Patent Grant
12157045
This application relates to ball bats and, more specifically, to structures and methods for connecting a bat barrel to a handle.
Many bat manufacturers have endeavored to improve the performance of baseball and softball bats. In the case of a bat, improved performance can come in the form of, among other things, improved swing weight or moment of inertia (MOI), improved accuracy, improved feel, improved barrel length, improved sound, or increased coefficient of restitution or batted ball speed.
Bat manufacturers have attempted to improve the enjoyment of the bat, and to some level the batter's performance, of the batted ball game. This enjoyment can be substantially affected by the “feel”, or perception, a batter has with a particular bat. Some of this qualitative “feel” concept is controlled by the management of the vibrational energy transferred, or imparted, to the hands of the user when a ball impacts the barrel of the bat. The concept, also known as shock or “sting”, is well known in the art.
Vibration at impact between a bat and ball can generally be reduced by striking the ball within the bat's “sweet spot” or center of percussion. However, a ball struck on either side of the bat's sweet spot (e.g., between the sweet spot and the end cap or between the sweet spot and the handle) may cause vibrations to transmit through the bat and into the user's hands. For example, as shown in
The bending or deformation may result in vibrations that may create an unpleasant or painful sensation for the user and/or may injure the user's psyche, which may inhibit the user's performance during use of the bat. The discomfort or pain may be particularly prevalent among children or aged users. Generally, a bat has a first flexural bending mode and a second flexural bending mode. The first mode generally has a natural frequency of approximately 150 Hz to approximately 200 Hz and, generally, has a bending node approximately 6 inches from the knob (i.e., the end of the bat nearest the handle). This typically results in a low amount of vibration at the bending node of the first flexural bending mode (i.e., 6 inches from the knob) but also typically results in a high amount of deflection (i.e., vibration) at the knob, which is where a user's lower hand is typically positioned. The second flexural bending mode generally has a natural frequency of approximately 600 Hz, and generally has a bending node approximately 2 inches from the knob. Thus, while there may be little to no vibration at or near the knob, a high amount of vibration may be felt where a user's upper hand is typically located.
One method to combat these vibrations and improve the “feel” of the bat has been to create separate handle and barrel portions and create what is referred to as a two-piece bat. The two components are then bonded together either through mechanical means and/or through adhesives. However, these types of constructions might still allow vibration to be transferred to the user's hands. Therefore, more effective solutions are required to improve the user's enjoyment of the bat by eliminating or at least substantially damping the high vibrations from impacts.
There have been numerous attempts to improve a batter's enjoyment by controlling the energy transfer to the user's hands. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 10,384,106, 10,252,127, 10,245,488, 10,016,667, 9,814,956, 9,669,277, 9,486,680, 9,101,810, 8,226,505, 7,601,083, 7,572,197, 7,410,433, 7,311,620, 7,201,679, 7,128,670, 6,945,886, 6,929,573, 6,863,628, 6,743,127, 6,702,698, 5,593,158, 5,219,164, and U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2008/0064538, 2011/0111892, and 2016/0184680 disclose various attempts to improve the energy control or the shock attenuating features of a bat.
Most conventional bats include only a single vibration isolator such that vibration is reduced for only one of the bending modes. Some bats may use high damping materials to absorb shock. High damping materials may limit the transmission of vibrations at frequencies lower than the natural frequency but may allow more vibration above the natural frequency. Other bats may use low damping materials. Low damping materials may better limit vibration at frequencies above the natural frequency but tend to transmit more vibration at the natural frequency.
An example of a bat design aiming to absorb vibration is U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,158. This bat comprises a single elastomeric isolation union element between a separately manufactured handle and barrel. An elastomer is used to damp vibration but is only capable of damping a single mode.
Yet another bat design aiming to reduce vibration is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 9,669,277 which describes a joint connecting a handle and a barrel. The joint comprises a collar and a spacer that separates the collar from the distal end of the handle. The joint is used to damp vibration but again is only capable of damping a single mode.
It would be an advancement in the art to provide an improved vibration isolator for ball bats.
In one aspect of the invention, a ball bat includes a barrel portion having a substantially cylindrical outer surface. A transition portion is connected to the barrel portion and is tapered inwardly from the barrel portion. A handle portion has a distal portion positioned within the transition portion. An elastomeric coupler is secured around the distal portion. A rigid sleeve is secured around the elastomeric coupler and is interposed between the transition portion and the elastomeric coupler.
The distal portion may be flared. The elastomeric coupler may have an inner frustoconical surface and an outer frustoconical surface. The elastomeric coupler may further define one or more ridges extending outwardly from the outer frustoconical surface. The rigid sleeve may define a sleeve frustoconical surface and one or more grooves extending outwardly from the sleeve frustoconical surface. The one or more ridges may be positioned within the one or more grooves. In some embodiments, the inner frustoconical surface further defines one or more grooves extending outwardly from the inner frustoconical surface. An adhesive may be positioned between the elastomeric coupler and the distal portion, the adhesive at least partially filling the one or more grooves. The inner frustoconical surface may have a smaller cone angle than the outer frustoconical surface.
In some embodiments, the outer frustoconical surface is a first outer frustoconical surface. The elastomeric coupler may further define a second outer frustoconical surface and a transition extending inwardly from the second outer frustoconical surface to the first outer frustoconical surface. The rigid sleeve may be positioned around the first outer frustoconical surface and have a proximal edge positioned abutting the transition.
In some embodiments, the elastomeric coupler defines an inner surface contacting the distal portion, the distal portion being larger than an undeformed size of the inner surface. The rigid sleeve may define an inner surface sized such that the elastomeric coupler is compressed between the inner surface and the distal portion. The elastomeric coupler may be made of or include a material having a hardness less than 95 Shore A. The transition portion may connect to the handle portion exclusively through the elastomeric coupler. In some embodiments, all connections between the transition portion and the handle portion includes a member having a hardness of less than 95 Shore A. In some embodiments, the rigid sleeve includes or is made of a material that has a higher hardness than the elastomeric coupler. The rigid sleeve 42 may include or be made of a material having a hardness of at least 20 Shore D. In some embodiments, the elastomeric coupler has a hardness between 40 and 95 Shore A and the rigid sleeve has a hardness between 20 and 90 Shore D.
In another aspect of the invention, a method for manufacturing a ball bat includes (a): positioning an elastomeric coupler around a handle portion and sliding the elastomeric coupler from a proximal end of a handle portion to a distal portion of the handle portion such that the elastomeric coupler is stretched outwardly to fit over the distal portion. The method may further include (b): following (a), passing a rigid sleeve from the proximal end of the handle portion to the distal portion such that the rigid sleeve is positioned around the elastomeric coupler and compresses the elastomeric coupler. The method may further include (c): following (b), positioning a barrel and tapered transition portion around the handle portion and sliding the barrel and tapered transition portion to the distal portion such that the rigid sleeve nests within the tapered transition portion with the barrel extending distally of the handle portion. The rigid sleeve has higher hardness than the elastomeric coupler.
In some embodiments, the method includes applying adhesive between the elastomeric coupler and the distal portion and applying adhesive between the rigid sleeve and the tapered transition portion.
The elastomeric coupler may have a hardness of less than 95 Shore A and the rigid sleeve may have a hardness of more than 20 Shore D.
In some embodiments, the elastomeric coupler defines outwardly extending ridges and the rigid sleeve defines grooves extending outwardly from an interior surface of the rigid sleeve. The method may further include inserting the outwardly extending ridges within the grooves.
In some embodiments, following (c) no connection between the tapered transition portion and the handle portion exists that that is not through the elastomeric coupler.
Preferred and alternative examples of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings:
Referring to
The baseball bat 10 may include a barrel portion 16, a handle portion 18, and a transition portion 20 (i.e., the taper) between the barrel portion 16 and the handle portion 18. The barrel portion 16 and the handle portion 18 may be cylindrical about the center line 14, an outer diameter of the barrel portion 16 being greater, e.g., between 2 and 4 times greater, than the outer diameter of the handle portion 18. The transition portion 20 may have a frustoconical shape that transitions from the greater diameter of the barrel portion 16 to a smaller diameter. Curved or rounded transitions between the barrel portion 16 and the transition portion 20 and between the handle portion 18 and the transition portion 20 may also be present. The portions 16 and 18 may be substantially cylindrical or include cylindrical and substantially cylindrical portions. For example, “substantially cylindrical” may be understood as a frustoconical shape with a cone angle of between 0 and 3 degrees.
The barrel portion 16 and transition portion 20 may be monolithically formed such as by co-molding, casting, or other approach. The portions 16, 18, 20 may be made of the same material or different materials and each may be any of metal, plastic, composite (e.g., carbon fiber, fiberglass, etc.), wood, or any other material suitable for withstanding the impact forces imposed on a baseball bat when striking a ball. Examples of suitable composite materials include carbon fiber, fiberglass, boron, or aramid (e.g., KEVLAR®) composite. Where a composite is used, fibers may be within a matrix comprising thermoset polymers like epoxy and phenolics, thermoplastic polymers such as low-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, and acrylics.
For example, the barrel portion 16 and transition portion 20 may be made of a metal alloy while the handle 18 is made of another material such as wood, composite, or rigid plastic. In another example, the barrel portion 16 is formed of a combination of a composite material (carbon fiber composite, fiberglass composite) in combination with another material such as an aluminum alloy, titanium alloy, scandium alloy, steel, other alloys, thermoplastic material, thermoset material, wood, or other polymer matrix composite materials.
The barrel portion 16 may be a hollow cylinder of uniform wall thickness and may also have non-uniform thickness or have other non-symmetrical features about the center line 14. The handle portion 18 may be a hollow cylinder of uniform thickness or may also be non-uniform or have non-symmetrical features. In some embodiments, outer surfaces of the barrel portion 16, transition portion 20 and handle portion 18 are symmetrical about the center line 14 but the thicknesses of one or both of the barrel portion 16, transition portion 20, and handle portion 18 vary along the center line 14.
The barrel portion 16 may also include “inserts” designed to alter the performance of batted balls when impacted on the specified striking region of the barrel portion 16. Examples of such inserts can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 9,498,690, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Such barrel inserts, or any other aspects of the striking region of the bat designed to improve batted ball performance may all be used in conjunction with the invention described herein.
The barrel portion 16 can be sized with a variety of different weights, lengths, and diameters to meet the user's needs. The barrel portion 16 includes a primary tubular ball impact region that is commonly or preferably used for impacting the ball during use. The ball impact region includes the location of the center of percussion (“COP”) of the ball bat. The COP is typically identified in accordance with the ASTM Standard F2219. The COP is also known as the center of oscillation or the length of a simple pendulum with the same period as a physical pendulum as a bat oscillating about a pivot. The COP is often used synonymously with the term “sweet spot.” The “sweet spot” can include the COP and an area plus or minus 3 inches of the COP along the longitudinal direction 12a.
Outer surfaces of some or all of the barrel portion 16, and handle portion 18, and transition portion 20 may be anodized, coated, and/or painted with one or more layers of paint, clear coat, inks, coatings, primers, and/or other outer surface coatings. Outer surfaces of some or all of the barrel portion 16, and handle portion 18, and transition portion 20 may include alpha numeric and/or graphic distinguishing marks indicative of designs, trademarks, graphics, specifications, certifications, instructions, warning, and/or markings. These can include a trademark that is applied as a decal, as a screening, or through other conventional means.
A knob 24 may secure to a proximal end of the handle 18 and an end cap 22 may secure to a distal end of the barrel portion 16. The knob 24 may slide over a proximal end portion of the handle portion 18 and be secured by means of welds, adhesive, rivets, screws, or other fastening means. The knob 24 might be an integral part of the handle. A grip may be attached to the handle portion 18 adjacent the knob 24. The end cap 22 may include a portion that slides within the distal end of the hollow barrel portion 16 and may be secured therein by means of welds, adhesive, rivets, screws, or other fastening means.
Referring specifically to
The portions 30, 32, 34, 36 may have cone angles between 3 and 15 degrees and may have cone angles that are equal to one another or different form one another. For example, the flared proximal portion 34 may be longer than the flared distal portion 30 and have a smaller flare angle.
During manufacture, an elastomeric coupler 40 is positioned over the flared distal portion 30. The elastomeric coupler 40 may be deformed, i.e., stretched, in order to fit over the flared distal portion 30. A restoring force exerted by the elastomeric coupler 40 on the flared distal portion 30 may increase frictional forces between the elastomeric coupler 40 and the flared distal portion 30.
Positioning the elastomeric coupler 40 may include sliding the elastomeric coupler 40 over the proximal end of the handle portion 18 and sliding the elastomeric coupler 40 along the handle portion 18 until it is over the flared distal portion 30. As shown in
The elastomeric coupler 40 may function as a vibration damping member and may be made of a suitable material to form this function. For example, the elastomeric coupler 40 may be made of silicone. Other elastomeric materials may be used. For example, natural or synthetic rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM), nitrile, flexible plastic, or other elastomeric material may be used. For example, the elastomeric coupler 40 may be made of or include a material having a hardness of between 40 and 95 Shore A may be used. The hardness may be selected to achieve a desired degree of damping.
Referring to
The rigid sleeve 42 may be made of a rigid plastic such as polymethyl pentene (also known as TPX), polyamide, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polypropylene, nylon, or other plastic. The rigid sleeve 42 may also be made of a composite material, such as carbon fiber, fiberglass, boron, or aramid (e.g., KEVLAR) composite. Where a composite is used, fibers may be within a matrix comprising thermoset polymers like epoxy and phenolics, thermoplastic polymers such as low-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, and acrylics. The rigid sleeve 42 may be made of metal, such as steel or aluminum. The rigid sleeve 42 may include or be made of a material having a hardness greater than the elastomeric coupler 40. For example, a hardness of 20 to 90 Shore D.
Referring to
The interior surface of the transition portion 20 may have a cone angle and size matching the cone angle and size of the rigid sleeve 42. The rigid sleeve 42 may fit within the transition portion 20 with an interference fit. Alternatively, the rigid sleeve 42 may slide freely into the transition portion 20. In either case, adhesive may be applied to the rigid sleeve 42 and/or the interior surface of the transition portion 20 prior to positioning to fasten the rigid sleeve 42 within the transition portion 20.
After assembling the handle portion 18, barrel portion 16, and transition portion 20 as shown in
Referring to
In the illustrated embodiment, ridges 58 are formed on the first surface 50 and extend partially or completely between the proximal end and distal ends of the first surface 50. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the ridges 58 extend from the distal end partially to the proximal end of the first surface 50, such as between 50 and 75 percent of the distance between the proximal end and distal end of the first surface 50. In the illustrated embodiment, there are two ridges 58 positioned opposite one another. In other embodiments, a single ridge 58 or three or more ridges 58 may be used. As shown in
An inner surface 60 of the elastomeric coupler 40 may also conform to a frustoconical shape. The inner surface 60 may have the same or different cone angle as the first surface 50. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the inner surface 60 has a smaller cone angle than the first surface 50 such that the thickness of the elastomeric coupler 40 at the distal end of the first surface 50 is greater than the thickness of the elastomeric coupler 40 at the proximal end of the first surface 50 (thickness being defined herein as being thickness parallel to the radial direction 12b). However, in other embodiments, the elastomeric coupler has substantially constant (e.g., within 0.5 mm) thickness between the distal and proximal ends of the first surface 50.
The inner surface 60 may extend along the longitudinal direction 12a overlapping both the first and second surfaces 50, 52. The proximal end of the elastomeric coupler 40 may further include an interior chamfer or bevel 62 to facilitate insertion of the flared distal portion 30 into the elastomeric coupler 40.
Grooves 64 may extend outwardly from the inner surface 60 and extend parallel to the longitudinal direction 12a partially or completely between the distal end and proximal end of the inner surface 60. The grooves 64 may be partially or completely filled with adhesive used to secure the elastomeric coupler 40 to the flared distal portion 30 thereby increasing the amount of area engaged with the adhesive and providing mechanical interference to resist rotation of the elastomeric coupler 40 relative to the flared distal portion 30.
In the illustrated embodiment, the grooves 64 are distributed substantially (e.g., within 2 degrees of) uniformly about the axis of symmetry of the inner surface 60, such as every 20 degrees, 30 degrees, or some other angular separation. The depth of the grooves may be between 0.1 and 0.5 times the minimum thickness of the elastomeric coupler 40 (e.g., at the proximal end of the first surface 50). The width of the grooves may be such that the each groove occupies an arc of between 2 and 10 degrees along the circumferential direction 12c.
In some embodiments, the flared distal portion 30 (
The inner surface 72 engages the first surface 50 of the elastomeric coupler 40. As noted above, when the elastomeric coupler 40 is positioned over the flared distal portion 30, the rigid sleeve 42 may compress the elastomeric coupler 40 against the flared distal portion. Accordingly, upon assembly, each point on the inner surface 72 along the longitudinal direction 12a may have a smaller diameter than the undeformed diameter of the first surface 50 of the elastomeric coupler 40 at that point along the longitudinal direction 12a.
In the illustrated embodiment, grooves 74 extend outwardly from the inner surface 72 of sleeve 42 and extend partially or completely between the proximal end and distal ends of the inner surface 72. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the grooves 74 extend from the distal end partially to the proximal end of the inner surface 72. In the illustrated embodiment, there are two grooves 74 positioned opposite one another. In other embodiments, a single groove 74 or three or more grooves 84 may be used. As shown in
In the illustrated embodiment, the grooves 74 are oriented parallel to the axis of symmetry of the frustoconical shape defined by the inner surface 72 (e.g., in a plane parallel to the longitudinal direction 12a and center line 14). As discussed above, the grooves 74 may engage corresponding ridges 58 on the elastomeric coupler 40 to resist rotation of the elastomeric coupler 40 relative to the rigid sleeve 42. Note that the placement of the ridges 58 and grooves 74 may be reversed, with grooves 74 being defined on the elastomeric coupler and ridges 58 protruding inwardly from the inner surface 72 of the rigid sleeve 42.
In some embodiments, a chamfer or bevel 76 extends between the inner surface 72 and the proximal end of the rigid sleeve 42. In some embodiments, a chamfer or bevel 78 extends between the inner surface 72 and the distal end of the rigid sleeve 42. The chamfer or bevel 76 may avoid a sharp contact point between the rigid sleeve 42 and the elastomeric coupler 40. The chamfer or bevel 76 may seat within the transition 54 between the first surface 50 and the second surface 52 of the elastomeric coupler 40. The chamfer or bevel 78 may facilitate sliding the rigid sleeve 42 over the elastomeric coupler 40.
As noted above, the inner surface 72 of the rigid sleeve 42 is sized such that the elastomeric coupler is compressed thereby when assembled. As also noted above, the thickness of the elastomeric coupler 40 along the first surface 50 increases with distance from the proximal end of the first surface 50. In some embodiments, the amount of compression varies along the length of the first surface 50. In particular, the amount of compression may be greater at the distal end of the surface 50 than at the proximal end. In this manner, the elastomeric coupler 40 functions as a wedge that increases friction between the rigid sleeve 42 and the elastomeric coupler 40 when assembled, thereby resisting collapse of the handle portion 18 into the transition portion 20.
As shown, the transition portion 20 defines a frustoconical interior surface 90. The interior surface 90 engages the outer surface 70 of the rigid sleeve 42 either with or without deformation of the rigid sleeve 42. The undeformed second surface 52 may be larger than the portion of the surface 90 within which it is engaged such that the elastomeric coupler 40 is compressed between the flared distal portion 30 and the surface 90 in the region of the second surface 52.
Adhesive may be positioned between interior surface 90 and one or both of the surface 70 of the rigid sleeve 42 and the second surface 52 of the elastomeric coupler 40. The adhesive may resist collapse of the bat by the handle 18 being forced into the transition portion 20. The flared shape of the rigid sleeve 42 resists removal of the rigid sleeve 42 upon swinging of the bat 10 along with any adhesive used.
As noted above, the handle portion 18 may have asymmetric features formed thereon, such as the asymmetric bulge 92. The asymmetric bulge 92 may seat within the cavity 66 of the elastomeric coupler 40 after assembly. In other embodiments, the asymmetric bulge 92 and cavity 66 are omitted.
As shown in
The illustrated approach for incorporating an elastomeric coupler into a bat 10 may provide various advantages relative to prior approaches. The elastomeric coupler 40 is not adhered directly to the transition portion 20 when the rigid sleeve 42 is put in place. The relatively soft elastomer of the elastomeric coupler 40 is difficult to fasten with adhesive. In the illustrated embodiment, the elastomeric coupler 40 secures to the rigid sleeve 42 and the rigid sleeve 42 is secured to the transition portion 20. The elastomeric coupler 40 may secure to the rigid sleeve 42 with an interference fit and may have ridges 58 engaging corresponding grooves 74 on the rigid sleeve 42, which individually or in combination provide a connection that is less susceptible to sliding along the longitudinal direction 12a and rotation in the circumferential direction 12c.
The rigid sleeve 42 in combination with the transition portion 20 increases the stiffness of the joint between the transition portion 20 and the handle 18. The compression of the elastomeric coupler 40 by the rigid sleeve 42 increases the internal pressure acting on the transition portion 20, which further increases stiffness of the joint. This alters the natural frequency of the bat 10 and reduces the vibrations felt by the user. The stiffness of the joint raises the natural frequency of the bat to higher frequencies and the elastomeric coupler 40 increases damping at low frequencies, both of which decrease the amount of vibration and shock felt by the user in response to impacts outside the sweet spot.
In addition, the handle 18 is completely isolated from the transition portion by the elastomeric coupler 40. Stated differently, there is no connection between the transition portion 20 and the handle portion 18 that does not pass through material within the hardness range defined above for the material of the elastomeric coupler 40. The material of the elastomeric coupler is interposed between the handle portion 18 and both of the rigid sleeve 42 and transition portion 20. The elastomeric coupler 40 is therefore effective at reducing the vibration or shock felt by a player, particularly for impacts outside the sweet spot.
Referring specifically to
Referring to
In some embodiments, resistance to slipping of the handle portion 18 within the elastomeric coupler 40 may be improved by forming a substantially flat axial surface 112 on the asymmetric bulge 92 that engages a corresponding substantially flat axial surface 114 on the elastomeric coupler 40, such as part of the cavity 66. “Substantially flat” may be understood as having all points within 0.5 mm of a plane parallel to the radial direction 12b and perpendicular to the longitudinal direction 12a. Substantially flat may also be defined as being within 0.5 mm of a cone with a cone angle greater than 80 and less than 90 degrees (90-degree cone angle being a flat plane).
The embodiment of
The elastomeric coupler 40 may define a beveled surface 122 sized to engage the flared distal portion 120. The beveled surface 122 may have substantially (e.g., within 3 degrees of) the same cone angle as the flared distal portion 120.
While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of the preferred embodiment. Instead, the invention should be determined entirely by reference to the claims that follow.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/138,738 filed Jan. 18, 2021 and entitled VIBRATION DAMPENING BAT CONNECTION AND METHODS OF MAKING THE SAME, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
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| 63138738 | Jan 2021 | US |
