Raised-Texture Spherical Ball Structure for Easier Breaking-Ball Pitching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Novices in baseball find it difficult to pitch breaking balls or achieve a large magnitude of change in the flying path of breaking balls.
Innovation Solution
A spherical structure with a raised texture featuring a sphere and pairs of protruding bumps in a curved arrangement, which increases wind and friction resistance, optionally with a counterweight and light-emitting features, to facilitate pitching breaking balls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional smooth baseball is used, then the ball is easy to control and pitch, but it is difficult to achieve a large magnitude of change in the flying path for breaking balls
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating protruding bumps at specific locations on the baseball surface. These bumps are not uniformly distributed but placed strategically to interact with air flow in specific ways, creating localized turbulence that affects the ball's flight path. This allows the ball to maintain a generally spherical shape while having specific areas that generate the desired aerodynamic effects for breaking balls.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes spheroidality by working with the spherical shape of the baseball and adding surface features (protruding bumps) that modify the overall curvature. The bumps create variations in the surface curvature that affect air flow patterns, enabling the ball to generate spin and change flight path while maintaining its fundamental spherical form.
2Shape
If protruding bumps are added to the baseball surface to increase wind resistance, then the magnitude of change in flying path increases, but the surface complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the complex surface modification into discrete, individual protruding bumps. Each bump can be formed independently, and the bumps are distributed across the ball surface in a systematic pattern. This segmentation allows for easier manufacturing compared to creating a completely new complex surface geometry, as each bump can be formed using standard molding techniques.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes by varying the dimensions, distribution, and geometry of the protruding bumps to achieve the desired aerodynamic effects. By adjusting parameters such as bump height, diameter, spacing, and arrangement patterns, the ball's flight characteristics can be optimized without fundamentally changing the manufacturing process. This allows for tuning the performance while maintaining ease of manufacture.
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
Enables novices to easily pitch breaking balls with a significant change in the flying path.
Implementation Method 1
The plurality of protruding bumps are formed in pairs and in a curved arrangement on a surface of the sphere... increases wind and friction resistance
Implementation Method 2
The plurality of protruding bumps are formed in pairs and in a curved arrangement on a surface of the sphere... increases wind and friction resistance
Data Source
AI summary
A spherical structure having a raised texture includes a sphere and a plurality of protruding bumps. The plurality of protruding bumps are formed in pairs and in a curved arrangement on a surface of the sphere. A protruding strip that is curved is formed on the surface of the sphere, and the plurality of protruding bumps are arranged in pairs on the protruding strip on the surface of the sphere.