Offset Sports Throwing Cage Pole Design
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sports throwing cages obstruct the view of both the audience and the athlete due to multiple poles, and errant implements often damage these poles or ricochet back, causing safety concerns and maintenance issues.
Innovation Solution
The design features a pole with multiple curtain couplings and arms that create an offset between the vertical net curtain and the support, reducing the number of poles needed and preventing errant implements from contacting the poles, thereby enhancing visibility and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If multiple poles are used to support the vertical net curtain, then the structural stability is improved, but the view obstruction for audience and athlete increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple support functions into a single pole by adding a horizontal arm with multiple attachment points for net curtains. This merging approach reduces the number of poles from multiple to one, thereby eliminating view obstruction while maintaining structural stability through the distributed attachment points on the horizontal arm.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a horizontal dimension by adding a horizontal arm that extends perpendicular to the vertical pole. This dimensional change allows the net curtains to be supported at multiple points along the horizontal arm while using only one vertical pole, thus resolving the contradiction between structural stability and view obstruction.
2Area of stationary object
If the net is tied back to the supporting pole, then the space utilization is improved, but the pole damage from errant implements increases
Solution Approach 1:
The horizontal arm acts as an intermediary element between the vertical pole and the net curtains. By tying the nets to the horizontal arm instead of directly to the vertical pole, the design maintains space utilization while protecting the pole from errant implements, as the horizontal arm absorbs the impact.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the net attachment function from the vertical pole and relocates it to the horizontal arm. This separation allows the vertical pole to serve its primary support function without being directly exposed to damage from errant implements, while the horizontal arm handles the net attachment and associated impacts.
3Strength
If multiple poles are used to support the vertical net curtain, then the net support capability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple net support functions into a single pole system by incorporating a horizontal arm with multiple attachment points. This consolidation reduces device complexity by eliminating the need for multiple separate poles while maintaining net support capability through the distributed attachment points on the horizontal arm.
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus and method for sports throwing cage. The apparatus might be a pole with multiple curtain couplings and multiple points of contact, a support, and a bend. The curtain couplings hang a vertical net curtain. The support and the bend adapt the bent pole to provide an offset from the vertical net curtain.