The present invention refers to a playing bowl equipped with coloured inserts.

As known, the game of bowls consists in the attempts by players to approach as much as possible their own bowls to an objective, called jack. Each competitor attempts, in turn to take his own bowls still nearer to this jack or to remove those bowls that prevent it. Depending on the mode with which bowls can be launched towards the jack, the game of bowls is divided into various categories, the most known and played of which are the game of "Raffa", the game of "Volo" and the game of "Petanque".

The game of Raffa consists in approaching as much as possible one's own bowls to the jack (objective) with the technique of "gone and point" and in removing the opponent's bowls, or in striking the jack, by launching onw's own bowls with the "raffata" (grazing throw) technique or the "volo" (parabola-type throw with fall within a delimited space) technique. In this case, the bowls are traditionally shaped as a ball with a diameter included between 10.4 cm and 11.1 cm, of a synthetic material, with .a weight included between 860 g and 980 g.

The principle of the game of Volo is almost equal to the Raffa specialty, excluding the "raffata" throw. The bowls are shaped as a ball, made of metal, with a diameter included between 9 cm and 10.2 cm and a weight included between 900 g and 1200 g.

The game of Petanque is the version with "unmoving feet" of the game of Volo, in which players are divided into "approachers" (whose objective is launching the bowl as near as possible to the jack by overcoming the obstacles that occurs on the ground) and into "bowl- launchers" (whose objective is trying and remove, with a flying stroke, the opponent's bowl).

In the various game categories described above, traditionally, the bowls of various players are mutually identified and divided by means of surface grooves, whose arrangement and number allow identifying the bowls of each player from the bowls of other players. In order to improve the bowls identification, it has also been thought, in addition to engrave references, to engrave the player's initials or name on the external surface of the bowl, or even to partially or totally modify the appearance or colouring of the bowl by means of an appropriate treatment applied to the bowl as a whole, or locally, by providing for depositing a coating or elements with different colours or appearances from the rest of the bowl, into the grooves or other recesses. In particular, French patent n. FR2633525 in the name of Obut Boule, discloses a metal bowl for the game of Petanque in which the bowl identification occurs by means of coloured elastic rings arranged inside circular grooves obtained on the external surface of the bowl itself.

The above proposed solutions, however, have inconveniences. In practice, in fact, it has been observed that, due to the wear consequent to the bowl rolling on the ground and the impacts against other bowls (extremely high above all in the Volo game category) , the surface-applied colours or the appearance changes of the various known shapes, get ruined in time, making more and more difficult to easily and quickly identify the bowls of every player. Moreover, the known grooves and the methods that provide for colouring or applying colouring elements inside them ( ^' like in the above described French patent) , though allowing to identify bowls for players in the field, are scarcely visible, if not even unrecognisable, outside the field, for example by possible viewers, in stands or on television, that therefore have difficulties in following the game easily and with the due timing, consequently impairing the mediatic impact of this sports discipline.

In order to solve such inconvenience, WO-A- 2008114293 of the same Applicant discloses a playing bowl comprising an internal core covered with an external shell made of a coloured plastic material. Such external shell however, due to the use of the bowl on particularly rough and corrugated game surfaces, such as for example asphalt, can be subjected to a quick wear.

Therefore, object of the present invention is solving the above prior art problems, by providing a playing bowl equipped with coloured inserts that allows immediately identifying the bowls of each player involved in the play.

Another object of the present invention is providing a playing bowl equipped with coloured inserts that is more resistant to wear and bumps, even in case of the Volo game category, with respect to what is proposed by the prior art.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention, as will result from the following description are obtained with a playing bowl equipped with coloured inserts as described in claim 1. Preferred embodiments and non-trivial variations of the invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims. It will be immediately obvious that numerous variations and modifications (for example related to shape, sizes, arrangements and parts with equivalent functionality) can be made to what is described without departing from the scope of the invention as appears in the enclosed claims.

The present invention will be better described by some preferred embodiments thereof, provided as a non- limiting example, with reference to the enclosed drawings, in which:

Figures la and lb respectively shows an exploded view and a partial median sectional view of a first preferred embodiment of the playing bowl equipped with coloured inserts according to the present invention;

Figures 2a and 2b respectively show an exploded view and a partial median sectional view of a second preferred embodiment of the playing bowl equipped with coloured inserts according to the present invention;

Figures 3a and 3b respectively show an exploded view and a partial median sectional view of a third preferred embodiment of the playing bowl equipped with coloured inserts according to the present invention;

Figures 4a and 4b respectively show an exploded view and a partial median sectional view of a fourth preferred embodiment of the playing bowl equipped with coloured inserts according to the present invention;

Figures 5a and 5b respectively show an exploded view and a partial median sectional view of a fifth preferred embodiment of the playing bowl equipped with coloured inserts according to the present invention; and

Figures 6a and 6b respectively show an exploded view and a partial median sectional view of a sixth preferred embodiment of the playing bowl equipped with coloured inserts according to the present invention.

With reference to the Figures, it is possible to note that the playing bowl 1 according to the present invention comprises at least one external shell 3 equipped on its surface with a plurality of recesses inside each one of which at least one insert 5 is housed, preferably made of a plastic material and co-stamped together with such external shell 3.

With reference for example to Figures 4a to 6b, it is possible to note that such recesses can be made as a plurality of grooves, meshed in any way, each one of which housing therein a respective insert 5 shaped as band, also, obviously, preferably made of plastic material and co-stamped together with the external shell 3.

With reference instead to Figures la to 3b, it is possible to note that such recesses can instead be made as single openings, each one of which housing therein a respective insert 5 shaped as small block, also, obviously, preferably made of plastic material and co- stamped together with the external shell 3. Advantageously, each one of such openings can be equipped with at least one undercut-type profile 5a suitable to prevent the insert 5 from penetrating towards the inside of the external shell 3.

Always with reference to the same Figures la to 3b, it is possible to note that, preferably, the playing bowl 1 according to the present invention can further comprise at least one internal shell 7 concentric and adjacent to the external shell 3.

Preferably, as clearly shown in Figures la to 3b, the above openings are passing through the external shell 3 and still more preferably such inserts 5 are integral with such internal shell 7 and made of the same material.

In particular, the external shell 3 is preferably made of metal or a metallic alloy with homogeneous chemical composition; still more preferably, the external shell 3 is made of HRC 20-30 hardened and tempered stainless steel.

Obviously, the playing bowl 1 according to the present invention, and in particular the external shell 3 or the possible internal shell 7, can be filled. In an alternative variation, like the one shown for example in the Figures, the playing bowl 1 according to the present invention, and in particular the external shell 3 (as shown in Figures 4a to 6b) or the possible internal shell 7 (as shown in Figures la to 3b) can be internally equipped with at least one recess 9, and such recess 9 can be empty or filled. In this latter case, filling is preferably made with an inert material or with an homogeneous mixture of many inert materials.

The possible filling can be statically balanced and preserve such balancing during and after the use of the playing bowl 1.

Alternatively, as show for example in Figures la, lb and 4a, 4b, the recesses 9 of the playing bowl 1 according to the present invention, and in particular directly inside the external shell 3 (Figures 4a and 4b) or inside the possible internal shell 7 (Figures la and lb), can be filled with at least one internal core 11 made of rubber, preferably composed of a composite with two half-spheres, internally equipped, in a central position thereof concentric to the bowl 1, with at least one metallic balancing mass 13, such metallic mass 13 being preferably of a spherical shape and adapted to advantageously avoid, above all in the Volo game category, that the playing bowl 1 according to the present invention is subjected to an excessive bounce on the game ground.

In a further alternative, as shown for .example in Figures 2a, 2b and 5a, 5b, the recess 9 of the playing bowl 1 according to the present invention, ^' and in particular directly inside the external shell 3 (Figures 5a and 5b) or inside the possible internal shell 7 (Figures 2a and 2b) , can be filled with a plurality of bounce-preventing balls 15 according to the prior art, whose functions are similar to the previously described ones.

Still as an alternative, as shown for example in Figures 3a, 3b and 6a, 6b, the recess 9 of the playing bowl 1 according to the present invention, and in particular directly inside the external shell 3 (Figures 5a and 5b) or inside the possible internal shell 7

(Figures 2a and 2b), can be filled with a plurality of bounce-preventing springs 17 according to the prior art, such as those disclosed for example in IT1320315, whose functions are similar to the previously described ones.

In a preferred embodiment of the playing bowl 1 according to the present invention, each one of such inserts 5 is made of a coloured plastic material

(preferably of a blue or red colour) in such a way as to be distinguished from the surface colour of the external shell 3. Obviously, it is possible to provide both that all inserts 5- are of the same colour, and that such inserts 5 are of different colours. The above plastic material can obviously be of any type, and in particular can be any polymer having mechanical and physical characteristics that are able to confer to such inserts 5 an adequate resistance to wear and impacts deriving from the use of the playing bowl 1 according to the present invention. In particular, the Applicant has discovered that currently the plastic material having mechanical and physical characteristics more complying with the specific needs of the present field of application is a thermoplastic techno-polymer of an amorphous type commercially identified with trade name LEXAN® and used within the present invention after having added thereto the desired coloured pigment. LEXAN® in fact is a polycarbonate equipped with high-level properties, such as high impact resistance, high transparence, high consistency and endurance characteristics, high thermal resistance, high dimensional stability, unlimited, chances of colouring, UV stability and optimum workability. In particular, the mechanical workability of LEXAN® is such as to be easily thermo-formable in such a way as to allow the creation of three-dimensional, even very complex pieces, such as the inserts 5. Alternatively, the Applicant has discovered that the inserts 5 could also be made with the plastic material commercially identified with trade name DELRIN® (in particular DELRIN® 100) produced by Company DuPont of Nemours (France) : DELRIN® is a family of acetalic resins known for their dimensional stability, stiffness, fatigue and corrosion resistance and characterised by a very low friction coefficient.

It is anyway wholly obvious that the use of any other plastic material, such as for example nylon, for making the inserts 5 and different from those mentioned above merely as an example, falls within the scope of the present invention.

It is clear to any skilled person in the art that the playing bowl 1 according to the present invention can be made in different ways: for example, in the preferred embodiment of the playing bowl 1 according to the present invention shown in the Figures, it is possible to note that the external shell 3 is composed of two half-shells, obtained for example through moulding, being afterwards drilled or turned for making the recesses suitable to house the inserts 5.

Afterwards, each half-shell is co-stamped with such inserts 5 and, possibly for making the bowl 1 of Figures la to 3b, with a related half-shell with a ^" hollow semi- spherical shape of the internal shell 7.

Afterwards, the above half-shells are possibly filled with what is necessary and joined, for example through welding and possible turning or external finishing working, in order to compose the bowl 1 according to the present invention.

It is clear that, preferably, the playing bowl 1 as a whole has weights and sizes in compliance with what is required by the regulations of Sports Federations that are responsible for standardising the game of bowls in its various disciplines. Preferably therefore, as required for example by the regulations of the Italian Bowls Federation (F.I.B.), the playing bowl 1 according to the present invention will have to:

be spherical, with a tolerance of 2/10 of a mm;

be balanced, with a tolerance not greater than 1.1 of the bowl mass;

have an external diameter included between 90 mm and 110 mm (minimum diameter of 88 mm for boys under 14 years of age and women) ;

have a global mass included between 900 g and 1200 g (minimum mass of 800 g for boys under 14 years of age and women) .