Illuminated Pickleball with Balanced LED Core
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pickleballs are difficult to see during low-light conditions, and existing glow-in-the-dark solutions lose illumination quickly or disrupt the ball's balance when an illumination device is inserted.
Innovation Solution
An elongated illuminated element is integrated into the pickleball using a polymer shell with access apertures and holders, retaining the illumination element by friction, ensuring balanced weight distribution and prolonged illumination without offsetting the ball's balance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If an illumination device is inserted into the pickleball to provide lighting during nighttime play, then the ball becomes illuminated and visible, but the ball's balance is offset and gameplay is hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination device is segmented into two separate components: a first illumination component inserted through a first aperture and a second illumination component inserted through a second aperture. These components are positioned on opposite sides of the ball, with their combined weights balanced around the ball's center point, thereby maintaining proper balance while providing illumination.
2Illumination intensity
If glow-in-the-dark pickleballs are used to provide illumination, then the ball becomes visible in low light, but the illumination is lost quickly before a game is completed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces chemiluminescent materials with electronic LED illumination devices powered by batteries. This substitution provides sustained illumination throughout the entire game duration, eliminating the quick fade-out problem of glow-in-the-dark materials.
3Illumination intensity
If an illumination device is inserted into the pickleball to provide lighting, then the ball becomes illuminated, but the weight and balance of the ball are disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses two asymmetrically positioned illumination components on opposite sides of the ball. Each component has its own battery and LED assembly, creating an asymmetric design that achieves symmetric weight distribution around the center point, thereby maintaining proper ball balance.
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 solution maintains consistent illumination throughout a game without affecting the pickleball's balance or weight, addressing the need for reliable nighttime play without the drawbacks of existing solutions.
Implementation Method 1
The elongated illuminated element preferably includes an LED illumination device
Implementation Method 2
Each holder is adapted for receiving through one of the access apertures of the shell the elongated illumination element, and for retaining one of the opposing ends of the elongated illumination element by friction
Data Source
AI summary
An illuminated pickleball contains an elongated LED illuminated element with two opposing ends and comprises a shell that includes a plurality of apertures therethrough, two of which being designated as access aperture. The shell includes two opposing element holders which each include a shank projecting inwardly from the inside surface at one of the access apertures and which are mutually longitudinally aligned through a center point of the shell. Each holder is adapted for receiving the elongated illumination element and for retaining one of the opposing ends of the elongated illumination element by friction. When one end of the illumination element is inserted through an access aperture and then through one of the holders to engage the opposing holder, the opposing end of the elongated illumination element is retained, and the illumination element traverses through the center point of the shell and illuminates the pickleball from within.