Tapered isolating element for a ball bat and system for using same

• US 9,242,156 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2013
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wilson Sporting Goods Company (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Wilson Sporting Goods Company (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Goodwin, Ty B., Flood, Jeffrey A., Fritzke, Mark A., Mason, Glen R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): PENG, RAYSHUN K.
• Application Number:
  US14/041,481
• Publication Number:
  US 20140206484A1
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 473/564, 473/566, 473/567, 473/457, 473/520, 473/568, 473/565
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/18 Baseball, rounders or similar games
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/182 Softball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• 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 60/08 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/10 with means for indicating correct holding positions A63B60/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/42 Devices for measuring, verifying, correcting or customising the inherent characteristics of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like, e.g. measuring the maximum torque a batting shaft can withstand
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization

Abstract

A ball bat includes a handle portion having a generally uniform outer diameter with respect to a longitudinal axis, a barrel portion and an element coupled to the handle member. The barrel portion has a proximal and distal regions spaced apart by a central region. The element has a tapered proximal region and barrel engaging region. The element has a tubular wall defining a bore for receiving the handle member, and an outer wall extending over a portion of its length. The outer wall is spaced apart from the tubular wall by at least one rib. The barrel engaging region non-removably engages the proximal region of the barrel portion. The bat has a total length measured from a proximal end of the handle portion to a distal end of the barrel portion. The handle portion has a length that is less than 70 percent of the total length.

Claims

1. A ball bat extending along a longitudinal axis, the bat comprising:

a handle portion having a uniform outer diameter with respect to the longitudinal axis;

a barrel portion having a proximal region and a distal region spaced apart by a central region;

an element coupled to the handle portion, the element having a tapered proximal region and barrel engaging region, the element having a tubular wall defining a longitudinal bore, and an outer wall extending over at least a portion of the length of the element, the tubular wall receiving and engaging a portion of the handle portion, at least a portion of the outer wall forming the outer surface of the bat, the outer wall spaced apart from the tubular wall by at least one non-curved rib, the at least one rib having a radial height dimension and a longitudinal dimension, the radial height of the at least one rib continuously varying along the longitudinal dimension of the at least one rib, the barrel engaging region of the element non-removably engaging the proximal region of the barrel portion, the proximal region of the barrel portion overlapping the barrel engaging region of the element, the distal region of the barrel portion being spaced apart from, and not overlapping, the element, the bat having a total length measured from a proximal end of the handle portion to a distal end of the barrel portion, the handle portion having a length that is less than 70 percent of the total length.

2. The ball bat of claim 1, wherein the outer wall is generally frustoconical over the length of the tapered proximal region of the element.

3. The ball bat of claim 1, wherein the at least one rib radially extends with respect to the longitudinal axis from the tubular wall to the outer wall.

4. The ball bat of claim 1, wherein the at least one rib extends from the tubular wall to the outer wall at an angle when measured with respect to a plane extending through and along the longitudinal axis.

5. The ball bat of claim 1, wherein the angle is within the range of 1 to 45 degrees.

6. The ball bat of claim 1, wherein the at least one rib is at least three ribs.

7. The ball bat of claim 1, wherein the at least one rib is at least four ribs.

8. The ball bat of claim 1, wherein the at least one rib is spiraled about the longitudinal axis.

9. The ball bat of claim 1, wherein the element is non-metallic.

10. The ball bat of claim 1, wherein the element is entirely injection molded.

11. The ball bat of claim 1, wherein the barrel engaging region of the element has a generally frustoconical shape.

12. The ball bat of claim 11, wherein the proximal region of the barrel portion generally converges toward the longitudinal axis to form a frustoconical shape that is complementary to and telescopically engages the barrel engaging region of the element.

13. The ball bat of claim 11, wherein the barrel engaging region of the element non-threadedly engages the proximal region of the barrel portion.

14. The ball bat of claim 1, wherein the outer wall of the element includes at least one base layer formed of at least a first material, and an outer layer formed of a second material.

15. The ball bat of claim 14, wherein when the hardness of the first material is greater than the hardness of the second material, wherein the hardness is measured on a Shore hardness scale.

16. The ball bat of claim 14, wherein the first and second materials are formed of different colors.

17. The ball bat of claim 14, wherein the texture of the outer layer is different than the texture of the outer surface of the base material.

18. The ball bat of claim 14, wherein the outer layer is over-molded to the at least one base layer.

19. The ball bat of claim 14, wherein the outer layer includes one or more openings enabling at least a portion of the base layer to be visible on the outer surface of the element.

20. The ball bat of claim 14, wherein the outer layer includes one or more projections.

21. The ball bat of claim 1, wherein the tapered proximal region includes graphical and/or alphanumeric indicia.

22. The ball bat of claim 1, wherein the handle portion is a pultrusion.

23. The ball bat of claim 1, wherein at least one cavity is defined by the outer wall, the tubular wall and the ribs, and wherein at least a portion of the at least one cavity is filled by a third material.

24. The ball bat of claim 23, wherein the third material is selected from group consisting of a cellular foam, a polyurethane, an elastomer, a metal, wood, other polymeric materials and combinations thereof.

25. The ball bat of claim 1, wherein only the proximal region of the barrel portion overlaps the barrel engaging region of the element.

26. The ball bat of claim 1, wherein the barrel engaging region and the proximal region each have a maximum outer diameter, and wherein the maximum outer diameter of the barrel engaging region is greater than the maximum outer diameter of the proximal region.