Ball serving machine

Abstract

The utility model discloses a purpose lies in providing a kind of ball launcher, comprising: shell, guide plate, ball drive mechanism;Ball release mechanism is arranged in shell, for cutting off and releasing the movement of ball on guide plate, baffle can rotate around axis under the drive of drive assembly, baffle switches at least between first position and second position, the size, shape and position of baffle are configured, baffle at least prevents ball to enter or leave ball storage space when in any position;Control mechanism, including sensor and controller, control mechanism and ball release mechanism are electrically connected, sensor is configured to detect whether ball exists in ball storage space, controller responds to the feedback of sensor, controls ball release mechanism to release ball. Through the baffle of specific configuration, in the working process of ball launcher, baffle simultaneously realizes the release and the blocking effect of ball, only releases one ball each time, and make full use of the space in shell.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of sporting goods, and in particular to a ball-serving machine. Background Technology

[0002] In various ball sports, such as table tennis, tennis, baseball, and basketball, ball machines serve as an auxiliary training device, providing athletes with stable and frequent practice opportunities. Existing ball machines typically have a large size or complex structural layout, especially when implementing single-ball releases or multi-angle serves, which often requires sacrificing equipment size and increasing structural complexity.

[0003] However, some portable ball-serving machines, due to their simple structure, typically launch the ball directly upon entering the machine, making it difficult for users to train at a consistent pace. Therefore, providing a compact and feature-rich ball-serving machine is a pressing technical problem that needs to be solved in this field. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a ball-serving machine with a compact structure and ball storage function.

[0005] A ball-launching machine for achieving the aforementioned objective includes:

[0006] A ball-serving machine, characterized in that it comprises:

[0007] A housing, wherein the housing is provided with an inlet and an outlet;

[0008] A guide plate, disposed within the housing, is used to guide the ball from the inlet to the outlet.

[0009] A ball-ejection drive mechanism, fixed to the housing, is used to drive the ball out of the ball-ejection port;

[0010] A ball release mechanism, disposed within a housing, is used to cut off and release the movement of a ball on the guide plate. The ball release mechanism includes a baffle and a drive assembly. The baffle is rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the direction of ball movement within the housing under the drive of the drive assembly. The baffle switches between at least a first position and a second position. When the baffle is in the first position, the baffle, the housing, and the guide plate constitute a ball storage space for accommodating a ball. The ball can enter the ball storage space through the inlet. The baffle prevents the ball from moving from the ball storage space to the outlet. When the baffle is in the second position, the baffle releases the ball located in the ball storage space and prevents the ball from entering the ball storage space from the inlet. The size, shape, and position of the baffle are configured such that, in either position, the baffle at least prevents the ball from entering or leaving the ball storage space.

[0011] A control mechanism, including a sensor and a controller, is electrically connected to the ball release mechanism. The sensor is configured to detect the presence of a ball in the ball storage space, and the controller, in response to feedback from the sensor, controls the ball release mechanism to release the ball.

[0012] In one or more embodiments, the baffle and the guide plate are both arc-shaped surfaces formed by the extension of the generatrix along an arc-shaped path, and the axis is parallel to the generatrix.

[0013] In one or more embodiments, the baffle is part of a cylindrical surface, the inner diameter of the baffle is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the sphere, and the axis is the axis of the cylindrical surface.

[0014] In one or more embodiments, the baffle also has a third position, when the baffle is in the third position, the baffle simultaneously prevents the ball from entering and leaving the ball storage space, the baffle switches to the third position first during the process of switching from the first position to the second position, and / or during the process of switching from the second position to the first position.

[0015] In one or more embodiments, the ball-out driving mechanism includes two driving rollers arranged opposite each other. The rotation direction of the driving rollers is to drive the ball to move out of the ball outlet. When the ball moves on the guide plate, it simultaneously contacts the two driving rollers.

[0016] In one or more embodiments, the control mechanism controls the drive roller, which rotates when the ball release mechanism releases the ball.

[0017] In one or more embodiments, the ball storage space is located below the ball inlet, and the ball outlet is located below the ball storage space.

[0018] In one or more embodiments, the controller and the drive assembly are disposed on the side of the guide plate away from the ball's movement path.

[0019] In one or more embodiments, the housing is mounted on a base and connected to the base via an angle adjustment mechanism.

[0020] In one or more embodiments, the angle adjustment mechanism includes a motor fixed to the bottom of the housing, the motor being disposed on the side of the guide plate away from the ball's movement path, and a transmission part on the base passing through the bottom of the housing. The motor can drive the transmission part to rotate, thereby adjusting the relative angle between the base and the housing.

[0021] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0022] With a specially configured baffle, the ball-launching machine simultaneously releases and blocks the ball during operation, releasing only one ball at a time and making full use of the space inside the casing, thus reducing the overall size of the ball-launching machine.

[0023] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of this application. In order to better understand the technical means of this application and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of this application more obvious and understandable, the following are specific embodiments of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiments below. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout the drawings. In the drawings:

[0025] Figure 1 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of a ball-launching machine according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0026] Figure 2 A partial assembly diagram of a ball-launching machine according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0027] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the usage state of a ball-launching machine according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0028] In the picture:

[0029] 100 ball-serving machine

[0030] 110 Casing

[0031] 111 Goal Mouth

[0032] 112 outlet

[0033] 120 guide plate

[0034] 130 Ball release drive mechanism

[0035] 131 Drive Roller

[0036] 140 Sphere Release Mechanism

[0037] 141 baffle

[0038] 142 Driver Components

[0039] 143 Ball Storage Space

[0040] 150 Control Mechanism

[0041] 151 Sensors

[0042] 152 Controller

[0043] 160 base

[0044] 161 Transmission Unit

[0045] 170° Angle Adjustment Mechanism

[0046] 171 motor

[0047] 200 spheres Detailed Implementation

[0048] The embodiments of the technical solution of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of this application and are therefore merely examples, and should not be used to limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0049] like Figures 1-2 As shown, a ball-serving machine 100 according to one embodiment of this application includes a housing 110, on which an inlet 111 and a outlet 112 are provided. In use, a ball 200 enters through the inlet 111 and is launched from the outlet 112 by the ball-serving machine 100 for use by trainers.

[0050] A guide plate 120 is also provided inside the housing 110. The guide plate 120 and the housing 110 together form a guide channel, which guides the ball 200 from the ball inlet 111 to the ball outlet 112.

[0051] At one end of the guide channel near the ball outlet 112, a ball-out driving mechanism 130 is provided. In this embodiment, the ball-out driving mechanism 130 is a set of driving rollers 131. The driving rollers 131 are fixedly connected to the top and bottom of the housing 110 by screws. The rotation direction of the driving rollers 131 is to drive the ball to move towards the ball outlet 112. When the ball 200 moves on the guide channel, it simultaneously contacts the two driving rollers 131.

[0052] In other embodiments of this application, the ball-out driving mechanism 130 may also be other structures, such as a rotating impeller structure, an airflow structure, or a piston structure, etc. Those skilled in the art can select a suitable ball-out driving mechanism 130 according to actual needs. However, the structure of a set of driving rollers 131 in this embodiment can more accurately control the ball-out speed within a limited volume.

[0053] In this embodiment, the ball-serving machine 100 further includes a ball release mechanism 140, which is disposed within the housing 110 and is used to cut off and release the movement of the ball 200 on the guide plate 120. Specifically, the ball release mechanism 140 in this embodiment includes a baffle 141 and a drive assembly 142. The baffle 141 can rotate around a fixed axis under the action of the drive assembly 142, and this axis is perpendicular to the direction of movement of the ball 200 in the guide channel.

[0054] Furthermore, such as Figure 3 As shown, during the rotation of the baffle 141, it switches between at least a first position and a second position. When the baffle 141 is in the first position, the baffle 141 is at least partially located in the guide channel, cutting off the movement of the ball 200 on the guide plate 120. At this time, the baffle 141, the guide plate 120, and the shell 110 together form a ball storage space 143 for accommodating the ball 200. The volume of the ball storage space 143 is preferably only able to accommodate one ball. In other embodiments, the volume of the ball storage space 143 can be adjusted according to the actual situation. However, in order to release only one ball at a time, the ball storage space 143 should be set to accommodate at most one ball. At this time, the ball 200 can enter the ball storage space 143 through the ball inlet 111. It should be noted that during the continuous rotation of the baffle 141, the position of the baffle 141 changes. However, as long as the baffle part is located in the guide channel, cutting off the movement of the ball 200 on the guide plate 120 towards the ball outlet 112, and not preventing the ball 200 from entering the ball storage space 143 from the ball inlet 111, the position of the baffle 141 is defined as the first position. In addition, in some embodiments, the specific position and size of the ball storage space 143 will also change with the rotation of the baffle 141. As long as it has the function of accommodating the ball 200 in the housing 110, it is defined as the ball storage space 143.

[0055] When the baffle 141 is in the second position, the baffle 141 no longer obstructs the ball 200 in the ball storage space 143. However, the baffle 141 is at least partially located in the guide channel between the ball storage space 143 and the ball inlet 111, that is, the baffle 141 prevents the ball 200 from entering the ball storage space 143 from the ball inlet 111. It should be noted that although when the baffle 141 is in the second position, the baffle 141, the shell 110, and the guide plate 120 may form a similar space that can accommodate the ball 200 in some cases, the ball storage space 143 in this embodiment refers to the space for accommodating the ball 200 formed when the baffle 141 is in the first position. In addition, similar to the first position, the position of the baffle 141 will continuously change during the rotation process. As long as the baffle 141 releases the ball in the ball storage space 143 and prevents the ball 200 from entering the ball storage space 143 from the ball inlet 111, it is defined as the second position.

[0056] In addition, in this embodiment, the size, shape, and position of the baffle 141 are configured such that, regardless of its rotation to any position, at least a portion of the baffle 141 is located between the ball storage space 143 and the ball outlet 112, or at least a portion is located between the ball storage space 143 and the ball inlet 111. That is, in any position, the baffle 141 at least prevents the ball 200 from entering or leaving the ball storage space 143. This configuration allows the baffle 141 to switch between a first position and a second position. During a serve, the baffle 141 prevents additional balls 200 from entering the ball storage space 143, ensuring that only one ball 200 is launched at a time. When a ball 200 enters the ball storage space 143 to be served, the baffle 141 prevents the ball 200 from leaving the ball storage space 143, ensuring that the ball 200 is not incorrectly served.

[0057] In this embodiment, the ball-serving machine 100 further includes a control mechanism 150, which includes a sensor 151 and a controller 152. The control mechanism 152 is electrically connected to the ball release mechanism 140. The sensor 151 is configured to detect whether a ball 200 exists in the ball storage space 143. In response to the feedback from the sensor 151, the controller 150 controls the ball release mechanism 140 to release the ball 200. Specifically, sensor 151 detects the presence of a ball 200 in the ball storage space 143, meeting the serving conditions. Controller 150 sends a command to drive assembly 142, causing baffle 141 to rotate from a first position to a second position. The ball 200 leaves the ball storage space 143 and moves along guide plate 120 towards outlet 112. The ball 200 contacts drive roller 131 and accelerates out of outlet 112 under the action of drive roller 131, completing the serve. Simultaneously, baffle 141 continues to rotate, switching from the second position to the first position, allowing additional balls 200 to enter the ball storage space 143, awaiting the next serve. This configuration fully utilizes the space within housing 110, achieving control and filling of the ball 200 using only a single baffle 141.

[0058] Furthermore, in this embodiment, both the baffle 141 and the guide plate 120 are arc-shaped surfaces formed by the extension of the generatrix along an arc-shaped path, with the baffle 141 parallel to the generatrix around the axis of rotation. This arrangement, with both the baffle 141 and the guide plate 120 being curved surfaces, minimizes the formation of sharp corners inside the housing 110, allows for more continuous movement of the ball 200, prevents the baffle 141 from squeezing the ball 200, and also prevents the ball 200 from bouncing within the housing 110.

[0059] Specifically, in this embodiment, the baffle 141 is part of a cylindrical surface. The inner diameter of the baffle 141 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the sphere 200, and the axis of rotation of the baffle 141 is the axis of the cylindrical surface. This arrangement ensures that the ball storage space 143 can only accommodate one sphere 200. Furthermore, the rotation of the baffle 141 around its own axis makes the movement of the sphere 200 within the ball storage space 143 more stable. Additionally, the rotation of the baffle 141 also allows for smoother separation of different spheres 200.

[0060] In other embodiments of this application, the guide plate 120 and the baffle 141 can also be in other forms. For example, the guide plate 120 can be an inclined plane or an inclined plane with a V-groove, and the baffle can be a straight plate or an L-shaped plate. However, as a preferred embodiment, the combination of the cylindrical surface and the arc-shaped surface in this embodiment can more effectively suppress the bouncing of the ball 200 and prevent jamming. At the same time, the ball storage space 143 that accommodates the ball 200 is closer to the shape of the ball 200 itself, thus avoiding space waste as much as possible.

[0061] In this embodiment, during the process of moving from the first position to the second position, the baffle 141 also defines a third position. In the third position, the baffle 141 is at least partially located between the ball storage space 143 and the ball outlet 112, and at least partially located between the ball storage space 143 and the ball inlet 111. That is, the baffle 141 simultaneously prevents the ball 200 from entering and leaving the ball storage space 143. Due to the existence of the third position, before the ball 200 leaves the ball storage space 143, the baffle 141 first blocks the contact between the ball 200 inside the ball storage space 143 and the ball inlet 111, reducing the interference of the ball 200 outside the ball inlet 111 on the serving process. In other embodiments, if the baffle 141 rotates in the opposite direction to this embodiment, and enters the third position during the process of the baffle moving from the second position to the first position, after the ball 200 is released, the ball storage space 143 is temporarily not filled with a new ball 200. By setting it in this way, the time for filling the ball 200 can be delayed, thereby reducing the vibration of the shell 110 during the ball 200's serve and improving the stability of the serve.

[0062] In other embodiments of this application, the drive roller 131 can also be controlled by the control mechanism 150, and the drive roller 131 only rotates when the ball release mechanism 140 releases the ball 200. This configuration allows for more precise control of the working time of the ball-launching drive mechanism 130, effectively improving the service life of the ball-serving machine 100. In other embodiments of this application, the drive roller 131 can also be in a constantly operating state, responding quickly and completing the serve whenever the ball 200 moves nearby.

[0063] In this embodiment, in the direction of gravity, the ball storage space 143 is located below the ball inlet 111, and the ball outlet 112 is located below the ball storage space 143. With this arrangement, the ball 200 can be filled / released under the influence of gravity, resulting in better continuity of action and effectively preventing jamming. In other embodiments of this application, the ball 200 can be moved using structures such as a blowing device or a conveying device, depending on actual needs. However, compared to this preferred embodiment, this may reduce the continuity of the serving action or increase the risk of jamming.

[0064] In this embodiment, the controller 152 and the drive assembly 142 are both fixed to the housing 110 and are located on the side of the guide plate 120 away from the movement path of the ball 200. This arrangement, placing the electrical structures such as the controller 152 and drive assembly 142 on the side of the guide plate 120 away from the movement path of the ball 200, effectively improves the utilization rate of the space within the housing 110. That is, one side of the guide plate 120 is the movement area of ​​the ball 200, and the other side is the area for accommodating the electrical structures, further reducing the overall size of the ball-launching machine 100.

[0065] In this embodiment, the housing 110 is mounted on the base 160, and a motor 171 is fixed to the bottom of the housing 110. The motor 171 is also located on the side of the guide plate 120 away from the movement path of the ball 200. A transmission part 161 is fixedly mounted on the base 160 and passes through the bottom of the housing 110. The motor 171 is configured to drive the transmission part 161 to rotate, thereby adjusting the relative angle between the base 160 and the housing 110. In this embodiment, the drive ends of the transmission part 161 and the motor 171 are connected by a belt. In other embodiments, gears or other transmission methods may also be used. In other embodiments, the housing 110 and the base 160 may also be connected by other existing angle adjustment mechanisms 170. However, in this preferred embodiment, placing the motor 171 on the side of the guide plate 120 away from the movement path of the ball 200 can further reduce the overall size of the ball-serving machine 100.

[0066] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains; the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the application; the terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, in the specification, claims, and foregoing description of the drawings are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0067] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the technical terms "first XX" and "second XX", such as "first positioning slot" and "second positioning slot", are only used to distinguish different objects and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number, specific order or primary and secondary relationship of the indicated technical features.

[0068] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0069] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent three situations: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone.

[0070] In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, technical terms such as "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0071] It should be understood that the use of "along" in the text means that there is at least a component in that direction, preferably, the angle with that direction is within 10°, more preferably, the angle is within 5°.

[0072] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and not to limit them. Although this application 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 or all of the technical features therein. These modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and they should all be covered within the scope of the claims and specification of this application. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the various technical features mentioned in the embodiments can be combined in any way. This application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions falling within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A ball-serving machine, characterized in that, include: A housing, wherein the housing is provided with an inlet and an outlet; A guide plate, disposed within the housing, is used to guide the ball from the inlet to the outlet. A ball-ejection drive mechanism, fixed to the housing, is used to drive the ball out of the ball-ejection port; A ball release mechanism, disposed within a housing, is used to cut off and release the movement of a ball on the guide plate. The ball release mechanism includes a baffle and a drive assembly. The baffle is rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the direction of ball movement within the housing under the drive of the drive assembly. The baffle switches between at least a first position and a second position. When the baffle is in the first position, the baffle, the housing, and the guide plate constitute a ball storage space for accommodating a ball. The ball can enter the ball storage space through the inlet. The baffle prevents the ball from moving from the ball storage space to the outlet. When the baffle is in the second position, the baffle releases the ball located in the ball storage space and prevents the ball from entering the ball storage space from the inlet. The size, shape, and position of the baffle are configured such that, in either position, the baffle at least prevents the ball from entering or leaving the ball storage space. A control mechanism, including a sensor and a controller, is electrically connected to the ball release mechanism. The sensor is configured to detect the presence of a ball in the ball storage space, and the controller, in response to feedback from the sensor, controls the ball release mechanism to release the ball.

2. The ball-serving machine as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Both the baffle and the guide plate are arc-shaped surfaces formed by the extension of the generatrix along an arc-shaped path, and the axis is parallel to the generatrix.

3. The ball-serving machine as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The baffle is part of a cylindrical surface, the inner diameter of the baffle is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the sphere, and the axis is the axis of the cylindrical surface.

4. The ball-serving machine as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The baffle also has a third position. When the baffle is in the third position, the baffle simultaneously prevents the ball from entering and leaving the ball storage space. The baffle switches to the third position first during the process of switching from the first position to the second position and / or during the process of switching from the second position to the first position.

5. The ball-serving machine as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The ball-out driving mechanism includes two driving rollers arranged opposite each other. The rotation direction of the driving rollers is to drive the ball to move out of the ball outlet. When the ball moves on the guide plate, it simultaneously contacts the two driving rollers.

6. The ball-serving machine as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The control mechanism controls the drive roller, and the drive roller rotates when the ball release mechanism releases the ball.

7. The ball-serving machine as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The ball storage space is located below the ball inlet, and the ball outlet is located below the ball storage space.

8. The ball-serving machine as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The controller and the drive assembly are located on the side of the guide plate away from the ball's movement path.

9. The ball-serving machine as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The housing is mounted on the base and is connected to the base via an angle adjustment mechanism.

10. The ball-serving machine as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The angle adjustment mechanism includes a motor fixed to the bottom of the housing. The motor is located on the side of the guide plate away from the ball's movement path. The transmission part on the base passes through the bottom of the housing. The motor can drive the transmission part to rotate, thereby adjusting the relative angle between the base and the housing.

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