Patent ID: 7264552

Claim:
A moveable gutter with illumination sources comprising: a gutter having a concave upper gutter surface, said upper surface having an inner edge adjacent to the bowling lane and an outer edge distal from the bowling lane; said inner edge of said gutter surface comprising a bumper and said outer edge being rotatably mounted such that said gutter may be raised from a lower position to a fixed upper position higher than the adjacent lane surface; at least one illumination source disposed longitudinally about said upper surface, wherein said at least one illumination source comprises a self-illuminating fluorescent material that glows in the dark when exposed to light, said at least one illumination source is disposed within reverse tapered grooves running lengthwise along said upper surface, said at least one illumination source is formed in a cross-sectional shape corresponding to said tapered grooves, and the upper surface of said at least one illumination source comprises a rounded cross sectional shape extending slightly above the surface of the gutter, thereby forming longitudinal ridges along the length of the gutter; and a plurality of gutter ridges formed directly in said upper surface, each of said plurality of gutter ridges having a rounded surface, wherein a bowling ball rolling in the gutter contacts only the rounded surface of said plurality of gutter ridges when said gutter is in said lower position.