Mini Basketball

Mini Basketball sketch

This is a toy that plays basketball. It is called Beat Me. It follows the principles of cam mechanism and stored spring energy. As you rotate the driver the pear shaped cam starts rotating this causes a periodic motion of the rod resting on it as it comes in contact with the narrow and broad part of the pear shaped cam. The rod is pivoted at the center which cause a see-saw motion on the other end of the rod is a hammer right below the hammer is a spring in the shape of an eight. On one of the circles rests three balls and the other circle is right below the hammer. As the hammer hits the spring the spring compressed. As the hammer moves up the spring jumps up causing the balls to jump out of the opening above it and bounce into the basket. The balls have to be reloaded through the same opening as they jump out. It is in a transparent plastic box so children can actually see how these mechanisms work. It is obviously for children below the age of 4; before they actually start playing the game.

Safety is not an issue with this toy as everything is within the box and the balls are made of rubber. All one requires to do is turn the driver. The toy is actually very cheap because it is mainly made of plastic except for the hammer which would probably be made of some metal so that there is enough force on the spring when it hits it. It shouldn’t cost more than $ 10. This could actually be scaled to any size so the cost would vary slightly based on the size.