Strong, lightweight article containing a fine-grained metallic layer

• US 7,591,745 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2007
• Issued: 09/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Integran Technologies Incorporated (Analog Devices, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Integran Technologies Incorporated (Analog Devices, Inc.)
• Inventors: McCrea, Jonathan, Tomantschger, Klaus, Panagiotopoulos, Konstantinos, Limoges, Dave, Erb, Uwe, Palumbo, Gino, Brooks, Iain
• Primary Examiner(s): Graham; Mark S
• Application Number:
  US12/000,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20080119307A1
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 473316-323, 473/457, 473/519, 473/520, 473564-568, 205/50, 205/67, 205/73, 205/80, 205/164, 205/255, 205/261, 205/271, 427/22, 427/230
• US Class Current: 473/566
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 87/00 Fishing rods
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 9/00 Details
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/023 Long, oriented fibres, e.g. wound filaments, woven fabrics, mats
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 49/10 made of non-metallic materials, other than wood
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/10 Non-metallic shafts
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/12 Metallic shafts
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 59/00 Bats, rackets, or the like, not covered by groups A63B49/00 - A63B57/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 59/50 Substantially rod-shaped bats for hitting a ball in the air, e.g. for baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 59/70 with bent or angled lower parts for hitting a ball on the ground, on an ice-covered surface, or in the air, e.g. for hockey or hurling
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/54 with means for damping vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 1/00 Electroforming
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 15/00 Electrolytic or electrophoretic production of coatings containing embedded materials, e.g. particles, whiskers, wires
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 7/00 Electroplating characterised by the article coated
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/582 Recycling of unreacted starting or intermediate materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12028 Composite; i.e., plural, adjacent, spatially distinct metal components [e.g., layers, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12493 : Composite; i.e., plural, adjacent, spatially distinct metal components [e.g., layers, joint, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12708 : Sn-base component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12778 : Alternative base metals from diverse categories
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/13 : Hollow or container type article [e.g., tube, vase, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24405 : Polymer or resin [e.g., natural or synthetic rubber, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24413 : Metal or metal compound
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/26 : Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component, the element or component having a specified physical dimension
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/265 : 1 mil or less
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31678 : Of metal

Abstract

Articles for automotive, manufacturing and industrial applications including shafts or tubes used, for example, as golf club shafts, ski and hiking poles, fishing rods or bicycle frames, skate blades and snowboards are at least partially electroplated with fine-grained layers of selected metallic materials. Parts with complex geometry can be coated as well. Alternatively, articles such as conical or cylindrical golf club shafts, hiking pole shafts or fishing pole sections, plates or foils and the like can also be electroformed of fine-grained metallic materials on a suitable mandrel or temporary substrate to produce strong, ductile, lightweight components exhibiting a high coefficient of restitution and a high stiffness for use in numerous applications including sporting goods.

Claims

1. A baseball bat having an electrodeposited metal, metal alloy or metal matrix composite coating layer on a polymer substrate, said coating layer having a thickness between 30 μ

m and 5 cm, said coating layer having a microstructure with an average grain size between 0.004 μ

m and 10 μ

m, said coating layer exhibiting a modulus of resilience in the range of 0.25 MPa and 25 MPa and the weight of the coating layer amounting to 5% to 95% of the weight of the bat, said baseball bat containing a layer of conductive material between the polymer substrate and the coating layer where the conductive material is nickel.

2. A baseball bat having an electrodeposited metal, metal alloy or metal matrix composite coating layer on a polymer substrate, said coating layer having a thickness between 30 μ

m and 5 cm, said coating layer having a microstructure with an average grain size between 0.004 μ

m and 10 μ

m, said coating layer exhibiting a modulus of resilience in the range of 0.25 MPa and 25 MPa, said baseball bat containing a layer of conductive material between the polymer substrate and the coating layer where the conductive material comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ni, Cu, and Ag.

3. A baseball bat having an electrodeposited metal, metal alloy or metal matrix composite coating layer on a polymer substrate, said coating layer having a thickness between 30 μ

m and 5 cm, said coating layer having a microstructure with an average grain size between 0.004 μ

m and 10 μ

m, said coating layer exhibiting a modulus of resilience in the range of 0.25 MPa and 25 MPa, said baseball bat containing a layer of conductive material between the polymer substrate and the coating layer where the conductive material is selected from the group consisting of electroless Ni, electroless Cu and chemically reduced Ag.