Planar Ball Carrier with Flexible Strings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ball hoppers are cumbersome, difficult to carry, and do not efficiently organize or store a sufficient number of balls for racket sports, often requiring separate holders and causing interference with rackets and gear.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight ball carrier with a frame that captures balls in a planar array, allowing for easy storage and retrieval within a racket-shaped bag, featuring a rigid or semi-rigid structure with tapered ends and flexible strings for ball retention and easy access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional ball hoppers are made with large size and rigid frames to hold sufficient balls, then ball storage capacity is improved, but weight and ease of carrying deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies this principle by using flexible strings or wires instead of rigid frames to contain the balls. The flexible strings form a lightweight net-like structure that can hold multiple balls without requiring heavy rigid supports, thereby reducing the overall weight while maintaining ball storage capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from conventional three-dimensional bulky hoppers to a thin, planar carrier structure. By arranging balls in a flattened configuration with the flexible string network, the carrier becomes sufficiently thin to fit in racket bags while still holding an adequate number of balls, effectively solving the weight and portability issue.
2Strength
If conventional ball hoppers use large legs and rigid frames for structural support, then structural strength is improved, but ease of storage in racket bags deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible string or wire network provides sufficient structural strength to hold and contain multiple balls while maintaining a compact, thin profile. This flexible structure can be easily stored within standard racket bags, unlike rigid framed hoppers with large legs that require excessive space.
Solution Approach 2:
By flattening the carrier structure into a thin planar form, the patent enables storage compatibility with racket bags while maintaining ball-holding capability through the flexible string arrangement, eliminating the need for bulky three-dimensional rigid frames.
3Ease of operation
If conventional ball hoppers have multiple moving parts such as lids and handles, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates unnecessary moving parts such as lids, handles, and complex mechanisms from conventional ball hoppers. The flexible string carrier provides simple, direct access to balls by allowing the user to reach through the string network and retrieve balls individually or in groups, significantly reducing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible string carrier is designed to be self-sufficient without requiring additional components for operation. The natural flexibility and openness of the string network allow users to easily access and retrieve balls directly, eliminating the need for lids to open/close or handles to manipulate, thereby reducing moving parts while maintaining ease of operation.
4Ease of operation
If balls are stored loosely in unstructured bags, then ease of access is improved, but organization and protection of gear deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the ball storage function from general bag contents by providing a dedicated structured carrier with flexible strings. This segmentation allows balls to be easily accessed through the string network while simultaneously organizing them separately from rackets and other gear, preventing interference and maintaining proper gear arrangement within the racket bag.
Data Source
AI summary
A sports ball carrier is configured to fit inside a storage bag with ball rackets. The carrier may store sports balls in a substantially planar array that is one sports ball thick, and the width of the carrier may taper along its length generally simulating a racket form factor. A sports ball entry port may be provided for ball collection in a manner similar to a conventional ball hopper.