Ball Collection And Return Structure With Inclined Damping Net
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tennis ball recovery systems face issues with balls bouncing back onto the court or dropping out of troughs due to loose or insufficiently damped vertical screens, leading to inefficiencies in providing a continuous stream of balls for practice.
Innovation Solution
A ball collecting and returning installation with a damping net fixed at a distance from the back wall, a trough guiding balls to a ball inlet, and a ball propulsion device, where the damping net aligns with the outlet to prevent interference, and a trough with angled surfaces to ensure balls enter the inlet, combined with a vinyl sheet for damping and target practice.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a vertical damping screen is used to receive balls, then balls are collected, but balls sometimes bounce back onto the court or drop out of the trough
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the damping structure by transitioning from a vertical screen to an inclined plane at approximately 45 degrees. This angular parameter change allows the structure to effectively redirect balls into the trough while preventing bounce-back, resolving the reliability issue without harmful side effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a dimensional change by replacing the vertical two-dimensional screen with an inclined three-dimensional surface. This spatial reconfiguration enables the damping structure to guide balls laterally into the trough while maintaining vertical containment, eliminating the bounce-back problem.
2Ease of operation
If the damping net is stretched vertically above the trough, then ball reception is enabled, but balls drop from the screen to the trough and bounce out due to insufficient damping
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the geometric parameters by replacing the vertical orientation with an inclined angle of approximately 45 degrees. This parameter change enables the damping surface to effectively redirect balls into the trough while providing sufficient damping to prevent bounce-out, simultaneously achieving ease of operation and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful bounce effect into a beneficial guiding mechanism. By inclining the damping surface, the ball's upward momentum is transformed into lateral motion that guides the ball into the trough, converting what would be a harmful bounce into a useful directional force.
3Reliability
If a trough is positioned below the damping screen, then balls are collected, but the structure occupies excessive space and is complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the damping function and ball collection function into a single integrated inclined structure. The damping surface and trough are combined into one continuous element, eliminating the need for separate vertical screens and complex support structures, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining collection efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The inclined structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a damping surface to receive balls, a guide surface to direct balls into the trough, and a containment structure to prevent bounce-out. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed, simplifying the overall device.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Provides a continuous stream of balls for practice, reduces noise and bouncing, and allows for accurate serve assessment by aligning the damping net with the outlet, enhancing training efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The damping net has a predetermined tension to damp movement of balls striking it to thereby cause the balls to roll along the damping net into the trough or drop from the damping net into the trough.
Data Source
AI summary
Ball collecting and returning installation for a court surface includes a back wall having a ball inlet opening and a ball outlet opening, a damping net spaced apart from and in front of the back wall and which has an opening at least partly aligning with the ball outlet opening, and a trough below the damping net and extending from the back wall to a location in front of the damping net. The trough guides balls landing therein to the ball inlet opening through which the balls pass into a ball collection receptacle behind the back wall. A ball propulsion device is also behind the back wall, elevated on a platform above the ball collection receptacle, and receives balls from the ball collection receptacle and propels them through the ball outlet opening onto the sports court surface.