U.S. patent application number 14/012838 was filed with the patent office on 2015-03-05 for multi-component bat and assembly process.
The applicant listed for this patent is Chi-Hung Lee, Thu Van Nguyen, Renqin Zhang. Invention is credited to Chi-Hung Lee, Thu Van Nguyen, Renqin Zhang.
Application Number | 20150065278 14/012838 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 52584015 |
Filed Date | 2015-03-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150065278 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Van Nguyen; Thu ; et
al. |
March 5, 2015 |
MULTI-COMPONENT BAT AND ASSEMBLY PROCESS
Abstract
A baseball or softball bat includes an elongated handle having
an interconnection member at one end. The handle is inserted
through a bat barrel to position the interconnection member within
the bat barrel, with the remainder of the handle extending
outwardly from the bat barrel. The bat barrel and the
interconnection member are attached to one another. The
interconnection member may be turned relative to the bat barrel to
engage threads of the interconnecting member and a connection
region of the bat barrel to attach the interconnecting member and
handle to the bat barrel. A knob and a grip are associated with the
handle and an end cap attached to an open end of the bat
barrel.
Inventors: |
Van Nguyen; Thu; (West
Hills, CA) ; Lee; Chi-Hung; (Houxi, CN) ;
Zhang; Renqin; (Houxi, CN) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Van Nguyen; Thu
Lee; Chi-Hung
Zhang; Renqin |
West Hills
Houxi
Houxi |
CA |
US
CN
CN |
|
|
Family ID: |
52584015 |
Appl. No.: |
14/012838 |
Filed: |
August 28, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
473/566 ;
29/525.02 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 60/10 20151001;
Y10T 29/49948 20150115; A63B 60/16 20151001; A63B 60/50 20151001;
A63B 2102/182 20151001; A63B 59/50 20151001; A63B 2102/18 20151001;
A63B 59/56 20151001 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/566 ;
29/525.02 |
International
Class: |
A63B 59/06 20060101
A63B059/06 |
Claims
1. A process for assembling a baseball or softball bat, comprising
the steps of: providing a bat barrel having a first open end, a
second open end generally opposite the first open end and an inner
connection region adjacent to the second open end; providing a
handle having a first end, a second generally opposite end, and an
interconnecting member disposed adjacent to the first end, at least
a portion of the interconnecting member having an outer surface
configuration corresponding to the connection region of the bat
barrel; inserting the second end of the handle into the first open
end of the bat barrel and passing the second end of the handle
through the second open end of the bat barrel until the
interconnecting member is disposed at the connection region of the
bat barrel; and attaching the interconnecting member to the
connection region of the bat barrel.
2. The process of claim 1, wherein the inner connection region of
the bat barrel is threaded and the outer surface of the
interconnection member is threaded, and wherein the attaching step
comprises threadedly interconnecting the handle to the bat
barrel.
3. The process of claim 1, including the step of locking the handle
to the bat barrel.
4. The process of claim 1, including the step of attaching an end
cap to the first open end of the bat barrel.
5. The process of claim 1, including the step of associating a knob
and a grip with the handle.
6. The process of claim 1, including the step of inserting the
first end of the handle into an opening of the interconnecting
member.
7. The process of claim 1, including the steps of aligning an
aperture of the interconnecting member with an aperture of the
handle, and inserting a pin through the aligned apertures.
8. The process of claim 1, including the step of attaching a sheath
over at least a portion of the handle, the sheath defining a grip
and a knob at an end thereof.
9. A baseball or softball bat manufactured by a process comprising
the steps of: providing an elongated handle having an
interconnection member at one end; inserting the handle through a
generally cylindrical bat barrel to position the interconnection
member within the bat barrel with the remainder of the handle
extending outwardly from the bat barrel; and threadedly attaching
the interconnection member to bat barrel.
10. The process of claim 9, including the step of attaching an end
cap to a first open end of the bat barrel.
11. The process of claim 9, including the step of associating a
knob and a grip with the handle.
12. The process of claim 9, including the step of inserting an end
of the handle into an opening of the interconnecting member.
13. The process of claim 9, including the steps of aligning an
aperture of the interconnecting member with an aperture of the
handle, and inserting a pin through the aligned apertures.
14. The process of claim 9, including the step of attaching a
sheath over at least a portion of the handle, the sheath defining a
grip and a knob at an end thereof.
15. The process of claim 9, including the step of turning the
interconnection member relative to the bat barrel to engage threads
of the interconnecting member and a connection region of the bat
barrel to attach the interconnecting member and handle to the bat
barrel.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention generally relates to baseball and
softball bats. More particularly, the present invention relates to
a bat of multiple components which are quickly and easily assembled
to one another.
[0002] Baseball and softball are very popular sports in the United
States and many other countries. Due to the competitive nature of
these sports, players are constantly seeking ways of improving
their performance. An important aspect of baseball and softball is
the ability to effectively hit the ball.
[0003] In the past, all bats were made of wood. In fact, at the
professional baseball level only wood bats are used. However, wood
bats have disadvantages, including the fact that they can break and
splinter. This can present a significant cost to individuals and
teams at the amateur level.
[0004] Metal, typically aluminum, bats are allowed in baseball
amateur play from Little League to college levels. Metal bats are
also typically used in slow and fast pitch softball. Metal bats are
advantageous over wood bats in that they do not break and splinter
like wood bats, and thus can be used repeatedly with consequent
cost savings. Metal bats can also have a larger optimal hitting
area or power zone, sometimes referred to as the "sweet spot", than
wood bats.
[0005] An early approach to manufacturing metal bats is disclosed
by U.S. Pat. No. 1,611,858 to Middlekauff, wherein the bat was made
from tapered steel tube, formed by a rolled tapered sheet with
mating edges joined along a seam to form the tube. However, it soon
became apparent that seamless lightweight metal tubing, such as
aluminum or titanium, was preferred. This is due to the fact that
the metal bat should closely resemble the operating characteristics
of a wood bat, so as to exhibit the weight distribution, feel, and
sound of the wood bat when hitting the ball.
[0006] Early efforts to develop aluminum bats included the approach
of swaging down the length of a cylindrical extrusion or tube. The
extrusion is swaged down by striking or contacting the member with
clapping hammers, which repetitively strike the outer surface of
the extrusion. The striking motion is perpendicular to the
longitudinal axis of the tube, which causes the exterior diameter
of the tube to be reduced, thus forming an intermediate tapered
portion and handle end of the bat.
[0007] While generally having a smooth outer surface, it was
discovered that the interior surface of the bat formed by this
method was less than smooth and could have cracks or fractures
running parallel to the longitudinal axis of the bat. Of course,
these cracks weakened the bat and reduced its longevity. Moreover,
the swaging process did not result in a uniform wall thickness of
the tapered section. Moreover, the increased wall thickness added
to the weight of the bat and did not contribute to the strength of
the bat as it displaced the center of gravity of the bat away from
the hitting end of the bat.
[0008] In an effort to overcome these disadvantages, a methodology
of forming a hollow metal bat using a cold pilger process was
devised, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,050 to Ploughe et
al. In accordance with this methodology, an aluminum tube blank was
fixed into a "pusher" having a cylindrical opening with a diameter
slightly larger than the outer diameter of the tube blank. The
pusher and a threaded extension rod were used to advance the
aluminum tube blank into a pilger mill, also referred to as a
reducing rolling mill. This reduced the aluminum tube to form the
handle section and the tapered section, and thereby formed the
bat-shaped stock for fabricating a hollow metal bat.
[0009] However, this procedure also had its disadvantages. The use
of an adapter, a pusher, and a threaded extension rod were found to
be unsafe, inefficient and time-consuming. This process also used a
partial, typically half ring die set, which generated a significant
amount of heat when reducing the tubes. Although the use of an
internal mandrel was useful to control the tube wall thickening as
compared to the swaging process, it significantly added to the
metal working costs and greatly increased the stress in the
machinery used to reduce the outside diameter of the tube.
[0010] Subsequently, a drawn process, such as disclosed in U.S.
Pat. No. 6,735,998 to Mitchell, was conceived in order to form
metal bats. A blank was drawn only partly through a contoured die
or a succession of dies. By only reducing the diameter of
essentially only a select length of the tubular metal blank by the
use of tension applied to pull the metal blank in a die or
succession of dies, Mitchell asserted that an intermediate
annealing step could usually be eliminated and a thinner tube wall
and the handle and transition section of the bat obtained.
[0011] Yet later, it was discovered that each of the swaging, cold
pilgering, and draw processes presented both advantages as well as
disadvantages, however, a combination of these processes could be
used to synergistically create a better bat and an improved
manufacturing process. This combination of processes is disclosed
in U.S. Pat. No. 7,328,599 to Van Nguyen.
[0012] Notwithstanding the advances in manufacturing metal bats,
these metal bats have certain disadvantages, including vibrating
upon impact and sending painful vibrations into the hands and arms
of the batter if the ball is not within the "sweet spot" of the
bat. Metal bats also emit an undesirable high-pitch metallic sound,
as opposed to the traditional sound heard when a wood bat contacts
the ball.
[0013] Various attempts have been made to overcome the problems
associated with metal bats, including coating or wrapping the
exterior of the metal bat with material, such as carbon reinforcing
fibers, to enhance batting performance. Other attempts have been
made to insert internal layers or compartments within the metal bat
to improve performance. Bats that incorporate composite materials
tend to be much lighter than metal bats. However, while providing
benefits, these designs also have drawbacks in that they can be
expensive and difficult to manufacture and are prone to structural
failure.
[0014] Notwithstanding the disadvantages of metal and composite
bats, these bats are very popular at the amateur level as not only
can they be used repeatedly with consequent cost savings, they also
have a larger "sweet spot" hitting area or power zone than wood
bats. Furthermore, the ball comes off a metal bat faster than a
wood bat, resulting in longer hits.
[0015] In fact, over the years there have been many injuries and
near misses attributed to the speed from which a ball comes off a
metal and/or composite bat. Several years ago, the National
Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for college and the National
Federal of High School Association (NFHS) for high school baseball
began to regulate batted-ball speeds of baseball bats indirectly by
regulating the Ball Exit Speed Ratio (BESR) and controlling bat
swing speed by limiting the moment-of-inertia (MOI) of non-wood
baseball bats. More recently, the NCAA and NFHS replaced the
previous BESR standard with a Bat Standard, or the Batted-Ball
Coefficient of Restitution, sometimes referred to as Bat-Ball
Coefficient of Restitution (BBCOR). Instead of measuring the speed
of the ball after it is batted, BBCOR measures the "bounciness" of
the ball and bat or the "trampoline" effect. The new standard
ensures that performances by non-wood bats are more comparable to
those of wood bats. In order to meet the standard, the BBCOR must
be less than or equal to 0.500.
[0016] With the new standards, the non-wood bats, typically the
multi-component metal and composite bats, have been modified. A
multi-component bat of both metal, typically aluminum or aluminum
alloy, and a composite material created complicated manufacturing
and assembling processes. The new standards have not lessened the
complication of the manufacturing and assembly of these
multi-component bats. Of course, the complicated nature of the
manufacturing and assembly of the bat increases the expense of the
bat, or reduces the profit made from the bat.
[0017] Accordingly, there is a continuing need for a baseball or
softball bat which has the advantages of a multi-component bat.
What is also needed is a baseball or softball bat capable of
meeting the regulation requirements for Little League, Amateur
Softball Association of America (ASA), National Softball
Association (NSA), United States Specialty Sports Association
(USSSA), Independent Softball Association (ISA), International
Softball Federation (ISF), NFHS, and NCAA. What is further needed
is a baseball or softball bat which is relatively simple to
manufacture and assemble. The present invention fulfills these
needs and provides other related advantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0018] The present invention is directed to a baseball or softball
bat. The bat is manufactured by providing an elongated handle
having an interconnection member at one end. Typically, an end of
the handle is inserted into an opening of the interconnecting
member. An aperture of the interconnecting member is aligned with
an aperture of the handle, and a pin is inserted through the
aligned apertures.
[0019] The handle is inserted through a generally cylindrical bat
barrel to position the interconnection member within the bat
barrel, with the remainder of the handle extending outwardly from
the bat barrel. The interconnection member is attached to the
barrel. Typically, the interconnection member is threadedly
attached to the bat barrel, such as by turning the interconnection
member relative to the bat barrel to engage threads of the
interconnecting member and a connection region of the bat barrel to
attach the interconnecting member and handle to the bat barrel.
[0020] An end cap is attached to a first open end of the bat
barrel. A knob and a grip is associated with the handle. For
example, a sheath may be attached over at least a portion of the
handle, the sheath defining a grip and a knob at an end
thereof.
[0021] The present invention is also directed to a process for
assembling a baseball or a softball bat. A bat barrel is provided
having a first open end, a second open end generally opposite the
first open end and an inner connection region adjacent to the
second open end. A handle is provided having a first end, a second
generally opposite end and an interconnecting member disposed
adjacent to the first end. At least a portion of the
interconnecting member has an outer surface configuration
corresponding to the connection region of the bat barrel. The
second end of the handle is inserted into the first open end of the
bat barrel. The second end of the handle is passed through the
second open end of the bat barrel until the interconnecting member
is disposed at the connection region of the bat barrel. The
interconnecting member is attached to the connection region of the
bat barrel.
[0022] Typically, the interconnection region of the bat barrel is
threaded, as is an outer surface of the interconnection member. The
attaching step comprises threadedly interconnecting the handle to
the bat barrel.
[0023] The handle is locked to the bat barrel. The first end of the
handle is inserted into an opening of the interconnecting member
and attached thereto. In one embodiment, an aperture of the
interconnecting member is aligned with an aperture of the handle,
and a pin is inserted through the aligned apertures.
[0024] An end cap is attached to an open end of the bat barrel, and
a knob and a grip are associated with the handle. For example, a
sheath may be attached over at least a portion of the handle, the
sheath defining a grip and a knob at an end thereof.
[0025] Other features and advantages of the present invention will
become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken
in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by
way of example, the principles of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such
drawings:
[0027] FIG. 1 is a side view of a bat embodying the present
invention;
[0028] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of components of the
bat of the present invention;
[0029] FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a handle and
interconnecting member, used in accordance with the present
invention;
[0030] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along line
4-4 of FIG. 1;
[0031] FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of area "5" of
FIG. 4, illustrating the attachment of an interconnection member to
a bat barrel of the bat, in accordance with the present
invention;
[0032] FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of area "6" of
FIG. 4, illustrating the attachment of an end cap to the bat
barrel;
[0033] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a knob used in accordance
with the present invention; and
[0034] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the knob of
FIG. 7 attached to the handle of the bat.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0035] The present invention is directed to a bat, as shown in the
accompanying drawings for purposes of illustration. The bat
typically comprises a baseball or softball bat, but can comprise
any bat intended for hitting a ball. More particularly, the present
invention is directed to a process for manufacturing and assembling
a bat which is quick, easy and relatively inexpensive, while still
maintaining the advantages found in multi-component bats.
[0036] With reference now to FIG. 1, an assembled bat 10 embodying
the present invention is shown. As shown in FIG. 2, the bat 10 is
generally comprised of a bat barrel 12, a handle 14, and an
interconnecting member 16 attached to an end of the handle 14. As
will be more fully described herein, the interconnecting member 16
is attached to an end of the handle 14, and the handle 14 is drawn
through first and second open ends 18 and 20 of the bat barrel 12
until the interconnecting member 16 is disposed within the bat
barrel, such as at an inner connection region 22 of the bat barrel
12. The bat barrel 12 and the interconnecting member 16 are
attached to one another, effectively attaching the handle 14 to the
bat barrel 12.
[0037] The bat barrel 12 is preferably formed of a strong material,
such as an aluminum alloy. Alternatively, other materials can be
used such as a titanium alloy, a scandium alloy, steel, a composite
material, a thermal plastic material, a thermo set material, wood
and combinations thereof. Typically, however, the bat barrel 12 is
comprised of a metal, such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy. The
bat barrel 12, and the assembled bat 10, is also preferably
manufactured so as meet the NCAA and NFHS Rules Committee bat
standards, such as the BBCOR standard, which is currently a maximum
value of 0.500.
[0038] When the bat barrel 12 is comprised of aluminum, or another
metal alloy, the bat barrel 12 may be manufactured in accordance
with the following steps. A cylindrical hollow tube of raw material
is annealed as needed to remove all residual stresses. The tubes
are formed through a pilger to a smaller outer diameter and thinner
wall thickness. The tubes are then cleaned and re-annealed. The
tubes are drawn through a die and over a mandrel to a desired outer
diameter and wall thickness. The tubes are then cut into a
predetermined length, and chemically cleaned.
[0039] The tube shells are then drawn to a specified variable wall
design. The tube shells are then chemically cleaned. The tubes are
then drawn again to obtain precision of the outer diameter and wall
thickness, and chemically cleaned again. The drawn tube shells are
then heat treated and artificially aged to a desired temper, such
as a T6 temper. The shell is cut to a preset length, as required
per the specification of the bat design. The tube shells are then
CNC drawn to meet final required specifications, after which the
tube shells are chemically treated and finished.
[0040] As can be seen in the various drawings, the bat barrel 12
includes a generally cylindrical upper portion 24, and a generally
tapered or frustoconical lower section 26 adjacent to the second
open end 20. The inner connection region 22 of the bat barrel is
typically defined by an inner surface of this lower tapered section
26. Typically, the inner connection region 22 is adjacent to the
second open end 20, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.
[0041] The interconnecting member 16 is sized and configured so as
to pass through the first open end 18 of the bat barrel and into
the bat barrel 12 until it is disposed at the inner connection
region 22 of the bat barrel 12. Preferably, the interconnecting
member 16 has an outer surface configuration substantially matching
the inner surface configuration of the inner connection region 22.
As such, the interconnecting member 16 is typically generally
conical in configuration so as to nest within the tapered or
frustoconical section 26 of the bat barrel 12 defining the inner
connection region 22. The interconnecting member 16 may be formed
of any suitable material, but typically is not comprised of metal.
For example, the interconnecting member 16 can be comprised of a
plastic or urethane material.
[0042] The interconnecting member 16 is attached to the bat barrel
12, such as by gluing the interconnecting member 16 to the inner
surface of the inner connection region 22. More typically, however,
the interconnecting member 16 has threads 28 on an outer surface
thereof which are configured to engage and threadedly connect to
inner threads 30 of the inner connection region 22. Thus, the
interconnecting member 16 is rotated with respect to the bat barrel
12 so as to threadedly connect the interconnecting member 16 to the
inner connection region 22 of the bat barrel 12. It will also be
understood that an adhesive can be used in addition to the threaded
connection in order to attach the interconnecting member 16 to the
bat barrel 12.
[0043] With reference again to FIGS. 2 and 3, typically the handle
14 is attached to the interconnecting member 16 before the
interconnecting member 16 and bat barrel 12 are attached to one
another. A first end of the handle 32 is attached to the
interconnecting member 16, and a second end of the handle 34 is
used to pull the handle 14 and the interconnecting member 16 into
the bat barrel 12. The handle 14 will be passed through the hollow
bat barrel 12 until the handle 14 substantially extends outwardly
from the second open end 20 of the bat barrel, and the
interconnecting member 16 is disposed at the inner connection
region 24 of the bat barrel 12. In fact, the handle 14 can be
turned so as to rotate the interconnecting member 16 and threadedly
attach it to the inner threads 30 of the inner connection region 22
of the bat barrel 12.
[0044] The handle 14 can be attached to the interconnecting member
16 by any suitable means. In one embodiment, as illustrated, a
first end 32 of the handle 14 is inserted into an opening 36 of the
interconnecting member 16. The opening 36 is generally cylindrical
and has an inner diameter which is slightly larger than an outer
diameter of the first end 32 of the handle 14 such that the first
end 32 of the handle 14 fits snug therein. An adhesive may be
applied to the first end 32 of the handle 14 and/or the inner
surface of the opening 36 of the interconnecting member 16 so as to
attach the handle 14 to the interconnecting member 16.
Alternatively, or in addition, apertures 38 may be formed through
the handle 14, such as at the first end 32 thereof, which are
alignable with apertures 40 of the interconnecting member 16, such
that pins 42 can be inserted through the aligned apertures 38 and
40, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. This further serves to
securely attach and lock the handle 14 to the interconnecting
member 16. This is typically done before the handle 14 and
interconnecting member 16 are passed into the bat barrel 12.
[0045] The handle can be comprised of any suitable material,
including metal, a composite material, wood, and combinations
thereof. In a particularly preferred embodiment, however, the
handle 14 is comprised of a composite material. This material is
relatively lightweight, yet strong and durable. It also provides
flexibility and does not transmit vibrations to the extent that a
metal handle would.
[0046] In accordance with the present invention, a composite tube
comprising the handle 14 is manufactured by first making a prepreg,
using carbon fiber, fiberglass, Kevlar, and resin. The prepreg
sheets are tailored as required to preset fiber angle and shape.
The prepreg sheets are rolled over a mandrel by a rolling machine.
Tape, such as BOPP (bioxially oriented polypropelene) tape is
wrapped over the preform and mandrel by a wrapping machine. The
preform is put into a curing oven. After curing, the composite tube
is removed from the mandrel, and the tape is removed from the
composite tube. The composite tube is then cut to the preset length
necessary for the handle. Typically, the handle 14 is of a
generally constant outer diameter.
[0047] In order to assemble the bat 10 of the present invention,
glue is typically applied onto the composite tube comprising the
handle 14. This typically is at the first end 32 of the handle 14.
The first end 32 is inserted into the opening or passageway 36 of
the interconnecting member 16. In one embodiment, as illustrated,
pins 42 are inserted through aligned apertures 38 and 40 of the
handle 14 and interconnecting member 16 to further secure and
attach and lock the handle 14 to the interconnecting member 16.
[0048] Glue may be applied to an inner surface of the bat barrel
12, such as at the inner connection region 22. Alternatively, an
adhesive is applied to the outer surface of the interconnecting
member 16. The handle 14, having the interconnecting member 16 at
the end thereof, is pulled through the bat barrel 12 until the
second end 34 of the handle, and a significant portion or even all
of the handle 14 is extending outwardly from the second open end 20
of the bat barrel 12. The handle 14 and bat barrel 12 are turned
relative to one another so as to threadedly connect the
interconnecting member 16 and the inner connecting region 22, such
that the threads thereof 28 and 30 form a threaded connection. This
effectively attaches and locks the handle 14 to the bat barrel
12.
[0049] The bar barrel shell 12 may be sanded and cleaned, and
graphics and paint applied thereto as desired. An end cap 44 is
typically attached to the first open end 18 of the bat barrel. A
grip 46 and a knob 48, as necessary, are attached to the handle 14
to complete the bat 10.
[0050] The end cap 44 typically has a groove 50 formed in an outer
peripheral surface thereof into which a lip or projection 52 of the
bat barrel 12 is inserted. An annular groove 54 may also be formed
in the bat barrel 12, adjacent to the first open end 18 which
receives a mating circumferential projection 56 of the end cap 44.
This enables the end cap 44 to be threadedly attached to the first
end of the bat barrel 12, or forcibly inserted into the first end
18 of the bat barrel 12 so as to form a frictional fit therewith,
with the various projections and grooves 50-56 forming a locking
connection. The end cap 44 is typically comprised of a non-metallic
material, such as a plastic material, a polymer material or the
composite laminate.
[0051] It will be appreciated that the size, that is the length, of
the end cap 44 can vary as needed. Thus, in some cases, the
generally cylindrical hitting portion 24 of the bat barrel 12 may
be relatively long and the end cap 44 relatively short. In other
cases, the end cap 44 is longer and the hitting cylindrical barrel
section 24 of the bat barrel 12 is shorter, depending on the
desired characteristics of the bat.
[0052] With reference now to FIGS. 7 and 8, a separate knob 48 is
attached to the second end 34 of the handle 14. The knob 48 can be
comprised of any suitable material, including aluminum or other
metal, plastic, etc. The knob 48 includes a shaft 58 portion
extending therefrom which is insertable into the open end of the
handle 14. Typically, the shaft portion 58 includes cutouts 60 to
enable the shaft 58 to be compressible. Projections 62 typically
extend outwardly from the shaft portion 58 so as to be snap fit
into corresponding recesses 64 formed in the handle 14.
[0053] Thus, in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, the
shaft 58 of knob 48 is forcibly inserted into the second end 34 of
the handle 14 until the projections 62 are snap fit into place
within the recesses 64 of the handle 14. Adhesive may be applied to
the inner surface of the handle 14 and/or the outer surface of the
shaft 58 so as to further attach the knob 48 to the handle 14. The
grip 46 is then applied over the outer surface of the handle
14.
[0054] In another embodiment, a sheath 66 comprised of a relatively
flexible material, such as rubber or polyurethane, forms both the
grip and the knob 68. This is a single member, wherein the knob 68
is an enlarged area at one end which extends over the end 34 of the
handle 14, and not in the handle 14. The remainder of the sheath 66
forms the grip, which can be of varying designs.
[0055] It will be noted that the end 70 of the sheath 66 (or the
grip 46) tapers outwardly and is somewhat enlarged with respect to
the handle 14 and the remainder of the grip 46 or sheath 66. With
reference to FIG. 5, this is to allow the end of the grip 46 or
sheath 66 to extend over an exposed end of the interconnecting
member 16 extending outwardly of the second open end 20 of the bat
barrel, so as to create a clean and aesthetically pleasing finish,
as illustrated in FIG. 1.
[0056] The baseball or softball bat 10 of the present invention has
many advantages over the prior art. It has the advantages of a
multi-component bat, while being capable of meeting the standards
of the various baseball and softball organizations. The bat is also
relatively simple to manufacture and assemble. Moreover, it has
been found that there is very little, if any, vibration at the
handle under the impact between a bat and a ball. The "sweet spot"
is much bigger than other bat designs. Furthermore, the swing
weight is more balanced than other bat designs. It has also been
found that the sound of a ball impacting the bat is louder and more
uniform throughout the entire length of the bat barrel than with
other composite and multi-component bat designs.
[0057] Although several embodiments have been described in detail
for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made
without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.
Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited, except as by the
appended claims.
* * * * *