JPH062697Y2 - Ball feeder - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial field of application) The present invention relates to a ball supply device, and more particularly to a ball supply device for a golf ball or the like in a driving range or the like.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, as a tee height adjusting device of this type in a ball supplying device, for example, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 51-46133 “Tee height adjusting device in a golf ball supplying device” is known.

The device says, "In a golf ball supply device that moves the tee in the vertical direction in accordance with the rotation of the crank,
A cam that rotates integrally with the rotation shaft of the crank and a plurality of microswitches that operate according to the rotation of the cam are provided, and the rotation angles of the cams that operate by the microswitches differ from each other, and one microswitch that is arbitrarily selected. The mechanism that adjusts the height of the tee so that the rotation of the rotary shaft can be stopped by the "(conventional example 1).

A golf ball supply device having a mechanism for moving the tee up and down to determine the tee position and a mechanism for moving the tee up and down to set a golf ball on each tee is also known. Yes (conventional example 2).
In Conventional Example 2, a motor was installed for each mechanism.

In addition, the rotating shaft of one motor has a feed claw at its tip to scrape out the golf ball, and a crank with a fixed link tip to move the tee up and down. There is also known a golf ball supply device in which a single motor drives the operation of placing the golf ball on the tee.
1-43171 "Automatic golf ball feeder").

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, Conventional Example 1 requires a large number of microswitches, and has a problem that the mechanism becomes complicated. In Conventional Example 2, the golf ball supply device requires two electric motors, which causes a problem that the structure becomes complicated. In Conventional Example 3, the tee is moved up and down by one motor and the golf ball is set on the tee, but the height of the tee is not adjusted by one motor.

(Means for Solving the Problem) The present invention provides a motor, a ball scraping body rotating shaft driven by the motor, a ball scraping body and a tee height control plate which are respectively attached to the ball scraping body rotating shaft and rotated simultaneously. Tee vertical movement control plate, slide claw that is attached to the position where the tee height vertical movement control plate is displaced from the mounting position of the ball scraping body rotation axis, and tee height control plate sensor that detects the amount of rotation of the tee height control plate , A link installed on both sides of the ball scraping body and a slide claw slidably mounted at the center, rotatably fixed to the side wall at one end and vertically movable at the other end And a supply pipe for supplying balls, and a ball scraping body side is provided between the supply pipe and the ball scraping body passing position so as to be lower. Together with one ball guide that allows the ball scraping body to pass and stops the ball at the tip on the passing position, and on the opposite side of the one ball guide with the rotation axis of the ball scraping body interposed, and the ball scraping body passing position. The other ball guide is provided between the vertical movement positions of the tee so that the tee side is lower, the stopper that drops the ball supplied to the other ball guide onto the vertical movement position of the tee, and the presence or absence of the ball on the tee is detected. The tee sensor that detects the amount of rotation of the motor and tee height control plate is connected to the tee height control plate sensor that detects the amount of rotation of the tee, and the tee sensor that detects the presence or absence of a ball on the tee. Rotation amount of the tee height control plate up to a predetermined rotation amount when receiving the signal Until the tee height control plate sensor receives a signal to the effect, the ball scraping body comprises control means for driving the motor in a direction in which the ball of one ball guide can be moved to the other ball guide. By providing a ball supply device for supplying the ball to the tee and a motor for determining the tee position in common, a series of operations can set the ball on the tee and move the tee position. By making it possible, the problem of the tee height adjusting device in the conventional ball supply device is solved.

(Operation) When a signal for detecting the absence of a ball is received from the control means from the tee sensor, the control means drives the motor. When the ball scraping body is rotated, the ball scraping body lifts the ball at the tip from below the one ball guide and moves it to the other ball guide on the tee side. The ball that has entered the other ball guide rolls down the slope until it is stopped by the stopper, and falls onto the rising tee because it interlocks with the rotation of the ball scraping body.

The tee vertical movement control plate and the slide claws also rotate with the rotation of the ball scraping body rotation shaft, but the slide claws are attached to the tee vertical movement control plate so as to be offset from the ball scraping body rotation shaft. With the rotation, the slide claw slides on the link and moves. Accordingly, the tee side end of the link moves up and down. Therefore, the tee also moves up and down. The tee puts the ball, which has moved to the upper position on the way up, on the upper part and further moves up.

The tee height control plate is also rotated along with the rotation of the rotation shaft of the ball scraping body, and the tee height control plate sensor detects the rotation amount of the tee height control plate and transmits a signal to that effect to the control means. In the control means, after calculating the rotation amount corresponding to the preset tee height,
Stop the motor drive. Therefore, the tee is stopped at a preselected height with the golf ball placed on top.

When the ball disappears from the tee, the tee sensor
The absence of the ball is sensed, a signal to that effect is transmitted to the control means, and the control means activates the motor again.

(Embodiment) FIG. 1 is an overall schematic view of a ball supply system according to an embodiment of the present invention. A is a ball storage unit. The ball storage portion A is supplied with, for example, a collected golf ball used in a golf driving range through a distribution pipe. Reference numeral B denotes a ball collecting device, which is provided at a side portion inside the ball storage portion A and sequentially collects the balls inside the ball storage portion. C is a ball distributor. The ball distributor C is
Since one ball storage unit A is in charge of the ball supply device E provided with each tee, the golf balls stored in the ball storage unit are distributed to the respective ball supply devices E. D is a distribution pipe, which connects the ball distributor C and the ball supply device E.

The ball supply device E according to the embodiment of the present invention has the following configuration. That is, FIG. 2 is a front central sectional view of the ball feeding device, FIG. 3 is a partial front sectional view showing the same link mechanism, FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the rotating ball scraping body, and FIG. 5 is a ball feeding device. FIG. Reference numeral (11) is the main body of the ball supply device, which is made of a metal box and is buried under each bat at the driving range. (12) is tea. As shown in FIG. 3, the tee (12) is composed of a slider that is vertically movable along a tee guide (101) that is vertically installed in the main body of the ball feeding device, and has a light guide at the bottom. Install the tee sensor (14) consisting of a sensor.
The tee sensor (14) detects the opening and closing of the other end of the tee (12) to be installed and transmits it as a signal to a control means (not shown) composed of a computer. The open / closed state of the tip of the tee 12 is usually formed depending on whether or not a golf ball is installed.

(21) is a motor. The operation of the motor (21) is controlled by the connected control means. (22) is a motor rotating shaft, and a sprocket (23) is attached to the tip. (25) is
It is the rotation axis of the ball scraping body, and its end is projected.
Install a sprocket (26) at one end. Between the sprocket (23) and sprocket (26),
7) is stretched. A ball scraping body (28) is attached to the center of the ball scraping body rotating shaft (25). The ball scraping body (28) is U-shaped in plan view as shown in FIG. 5, and is attached to the ball scraping body rotating shaft (25) at the U-shaped open end.

Two rotating discs are attached to the opposite ends of the ball scraping body rotating shaft (25) to which the sprockets (26) are attached, respectively, centering the discs. That is, the tee height control plate (31) mounted near the ball scraping body (28) and the tee vertical movement control plate (32) mounted outside thereof. On the tee height control plate (31), slits S are formed in the periphery at intervals such that the rotary motion is converted into a linear motion at equal intervals. That is, the interval between the slits S is set in the tee height control plate (31) that moves up and down in conjunction with the tee (12), as will be described later.
It replaces the movement amount of the tee (12).
The holes are formed at intervals corresponding to the vertical movement amount of (12) every 5 mm.

(33) is a tee height control plate sensor composed of an optical sensor. The tee height control plate sensor (33) is installed on the slit S passage position to detect the presence / absence of passage of light, and transmits a detection signal to the control means. (34) is a link. Link (3
In 4), a long hole (35) is formed at the center as shown in FIG. 3, and a long hole (36) shorter than the long hole (35) is formed at one end.
The other end of the link (34) is rotatably attached to the side wall (45) side. The center of the link (34) is
2) Slide claws (37) mounted eccentrically from the center
The slide claw (37) is slidably attached along the long hole (35). The tip of the link (34) has a long hole on the slide claw (38) attached to the base of the tee (12).
It is mounted slidably along (35).

(41) is a ball guide for the ball scraping body. The ball guide (41) is a ball to be passed through. In this embodiment, both side walls (45) are provided upright and wider than the outer circumference of the golf ball.
The balls are protruded inward from the inside in a band shape at intervals wider than the outer shape of the ball scraping body (28). The ball guide (41) is installed so as to be slanted so that the ball scraping body (28) side becomes lower, and a stopper is provided at the tip thereof. (42) is a tee ball guide. The ball guides (42) project inwardly in a strip shape from inside the both side walls (45) wider than the outer circumference of the golf ball at a wider interval from the outer shape of the ball scraping body (28) and the tip of the tee (12). The ball guide (42) is installed so as to be inclined so that the tee (12) side is lowered, and a stopper (43) for stopping the progress of the ball is provided at the tip thereof. (44) is a surplus ball exclusion port. Excess ball removal port (44) is provided with a stopper (4
3) for one ball In this embodiment, for one golf ball, the side wall (4) on the side of the distribution pipe D, which is the inclined upper side of the ball guide (42).
5) It is formed by opening one side. (51) is a ball guide sensor composed of an optical sensor. The ball guide sensor (51) detects the presence or absence of a ball at the upper end of the ball guide (41) and transmits a ball presence / absence signal to the control means.

Next, the operation of the ball supply device E will be described. When the signal indicating the absence of the ball is received from the ball guide sensor (51), the control means supplies the golf ball from the distribution pipe D to the ball guide (41). The golf ball at the tip of the plurality of golf balls supplied is dropped by the stopper. When the tee sensor (14) detects the absence of the golf ball at the tip of the tee (12), a signal to that effect is transmitted to the control means, and the control means causes the motor (21) to move the ball scraping body (28) to the first position.
It is driven so as to rotate in the counterclockwise direction shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. When the ball scraping body (28) is rotated, the ball scraping body (28) lifts the golf ball at the tip from below the ball guide (41) and moves it to the ball guide (42) on the tee (12) side. The golf ball that has entered the ball guide (42) rolls down the slope until it is stopped by the stopper (43), and stops at the upper position of the tee (12) that is rising because it interlocks with the rotation of the ball scraping body (28). .

The tee vertical movement control plate (32) and the slide claw (37) also rotate with the rotation of the ball scratching body rotation shaft (25), but the slide claw (37) is eccentric with respect to the ball scratching body rotation shaft (25). Since it is attached to the tee vertical movement control plate (32), the slide claw (37) slides in the central long hole (35) of the link (34) as the slide claw (37) rotates. It will be. Accordingly, the end of the link (34) on the tee (12) side moves up and down. Therefore, the slide claw (38) moves up and down while sliding in the long hole (36), and the tee (12) moves up and down accordingly. The tee (12) mounts the golf ball that has moved to the upper position on the way up and further moves up.

The tee height control plate (31) is also rotated with the rotation of the ball scraping body rotating shaft (25), and the tee height control plate sensor (33) detects the number of passing slits S with the rotation. The transmitted control means calculates the number of slits S that have passed. The control means stops the drive of the motor (21) when the number of slits S corresponding to the preset tee height is calculated. The tee (12) is
Stop at or near top dead center with the golf ball on top. By selecting the number of slits S to be calculated in advance, the height set of the tee (12) can be freely selected.

When the golfer hits the golf ball on the tee (12),
Since the golf ball disappears from the tee (12), the tee sensor (14) detects the absence of the golf ball and transmits a signal to that effect to the control means, and the control means again drives the motor (21).
Operate.

If more than one golf ball is present in the ball guide (42),
The second golf ball that has entered the ball guide (42) collides with the first golf ball, stops, and is ejected from the surplus ball exclusion port (44) by the tee guide (100) accompanying the tee rise. To be done. Therefore, two or more surplus balls do not exist in the ball guide (42), and the balls are not clogged at the upper part of the tee (12), which does not cause a failure. The surplus balls stored in the surplus ball collection unit (47) are
Then collect.

(Effect of device) Therefore, in this device, the mechanism is simple,
Provided is a ball supply device that supplies balls to a tee, adjusts the height of the tee, and vertically moves the tee with individual motors.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall schematic view of a ball supply system according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front center sectional view of a ball supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a front view showing the same link mechanism. Partial cross-sectional view, Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the rotating ball scraping body, Fig. 5
The figure is a plan view of the ball supply device. (12) Tee, (14)… Tee sensor, (21)… Motor, (2
5) Ball scraping body rotating shaft, (28) ... Ball scraping body,
(31)… Tee height control plate, (32)… Tee vertical movement control plate, (3
3) ... tee height control plate sensor, (34) ... link, (37) ... slide claw, (41), (42) ... ball guide, (43) ... stopper, (45) ... side wall, D ... supply pipe,

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A motor, a ball scraping member rotating shaft driven by the motor, a ball scraping member, a tee height control plate, and a tee vertical movement control plate mounted on the ball scraping member rotating shaft and rotated simultaneously, respectively. High vertical movement control plate Slide claw that is installed at a position offset from the mounting position on the rotation axis of the ball scraping body, tee height control plate sensor that detects the amount of rotation of the tee height control plate, and the ball scraping body is sandwiched between them. Both side walls, a slide claw is slidably attached at the center, one end is rotatably fixed to the side wall and the other end is attached to the tee so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and a supply pipe for supplying balls. Is installed between the supply pipe and the ball scraping body passing position so that the side of the ball scraping body is lowered and the ball scraping body passes through. As far as possible, one ball guide that stops the ball at the tip on the passing position and the other side of the ball scraping body rotation axis are opposite to the other ball guide, and between the ball scraping body passing position and the vertical movement position of the tee. On the other side of the tee, a stopper for dropping the ball supplied to the other side of the tee up and down the tee, a tee sensor for detecting the presence or absence of the ball on the tee, and a motor. And the tee height control plate sensor that detects the amount of rotation of the tee height control plate and the tee sensor that detects the presence or absence of a ball on the tee respectively, and a signal that detects the absence of the ball is received from the tee sensor. The tee height control plate sensor detects the rotation amount of the tee height control plate up to the predetermined rotation amount. And until receipt of a signal indicating that the ball supply apparatus characterized by comprising a control means for the ball scraping member drives the motor balls one ball guide in the direction movable to the other of the ball guide.