U.S. patent application number 14/960854 was filed with the patent office on 2016-06-09 for instrumented softball or baseball bat and bat knob and system for monitoring a bat swing.
The applicant listed for this patent is RIP-IT HOLDINGS, LLC. Invention is credited to Matthew Delgado, Jason Polstein, Matthew POLSTEIN, Sriram Sridhar, Allen M. Thompson.
Application Number | 20160158619 14/960854 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 56093361 |
Filed Date | 2016-06-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160158619 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
POLSTEIN; Matthew ; et
al. |
June 9, 2016 |
INSTRUMENTED SOFTBALL OR BASEBALL BAT AND BAT KNOB AND SYSTEM FOR
MONITORING A BAT SWING
Abstract
An instrumented baseball or softball bat knob comprising a knob
housing including a generally cylindrical member inserted into a
handle end of the bat and a knob portion attached to the
cylindrical member. The knob portion has a diameter that is larger
than a diameter of the handle end of the bat. An electronics
package is mounted within the knob housing and includes one or more
sensors, a microcontroller (processor), memory device and a battery
to generate and store data relative to conditions of a batter's
swing. The electronics package may also include a wireless
transmitter/antenna/transceiver to transmit swing condition data to
an external, remote processing unit.
Inventors: |
POLSTEIN; Matthew;
(Windermere, FL) ; Polstein; Jason; (Orlando,
FL) ; Delgado; Matthew; (Orlando, FL) ;
Thompson; Allen M.; (Orlando, FL) ; Sridhar;
Sriram; (Orlando, FL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
RIP-IT HOLDINGS, LLC |
ORLANDO |
FL |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
56093361 |
Appl. No.: |
14/960854 |
Filed: |
December 7, 2015 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62087867 |
Dec 5, 2014 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
473/457 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 2208/0204 20130101;
A63B 2071/0655 20130101; A63B 2220/34 20130101; A63B 2220/44
20130101; A63B 2225/20 20130101; A63B 60/46 20151001; A63B 69/0002
20130101; A63B 2069/0008 20130101; A63B 2220/803 20130101; G09B
19/0038 20130101; A63B 2220/833 20130101; A63B 2220/40 20130101;
A63B 59/50 20151001 |
International
Class: |
A63B 69/00 20060101
A63B069/00; A63B 24/00 20060101 A63B024/00 |
Claims
1. An instrumented baseball or softball bat knob, comprising; a
housing that is configured to be fixed to a handle end of a bat;
and an electronics package mounted within the housing and
comprising: one or more sensors mounted within the housing and
capable of detecting conditions associated with a swing of the bat
and capable of generating raw swing condition data associated with
a swing of the bat, and the raw swing condition data is used to
generate processed swing condition data associated with the swing
of the bat; a memory device mounted in the housing for storing the
processed swing condition data and/or for storing the raw swing
condition data generated by the sensors; a battery mounted within
the housing that supplies power to the sensors, processor, memory
and transceiver; and, a processor mounted within the housing and in
electrical signal communication with the one or more sensors,
memory device, transceiver and battery.
2. The instrumented bat knob of claim 1 further comprising a
transmitter mounted within the housing that transmits the processed
swing condition data or raw swing condition data to an external
processing unit, and the transmitter is in electrical signal
communication with the processor.
3. The instrumented bat knob of claim 1, wherein the processor is
programmed to generate the processed swing condition data based on
the raw condition data generated by the one or more sensors.
4. The instrumented bat knob of claim 1, wherein the housing has a
generally cylindrical portion to be inserted within the handle end
of a bat and a knob portion affixed to the cylindrical portion, and
the knob portion having a diameter that is larger than a diameter
of the handle end of a bat.
5. The instrumented bat knob of claim 4, wherein the electronics
package is disposed within an internal volume of the knob portion
of the housing.
6. The instrumented bat knob of claim 4, wherein the cylindrical
portion has external threads matching an internally threaded
portion of the handle end of a bat.
7. The instrumented bat knob of claim 1, wherein the housing
comprises a generally cylindrical housing to be inserted and fixed
within a handle end of a bat.
8. The instrumented bat knob of claim 4, further comprising a
charging portal on the knob portion of the housing.
9. The instrumented bat knob of claim 4, wherein the electronics
package is disposed within an internal volume of the housing
defined by the knob portion and cylindrical portion.
10. The instrumented bat knob of claim 4, wherein the electronics
package is disposed within an internal volume of the housing
defined by the cylindrical portion of the housing.
11. An instrumented baseball or softball bat, comprising: a barrel
portion; a handle portion connected to the barrel portion and
having a handle end; an instrumented knob including a knob housing
affixed to the handle end of the bat; and an electronics package
mounted within the knob housing comprising: one or more sensors
mounted within the housing and capable of detecting conditions
associated with a swing of the bat and capable of generating raw
swing condition data associated with a swing of the bat and the raw
swing condition data is used to generate processed swing condition
data associated with the swing of the bat; a memory device mounted
in the housing for storing the processed swing condition data
generated by the processor and/or the raw data generated by the
sensors; a transceiver mounted within the housing that transmits
the processed swing condition data to an external processing unit;
a battery mounted within the housing that supplies power to the
sensors, processor, memory device and transceiver; and, a processor
mounted within the housing and in electrical signal communication
with the one or more sensors, memory device, transmitter, and
battery.
12. The instrumented bat of claim 11, wherein the instrumented knob
housing includes a generally cylindrical portion inserted within
the handle end of the bat and a knob portion connected to the
cylindrical portion, wherein the knob portion is external of the
handle end of the bat and has a diameter that is larger than a
diameter of the handle end of the bat.
13. The instrumented bat of claim 11, wherein the instrumented knob
housing includes a cylindrical housing inserted into and affixed to
the handle end of the bat and a knob portion affixed to an outer
surface of the handle end of the bat.
14. The instrumented bat of claim 12, further comprising a charging
port on the knob housing and the charging port is in electrical
communication with the battery and is configured to receive an
electric charging device.
15. The instrumented bat of claim 12, wherein the electronics
package is disposed within an internal volume of the knob portion
of the instrumented knob housing.
16. The instrumented bat of claim 12, wherein the electronics
package is disposed within an internal volume of the instrumented
knob housing defined by the knob portion and cylindrical
portion.
17. The instrumented bat of claim 12, wherein the electronics
package is disposed within an internal volume of the instrumented
knob housing defined by the cylindrical portion of the housing.
18. A system o monitoring a bat swing comprising: a bat having a
barrel portion, and a handle portion connected to the barrel
portion and having a handle end; an instrumented knob housing
affixed to the handle end of the bat; an electronics package
mounted within the knob housing comprising: one or more sensors
mounted within the housing and capable of detecting conditions
associated with a swing of the bat and capable of generating raw
swing condition data associated with a swing of the bat and the raw
condition data is used to generate processed swing condition data
associated with the swing of the bat; a memory device mounted in
the housing for storing the processed swing condition data
generated by the processor and/or the raw data generated by the
sensors; a transceiver mounted within the housing that transmits
the processed swing condition data to an external processing unit;
a battery mounted within the housing that supplies power to the
sensors, processor, memory device and transceiver; a processor
mounted within the housing and in electrical signal communication
with the one or more sensors, memory device, transmitter, and
battery; and a processing unit external to the instrumented knob,
and positioned remotely to and not n physical contact with the bat,
wherein the processing unit is in wireless signal communication
with the instrumented knob to transmit the raw swing condition data
or processed swing condition data between the processing unit and
the instrumented knob.
19. The system of claim 18 wherein the instrumented knob includes a
charging port with one or more electrical connections and the
system further comprising a battery charger assembly including an
electrical interconnect connectable to, and detachable from, the
charging port of the instrumented knob.
20. The instrumented knob of claim 1 wherein the instrumented knob
further comprises a charging port on the housing with one or more
electrical connections and a battery charger assembly, including an
electrical interconnect, that is connectable to, and detachable
from, the charging port of the instrumented knob.
21. The instrumented bat of clam 11 wherein the instrumented knob
of the bat includes a charging port on the knob housing with one or
more electrical connections and a battery charger assembly,
including an electrical interconnect, that is connectable to, and
detachable from, the charging port of the instrumented knob.
22. The instrumented knob of claim 1 further comprising a vibration
motor mounted within the knob housing and electrically connected
with the processor.
Description
CROSS REFERENCED TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 62/087,867 filed Dec. 5, 2014, and incorporated
herein by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Embodiments of the invention disclosed herein relate to
devices and systems that are used with sporting equipment to detect
movement of the sporting equipment as it is used in order to
monitor and analyze the swinging motion of a user. More
particularly, embodiments of the invention pertain to such systems
that are used in connection with softball or baseball bats.
[0003] Baseball and softball players constantly work to improve
their bat swing. Accordingly, systems and devices have been
developed that include sensors, such as accelerometers and/or
gyroscopes, which generate data associated with a batter's swinging
motion. Many of these devices are fixed to an area on an outer
surface of the bat. That is, the bats are retrofitted with the
devices. Consequently, the devices are exposed and potentially
subject to being damaged by contact with a baseball or softball
bat, or by the batter simply dropping the bat.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The inventors of the embodiments disclosed and claimed
herein have recognized a need to incorporate sensing and monitoring
devices during the manufacture of baseball or softball bat. In this
manner, any such devices and the components thereof can be mounted
within an interior volume of a bat minimizing the exposure to
damage. Moreover, by incorporated the sensing and monitoring
devices in a knob of the bat, for example, the device and system
may be seamlessly integrated in a batter's practice routine.
[0005] Throughout this specification and the claims, unless the
context requires otherwise, the word "comprise" and its variations,
such as "comprises" and "comprising," will be understood to imply
the inclusion of a stated item, element or step or group of items,
elements or steps, but not the exclusion of any other item, element
or step or group of items, elements or steps. Furthermore, the
indefinite article "a" or "an" is meant to indicate one or more of
the item, element or step modified by the article. In addition, the
serial adjectives "first," "second," "third," etc., are used to
distinguish items, elements or steps (including intervals of time)
in the order introduced, and not to imply a temporal sequence,
unless otherwise indicated. Thus, a first time interval can occur
before or after or overlapping a second time interval.
[0006] Embodiments for an instrumented baseball or softball bat
knob may comprise a housing that is configured to be fixed to a
handle end of a hat, and one or more sensors mounted within the
housing that are capable of detecting conditions associated with a
swing of the bat and capable of generating raw condition data
associated with the swing of the bat. In addition, a processor is
mounted within the housing in signal communication with the
sensors, and the processor is configured to process the raw data
generated by the sensors. A memory device may be mounted in the
housing for storing the raw data generated by the sensors and/or
processed data generated by the processor; and, a transceiver may
be mounted within the housing that transmits processed data to an
external processing unit. A battery may also be mounted within the
housing to supply power to the sensors, processor, memory and
transceiver. In an embodiment, the housing may include a charging
port for connection to an external power source to charge the
battery as needed.
[0007] Embodiments of an instrumented baseball or softball bat may
comprise a barrel portion, a handle portion connected to the barrel
portion and the handle portion has a handle end. An instrumented
knob housing is affixed to the handle end of the bat, and one or
more sensors mounted within the housing are capable of detecting
conditions associated with a swing of the bat and the sensors are
capable of generating raw condition data associated with a swing of
the bat. A processor may be mounted within the housing and in
signal communication with the sensors, and the processor is
configured to process the raw data generated by the sensors, and a
memory device is mounted in the housing for storing the processed
data generated by the processor and/or the raw data generated by
the sensors. A transceiver is mounted within the housing and
transmits processed data to an external processing unit. A battery
may be mounted within the housing that supplies power to the
sensors, processor, memory and transceiver. In an embodiment, the
knob housing may include a charging port for connection to an
external power source to charge the battery as needed.
[0008] A system for monitoring a bat swing is disclosed herein
including the above-referenced instrumented knob and/or
instrumented bat wherein the system comprises a processing unit
external to the instrumented knob. The processing unit may be
positioned remotely to and not in physical contact with the bat,
wherein the processing unit is in wireless signal communication
with the instrumented knob to transmit the raw swing condition data
or processed swing condition data between the processing unit and
the instrumented knob.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and
not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying
drawings and in which like reference numerals refer to similar
elements and in which:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an instrumented
baseball or softball bat.
[0011] FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of an instrumented knob
and handle end of a bat respectively threaded for attachment of the
instrumented knob to the handle end of the bat.
[0012] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the instrumented bat
knob.
[0013] FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the instrumented bat
knob.
[0014] FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the instrumented bat knob
taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4.
[0015] FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the instrumented bat knob,
including an electronics package for the instrumented bat knob.
[0016] FIG. 7 is a top view of an interior of the instrumented bat
knob.
[0017] FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the battery charger relative
to the instrumented knob.
[0018] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the battery charger for the
instrumented knob.
[0019] FIG. 10 is an elevational view of the battery charger on the
instrumented knob.
[0020] FIG. 11 is a schematic illustration of a first alternative
embodiment of the instrumented bat knob.
[0021] FIG. 12 is a schematic illustration of a second alternative
embodiment of the instrumented bat knob.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0022] A more particular description of the invention briefly
described above will be rendered by reference to specific
embodiments thereof that are illustrated in the appended drawings.
Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments
of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be
limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and
explained.
[0023] With respect to FIG. 1, an instrumented baseball bat 10 is
illustrated including a barrel portion 12, a handle portion 14 and
a handle end 16. An end cap 26 may be affixed to an end of the
barrel portion 12. An instrumented knob 18 is affixed to the handle
end 16 of the bat 10. As further shown in FIG. 2, the instrumented
knob 18, includes a knob housing 20 with a generally cylindrical
portion 22 inserted in the handle end 16 of the bat 10, and a knob
portion 24 connected to the cylindrical portion 22. As will be
explained in more detail below, a plurality of electronic
components including one or more sensors, at least one processor or
microcontroller, transceiver or transmitter, a memory device and
battery, are mounted within the knob housing 20 to monitor and
generate data associated with a batter's swing. The term "knob
housing" as used herein means a housing that is generally
configured in the shape of a bat knob and as an internal volume in
which electronics can be mounted for monitoring a bat swing.
[0024] The instrumented knob 18 may be used with or incorporated
with bats composed of composite graphite and carbon material,
aluminum, an aluminum alloy or a wood composite material. During
the manufacture of a bat, the handle end 16 may be adapted as
needed to attach the instrumented knob 18 to the handle end 16. To
that end, the knob housing 20 may be affixed to the handle end 16
in any number of ways. As shown in FIG. 2, the knob housing 20
includes cylindrical portion 22 that has external threading 28 for
engagement with internal threading 30 along an internal surface of
the handle end 16. Although the instrumented knob is described as
being assembled for attachment to a bat during manufacture of an
instrumented bat, the instrumented knob may also be configured for
retrofitting a bat with the instrumented knob.
[0025] In an embodiment, the knob housing 20 may have an adhesive,
for example, Loctite.RTM., applied to the external threading 28 to
fix the knob housing 20 to the handle end 16. However, the
invention is not limited to a particular mechanism or method of
attaching the instrumented knob 18 and housing 20 to a bat. For
example, the knob housing 20 and bat end 16 may include mating tabs
and grooves to snap the knob housing to the bat end 16.
Alternatively, the knob housing 20 may be welded to the handle end
16, or a combination of threaded engagement, welding and/or
adhesives. In addition, or alternatively, the shapes of the bat end
16 and cylindrical portion 22 of the housing 20 may be adapted to
secure the parts together, or other fastening mechanisms such as
cross pins (inserted through borings) may be used to secure the
parts together.
[0026] With respect to FIGS. 3-7, an embodiment of the instrumented
knob 18, knob housing 20 and the internal components thereof are
shown in more detail. As described above, the knob housing 20
includes an externally threaded, cylindrical portion 22 and a knob
portion 24. In this illustrated embodiment, the knob portion 24
includes an upper portion 24A affixed to a lower portion 24B
creating an internal volume in which the below described
electronics package 56 is mounted. The upper portion 24A and lower
portion 24B of the knob portion 24 may be fixed together using
known fastening mechanisms such as threaded surfaces, adhesives,
pins/screws etc. The components of the knob housing 20, including
the knob portions 24A, 24B and cylindrical portion 22 may be
composed of a rubberized plastic, in which case an adhesive such as
SCIGRIP.TM. 2354 may be used to fix the knob portions 24A, 24B
together. However, the invention is not limited to the particular
materials comprising the knob housing 20, and may include any
materials that are durable, and preferably water resistant, that
allow the invention to be used in outdoor environments as on a
softball or baseball field.
[0027] As further shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the upper portion 24A of
the knob portion 24 may include a fill port 74 through which a
dielectric gel, or other potting material, may be injected to pot
the internal volume of the knob housing 20 to secure the below
described electronics package 56 and its components within the knob
housing 20. In addition, a vent 76 may be provided to dissipate
heat generated by the electronics package 56. Plates 78 may be
provided to cover the fill port 74, and provide a surface for
displaying alphanumeric indicia associated with the instrumented
knob 18 or bat 10.
[0028] As shown in FIG. 5, an electronics package 56 is shown
positioned within the knob housing 20. The electronics package 56,
for example, may take the form of a printed circuit board (PCB)
with electrical components formed on a substrate 40, using surface
mount technology or through hole technology, for example. As
further shown in FIGS. 5-7, support posts 42 may be provided within
the knob portion 24 of the knob housing 20 to support the substrate
40 and electronics package 56 in the knob housing 20.
[0029] The electrical components may include one or more active
motion sensors 32A, 32B. By way of example, the sensors 32A, 32B
may include an accelerometer, which measures the non-gravitational
acceleration of a swing, and a gyroscope, which generates raw data
signals (also referred to as "raw swing condition data") indicative
of an angle of the bat during through a swinging motion, or the
gyroscope measures the rotation of the swing around a specified
axis. A micro-processor 34 is provided in electrical signal
communication with the sensors 32A, 32B to power and activate the
sensors and may receive raw data signals from the sensors 32A, 32B
and these signals are indicative of detected conditions of a
batter's swing. For example, the processor 34 may be programmed
with one or more algorithms or instructions to interpret the raw
data signals received from the sensors and analyze signals to
generate machine readable data (also referred to as "processed
data" or "processed swing condition data"). As will be explained
below, the algorithms or instructions may be stored on a memory
device.
[0030] The term "raw data" is intended to mean any data generated
by the sensors that has not been subjected to any further
processing; and, the term "processed data" is intended to mean any
data that is generated from the processing of the raw data.
[0031] One or more memory devices 35 may be provided to store the
raw data generated by sensors 32A, 32B, executable algorithms or
executable instructions, or the processed data generated by
processor 34. The memory device 35 is preferably a flash memory
having a 128 MB storage capacity. The memory device 35 includes
both dynamic memory (e.g., RAM, magnetic disk, writable optical
disk, etc.) and static memory (e.g., ROM, CD-ROM, etc.) for storing
executable instructions that when executed perform one or more
steps of a method described herein. Although the memory device 35
is represented as a separate component relative to the processor
34, the memory device 35 and processor may be integrated as a
single device.
[0032] A wireless transmitter (or antenna) 36 may be configured to
utilize Bluetooth technology including a Bluetooth module 37 for
transmission of data signals to an external processing unit 44
(shown in FIG. 1). For example, raw data generated by the sensors
32A, 32C during a batting practice may transmitted to the memory
device 35 and the processor 34 may accesses the memory device 35
for processing or processor 34 may initiate transmission of the raw
data from the memory device 35 or directly from the sensors 32A,
32B to the external processing unit 44. The transmitter 36 may take
the form of a transceiver in order to receive signals from the
external processing unit.
[0033] The processor 34 may be configured to execute instructions
or algorithms to translate the raw data generated by the sensors
32A, 32B into processed data representing detected conditions
associated with a bat swing. For example, the processor 34 may
process the raw data to generate information indicating the angular
velocity or acceleration of the bat through a swing, the bat swing
angle or angle of the barrel portion relative to a vertical axis,
presence and quality of impact with a ball and the path followed by
the bat during the swing. An example of a processor that may be
used in the instrumented knob 18 is an ultra-low power 32-bit
processor manufactured by ST Life Augmented.
[0034] The transmitter or transceiver 36 is in signal communication
with the processor 34 and is configured to transmit the raw data
signals from the sensors 32A, 32B, or any processed data, to an
external processing unit 44, which can be a smart phone, tablet
computer, laptop computer or any other mobile device or any other
processing unit. The external processing unit 44 may be configured
with software application(s) to transmit a signal to be received by
the transceiver 36 to activate the electronics package 56 via the
processor 34 or initiate transmission of the raw data or processed
data. The electronics package 56, including its components, may be
configured to transmit raw processed data at timed intervals and/or
transmit the raw or processed data in real-time as the raw data is
acquired and processed. Moreover, one or more switches (not shown)
may be operatively connected to the electronics package 56 to
activate the system and package 56 and/or to initiate transmission
of the raw or processed data to the external processing unit
44.
[0035] Again with respect to FIG. 1, the external or remote
processing unit 44 is provided in signal communication with the
wireless transceiver 36 to receive raw or processed swing condition
data from the transceiver 36. The external processing unit 44 may
be a smartphone, a tablet computer, a personal computer, etc., that
may be equipped with one or more software applications that process
the raw data or further process the processed data to display the
same on a monitor for viewing. The transceiver 36 may be configured
to transmit data periodically or when prompted by the remote
processing unit 44. In addition, the transceiver 36 may be
configured to stream the processed data in real time.
[0036] The electronics package 56 may include a communication
mechanism such as a bus for passing or transmitting data and
information between the sensors 32A, 32B, processor 34, transceiver
36 and memory device 35. As further shown in FIG. 6, the
electronics package may further comprise a crystal oscillator 46,
which may be used to control or modulate the frequency at which the
Bluetooth transceiver 36 and module 37 operate. The oscillator 46
may also be used for timekeeping when recording and storing swing
condition raw or processed data.
[0037] In reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, a battery 38 is shown mounted
in the knob portion 24 of the knob housing 20, and is provided to
power the different components of the electrical package 56 via the
processor 34. The battery may be a rechargeable lithium-polymer
battery that has a nominal voltage of 3.7V, a minimum capacity of
250 mAh and a minimum impedance of <250 m.OMEGA.. The battery 38
is in electrical communication with the processor 34 to provide
power to other components, such as the sensors 32A, 32B,
transceiver 36, and memory device 35 of the electronics package 56.
The battery 38 and electronics package 56 (including the PCB
substrate) 40 may be mounted or fixed to internal surfaces of the
knob housing 20 using known fastening techniques, such as pins,
screws, rivets or the like. In addition, or alternatively, gap
filler materials including sheet and/or potting materials may be
used to secure the battery 38 and the electronics package 56 in
place and provide some thermal conductivity to control the
temperature of the instrumented knob 18 and its components. An
example, of such a filler material is Dow Corning.RTM. 3-4207
dielectric tough gel, which, as described above, may be injected
through the fill port 74.
[0038] Two electrical terminal pins 48 are shown in FIGS. 5 and 6
in electrical communication with the battery 38 to define a
charging port 50 for connection of a battery charger assembly for
charging the battery 38. To that end, and in reference to FIGS.
8-10, a battery charger assembly 52 is shown in connection with the
instrumented knob 18. In this embodiment, the battery charger
assembly 52 includes a charger body 54 including an electrical
interconnect header 58 including two spring-loaded headers for an
electrical connection to or with the terminal pins 48 of the
charging port 50. In addition, a micro USB receptacle 59 is
provided for connection to a power source via a cable and plug (not
shown). Also, the battery charger assembly 52 may include a solid
state LED lamp 60 to provide a visual indication of charging status
of the battery 38 and battery charging assembly 52.
[0039] As further shown in FIGS. 8-10, the battery charger assembly
52 includes mounting base 62 having generally the same outer
geometric configuration to that of the upper knob portion 24A of
the knob portion 24 to the housing 20. The mounting base 62 is
dimensioned to snugly fit against the knob housing 20. To that end,
tabs 64 are spaced apart along an interior surface 66 of the
mounting base 62 that correspond to slots 68 (shown in FIGS. 3 and
4) disposed on knob portion 24 of the knob housing 20 to secure the
battery charger assembly 52 to the knob housing 20. In this manner,
the battery charger assembly may remain electrically connected to
the charging port 50 despite the orientation of the instrumented
knob 18 or the bat 10.
[0040] Again with respect to FIGS. 5 and 6, the instrumented knob
18 may include a vibration motor 70 positioned within the housing
to provide a vibratory indication of an event occurring relative to
the instrumented bat 10 and knob 18. For example, if the bat 10 is
picked up for swinging practice, the sensors 32A, 32B may be
configured to detect such motion and generate signals indicating
such movement. The processor 34 in turn may be configured to
activate the electrical components of the electronic package 56 to
a communication state. Accordingly, a signal may be transmitted
from the processor 34 to the vibration motor 70, which vibrates
according to a communication protocol to generate a vibratory
signal indicating that the instrumented knob 18 has been activated
and is an active communication state for collecting and
transmitting data relative to a bat swing.
[0041] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the vibration
motor 70 is disposed within an internal volume defined by the
cylindrical portion 22 of the knob housing 20. As shown in FIG. 7,
spacers 72 are vertically disposed within the cylindrical portion
22 to support the vibration motor 70 in the knob housing 20. An
epoxy adhesive, such as 3M DP-100 adhesive, is poured into the
cylindrical portion to fill in gaps between the vibration motor 70
and internal walls of the cylindrical portion 22. After the
adhesive is in place, the battery 38 may be placed in the lower
portion 24B of the knob portion 24 of the housing 20. Then the PCB
substrate 62, with the electronics package is placed in position on
the support posts 42, and the upper portion 24B of the knob portion
24 of the knob housing is fixed in place. With the vibration motor
70 position in the cylindrical portion 22 of the knob housing 20,
the vibratory signals generated by the motor 70 can be felt by a
batter when picking the bat 10 up for swinging, signaling that the
instrumented knob 18 is activated to a communicative state.
[0042] The processor 34 is preferably programmed or configured such
that if the sensors 32A, 32B have not generated any signals or
detected any motion for a preset amount of time, the processor 34
controls a reduced power output to the electrical components to
place the instrumented knob 18 in a low power mode or "sleep
state." Once a batter picks the bat up, the sensors 32A, 32B detect
the motion of raising or moving the bat so the processor 34
receiving signals from the sensors 32A, 32B, increases the power
output to place the instrumented knob 18 and electrical components
thereof in an active communication state. In this active
communication state, the sensors 32A, 32B generate the raw
condition data signals that may be processed internally at the
processor 34 or which are transmitted to the external processor 44
for processing and analysis. The "vibration motor" may also be used
to communicate a variety of vibratory signals associate with swing
quality, low charge, data transfer mode etc.
[0043] Alternative embodiments of the instrumented knob 18 are
shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. In FIG. 11, the knob housing 20' includes
a knob portion 24' welded to the outside surface of the handle end
16'. The cylindrical portion 22' is provided in threaded engagement
with the internal surface of the handle end 16', and an adhesive
such as Loctite.RTM.. In this embodiment, the knob portion 24' may
be composed of the same material as that of the bat handle end 16'
and is welded to the handle end 16'. In this embodiment, the knob
portion 24' surrounds at least a portion of the bat end 16'.
[0044] In yet another embodiment shown in FIG. 12, the knob housing
20'' includes a cylindrical portion 22'' inserted into the handle
end 16'', and affixed to the handled end 16''. An electronics
housing 80, containing the above-referenced electrical components,
is provided in threaded engagement with the knob portion 24'', and
may be fixed in place with an adhesive such as Loctite.RTM..
[0045] While certain embodiments of the present invention have been
shown and described herein, such embodiments are provided by way of
example only. Numerous variations, changes and substitutions will
occur to those of skill in the art without departing from the
invention herein. Accordingly, it is intended that the invention be
limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
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