JP2007000346A - Table tennis ball throwing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suit an apparatus to a solo exercise and predict ball throwing timing though the structure is simple. <P>SOLUTION: The ball throwing apparatus 10 comprises an arm 12, a net 82, a gutter 22, blowers 38 and 62, ball delivery pipes 36 and 60, a storage cup 42, a waiting pipe 52, and a piston 54 and its driver 56. The ball 86 hitting against the net 82 is delivered to the ball delivery pipe 36 through the gutter 22, a recovery opening 24, and a guide pipe 32 and delivered to the storage cup 42 by wind from the blower 38. Furthermore, the ball is delivered to a waiting pipe 52 through the guide pipe 50. After made to wait at a prescribed position by a stopper 58 in the waiting pipe 52 and then hit out to the ball delivery pipe 60 by the piston 54. The ball 86 delivered into the ball delivery pipe 60 is delivered up by the blower 62 and thrown to a table 80 from the throwing opening 64. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a table tennis pitching device used for table tennis practice and the like, and more specifically to a table tennis pitching device in which balls are continuously fired.

Conventionally, when practicing table tennis alone, a device that automatically and continuously throws balls is used. As such a table tennis pitching device, for example, there is a technique shown in Patent Document 1 below. The Patent Document 1 discloses a motor, a tube member into which ping-pong balls are sequentially inserted one by one, a horizontal spherical protrusion member that is inserted through a rear opening of the tube member and strikes the ping-pong ball, and the motor described above. A cam attached to the shaft so as to pull the ball projecting member by pulling the ball projecting member by rotating the shaft; and a resilient member for resiliently biasing the ball projecting member forward. A featured ping-pong ball launcher is disclosed. In addition, there is a method of sequentially sending the collected balls using a belt mechanism.
JP-A-9-122286

  However, in the background art as described above, since the mechanism for sending and moving the sphere is complicated, there are disadvantages that the manufacturing process is complicated and the improvement of the production efficiency cannot be expected and the manufacturing cannot be made at a low cost. In addition, since the pitches are mechanically performed one after another at a preset timing, there is a feeling that practice is being practiced against the device. In other words, in the case of a human opponent's practice, it is possible to predict to some extent when the ball is hit back by looking at the opponent's movement, whereas the device opponent feels like that Cannot be obtained.

  The present invention focuses on the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a table tennis pitching device that is simple in construction and suitable for practice by one person. Another object is to provide a table tennis pitching device that allows a user to predict pitching timing.

  In order to achieve the above object, the table tennis pitching device of the present invention is characterized in that when the balls thrown toward the table tennis table are collected and circulated, the balls in the duct are sent out by blowing. .

  Another invention is a ball collecting means for collecting a ball thrown toward a ping-pong table, a ball storage means provided above the table tennis table and storing a ball before throwing, and collected by the ball collecting means. The ball sending means for sending the sphere to the sphere storage means is provided in a substantially horizontal shape, and waits for the sphere falling from the sphere storage means through the inside of the pipe line and hits the sphere to one end side. A standby pipe provided with means, and a pitching means provided on the other end side of the standby pipe for throwing a ball launched from the standby pipe toward the table tennis table; and The pitching means includes a duct and a blower, each of which serves as a passage for the ball.

  One of the main forms is characterized in that the standby pipe includes a ball locking mechanism for waiting and hitting the balls sent from the ball storing means one by one. In another aspect, the ball locking mechanism is a leaf spring protruding from the outside to the inside of the standby pipe. In still another embodiment, the ball feeding means is provided in a substantially vertical shape, and a ball feeding pipe whose upper end side is connected to the ball storing means and whose lower end side is connected to the blower, the ball feeding pipe and the ball collecting means are provided. And a guide tube provided so that air sent from the blower is difficult to enter.

  Still another embodiment is characterized in that an inner diameter of a pipe passage through which the sphere passes is set so that delivery by the blower is possible. Still another embodiment is characterized in that at least a portion of the conduit through which the sphere passes is thrown toward the ping-pong table is made transparent or translucent. The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.

  In the present invention, since the sending and movement until the collected balls are launched are performed by air blowing, the balls can be automatically and continuously sent out with a simple configuration, and the production efficiency can be improved. . Moreover, the effect that the pitching timing can be predicted can be obtained by using a transparent or translucent member at an appropriate position so that the user can confirm the movement of the ball.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail based on examples.

  First, Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a configuration of a table tennis pitching apparatus according to the present embodiment, where FIG. 1A is a front view and FIG. 1B is a side view. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the flow of a sphere. The table tennis pitching device (hereinafter referred to as “throwing device”) 10 of this embodiment is provided on one end side of a table tennis table 80 as shown in FIG. By throwing the ball, a user (not shown) on the other end side hits the ball and can practice alone.

  The pitching device 10 is formed integrally with the arm 12, the arm 12 disposed substantially parallel to the edge of the end of the table tennis table 80, the net 82 provided on the frame 81 on the arm 12, and the arm 12. It is comprised by the collar 22, the support stand 30 fixed to the said arm 12, and each part provided in this support stand 30. As shown in FIG. In addition to the fans 38 and 62, the ball sending pipe 36, the storage cup 42, the standby pipe 52, the piston 54, the driving device 56, and the like are fixed to the support base 30 and the back plate 31 at appropriate positions. The arm 12 is supported by a foot 14, and the entire pitching device 10 can be moved by a caster 20 provided on the bottom surface of the foot 14. The shaft 18 fixed substantially vertically to the bottom surface of the arm 12 is slidable with respect to the shaft portion 14A on the upper portion of the foot 14, and by loosening and sliding the screw 16, the table tennis table It can be adjusted to a convenient position for a height of 80.

  First, the ball collecting mechanism by the pitching device 10 will be described. The arm 12 is provided with a flange 22 for collecting the ball 86 which is hit back on the table tennis table 80 and hits the net 82 so as to be integrated with the arm 12. The height of the basket 22 is adjusted by sliding the shaft 18 so as to be lower than the surface of the table tennis table 80. The said ridge 22 inclines so that it may become low toward the collection port 24 provided in the appropriate position. Further, the arm 12 is provided with a motor 28 for rotating the stirring rod 26 so that the ball 86 in the recovery port 24 is not clogged. The sphere 86 collected at the collection port 24 is sent to the storage cup 42 by the guide tube 32 through the ball tube 36 described later.

  Next, a mechanism for sending the collected ball 86 to the storage cup 42 will be described. A ball pipe 36 extending in a substantially vertical direction is fixed to the back plate 31 of the support base 30 by appropriate means. The lower end side of the ball-sending tube 36 is substantially U-shaped, and an air blower 38 for blowing air downward is provided at an end portion that opens upward. The guide tube 32 is connected above the U-shaped bent portion 36A of the ball feeding tube 36, and the balls 86 in the collection port 24 sequentially fall into the ball feeding tube 36 through the guide tube 32, and the blower It is sent out upward by the air from 38. At this time, a plurality of bent portions are formed in the guide tube 32 so that the upward air from the U-shaped bent portion 36 </ b> A does not easily enter the guide tube 32. Thereby, air resistance becomes high and the sphere 86 in the guide tube 32 does not flow backward to the recovery port 24. A plurality of vent holes 34 are provided at appropriate positions of the guide tube 32 for allowing excess air to escape to the outside.

  On the other hand, the upper end side of the ball-sending tube 36 is bent in a substantially L shape, and the tip thereof is connected to the storage cup 42 that stores the ball 86 sent from the recovery port 24. A plurality of vent holes 40 for allowing excess air to escape to the outside are provided at appropriate positions on the tip side of the L-shaped bent portion 36B of the ball tube 36. The storage cup 42 is provided with blades 46 so that the stored spheres 86 are not clogged and fall one by one into a guide tube 50 described later. The blades 46 can be rotated by a motor 48 provided outside the storage cup 42.

  Next, a mechanism until the ball 86 in the storage cup 42 is thrown toward the table tennis table 80 will be described. A standby pipe 52 arranged so as to be substantially horizontal is connected to the lower end side of the guide pipe 50 connected to the bottom of the storage cup 42. The guide tube 50 and a ball feeding tube 60 described later are connected to one end side of the standby tube 52, and a drive device 56 for reciprocating the piston 54 in the guide tube 52 is connected to the other end portion. Is provided. Further, on the wall surface of the guide tube 52, a stopper 58 is provided obliquely from the outside to the inside so that the ball 86 that has fallen from the guide tube 50 waits at the launch position. The stopper 58 is, for example, in the form of a leaf spring. As shown in FIG. 2, when the piston 54 does not strike, the sphere 86 is made to wait at a predetermined position by an inclined portion, and the piston 58 When the ball 54 is pushed out to launch a ball, the ball 86 can be launched by bending the inner portion of the guide tube 50 along the inner wall. The piston 54 is reciprocally driven at a predetermined timing, and is pushed out at a rate of once every 2 seconds, for example, but the pushing timing may be changed by changing the number of rotations of the motor of the driving device 56. .

  The ball-feeding tube 60 serving as a passage for the ball 86 launched from the standby tube 52 is bent so that the upper side of the substantially vertical portion is substantially horizontal or slightly downward from the horizontal. A blower 62 is connected to a lower end side of the substantially vertical portion and a position below the standby pipe 52. The blower 62 is fixed to the support base 30 by appropriate means. On the other hand, a substantially horizontal portion above the pitching tube 60 passes through an opening 84 provided in the net 82, and a tip thereof is a pitching port 64 for pitching a ball 86 against a table tennis table 80. The ball 86 launched from the standby pipe 52 at a predetermined timing is thrown from the pitching opening 64 toward the table tennis table 80 by the air blown from the lower side of the pitching pipe 60. The pitching speed is adjusted by the wind pressure of the blower 62. In the example shown in the figure, the bend is substantially L-shaped, but actually, the degree of bend can be adjusted so that the pitched ball 86 falls at an appropriate angle.

  As the guide tubes 32 and 50, the ball-feeding tubes 36 and 60, and the standby tube 52, the balls 86 can pass one by one and can be sent out by blowing air from the blowers 38 and 62. The diameter is set. For example, when the diameter of the sphere 86 is 40 mm, the sphere 86 can be smoothly delivered when the inner diameter of each of the tubes is about 44 mm (the outer diameter is 48 mm). In addition, various known materials can be used as the material constituting these tubes, but from the viewpoint of strength and safety, it is convenient to use a resin material such as polycarbonate. Furthermore, it is advantageous to use a transparent or translucent tube as these tubes because the user can confirm the movement of the sphere 86. At least by making the tube near the pitching port 64 transparent or semi-transparent, it becomes possible to predict the timing of the pitching, and it is possible to reduce the taste of mechanical practice of the device counterpart.

  Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. During use of the pitching device 10, the blowers 38 and 62 and the motors 28 and 48 are always operated, and the driving device 56 reciprocates the piston 54 at a predetermined timing. The balls 86 sequentially thrown from the throwing port 64 at a predetermined timing are hit back by the user, fall on the net 82, travel along the basket 22 and are collected in the collecting port 24. The spheres 86 in the collection port 24 are stirred by the stirring rod 26, pass through the guide tube 32, and fall one by one to the lower side of the blower tube 36. The ball 86 that has entered the ball-sending pipe 36 is sent upward by the air blown from the blower 38 and is stored in the storage cup 42. The spheres 86 in the storage cup 42 are agitated by the blades 46, sent one by one to the guide tube 50 provided at the bottom, and fall, and are aligned in the guide tube 50 as an example.

  The ball 86 on the lower end side of the guide tube 50 remains in the guide tube 50 when the piston 54 is in the launch position, but falls into the standby tube 52 when the piston 54 is in the standby position, and the stopper 58 To wait at a predetermined position. Then, when the piston 54 is pushed out in the direction indicated by the arrow by the driving device 56, the leaf spring-like stopper 58 is deformed along the inner wall of the standby pipe 52, and the ball 86 is launched into the ball feeding pipe 60. . The launched ball 86 is sent up by blowing from the blower 62 on the lower end side of the pitching tube 60 and is thrown from the pitching port 64 toward the table tennis table 80.

  At this time, each time the balls 58 are sent one by one, the guide tube 52 itself is covered with the piston 54, so that the sending can be performed with more accurate wind pressure. In addition, the delivery of the sphere 86 can be maintained at a stable speed by the accurate wind pressure of the blower 62. The ball 86 thrown on the ping-pong table 80 is hit back by the user in a one-to-three manner, hits the net 82, and is collected according to the procedure described above. While the pitching device 10 is in operation, the above operations are sequentially repeated.

Thus, according to the first embodiment, there are the following effects.
(1) Since the collected balls 86 are sent out and moved by blowing air from the blowers 38 and 62, the balls can be automatically and sequentially sent out with a simple configuration.
(2) Since the guide tube 32 connecting the recovery port 24 and the ball-sending tube 36 has a bent shape, the air resistance is increased, the air blown from the blower 38 is reduced from entering the guide tube 32 side, and the ball is reliably 86 can be sent to the storage cup 42.
(3) Since the standby pipe 52 is provided with the leaf spring-like stopper 58, it is possible to reliably hit the ball one by one.
(4) Since the diameters of the guide pipes 32 and 50 and the ball-feed pipes 36 and 60 are set to be slightly larger than the diameter of the sphere 86, the sphere 86 can be reliably delivered by blowing.
(5) The guide pipes 32 and 50, the pitching pipes 36 and 60, and the standby pipe 52 are formed of a transparent or translucent material, so that the user confirms the flow of the sphere 86 and predicts the pitching timing. be able to.
(6) Since the rotating stirring rod 26 and the blades 46 are provided in the recovery port 24 and the storage cup 42, the balls 86 can be smoothly fed out one by one without clogging.
(7) Since the height of the arm 12 can be adjusted, the present invention can be applied to the table tennis table 80 having different heights.
(8) Since the caster 20 is provided on the foot 14 of the arm 12, the movement is possible.

In addition, this invention is not limited to the Example mentioned above, A various change can be added in the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention. For example, the following are also included.
(1) The shapes, dimensions, and sizes shown in the above embodiments are examples, and may be appropriately changed as necessary. For example, in the above-described embodiment, a single bent tube is used as the guide tube 32, but a plurality of short tubes may be combined to form the bent shape described above.
(2) The material shown in the above embodiment is also an example, and can be appropriately changed so as to achieve the same effect. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the guide tubes 32 and 50, the ball feeding tubes 36 and 60, and the standby tube 52 are formed of a transparent or translucent material, but in addition, the basket 22, the recovery port 24, and the storage cup 42 are used. Also, it may be made of a transparent or translucent material. Alternatively, only the vicinity of the inlet 64 may be formed of a transparent or translucent material so that the minimum movement of the sphere 86 can be confirmed.
(3) The mechanism for waiting the ball 86 by the stopper 58 is also an example, and the design may be changed as appropriate so as to achieve the same effect.
(4) The hitting mechanism by the piston 54 is also an example, and various known hitting mechanisms may be applied.
(5) In the said Example, although the air blowers 38 and 62 were provided, you may make it comprise them with a single air blower. Further, any device may be used as long as the same air flow as that of air blowing can be obtained.

  According to the present invention, sending and moving until the collected ball is launched is performed by air blowing, and the ball is automatically and continuously sent out with a simple configuration. Therefore, the invention can be applied to the use of a table tennis pitching device.

It is a figure which shows Example 1 of this invention, (A) is a front view of a present Example, (B) is a side view. It is a perspective view which shows the flow of the ball | bowl of the said Example 1. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

10: table tennis pitching device 12: arm 14: foot 16: screw 18: shaft 20: caster 22: rod 24: recovery port 26: stirring bar 28: motor 30: support base 31: back plate 32: guide tube 34: vent hole 36: Ball tube 36A: U-shaped bent portion 36B: L-shaped bent portion 38: Blower 40: Ventilation hole 42: Storage cup 44: Ventilation hole 46: Blade 48: Motor 50: Guide pipe 52: Standby pipe 54: Piston 56: Drive device 58: Stopper 60: Throwing pipe 62: Blower 64: Throwing port 80: Table tennis table 81: Frame 82: Net 84: Opening 86: Ball

Claims (7)

  A table tennis pitching device for sending a ball in a pipe line by blowing air when the ball thrown toward a table tennis table is collected and recycled. A ball collecting means for collecting the balls thrown toward the table tennis table,
A ball storage means that is provided above the table tennis table and stores a ball before throwing;
A ball sending means for sending the balls collected by the ball collecting means to the ball storing means;
A standby pipe which is provided in a substantially horizontal shape and waits for a sphere falling from the sphere storage means through the inside of the pipeline, and is provided with a hitting means for launching the sphere on one end side;
A pitching means provided on the other end side of the standby pipe and for throwing a ball launched from the standby pipe toward the table tennis table;
With
The table tennis pitching device, wherein the pitching means and the pitching means each include a duct and a blower that serve as a path for the balls.   3. The table tennis pitching device according to claim 2, wherein the standby pipe includes a ball locking mechanism for waiting and hitting the balls sent from the ball storing means one by one.   4. The table tennis pitching device according to claim 3, wherein the ball locking mechanism is a leaf spring protruding inward from the outside of the standby tube. The pitching means is
A ball-pipe tube provided in a substantially vertical shape, having an upper end connected to the ball storage means and a lower end connected to the blower;
A guide tube that connects the ball-sending tube and the ball collecting means and is provided so that air sent from the blower is difficult to enter;
The table tennis pitching device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein   The table tennis pitching device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein an inner diameter of a pipe passage through which the sphere passes is set so as to enable delivery by the blower. The table tennis pitching device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein at least a portion where the ball is thrown toward a table tennis table is made transparent or semi-transparent in a pipe line through which the ball passes. .

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