JPH11267248A - Golf ball and searching system for golf ball - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a golf ball capable of maintaining specified power generation output for a long period of time. SOLUTION: The golf ball 10 includes plural cantilever-shaped power generation output maintaining members 20 fixed at one end therein. The power generation output maintaining members 20 include power generation intensifying devices 22 formed in the form of cantilevers and piezoelectric element 21 disposed at the apexes of the power generation intensifying devices 22. When the golf ball 10 is hit by a club, its impact force is applied on the piezoelectric element g1 via the power generation intensifying devices 22. Since the power generation output maintaining members 20 are formed in the cantilever form and, therefore, when the golf ball 10 receives impact, the golf ball is oscillated as shown by arrow directions in Fig. and the power generation output is maintained by the persistence of the vibration.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a golf ball and a system for searching for a golf ball, and more particularly to a golf ball capable of maintaining power generation output for a long time and a system for searching for the golf ball.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, various systems for searching for golf balls have been proposed. Among these proposals, there are a magnet system for magnetizing a golf ball, a system in which a weak radio wave transmitter is built in a golf ball, and a system in which a transponder is built.

[0003]

There have been the above-mentioned golf balls which have been conventionally designed so that the position can be searched. However, in a magnet system for magnetizing a golf ball, the ball may move during the address because the ball sticks to the iron club, and when the green cup is a magnetic metal,
The ball is also drawn into the cup. Also,
Generally, in the magnetic system, there is a direction in which the magnetic force lines become blind spots. To prevent such a direction, a structure in which three or more magnets are combined in a ball in a complicated manner must be maintained. On the other hand, various types of balls with weak radio transmitters and balls with built-in transponders have been proposed, but the problem lies in how to use the power supply. A non-contact type with an inductive charging circuit is also disclosed in, for example,
However, the number of circuit components to be built in the ball is increased, and it is not practical to store the ball. Apart from these, a method of generating electricity by simply incorporating a piezoelectric element is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 61-194561.
According to the publication, there is disclosed a golf ball including a power generation unit, a power storage unit for storing the power generation output, and an amplifier unit for transmitting an oscillation output. According to the golf ball disclosed in the publication, power generation can be expected by the piezoelectric effect at the time of impact of a hit ball by a club, while the internal structure is relatively simple. However, since this power generation ends instantaneously, the power generation energy is insufficient, and it is difficult to maintain the oscillation required for searching for the ball for 10 to 15 minutes.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and provides a golf ball capable of maintaining a constant output for a long time and a golf ball search device using such a golf ball. The purpose is to:

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a golf ball, comprising: a power generating means for generating power by receiving an impact; a means for increasing the power generated by the power generating means;
Means for storing the power generation output enhanced by the enhancing means.

[0006] Since the generated power output is increased and stored, a certain amount of power can be held for a long time. As a result, a golf ball that can maintain a constant output for a long time can be provided.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a golf ball searching apparatus.
The golf ball according to claim 1 outputs a predetermined signal, and includes a detecting means for detecting the signal.

Since the golf ball outputs a predetermined signal with a constant output for a long time, the receiving means can receive the signal to search for the golf ball.

As a result, a golf ball search system capable of reliably searching for a golf ball can be provided.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a main part of a golf ball 10 according to the present invention. With reference to FIG. 1, golf ball 10 includes a power supply unit 11, a power storage unit 13 that stores the power output generated by power supply unit 11, an oscillation unit 12 that oscillates a predetermined ID code, and an antenna unit 1.
5 is included. The predetermined ID code is stored in the ID code generation unit 14 connected to the oscillation unit 12 in advance.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the power supply unit 11. Referring to FIG. 2, power supply unit 11 includes a piezoelectric element 21 that generates power by receiving an impact, and a power generation enhancing device 22 that enhances the impact received by the piezoelectric element. The generated power generated by the piezoelectric element 21 is increased by the power generation enhancing device 22, and the enhanced output is used as a voltage as the piezoelectric element 2.
1 and is sent to the power storage unit 13 and the oscillation unit 12 shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the internal configuration of a golf ball. Referring to FIG. 3, golf ball 10 has outer shell 2.
4 and an inner shell 23, and a piezoelectric element 21
As shown in the figure, a plurality of sets of power generation output maintaining members 20 each including a power generation enhancing device 22 are provided. That is, the power generation output maintaining member 20 constituting the power supply unit 11 is formed in a cantilever shape with one end fixed, and the piezoelectric element 21 is provided at the tip end. When the golf ball 10 is hit by the club, the impact force at that time is transmitted to the piezoelectric element 21 via the power generation enhancing device 22 having a cantilever shape. Since the power generation enhancing device 22 is configured in a cantilever shape, once it receives an impact and starts to vibrate in the direction of the arrow in the figure, the vibration is increased and a predetermined vibration is performed for a predetermined time. This is shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a change in the temporal amplitude of the power generation enhancing device 22. Referring to FIG. 4, power generation enhancing device 22 attenuates with the passage of time but retains its vibration for a certain period of time. In the figure, the oscillation unit 12, the power storage unit 13, the ID code generation unit 14, and the antenna unit 15 are omitted.

FIG. 5 shows the power generation output maintaining member 20 shown in FIG.
It is a figure which shows the detail of the attachment state of. FIG. 5A is a detail of the embodiment shown in FIG. Referring to FIG.
One end of the power generation output maintaining member 20 including the piezoelectric element 21 and the power generation enhancing device 22 is embedded in a metal shell or a resin shell 25. A filler 26 is filled between the metal shell or resin shell 25 and the inner shell 23.

FIG. 5B is a view showing another embodiment of the power generation output maintaining member 20. Referring to FIG. 5 (B), a tuning fork vibrator is used as power generation enhancing device 27, and a piezoelectric element 21 is provided at the tip thereof. The power generation enhancing device 22, which is the tuning fork vibrator, has a natural resonance frequency.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a time course of a power generation output generated by the power supply unit 11. Referring to FIG. 6, in power supply section 11 according to the present invention, a predetermined voltage is held for a fixed time even if time elapses (a). On the other hand, a state where only the conventional piezoelectric element is provided is shown by a dotted line (b). It can be seen that a predetermined power generation output can be maintained for a longer time than in the conventional example.

It is preferable to use a spring material such as, for example, iron or phosphor bronze for the power generation enhancing device 22.

Next, a search system for searching for the golf ball 10 according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of such a search system.
Referring to FIG. 7, golf ball 10 oscillates an ID code for specifying golf ball 10 via antenna portion 15. The oscillation of the ID code is received by the highly directional antenna 31, and the search for the golf ball 10 is performed. The detector 30 includes a highly directional antenna 31, an RF receiving unit 32 for receiving a signal received by the highly directional antenna 31, a detection unit 33,
And a D code detection unit 34.

The detector 32 may be provided with an ID code display unit and a sound generation unit that emits a predetermined sound in accordance with the strength of a signal from the golf ball 10.

It is needless to say that the power supply unit of the golf ball described above can be applied to any other system such as a transponder system.

The embodiments disclosed this time are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of a golf ball according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an internal configuration of a power supply unit.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing the inside of a golf ball.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a change over time of the amplitude of the power generation enhancing device.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing details of an attached state of a power generation output maintaining member.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a change over time in a power generation output of a power supply unit 11;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a golf ball detector.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Golf ball 11 Power supply part 12 Oscillation part 13 Power storage part 14 ID code generation part 15 Antenna part 20 Power generation output maintenance member 21 Piezoelectric element 22 Power generation enhancement device 30 Detector 31 High directivity antenna 32 RF reception part 33 Detection part 34 ID code Detection unit

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A golf ball, comprising: a power generating means for generating power by receiving an impact; a means for increasing the power output generated by the power generating means; and a means for storing the power output enhanced by the boosting means. . 2. The golf ball search system according to claim 1, wherein the golf ball outputs a predetermined signal using the power generation output, and includes means for detecting the predetermined signal. A golf ball search system, including: