Retractable Net System with Modular Spool Connectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional net systems for games like volleyball and Four Square are difficult to assemble and disassemble, making them cumbersome to set up and store.
Innovation Solution
A retractable net system comprising modular components with spools, nets, and connectors that allow for easy extension and retraction, featuring locking mechanisms and hook-and-loop fasteners for quick attachment and detachment, enabling the net to be easily set up and taken down without tangling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional net systems are used, then the net can provide a barrier for games, but the net system is difficult to assemble and disassemble
Solution Approach 1:
The net system is divided into multiple detachable modules, each comprising a spool, net portion, and connector. These modules can be independently assembled and disassembled, significantly improving ease of operation while maintaining functional integrity through standardized connection interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The net is designed to be retractable around the spool, transitioning between extended and retracted positions. This dynamic configuration allows the net to be easily deployed and stored, resolving the contradiction between operational ease and structural complexity.
2Ease of operation
If the net is made retractable, then storage becomes easier, but the mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The net is wound around the spool in a nested configuration, with the net portion containing within the spool structure. This nesting approach enables compact storage while keeping the retraction mechanism simple and intuitive, avoiding complex mechanical systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The spool mechanism is designed to allow the net to be easily wound and unwound by user action alone, without requiring additional motors, sensors, or complex control systems. The self-service nature of the retraction mechanism reduces overall system complexity while improving storage ease.
3Productivity
If modular connectors are used, then assembly is faster, but the risk of tangling and snagging increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is separated from the net portion, allowing the net to be independently wound around the spool without attached hardware. This extraction eliminates potential tangling points during the winding process while maintaining quick assembly capability through the separate connector component.
Solution Approach 2:
The net is pre-wound around the spool in a controlled manufacturing process, ensuring proper configuration before deployment. This preliminary action prevents tangling during user assembly, as the net arrives in its final wound state, ready for immediate use.
Data Source
AI summary
A net system comprising a central hub having a main body including exposed upper and lower ends, and a plurality of longitudinal hub connectors in spaced relation to each other. The net system additionally includes a first and second net modules, each including a net having an upper end and a lower end, and a longitudinal net connector connected to the net. The longitudinal net connector includes an upper end adjacent the upper end of the net and a lower end adjacent the lower end of the net, with each longitudinal net connector extending continuously between its upper end and its lower end. The first and second longitudinal net connectors are configured to be detachably engageable to respective ones of the plurality of longitudinal hub connectors to facilitate connection of the first and second net modules to the hub connector.