US20150165308A1

US20150165308A1 - Ball game instrument

Info

Publication number: US20150165308A1
Application number: US14/404,603
Authority: US
Inventors: He Huang
Original assignee: BEIJING AOYUNQIU SPORTS GOODS Ltd
Current assignee: BEIJING AOYUNQIU SPORTS GOODS Ltd
Priority date: 2012-06-01
Filing date: 2012-06-01
Publication date: 2015-06-18
Also published as: WO2013177795A1; CN104411374A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a ball game instrument comprising a ball table, a ball stop device and a lane. The ball table is provided with a panel enclosure higher than a panel of the ball table. The ball stop device is provided on a ball stop face of the ball table, corresponds to and is independent of the ball table or is mounted on the ball table, and is higher than the panel enclosure. The lane corresponds to and is independent of the ball table, and has a width less than the width or diameter of the ball table.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a ball game instrument, and particularly to a table ball game instrument equipped with both lanes and a ball stop device.

BACKGROUND ART

Now, with the accelerating pace of social life, people are working at high pressure, so it is necessary to take a leisure to pleasure the body and release the pressure. Ball games have become the entertainment popular among people for sports and recreational reasons.
Currently, traditional table ball game instrument takes up a large space, only enforces a small amount of exercise, is not very interesting, and generally is not equipped with lanes. Although a golf ball table or a bowling ball table has a passage for moving the balls, the passage and the panel are not independent of each other, the width of the passage is generally the same as the width of the panel, and a player must stand on or behind the passage to move the ball, thus a quite large space is taken up. And, an automatic ball returning passage of the golf ball table or bowling ball table is another component besides the panel. FIG. 1 shows a ball game instrument disclosed in the prior art—Chinese Patent No. CN2130569Y, which instrument includes a lane 101, a ball table 102 and a ball returning gutter 103, wherein the lane 101 and the ball table 102 are integrally constructed, the lane 101 and the ball table 102 are of the same width, a player 104 stands on the lane 101 to hit a ball, and the ball which is not hit into a hole is pushed into the ball returning gutter 103 by a ball returning means independent of the panel.
Therefore, the goal that those skilled in the art are pursuing unremittingly is to further improve the existing current ball games such that they are more interesting, enforce a large amount of exercise, and need not take up too much space, whereby people can take exercise and be entertained fully both indoors and outdoors.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a ball game instrument which not only meets players' needs for interesting entertainment but also meets their needs for a large amount of exercise.
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a ball game instrument comprising a ball table, a lane and a ball stop device, wherein the ball table is provided with a panel enclosure higher than the panel of the ball table, the ball stop device which is disposed on a ball stopping face of the ball table corresponds to and is independent of the ball table or is mounted on the ball table, the ball stop device is higher than the panel enclosure, the lane is disposed such that it corresponds to and is independent of the ball table, and the lane has a width less than the width or diameter of the ball table. The lane further comprises: a passage is a tan inclination, the higher end of the passage corresponding to the ball table; a passage enclosure, disposed on the two sides of the passage and higher than the surface of the passage; a ball seat, disposed at the lower end of the passage and apart from the lower end of the passage by a certain height that is greater than the diameter of a ball equipped for the ball table; and a guide slope at an inclination, disposed at the rear end of the ball seat.
In the above ball game instrument, the passage is movably connected to the ball seat, and an inclination adjuster is provided at the bottom of the passage.
In the above ball game instrument, the passage further comprises a foldable channel which is provided at the front end of the passage and is foldably connected to the passage. An inclination adjuster is provided at the bottom of the foldable channel.
In the above ball game instrument, said inclination adjuster further comprises: a step-wise adjusting stage which is fixedly provided at the bottom of the foldable channel; and a supporting board which is located at the bottom of the foldable channel and which engages with the different steps of the adjusting stage to support the passage or the foldable channel so as to present different inclinations.
In the above ball game instrument, said passage is a rectangular passage or a trapezoid passage, and the front end of the trapezoid passage is of an arc shape.
In the above ball game instrument, said foldable channel is a rectangular passage or a trapezoid passage, and in case of a trapezoid foldable channel, the front end thereof is of an arc shape.
The above ball game instrument is characterized in that the bottom of the ball seat is provided with a supporting means for supporting the ball seat at an operation state.
In the above ball game instrument, the supporting means further comprises: an elevator provided at the bottom of the ball seat; and a supporting plate for supporting the elevator to support the ball seat at an operation state.
In the above ball game instrument, the top surface of the ball seat is at an inclination, and the highest point of the top surface is lower than the highest point of the guide slope.
In the above ball game instrument, the bottom of the passage is provided with a supporting frame.
In the above ball game instrument, the supporting frame is provided with easy-to-move wheels at the bottom thereof.
In the above ball game instrument, the supporting plate is connected to the supporting frame of the passage in a foldable manner.
The above ball game instrument is characterized in that the passage is at an inclination of from no 15°, preferably from 4° to 8°.
In the above ball game instrument, the passage is at an inclination of from 2° to 45°, preferably from 15° to 35°.
In the above ball game instrument, the front end of the passage enclosure is at an inclination.
In the above ball game instrument, the panel enclosure of the ball table is a closed enclosure.
In the above ball game instrument, the ball stop device is a rope net type ball stop device or an elastic board type ball stop device.
In the above ball game instrument, the rope net type ball stop device further comprises: a ball stop rope net located on the ball stop face of the ball table; and a ball stop support on which a steel portal frame is provided for hanging the rope net thereon and for securing the top and both sides of the rope net in the same plane, the bottom of the rope net being connected to the top of the ball stop support.
In the above ball game instrument, the rope net type ball stop device further comprises a ball stop rope net and a steel portal frame, wherein the steel portal frame is provided on the ball stop face of the ball table and the rope net is hung on the steel portal frame so that the top and both sides of the rope net are secured in the same plane via the steel portal frame.
In the above ball game instrument, the elastic board type ball stop device further comprises: a ball stop elastic board located on the ball stop face of the ball table; a ball stop support on which the ball stop elastic board is provided; and a ball stop enclosure provided at both sides of the ball stop elastic board and located above the ball stop support.
In the above ball game instrument, the ball stop enclosure is connected to the ball stop support in a foldable manner.
In the above ball game instrument, the ball stop device and the ball table further comprise a mating engagement means for matingly engaging the ball stop device with the ball table.
In the above ball game instrument, the engagement means is of a magnetic attraction structure or of a plate-like nesting structure.
In the above ball game instrument, the ball table comprises a panel and a stage higher than the panel, the ball table enclosure being higher than the stage.
In the above ball game instrument, the panel of the ball table is provided with sunken ball positions, lines connecting with the circle centers of three adjacent ball sites on the panel form an angle of 60°, and the ball sites are continuously equispaced from the center of the panel outwardly.
In the above ball game instrument, the panel of the ball table is provided with sunken ball positions, lines connecting with the circle centers of three adjacent ball sites on the panel form an angle of 90°, and the ball sites are continuously equispaced from the center of the panel outwardly.
In the above ball game instrument, the stage of the ball table is provided with a plurality of holes.
In the above ball game instrument, the ball table is a round, square or round-square ball table.
In the above ball game instrument, the ball table a square-trapezoid ball table.
In the above ball game instrument, the square-trapezoid ball table is formed by butting a rectangular panel and a trapezoid panel in a foldable manner, the top side of the trapezoid panel corresponds to the lane, and the bottom side of the trapezoid panel butts with the rectangular panel, and the sides which are butted have the same length.
In the above ball game instrument, the trapezoid ball table is provided with a hole table on which holes are provided, and the rear end of the hole table is provided with a ball entrance/exit.
In the above ball game instrument, the number of the holes is 1 to 4, preferably 2.
In the above ball game instrument, the panel of the square-trapezoid ball table is at an inclination of from 4° to 7°.
In the above ball game instrument, the top surface of the hole table is at an inclination.
In the above ball game instrument, the width of a top board connecting part between the holes of the hole table is 1.5 to 3 times the diameter of the ball used.
In the above ball game instrument, the ball table is provided with a ball site elevating table, the top surface of which is provided with the sunken ball positions.
In the above ball game instrument, the ball table is provided with hard balls and/or soft balls, the cross section of the soft ball is a circle or almost a circle.
In the above ball game instrument, the outer shell of the soft ball is made of a soft material, and the fillers inside the soft ball comprise a fluffy material and hard particles.
In the above ball game instrument, the weight of the soft ball is from 100 to 1000 g, commonly from 180 to 340 g, preferably from 240 to 280 g.
The present invention further provides a ball game instrument, which comprises:
a ball table, provided thereon with sunken ball positions and a panel enclosure higher than the panel of the ball table;
a ball stop device, corresponding to and independent of the ball table, provided on a ball stop face of the ball table, corresponding to and independent of the ball table or mounted on the ball table, the ball stop device being higher than the panel enclosure;
a ball site elevating table, provided on the ball table, the ball site elevating table being at least one layer, and the to player stage of the ball site elevating table being provided with sunken ball positions.
In the above ball game instrument, the ball site elevating table comprises a plurality of layers of stages, which are overlaid by engaging means.
In the above ball game instrument, the ball site elevating table is provided with a handle on each side thereof
Compared with the existing table ball game instrument, the ball game instrument according to the present invention provides a ball table with an independent multi-purpose lane and an independent ball stop device, so that it does not need to take up too much space, enforces a larger amount of exercise than the existing table ball games, and provides various game patterns, whereby people can take exercise and be entertained fully both indoors and outdoors,

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing the structure of the prior art;

FIGS. 2A-2B are the schematic views showing the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 3A-3B are the front view and the top view showing a rope net type ball stop device;

FIGS. 4A-4C are the schematic views showing several possible structures of the ball table;

FIGS. 5A-5B are the structural schematic views showing the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 6A-6D are the structural schematic views showing the third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a structural schematic view showing the lane in the fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 8A-8E are the structural schematic views showing the lane in the fifth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a structural schematic view showing the lane in the sixth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a structural schematic view showing the lane in the seventh embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a structural schematic view showing the eighth embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 12A-12C are the top, frond and bottom views showing the triangular top layer stage; and

FIG. 12D is a front view showing a three-layer ball site elevating table.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The ball game instrument provided by the present invention mainly comprises a ball table, a lane and a ball stop device, wherein the lane and the ball stop device are independent of the ball table, and can be used in concert with a variety of ball tables when they are in use. The lane is a multi-purpose lane. In the case that a variety of ball tables are provided, a multi-purpose lane can be used to reduce the number of lanes so as to save resources and space. When the lane of the present invention is used with a ball table, the exercise distance, the amount of exercise and the changes in batting skills can be increased. After exercise, the lane is removed so that the occupied space can be greatly reduced.
FIGS. 2A-2B are the schematic views showing the overall structure of the first embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B are the front view and the top view of a rope net type ball stop device, a circular ball table and a lane assembly, respectively. Referring to FIG. 2A to FIG. 2B, the ball game instrument in this embodiment mainly comprises a ball table 1, a lane 2, and a ball stop device 3, the ball table 1, the lane 2 and the ball stop device 3 are arranged independently of each other and are correspondingly assembled when in use, wherein the ball stop device 3 corresponds to the ball table 1, the lane 2 is disposed in correspondence with the ball table 1, and the lane 2 has a width less than the width or diameter of the ball table 1. A soft packing material 241 may be additionally provided on a ball seat 23, a guide slope 24 and a passage 21. The soft packing material in the passage is not shown.
The lane 2 further comprises the passage 21, a passage enclosure 22, the ball seat 23 and the guide slope 24. The passage 21 is at an inclination, that is, has a higher end 211 and a lower end 212. The higher end 211 of the passage 21 corresponds to the ball table 1 and the lower end 212 thereof corresponds to the ball seat 23. The passage enclosure 22 is provided on both sides of the passage 21 and is higher than the surface of the passage 21, and the front end 221 of the passage enclosure 22 is at an inclination. The ball seat 23 is provided at the lower end 212 of the passage 21, and is apart away from the lower end 212 by a height greater than the diameter of the ball provided for the ball table. The guide slope 24 is at an inclination, and is provided at the rear end of the ball seat 22. The top surface of the ball seat 23 is also at an inclination, and the highest point of the top surface is lower than the highest point of the guide slope 24, wherein the highest point of the top surface of the ball seat is preferably designed to be lower than the highest point of the guide slope by about 4 mm. The lowest point of the top surface of the ball seat is preferably designed to be lower than the highest point of the guide slope 24 by about 8 mm. A lane supporting frame 25 is also provided at the bottom of the lane 2. The inclination of the passage, that is, the angle between the passage 21 and the horizontal plane is about 2° to 15°, preferably from 4° to 8°. The angle between the guide slope 24 and the horizontal plane is from 2° to 45°, preferably from 15° to 35°. The passage 21 may be a structure at a constant inclination, or may be a structure with an adjustable angle. The passage with an adjustable angle will be described in detail hereinafter. Details will not be repeated here.
The ball stop device 3 is a rope net type ball stop device. FIG. 3A-FIG. 3B show the front view and the top view of the rope net type ball stop device. Referring to FIG. 3A to FIG. 3B, the rope net type ball stop device further comprises a ball stop rope net 31 located on the ball stop face of the ball table 1; a ball stop support 32 provided with a steel portal frame 321 thereon, wherein the rope net 31 is hung on the steel portal frame so that the top end and both sides of the rope net 31 are secured in the same plane and the bottom of the rope net is connected with the top of the ball stop support, the ball stop support 32 may be further provided with wheel moving means to facilitate movement. The ball stop device 3 and the ball table 1 are provided with an engagement means which are mated, so that the ball stop device and the ball table can be engaged with each other when in use. The engagement means may be a magnetic attraction structure or a plate-like nesting structure. FIG. 2A shows the plate-like nesting structure. The plate-like nesting structure includes a positioning block 331 and an extension portion 332 of a beam of the ball table frame. The positioning block 331 is made from wood or elastic plastic. When it is made from wood, a soft packing material (not shown) may be provided additionally. The shape of the top board of the ball stop support 32 of the ball stop device 3 can be designed correspondingly in accordance with the shape of the ball table, for example, the outer frame of the ball table is circular, and one side of the top board of the ball stop device is designed into an arc shape to correspond to the ball table. After engagement, there is still a gap between the arc portion of the top board and the arc portion of the outer frame of the ball table, so as to make it easy for the ball table to rotate. The gap should be less than the diameter of the hard ball provided for the ball table, and is preferably 0.3 to 0.5 times the diameter of the hard ball.
The ball stop support may be made from a medium density fibre board. When in use, the ball stop support is abutted against a wall or is pressed by a heavy weight, to prevent it from moving.
The ball table 1 further comprises a panel 11, a table stage 13 and a panel enclosure 12. Wherein the table stage 13 is higher than the panel 11 but lower than the panel enclosure 12. Holes 131 are provided on the table stage 13. The panel enclosure 12 is a closed enclosure, and the above-described ball stop device 3 should be higher than the panel enclosure 12. An engagement device is provided on the ball table frame. Referring to FIGS. 4A-4C, which show the circular, square, and polygonal ball table structure, respectively, a plurality of sunken ball positions 110 are provided on the panel, and lines connecting with the circle centers of three adjacent ball sites 110 on the panel 11 form an angle of 60° or 90°. The ball sites are continuously equispaced from the center of the panel outwardly. Wherein, all the ball sites on the same ball table are laid out at an angle of 60° (see, for example, FIG. 4A) or laid out at an angle of 90° (see, for example, FIG. 4B). The ball tables as shown in FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B are not provided with holes, whereby the number of ball sites thereon can be increased, which is suitable for a small-sized ball table.
Of course, the ball tables according to the present invention are not limited only to the structures as shown in FIGS. 4A-4C. For example, the shape of the panel may also be trapezoid, square-trapezoid, round-square, and so on, and the ball sites and the holes may be of other structures as required. Further, wheels with a brake may be mounted on the ball table frame, and after the engagement means is engaged, the wheels can be braked to make it easy for the ball table to move when in use.
FIGS. 5A-5B are the schematic views showing the overall structure of the second embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B are the front view and the top view of the elastic board ball stop device, the round-square ball table and the lane assembly, respectively. Hereinafter only the difference between the present embodiment and the first embodiment will be described, and the same structure will not be further described. Referring to FIGS. 5A-5B, the ball stop device 3 in the present embodiment is an elastic board ball stop device, which mainly comprises: a ball stop elastic board 31, located on the ball stop face of the ball table; a ball stop support 32, on which the ball stop elastic board 31 is provided; a ball stop enclosure 33, provided on both sides of the ball stop elastic board 31 and located above the ball stop support 32. The ball stop enclosure 33 may be a fixed or foldable structure, and when it is designed as a foldable structure, the bottom edge of the enclosure is connected with the ball stop support 32 in a foldable manner, e.g. via a hinge 332, and one side of the enclosure is fixedly connected to the elastic board 31 via an openable latch 331. In order to make it easy to fold the ball stop enclosure, a U-shaped integrated cushion may be additionally provided at the top end of the top board of the ball stop support and the inner side of the ball stop enclosure. Furthermore, the ball stop elastic board 31 consists of a hard board and an elastic pad. The hard board may be made from a medium density fibre board and wood. The hard board is fixed at the front end of the ball stop support by blots, or is provided between a wall and the ball stop support. At the ball stop location in the hard board, a sponge pad is further provided. A fabric cover with Velcro is provided on the hard board, and the sponge pad is housed in the fabric cover so that the fabric cover with the sponge pad (not shown) therein is bonded on the hard board by the Velcro.
The ball table 1 in the present embodiment is a round-square ball table, and the enclosure 12 of the round-square ball table includes an arc shaped enclosure 121 and a straight enclosure 122. The holes 131 are provided at lands 13 where the arc shaped enclosure 121 is located, and no hole is provided at lands where the straight enclosure is located. Of course, the present invention is not limited only to the ball table structure as shown in the figures, and may be of any shape as long as it can be used in concert with the lane of the present invention.
FIGS. 6A-6D are the schematic views showing the overall structure of the third embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C are the front view, top view and right side view of the rope net type ball stop device, rectangular-trapezoidal ball table, and lane assembly, respectively. FIG. 6D is a sectional view along the line E-E-F-F in FIG. 6B. Hereinafter, only the difference between the present embodiment and the first and second embodiments will be described. Referring to FIGS. 6A-6D, the ball table 1 according to the present embodiment is a rectangular-trapezoidal ball table and the panel 11 is at an inclination. A hole table 110 is provided above the panel 11 and is provided with 1 to 4 (preferably 2) holes 1101. The top board connection part 112 between two holes 1101 has a width which is 1.5 to 3 times the diameter of the hard ball as provided. The width of the top board connection part of the hole table may be designed as from 120 to 200 mm, and the top surface 114 of the ball hold table is also at an inclination of 2° to 4°, preferably about 2.5°. An entrance/exit 113 is provided at the rear end of the hole table 110. The panel 11 of the ball table 1 forms an angle of 4° to 7°, preferably 5° with respect to the horizontal plane.
The panel 11 consists of two parts, that is, a rectangular front half and a trapezoidal rear half. The two parts are connected together in a foldable manner. The rectangular ball table is provided with a enclosure higher than the panel at the sides thereof, and a supporting structure is provided at the bottom of the trapezoidal ball table for supporting the trapezoidal ball table. The supporting structure includes an elevating means 251 and a supporting board 252, the elevating means 251 is provided at the bottom of the trapezoidal ball table, and the supporting board 252 is provided on the ball table supporting frame and is movably connected with the ball table supporting frame in a foldable manner, so that when the support structure is folded against a vertical board of the ball table, the trapezoidal ball table is changed from a support state to a fold state, thereby reducing the occupied space. A ball stop device 3 is installed at the front end of the rectangular-trapezoidal ball table, and a ball stop board 115 is provided at the front end of the hole table 110. The height from an end of the hole table 110 adjacent to the rope net to the panel 11 is designed as 90 to 150 mm. As the ball stop device according to the present embodiment, a steel pipe may be directly provided on the ball table, and the net can be hung on the steel pipe. The enclosure 12 is made from a medium density fibre board, or can be of a blocking net structure. The ball stop board 115 is made from wood, and the rectangular-trapezoidal ball table is made from a medium density fibre board, wood, steel pipe, and so on. The panel, the enclosure, the ball stop board, and the surface of the hole table can all be provided with soft packing material (not shown).
FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing the structure of the lane in the fourth embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 7, it shows the main structure of an ascent/descent type lane with an adjustable inclination. Hereinafter, only the difference between the present embodiment and the first, second and third embodiments will be described. In the present embodiment, a bottom end 212 of a passage 21 of the lane 2 is connected with a ball seat 23 in a foldable manner, and an angle adjuster 213 is provided at the bottom of the higher end 211 of the passage 21 to adjust the inclination of the passage 21. The angle adjuster further comprises: a step-wise adjusting stage 213 fixedly provided at the bottom of the higher end 211; and a supporting board 214 located at the bottom of the passage 21 to engage with the different steps of the adjusting stage 213 to support the passage so as to present different inclinations. The supporting board 214 is rotated to move the supporting board to the different steps of the adjusting stage 213 so as to adjust the angle of the passage 21. The supporting board 214 is connected with a lane supporting frame 25, and is connected with the supporting frame 25 in a foldable manner, for example, via a hinge. The supporting board may be made from a medium density fibre board.
FIGS. 8A-8E are the schematic views showing the structure of the lane in the fifth embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, only the difference between the present embodiment and the first to fourth embodiments is described. FIGS. 8A-8E respectively show the front, left side, right side, top and bottom structural views of a foldable lane with an adjustable inclination. As shown, the passage 21 of the lane in the present embodiment is a foldable lane with an adjustable inclination. An inclination-adjustable foldable channel 210 is provided at the front end of the passage 21, and is connected with the passage 21 in foldable manner, for example, via a hinge. At the bottom of the foldable channel 210, an angle adjuster is provided, the structure of the angle adjuster may be the same as that in the third embodiment, and thus will not be further described here. In this embodiment, when the supporting board 214 is closed to the vertical board of the lane, the foldable channel 210 is changed from a support state to a fold state, thereby reducing the occupied space.
FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing the structure of the lane of the sixth embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, only the difference between the present embodiment and the first to fifth embodiments is described. FIG. 9 shows a double-foldable passage with an adjustable inclination. As shown, the passage 21 in the present embodiment is a foldable passage, and a foldable channel 210 is provided at the front end of the passage 21. At the front end of the foldable channel 210, no enclosure is provided, to prevent the enclosure from inhibiting the ball running in the oblique direction. The foldable channel may be formed as double structure, and below the main body of the foldable channel, a drawable lengthen board is provided to increase the length of the lane. At the bottom of the foldable channel 210, an angle adjuster is provided, the structure of the angle adjuster may be the same as that in the third embodiment and thus will not be further described. In the present embodiment, when the supporting board 214 is closed to the vertical board of the lane, the foldable channel 210 can be changed from a support state to a fold state, thereby reducing the occupied space. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the ball seat 23 can be designed as being foldable, and is connected with the passage 21 by means of a foldable structure, such as hinges. At the bottom of the ball seat 23, the supporting board 231 and the elevating means 232 may be used to support the ball seat 23 into an operation state in which the supporting board 231 is connected with the supporting frame of the lane in a foldable manner. By moving the supporting board 231 to the elevating means 232, the ball seat 23 can be supported for usage, and by closing the supporting board 231 to the vertical board of the lane, the ball seat 23 can be changed from the support state to the fold state, thereby reducing the occupied space.
FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing the structure of the lane in the seventh embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, only the difference between the present embodiment and the first to the sixth embodiments will be described. FIG. 10 shows a schematic view of a trapezoidal foldable passage with an adjustable inclination. In the present embodiment, the passage 21 is a trapezoidal foldable passage, and a trapezoidal foldable channel 210 is provided at the front end of the passage 21, and the bottom side of the trapezoidal foldable channel 210 is of an arc shape corresponding to the ball table. The main advantage of the foldable channel is that the lane can be well engaged with the round ball table.
FIG. 11 is a schematic view showing the structure of the eighth embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, only the difference between the present embodiment and the first to the seventh embodiments will be described. Referring to FIG. 11 which is a front view showing the overall structure of the present embodiment, the present embodiment is different from the previous embodiments in the ball table, and in particular, a ball site elevating table is provided on the ball table 1 on which sunken ball positions are provided, the ball site elevating table has at least one layer, and the Figures show the structure of a three-layer ball site elevating table. Referring FIGS. 12A to 12D, wherein FIG. 12D is a front view of a three-layer ball site elevating table, the ball site elevating table includes a top layer table 144, a middle layer table 145 and a bottom layer table 146. Each layer of the ball site elevating table is positioned by fitting a positioning block into a positioning notch. Handles are provided at a side face of each layer of the ball site elevating table. The top layer ball site elevating table is provided with the sunken ball position. Each of the ball site elevating table can be a hollow structure with the bottom surface opened. The height of each of the ball site elevating table is about one to five times the diameter of the ball as provided. From the top view, the shape of the ball site elevating table is triangular, as shown in the top view, front view and bottom view in FIGS. 12A to 12C, but the present invention is not limited only to the triangular shape, but can be designed into a triangle, square, trapezoid, circle, or another shape. Referring to FIGS. 12A to 12C, on the surface of the triangular top layer table, the sunken ball positions 141 are provided, and at each of the corner of the bottom, positioning blocks 143 are provided. A handle which may be O-shaped handle or L-shaped handle may be provided on one side of the ball site elevating table. Positioning notches which are to be fitted with the positioning blocks are provided on the top surface of the middle layer table engaging with the top layer table. The triangular top layer table is provided with more than three ball sites, preferably 10, 21 or 28 ball sites. In the front view, the ball site elevating table with various shapes may be rectangular or trapezoid.
When in use, the ball site elevating table is arranged on the ball table on which the sunken ball positions are provided, balls on the ball table are hit to jump up to the top layer table, or balls on the ball seat are hit to impact with the balls on the ball site elevating table. By increasing the number of the layers of the ball site elevating table, the difficulty of ball hitting can be increased.
In the ball game instrument of the present invention, hard balls or soft balls may be separately provided, or both the hard balls and soft balls can be used. The diameter of the hard ball is 20 to 100 mm, the cross section of the soft ball is a circle or approximately circle, and the diameter of the cross section thereof is 30 to 120 mm, preferably 40 to 90 mm. The outer shell of the soft ball is made of fabric, artificial leather, or leather, and is filled with a fluffy material and hard particles. The fluffy material may be polyester fibers. The hard particles may be plastic particles or iron sand. The hard particles may be filled into a small cloth bag, which is sealed and then put into the outer shell, thereby preventing the hard particles from dropping out when the outer shell is broken. The weight of the soft ball may be from 100 g to 3000 g, commonly from 180 g to 340 g, preferably from 240 g to 280 g. The soft ball can be thrown or hit. The soft ball is advantageous over the hard ball in that the soft ball has low vibration and noise, is not likely to move out of the ball table, would not impair the surrounding person or articles when moving out of the table, and would not go far away when landing.
In the present invention, the panel of the ball table can be designed so as to distant from the ground or the bottom of the frame more than 550 mm, so that when being played while sitting down, the legs of the user can be received under the table; and when being played while standing up, the user does not need to bend down too much. Moreover, the present invention can be also used as a mini ball table, in which case the ball stop device, the ball table and the lane are used with a short frame or without a frame (below the circular ball table carousel, there is no frame), and when in use, the ball table can be placed on a table, a chair, a bed, or the like, and when no in used, it can be stored easily.
Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:
(1) Regarding the ball game instrument of the present invention, since the ball table is used with the lane and the ball stop device, the occupied space is only ⅓ to ½ of an ordinary pool table or table tennis table, but the maximum amount of exercise is comparable with a large-scale bowling ball game, and it is more interesting. Also because it occupies less space, it can be introduced into a common family.
(2) The multi-purpose lane of the present invention has a width less than the width or diameter of the ball table. Even when a player stands at the side of the lane, the player is still near the ball hitting axis; the player can hit the ball while standing at the side of the lane, thereby reducing the space to be occupied. When the lane is used with a ball table, the exercise distance, the amount of exercise and the changes in batting skills can be increased; after exercise, the lane is removed so that the occupied space can be greatly reduced. In the case that a variety of ball tables are provided, a multi-purpose lane can be used to reduce the number of lanes so as to save resources and space.
(3) The lane according to the present invention is at an inclination, and functions both as a ball hitting passage and an automatic ball returning passage. The lane according to the present invention is provided with a ball seat higher than the passage, and the ball to be used in the rear end of the passage and the ball to be hit in the ball seat do not interfere with each other. The ball hit out from the ball seat can enter into the ball table through the front end of the passage.
(4) The lane according to the present invention may be used in a desktop type ball table. Different from a floor type ball table suitable for a standing play, the desktop type ball table can be played by standing or sitting. When played by standing, the desktop type ball table is suitable for taking, putting and hitting the ball with less bending down and comfortable action, so that it can be played by a wide range of people. For a sitting player, the ball not hit onto the table will automatically roll back to the rear end of the passage after it drops onto a ramp, thus providing a great convenience. The ball seat according to the present invention is provided with a guide slope at an inclination, so, when the ball is hit in the desktop mode, the possibility that the ball rod hits the ball table can be avoided or reduced so that the ball can be hit easily.
(5) The top board of the ball seat according to the present invention is at an inclination and is lower than the highest end of the guide slope, thereby preventing the ball from dropping off when it is not placed stably
(6) The front end of the enclosure of the lane according to the present invention is at an inclination, thereby preventing the front end of the enclosure from blocking the angled running of the ball and thereby enlarging the area in the ball-hitting direction. No enclosure may be provided at the front end of the foldable channel, thereby further enlarging the area in the ball-hitting direction.
(7) The lane according to the present invention comprises a foldable passage at an adjustable inclination, whereby the surface of the passage can be lowered below the top end of the ball table enclosure, thereby increasing the difficulty of ball hitting. The inclination adjuster provides a plurality of options to suit aground which is not even enough. It is still possible to lengthen the distance of exercise, and after the exercise, the occupied area can be reduced.
(8) In the present invention, a closed enclosure is provided around the ball table, and the ball stop device higher than the enclosure of the hall table is provided, whereby not only the ball can be rolled on the ball table along any direction, but also the ball can be thrown to fly above the ball table, and the ball which is rebound from the ball stop device after being thrown can be hit, thus the play space can be enlarged, the amount of exercise can be increased, and the number of landing points of the ball and the changes in hitting skills can be increased.
(9) The independent ball stop device according to the present invention and the ball table each may be provided with a matting engagement means so that they are connected integrally. The ball table can be used with the ball stop device, or can be used alone. When engaged, a gap is left between the ball stop device and the ball table to make it easy to rotate the ball table. By rotating the ball table, the target ball on any position of the ball table can be aligned with the center axis of the ball stop device to prevent the ball from being hit out of the ball table. If a player standing at one side of the ball table wants to hit the ball on the other side of the ball table, by rotating the ball table, the player does not need to go to the opposite side by bypassing the lane. When the top board side of the ball stop device is of an arc shape, it can be fitted with the round ball table, so as to reduce the possibility that the ball is hit out from the ball table in the forward and oblique directions.
(10) When the rope net type ball stop device according to the present invention has a straight top side and an arc shaped bottom side, the ball will be rebound in different directions when colliding with the different portions of the net, thereby further increasing the variation of the landing point of the ball and the difficulty of ball hitting skills.
(11) In the present invention, the elastic board type ball stop device is provided. When the elastic board is removed and the ball table is closed, the ball table can be used as a desk. The elastic board stand is provided with a enclosure at each side thereof, thereby reducing the possibility that the ball is hit out from the ball table sideways.
(12) In the present invention, the ball table is a rectangular-trapezoidal ball table, the top board of the hole table is at an inclination so that the rear end is higher than the front end, and a material for increasing friction can be applied thereon. Moreover, the width of the top board portion connecting between two holes is greater than the diameter of the provided ball. After hitting, the ball may be stopped on the top board of the hole table and becomes a target ball, thereby providing more play patterns. The panel is at an inclination, so that the used ball may automatically roll back below the ball seat.
A ball stop board may be provided at the position where the ball is most likely landed to protect the rope net. Moreover, since the ball stop board has a less elasticity than the rope net, it helps the ball to be stopped on the top board of the hole table and become a target ball. The trapezoidal panel portion can be changed from the support state to the fold state, thereby reducing the occupied space. In addition to the hitting of balls at the ball seat, a player may also stand at the side of the trapezoidal panel to hit balls towards to the entrance/exit, as the trapezoidal panel has a wide front side and a narrow rear side. Thus, play skills can be enriched. What are described above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and they are not intended to limit the application range of the present invention. All the equivalent changes and modifications made according to the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention should fall within the scope covered by the present patent for an invention.

Claims

1. A ball game instrument comprising:

a ball table, provided with a panel enclosure higher than a panel of the ball table;

a ball stop device, provided on a ball stop face of the ball table, corresponding to and independent of the ball table or mounted on the ball table, the ball stop device being higher than the panel enclosure;

a lane, corresponding to and independent of the ball table, the lane having a width less than the width or diameter of the ball table, the lane further comprising:

a passage at an inclination, the higher end of the passage corresponding to the ball table;

a passage enclosure provided on both sides of the passage and higher than the surface of the passage;

a ball seat provided at the lower end of the passage and distant from the lower end by a certain height which is larger than a diameter of a ball provided for the ball table; and

a guide slope at an inclination and provided at the rear end of the ball seat.

2. The ball game instrument according to claim 1, wherein the passage is movably connected with the ball seat, and an inclination adjuster is provided at the bottom of the passage.

3. The ball game instrument according to claim 1, wherein said passage further comprises a foldable channel provided at the front end of the passage and is connected with the passage in a foldable manner, and an inclination adjuster is provided at the bottom of the foldable channel.

4. The ball game instrument according to claim 2, wherein the inclination adjuster further comprises:

a step-wise adjusting stage fixedly provided at the bottom of the foldable channel;

a supporting board located at the bottom of the foldable channel and connected to a supporting frame of the passage so that the supporting board may be engaged with the different steps of the adjusting stage to support the passage or the foldable channel, so as to allow the lane to present different inclinations.

5. The ball game instrument according to claim 2, wherein the foldable channel or the passage is a rectangular passage or a trapezoidal passage, and when the foldable channel or the passage is a trapezoidal passage, the front end thereof is of an arc shape.

6. The ball game instrument according to claim 2, wherein a supporting means is provided at the bottom of the ball seat to support the ball seat in an operation state.

7. The ball game instrument according to claim 1, wherein the top surface of the ball seat is at an inclination, and the highest point of the top surface is lower than the highest point of the guide slope, and the front end of the passage enclosure is at an inclination.

8. The ball game instrument according to claim 1, wherein the inclination of the passage is from 2° to 15°, preferably from 4° to 8°, and the inclination of the guide slope is from 2° to 45°, preferably from 15° to 35°.

9. The ball game instrument according to claim 1, wherein the ball stop device is a rope net type ball stop device or an elastic board type ball stop device.

10. The ball game instrument according to claim 9, wherein the rope net type ball stop device further comprises:

a ball stop net located at the ball stop face of the ball table; and

a ball stop support on which a steel portal frame is provided, wherein the rope net is hung on the steel portal frame and is fixed so that the top end and both sides of the rope net are in the same plane and the bottom of the rope net is connected to the top of the ball stop support.

11. The ball game instrument according to claim 9, wherein the elastic board type ball stop device further comprises:

a ball stop elastic board located at the ball stop face of the ball table;

a ball stop support on which the ball stop elastic board is provided; and

a ball stop enclosure provided on both sides of the ball stop elastic board, located above the ball stop support and is connected with the ball stop support in a foldable manner.

12. The ball game instrument according to claim 10, wherein said ball stop device and said ball table further comprise: a mating engagement device for engaging the ball stop device with the ball table.

13. The ball game instrument according to claim 1, wherein the ball table comprises a table bank higher than the panel, and the panel enclosure is higher than the table bank, and the panel enclosure is a closed enclosure, the ball table is a round ball table, a square ball table or a round-square ball table, and the panel of the ball table is provided with sunken ball positions.

14. The ball game instrument according to claim 1, wherein the ball table is a rectangular-trapezoidal ball table, and the panel thereof is at an inclination, the rectangular-trapezoidal ball table is provided with a hole table, the top surface of which is at an inclination, and the hole table is provided with at least one hole and is further provided with a ball entrance/exit at the rear end thereof.

15. The ball game instrument according to claim 14, wherein the rectangular-trapezoidal ball table is formed by butting a rectangular panel and a trapezoidal panel in a foldable manner, the top side of the trapezoidal panel corresponds to the lane, and the bottom side of the trapezoidal panel is butted with the rectangular panel, the sides of the trapezoidal panel and the rectangular panel which are butted have the same length.

16. The ball game instrument according to claim 1, wherein the ball table is provided with a ball site elevating table, the ball site elevating table is located on the ball table and includes at least one layer of stage, on the top layer stage of the ball site elevating table is provided with sunken ball positions, the ball table is provided with hard balls and/or soft balls, the soft balls have a circular or approximately circular cross section, the outer shell of the soft ball is made of a soft material, and the fillers inside the soft ball comprise a fluffy material and hard particles.

17. The ball game instrument according to claim 3, wherein the inclination adjuster further comprises:

18. The ball game instrument according to claim 3, wherein the foldable channel or the passage is a rectangular passage or a trapezoidal passage, and when the foldable channel or the passage is a trapezoidal passage, the front end thereof is of an arc shape.

19. The ball game instrument according to claim 11, wherein said ball stop device and said ball table further comprise: a mating engagement device for engaging the ball stop device with the ball table.