Method and apparatus for determining the performance of sports bats and similar equipment
First Claim
1. A method of determining a performance of a first object comprising known characteristics of a Moment of Inertia, a weight, and a location of a Center of Mass, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) causing an impact between the first object and a second object so as to cause the first object to rebound, the second object having known physical characteristics including a known Coefficient of Restitution, and a predetermined velocity relative to the first object just before the impact;
(b) measuring the velocity of the first object during the rebound thereof from the impact;
(c) determining a Coefficient of Restitution between the first and second objects using the rebound velocity of the first object measured in step (b) and the predetermined velocity of the second object; and
(d) determining a performance factor for the first object from the known characteristics of the second object and the Coefficient of Restitution between the first and second objects determined in step (c).
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for determining the performance of a first piece of sport equipment mounts the first piece of sports equipment such as a bat, golf club, tennis racket, or hockey stick having known characteristics of a Moment of Inertia, a weight, and a location of a Center of Mass for impact by a second piece of sports equipment which has a known Coefficient of Restitution in a mounting device. The mounting device is arranged to freely move the first piece of sports equipment from a predetermined starting position when the first piece of sports equipment is impacted substantially at a center of a predetermined impact area thereof by the second piece of sports equipment moving at a velocity "v". A measuring device measures (a) the velocity "v" of the second piece of sports equipment propelled at the center of a predetermined impact area, and (b) the rebound velocity "V" of the first piece of sports equipment as the first piece of sports equipment moves after it has been impacted by the second piece of sports equipment. The known characteristics of the first and second pieces of sports equipment and the rebound velocity of the first piece of sports equipment and the velocity of the second piece of sports equipment are used to determine a Coefficient of Restitution (COR) between the first and second pieces of sports equipment, and a performance factor for the first piece of sports equipment.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method of determining a performance of a first object comprising known characteristics of a Moment of Inertia, a weight, and a location of a Center of Mass, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) causing an impact between the first object and a second object so as to cause the first object to rebound, the second object having known physical characteristics including a known Coefficient of Restitution, and a predetermined velocity relative to the first object just before the impact; (b) measuring the velocity of the first object during the rebound thereof from the impact; (c) determining a Coefficient of Restitution between the first and second objects using the rebound velocity of the first object measured in step (b) and the predetermined velocity of the second object; and (d) determining a performance factor for the first object from the known characteristics of the second object and the Coefficient of Restitution between the first and second objects determined in step (c). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method of determining a performance of a first object comprising a known Moment of Inertia about a predetermined rotation point impacting a second object which has known characteristics including a known Coefficient of Restitution, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) rotatably mounting the first object at the predetermined rotation point; (b) causing the first and second objects to have essentially non-spin impact so as to cause the first object to rotate and the second object to rebound after the impact; (c) measuring the velocity of the second object relative to the first object before the impact of the two objects; (d) measuring the velocity of the first object after impact with the second object; (e) determining the Coefficient of Restitution between the first and second objects using the measured velocities from steps (c) and (d); and (f) determining a performance factor for the first object from the known characteristics of the second object and the Coefficient of Restitution between the first and second objects.
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6. A method of determining a performance of a first piece of sports equipment having a Moment of Inertia "I" about a predetermined axis of rotation thereof that is used to strike a second piece of sports equipment having a weight "w" and a predetermined Coefficient of Restitution comprising:
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(a) mounting the first piece of sports equipment at the predetermined axis of rotation thereof in a mounting means, the mounting means being arranged to allow the first piece of sports equipment to freely rotate from a stationary predetermined starting position when the first piece of sports equipment is impacted substantially normal to a longitudinal axis thereof and substantially at a center of a predetermined impact area thereof by the second piece of sports equipment; (b) causing the second piece of sports equipment to be propelled with a velocity "v" at the center of the predetermined impact area of the first piece of sports equipment; (c) measuring the velocity "v" of the second piece of sports equipment with a first measuring means; and (d) measuring the velocity "V" of the first piece of sports equipment with a second measuring means as the first piece of sports equipment rotates about its axis of rotation from being impacted by the second piece of sports equipment for determining a Coefficient of Restitution between the first piece of sports equipment and the second piece of sports equipment, and a performance factor of the first piece of sports equipment. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A system for determining a performance of a first object comprising known characteristics comprising a Moment of Inertia, a weight, and a location of a Center of Mass, the system comprising:
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impact causing means for causing an impact between the first object and a second object so as to cause the first object to rebound, the second object having known physical characteristics including a known Coefficient of Restitution, and a predetermined velocity relative to the first object just before the impact; and measuring means for measuring the velocity of the first object during the rebound thereof from the impact such that a Coefficient of Restitution between the first object and the second object can be determined, and a performance factor for the first object can be determined from the known characteristics of the second object and the Coefficient of Restitution between the first object and second objects. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. A system for determining a performance of a first object comprising a known Moment of Inertia impacting a second object which has known characteristics including a known Coefficient of Restitution, the system comprising:
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mounting means for rotatably mounting the first object such that the first object will rotate when the first and second objects impact each other; means for causing the second object to have a non-spinning impact with the first object so as to cause the first object to rotate and the second object to rebound after impact; first measuring means for measuring the velocity of the second object relative to the first object before the impact of the two objects; and second measuring means for measuring the velocity of the first object after impact with the second object so as to determine a performance factor for the first object.
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17. A system for determining a performance of a first piece of sports equipment having a known Moment of Inertia "I" about a predetermined axis of rotation thereof that is used to strike a second piece of sports equipment having a weight "w" during the playing of a sports game comprising:
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mounting means for mounting the first piece of sports equipment at the predetermined axis of rotation thereof, the mounting means being arranged to freely rotate the first piece of sports equipment from a stationary predetermined starting position when the first piece of sports equipment is impacted substantially normal to a longitudinal axis thereof and substantially at a center of a predetermined impact area thereof by the second piece of sports equipment moving at a velocity "v"; and measuring means for measuring (a) the velocity "v" of the second piece of sports equipment propelled at the center of a predetermined impact area, and (b) the velocity "V" of the first piece of sports equipment as the first piece of sports equipment rotates about its axis of rotation after it has been impacted by the second piece of sports equipment for determining a Coefficient of Restitution between the first piece of sports equipment and the second piece of sports equipment, and for determining a performance factor for the first piece of sports equipment. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A gas cannon for propelling an object placed therein comprising:
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a structure having sidewalls which define a bore having a cross-section that is selected so as to facilitate movement of the object through a portion thereof; a piston arranged for movement within the bore with a surface thereof having a contour shaped to cradle the object when the object is propelled out of the bore after being placed therein; accelerating means for causing the piston to be accelerated so as to cause the object to be cradled on the surface of the piston and propelled out of the bore without touching the sidewalls of the bore and with substantially no spin thereon; and decelerating means for subsequently causing the piston to be decelerated. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
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27. A gas cannon for propelling an object placed therein comprising:
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a tube having sidewalls which define a longitudinal bore, and an inlet port at a first end of the tube for selectively receiving a gas into the bore, the size of the bore being selected so as to allow the object to be placed therein; first and second pistons being coupled together by a coupling member and being disposed within the bore of the tube for longitudinal movement with the first piston being located closer to the inlet port than the second piston, the second piston comprising a major surface for cradling the object such that when the object is propelled from the bore the object does not touch the sides of the bore; a baffle comprising an outer surface which fixedly engages the surface of the bore of the tube at a predetermined location to divide the bore into two parts, the baffle defining an aperture through which the coupling member is able to move when the first piston is caused to move by the gas entering the inlet port of the tube. - View Dependent Claims (28)
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Specification