DE29910880U1 - Ball track - Google Patents

Description

PATENT ATTORNEYS &Ggr;&Igr;'.'III · ··;

DR. ULRICH OSTERTAG DR. REINHARD OSTERTAG

EIBENWEG 10 D-70597 STUTTGART TEL.+49-71 1-766845 FAX +49-711-7655701

Ball roller track

Applicant: Michael Worbs
Main Street 11

88167 Maierhöfen

Attorney file: 6522.5

TIT.02-096

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Ball track

05

The invention relates to a ball rolling track according to the preamble of claim 1.

Such ball roller tracks are available as children's toys. They have individual channel elements glued to two stands, which have a channel surface running in the longitudinal direction of the part. If you place a ball at the upper end of the ball guide surface formed by the channel elements, it rolls down the channel elements.

These well-known ball rolling tracks have a geometry that is predefined at the factory. They are suitable for small children who enjoy the unchanging rolling of balls. Ball rolling tracks could also serve as toys for older children and adults if they could be designed variably by the user.

A corresponding variably constructed ball track is the subject of claim 1.

Advantageous developments of the invention are specified in subclaims.

0 The development of the invention according to claim 2 has the advantage that the connecting device has only very simple mechanical means and is largely hidden from view, which is advantageous for aesthetic reasons.

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The development of the invention according to claim 3 allows the ball track, when dismantled, to have only smooth-surfaced, compact and easily stowable components.

In a ball track according to claim 4, the column parts can be used in any orientation with respect to their vertical axis. In every position of the column parts, there are mounting holes on the two spaced-apart column parts, which allow the channel elements to be aligned at an angle downwards.

In a ball track according to claim 5, the individual channel elements are securely received between the vertical beams of the upright parts and are also connected to the uprights in a load-bearing manner, since each of their sides is supported.

The development of the invention according to claim 6 allows stands to be placed one above the other and connected one above the other, so that even higher ball tracks can be realized in a stable manner.

5 The development of the invention according to claim 7 allows

It is advisable to use the same connecting pins for assembling the uprights as are used for making connections between the gutter elements and the uprights. 30

The development of the invention according to claim 8 allows ball roller tracks to be realized which have cantilevered sections of the channel elements that project over the posts to different extents. If one sees 5 one of the connecting holes in the vicinity

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one of the ends of the gutter elements, this end of the gutter element is in the area of one of the uprights, while the other end of the gutter element projects freely over the other upright. Such an arrangement of the gutter elements is desirable for aesthetic reasons, and the freely projecting sections of the gutter elements are particularly suitable for creating connections in directions that are inclined to the plane defined by the two uprights, in particular perpendicular to it.

The development of the invention according to claim 9 prevents balls running in the channel elements from undesirably shooting out over the end of a channel element under momentum.

The further development of the invention according to claim 10 is again advantageous with regard to the use of only a small number of component types: connecting pins can thus be used as stop elements, which otherwise serve to connect the channel elements to the stands.

The development of the invention according to claim 11 allows to produce gutter elements of greater length composed of gutter elements of a given length. This is done in a mechanically very simple manner.

The development of the invention according to claim 12 is advantageous with regard to a symmetrical load-bearing capacity of the assembled gutter element.

In a ball track according to claim 13, the channel elements connected to form a composite element can be slightly tilted against each other.

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This compensates for certain mismatches in the room. Especially when combining straight and semi-circular gutter elements, the required gradient can be achieved by changing the rolling direction by 180°.

The development of the invention according to claim 14 is advantageous with regard to easy handling of the connecting pins. In addition, the gripping sections of the connecting pins can also simultaneously form stop elements which form axial stops for the connecting pins that work together with the stands. When used as a stop element, the gripping section of a connecting pin can represent an effective stop for a ball.

Gutter elements as specified in claim 15 allow a change from one gutter surface to another in the vertical direction. Since the ball is not guided during the vertical falling movement, the falling ball can also be easily caught with another gutter element arranged at a lower height, the longitudinal direction of which forms an angle with the longitudinal direction of the gutter element provided with the passage opening, which angle can be e.g. 90°.

With the development of the invention according to claim 16, it is ensured that a ball arriving on the channel surface of a channel element provided with a ball passage opening also safely finds its way into the ball passage opening.

With the development of the invention according to claim 17, the advantage is obtained that the channel element which catches the ball and is located at a lower height has the ball passage opening very close to the upper one.

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the gutter element and yet a ball that has fallen through the ball passage opening can run away freely on the lower gutter element.

In a ball track according to claim 18, two paths can be constructed behind the seesaw, and the seesaw determines on which of these two further paths a ball runs.

The development of the invention according to claim 19 ensures that balls falling onto the seesaw are distributed alternately on one path and then on the other.

The development of the invention according to claim 20 allows the construction of very different ball rolling tracks, whereby the ball running paths can also be selected three-dimensionally in space.

The development of the invention according to claim 21 allows a part of the path traversed by the balls to be realized as a free flight path.

If the gutter elements are designed according to claim 22, on the one hand the unevenness of the gutter surface results in a braking effect, and on the other hand these unevennesses produce a noise.

In a ball track according to claim 23 it is ensured that the balls running down it are automatically braked at the end of the ball path.

Gutter elements as specified in claim 24 are suitable as braking elements and can also form interesting noise sources.

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A channel element as specified in claim 25 can serve as a delay element, since a ball only leaves the ball outlet provided at the lower outlet of the frustoconical ball running surface when it has sufficiently dissipated the kinetic energy it has brought with it. At the same time, the circulation of a ball in this channel element produces a characteristic noise.

The invention is explained in more detail below using exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawing. In this drawing:

Figure 1: a side view of a ball track

with freely projecting sections of gutter elements,

Figure 2: a side view of a channel element of the ball track according to Figure 1;

Figure 3: a plan view of the gutter element according to Figure 2;

Figure 4: a front view of the gutter element according to Figures 2 and 3;

Figure 5: a connection point between two gutter elements placed next to each other in the longitudinal direction of the gutter;

Figure 6: a side view of a connecting pin of the ball track according to Figure 1;

Figure 7: a longitudinal section through a gutter element

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element, which is provided with a ball passage opening at the end;

Figure 8: a transverse section through the channel element according to Figure 7 along the section there

line VIII-VIII;

Figure 9: a longitudinal section through a rocker

forming gutter element;
10

Figure 10: a perspective view of a brake

gutter element;

Figure 11: a top view of two quarter-circle elements of different diameters;

Figure 12: a longitudinal central section through a channel element forming a jump;

Figure 13: a plan view of a channel element defining a spiral ball path;

Figure 14: an axial section through another channel element, which defines a conical ball path;

Figure 15: a perspective view of a semicircular gutter element; and

Figure 16: a plan view of a modified ball track, which can be realized using semicircular channel elements according to Figure 15.

Figure 1 shows a zigzag ball track, which has a total

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marked 10. On it, balls 12 can run downwards in a zigzag path.

The ball track 10 comprises vertical supports 14 and channel elements 16 supported by these, each of which runs obliquely downwards.

The stands 14 each have a front longitudinal beam 18 and a rear longitudinal beam 20. The longitudinal beams 18 and 20 are connected to one another to form a rectangular frame by an upper cross member 22 and a lower cross member 24, respectively.

The cross members 22, 24 each have a coupling bore 26 which allows two stands 14 to be connected one above the other using connecting pins 38', as indicated by dashed lines in Figure 1.

The longitudinal beams 18, 20 each have vertically spaced pairs of connecting holes 30, 31. The spacing of the connecting holes 30, 31 in a pair is selected such that, taking into account the length of the channel elements 16, the connecting line between the upper connecting hole of a pair of the first stand and the lower connecting hole of the equivalent pair of the second stand gives the channel elements 16 a pitch suitable for the ball run. This arrangement of the connecting holes 30, 31 allows zigzag-shaped ball runways to be realized using a uniform stand type.

The channel elements 16 each have two connecting holes 32, 33, one of which (32) is adjacent to one end of the channel element (16), while the other (33) is spaced apart by a distance d from the end of the

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channel element, by which the channel element can then freely project over the stand 14 supporting this end.

The underside of the channel elements 16 is generally flat, as can be seen in Figure 4, while a channel surface 34 is milled into the top of the channel elements 16. Its diameter is typically 10% to 20% larger than the diameter of the balls 12 that are to run on the channel elements. It goes without saying that smaller balls can also be used, which can then oscillate around the lowest point of the channel surface 34 in the transverse direction during their downward movement.

As can be seen from Figure 3, depressions 36 can be milled into the channel surface 34, which impede the movement of the balls 12 on the channel surface 34 and thus slow the balls down. If the balls 12 run over the depressions 36, an interesting noise is also produced. Whether such depressions 36 are provided at all, at what distance they follow one another and which area of a channel element 16 is provided with depressions 36 can be determined differently for the various channel elements, if desired.

Connecting pins, designated 38 in total, are used to fasten the channel elements 16 to the stands 14. These pins have a cylindrical pin section 40 and a spherical gripping section 42 of larger diameter.

The connection between a channel element 16 and a stand 14 is made in such a way that, for example, a 5 connecting pin 3 8 is inserted through the retaining hole 3 0 in the front

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ternal longitudinal beam 18 of this stand, aligning one of the connecting holes 32, 33 with this connecting pin 38 and then pushing the connecting pin 38 through the corresponding connecting hole until it reaches the retaining hole 30 of the rear longitudinal beam 20. In this way, there is a symmetrical transmission of force from the channel elements 16 to the two longitudinal beams of the stands.

As can be seen from Figures 1 to 3, the channel elements 16 have at their ends receiving bores 44 which run downwards perpendicular to the channel surface 34 and have the same diameter as the holding bores 30, 31 and connecting bores 32, 33, so that a connecting pin 38 or, as shown in Figure 1, a stop pin 38' which is similar to this but has a shorter pin section 40 can be inserted into them. This is done in such a way that the gripping section 42 is in the channel surface 34. In this way, a ball 12 which reaches a channel element 16 with momentum coming from a channel element above it cannot leave the end of the channel element below it and must necessarily run downwards on this channel element.

In order to be able to attach channel elements 16 to one another in the longitudinal direction, they have attachment holes 46, 48 which are set back from their end faces and are located symmetrically to the longitudinal center plane of the channel elements 16. To connect two channel elements 16, attachment pins 50 are inserted into the attachment holes 46, 48. Their diameter is selected so that a small gap is obtained between the attachment holes and the outer surface of the attachment pins 50. In practice, this can be about 0.1 to about 0.7, preferably about 0.5 mm.

In this way, the positioning of the gutter elements

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elements in the vertical direction remain essentially unchanged compared to a press fit, but the mutual alignment of the gutter elements placed next to one another can be slightly changed, which is advantageous for a three-dimensional assembly of gutter elements, which can also be semicircular.

Figures 7 and 8 show the end of a modified channel element 16 which enables a direct vertical transition of a ball 12 from a channel element 16' to a channel element 16 located below it. The channel element according to Figures 7 and 8 has, in the vicinity of its end shown in the drawing, a ball passage opening 62 which starts from the channel surface 34 and runs perpendicular to the underside of the channel element. This can be chamfered at least in its section facing the center of the element, as shown at 64, in order to ensure that a ball runs into the ball passage opening 62. Alternatively or additionally, a stop pin 38' inserted into the receiving bore 44 of the channel element in question can ensure that a ball runs safely into the ball passage opening 62.

On its underside, the channel element shown in Figures 7 and 8 is provided with a partially cylindrical milling 6 6 whose axis is aligned perpendicular to the channel surface. This allows a ball to run away after only a short fall on a channel element located below in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the channel surface 34 of the channel element 16 located above.

Figure 9 shows a 16'' channel element which is used as a rocker. It has a single

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lying connecting hole 34, about which the channel element 16'· can be pivoted when it is fastened to one of the stands 14 by means of a connecting pin 38. In the middle, the channel element 16'' which can be used as a seesaw has a hole 68 into which a steering rod 70 is inserted. This guides a ball falling from above through a ball passage opening 62 of a channel element 16' located above the rocker pivot axis to the left or right half of the channel element 16'', depending on the angular position of the channel element 16''. The impact of the ball on the channel element 16'■ causes the channel element 16'' to be pivoted so that the longitudinal rod 70 is brought into a new position which is a mirror image of the vertical of the starting position. In this way, successive balls leave the seesaw alternately to the right or left.

In the braking channel element 16'·' shown in Figure 10, the channel surface 34 with side walls 72, 74 is raised so far that they are higher than the center of the balls 12. The distance between the side walls 72, 74 of the channel element 16''' decreases towards the end of the channel element 16''' to a value that is smaller than the diameter of the balls 12. In this way, the balls are safely braked by the channel element 16''' through a clamping effect.

Instead of straight channel elements as described above, quarter-circular channel elements can also be used, as shown in Figure 11 at 76 and 78, or semi-circular channel elements as shown in Figure 15. Apart from the fact that they are curved, these channel elements have the same structure as the channel elements 16 already described above, but without the connecting holes.

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32 and 33. The attachment pin 50' on the outside of the curve can already be firmly fixed in the gutter element in the case of semi-circular gutter elements. Several semi-circular gutter elements placed next to one another thus produce S-shaped runway sections. When connecting to straight gutter elements, further attachment pins 50 are to be inserted into the attachment holes 46, 48.

Starting from a disk-shaped blank, several of the circular-arc-shaped channel elements 76, 78 with different radii can be produced with practically no waste if the outer diameter of the smaller channel element is chosen to be equal to the inner diameter of the larger channel element.

The channel element 80 shown in Figure 12 has a rising outlet section 82 of its channel surface 34, so that this channel element can be used as a ski jump.

Figure 13 shows another disk-shaped channel element 84, which has a channel surface 34 that spirals to a through-opening 86. A ball can be passed on to a channel element underneath at the through-opening 86. If the through-opening 86 is above a solid base, it serves as a collecting pot for a ball.

In a modification of the embodiment according to Figure 130, the spiral groove surface 34 can also be guided in such a way that the various turns thereof touch one another in the radial direction.

If desired, the disc-shaped channel element 84 can also be positioned slightly inclined to the horizontal,

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so that a ball running on it is additionally accelerated by gravity over half of a revolution or decelerated by running against gravity, whereby the angle of attack of the channel element to the horizontal is selected such that the ball running on the channel element is still safely guided through the channel surface.

In Figure 14, a further channel element 88 is shown in axial section, the outer surface of which is cylindrical and which has a frustoconical ball running surface 90 on its inner side.

At the lower end of the ball running surface 90, a ball outlet 92 is provided through which a ball can move with radial play.

To feed balls to the upper end of the ball running surface 90, a tangential channel section 94 is provided, which has a similar cross-sectional geometry to a channel element 16. The channel surface 34 of the channel section 94 intersects the ball running surface 90 as shown at 96. Because the channel section 94 is offset slightly downwards 5 from the upper end of the channel element 8 8, additional lateral guidance of the ball is obtained when a ball runs into the ball running surface 90.

With the semicircular channel elements 76 shown in Figure 15, two or more ball track units similar to the one shown in Figure 1 can be linked in space: In the embodiment shown in Figure 16, a first ball track 10 is connected at a first height via a channel element 76 to a second ball track 10'. This is connected at a second,

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lower height via a channel element 76 again connected to the ball track 10.

If quarter-circular channel elements 76 are used instead of semicircular channel elements 76 to link two ball tracks 10 and 10', the ball tracks 10 and 10' are linked together at an angle of 90° when viewed from above. If a rocker channel element 16'' as shown in Figure 9 is provided in front of a channel element 76 that achieves such a spatial link, the path of a ball on a ball track arrangement formed by ball tracks 10 and 10' can be alternately switched again.

From the few examples given, it is clear that a variety of different ball track and ball track arrangements can be realized by the user with the described channel elements.

Preferably, the parts of the ball track described above are wooden parts; however, designs with plastic injection-molded parts are also conceivable.

Claims (25)

1. Ball roller track with at least two uprights ( 14 ) and with a plurality of channel elements ( 16 ) which are supported at an incline by the uprights, characterized in that the channel elements ( 16 ) are supported by the uprights ( 14 ) via detachable connecting devices. 2. Ball roller track according to claim 1, characterized in that the connecting devices comprise transverse connecting bores ( 32 , 33 ) provided in the channel elements ( 16 ), which do not intersect the channel surface ( 34 ), and connecting pins ( 38 ) carried by the uprights ( 14 ). 3. Ball roller track according to claim 2, characterized in that the support parts ( 14 ) have retaining bores ( 30 , 31 ) for the connecting pins ( 38 ). 4. Ball roller track according to claim 3, characterized in that the support parts ( 14 ) have a plurality of vertically spaced pairs of retaining bores ( 30 , 31 ). 5. Ball roller track according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the stands 14 each have two spaced parallel beams ( 18 , 20 ) which are connected to form a frame by cross members ( 22 , 24 ). 6. Ball roller track according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the stands ( 14 ) have vertical coupling bores ( 26 ) at their upper and lower ends. 7. Ball roller track according to one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that the diameter of the coupling bores ( 26 ) and the diameter of the holding bores ( 30 , 31 ) are the same size. 8. Ball roller track according to one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that the connecting bores ( 32 , 33 ) in the channel elements ( 16 ) are arranged asymmetrically with respect to their transverse center plane, wherein preferably one of the connecting bores ( 32 , 33 ) is adjacent to one of the ends of the channel element ( 16 ). 9. Ball roller track according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that at least some of the channel elements ( 16 ) are provided at their end sections with receiving bores ( 44 ) for stop elements ( 38 ; 38 '). 10. Ball roller track according to claim 9 in conjunction with claim 2, characterized in that the diameters of the receiving bores ( 44 ) are equal to the diameter of the connecting bores ( 32 , 33 ). 11. Ball roller track according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the channel elements ( 16 ) are provided in their end faces with attachment holes ( 46 , 48 ) into which attachment pins ( 50 ) can be inserted. 12. Ball roller track according to claim 11, characterized in that the channel elements ( 16 ) have in their end faces two attachment holes ( 46 , 48 ) arranged symmetrically to the longitudinal center surface of the channel elements ( 16 ). 13. Ball roller track according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the attachment pins ( 50 ) can be inserted into the attachment bores ( 46 , 48 ) with a clearance fit. 14. Ball roller track according to one of claims 2 to 13, characterized in that the connecting pins ( 38 ) have a gripping section ( 42 ) with an enlarged diameter. 15. Ball rolling track according to one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that at least one of the channel elements ( 16 ) has a ball passage opening ( 62 ) running perpendicular to its underside. 16. Ball rolling track according to claim 15, characterized in that the edge of the ball passage opening ( 62 ) is partially chamfered at least towards the center of the channel element ( 16 ) and/or a stop pin ( 38 ') is provided behind the ball passage opening ( 62 ) as seen in the direction of movement of the ball. 17. Ball rolling track according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that the underside of the channel element ( 16) provided with a ball passage opening (62 ) has a partially cylindrical recess ( 64 ), the cylinder axis of the latter extending transversely to the axis of the channel surface ( 34 ). 18. Ball roller track according to one of claims 1 to 17, characterized by at least one rocker channel element ( 16 ") which has a connecting bore ( 32 ) located at its center. 19. Ball roller track according to claim 18, characterized in that the rocker channel element ( 16 ") has a steering element ( 70 ) extending vertically upwards from the channel surface ( 34 ). 20. Ball roller track according to one of claims 1 to 19, characterized in that among the channel elements ( 16 ) there are straight channel elements of different lengths and/or curved channel elements with different radii. 21. Ball rolling track according to one of claims 1 to 20, characterized in that among the channel elements there is one ( 80 ) whose channel surface ( 34 ) has a section ( 82 ) forming a ramp. 22. Ball rolling track according to one of claims 1 to 21, characterized in that at least some of the channel elements ( 16 ) are provided with unevennesses ( 36 ) at least on some of their channel surfaces ( 34 ). 23. Ball roller track according to one of claims 1 to 22, characterized in that there is at least one braking channel element ( 80 ) among the channel elements. 24. Ball rolling track according to one of claims 1 to 24, characterized in that among the channel elements there is at least one ( 84 ) which has a spiral channel surface ( 34 ), the inner end of the spiral channel surface ( 34 ) preferably being connected to a through opening ( 86 ). 25. Ball rolling track according to one of claims 1 to 24, characterized in that among the channel elements there is at least one ( 88 ) which has a frustoconical ball running surface ( 90 ), wherein a channel surface ( 34 ) opens into the upper end of the ball running surface ( 90 ), while a ball outlet ( 92 ) is provided at the lower end of the ball running surface ( 90 ).