Shuttlecock automatic collecting and supplying apparatus

Abstract

An automatic shuttlecock collecting and supplying apparatus including: a shuttlecock storage hopper that has a exit hole at the end of the bottom and having the bottom inclined toward the exit hole; a launching tube unit that temporarily keeps one shuttlecock and includes at least two rotary launching tubes; a launching unit that launches shuttlecocks in the launching tubes forward by striking the shuttlecocks; a shuttlecock supply unit that is disposed behind the launching tubes and supplies shuttlecocks into an aligned launching tube; and a conveyer unit that connects the exit hole and the shuttlecock supply unit to convey the shuttlecocks in the shuttlecock storage unit to the shuttlecock supply unit.

1 . An automatic shuttlecock collecting and supplying apparatus, comprising:
 a shuttlecock storage hopper that has an exit hole at the end of the bottom and having the bottom inclined toward the exit hole;   a launching tube unit that temporarily keeps one shuttlecock and includes at least two rotary launching tubes;   a launching unit that launches shuttlecocks in the launching tubes forward by striking the shuttlecocks;   a shuttlecock supply unit that is disposed behind the launching tubes and supplies shuttlecocks into an aligned launching tube; and   a conveyer unit that connects the exit hole and the shuttlecock supply unit to convey the shuttlecocks in the shuttlecock storage unit to the shuttlecock supply unit.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a suction motor that communicates with the inside of the shuttlecock storage hopper is coupled to the shuttlecock storage hopper and a collecting pipe communicates with the inside of the shuttlecock storage hopper and sucks shuttlecocks from the outside using power from the suction motor. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the shuttlecock storage hopper includes a discharging roller disposed close to the exit hole and taking shuttlecocks inside by rotating. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the shuttlecock storage hopper includes a vibration motor disposed close to the exit hole and vibrates the bottom of the shuttlecock storage hopper. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein a cover is hinged to the bottom of the shuttlecock storage hopper to open and close the exit hole, is turned by its own weight to open the exit hole, and is turned by suction force from the suction motor to close the exit hole. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the launching tube unit includes: a rotary shaft unit that is disposed at the center of launching tubes radially arranged and is coupled to the launching tubes; a launching pipe motor that is coupled to the rotary shaft unit and transmits torque; and a first launching site that is coupled to the launching tube motor and is aligned with the launching tubes ahead of the launching tubes. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein fixing pins for fixing shuttlecocks to be supplied to the shuttlecock supply unit are formed on the inner sides of the launching tubes. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the launching unit includes a first cylinder gun physically striking shuttlecocks, an air gun pneumatically striking shuttlecocks, and a gun selector coupled to the first cylinder gun and the air gun, and rotating such that any one of the first cylinder gun and the air gun is aligned behind a launching tube aligned with the first launching site. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the first launching site includes an air injector coupled to a compressor of the first cylinder gun and injecting air forward in the first launching site. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the shuttlecock supply unit includes: a main tube that is connected to the conveyer unit and keeps a plurality of shuttlecocks in series; a tip that is formed at the front end of the main tube, has a supply hole for shuttlecocks, and decreases in diameter as it goes to the supply hole; and a magnetic field generator that is mounted on the main tube and pushes the shuttlecocks kept in series one by one forward. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the conveyer unit includes:
 a slide unit that is disposed under the exit hole, includes at least two rails inclined in parallel with each other at a predetermined gap for holding shuttlecocks discharged from the exit hole, first conveyers that are disposed at both sides of the ends of the rails and push the heads of shuttlecocks, and a vibration motor that is coupled to a support plate of the conveyer and vibrates the rails;   a conveying unit that includes a second conveyer including a conveyer belt disposed at an angle close to the ends of the rails and conveying shuttlecocks using friction on the heads of the shuttlecocks from the slide unit, and a guide roller disposed at the end of the second conveyer and guiding the shuttlecocks conveyed by the conveyer belt; and   a conveying tube that has an end disposed close to an end of the conveying unit and the other end connected to the shuttlecock supply unit, and having magnetic field generators at predetermined positions.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the launching tube unit and the launching unit are fixed to the bottom of the stage. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein lateral rails are disposed under the stage, and sliding blocks are mounted on the rails, are coupled to the shuttlecock supply unit, and slide on the rails. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein a second cylinder gun is disposed under the stage and a second launching site is mounted on the rails and moves on the rails to be aligned with the second cylinder gun ahead of the second cylinder gun. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , further comprising a launching position adjustment unit including:
 a main block that is coupled to the housing;   a lateral actuator that includes a first pinion actuator coupled to the main block and a first rack bar coupled to the stage, laterally disposed, and engaged with a pinion of the first pinion actuator; and   a tilting actuator that includes a second pinion actuator coupled to the housing, a rotary cylinder laterally coupled to the main block, and a second rack bar circumferentially mounted on the rotary cylinder and engaged with a pinion of the second pinion actuator.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising an elevating unit including:
 at least two variable bodies that each include an outer pipe disposed at corners of the housing and an inner pipe disposed inside the outer pipe to be vertically movable and coupled to wheels at the lower ends; and   a lifting guide mechanism that includes a lifting motor disposed on the bottom of the housing, pulleys rotatably disposed on the bottom of the housing and positioned at left and right sides of the lifting motor, a first wire wound clockwise around a rotary shaft of the motor and connected to the upper end of the inner pipe of any one of the variable bodies through the pulleys, and a second wire wound counterclockwise around the rotary shaft of the motor and connected to the upper end of the inner pipe of the other variable body through the pulleys.