Four-Wheel Pitching Machine Housing for Safer Multi-Angle Throws

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional ball pitching machines, including two-wheel and three-wheel designs, suffer from safety hazards due to exposed rotary wheels, limited functionality, and poor structural design, which can lead to instability and restricted application scope.

Innovation Solution

A four-wheel pitching machine with hidden rotary wheels, controlled by four drive units and adjustable via control knobs, featuring a housing that rotates for multiple ball directions and angles, along with safety mechanisms like a protective net and foldable design for easy storage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If rotary wheels are exposed for direct ball contact, then pitching function is achieved, but user safety deteriorates due to accidental contact injuries

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesafety performanceVSAvoidinjury risk from exposed wheels

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The rotary wheels are nested inside a protective housing structure, with the ball passageway running through the center. The wheels are concealed within the housing rather than being exposed externally, allowing the ball to contact the wheels through the passageway while preventing direct user contact with the rotating components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Adaptability or versatility

If three rotary wheels are arranged in Y-shaped configuration, then ball pitching at different angles is achieved, but structural stability deteriorates due to poor structural design

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepitching angle adjustmentVSAvoidstructural stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs asymmetric arrangement of the four rotary wheels within the housing structure, with wheels positioned at different orientations to achieve varied pitching angles. The housing itself has an asymmetric design that accommodates the wheels in a configuration optimized for both stability and pitching versatility, rather than a symmetric Y-shaped arrangement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

3Power

If four rotary wheels are added to improve pitching power, then ball power is enhanced, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveball pitching powerVSAvoidnumber of rotary wheels and drive units

Core Design Contradiction:

PowerVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The four rotary wheels are merged into a single integrated housing structure, with all wheels contained within one compact unit. The drive units are similarly integrated into the housing, with each drive unit directly connected to its corresponding wheel through control knobs. This merging approach increases pitching power through the four-wheel configuration while containing the complexity within a unified structure rather than distributed components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS12564775B2Four-wheel pitching machine

Publication Date: 2026.03.03 KUO CHOU CHIEN

AI summary

A four-wheel pitching machine includes a base and a pitching mechanism. The pitching mechanism includes a frame, a housing, four rotary wheels, four drive units, and a control unit. The housing has a ball outlet, a ball inlet, and a chamber. The four rotary wheels are disposed on an upper side, a lower side, a left side and a right side of the chamber, respectively. A ball passageway is defined among the four rotary wheels. The four rotary wheels are driven by the four drive units, respectively. The control unit has four control knobs for controlling the four drive units, respectively.