Folding Ball Trolley with Rotating Mounting Rods
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional folding ball trolleys face issues such as the frame scraping balls or hands, inconvenient access due to small and deep compartments, and increased volume during folding, which hampers usability and storage.
Innovation Solution
A folding ball trolley design featuring a rectangular frame with rotating mounting rods, a cuboid bag with expandable bottom room, and resilient elements that brace the frame outwardly, allowing for compact folding and enhanced capacity without hand clamping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the frame is disposed inside the bag, then the structure is compact, but the frame may scrape the balls or the user's hands
Solution Approach 1:
The frame is extracted from the interior of the bag and repositioned to the exterior. The stand rods and connecting rods form the outer structure, while the bag is mounted around them, eliminating the scraping hazard while maintaining structural compactness.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of placing the frame inside the bag (conventional design), the patent inverts the arrangement by mounting the bag around the frame. This reversal positions the frame externally, preventing contact between the frame and balls/hands while preserving the compact folded state.
2Shape
If the top opening is made smaller to fit the bag, then the bag fits better, but the user cannot take out the balls conveniently
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting rods are designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing the top opening to dynamically adjust its size. When the trolley is folded, the connecting rods move to minimize volume; when in use, they can be positioned to provide adequate opening size for convenient ball access.
3Quantity of substance
If the room is made deeper to increase capacity, then more balls can be stored, but the user cannot take out the balls conveniently
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing depth in the vertical dimension, the patent expands the room horizontally in width and length dimensions. The bag is mounted around the external frame, creating a wider and larger room that provides both increased capacity and easy access to balls from the front opening.
4Device complexity
If the connecting rods are made straight upright when folded, then the structure is simple, but the volume increases and occupies more space
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting rods are designed with rotational joints that allow them to dynamically change their orientation. During folding, the rods can be rotated to align parallel to the stand rods, minimizing the overall volume. The dynamic capability allows the same simple rod structure to achieve both compact folding and adequate opening size when needed.
5Reliability
If bracing rods are added to prevent hand clamping, then safety improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bracing function is extracted from a separate component and integrated into the resilient elements already present in the structure. The resilient elements are mounted between the stand rods and connecting rods, providing the bracing action needed to prevent hand clamping without adding separate bracing rod assemblies.
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient elements serve multiple functions: they provide structural bracing to prevent hand clamping during folding, and they also serve as the connecting mechanism between the frame and bag. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate bracing components, maintaining safety while avoiding increased complexity.
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 design enables convenient access to balls, prevents hand clamping during folding, and minimizes volume when folded, improving usability and storage efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
multiple resilient elements (30) mounted on the frame (10) to brace the frame (10) outwardly
Data Source
AI summary
A folding ball trolley having a minimized volume has a frame, a bag and multiple resilient elements. The frame has four stand rods, four top seats, four sliding seats, four wheels, four connecting rod assemblies and four mounting rods. The bag connects to the mounting rods, and the mounting rods pivotally connect to the stand rods. Accordingly, the mounting rods can be rotated relative to the stand rods, such that the mounting rods do not protrude upward to occupy too much space when the ball trolley is folded. Besides, the frame is braced by the resilient elements so a user does not have to stretch his hands between the rods when folding the ball trolley, thereby preventing the hands from being clamped.