Ball Ejector Pivot Arm Pre-Tensioning and Safety Lock
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ball-ejecting apparatuses for goalkeeper training suffer from safety risks during maintenance, require complex and damaging fastening to prevent movement, and limit shooting power variability due to pre-tensioning mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus with a displaceable loading means that adjusts the pivot arm's pre-tensioning, allowing safe operation and adjustable shooting power without simultaneous pre-tensioning, featuring a locking arrangement with an electromagnet and torsion spring for controlled energy release, and a mobile design with wheels for easy positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the pivot arm is pre-tensioned by a torsion spring during return to loaded position, then the apparatus can eject balls with sufficient force, but the pre-tensioning mechanism requires great power and limits shooting power variability
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces a dynamic pre-tensioning system where the torsion spring is only engaged when the locking arrangement secures the pivot arm in the loaded position. During maintenance or positioning, the spring remains disengaged, allowing free movement without resistance. This dynamic engagement mechanism enables both high power during shooting and full adaptability for positioning and maintenance operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the engagement state of the torsion spring as a controllable parameter. When the locking arrangement is activated, the spring transitions from a disengaged to an engaged state, transforming the mechanical system from a free-moving configuration to a pre-tensioned configuration. This parameter change enables variable shooting power by controlling when the spring force is applied.
2Power
If the pivot arm is pre-tensioned by a torsion spring, then the ball can be ejected with sufficient energy, but the spring constitutes a safety risk during maintenance due to inadvertent release
Solution Approach 1:
The locking arrangement is designed to be activated before the torsion spring is engaged. This preliminary action ensures that the pivot arm is securely locked in place before any pre-tensioning force is applied, eliminating the safety risk of inadvertent release during maintenance. The system follows a strict sequence: lock first, then tension.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking arrangement acts as a protective mechanism that prevents the harmful effect of spring release before it can occur. By establishing the locked state in advance, the system cushions against potential safety incidents during maintenance operations.
3Power
If the pivot arm strikes the end stop with great force, then the ball is ejected effectively, but a large amount of energy is transmitted to the frame causing the apparatus to move and requiring ground fastening
Solution Approach 1:
The invention converts the harmful rebound energy into a useful function by introducing a rebound arm that redirects the pivot arm's impact energy away from the frame. The rebound arm absorbs the shock and redirects it in a controlled manner, transforming what was previously a harmful force into a beneficial mechanism that protects the frame while maintaining effective ball ejection.
4Stability of the object's composition
If strong plugs are used to fasten the apparatus to the ground, then the apparatus remains stationary during operation, but the fastening members cause unacceptably large damage to the ground and reduce mobility
Solution Approach 1:
The rebound arm mechanism converts the harmful impact energy that would otherwise damage the frame and cause apparatus movement into a controlled redirect of force. By managing the energy transmission through the rebound arm, the apparatus maintains stability during operation without requiring damaging ground fastening, preserving both mobility and ground integrity.
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
The apparatus ensures safe maintenance, allows for precise and variable shooting power, and is easily movable between shooting positions, enhancing training precision and safety by controlling the pre-tensioning and energy transfer to the ball.
Implementation Method 1
a pre-tensioning arrangement with a torsion spring for pre-tensioning the pivot arm by pivoting the pivot arm about a pivot shaft
Implementation Method 2
a locking arrangement with a first locking member connected to the frame and a second locking member connected to the pivot arm for releasable retention of the pivot arm in the loaded position
Implementation Method 3
the ball holder and the impact face are arranged such that the ball is hit by the impact face during the working stroke of the pivot arm
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for ejecting balls in which a pretensioning arrangement includes a loading device which is displaceable between a first and a second position, first and second locking members are brought to contact each other by displacement of the loading device to a first position as a pivot arm is thereby moved to the loading position, and displacement of the loading device to a second position produces pretensioning of the pivot arm in the loading position. As a result, the pivot arm has a position in which the apparatus is safe because the pivot arm is without tension in the shooting position. Also, the pivot arm can be moved to its loading position without a simultaneous pretensioning being effected. Pretensioning is only established when the pivot arms are in the loading position and are retained by the locking arrangement. Thus, the loading arrangement and shooting power can be varied.