U.S. patent application number 14/186918 was filed with the patent office on 2015-08-27 for sports device with robust marking.
This patent application is currently assigned to TRIAD SPORTS, INC. dba BOWNET. The applicant listed for this patent is Triad Sports, Inc. dba Bownet. Invention is credited to John Lucas, Dave Nelson.
Application Number | 20150238832 14/186918 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 53881261 |
Filed Date | 2015-08-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150238832 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Nelson; Dave ; et
al. |
August 27, 2015 |
SPORTS DEVICE WITH ROBUST MARKING
Abstract
A sport device includes a longitudinal body comprising a handle,
a barrel and two opposing endpoints. The longitudinal body
comprising a first end adjacent the handle and a second end
adjacent the barrel, wherein the first end is opposite the second
end. The longitudinal body further comprising a knob at the first
end. The knob is adapted to receive a marking, wherein the marking
is arranged to be robust and protect the marking from
deterioration. The sport device according to the invention can be
arranged in many different ways with many different components, and
is generally arranged to provide a baseball bat having a marking
that is easily visible and long-lasting.
Inventors: |
Nelson; Dave; (Camarillo,
CA) ; Lucas; John; (Camarillo, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Triad Sports, Inc. dba Bownet |
Camarillo |
CA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
TRIAD SPORTS, INC. dba
BOWNET
Camarillo
CA
|
Family ID: |
53881261 |
Appl. No.: |
14/186918 |
Filed: |
February 21, 2014 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
473/564 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 2102/182 20151001;
A63B 2102/32 20151001; A63B 60/16 20151001; A63B 2102/18 20151001;
A63B 2071/0694 20130101; A63B 59/50 20151001; A63B 2102/24
20151001; A63B 2102/02 20151001 |
International
Class: |
A63B 59/06 20060101
A63B059/06 |
Claims
1. A sports device, comprising: a longitudinal body having a handle
and a barrel; a first end adjacent said handle; a second end
adjacent said barrel, wherein said first end is opposite said
second end; a knob at said first end; and a marking in said knob,
wherein said knob is adapted to receive said marking.
2. The sports device of claim 1, said marking comprising: a label;
and a protective layer covering said label.
3. The sports device of claim 2, wherein said protective layer
prevents external elements from contacting said label.
4. The sports device of claim 2, wherein said label provides
information related to at least one characteristic of said sports
device.
5. The sports device of claim 2, wherein said label comprises
alphanumeric characters.
6. The sports device of claim 2, wherein said label comprises
symbols.
7. The sports device of claim 1, said knob further comprising: a
cavity; and at least one sidewall adjacent said cavity, wherein
said marking is received by said cavity and adjacent said at least
one sidewall.
8. The sports device claim 1, wherein said marking partially
extends beyond said knob.
9. The sports device of claim 1, wherein said marking is
substantially flush with said knob.
10. The sports device of claim 1, wherein said sports device is a
wood baseball bat.
11. The sports device of claim 1, wherein said marking is
disk-shaped and said knob is correspondingly shaped to receive said
marking.
12. The sports device of claim 2, wherein said label is coupled to
said protective layer.
13. The sports device of claim 7, wherein a thickness of said
marking is substantially equivalent to a depth of said cavity.
14. The sports device of claim 2, wherein said protective layer is
formed of a transparent material.
15. A wood bat, comprising: a longitudinal body; a knob at a first
end, said knob comprising a cavity adapted to receive a label; and
a transparent layer on said label in said cavity, wherein said
transparent layer adapted to seal said label within said cavity and
filling said cavity.
16. The wood bat of claim 15, wherein said transparent layer is
coupled to said label, said label and transparent layer
corresponding to the shape of said cavity.
17. The wood bat of claim 15, wherein said transparent layer is
deposited on said label and cured to correspond to the shape of
said cavity.
18. The wood bat of claim 15, wherein said label comprises a
plurality of alphanumeric characters adapted to provide information
related to at least one characteristic of said wood bat.
19. The wood bat of claim 15, wherein the weight of said label and
transparent layer is substantially equivalent to the weight of the
wood removed from said wood bat in forming said cavity.
20. The wood bat of claim 19, where a second cavity is formed at a
second end of said bat to accommodate for the weight of said label
and transparent layer, wherein said second cavity is opposite said
knob.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] Embodiments of the invention relates generally to baseball
and softball bats, and more particularly, to baseball and softball
bats having a robust label.
DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
[0002] It is well known that a baseball bat is used for striking a
ball during a game of baseball, and are used during
baseball-related training sessions. The bat may be used with a
conventional baseball, a conventional softball, a baseball or
softball training-related ball, or any other type of ball. For the
purposes of this description, the terms bat, ball, and baseball are
used in their generic sense.
[0003] Baseball bats are made for many different age groups and as
a result can have many different characteristics, such as length,
weight, material used, diameter, etc. The information relating to
the characteristics of a bat can be identified on the bat by
markings. The markings, such as a model number, can be located on
different areas of the bat, for example, the handle, the barrel, or
at an end point of the bat. These markings can be etched onto an
outer surface of the material of the bat, could be painted onto an
outer surface the bat, or could be placed on an outer surface of
the bat in the form of an adhesive label. Over time, the etched or
painted markings or adhesive label could wear out and eventually
become impossible or difficult to read. The worn out markings or
labels would make it hard to easily determine the characteristics
of the bat, and would require additional equipment to determine
characteristics of the bat, such as the length, weight, etc.
[0004] An alternative method of marking a bat is using a marker pen
to handwrite the marking on the bat on an outer surface of the bat.
A marker pen allows the bat to be marked manually. The marker pen
also can be used to mark the bat with personalized markings, such
as uniform numbers, team logos, nicknames, etc. in addition to
marking the bat with characteristics related to the bat. However,
the marking from the marking pen can also wear out and become
impossible or difficult to read. Additionally, having to manually
mark a vast quantity of bats with a marker pen can be tedious and
very time consuming.
[0005] Thus, etching or painting the marking, using an adhesive
label, or using a marker pen are not long-lasting solutions for
marking a bat that can withstand the abuse of typical use of the
baseball bat.
SUMMARY
[0006] A sport device having a marking is presented which overcomes
the problems noted above. A longitudinal body comprising a handle,
a barrel and two opposing endpoints. The longitudinal body
comprising a first end adjacent the handle and a second end
adjacent the barrel, wherein the first end is opposite the second
end. The longitudinal body further comprising a knob at the first
end. The knob is adapted to receive a marking, wherein the marking
is arranged to be robust and protect the marking from
deterioration.
[0007] These and other features, aspects and advantages of the
present invention will become better understood with reference to
the following description and claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sport device according to
an embodiment of the invention.
[0009] FIG. 2a is a cross-sectional view of a sport device
according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0010] FIG. 2b is another cross-sectional view of the sport device
of FIG. 2a.
[0011] FIG. 3 is a cross-section view of a sport device according
to an embodiment of the invention.
[0012] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a marking according to an
embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] Embodiments of the invention provide a sport device adapted
to receive a marking, wherein the marking is arranged to be robust
and protect the marking from deterioration. The sport device
according to the invention can be arranged in many different ways
with many different components, and is generally arranged to
provide a baseball bat having a marking that is easily visible and
long-lasting.
[0014] Baseball bats are generally known in the art and are used
when playing a baseball game or when doing baseball related
activities, such as practice or training sessions. Typical baseball
bats can be made of wood, aluminum, composite, and the like, or a
combination thereof. Typical baseball bats can have markings on the
baseball bat that provide information related to the
characteristics of the bat, for example, the weight or length of
the bat. Such markings are typically located on the barrel of the
bat, but are susceptible to fading or deterioration due to hitting
a baseball. Baseball bats typically hit the ball and if the bat is
marked where the bat makes contact with the ball, then the repeated
hitting of the ball will wear out the marking. Also, after the bat
hits the ball, the bat is released and dropped, thrown, or placed
on the ground, such repeated contact with the ground can also
contribute to the marking wearing out over time. Furthermore, when
not being used, bats can be stored in storage containers that could
also cause the marking to wear out, especially if the marking is on
the barrel of the bat. When a bat is in a storage container, the
marking on the barrel of the bat is not visible and the bat must be
removed from the storage container to read the marking on the
barrel. A storage container holding more than one bat would require
each bat to be removed from the container until the desired bat is
found.
[0015] Oftentimes, a marker pen is used to mark an end of the bat,
such as the knob, to identify a characteristic of the bat so that
one would only have to look at the knob of the bat to locate the
desired bat having the desired characteristic, instead of having to
pull out all the bats until the desired one is found. However, the
mark from the marker pen can also wear out over time, or the
surface of the knob may not allow for ink from a marker pen to mark
the knob of the bat. As an alternative, adhesive labels, such as
stickers, can be placed on the knob of the bat. Though, stickers on
the knob will eventually wear out and/or become damaged due in part
to the bat being dropped on the ground or just general wear and
tear.
[0016] The sport device of the invention can provide a number of
additional advantages beyond those mentioned above. For example, in
some embodiments a sport device comprising a marking embedded
within the sport device and a protective layer over the marking
that is transparent, such that the protective layer protects the
marking so that the marking is clearly visible and does not
deteriorate. Additionally, the marking is arranged to not come into
contact with an external article, such as but not limited to a
baseball, the ground and the like, due to the protective layer and
thereby does not deteriorate as a result of regular use of the
sport device.
[0017] The invention is described herein with reference to certain
embodiments but it is understood that the invention can be embodied
in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to
the embodiments set forth herein. In particular, the invention is
described with reference to certain embodiments where the marking
is embedded within the sports device, but in other embodiments the
configuration can be modified. The invention can also be used with
different types of sports devices beyond baseball and softball
bats, although the invention is described herein with reference to
baseball and softball bats.
[0018] It is to be understood that when an element or component is
referred to as being "on" another element or component, it can be
directly on the other element or intervening elements may also be
present. Furthermore, relative terms such as "between", "within",
"adjacent", "below", "proximate" and similar terms, may be used
herein to describe a relationship of one element or component to
another. It is understood that these terms are intended to
encompass different orientations of the device in addition to the
orientation depicted in the figures.
[0019] Although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to
describe various elements or components, these elements or
components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are
only used to distinguish one element or component from another.
Thus, a first element discussed herein could be termed a second
element without departing from the teachings of the present
application. It is understood that actual systems or fixtures
embodying the invention can be arranged in many different ways with
many more features and elements beyond what is shown in the
figures.
[0020] Embodiments of the invention are described herein with
reference to illustrations that are schematic illustrations. As
such, the actual thickness of elements and features can be
different, and variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a
result, for example, of manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances
are expected. Embodiments of the invention should not be construed
as limited to the particular shapes of the regions illustrated
herein but are to include deviations in shapes that result, for
example, from manufacturing. An element illustrated or described as
square or rectangular will typically have rounded or curved
features due to normal manufacturing tolerances. Thus, the elements
illustrated in the figures are schematic in nature and their shapes
are not intended to illustrate the precise shape of a feature of a
device and are not intended to limit the scope of the
invention.
[0021] FIGS. 1-4 shows an embodiment of a sports device 10
according to the invention. The sports device 10 comprising a
longitudinal body 12 comprising a handle 14, a barrel 16, and a
knob 22 proximate the handle 14. The sports device 10 further
comprising a first end 18 and a second end 20, wherein the first
end 18 is opposite the second end 20. The knob 22 is at first end
18 and is adapted to receive a marking, wherein the marking is
arranged to be robust and protect the marking from
deterioration.
[0022] The embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4 is of a sports device 10
in the form of a baseball bat, and the sports device 10 will be
referenced as a baseball bat 10 from herein. The invention is not
intended to be limited to a baseball bat 10. In other embodiments,
the sports device 10 can be other sports-related items, such as but
not limited to a softball bat, golf clubs, tennis/racquetball
rackets, hockey sticks, or the like.
[0023] The knob 22 is arranged to receive the marking 24, such that
the marking 24 is within the knob 22. The knob 22 comprises a
cavity 26 adapted to receive the marking 24. The cavity 26 is
configured to substantially correspond to the shape of the marking
24, such that the cavity 26 provides a tight-fitting opening to
receive the marking 24. The marking 24, when received by the cavity
26, is adjacent at least one sidewall 28 of the cavity 26. In other
embodiments, the marking 24 can be in contact with the at least one
sidewall 28 of the cavity. An advantage of the invention is that
there are substantially no gaps between the marking 24 and the at
least one sidewall 28 of the cavity 26, which assists in ensuring a
secure fit and reduces the likelihood of the marking 24 becoming
dislodged from the cavity 26. In some embodiments, an adhesive can
be used to further secure the marking 24 to the cavity 26. In other
embodiments, a screw, nail, pin, rivet, or the like can be used to
fasten the marking 24 to the cavity 26. In yet other embodiments,
the marking 24 can be threaded and the cavity 26 can comprise
threaded sidewalls 28 to threadedly receive the marking 24. The
marking 24 can be secured or fastened to the cavity 26 many
different ways and is not intended to be limited to the examples
disclosed herein.
[0024] The cavity 26 receives the marking 24 such that the marking
24 does not substantially extend from the surrounding surface of
the knob 22 of the baseball bat 10. In some embodiments, the
marking 24 can have a convex or domed surface that extends beyond
the knob 22 of the bat 10, as shown in FIG. 2b. In other
embodiments, the marking 24 can have a flat surface such that the
marking is flush with the knob 22 of the bat 10, as shown in FIG.
3. The marking 24 can be configured in many different ways and is
not intended to be limited to the examples disclosed herein. In
some embodiments, the marking 24 can be configured to substantially
correspond to the surrounding surface of the knob 22, such that
knob 22 with the marking 24 is substantially similar to the shape
of a knob of a conventional baseball bat without the marking
24.
[0025] The marking 24 can comprise a label 25 and a protective
layer 27 that covers the label 25. The protective layer 27 is
transparent and protects the label 25 from damage, such that the
information on the label 25 is legible and does not deteriorate due
to wear from normal use of the baseball bat 10. The label 25 and
protective layer 27 are two separate structures that are coupled
together prior to being installed in the cavity 26. In some
embodiments, the label 25 can be fabricated onto the protective
layer 27 instead of being prefabricated and then coupled to the
protective layer 27. In yet other embodiments, the label 25 can be
inserted into the cavity 26 and then the protective layer 27 can be
in a soft or liquid form and cured into its final form. While in
other embodiments, the protective layer 27 can be fabricated onto
the label 25 and then the protective layer 27 and label 25 can be
inserted into the cavity 26. The protective layer 27 can be formed
of many different materials, such as but not limited to resin,
silicone, plastic, and the like.
[0026] The label 25 can provide information related to at least one
characteristic of the baseball bat 10, such as but not limited to
weight, length, barrel size, etc. The label 25 can also have
information related to a plurality of characteristics of the
baseball bat 10. In some embodiments, the label 25 can further
comprise custom symbols, characters, designs, logos, a combination
thereof, or the like. For example, the label 25 can comprise a
uniform number in addition to information related to
characteristics of the bat. In other embodiments, the label 25 can
comprise logos and/or insignias, such as but not limited to a team,
manufacturer of the baseball bat 10, and/or sponsors, advertising,
website address, barcodes, matrix barcodes, etc. An advantage of
the invention is that the label 25 can comprise a serial number
and/or a model number for inventory or warranty purposes, in
addition to information related to characteristics of the bat 10
and logos. The label 25 having the serial number allows relevant
information related to the baseball bat 10 to be stored and used
for future reference, such as but not limited to delivering
advertising to the purchaser of the bat, marketplace expansion of
sales of the bat, and other marketing related information.
[0027] An advantage of the invention is that the marking 24 can
provide a variety of text, numbers, and/or logos that are legible,
such that relevant characteristics of the bat 10 are readily
apparent and easily accessible. The invention allows bats 10 to be
easily identifiable by reading the label 25, and eliminates the
need to examine the barrel and other parts of the bat to determine
the characteristics of the bat. For example, when the bat 10 is in
a storage container, the marking 24 in the knob 22 is clearly
visible and does not require the bat to be removed from the storage
container to identify characteristics of the bat 10. Also, in
situations where a vast number of bats are in storage containers,
the marking 24 displays the relevant characteristics of the
respective bats 10 which can be quickly viewed in order to select a
desired bat. The invention eliminates the need to examine each of
the bats in order to locate a bat having desired characteristics.
Furthermore, repeated use of the bat 10 does not damage the marking
24 and will not fade out or become illegible as compared to etched,
painted, or marker pen markings on conventional baseball bats. Yet
another advantage of the invention is that the marking 24 can be
configured to be a different and/or distinct color than that of the
knob 22 of the baseball bat 10. The color distinction between the
marking 24 and the baseball bat 10 allows the marking 24 to stand
out, enhancing the visibility of the marking 24 and the information
on the marking. The invention overcomes instances where the color
of the bat would interfere or prevent an etching, paint, and/or
sticker label from being easily readable on the bat.
[0028] The cavity 26 can be formed many different ways, and in one
embodiment is formed by removing part of the material around the
knob 22 that is used to make the baseball bat 10. In wood baseball
bats, this requires the knob 22 of the baseball bat 10 to be milled
to form the cavity 26. In non-wood baseball bats, such as aluminum,
composite, and the like, the cavity 26 could be part of the form
pressed into the knob to create the cavity 26 or could be part of
the mold that is used to form the knob. The wood used to make the
baseball bat 10 can be many different types of wood known in the
art, such as but not limited to maple, ash, or guayaibi. In some
embodiments, the weight of the marking 24 is included in the final
weight of the baseball bat 10. As such, when milling the wood
baseball bat 10 to form the cavity 26, the weight of the marking is
taken into consideration and the baseball bat 10 can be milled to
remove additional wood from the bat 10, such that the addition of
the marking 24 does not cause the weight of the bat 10 to deviate
from the intended weight of the bat. For example, the bat 10 can be
milled at the second end 20 to form a second cavity opposite the
cavity 26. In other embodiments, the weight of the label 25 and
protective layer 27 is substantially equivalent to the weight of
the wood removed from the bat in the forming of the cavity 26. This
configuration allows the bat 10 to maintain the same weight prior
to the formation of the cavity 26, such that a second cavity
opposite the knob 22 does not have to be formed and/or
modified.
[0029] The marking 24 can be shaped in many different ways. In one
embodiment, the marking 24 can be disk-shaped, similar to a coin,
with the label 25 covered by the protective layer 27, wherein the
protective layer prevents external elements from contacting the
label 25 and thereby preventing damage and/or deterioration to the
label 25. The marking 24 is not intended to be limited to a
disk-shaped configuration. In other embodiments, the marking 24 can
be shaped in the form of a triangle, quadrilateral, or any other
polygonal shape. The shape of the marking 24 is arranged to
correspond to the opening of the cavity 26 in the knob 22.
[0030] While particular embodiments of the invention have been
shown and described, numerous variations and alternate embodiments
will occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended
that the invention be limited only in terms of the appended
claims.
* * * * *