Abstract:
Ball bats comprising a stem and a handle surrounding the stem. An elastomeric decoupler system installed in the handle sharply reduces the transmission of shocks and vibrations from the stem to the handle, mitigating stinging and other unpleasant sensations experienced by the batter when a ball is struck. Unpleasant sensations can be further reduced by installing a DTMS damping device in the knob of the bat and by installing an elastomeric grip on the handle of the bat; and the unpleasant sound made when a bat strikes the ground or the like can be materially reduced by a device attached to the stem of the bat intermediate the ends of the handle. The present inventions are particularly adaptable to hollow, metal bats; and provision is made for venting the knob of the bat when it is welded in place so hot gases will not be forced into, and reduce the integrity of, the weld. Appropriate ones of the devices described above may also advantageously be employed in wood, composite, and other bats.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of copending application Ser. No. 11/880,482 which is copending with provisional applications Nos. 60/832,527 filed 20 Jul. 2006; 60/832,556 filed 20 Jul. 2006; 60/832,562 filed 20 Jul. 2006; and 60/837,904 filed 14 Aug. 2006. The benefits of the filing dates of the above-cited applications are claimed. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to bats and, more particularly, to bats with components for: 
         [0003]    (a) protecting a batter against sting and other unpleasant sensations by isolating the handle of the bat from shocks and vibrations set up in the bat when a ball is struck, and/or (b) reducing to an unobjectionable level the unpleasant sound made when a bat is struck against a ball or a hard surface. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    A host of ball bats with shock and vibration damping and sound-arresting features have been invented and made commercially available and/or described in the patent literature. Among the U.S. patents disclosing such bats are U.S. Pat. No. 3,703,290 to Wilson: U.S. Pat. No. 3,727,295 to Gildemeister. U.S. Pat. No. 3,811,596 to Wilson: U.S. Pat. No. 3,861,682 to Fujir, U.S. Pat. No. 3,941,380 to Lacoste: U.S. Pat. No. 5,180,163 to Lanctoi et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,219,164 to MacKay. Jr.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,931,750 to MacKay. Jr.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,872,157 to Falone. et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,785,617 to MacKay. Jr.: U.S. Pat. No. 6,007,439 to MacKay. Jr.; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,004,871 to Sutherland, et al. 
         [0005]    Notwithstanding all of the effort that has been devoted to shock/vibration damping and sound reduction, there is a continuing and existent demand for bats which exhibit improved performance in these areas. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    Such bats have now been invented, and they are disclosed herein. 
         [0007]    A number of novel features, disclosed herein, may be employed alone and in various combinations to provide shock/vibration damping and noise reduction. 
         [0008]    One such, highly effective approach to isolation from shock and noise reduction utilizes: (a) a component which has a barrel and an integrated stem axially aligned with the barrel; (b) a floating handle which surrounds and extends along the stem and may lap onto a transition section between the stem and barrel of the bat, and (c) a system which floats the handle and isolates a user&#39;s hands from the shock waves set up in the bat when it strikes a ball or a playing field or other surface. This system comprises one or more elastomeric decouplers (or isolators) installed between the stem and handle of the bat. Isolation from shock and noise reduction are accomplished by virtue of the system reducing the amplitude, and shortening the decay time, of the shock wave(s) by deflection. This term embraces the interrelated flexing of the bat stem and/or bat handle when a ball or surface is struck; the subsequent elastic restoration of those bat components to “at rest” configurations; and the stretching, twisting, elongation, bending, compression, and other motions of the decoupler(s) and bat stem and handle. Deflection dissipates shock wave energy which would otherwise reach the bat handle and then a user&#39;s hands. 
         [0009]    A separate damper component may optionally be secured around the stem of the bat at a location between the ends of the bat handle to reduce the sound made when the bat is struck against a hard surface. 
         [0010]    A DTMS damper embodying the principles of the present invention and employed alone, or in combination with either or both of the previously described damping mechanisms, is designed for bats which have a stem and a hollow knob at the proximate end of the stem. This damping mechanism has a head in the knob of the bat and may have an integral stem segment which extends into the stem of the bat. 
         [0011]    The DTMS damper shortens the decay time of shock and vibrations set up in the bat, which reduces the discomfort experienced by a user by shortening the time for which an unpleasant sensation lasts. 
         [0012]    It is important that the head of the DTMS damper be so positioned in the knob that the peripheral portions of the damper head are free to move in all directions in the knob of the bat without striking the inner surfaces of the knob. This may be accomplished, as examples only, by: (a) providing stand-off spacers on the head-facing top wall of the knob or by pinning the stem of the damper to the stem of the bat; (b) sizing the damper head and knob to provide a gap between the head and the side wall of the knob; and (c) tapering the underside of the damper head so that the head will not strike the bottom wall of the knob as the peripheral edge portions of the head move in the knob. 
         [0013]    A pressure relief system keeps hot gases generated in the knob as the knob is welded onto the stem of the bat from being pressurized, forced into, and weakening the weld. 
         [0014]    Yet another shock/vibration damping mechanism that can be used for the purposes disclosed herein either alone, or in combination with one or more of the other novel devices disclosed herein, is an elastomeric, progressive resistance wrap for the handle of the bat. This component has pillars protruding from one side of an integral substrate (or base). Optional recesses in the pillars open onto the exposed (or free) ends of the pillars. This gives the wrap a grip akin to that afforded by an octopus tentacle, a desirable attribute enhanced by a tendency of the “hollowed out” pillars to conform to the batter&#39;s hands. In addition, the hollowing out of the pillars may allow the pillars to compress and otherwise distort more rapidly with a consequent increase in damping effectiveness, a goal which is further promoted by pneumatic cushioning attributable to air trapped in the recesses of the pillars by a batter&#39;s hands. 
         [0015]    The objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent to the reader from the foregoing and the appended claims and as the ensuing detailed discussion and description proceeds in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is a side view of a bat embodying the principles of the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is a longitudinal section through the  FIG. 1  bat; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged scale fragment of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 3A  is a view looking in the direction of arrows  3 A- 3 A in  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 3B  is an enlarged scale detail of the structures shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 4  is a second enlarged scale fragment of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged view of the barrel end of the  FIG. 1  bat; 
           [0023]      FIG. 6  is an exploded view of the  FIG. 1  bat; 
           [0024]      FIG. 7  is a fragmentary perspective of the  FIG. 1  bat with an elastomeric wrap installed on the handle of the bat; 
           [0025]      FIG. 8  is an enlarged scale fragment of  FIG. 7 ; 
           [0026]      FIG. 9  is a plan view of the  FIG. 7  wrap; 
           [0027]      FIG. 10  is an enlarged scale fragment of  FIG. 9 ; 
           [0028]      FIGS. 11 and 12  are fragmentary sections through the handle ends of second and third bats embodying the principles of the present invention; 
           [0029]      FIG. 13  is a side view of a fourth, wooden bat embodying the principles of the present invention; 
           [0030]      FIG. 14  is a partial longitudinal section through the  FIG. 13  bat; 
           [0031]      FIG. 15  is a side view of a fifth bat embodying the principles of the present invention; 
           [0032]      FIG. 16  is a longitudinal section through the  FIG. 15  bat; 
           [0033]      FIG. 17  is a fragmentary section of a bat which embodies the principles of the present invention and is characterized by a knob-housed DIMS damper which does not have a stem; and 
           [0034]      FIG. 18  is a fragmentary section through still another bat which embodies the principles of the present invention; this bat does not have a knob-housed DTMS damper. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0035]    Referring now to the drawings,  FIGS. 1-6  depict a bat  40  constructed in accord with, and embodying, the principles of the present invention. 
         [0036]    The major components of bat  40  include a component  42  which comprises a hollow barrel  44  and an integral, hollow stem  46  extending from, and axially aligned with, barrel  44 . Component  42  can be fabricated from an aluminum, titanium, or other alloy or from any appropriate composite; for example, a polymeric material reinforced with glass-carbon fibers. 
         [0037]    The stem  46  of bat  40  is surrounded by a handle  48 . The handle extends from an end  50  near the proximate end  52  of stem  46  past the distal end  54  of the stem and laps onto the transition section  56  of barrel  44 . Handle  48  may, but does not necessarily have to be, fabricated from a glass, carbon, or glass-carbon composite. 
         [0038]    Annular, elastomeric decouplers  58  and  60  are installed between bat handle  48  and stem-barrel component  42  at opposite, proximate and distal ends  50  and  64  of the handle. The decouplers isolate handle  48  from barrel/stem component  42 , keeping shock (and to a significant extent other vibrations) from being transmitted to the batter&#39;s hands when a ball is struck. Consequently, the batter is not stung or otherwise subjected to pain or discomfort. This is perse advantageous and also improves performance by keeping the batter from flinching when swinging at a ball. 
         [0039]    Decoupler  58  has a rectangular cross-section, and decoupler  60  has a similar configuration with an integral, tapered projection  65  at an exposed end of that decoupler. Projection  65  engages and covers the distal end  64  of handle  48 ; and the exposed, tapered, transition surface of the projection enhances the appearance of bat  40  by covering up the end  64  of the handle and by providing an aesthetically-pleasing transition from the handle to the barrel  44  of the bat. As discussed above, it is not essential that the illustrated arrangement of two decouplers, one located at each end of the bat handle  48  be employed. The decouplers can be spaced inwardly from the ends of handle  48 . Three or more decouplers spaced along the handle can be employed, as can a single decoupler long enough to span an appreciable length of the handle. 
         [0040]    As is shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the handle  48  of bat  40  may be surrounded with an elastomeric wrap  68  to further block the transmission of deleterious vibrations from bat  40  to a batter&#39;s hands. Wrap  68 , best shown in  FIGS. 7 and 9 , is trained around bat handle  48  in helical fashion to form the grip  70  shown in  FIG. 7 . 
         [0041]    The adverse effects of shock/vibration phenomena such as noise production and the minimization of discomfort can be materially reduced by shortening shock/vibration decay times. Because grip  70  is manufactured from a NAVCOM® or other suitable elastomeric material, energy transmitted to the bat handle  48  is dissipated by the stretching, bending, and other distortions of the device as it is impacted by shock/vibration. These physical, three-dimensional, elastic motions of the device—collectively referred to by the judicially approved and construed term “wiggle and jiggle”—significantly shorten the shock/vibration decay time, making the dissipation of shock/vibration impact energy remarkably efficient. 
         [0042]    A significant gain in performance is achieved by the use of progressive resistance technology in wrap  68 . To this end, integral pillars  71  are formed on the exposed side of wrap substrate  72 . Continued deformation of the pillars results in progressively increasing resistance of the elastomeric material, significantly enhancing the shock/vibration damping performance of grip  70 . 
         [0043]    The pillars  71  may have the illustrated circular or an elliptical, square, triangular, or other configuration; and a combination of configurations can be employed in the same wrap. A strictly optional recess  73  is formed in each integral pillar of the exemplary wrap  68 . At one end, the recess opens onto that exposed end of the node opposite the substrate. The recess may extend through the substrate and open onto its opposite face, or it may have a blind inner end. Each pillar may have multiple open-ended recesses, and they may be of the through-bore or blind-end type or a mixture of those types. 
         [0044]    Vibration decay time modification leading to significantly shorter vibration/shock decay times and consequent mitigation of unwanted effects such as the prolonged stinging of a batter&#39;s hands is attributable to the novel pillars  71  discussed above. When a ball is struck and pressure is consequentially exerted on grip  70 , pillars  71  rapidly compress, deflect, and otherwise distort and offer progressively increased resistance to such motions. It is this rapid, progressive resistance and elastic deflection and distortion, bending, compression and stretching in combination with similar actions of substrate  72  that gives grip  70  its unique ability to mitigate the unwanted, adverse effects of vibrations and shocks. 
         [0045]    Grasping grip  70  produces suction akin to that of an octopus tentacle, improving the grasp of the bat afforded by the grip. The grasp is further enhanced by virtue of grip  70  conforming to the contour of the batter&#39;s hand due to that enhanced ability of the nodes  71  to deform and deflect attributable to the “hollowing out” of the pillars by the recesses in those elements. 
         [0046]    Another device that can be used independently, or with any or all of the other damper devices disclosed herein, to keep a batter from experiencing pain or discomfort when a ball is struck is the elastomeric DIMS damper illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3  and identified by reference character  74 . Damper  74  does not effect the amplitude of shock and vibrations set up in bat  40 , but does significantly shorten the decay times of those shocks and vibrations. As discussed above, this is beneficial because this shortens the time for which pain or other discomfort is felt by the user; and such discomfort rapidly increases with time even though the magnitude of the transmitted shock or vibrations remains the same. 
         [0047]    Damper  74  has a head  76  in the hollow knob  78  at the proximate end  52  of bat stem  46  and an integral damper stem  80  in the same end  52  of the bat stem. 
         [0048]    It is important that the peripheral portion  81  of DIMS damper head  76  be free of contact with the top, bottom, and side walls  82 ,  83  and  84  of knob  78  so the peripheral head portion can bend, stretch, flex, and otherwise wiggle and jiggle to shorten the decay times of shock and vibrations set up in the barre/stem component  42  of bat  40  and transferred to DTMS damper  74  when a ball is struck and thus alleviate the discomfort a batter might otherwise experience. In the lateral or transverse direction this is accomplished so dimensioning damper head  76  relative to knob  78  as to provide a 360° gap  86  between the periphery  88  of damper head  76  and the side wall  84  of knob  78 . 
         [0049]    The requisite clearance between the damper head edge portion  81  and the bottom wall  83  of knob  78  is obtained by tapering the under side  90  of damper head peripheral edge portion  81  from the inner boundary  92  of the edge portion to a location  94  near the periphery  88  of the head as is best shown in  FIG. 3   
         [0050]    DIMS damper head  76  is kept free of knob top wall  82  by integral dimple elements  96  extending inwardly from the top knob wall  82  into contact with the upper side  98  of damper head  76 . These stand-off elements  96  are symmetrically spaced around, and near, the axial centerline  100  of DIMS damper  74  (see  FIG. 3A ). Thus, they do not in any way interfere with the shock and vibration damping movements of damper head peripheral edge portion  81 . 
         [0051]    Knob  78  is assembled to the stem  46  of bat  40  by first welding an annular, shouldered attachment sleeve  102  to the proximate end  52  of the stem. Next, the knob  78  is slid onto attachment sleeve  102  until the bottom wall  83  of knob  78  butts against the shoulder  104  on sleeve  102 . The bottom knob wall  83  is welded to sleeve  102 . The welds are identified by reference characters  106  and  107  in  FIG. 3B . 
         [0052]    The heat generated in the welding step raises the pressure on the air trapped In the hollow interior  108  of knob  78  by the stem  80  of DTMS damper  74 . Unless relieved, this pressure would force air from the knob interior into welds  106  and/or  107 , introducing porosity into and thereby weakening the welds. 
         [0053]    In accord with the present invention, the pressure may be relieved by venting the trapped air into the very large volume provided by the hollow interior  109  of bat stem  46  and the even larger volume provided by the communicating hollow interior  110  of barrel  44 . Specifically, the interior  108  of knob  78  is vented through centrally located, longitudinal vent passage  112  which extends seriatim through the head  76  and stem  80  of DTMS damper  74 . One end  114  of vent passage  112  opens onto the interior  108  of knob  78 , and the opposite end  116  of the passage opens onto the hollow interior  109  of bat stem  46 . Thus, and because of the above-discussed spaces between the external surfaces of DTMS damper head  76  and the facing surfaces of damper walls  82 ,  83  and  84 , the entire interior  108  of knob  78  is communicated with the large volume encompassed by bat stem and barrel interiors  109  and  110 , and the forcing of strength-reducing air into weld  106  is avoided. 
         [0054]    A loud, unpleasant sound may be generated when a bat as disclosed herein strikes a batter is rapped on the ground or other hard surface by virtue of the bat stem and bat handle flexing and coming into contact. It has been found that this sound can be reduced to an unobjectionable level by installing a sound-deadening buffer on the stem of the bat approximately midway between the ends of the bat handle. Bat  40  is equipped with an annular buffer  118  of this character. As shown in  FIG. 4 , buffer  118  surrounds stem  46 . It is preferably fabricated from a NAVCOM® or other elastically deformable material with a sound damping capability and can be adhesively attached to the stem or held in place by friction. The thickness of buffer  118  is so selected as to leave a flexure accommodating space between the buffer and the handle  48  of bat  40 . 
         [0055]    In addition to the components discussed above, bat  40  has a barrel cap  120  and a tubular, handle end spacer  122 . 
         [0056]    Barrel cap  120  is installed in the open, distal end  121  of barrel  44 . The end cap has a top wall  124  with a dished configuration and a circumferential ledge  128  which butts against distal barrel end  121 . A boss  130  on the inside of barrel  44  snaps into a complementary groove  132  in an integral, cylindrical side wall  134  of end cap  120  to retain the end cap in place, a goal furthered by bat groove/end cap lug set  135 . 
         [0057]    Spacer  122  surrounds the stem  46  of bat  40  and extends between: (a) the proximate end  64  of bat handle  48  and elastomeric decoupler  58 , and (b) the bottom wall  83  of knob  78 . The spacer overlaps that part of attachment sleeve  102  lying beyond the bottom knob wall. 
         [0058]    Spacer  122  completes the continuity of the outer bat handle surface  136 . This makes bat  40  comfortable to grip and, also, imparts an aesthetically-pleasing, finished appearance to the bat. 
         [0059]    It was pointed out above that, for a knob-housed DTMS damper to function properly, the peripheral edge portion of the damper head must be able to move freely in the knob in which it is installed. This requires that the head of the damper be isolated from the facing top wall of the knob. As was also discussed above in conjunction with bat  40 , this can be accomplished by providing a set of stand-off, gap-providing projections or dimples on the top wall of the knob. These dimples engage the facing surface of the damper head, spacing that damper element from the knob. 
         [0060]    An alternate technique for spacing the damper head from the facing top wall of the knob is illustrated in  FIG. 11 . 
         [0061]    In describing the  FIG. 11  embodiment of the present invention and in the descriptions of additional embodiments which follow, common elements and components are identified by the same reference characters. 
         [0062]    In the bat  140  depicted in  FIG. 11 , a gap  142  between the upper side  98  of DIMS damper head  76  and the top wall  82  of knob  78  is maintained by fixing damper  74  against longitudinal, arrow  144  directions of movement relative to the knob. This is accomplished by a pin  146  which extends transversely through the stem  80  of damper  74  and opposite side wall segments  46   a  and  46   b  of bat stem  46 . Pin  146  is installed through an aperture  147  in knob attachment sleeve  102  and is seated in a blind aperture  148  on the opposite side of the sleeve. Friction and/or spacer  122  retain pin  146  in place. 
         [0063]    As knob  78  is fixed relative to stem  46  by weld  106 , pin  146  consequentially fixes the head  76  of damper  74  in the desired, spaced relationship to the knob top wall  82 . 
         [0064]    It was also pointed out above that knob  78  is assembled by welding it to an also welded in place stem-supported attachment sleeve and that the hollow interior of the knob is vented to keep hot gases generated in the welding steps from being forced into and weakening the welds. In that embodiment of the invention described above and realized in bat  40 , this is accomplished by venting space  108  to the communicating, large volume, hollow interiors of the bat stem  46  and bat barrel  44 . 
         [0065]    In the bat  140  shown in  FIG. 11 , space  108  is instead vented directly to the surrounding environment through an aperture  149  in the top wall  82  of the knob. 
         [0066]    A bat with yet another arrangement for venting the knob is depicted in  FIG. 12  and identified by reference character  152 . In this bat, a peripheral slot  154  extends the length of the stem  156  of DTMS damper  158 . This slot and bat stem  46  define a passageway between the interior  108  of knob  76  and the hollow interior  109  of bat stem  46  through which air can escape into the stem and communicating barrel of the bat as the temperature in knob interior  108  increases. 
         [0067]    It is not essential that a knob-housed DTMS damper have a stem as long as the head of the damper is fixed in place in knob  78 . As a single example,  FIG. 17  depicts bat  40  with a DTMS damper  159  which is configured like the head  76  of the damper  74  shown in  FIG. 3 . Damper  159  is fixed in place by a centrally apertured spacer  161  faced on both sides with an appropriate adhesive (not shown). 
         [0068]    Principles of the present invention can also be employed to advantage in solid, wooden bats as well as in the hollow, metal and composite bats discussed above. An exemplary wooden bat  162  embodying the principles of the present invention is illustrated in  FIGS. 13 and 14  and identified by reference character  162 . This bat has a barrel  166 , a stem  168 , and a knob  170 . A handle  48  is installed on the stem  168  of the bat and isolated from the stem by elastomeric, distal and proximate end decouplers  60  and  174 . Decoupler  60  is discussed above. Decoupler  174  is installed in the proximate end  50  of handle  48 . It has a segment  178  forming a shoulder  180  against which the handle is butted. The enlarged diameter segment  178  of decoupler  174  butts against the knob  170  of bat  162 , making the bat comfortable to grip and giving it a finished, aesthetically-pleasing appearance in much the same manner that the above-discussed handle end spacer does. 
         [0069]    Decoupler  174  may first be assembled to bat knob  170 , and the decoupler with the knob attached then installed between the stem  46  and handle  48  of the bat  174 . 
         [0070]    It was furthermore pointed out above that enhancements such as a knob-housed DTMS damper and a sound-deading buffer do not have to be employed in bats constructed in accord with the principles of the present invention. Thus,  FIGS. 15 and 16  depict a bat  182  without those features, but with the handle and decoupler arrangement which isolates the batter from shocks and other vibrations set up in the bat when the ball is struck or the bat is rapped against a solid surface. 
         [0071]    Bats such as those identified by reference character  40  have a hole  180  in the bottom wall of knob  78 . The DTMS damper  74  is installed in knob  78  through that hole. This requires a hole larger than the diameter of bat stem  46 , and above-discussed attachment sleeve  102  is employed to fill the gap between stem  46  and the bottom wall  83  of the knob. 
         [0072]    In those embodiments of the invention which do not employ a knob-housed damper, such as the bat  182  shown in  FIGS. 15 and 16 , the attachment sleeve can be omitted, the hole in the knob bottom wall  83  sized to closely fit”* stem  46 , and the knob welded directly to the bat stem. 
         [0073]    A bat so constructed is shown in  FIG. 18  and identified by reference character  184 . The weld securing knob  78  to bat stem  46  is identified by reference character  186 . 
         [0074]    The principles of the present invention may be embodied in forms other than those specifically disclosed herein. Therefore, the present embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced herein