward, and thus, the elements can be turned when the other side has
worn out and become unusable.
Superimposed boards are not necessary, but the bowling lane element
can be fixed directly on top of the substructure. The substructure of the lane element
can be made lighter in weight, because the elements are more rigid and they exert
a substantially smaller stress on the substructure than known solutions. Similarly,
by altering the thickness of different layers of the bowling lane element while
keeping the overall thickness of the element constant, a suitable construction in
view of the requirements of different lane sections is attained.
In the following, the bowling lane and the bowling lane element according
to the invention will be described in more detail by means of an example and with
reference to the appended drawings:
- Fig. 1
- shows the structure of a bowling lane element.
- Fig. 2
- shows the structure of a cellular board in a cross-section A-A of Fig. 1.
- Fig. 3
- shows a side-view of the structure of the bowling lane.
A bowling lane with all its devices is quite a complex construction,
which, in addition to the lane, includes a ball return system and a pin setting
apparatus. This example, however, only discusses the structure of the actual bowling
lane.
A bowling lane element according to Fig. 1, to which reference is
made in its entirety by reference numeral 4, is formed of a laminate layer 1, a
board layer 2, and a supporting structure layer 3. In the example, the laminate
layer 1 is a high pressure laminate, the board layer 2 is a wood-based board and
the supporting structure layer 3 is a cellular board.
The high pressure laminate 1 constitutes the actual surface structure,
as it is an impact resistant and sufficiently hard and stiff layer with good friction
and abrasion properties. Underneath the laminate 1, a wood-based board 2, preferably
made of high-density chipboard, constitutes a layer which endures impact stress.
The density of this chipboard is advantageously over 1000 kg/m3. The
cellular board 3 has a high specific stiffness, and it endures well the changes
in climatic conditions (heat, humidity). It is also a light-weighted structure,
which substantially decreases the mass of the lane element.
The laminate 1 is made of multilayer paper impregnated with resin,
and it is fixed on the wood-based board 2 which is 5 to 30 mm thick. The thickness
of the laminate varies in different sections of the lane, for example by the pin
deck the laminate 1 is thicker, whereas the wood-based board 2 and/or the cellular
board 3 has to be thinner so that the overall thickness of the lane element 4 equals
the thickness of the other lane elements, because otherwise the installation of
the elements becomes unreasonably difficult. When the bowling lane is dimensioned,
the starting point is that when the element is loaded with a mass of 300 kg, it
must not bend more than 1.016 mm (4/100"), if a span length of 1 m is used in the
substructure.
The laminate 1, the wood-based board 2 and the cellular board 3 are
attached to each other by means of an adhesive medium. The adhesive medium, which
has to be high-modulus and very durable, can be in a form of a solution, paste or
film.
According to Fig. 2, the cellular board 3 is composed of a wall 5
which separates cells 6 which are attached to each other wall to wall. The wall
5 is made of aluminium. The thickness of the cellular board varies between 10 and
30 mm, and the diameter of the cells can vary in the area of 5 to 15 mm. Standard
dimensions are 6.35 mm (1/4") or 9.525 mm (3/8"). In the bowling lane element 4
according to this example, the cellular board contains cells which are hexagonal,
so-called honeycombs. By means of the honeycomb structure it is possible to attain
substantially equal strength properties irrespective of the direction.
The bowling lane element 4 can be constructed as a mirror image in
such a way that on both sides of the cellular board 3 there is a wood-based board
2, on the outer surface of which there is a laminate 1. By means of such a structure
a substantially strainless construction is attained which remains in its original
shape. At the same time the advantage is attained that the board can be turned,
if necessary. The sides of the bowling lane element 4 can be closed so that they
become air-tight and the changes in humidity and temperature do not affect the bowling
lane element 4.
Fig. 3 shows a bowling lane, which is installed on a concrete floor
7. The substructure of the lane is made of wood beams 8 of 45 x 95 mm, on top of
which beams 9 are placed at regular intervals, the beams being I-beams made of wood
in this case. The bowling lane element 4 is fixed to the beams 9. Adjacent bowling
lane elements 4 are fixed on top of the substructure without the underlying boards
to form a single uniform board layer.
When compared to a bowling lane made of laminate and MDF boards, the
bowling lane constructed of construction elements 4 according to the invention has
a considerably smaller mass. If the construction element 4 contains an aluminium
cellular board, with a thickness of 25.4 mm (1") and the diameter of the cells is
6.35 mm (1/4"), and a wood-based board (thickness 10mm) made of high-density chipboard
on both sides of the cellular board, as well as a laminate board (thickness 3.175
mm), the mass of the element of 3.3 m2 becomes approximately 100 kg.
A corresponding surface area constructed of two MDF boards and a laminate board
weighs 195 kg.
The cellular structure also makes it possible e.g. to add a substance
in the cell. One alternative is to place polyurethane in the cells to improve sound
insulation.
It is obvious for anyone skilled in the art that the invention is
not restricted solely to the above example, but it can vary within the scope of
the claims hereinbelow. The cross-section of the cells in the cellular board can,
for example, have the shape a square or an octagon. The cellular board can also
be made of a material other than aluminium. It is also possible that several separate
pieces with a cellular structure constitute the supporting structure layer. It is
typical for all of these that the walls 5 of the cellular structure are substantially
transverse to the plane of the board layers, i.e. they stand erect between the horizontal
board layers 3. As a substructure of the bowling lane it is possible to use a structure
other than the above-presented beam structure.
