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

• US 9,802,094 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2013
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• 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): Berdichevsky, Aarti B
• Assistant Examiner(s): PENG, RAYSHUN K.
• Application Number:
  US14/041,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20140206483A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,492 Days
• Field of Search: 473564, 473566, 473567, 473457, 473520, 473568, 473565
• 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 extending about a longitudinal axis. The bat includes a handle portion, a barrel portion and an injection molded element non-removably attached to the handle member. The barrel portion has a proximal region and a distal region spaced apart by a central region. The element has a tapered proximal region and barrel engaging region. The barrel engaging region of the element 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 proximal gripping region and a distal region, and 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, the distal region of the handle portion not extending to the distal region of the barrel portion such that the distal region of the barrel portion does not overlap the distal region of the handle portion;

an element formed of a thermoplastic or thermoset material and non-removably attached to the distal region of the handle member, the element having a tapered proximal region, a barrel engaging region and including a tubular wall and an outer wall, the barrel engaging region of the element non-removably engaging and being overlapped by the proximal region of the barrel portion, the barrel engaging region and the proximal region of the element each having a maximum outer diameter, the maximum outer diameter of the barrel engaging region being greater than the maximum outer diameter of the proximal region of the element, the proximal region of the element having an exposed outer surface including a first texture and the barrel engaging region having an outer surface defining a second texture that is different from the first texture, the bat having a total length measured from a proximal end of the handle portion to a distal end of the barrel portion, the tubular wall of the element defining a longitudinally extending bore, the handle portion extending within the length of the bore such that at least a portion of the tubular wall of the element overlaps and engages a portion of the handle 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 element is over-molded to the handle member.

3. The ball bat of claim 1, wherein the barrel engaging region of the element is tapered, and wherein the element has a generally frustoconical shape.

4. The ball bat of claim 3, 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.

5. The ball bat of claim 3, wherein an outer surface of the barrel engaging region of the element defines at least one recess.

6. The ball bat of claim 1, wherein the barrel engaging region of the element non-threadedly engages the proximal region of the barrel portion.

7. The ball bat of claim 1, wherein the element is formed with a one-piece, integral structure without one or more cavities.

8. The ball bat of claim 7, wherein the element is formed of one or more solid materials from the bore to the outer surface.

9. The ball bat of claim 1, wherein the element is formed of a material selected from group consisting of one or more solid materials, one or more cellular materials, and combinations thereof.

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

20. The ball bat of claim 1, wherein an outer surface of the tapered proximal region of the element is visible to a user.

21. The ball bat of claim 1, wherein the bat is configured for organized, competitive play.

22. The ball bat of claim 1, wherein the first texture is a first three-dimensional pattern.

23. The ball bat of claim 22, wherein the second texture is a second three-dimensional pattern that is different from the first three dimensional pattern.

10. 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 formed of at least first and second thermoplastic or thermoset materials and non-removably attached to the handle member, the element having a tapered proximal region, a barrel engaging region and including a tubular wall and an outer wall, the barrel engaging region of the element non-removably engaging and being overlapped by the proximal region of the barrel portion and not overlapped by the central region or the distal region of the barrel portion, the barrel engaging region and the proximal region each having a maximum outer diameter, the maximum outer diameter of the barrel engaging region being greater than the maximum outer diameter of the proximal region, the bat having a total length measured from a proximal end of the handle portion to a distal end of the barrel portion, the tubular wall of the element defining a longitudinally extending bore, the handle portion extending within the bore such that at least a portion of the tubular wall of the element overlaps and engages a portion of the handle portion, the handle portion having a length that is less than 70 percent of the total length, the element including at least one base layer formed of at least the first thermoplastic or thermoset material, and an outer layer formed of the second thermoplastic or thermoset material.

11. The ball bat of claim 10, 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.

12. The ball bat of claim 10, wherein the first and second materials are formed of different colors.

13. The ball bat of claim 10, wherein the texture of the outer layer is different than the texture of the outer surface of the base material.

14. The ball bat of claim 10, wherein the outer layer is over-molded to the at least one base layer.

15. The ball bat of claim 10, 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.

16. The ball bat of claim 10, wherein the tapered proximal region includes graphical and/or alphanumeric indicia.

17. The ball bat of claim 10, wherein the outer layer includes one or more projections.

19. The ball bat of claim 10, wherein the element is a one-piece integral structure that cannot be disassembled into component parts.