Ball Launching Toy With Fitting Stand for Safe Ball Selection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing ball launching toys launch both regular and non-regular balls, including potentially hazardous items like marbles, posing safety concerns.

Innovation Solution

A ball launching toy with a ball stand that rises in a mountain shape and has a fitting projection, allowing only regular balls with a fitting recess to be securely positioned, while preventing non-regular balls from being launched.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a flat surface is used as the ball setting location, then both regular balls and non-regular balls can be set and launched, but items such as marbles that have the risk of causing injury can be sent flying

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompatibility with different ball typesVSAvoidsafety hazard from launching small objects

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The ball stand top is designed with a specific local quality - a fitting projection that creates a mechanical interlocking feature. This local structural characteristic ensures that only balls with corresponding fitting recesses (regular balls) can be properly positioned, while excluding objects without such features (non-regular balls and marbles), thereby resolving the safety hazard while maintaining compatibility with intended ball types

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If a fitting projection is added to the ball stand to secure regular balls, then only regular balls with fitting recesses can be launched, but the structure becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesafety and suitability of ball launchingVSAvoidstructure of ball stand

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Rather than making the entire ball stand structure complex, the invention applies a localized fitting projection feature at the critical interface where the ball contacts the stand. This local modification achieves the reliability goal of selective ball acceptance without requiring complex overall structural changes to the ball stand

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of trying to prevent non-regular balls through complex rejection mechanisms, the invention inverts the approach by designing a positive fitting feature that actively accepts only regular balls. The fitting projection and recess create a mechanical interlock that naturally excludes incompatible objects, achieving reliability through positive selection rather than negative exclusion

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentEP4585281A1Ball launching toy

Publication Date: 2025.07.16 TOMY CO LTD

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AI summary

[Problem] To provide a ball launching toy that can suitably launch only regular balls. [Solution] A ball launching device that comprises a ball 11 and a launching mechanism provided on a base stand 12, and that uses the launching mechanism to energize and launch the ball 11 set in a prescribed position, characterized in that a fitting recess is formed on the outer surface of the ball 11, on the base stand 12, a ball stand 13 is provided that rises in a mountain shape from the upper surface of the base stand 12, and has a fitting projection 13b formed on the top that fits into the fitting recess to set the ball 11 to a degree that does not obstruct launching of the ball 11.