Soft Rod, Mounting Structure and Picking Device

The present application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202421012867.4, filed on Jun. 7, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

The present application relates to the technical field of sports equipment, and in particular, to a soft rod, a mounting structure and a picking device.

As people's quality of life improves, more and more people are passionately interested in fitness sports, and ball sports have become people's first choice, such as table tennis, tennis, golf, etc. When playing ball sports, in order to maintain the continuity of ball sports, many balls are usually prepared for alternating play, but when the ball falls to a distance, it is necessary to pick it up by hand, which is a waste of time, so a ball picker came into being.

The related art discloses a ball picker, including a basket, a rotatably-connected bracket and a handle. The basket includes a plurality of elastic ropes and mounting plates on both sides. The two ends of the rotatably-connected bracket are rotatably connected to the mounting plates on both sides, and the handle is connected to the rotatably-connected bracket. The user can push the rotatably-connected bracket through the handle to drive the basket to rotate, thereby picking up balls. The basket of the ball picker is usually only fixed by setting a clamping tooth on the mounting plate, and the end of the elastic rope is clamped by the clamping tooth. However, since the basket needs to rotate during the ball picking process, the elastic rope is easily detached from the clamping tooth, resulting in the elastic rope being unable to pick up the ball, affecting the user experience.

In view of this, the present application provides a soft rod, a mounting structure and a picking device, which aims to solve the problem that the elastic rope of the ball picker in the related art is easy to fall off from the clamping teeth, thus affecting the ball picking work.

Firstly, the present application provides a soft rod, applied to a picking device. The picking device includes a first mounting structure and a second mounting structure; the first mounting structure is connected to one end of the soft rod, and the second mounting structure is connected to the other end of the soft rod. At least one end of the soft rod is provided with at least two bending portions; a bending portion close to the end is bent into a hook shape, and the at least two of the bending portions are configured to snap with the first mounting structure and/or the second mounting structure.

Beneficial effect: by providing at least two bending portions at the at least one end of the soft rod, the soft rod can be clamped with the first mounting structure and/or the second mounting structure by the bending portions, so that the end of the soft rod has at least two clamping points for fixing, thereby improving the fixation between the soft rod and the first mounting structure and the second mounting structure, preventing the soft rod from falling off during the operation of the picking device, and improving the user experience.

In some embodiments, both ends of the soft rod are provided with the at least two bending portions, and the at least two bending portions are configured to snap with the first mounting structure and the second mounting structure.

Beneficial effect: by providing bending portions at both ends of the soft rod, the fixing firmness of both ends of the soft rod can be improved at the same time.

In some embodiments, two bending portions are provided; the bending portion close to the end is bent into a hook shape, and the other bending portion is in a convex shape.

Secondly, the present application provides a mounting structure applied to a picking device and mounted at least one end of the above-mentioned soft rod. The mounting structure is provided with at least two mounting spaces; the at least two mounting spaces are provided at intervals on the mounting structure, and the mounting spaces are configured to one-to-one match with the bending portions at each end of the soft rod to snap with the bending portion.

Beneficial effect: by providing the mounting space matching the bending portion of the soft rod on the mounting structure, it is convenient to assemble the mounting structure with the soft rod, and the firmness of the soft rod fixation can be ensured, thereby preventing the soft rod from falling off when the picking device is working.

In some embodiments, the mounting structure is provided with a plurality of mounting areas; each of the mounting areas is provided with the at least two mounting spaces, and the mounting areas are provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the soft rod.

Beneficial effect: by providing a plurality of mounting areas on one mounting structure, it is convenient to fix and connect a plurality of soft rods on one mounting structure, and the overall structure is more compact.

In some embodiments, two mounting spaces are provided on each mounting area.

In some embodiments, the mounting space includes a mounting hole and a mounting groove; the mounting hole is provided at an inner side of the mounting groove; the mounting hole is configured to snap with the bending portion close to the end; and the mounting groove is configured to snap with the other bending portion.

Beneficial effect: by providing the mounting space to include a mounting hole and a mounting groove, the bending portion near the end can be easily inserted into the mounting hole for snap-in connection, while the other bending portion can be easily snap-in connected to the mounting groove, which makes the snap-in connection firm and easy to assemble.

Thirdly, the present application provides a picking device, including a plurality of the above-mentioned soft rods; and the above-mentioned mounting structure connected to at least one end of the soft rod.

Beneficial effect: because the picking device includes the above-mentioned soft rod and mounting structure, it has the same technical effect as the above-mentioned soft rod and mounting structure, which will not be repeated here.

In some embodiments, the mounting structure includes the first mounting structure and the second mounting structure; the first mounting structure is connected to one end of the soft rod, and the second mounting structure is connected to the other end of the soft rod; two ends of each soft rod are provided with at least two bending portions.

In some embodiments, the mounting structure includes a mounting portion; the mounting portion is provided with a plurality of mounting areas, and the mounting areas are provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the soft rod.

The realization of the purpose, functional characteristics and advantages of the present application will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings in combination with embodiments. The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present application. It is obvious that the embodiments to be described are only some rather than all the embodiments of the present application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present application without creative efforts should fall within the scope of the present application.

The following describes an embodiment of the present application in conjunction withto.

In some embodiments of the present application, a soft rod refers to a rod-shaped or wire-shaped element that can undergo elastic deformation when subjected to external forces. This allows the size of the gap “G” between two adjacent soft rods to change. When a spherical object, such as a golf ball or nut, is squeezed into the gap “G” between adjacent soft rods, the soft rods deform elastically, causing the gap “G” to widen. This allows the spherical object, such as the golf ball or nut, to pass through the gap “G” smoothly. Once the spherical object has passed through, the adjacent soft rods return to their original shape due to elastic recovery, thereby restoring the gap to its original size. For a more detailed description, please refer to the text below. The material of the soft rod can be plastic, fiber, metal, or a combination thereof.

A soft rod is provided on a picking device, the picking device including a first mounting structureand a second mounting structure. The first mounting structureand the second mounting structureare respectively connected to the two ends of the soft rod. At least one end of the soft rod is provided with at least two bending portions, and the bending portionnear the end is bent into a hook shape. The at least two bending portionsare configured to snap with the first mounting structureand/or the second mounting structure. The soft rod may be a steel wire rod, carbon fiber rod, or plastic rod.

By arranging at least two bending portionsat the at least one end of the soft rod, the soft rodcan be clamped with the first mounting structureand/or the second mounting structureby the bending portion, so that the ends of the soft rod are fixed with at least two clamping points. Thus, the fixation between the soft rodand the first mounting structureand/or the second mounting structureis improved, preventing the soft rodfrom falling off during the operation of the picking device, and improving the user experience.

Specifically, as shown inand, two bending portionsare respectively provided at both ends of the soft rodin these embodiments, and the two bending portionsare configured to snap with the first mounting structureand the second mounting structure. Among the two bending portionsat each end, the bending portionclose to the end is bent into a hook shape, and the other bending portionis convex. By providing the bending portionsat both ends of the soft rod, the fixing firmness of the two ends of the soft rodcan be improved at the same time. In some embodiments, it is also possible that only one end of the soft rodis provided with two bending portionsor more bending portions. In some embodiments, more bending portionsmay be respectively provided at both ends of the soft rod.

In some embodiments of the present application, a mounting structure is provided on the picking device. The mounting structure is connected to at least one end of the soft rod. At least two mounting spaces are provided on the mounting structure, and the at least two mounting spaces are provided at intervals on the mounting structure. The mounting space is configured to one-to-one snap with the bending portionat one end of each soft rod.

By providing a mounting space matching the bending portion of the soft rod on the mounting structure, it is convenient to assemble the mounting structure with the soft rod, and the fixation firmness of the soft rod can be ensured, so as to prevent the soft rod from falling off when the picking device is working.

As shown in, the mounting structure in these embodiments is provided with a plurality of mounting areas, each of which is provided with two mounting spaces, and the mounting areas are arranged one-to-one with the soft rods. By providing a plurality of mounting areas on a mounting structure, it is convenient to fix and connect a plurality of soft rods to a mounting structure, and the overall structure is more compact. In some embodiments, it is also possible that more mounting spaces are provided on each mounting area, and the specific number of the mounting spaces is not limited, as long as they correspond one-to-one with the bending portion at one end of each soft rod.

The two mounting spaces are provided at intervals along the radial direction of the mounting structure, specifically including a mounting holeand a mounting groove. The mounting holeis provided on the inner side of the mounting groove, the mounting holeis configured to snap with the bending portionnear the end, and the mounting grooveis configured to snap with another bending portion. Specifically, the mounting holeis a through hole, and the mounting grooveis a through groove. By setting the two mounting spaces to include the mounting holeand the mounting groove, the bending portionon the soft rodnear the free end is inserted into the mounting holeto prevent the soft rodfrom slipping out of the mounting hole. The other bending portionis clamped in the mounting groove, so that the soft rodcan be further fixed and the reliability is improved.

In some embodiments of the present application, it provides a picking device including a plurality of the above-mentioned soft rods, and the above-mentioned mounting structure. The mounting structure is connected to at least one end of the soft rod.

As shown in, the mounting structure in these embodiments includes a first mounting structureand a second mounting structure. The first mounting structureand the second mounting structureare respectively connected to the two ends of the soft rod, and two bending portions are respectively provided at the two ends of each soft rod.

The first mounting structure, the second mounting structureand the soft rodtogether constitute a basketof the picking device.

The picking device in these embodiments is a ball picker. The basketsqueezes and deforms the two adjacent soft rodson it through the ball, and at the same time, under the elastic squeezing force between the ball and the two soft rods, the ball is collected into the cavity of the basketto pick up the ball. In some embodiments, it can also be that the picking device is used to pick up other items similar to balls.

The soft rodis an elastic soft rod, and in an embodiment, the soft rodcan be a highly elastic stainless steel wire.

As shown in, the mounting portionin these embodiments is a circular mounting plate. In some embodiments, it can also be that the mounting portionis a square mounting plate, or other shapes, and there is no excessive restriction here.

The mounting structure in these embodiments includes a cover plate, which is fixedly connected to the outer side of the mounting portion. Specifically, as shown in, the cross section of the cover plateis a circular plate, and the cover plateis connected to the mounting portionby three screws. In some embodiments, the cover plateand the mounting portioncan be fixedly connected by a snap connection, or by a magnetic attraction, or by other methods, and no excessive restrictions are made here.

As shown into, two mounting spaces are provided on each mounting area in these embodiments, and two bending portionsare respectively provided at both ends of each soft rod. By providing two mounting spaces on each mounting area, two bending portionsare respectively provided at both ends of each soft rod, so that the fixing is firm and the manufacturing and assembly are convenient. In some embodiments, three or more mounting spaces may be provided on each mounting area, and corresponding numbers of bending portionsmay be provided at both ends of each soft rod, but the more mounting spaces on each mounting area and the more bending portionsat the ends of each soft rod, the more difficult the production and assembly will be, but the firmness will be higher.

The size of the mounting space in these embodiments matches the size of the bending portionprovided thereto. By matching the size of the mounting space with the size of the bending portionprovided thereto, the bending portioncan be more firmly connected in the mounting space. In some embodiments, the size of the mounting space may be slightly larger than the size of the bending portion.

As shown inand, the picking device in these embodiments includes a rotatably-connected bracketand a handle. The two ends of rotatably-connected bracketare rotatably connected to the first mounting structureand the second mounting structurerespectively; and the handleis fixedly connected to the rotatably-connected bracket.

The rotatably-connected bracketis provided in an arc shape, and the two ends are respectively inserted into the mounting holes in the middle of the first mounting structureand the second mounting structureto realize the rotatable connection.

In order to facilitate the assembly of the rotatably-connected bracketand the handle, the picking device in these embodiments includes a connector, which is fixedly connected to the rotatably-connected bracket. The connectoris connected to the handle. In some embodiments, it is also possible that the connectoris not provided, but the handleis directly fixedly connected to the rotatably-connected bracket.

In these embodiments, the relative position between the connectorand the handleis adjustable, and the extension length of the handlecan be adjusted, which has wider applicability. Specifically, as shown in, the connectorand one end of the handleare respectively provided with two connection holes, and the connectorand one end of the handlecan be connected to the position inby two fastenerssuch as screws, or one end of the handlecan be connected to the connection hole of the connectoraway from the rotatably-connected bracketby only one fixing member fastener, so that the placement position and extension length of the handlecan be fine-tuned. In some embodiments, it is also possible that more connection holes are respectively provided at one end of the connectorand the handle. In some embodiments, the connectormay be configured to include a telescopic structure, and the connection position of one end of the handlemay be adjusted by telescoping the telescopic structure.

As shown in, the handlein these embodiments includes a plurality of holding members, and adjacent holding members are detachably connected. By setting the handleto include a plurality of holding members, and adjacent holding members are detachably connected, the user can freely install different numbers of holding members according to needs, and then adjust the extension length of the handleto improve the user experience. In some embodiments, it is also possible that the handleincludes only one holding member, and the extension length of the handleis not adjustable.

The holding member includes a first holding member, a second holding membersleeved on the outside of the first holding member, and a lock structureprovided on the outside of the second holding member. The lock structurehas a fixed state of fixedly connecting the first holding memberand the second holding member, and an unlocked state of separating the first holding memberand the second holding member. By configuring the holding member to include a first holding member, a second holding memberand a lock structure, adjacent holding members can be easily assembled and disassembled, and the structure is relatively simple.

Specifically, as shown in, the first holding memberand the second holding memberare both round tubes, and a rotatable latchis provided on the lock structure. The lock structureis clamped on the outer side of the second holding member, and two elastic protrusionsare provided on the inner side of the lock structure. The second holding memberis provided with holes at positions corresponding to the protrusions, the protrusionsare protruded inwardly from the corresponding holes of the second holding member, and the first holding memberis provided with two locking holes. During assembly, when the first holding memberand the second holding memberare in the connection position, the protrusionswill be inserted into the locking holes, so that the first holding memberand the second holding memberare connected. The holding memberis fixedly connected, and the latchof the lock structurecan be buckled at this time to realize the fixed state of the first holding memberand the second holding member. When disassembly, the latchof the structure can be rotated to open first, and then the protrusioncan be pulled out of the locking hole by external force, thereby realizing the unlocked state of separating the first holding memberand the second holding member.

As shown in, in this embodiment, the end of the handleaway from the connectoris provided with a gripping portion, which is convenient for the user to hold. In some embodiments, the gripping portionmay not be provided on the handle, and the user may directly hold the handle.

Although the embodiments of the present application are described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art may make various modifications and variations without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application, and such modifications and variations are all within the scope defined by the appended claims.