Rotating Pitching Lever for Variable Baseball Game Ball Direction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional baseball game boards lack variety in pitching, as the ball is discharged only in one fixed direction, making games uninteresting for players once they become accustomed to the batting operation.
Innovation Solution
A baseball game board with a pitching lever that is rotatable in the left-right direction, allowing the ball to be discharged towards the center or outside of the strike zone, and incorporating a magnet to influence the ball's path, enabling fastball and breaking ball pitching simulations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the ball is discharged only in one fixed direction toward the batting section, then the batting operation becomes simple and easy to learn, but the game becomes uninteresting once players are accustomed to it
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the pitching lever rotatable around a vertical axis, allowing the discharge direction of the ball to be dynamically adjusted. The pitching lever can rotate left and right to change the ball's discharge angle, transforming a fixed-direction discharge mechanism into a dynamic, multi-directional one. This enables pitchers to vary ball direction while keeping the operation simple through a single rotational degree of freedom.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the pitching lever is made rotatable to change ball discharge direction, then the variety of pitching is enhanced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by separating the pitching mechanism into distinct functional components: the pitching lever for direction control, the ball container for ball storage, the discharge hole for ball release, and the magnet for ball path influence. This modular segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, reducing overall system complexity while enabling varied pitching directions through the rotatable lever.
Solution Approach 2:
The pitching lever serves multiple functions: it acts as a ball guide, a direction control mechanism, and a discharge actuator. By making the lever rotatable, a single component achieves both ball delivery and direction variation, eliminating the need for separate mechanisms and thereby reducing device complexity while enhancing pitching variety.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a magnet is provided below the board surface to change the ball path, then the game becomes more interesting with curved balls, but the ball discharged at high speed is hardly subjected to the influence of the magnet
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by positioning the magnet below the board surface in advance, creating a pre-established magnetic field that influences the ball's path as it passes over the board. The magnet is strategically placed to affect balls discharged at various speeds, with the field strength and positioning optimized to ensure even high-speed balls are sufficiently influenced to produce noticeable curve effects.
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
This design enhances game variety by allowing for different pitching directions and paths, making the game more engaging and challenging for players.
Implementation Method 1
causing the discharged ball to curve by operating a magnet provided below the board surface
Implementation Method 2
the ball held in the ball holding section and positioned below the top plate is delivered from the discharge hole to an upper surface of the top plate
Data Source
AI summary
A baseball game board includes: a top plate; a pitching section including a ball container section and a discharge hole; a batting section; a pitching operation section; and a pitching lever extending from the pitching operation section to the pitching section and movable in forward and rearward directions. The pitching lever is disposed below the top plate, is rotatable in a left-right direction around a position between the pitching operation section and the pitching section, and includes a ball holding section provided at a front end of the pitching lever for receiving a ball dropping from the ball container section. When the pitching lever is moved forward, the ball held in the ball holding section and positioned below the top plate is delivered from the discharge hole to an upper surface of the top plate, thereby being discharged toward the batting section.