Collapsible Ball Storage Rack With Cord-Driven Support Rods
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ball storage racks have a high number of components, leading to increased costs and lack of ease of use due to the complexity of collapsing and reassembling the structure.
Innovation Solution
A ball storage rack structure featuring a base member with pivotal and abutting portions, support rods that cross in a radiating manner, and a cord to control the rods and distribute the weight of a bag, allowing for reduced components and simplified collapse by pulling the cord.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a conventional ball storage rack uses multiple base members and pivots to ensure stability, then the structure becomes more stable, but the number of components increases and costs rise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple base members and pivots into a single integrated base member with multiple abutting portions. The base member includes first abutting portions for support rods and second abutting portions for rollers, eliminating the need for separate base members and reducing the total number of components while maintaining structural stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The base member serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides abutting portions for support rods to ensure stability, incorporates rollers for mobility, and integrates pivotal portions for folding functionality. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components for each function.
2Ease of operation
If support rods are designed to be collapsible for ease of operation, then the rack becomes easier to collapse, but the structure may become less stable when erected
Solution Approach 1:
The support rods are pre-configured with pivotal portions that allow them to rotate between an erected position and a collapsed position. The first abutting portions and second abutting portions are pre-positioned to guide the support rods into the correct orientation during erection and to receive them during collapse, ensuring both stability when erected and ease of collapse.
3Ease of operation
If the cord is used to bear the weight of the bag and control support rods, then ease of operation improves, but the cord must withstand significant force
Solution Approach 1:
The cord acts as an intermediary that transmits the user's pulling force to the support rods through the pivotal portions. By engaging with the pivotal portions, the cord efficiently transfers force to rotate the support rods about the pivotal axes, enabling easy collapse while the force is distributed through the mechanical advantage of the pivot points.
Data Source
AI summary
A ball storage rack structure includes: a base member having first pivotal portions and first and second abutting portions; support rods abutting against the first abutting portions, crossing each other radially, and each having a second pivotal portion and first and second coupling portions, with the second pivotal portions connected pivotally to the first pivotal portions; a bag having third coupling portions coupled to the second coupling portions such that the bag is mounted on the support rods; and a cord having fourth coupling portions coupled to the first coupling portions, underpinning the bag. The weight of the bag is borne by the second coupling portions and the cord, and the cord is pulled by a user to drive the support rods to rotate about the first pivotal portions and abut against the second abutting portions. Pivotal elements connect pivotally the first pivotal portions to the second pivotal portions.