Modular Pitching Mound With Retractable Wheels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Portable pitching mounds face issues with traction, adaptability for indoor and outdoor use, difficulty in transportation due to size and weight, and high manufacturing costs, especially when they feature vertical walls and complex shapes.
Innovation Solution
A portable pitching mound composed of interlocking Fiberglass shell pieces with retractable wheels, a frictional surface, and a modular design allowing easy assembly and disassembly, facilitating transportation and use in various settings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a portable pitching mound uses a large single-piece design to match regulation dimensions, then it provides proper playing surface, but it becomes difficult to transport and manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
The pitching mound is divided into multiple modular shell segments that can be assembled to form the complete regulation-sized mound. Each segment is smaller and more manageable in size, allowing easy transport through standard doorways while maintaining the overall regulation dimensions and playing surface quality when assembled together.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a portable pitching mound includes vertical walls for structural support, then it gains stability, but it increases weight and reduces adaptability for indoor use
Solution Approach 1:
The mound structure uses dynamic stabilization through adjustable support legs and positioning mechanisms rather than fixed vertical walls. The support legs can be extended and adjusted to provide stability on various surfaces (indoor courts or outdoor fields) without adding excessive weight, allowing the mound to adapt to different environments while maintaining structural integrity.
3Reliability
If a portable pitching mound is designed as a single large piece, then it provides continuous playing surface, but it increases manufacturing cost and complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The mound is manufactured as separate modular segments that are easier and less expensive to produce individually. These segments feature interlocking mechanisms and mating surfaces that, when assembled, create a continuous playing surface indistinguishable from a single-piece construction, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining surface integrity.
4Ease of operation
If a portable pitching mound lacks vertical walls, then it reduces weight and improves portability, but it loses structural support
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of relying on static vertical walls for support, the design employs dynamic support elements such as adjustable legs and positioning mechanisms that can be deployed when needed. These elements provide structural support during assembly and transport while allowing the mound to remain lightweight and portable, eliminating the need for permanent vertical wall structures.
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 modular design enhances portability, reduces manufacturing and shipping costs, and provides a durable, easily maintainable pitching surface that can be adapted for both practice and game applications while minimizing weight and complexity.
Implementation Method 1
The footing or traction on the surface of the mounds is not the best, particularly as the pitcher completes the pitching motion
Data Source
AI summary
A portable pitching mound having a plurality of shell pieces. Each shell piece has a forward and rearward end with opposite side portions and an upper surface and opposite underside. The shell pieces when placed side by side interlock to one another to form an arcuate shell member. At least one of the plurality of shell pieces have retractable wheels secured therein such that the shell piece is moveable to facilitate transportation.