Ball feeding system including ball delivery device and ball feeding device, and ball delivery control method

Abstract

The present invention relates to a ball feeding system including a ball delivery device and a ball feeding device, and a ball feeding control method. According to a first aspect of the present invention, a ball feeding system includes: a ball accommodation part configured to accommodate one or more balls; ball delivery arms each configured to deliver any one of the one or more balls, accommodated in the ball accommodation part, to the pitching machine; a ball delivery post configured to extend vertically from one side surface of the ball accommodation part, and to guide the ball delivery arms through their movement; and a mixing arm configured to move along the ball delivery post at predetermined intervals from the ball delivery arms, and to change the locations of the one or more balls in the ball accommodation part by applying physical force to the one or more balls.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]The present invention relates to a ball feeding system including a ball delivery device and a ball feeding device, and a ball delivery control method; and more specifically to a ball feeding system which includes a mixing arm in order to mix balls accommodated in a ball accommodation part so that one or more balls accommodated in a ball accommodation part are sequentially placed on ball delivery arms configured to deliver balls, and which detects the number of balls loaded into a ball loading part, i.e., a line through which balls are sequentially fed to a pitching machine, and then controls the feeding of balls.BACKGROUND ART[0002]Recently, as interest in baseball has increased, the number of baseball practice fields where baseball can be practiced has increased.[0003]Such baseball practice fields are generally used in such a manner that when a pitching machine configured to pitch balls pitches a ball, a user standing in a batter's box hits the ball with a bat....

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a ball feeding system that can change the locations of balls in a ball accommodation part using a mixing arm, allowing for sequential placement on ball delivery arms. The system also prevents balls from being stuck via the mixing arm, ensuring stable operation of a pitching machine. Additionally, the system detects the number of balls and stops the operation of the ball delivery device when a predetermined number of balls are loaded, preventing balls from overflowing. Furthermore, the system stops feeding a ball when it is not projected by a pitching machine and the ball loading part is filled with balls, preventing damage to the ball delivery device.

Problems solved by technology

However, in the case where multiple balls are stacked on top of one another or balls are stuck on a boundary portion where the slope of the inner wall of the ball accommodation part changes, the balls cannot be moved along the inner wall of the ball accommodation part, and thus the balls cannot be placed on the ball delivery arms, with the result that a problem occurs in that balls cannot be fed to the pitching machine.

Furthermore, even in the case where, since the speed at which a ball is fed is higher or lower than the speed at which the pitching machine pitches a ball, an appropriate number of balls cannot be fed to the pitching machine and thus the ball loading part is filled with balls, a problem occurs in that a ball is fed even in the case and thus a ball delivery device is damaged.

The patent publication does not propose an apparatus capable of arranging balls in a ball accommodation part by means of a mixing arm and capable of detecting the number of balls waiting for pitching in a pitching machine and controlling the operation of a ball delivery device (or ball feeding device).

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