Spiral Guide Ball Lifting Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ball lifting devices are not suitable for stably and smoothly lifting air-filled balls, particularly for sports purposes, as they either fail to maintain the ball in place or are not designed for quick and efficient movement.
Innovation Solution
A ball lifting device featuring a vertically oriented shaft with a spiral guide and connecting rods that rotates to lift the ball, utilizing a motor-driven shaft and a guide rail with protrusions or rollers to minimize friction and ensure smooth movement, allowing the ball to be lifted and moved quickly and stably.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a small screw is used to transfer the ball upward, then the ball can be moved, but the ball may fall out of the gap between screws and the structure is complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the ball transfer function from a complex multi-screw mechanism and implements it through a single spiral guide structure. The spiral guide combines the transfer and retention functions into one integrated component, eliminating the need for multiple screws and their associated gaps that caused balls to fall out.
Solution Approach 2:
The spiral guide merges the ball transfer path and ball retention structure into a single continuous spiral form. This integration ensures that the ball is continuously supported along the spiral path without gaps, while still achieving upward transfer motion, thus resolving the contradiction between transfer capability and retention stability.
2Productivity
If a vertically inclined screw is used to lift the ball, then the ball can be moved upward, but the design does not specify screw structure details and is not suitable for air-filled balls
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the lifting mechanism from a screw-based system to a spiral guide system with controlled friction. By adjusting the friction coefficient between the ball and guide surface, the system can accommodate different ball types including air-filled balls, whereas screw mechanisms with fixed pitch and gap structures cannot adapt to different ball properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The spiral guide acts as an intermediary between the driving force and the ball, using friction as a mediating mechanism to transfer motion. This friction-based interaction is more adaptable to different ball types compared to direct mechanical engagement with screws, allowing air-filled and soft balls to be lifted without damage or slippage issues.
3Ease of operation
If a conveyor belt with pulleys is used to lift the ball, then the ball can be moved along a track, but the device is complex and not optimized for quick ball supply
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential function of moving the ball along a curved path from the complex conveyor belt and pulley system. By using a simple spiral guide fixed to a rotating shaft, the patent achieves the same ball trajectory control without needing belts, pulleys, or complex drive mechanisms, thus reducing device complexity while maintaining operational ease.
4Reliability
If friction is increased to hold the ball in place, then the ball can be stabilized, but the ball movement becomes less smooth and quicker
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamic control of friction through rotation. When the shaft rotates, the spiral guide dynamically interacts with the ball, providing just enough friction to prevent slippage while the continuous rotation enables smooth and quick ball lifting. The friction is not static but dynamically adjusted through the rotational motion, allowing both stability and speed to be achieved simultaneously.
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
The device enables smooth and quick lifting of air-filled balls, providing an appropriate movement trajectory while being easy to install and operate, with enhanced strength and durability, suitable for sports facilities and educational or amusement settings.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing a motor-driven shaft and a guide rail with protrusions or rollers to minimize friction and ensure smooth movement
Implementation Method 2
a vertically oriented shaft with a spiral guide and connecting rods that rotates to lift the ball
Data Source
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AI summary
A ball lifting device of the present disclosure, which employs a spiral ball transporting method for smoothly moving a ball, can move along a free path, is easy to be installed and operated, and has excellent durability and strength. The ball lifting device can be installed indoors as well as outdoors for educational, entertainment or viewing purposes. The ball lifting device can quickly move inflated balls filled with air used in ball games, and can be installed in connection with sports facilities as an automatic ball supply system.