U.S. patent application number 10/365772 was filed with the patent office on 2004-08-19 for baseball/softball bat grip.
Invention is credited to Ginkel, Steven L..
Application Number | 20040162168 10/365772 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32849648 |
Filed Date | 2004-08-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040162168 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ginkel, Steven L. |
August 19, 2004 |
Baseball/softball bat grip
Abstract
A bat for use in baseball or softball comprises a knob, a
gripping area, a transition area and a hitting area, the gripping
area having a cross-section shape selected from the group
consisting of an ellipse and an oval.
Inventors: |
Ginkel, Steven L.;
(Henderson, NV) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Mark A. Litman & Associates, P.A.
Suite 205
York Business Center
3209 West 76th St.
Edina
MN
55435
US
|
Family ID: |
32849648 |
Appl. No.: |
10/365772 |
Filed: |
February 13, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
473/564 ;
473/568 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 59/50 20151001;
A63B 60/08 20151001; A63B 60/06 20151001; A63B 60/54 20151001; A63B
2102/18 20151001; A63B 60/16 20151001; A63B 60/10 20151001 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/564 ;
473/568 |
International
Class: |
A63B 059/06 |
Claims
What is claimed:
1. A bat for use in baseball or softball comprising a knob, a
gripping area, a transition area, and a hitting area, the gripping
area having a cross-section shape selected from the group
consisting of an ellipse and an oval.
2. The bat of claim 1 wherein the cross-section comprises an
ellipse wherein the distance between focal points is at least 5% of
a largest dimension of the cross-section.
3. The bat of claim 1 wherein the cross-section comprises an
ellipse wherein the distance between focal points is at least 5% of
the largest dimension of the cross-section and less then 60% of the
largest dimension of the cross-section.
4. The bat of claim 1 wherein the cross-section comprises an oval
wherein the ratio of the distance between a largest dimension of
the cross-section and a shortest dimension of the cross-section is
at least 1.05.
5. The bat of claim 1 wherein the bat comprises wood.
6. The bat of claim 2 wherein the bat consists of wood.
7. The bat of claim 3 wherein the bat comprises wood.
8. The bat of claim 2 wherein the bat consists essentially of
wood.
9. The bat of claim 2 wherein the bat consists of a single block of
wood.
10. The bat of claim 5 wherein grain in the wood is aligned with a
longest dimension of the ellipse or oval.
11. The bat of claim 6 wherein grain in the wood is aligned with a
longest dimension of the ellipse.
12. The bat of claim 5 wherein a longest dimension of the oval or
ellipse is oriented within .+-.25.degree. of the grain
alignment.
13. The bat of claim 6 wherein a longest dimension of the oval or
ellipse is oriented within .+-.250 of the grain alignment.
14. The bat of claim 5 wherein a longest dimension of the oval or
ellipse is oriented within .+-.150 of the grain alignment.
15. The bat of claim 6 wherein a longest dimension of the oval or
ellipse is oriented within .+-.150 of the grain alignment.
16. The bat of claim 7 wherein a longest dimension of the oval or
ellipse is oriented within .+-.100 of the grain alignment.
18. The bat of claim 8 wherein a longest dimension of the oval or
ellipse is oriented within .+-.100 of the grain alignment.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention concerns baseball bats having reduced
tendency toward breakage, greater ergonomic design for players'
hands, and more particularly relates to a baseball bat having a
uniquely designed grip area.
[0003] 2. Background of the Art
[0004] Baseball bats and Softball bats, particularly those
constructed of wood, are well known in the art. The most well known
of wooden bats is the traditional ash bat which exhibits a fairly
straight wooden grain surface and is found to be consistently in
the range of 60 percent specific gravity. Such bats are very well
known in the art. However their drawback is that they are very
prone to chipping, denting or outright breaking during game play,
and they transmit shockwaves to the hands of players in an
inconsistent manner. Baseball players, particularly professionals,
have adopted the practice of taping the barrel of ash bats in
batting practice to prolong their usefulness by reducing surface
deterioration.
[0005] As a result of this weakness in the bats, the typical
professional hitter will go through an average of 73 ash bats
during a typical major league baseball season of 162 games.
Furthermore, the lower grades of wood, such as ash, which are
utilized in such bats are generally not as resilient as in higher
grades of wood, resulting in a ball not traveling as far once it
has been hit with a specified degree of force and speed. A number
of attempts have been made over the years to improve bat
manufacturing techniques and make some design changes in the bats
for various improvements.
[0006] As early as 1903 (U.S. Pat. No. 730,244) bats were having
their surfaces treated to improve their durability, aerodynamics
and action on the ball. Except for a rare exception or two, all bat
designs have had a common structure, an elongate structure with a
varying circular cross-section extending from a grip-securing knob,
and grip section, a central hitting section and the end section of
the bat. Even where bats are manufactured by lamination or fitted
pieces, the cross-section tends to remain essentially circular in
almost all cases, as shown by U.S. Pat. Nos. 310,248; 1,450,646;
1,706,680; 1,936,579; 2,039,221; 2,069,723; 3,129,003; and the
like. U.S. Pat. No. 2,793,859 shows a laminated material that is
compressed into a circular cross-section bat structure.
[0007] In some cases, special overlays are placed on the bat to
assist the gripping action, as in U.S. Pat. No. 6,277,040. Other
alterations in bat structure include the use of filament-reinforced
covers over the grip area (as in U.S. Pat. No. 6,238,309),
composition fill reinforcement (as in U.S. Pat. No. 6,471,608), and
reinforced handles (as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,129,003).
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 4,331,330 attempt to solve the problem of bat
breakage by altering the cross-section of the bat in the hitting
area. Various cross-section shapes are shown for the bat in the
hitting area, the intent being to offer a greater "sweet spot" on
the front of the bat. The design provides a defined curvilinear
cross-section in the hitting area that has a relationship to the
cross-section in the intermediate portion of the bat, while the
gripping portion of the bat is never described.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 3,433,481, issued to Tanguay et al., is
directed to reinforced baseball bat wrappings and indicates, at
column 1, lines 35-45, that wrappings have been attempted in the
art for such things as maple and mahogany bat designs.
[0010] Die cast aluminum and magnesium alloy bats are also known in
the art, however such metal bats are not authorized for
professional league play. Accordingly there is still a need in the
art for a durable wooden bat construction with performance
characteristics superior to that of ash such as durability and
longevity.
[0011] Baseball bats approved for use in the professional major
leagues are turned from a solid piece of wood and include a handle
portion terminating at a first or lower end in an integral knob. An
outwardly tapered intermediate portion extends from the handle
portion and merges upwardly with a ball hitting barrel portion,
said barrel portion terminating at a second or upper end.
[0012] The most widely used wooden bats are fabricated of a
hardwood such as ash derived from ash trees having the scientific
classification: family: Oleaceae; genus: Fraximus. Ash wood is
hard, strong and stiff, and possesses a relatively straight grain.
Hardwoods in general have a cellular structure which includes
vessels of a continuous elongated nature. When said vessels are cut
transversely across the grain direction, the exposed open end is
caused to have open pores. Because such pores extend the length of
a piece of the wood in the direction of the grain, said hard woods
are considered to be porous woods.
[0013] Such hardwood bats, however, are very prone to chipping,
denting and outright breaking during game play. Lower grades of ash
may not be as resilient as higher grades, resulting in a ball not
traveling as far once it has been hit with a specified degree of
force and speed.
[0014] The failure mode by which baseball bats break is not fully
understood. However, it is clear that the point of impact with the
ball, typically on the barrel of the bat, is not the likely
location of the break. The most common location at which a baseball
bat will break is in or near the handle portion, in a location
where the bat is relatively small in diameter.
[0015] Upon impact with a ball, a baseball bat will vibrate. It is
thought that, under typical strenuous conditions, the bat will
momentarily assume a shape that is very slightly sinusoidal.
Typically, there will be two nodes along the length of the bat,
between which the bat will be deformed for a short period to a
greater or lesser degree. Many factors may determine the amplitude
and frequency of the vibration, including the structure of the bat,
the grip strength and location by the player, the point of impact
of the ball and the speed and direction of the ball and bat.
[0016] If the impact of the ball is sufficiently forceful, and
various of the above factors combine unfavorably, the bat will
break. Due to a combination of the forces involved and the strength
characteristics of most bats, the location of the break is almost
invariably at a location between the nodes, in the handle or in the
area of transition between the handle and the barrel.
[0017] The red oak tree, family: Fagaceae; genus: Quercus; species:
rubra, provides a porous hardwood. It is more abundant than ash,
and has physical properties more desirable than ash for use in
baseball bats. In particular, red oak is harder and more resilient
than ash. However, prior efforts to fabricate approved baseball
bats of red oak have been unsuccessful because of difficulties in
drying thick billets without warping and/or cracking.
[0018] It is well known that wood can be impregnated with various
agents in fluid form to achieve property modifications. Such
impregnation treatments can be successfully applied to baseball
bats. It is further known that various coatings and wrappings have
been applied to the handle portion of baseball bats in an effort to
minimize breakage or mitigate the effects thereof. Such expedients
have either been unsuccessful, disapproved for Major League use, or
have adversely affected desirable characteristics of the bat.
[0019] A ball bat has a cylindrically-shaped barrel that tapers to
a narrower handle section, to which is attached an enlarged
disk-shaped knob, which acts as a resting point for the heel of the
bat holder's lower hand as it grips the handle.
[0020] Forces created when a swung bat hits a ball can cause severe
discomfort to the bat holder's palm, heel of the hand and
fingertips. This "bat sting" is felt at the knob end of the bat,
which generally is made of wood or aluminum. Bat holders have tried
wrapping tape around the knob end (sometimes attempting to form a
tapered configuration) to increase its "give" and thereby reduce
discomfort. However, taping a bat, which requires patience and
dexterity, is time-consuming and expensive; in addition, it must be
redone on a regular basis. Further, taping a bat does not create a
dependable, tapered grip for superior performance.
[0021] Numerous after-market devices have been developed to
diminish "bat sting" and/or improve grip comfort. For example, U.S.
Pat. No. 5,624,114 discloses a shock-dampening sleeve which covers
all or part of the knob. However, the product cushions only the
heel of the hand and does not produce a tapered grip. An unpatented
product by Easton.RTM. Company is comprised of a thin tube of
flexible material (which may tear when pulled over the knob) which
must be wrapped with lengths of synthetic grip material.
[0022] In addition, bat manufacturers themselves have fabricated
bats with special handles to provide more comfortable gripping.
Worth.RTM. Company makes a bat with a smaller-than-average knob for
players who use the lower portion of the knob for a gripping
reference or the "double-fisted" grip. Mizuno.RTM. Company used to
make a bat with an enlarged knob having a tapered region from the
knob to the handle. However, a ball player must purchase the whole
bat to obtain the desired gripping reference.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0023] Baseball or softball bats are constructed with a gripping
area or lower portion above the bat knob that is elliptical or
semi-elliptical in cross-section, with the long axis of the ellipse
intended to be approximately horizontal when the bat is swung with
a level swing. The ellipse (used generic to a semi-ellipse)
provides a consistent and better controlled hitting position by the
batter's hands and the ball, provide a better and more comfortable
plane of force transmittal to the hand of the hitter, and can be
used to assure that the same face of the bat (with grain in the bat
controlled with respect to impact) contacts the ball.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURE
[0024] FIG. 1 shows an overlay of a conventional bat grip
construction and a bat grip construction according to the
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0025] A baseball bat or softball bat according to the present
invention may be composed of any of the materials that can be
normally used for construction of this well known class of product.
These materials usually comprise a solid piece of wood, segments of
wood secured together, laminated wood, core materials with wood
overlay, natural as well as artificial wood (e.g., composite, fiber
filled polymeric materials, fiberglass, etc.), and metal, such as
aluminum and alloys. Certain benefits relating to positioning of
grain structure will of course accrue to only those structures
having grain such as natural wood and artificial wood products. The
shape of the bat beyond the grip area is not material to the
practice of the invention and may be designed according to all
known designs, including, for example, all of those described above
in the Background of the Art, which descriptions and patents are
herein incorporated by reference for their descriptions of
materials, designs and methods of manufacture.
[0026] A bat for use in baseball or softball according to the
invention may comprise a knob, a gripping area, a transition area,
and a hitting area, the gripping area having a cross-section shape
selected from the group consisting of an ellipse and an oval. The
knob will usually comprise between 1 and 5% of the length of the
bat, the gripping area will comprise from 5-30% of the length of
the bat, the transition area will comprise from 10 to 25% of the
length of the bat, and the hitting area (including the distal end
of the bat) will comprise from about 45-80% of the length of the
bat. The bat preferably comprises wood, and the use of wood as
sourced from either a single block of wood or wood materials joined
together into a bat structure. The bat when made of wood preferably
has the grain in the wood aligned with a longest dimension of the
ellipse or oval. An axis along that longest dimension should be
aligned within .+-.30.degree. of the grain alignment, preferably
within .+-.25.degree. of the grain alignment, within .+-.20.degree.
of the grain alignment, within .+-.15.degree. of the grain
alignment, and most preferably within .+-.10.degree. of the grain
alignment.
[0027] A general description of the invention is a bat for use in
baseball or softball. The bat may comprise a knob, a gripping area,
a transition are, and a hitting area. The gripping area has a
cross-section shape selected from the group consisting of an
ellipse and an oval. It is preferred that the cross-section
comprises an ellipse wherein the distance between focal points is
at least 5% of a largest dimension of the cross-section, and
preferably between 5-60% of the largest dimension of the
cross-section of the ellipse in the plane of the cross-section.
Where the cross-section comprises an oval, it is preferred that the
ratio of the distance between a largest dimension of the
cross-section and a shortest dimension of the cross-section is at
least 1.05, preferably between 1.05 and 1.60, or between 1.10 and
1.50. The bat may comprise wood, consist of wood, or consist
essentially of wood. The bat may consist of a single block of wood.
The grain in the wood is preferably aligned with a longest
dimension of the ellipse or oval (e.g., on average, the longest
dimension is within .+-.200 of the longest dimension of the ellipse
or oval) . . .
[0028] An ellipse or semi-ellipse (which for purposes of
simplifying this description will be included within the term
ellipse, and includes a shape wherein one half or a portion of the
cross-section is approximately a semicircle and the other half or
portion is approximately half an ellipse). The shape of oval will
be treated separately, although this may be equally part of the
invention where that common description is used) can be described
by the relations of its focal points. An ellipse is mathematically
defined as the locus of all points having a common total distance
from two points. A circle is a unique situation of an ellipse
wherein the two points [the focal points] are coincident, but in
the practice of this invention, circles are excluded from the
practice of this invention and excluded from the definition of
ellipse. An ellipse having a separation between focal points that
is at least 5% of the largest dimension in the cross-section of the
portion of the bat where the ellipse is present is preferred,
although differences in these relative dimensions up to 60% are
useful. Preferred ranges are between about 8-45% differences
between the focal points as compared to the largest dimension of
the cross-section (which is usually measured along a line drawn
through both focal points). The closer the focal points, the less
the deviation of the profile of the ellipse from that of a circle,
and the greater the distance between the focal points, the greater
the deviation from a circle is the profile of the ellipse.
[0029] FIG. 1 shows the cross-section 2 of two superimposed
cross-sections 4 and 6 of a bat grip area of a baseball bat or
softball bat (neither shown). The circular cross-section 6 is
typical of the cross-section of a bat. As that cross-section 6 is
of uniform diameter, a batter grasping the bat has the same feel
whatever the orientation of the grain of the wood 8 with respect to
the grip. The cross-section 4 shows an elliptical cross-section of
the grip area of a bat handle. The longest dimension of the
cross-section lies along axis A-A, and the shortest dimension of
the ellipse lies along axis B-B. A batter's hand would have his/her
palm or upper portion of the palm lying against either of surface
points 14 when gripping the bat. The bat may be symmetrical in the
grip area, so that opposite ends along the axes A-A and B-B are
essentially the same to the hitter. By having a non-circular
curvature on this point where gripping against the palm is
effected, gripping the bat will provide the batter with the same
feel when hands are properly positioned, and will place the grain
in the same orientation to the ground and approximately to the ball
when the player has the same feel on the grip. The ball will tend
to hit surface either of surfaces 10 or 12 when the bat is gripped
as described above, or at least travel to impact the bat along a
line parallel to axis A-A. By avoiding impact along a line
perpendicular to axis A-A or closer to axis B-B, incidents of
chipping or shearing of the bat along the grain 8 are reduced.
[0030] This structure of the bat grip area (that is the area of the
bat adjacent the knob on the gripping end of the bat, and usually
comprising from 5 to 30%, more usually from 10-15% of the length of
the bat adjacent the knob) can provide ergonomic benefits to the
player by providing a hitting surface that is more consistent,
reducing variations in impact vibration to the hitter, reduce
chipping wear on the bat, and provide other benefits in the use of
the bat.
[0031] As noted above, variations among other portions and sections
and compositions of the bats are within the province of choice to
those skilled in the art. All of the materials described herein for
use with bats of the prior art are useful in the practice of the
present invention. Aluminum bats do not benefit from grain
orientation, but the ergonomic benefits are still available in that
construction.
* * * * *