Ball Retrieving Assembly with Compressible Rollers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ball retrieval devices lack a hands-free mechanism for efficiently collecting balls from a surface, as they do not incorporate features that allow for lowering the collection mechanism to the ground for easy ball passage.
Innovation Solution
A basket with elastomeric openings and compressible rollers that can be lowered to the ground, facilitated by handles that urge the rollers into a compressed state, allowing balls to pass through and be collected without manual bending.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a traditional ball retrieval device is used, then manual bending is required to collect balls, but this increases physical effort and reduces efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The ball retrieval device is designed to lower itself to the ground using spring-loaded rollers that automatically extend when the basket encounters resistance from balls on the ground, eliminating the need for manual bending or lifting actions by the user
Solution Approach 2:
The device transitions from a static elevated position to a dynamic lowered position through the mechanism of compressible rollers that extend and retract based on the presence and weight of balls, allowing the basket to adapt its height automatically
2Ease of operation
If the basket is kept elevated for easy access, then ball passage is difficult, but lowering it facilitates ball collection
Solution Approach 1:
The basket's vertical position is made dynamic through the spring-loaded roller mechanism, allowing it to automatically lower when balls are detected and return to its elevated position after ball collection, optimizing both ball passage and user accessibility at different times
3Productivity
If a hands-free mechanism is implemented, then operational efficiency improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spring-loaded roller mechanism serves itself by using the weight of the balls to trigger the lowering action and the spring force to return the basket to its elevated position, creating an automatic hands-free operation without requiring complex motors or sensors
Solution Approach 2:
The spring-loaded rollers act as an intermediary mechanism between the balls and the basket's vertical movement, translating the weight of the balls into the mechanical action of lowering and raising the basket without direct user intervention
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
Enables hands-free collection of balls by allowing the basket to be lowered onto the ground, facilitating easy passage of balls through elastomeric openings, thus gathering them efficiently without manual effort.
Implementation Method 1
a pair of elastomeric openings integrated into the basket to pass a ball into the basket
Implementation Method 2
A plurality of rollers is each movably coupled to the basket each of the rollers is urgeable into a compressed condition to facilitate the basket to be lowered to the support surface
Data Source
AI summary
A ball retrieving assembly for collecting balls on a surface includes a basket that has a pair of elastomeric openings integrated into the basket to pass a ball into the basket for transporting the ball. A plurality of rollers is each movably coupled to the basket each of the rollers is urgeable into a compressed condition to facilitate the basket to be lowered to the support surface. In this way balls lying on the support surface can pass through respective ones of the elastomeric openings for positioning the balls in the basket. A pair of handles is each removably attachable to the basket for urging the rollers into the compressed condition when handles are pressed downwardly.