A ball launcher and ball launching robot

Abstract

The application discloses a ball launcher and a ball launching robot, and is applied to the technical field of ball launching equipment.The application comprises a launching frame, a launching rail mounted on the frame body, and a launching seat for carrying balls, the launching seat being slidably mounted on the launching rail; a pulley mechanism comprising a movable pulley assembly, a static pulley assembly and a rope, the movable pulley assembly being mounted on the frame body, the static pulley assembly being fixedly mounted on the frame body, one end of the rope being fixed on the launching seat, the other end of the rope being sequentially wound around the static pulley assembly and the movable pulley assembly and fixed on the frame body; an energy storage mechanism comprising a positioning assembly and a spring, the positioning assembly being connected with the frame body, the spring being connected between the movable pulley assembly and the positioning assembly; a driving mechanism connected with the rope and used for stretching or compressing the spring; and a trigger mechanism arranged on the frame body and used for limiting or restoring the movement of the launching seat.The application guarantees the launching performance while greatly reducing the equipment volume.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of ball launching equipment technology, and more particularly to a ball launcher and a ball launching robot. Background Technology

[0002] With the deepening implementation of the national strategy to build a strong sport and the continued rise in public enthusiasm for ball sports, the professional training and public participation in major ball sports such as basketball, football, and volleyball are constantly improving. This has led to increasingly higher demands for intelligent, precise, and flexible auxiliary equipment for ball sports training. In large-scale ball sports training scenarios, standardized and highly repetitive serving drills are a core element in improving athletes' catching, passing, and shooting skills. Therefore, ball launching devices with precise landing point control capabilities are core equipment in the field of sports training.

[0003] Existing large ball launching mechanisms cannot simultaneously achieve a wide range of adjustable initial launch velocity, miniaturization, and operational stability. Traditional spring-launched systems suffer from high energy loss and a mismatch between acceleration stroke and equipment size, while friction wheel systems suffer from severe ball wear and insufficient driving power for heavy balls, making them unsuitable for launching large balls weighing between 400 and 650g, such as basketballs and soccer balls. For example, friction wheel systems cause severe wear on the balls when launching large balls. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a ball launcher and a ball launching robot, which aims to solve the problem of the contradiction between acceleration stroke and equipment size in the prior art, so as to significantly reduce the size of the equipment and improve portability and site adaptability while ensuring launch performance.

[0005] A ball launcher provided in a first aspect of the invention includes:

[0006] The launcher includes a frame body, a launch rail mounted on the frame body, and a launch base for carrying balls, the launch base being slidably mounted on the launch rail;

[0007] The pulley mechanism includes a movable pulley assembly, a stationary pulley assembly, and a rope. The movable pulley assembly is slidably mounted on the frame body along the length of the launch track. The stationary pulley assembly is fixedly mounted on one end of the frame body near the launch end of the launch track. One end of the rope is fixed to the launch base, and the other end of the rope is sequentially wound around the stationary pulley assembly and the movable pulley assembly and fixed to one end of the frame body near the launch end of the launch track.

[0008] An energy storage mechanism includes a positioning component and a spring. The positioning component is connected to the frame body, and the two ends of the spring are connected between the movable pulley assembly and the positioning component.

[0009] A drive mechanism, connected to the rope, is used to drive the rope to move along the length of the launch track in order to stretch or compress the spring;

[0010] A trigger mechanism, located on the frame body, is used to restrict or restore the movement of the launcher.

[0011] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the frame body includes a mounting base plate, a first end plate, a second end plate, and a guide rod;

[0012] The mounting base plate is connected and fixed to the energy storage mechanism;

[0013] The launch rail and the mounting base are connected and fixed between the first end plate and the second end plate. The second end plate is located at the launch end of the launch rail. The second end plate is fixed with the static pulley assembly and the other end of the rope.

[0014] The two ends of the guide rod are respectively connected and fixed to the first end plate and the second end plate. The guide rod is arranged along the length direction of the launch track and slides with the movable pulley assembly.

[0015] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the movable pulley assembly includes a movable base and a movable pulley body;

[0016] The movable seat body is slidably mounted on the guide rod;

[0017] The movable pulley body is rotatably mounted on the movable base body, and the movable pulley body is configured for the rope to be wound around.

[0018] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the stationary pulley assembly includes a stationary seat and a stationary pulley body;

[0019] The stationary seat is mounted on the second end plate;

[0020] The stationary pulley body is rotatably mounted on the stationary seat, and the stationary pulley body is configured for the rope to be wound around.

[0021] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the number of the movable pulley bodies is two, and both movable pulley bodies are rotatably mounted on the movable base body;

[0022] The static pulley assembly includes two static seat bodies and two static pulley bodies;

[0023] One end of the rope is fixed to the launch base, and the other end of the rope is sequentially wound around the static pulley body of one static pulley assembly, the static pulley body of one movable pulley assembly, the static pulley body of another static pulley assembly, and the movable pulley body of another movable pulley assembly, and is finally fixed to the second end plate; the rope is connected to the drive mechanism.

[0024] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the drive mechanism includes a driver, a drive wheel, a drive belt, and a drive block;

[0025] The driver is mounted on the first end board;

[0026] The transmission wheel is rotatably mounted on the second end plate;

[0027] The transmission belt is wound between the driver and the transmission wheel, and the transmission belt is connected to the driver in a driving connection.

[0028] The transmission block is fixed to the transmission belt, the transmission block is connected and fixed to the rope, and the transmission block is located on the rope between the launch base and the static pulley assembly.

[0029] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the positioning assembly includes a lead screw drive and a positioning seat;

[0030] The positioning seat is slidably mounted on the guide rod, and the positioning seat is fixedly connected to one end of the spring;

[0031] The lead screw drive is mounted on the mounting base plate, and the lead screw of the lead screw drive is connected to the positioning seat. The lead screw drive is used to adjust the position of the positioning seat to change the preload of the spring.

[0032] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the trigger mechanism includes a trigger drive and a trigger plate;

[0033] The trigger plate is mounted on the drive shaft of the trigger drive component;

[0034] The trigger drive is mounted on the mounting base plate and is used to drive the trigger plate to rotate so that the trigger abuts or separates from the firing rail.

[0035] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the number of the guide rod, the pulley mechanism, the drive mechanism, and the spring are two sets in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0036] A ball-launching robot provided in a second aspect of the invention includes:

[0037] A mobile device for horizontal movement;

[0038] The ball launcher described in the first aspect is mounted on the mobile device;

[0039] A gripper device includes a gripper assembly for gripping a ball, a horizontal movement assembly, and a striking assembly for striking the ball; the horizontal movement assembly is mounted on the moving device, and the gripper assembly and the striking assembly are mounted on the moving part of the horizontal movement assembly.

[0040] As can be seen from the above technical solutions, the present invention has at least the following advantages:

[0041] This application utilizes a movable pulley system with spring-launched design, amplifying the spring's extension stroke by four times. Within a compact 1200mm structure, it achieves the initial launch velocity that traditional mechanisms require over 2m of stroke, increasing energy utilization by over 40%. While maintaining launch performance, it significantly reduces equipment size, improving portability and site adaptability. Furthermore, the movable pulley system with spring-launched design, combined with a four-stage movable pulley transmission structure, achieves an initial launch velocity repeatability deviation of ≤4%, far superior to existing similar launch mechanisms, enabling precise and controllable landing point for large ball launches. Attached Figure Description

[0042] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0043] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of a ball launcher provided in the first aspect of this embodiment. Figure 1 ;

[0044] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of a ball launcher provided in the first aspect of this embodiment. Figure 2 ;

[0045] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of a ball launcher provided in the first aspect of this embodiment. Figure 3 ;

[0046] Figure 4 A partial structural diagram of a ball launcher provided in the first aspect of this embodiment. Figure 1 ;

[0047] Figure 5 A partial structural diagram of a ball launcher provided in the first aspect of this embodiment. Figure 2 ;

[0048] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the cooperative structure of the pulley mechanism and energy storage mechanism of a ball launcher provided in the first aspect of this embodiment;

[0049] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a ball-launching robot provided in the second aspect of this embodiment;

[0050] Figure 8 This is a front view schematic diagram of the overall structure of a ball-launching robot provided in the second aspect of this embodiment;

[0051] Figure 9 This is a side view of the overall structure of a ball-launching robot provided in the second aspect of this embodiment;

[0052] Figure 10 This is a bottom view of the overall structure of a ball-launching robot provided in the second aspect of this embodiment;

[0053] Figure label:

[0054] 1. Ball launcher;

[0055] 10. Launcher; 100. Launcher body; 1000. Base plate; 1001. First end plate; 1002. Second end plate; 1003. Guide rod; 101. Launch rail; 102. Launch pad;

[0056] 11. Pulley mechanism; 110. Movable pulley assembly; 1100. Movable seat body; 1101. Movable pulley body; 111. Stationary pulley assembly; 1110. Stationary seat body; 1111. Stationary pulley body; 112. Rope;

[0057] 12. Energy storage mechanism; 120. Positioning assembly; 1200. Lead screw drive component; 1201. Positioning seat; 121. Spring;

[0058] 13. Drive mechanism; 130. Driver; 131. Transmission wheel; 132. Transmission belt; 133. Transmission block;

[0059] 14. Trigger mechanism; 140. Trigger drive component; 141. Trigger plate;

[0060] 2. Mobile device;

[0061] 3. Gripper device; 30. Gripper assembly; 31. Horizontal movement assembly; 32. Ball striking assembly. Detailed Implementation

[0062] To make the objectives, features, and advantages of this invention more apparent and understandable, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the embodiments described below are only some embodiments of this invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0063] With the deepening implementation of the national strategy to build a strong sport and the continued rise in public enthusiasm for ball sports, the professional training and public participation in major ball sports such as basketball, football, and volleyball are constantly improving. This has led to increasingly higher demands for intelligent, precise, and flexible auxiliary equipment for ball sports training. In large-scale ball sports training scenarios, standardized and highly repetitive serving drills are a core element in improving athletes' catching, passing, and shooting skills. Therefore, ball launching devices with precise landing point control capabilities are core equipment in the field of sports training.

[0064] Currently, launching devices for large balls, both domestically and internationally, mainly fall into two categories: one is fixed-point shooting and serving auxiliary trainers, whose core principle is to set up a net frame under the basket or net to collect the ball, and then complete the serving through a fixed launching device. This type of device can only achieve serving from a fixed position and angle, and cannot adapt to the dynamic training needs of the entire court and multiple points. The other type is a serving mechanism integrated into a robot. In existing technology, the Toyota CUE robot abroad uses a high-precision friction wheel with a servo motor, and uses a closed-loop PID algorithm to control the rotation speed to achieve stable dribbling and serving. However, the technology is closed and expensive, making it difficult to popularize and apply. Domestic research in related fields is mostly based on Arduino development boards and encoder feedback to achieve friction wheel speed control. However, under irregular ground or environmental interference, there is a lack of multi-sensor fusion ballistic closed-loop control, resulting in insufficient accuracy of the serving landing point. Moreover, the launching mechanism is mostly a single-drive structure with a narrow initial velocity adjustment range, which cannot adapt to the serving needs of different distances and scenarios.

[0065] For the core transmission mechanisms of large ball launching mechanisms, existing technologies are mainly divided into three categories: friction wheel type, hydraulic push rod type, and spring ejection type. Friction wheel launching mechanisms cause significant wear on the ball surface, which can easily affect the ball's lifespan with long-term use, and have limited ability to increase the initial velocity of heavy balls; hydraulic push rod launching mechanisms have complex structures, high maintenance costs, slow response speed, and cannot achieve high-frequency continuous ball launches; traditional spring ejection launching mechanisms have a contradiction between acceleration stroke and equipment miniaturization, large energy loss during spring contraction, poor control accuracy and repeatability of initial launch velocity, and cannot achieve precise and controllable landing point.

[0066] Summarize the shortcomings of existing technologies:

[0067] (1) Defects in the structural design of the launching mechanism: Existing large ball launching mechanisms cannot simultaneously achieve a wide range of adjustable initial launch velocity, miniaturization of structure, and operational stability. Traditional spring catapults suffer from high energy loss and a contradiction between acceleration stroke and equipment size. Friction wheel launchers suffer from severe ball wear and insufficient driving power for heavy balls, making them unsuitable for launching large balls weighing between 400 and 650g, such as basketballs and soccer balls. For example, friction wheel launchers cause severe wear on the balls when launching large balls.

[0068] (2) Insufficient accuracy of landing point control: The existing launching mechanism lacks precise mechanical transmission closed-loop control and ballistic mathematical model matching. It can only achieve simple speed adjustment and cannot combine the three-dimensional coordinates of the target point to complete the accurate calculation of launching parameters. The ball landing point deviation is large and cannot meet the standardization and high repeatability requirements of professional training.

[0069] (3) Poor scene adaptability: Most of the existing launching devices are fixed installations, which cannot achieve flexible movement and dynamic ball serving throughout the field; the chassis movement and launching mechanism control coordination of a few mobile ball serving robots are poor, which cannot achieve adaptation to dynamic training scenarios such as aiming while moving and launching suddenly.

[0070] Insufficient control precision and stability: The existing launch mechanism's motor drive is mostly a single-loop speed control, lacking a three-loop nested PID control of current loop, speed loop, and position loop. During the launch process, the motor torque output is unstable and greatly affected by load and voltage fluctuations. The initial velocity consistency of continuous ball launches is poor, and the mechanical reliability of long-term operation is insufficient.

[0071] (4) Poor structural maintainability and expandability: Most existing launch mechanisms are integrated closed designs, making it difficult to replace and maintain core transmission components. They cannot meet the launch requirements of different sizes and weights of balls such as basketballs, volleyballs, and soccer balls, and have weak versatility.

[0072] To address this issue, this invention provides a ball launcher and a ball launching robot, aiming to solve the technical problem of the contradiction between acceleration travel and equipment size in existing technologies, so as to significantly reduce the size of the equipment and improve portability and site adaptability while ensuring launch performance.

[0073] Please refer to Figures 1 to 6 The first aspect of the present invention provides a ball launcher 1, comprising:

[0074] The launcher 10 includes a frame body 100, a launch rail 101 mounted on the frame body 100, and a launch seat 102 for carrying balls, the launch seat 102 being slidably mounted on the launch rail 101;

[0075] The pulley mechanism 11 includes a movable pulley assembly 110, a stationary pulley assembly 111, and a rope 112. The movable pulley assembly 110 is slidably mounted on the frame body 100 along the length of the launch track 101. The stationary pulley assembly 111 is fixedly mounted on one end of the frame body 100 near the launch end of the launch track 101. One end of the rope 112 is fixed to the launch base 102. The other end of the rope 112 is sequentially wound around the stationary pulley assembly 111 and the movable pulley assembly 110 and fixed to one end of the frame body 100 near the launch end of the launch track 101.

[0076] The energy storage mechanism 12 includes a positioning component 120 and a spring 121. The positioning component 120 is connected to the frame body 100, and the two ends of the spring 121 are connected between the movable pulley assembly 110 and the positioning component 120.

[0077] The drive mechanism 13 is connected to the rope 112 and is used to drive the rope 112 to move along the length of the launch track 101 to stretch or compress the spring 121.

[0078] The trigger mechanism 14 is located on the frame body 100 and is used to restrict or restore the movement of the launcher 102.

[0079] In the operation of this embodiment, when it is necessary to launch a ball, the drive mechanism 13 first pulls the rope 112 to move. The rope 112 drives the movable pulley assembly 110 to slide towards the launch end, thereby stretching the spring 121 to store energy. At the same time, the trigger mechanism 14 restricts the launch seat 102 to the initial position. After the energy storage is completed, the trigger mechanism 14 is triggered to release the restriction on the launch seat 102. The spring 121 contracts and pulls the movable pulley assembly 110 to reset. The movable pulley assembly 110 pulls the launch seat 102 along the launch track 101 to slide quickly towards the launch end through the rope 112. Finally, the ball carried on the launch seat 102 is thrown out along the launch track 101, completing the launch action.

[0080] Compared with existing technologies, the advantages of this embodiment are that the spring 121 ejection scheme of the movable pulley group is designed with a stroke amplification of four-stage movable pulley group, which increases the stretching stroke of spring 121 by 4 times. Within a miniaturized structure of 1200mm, it achieves the ejection initial velocity that traditional mechanisms require a stroke of more than 2m to reach. The energy utilization rate is improved by more than 40%. While ensuring launch performance, the size of the equipment is greatly reduced, and the portability and site adaptability are improved. In addition, the ejection scheme of the spring 121 movable pulley group, combined with the four-stage movable pulley group transmission structure, has an initial velocity repeatability deviation of ≤4%, which is far superior to existing similar launch mechanisms, and can achieve precise and controllable landing point of large ball projectiles.

[0081] In one specific embodiment, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the frame body 100 includes a mounting base plate 1000, a first end plate 1001, a second end plate 1002, and a guide rod 1003. The mounting base plate 1000 is connected and fixed to the energy storage mechanism 12. The launch rail 101 and the mounting base plate 1000 are connected and fixed between the first end plate 1001 and the second end plate 1002. The second end plate 1002 is located at the launch end of the launch rail 101, and a static pulley assembly 111 and the other end of a rope 112 are fixed to the second end plate 1002. The two ends of the guide rod 1003 are respectively connected and fixed to the first end plate 1001 and the second end plate 1002. The guide rod 1003 is arranged along the length of the launch rail 101. 1003 is slidably engaged with the movable pulley assembly 110; wherein, the launching end of the launching track 101 is provided with a limiting block for limiting the launcher 102 from disengaging, and the launching end of the launching track 101 refers to the end where the ball leaves the launcher; with this setting, the movable pulley assembly 110 can slide stably along the guide rod 1003, which not only avoids the movable pulley assembly 110 from deviating and jamming during operation, ensuring the stability of the transmission, but also eliminates the need for an additional complex sliding engagement structure between the movable pulley assembly and the mounting base plate 1000, simplifying the assembly difficulty of the overall structure, making the overall structure more compact, and further maintaining the advantage of the equipment's miniaturization.

[0082] In one specific embodiment, such as Figure 1 and Figure 5 As shown, the movable pulley assembly 110 includes a movable base body 1100 and a movable pulley body 1101. The movable base body 1100 is slidably mounted on the guide rod 1003. The movable pulley body 1101 is rotatably mounted on the movable base body 1100 and is configured for the rope 112 to be wound around. With this configuration, the movable pulley body 1101 moves stably along the guide rod 1003 with the movable base body 1100. After the rope 112 is wound around the stationary pulley assembly 111, it can be wound around the movable pulley body 1101, thereby stably transmitting the tension of the energy storage mechanism 12. This not only ensures the transmission reliability of the movable pulley assembly 110, but also makes the assembly relationship of each component clear and simple, which is convenient for subsequent assembly, debugging and maintenance. At the same time, it further reduces the space occupied by the overall structure, which meets the design requirements of equipment miniaturization.

[0083] In one specific embodiment, such as Figure 1 and Figure 5As shown, the stationary pulley assembly 111 includes a stationary seat 1110 and a stationary pulley body 1111. The stationary seat 1110 is mounted on the second end plate 1002. The stationary pulley body 1111 is rotatably mounted on the stationary seat 1110 and is configured for the rope 112 to be wound around. With this configuration, the rope 112 can change the direction of tension transmission through the stationary pulley body 1111 and then be wound around to the movable pulley assembly 110. This allows the rope 112 to stably pull the movable pulley assembly 110 towards the second end plate 1002. At the same time, the entire stationary pulley assembly 111 is securely mounted on the second end plate 1002 through the stationary seat 1110. The assembly method is simple and does not require additional installation space in the middle of the launch track 101. This ensures the stability and reliability of the rope 112 transmission and further simplifies the overall structure, meeting the design requirements of equipment miniaturization.

[0084] Based on the above embodiments, such as Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, there are two movable pulley bodies 1101, both of which are rotatably mounted on the movable base 1100; the stationary pulley assembly 111 includes two stationary bases 1110 and two stationary pulley bodies 1111; one end of the rope 112 is fixed to the launch base 102, and the other end of the rope 112 is sequentially wound around the stationary pulley body 1111 of one stationary pulley assembly 111, one movable pulley body 1101, the stationary pulley body 1111 of the other stationary pulley assembly 111, and the other movable pulley body 1101, and is finally fixed to the second end plate 1002; the rope 112 is connected to the drive mechanism 13, that is, one end of the entire rope 112 is fixed to the launch base 102, and the other end of the rope 112 is first connected to the transmission block 133. The spring 121 is fixed and then wound around the stationary pulley body 1111 of a stationary pulley assembly 111, then around a movable pulley body 1101, then around the stationary pulley body 1111 of another stationary pulley assembly 111, and then around another movable pulley body 1101. With this arrangement, the cooperation of two sets of movable pulley bodies 1101 and two sets of stationary pulley bodies 1111 forms a stroke amplification design of a four-stage movable pulley group, which amplifies the stretching stroke of the spring 121 by 4 times. Within a miniaturized structure of 1200mm, the initial ejection velocity that traditional mechanisms require a stroke of more than 2m is achieved, and the energy utilization rate is increased by more than 40%. While ensuring launch performance, the size of the equipment is greatly reduced, and portability and site adaptability are improved.

[0085] In one specific embodiment, such as Figure 1 and Figure 3As shown, the drive mechanism 13 includes a driver 130, a transmission wheel 131, a transmission belt 132, and a transmission block 133. The driver 130 is mounted on the first end plate 1001. The transmission wheel 131 is rotatably mounted on the second end plate 1002. The transmission belt 132 is wound between the driver 130 and the transmission wheel 131, and the transmission belt 132 is connected to the driver 130 in a transmission connection. The transmission block 133 is fixed on the transmission belt 132 and is connected and fixed to the rope 112. The transmission block 133 is located on the rope 112 between the launch base 102 and the static pulley assembly 111. With this configuration, when the driver 130 is working, it drives the transmission wheel 131. The rotation of wheel 131 drives the transmission belt 132 to move. The transmission block 133 fixed on the transmission belt 132 moves synchronously with the transmission belt 132, pulling the rope 112 to tighten and drive the moving seat 1100 to move towards the stationary pulley assembly 111, gradually stretching the spring 121 to complete energy storage. When the energy storage is complete and the release mechanism is triggered, the spring 121 quickly rebounds, driving the moving seat 1100 to move. After the stroke is amplified by the moving pulley group, it pushes the launch seat 102 to complete the ejection. This transmission method operates smoothly, the power transmission is stable, and it can accurately control the energy storage stroke to meet the needs of different initial launch velocities. At the same time, the overall structure is simple and reliable, and it is easy to assemble and maintain.

[0086] In one specific embodiment, such as Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, the positioning assembly 120 includes a lead screw drive 1200 and a positioning seat 1201. The positioning seat 1201 is slidably mounted on the guide rod 1003, and one end of the positioning seat 1201 is connected and fixed to the spring 121. The lead screw drive 1200 is mounted on the mounting base plate 1000, and the lead screw of the lead screw drive 1200 is connected to the positioning seat 1201 for transmission. The lead screw drive 1200 is used to adjust the position of the positioning seat 1201 to change the preload of the spring 121. The lead screw drive 1200 is a ball screw drive 120. 0. After adopting this setting method, the lead screw is driven to rotate by the lead screw drive component 1200, which drives the positioning seat 1201 to slide along the guide rod 1003, flexibly adjusting the initial compression of the spring 121, thereby changing the initial tension of the spring 121 to adapt to the launching requirements of balls of different weights and obtain the required initial launching velocity. At the same time, it can also compensate for the elastic decay of the spring 121 after long-term use, ensuring the launching accuracy of the equipment after long-term use. This adjustment method is easy to operate, has high positioning accuracy, and can stably maintain the set preload force.

[0087] In one specific embodiment, such as Figure 1 and Figure 4As shown, the trigger mechanism 14 includes a trigger drive 140 and a trigger plate 141. The trigger plate 141 is mounted on the drive shaft of the trigger drive 140. The trigger drive 140 is mounted on the mounting base plate 1000. The trigger drive 140 is used to drive the trigger plate 141 to rotate, so that the trigger abuts or separates from the launch rail 101. With this configuration, the state switching between the trigger and the launch rail 101 can be quickly achieved by driving the trigger plate 141 to rotate through the trigger drive 140. When the trigger plate 141 rotates to the position of abutting the launch rail 101, it can prevent the ball to be launched from entering the launch station, avoiding multiple balls from being launched consecutively. When a launch command is received, the trigger drive 140 quickly drives the trigger plate 141 to rotate, so that the trigger separates from the launch rail 101, and the ball to be launched can fall into the launch station to complete the ejection.

[0088] In one specific embodiment, such as Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the guide rods 1003, pulley mechanisms 11, drive mechanisms 13, and springs 121 are arranged in two corresponding sets. Specifically, two guide rods 1003, two pulley mechanisms 11, two drive mechanisms 13, and two springs 121 are located on opposite sides of the launch track 101. This arrangement provides symmetrical ejection thrust to both sides of the launch track 101, resulting in more even and balanced force distribution. This effectively prevents deflection during ball launch, improving directional stability and accuracy. Simultaneously, the energy storage structure of the springs 121 on both sides also… It can provide greater launch thrust to meet the launch requirements of heavy balls. Specifically, the slide rail slider synchronous belt push-launch scheme adopts a symmetrical dual-drive design and pre-tensioned linear slide rail guidance, eliminating transmission backlash and radial offset. The straightness error of the push-launch action is ≤0.1mm, and the initial velocity deviation of continuous launch is ≤3%. The movable pulley group spring 121 launch scheme uses ball screws to precisely adjust the preload, combined with a four-stage movable pulley group symmetrical transmission structure. The repeatability deviation of the initial velocity of the launch is ≤4%, which is far superior to existing similar launch mechanisms, and can achieve precise and controllable launch point of large balls.

[0089] In one specific embodiment, the launch base 102 is an arc-shaped fiberglass board. The launch base 102 adopts a quick-change tenon and mortise bolt connection design, which can quickly replace and adapt to balls of different sizes and weights. It can simultaneously meet the launching needs of various large balls such as basketballs, volleyballs, and footballs. It can adapt to various power input methods such as hand cranks and motors, and can achieve functional upgrades without modifying the main structure, making it applicable to a wide range of scenarios.

[0090] Please refer to Figures 7 to 10 A second aspect of the present invention provides a ball-launching robot, comprising:

[0091] Moving device 2, used for horizontal movement;

[0092] The ball launcher 1 of the first aspect is mounted on the mobile device 2;

[0093] The gripper device 3 includes a gripper assembly 30 for gripping a ball, a horizontal movement assembly 31, and a striking assembly 32 for striking the ball; the horizontal movement assembly 31 is mounted on the moving device 2, and the gripper assembly 30 and the striking assembly 32 are mounted on the moving part of the horizontal movement assembly 31.

[0094] In the operation of this embodiment, the gripper assembly 30 first clamps the ball to be launched and transports it to the launching station of the ball launcher 1 to complete the loading action. After the launch is completed, the horizontal moving assembly 31 can drive the gripper assembly 30 and the ball striking assembly 32 to adjust their positions. The gripper assembly 30 can hold the bouncing ball, while the ball striking assembly 32 can extend and retract vertically to strike the ball and make it bounce. With the horizontal movement of the moving device 2, the robot can flexibly simulate serving and passing actions in different positions and adapt to the usage requirements of various training scenarios.

[0095] The launcher 10 and the moving device 2 both adopt a closed rigid frame design, with the launch axis and the center of gravity of the structure completely coincident, which can effectively counteract the launch recoil force and avoid structural deformation and displacement. The core transmission components are all industrial general-purpose parts, which are convenient to replace and maintain. After 500 consecutive launch cycles, the main structure showed no visible deformation, wear and loosening, the range attenuation was less than 3%, and the mechanical life was far superior to that of existing similar mechanisms.

[0096] Based on the above embodiments, the basic structure and principle of this application can be understood. The specific experimental implementation process will be given below.

[0097] (1) Mechanical transmission foundation verification: Verify the accuracy of the motor-screw transmission system itself and eliminate the influence of mechanical slippage or backlash.

[0098] Test item: Verification of linear relationship between motor pulse and displacement

[0099] step:

[0100] ① Remove spring 121 to put the system under no-load.

[0101] ② Send a series of known pulse numbers to the 2006 motor via the controller (e.g., corresponding to theoretical displacements of 1mm, 2mm, 5mm, 10mm...).

[0102] ③ Use vernier calipers to accurately measure the actual displacement of the plate on the lead screw.

[0103] (2) Range-Preload Calibration Test: Establish the core "motor command-range" lookup table, which is the basis for robot intelligent shooting.

[0104] Test item: Range calibration curve plotting

[0105] step:

[0106] ①Starting from the minimum safe preload of spring 121 (to prevent the mechanism from loosening) and ending at the maximum safe preload (to prevent plastic deformation of spring 121 or motor stalling), select at least 10 preload points evenly (defined by the number of motor pulses).

[0107] ②At each preload point, perform 10 shots and use a camera to accurately record the average landing distance of the ball.

[0108] ③ Data analysis, plotting the "motor pulse count - range" fitting curve.

[0109] (3) Range control accuracy and consistency test: verify the stability of the system output range under fixed motor command.

[0110] Test item: Fixed point repeatability

[0111] step:

[0112] ① Select three representative pulse numbers—low, medium, and high—within the linear operating region.

[0113] ② At each point, take 20 consecutive shots.

[0114] (4) Durability and reliability testing: Evaluate the performance degradation of the system after long-term use.

[0115] Test Item 1: Fatigue Test

[0116] step:

[0117] ① Under medium to high preload, perform 500 consecutive cycles (loading-firing) at the maximum design rate of fire.

[0118] ② Measurement: After every 100 times, check whether the range of a standard number of pulses has shifted.

[0119] ③ Acceptance criteria: After 500 cycles, the range attenuation should be <3%. Check the lead screw, nut, and connecting parts for visible wear or deformation.

[0120] Test Item 2: Temperature Rise Effect Test

[0121] step:

[0122] ① Measure the temperature rise of the 2006 motor immediately before and after the fatigue test.

[0123] ② Analysis and Acceptance Criteria: Observe whether the motor overheats due to frequent adjustments. Overheating may cause a decrease in the current of the driver 130 and a drop in output force, which in turn affects the accuracy of the preload setting.

[0124] Because steel tension springs have a large mass, they consume a lot of energy during acceleration during contraction; the structural hardware has limitations on the maximum acceleration, requiring smooth acceleration and a longer acceleration stroke; the contraction stroke of the tension spring and the mechanical structure are in conflict.

[0125] To ensure stability, the movable pulley is guided by an MgN9 slider.

[0126] In selecting spring 121, we first measured the basic parameters, as shown in the table below:

[0127] Launch point altitude y0 0.7 m Launching mechanism exit height Basketball hoop height y1 2.43 m Standard basketball hoop height Horizontal launch range x 3 m horizontal straight-line distance from the launch point to the basket Standard size 7 basketball quality m 0.6 kg Basketball quality for the game basketball diameter D 0.246 m Standard basketball outer diameter room temperature air density ρ 1.225 kg / m3 Standard atmospheric pressure, 20°C environment Sphere air drag coefficient Cd 0.47 Dimensionless Turbulent flow around a smooth sphere gravitational acceleration g 9.81 m / s2 Ground standard gravitational acceleration

[0128] Note: The origin of the coordinate system is the vertical projection of the basketball's launch position (i.e., the instant the basketball leaves the launch pad 10) onto the ground.

[0129] Thus, we arrive at the derivation process:

[0130] (1) Physical Model

[0131] A basketball undergoes projectile motion in a plane, and is subject to two forces:

[0132] ①Gravity mg, vertically downwards;

[0133] ② Air resistance, its magnitude is proportional to the square of the resultant velocity, and its direction is always opposite to the instantaneous velocity. The basketball undergoes two-dimensional variable acceleration curvilinear motion with air resistance.

[0134] (2) Kinematic differential equations

[0135] Basic formula for air resistance:

[0136]

[0137] Work dissipated by air resistance:

[0138]

[0139] Cross-sectional area of ​​basketball facing the wind:

[0140]

[0141] The cross-sectional area of ​​the basketball is calculated as follows:

[0142]

[0143] Define the drag proportionality constant:

[0144]

[0145] Substituting the parameters, we get:

[0146]

[0147] By Newton's second law Decomposed to level Vertical direction:

[0148]

[0149] In the above formula,

[0150] The negative sign indicates that air resistance and velocity components are in opposite directions.

[0151] Energy conservation equations

[0152] The initial kinetic energy of the launch is equal to the sum of the increase in gravitational potential energy, the work dissipated over air resistance, and the remaining kinetic energy upon reaching the basket.

[0153]

[0154] Initial kinetic energy of launch:

[0155]

[0156] Remaining kinetic energy at the rim:

[0157]

[0158] Increment of gravitational potential energy:

[0159]

[0160] From data table 1:

[0161]

[0162]

[0163] Optimal launch angle and initial velocity under zero air resistance

[0164] Let the launch elevation angle be v0, and the launch elevation angle be v0. Parametric equations of projectile motion:

[0165]

[0166] make

[0167]

[0168] have

[0169]

[0170] Substitute the target position coordinates ,make Simplifying, we obtain a quadratic equation in one variable:

[0171]

[0172] Quadratic equation of one variable Criteria for determining the existence of real solutions:

[0173]

[0174] Take the critical condition The formula for the minimum initial launch velocity without drag is derived as follows:

[0175]

[0176] Substitute the numerical values ​​into the calculation:

[0177]

[0178]

[0179] have to:

[0180]

[0181] For the launch angle, we have:

[0182] have to

[0183]

[0184] Numerical solution considering air resistance

[0185] hour

[0186]

[0187] Selecting a small time step The fourth-order Runge-Kutta algorithm is used to update the x and y coordinates and velocity components of the position on a time-by-time basis, and the work dissipated by air resistance is simultaneously integrated and accumulated. With horizontal displacement approaching 3m and vertical height approaching 2.43m as constraints, the minimum initial launch velocity was solved by traversing the launch elevation angles and using the bisection method. The results of the numerical simulation are shown below. Figure X .

[0188] Optimal launch angle

[0189]

[0190] Minimum initial launch velocity

[0191]

[0192] initial kinetic energy

[0193] E0=16.44J

[0194] (6) Calculation of required emission energy

[0195] The basketball's mass ranges from 0.5 to 0.6 kg, and the energy required for launch fluctuates by 15%, with an energy range of 13.974 to 18.906 J.

[0196] The above calculated values ​​represent the effective launch energy directly acquired by the basketball. Actual mechanical launching mechanisms suffer from guide rail friction losses, spring 121 inertia losses, and transmission structure energy losses. Therefore, the mechanical efficiency is taken as the effective energy. The energy storage calculation formula for spring 121 is as follows:

[0197] ,

[0198] in, Calculated at 70%

[0199] Calculations show that the actual energy required to be stored by the spring 121 of the launching mechanism is:

[0200]

[0201] Therefore, we performed energy calculations using the energy storage formula for spring 121:

[0202] Force-displacement relationship of spring 121:

[0203]

[0204] from arrive Average force:

[0205]

[0206]

[0207] in:

[0208] Initial pretension of spring 121

[0209] Launch Journey

[0210] Spring stiffness 121

[0211] Stored elastic potential energy

[0212]

[0213] Kinetic energy formula:

[0214]

[0215] Transformed to:

[0216]

[0217]

[0218] in, Mass of moving parts such as sliders / pulleys; Mass of the projectile (sphere); Equivalent additional quality item; Average frictional force; Launch range; Initial launch velocity;

[0219] Because the presence of the m-slide during the actual launch process consumes the energy of spring 121, the initial velocity from Chapter 2 is used. Perform the calculation.

[0220] (1) Core parameters and stiffness of spring 121

[0221] Based on the size of the organization, the initial selection is as follows:

[0222] wire diameter

[0223] outer diameter

[0224] Free length

[0225] Material: Carbon steel, shear modulus

[0226] Effective number of laps estimation

[0227] The length of the hooks at both ends is approximately twice the outer diameter, and the effective loop length is:

[0228]

[0229] Valid number of laps:

[0230]

[0231] Stiffness calculation

[0232] Formula for the stiffness of tension spring 121:

[0233]

[0234] Substitute the values:

[0235]

[0236] Therefore:

[0237]

[0238]

[0239]

[0240]

[0241]

[0242]

[0243]

[0244]

[0245] The actual design mechanism has a launch stroke of 500mm, which is far from sufficient. Therefore, the selection of spring 121 with a length of 17cm or 18mm is reasonable.

[0246] Considering that the weight of large balls (such as basketballs and soccer balls) is typically between 400 and 600g, the extension required for spring 121 to go from its non-working state to launch is substantial, which is detrimental to the miniaturization of the device; for a long stroke, the launch speed is also affected. Therefore, we use a DJI 2006 motor (see figure), connected to the lead screw via a coupling, and binding it to spring 121 to pre-tension the spring 121, thereby reducing the stroke during launch. The formula for calculating the pre-tension stroke d of the lead screw to spring 121 is as follows:

[0247]

[0248] Where n is the number of revolutions of the lead screw, and L is the lead of the lead screw.

[0249] To ensure repeatability of energy storage and increase force feedback, an NPN junction (see figure) is used for initial position calibration. By binding the fixed initial position of the DJI 2006 motor with the pre-tension of spring 121 each time, the upward distance of the lead screw can be determined from the motor's angle ring. The mass of each part and the initial launch velocity can be used to determine unknown parameters, accelerating the iteration speed and facilitating the determination of the impact of different parameters on the initial velocity. This also makes landing point calibration easier.

[0250] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0251] The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” etc. (if present) in the specification and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of this application described herein can be implemented, for example, in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms “comprising” and “having,” and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0252] Finally, it should be noted that in this paper, relational terms such as first and second are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations.

Claims

1. A ball launcher, characterized in that, include: The launcher includes a frame body, a launch rail mounted on the frame body, and a launch base for carrying balls, the launch base being slidably mounted on the launch rail; The pulley mechanism includes a movable pulley assembly, a stationary pulley assembly, and a rope. The movable pulley assembly is slidably mounted on the frame body along the length of the launch track. The stationary pulley assembly is fixedly mounted on one end of the frame body near the launch end of the launch track. One end of the rope is fixed to the launch base, and the other end of the rope is sequentially wound around the stationary pulley assembly and the movable pulley assembly and fixed to one end of the frame body near the launch end of the launch track. An energy storage mechanism includes a positioning component and a spring. The positioning component is connected to the frame body, and the two ends of the spring are connected between the movable pulley assembly and the positioning component. A drive mechanism, connected to the rope, is used to drive the rope to move along the length of the launch track in order to stretch or compress the spring; A trigger mechanism, located on the frame body, is used to restrict or restore the movement of the launcher.

2. The ball launcher according to claim 1, characterized in that, The frame body includes a mounting base plate, a first end plate, a second end plate, and a guide rod; The mounting base plate is connected and fixed to the energy storage mechanism; The launch rail and the mounting base are connected and fixed between the first end plate and the second end plate. The second end plate is located at the launch end of the launch rail. The second end plate is fixed with the static pulley assembly and the other end of the rope. The two ends of the guide rod are respectively connected and fixed to the first end plate and the second end plate. The guide rod is arranged along the length direction of the launch track and slides with the movable pulley assembly.

3. The ball launcher according to claim 2, characterized in that, The movable pulley assembly includes a movable base and a movable pulley body; The movable seat body is slidably mounted on the guide rod; The movable pulley body is rotatably mounted on the movable base body, and the movable pulley body is configured for the rope to be wound around.

4. The ball launcher according to claim 3, characterized in that, The static pulley assembly includes a static seat and a static pulley body; The stationary seat is mounted on the second end plate; The stationary pulley body is rotatably mounted on the stationary seat, and the stationary pulley body is configured for the rope to be wound around.

5. The ball launcher according to claim 4, characterized in that: The number of the movable pulley bodies is two, and both movable pulley bodies can be rotatably mounted on the movable base body; The static pulley assembly includes two static seat bodies and two static pulley bodies; One end of the rope is fixed to the launch base, and the other end of the rope is sequentially wound around the static pulley body of one static pulley assembly, the static pulley body of one movable pulley assembly, the static pulley body of another static pulley assembly, and the movable pulley body of another movable pulley assembly, and is finally fixed to the second end plate; the rope is connected to the drive mechanism.

6. The ball launcher according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive mechanism includes a driver, a transmission wheel, a transmission belt, and a transmission block; The driver is mounted on the first end board; The transmission wheel is rotatably mounted on the second end plate; The transmission belt is wound between the driver and the transmission wheel, and the transmission belt is connected to the driver in a driving connection. The transmission block is fixed to the transmission belt, the transmission block is connected and fixed to the rope, and the transmission block is located on the rope between the launch base and the static pulley assembly.

7. The ball launcher according to claim 2, characterized in that, The positioning assembly includes a lead screw drive and a positioning seat; The positioning seat is slidably mounted on the guide rod, and the positioning seat is fixedly connected to one end of the spring; The lead screw drive is mounted on the mounting base plate, and the lead screw of the lead screw drive is connected to the positioning seat. The lead screw drive is used to adjust the position of the positioning seat to change the preload of the spring.

8. The ball launcher according to claim 2, characterized in that, The trigger mechanism includes a trigger drive component and a trigger plate; The trigger plate is mounted on the drive shaft of the trigger drive component; The trigger drive is mounted on the mounting base plate and is used to drive the trigger plate to rotate so that the trigger abuts or separates from the firing rail.

9. The ball launcher according to claim 2, characterized in that, The number of the guide rod, the pulley mechanism, the drive mechanism, and the spring are in two corresponding sets.

10. The ball-launching robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, include: A mobile device for horizontal movement; The ball launcher according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is mounted on the mobile device; A gripper device includes a gripper assembly for gripping a ball, a horizontal movement assembly, and a striking assembly for striking the ball; the horizontal movement assembly is mounted on the moving device, and the gripper assembly and the striking assembly are mounted on the moving part of the horizontal movement assembly.

Images