Patent Publication Number: US-2016220886-A1

Title: Baseball bat holder

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisional application No. 62/110,082, filed Jan. 30, 2015, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to baseball bats and, more particularly, to a baseball bat holder. 
     A baseball bat is a smooth wooden or metal club used in the sport of baseball to hit the ball after it is thrown by the pitcher. Currently, it is difficult to protect baseball bats from getting chipped or scratched. Chips and scratches are typically caused when coming into contact with rough surfaces like a floor and concrete. 
     As can be seen, there is a need for a holder that protects the bat from chips and scratches. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one aspect of the present invention, a bat holder comprises: a cup comprising a bottom, a sidewall extending upwards from the bottom, and a top rim forming an opening leading to an internal portion of the cup; and a stand secured to the cup and operable to support the cup in an upright position when resting on a surface, wherein the internal portion is sized to receive a hitting end of a bat within so that the cup retains the bat in a substantially vertical position. 
     These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention shown in use; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged top view of an embodiment of the present invention illustrating the locking of the cup and the support post; 
         FIG. 6  is a bottom view of an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is an enlarged bottom view of an embodiment of the present invention illustrating the locking of the support post and the base; 
         FIG. 8  is a front view of an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a section view of the present invention taken from  9 - 9  of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 10  is an enlarged section view of an embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 11  is an enlarged top view illustrating a locking system for the bat. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims. 
     The present invention includes a bat holder that protects and stores a baseball bat and increases safety within the dugout. Using the bat holder of the present invention, the bat does not come into contact with rough surfaces. Further, the safety in the dugout is increased because the present invention safely stows the bats out of the way reducing the chances of injury. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 11 , the present invention includes a bat holder. The bat holder includes a cup  10  and a stand  11 . The cup  10  includes a bottom, a sidewall extending upwards from the bottom, and a top rim forming an opening leading into an internal portion of the cup  10 . The internal portion of the cup  10  is sized to receive a hitting end of a bat  50 . The stand  11  is secured to the cup  10  and supports the cup  10  in an upright position when resting on surface. The hitting end of a bat  50  may be placed within the cup  10  and the bat  50  is supported in a substantially vertical position. The hitting end of the bat  50  is defined as the end opposite of the handle, used for hitting the ball. 
     The stand  11  of the present invention may include a base plate  14  and a support post  12 . The base plate  14  may be in the shape of a baseball base and may include a plurality of rubber pegs  16  extending from a bottom surface. The support post  12  may include a bottom end and a top end. The bottom end of the support post  12  may be secured to the base plate  14  and the support post  12  may extend vertically from the base plate  14 . The cup  10  is secured to the top end of support post  12 . 
     In certain embodiments, the bottom end of the support post  12  is releasably secured to the base plate  14  and the top end of the support post  12  is releasably secured to the bottom of the cup  10 . In such embodiments, the base plate  14  may include a base opening to receive the bottom end of the support post  12  and the bottom of the cup  10  may include a cup opening to receive the top end of the support post  12 . A locking mechanism may lock the top end of the support post  12  within the cup opening and the bottom end of the support post  12  within the base opening. 
     The locking mechanism for the support post  12  and the base plate  14  may include the following. The support post  12  may include a pair of bottom lock latches  32  radially extending from the bottom end and the base  14  may include a pair of plate latch slots  38  radially extending from the base opening. The plate latch slots  38  are positioned to align with and sized to receive the bottom lock latches  32 . The plate latch slots  38  lead to a base lock channel. The base lock channel is perpendicular to the plate latch slots  38 , extends along at least a portion of a circumference of the base opening and is sized to receive and retain the bottom lock latches  32  within. A stopper  42  may be disposed within the base lock channel. The bottom end of the support post  12  may be inserted into the base opening such that the bottom lock latches  32  are inserted into the plate latch slots  38  until the bottom lock latches  32  reach the base lock channel. The support post  12  may be rotated until the bottom lock latches  32  hit the stopper  42 , thereby locking the support post  12  to the base  14 . 
     The locking mechanism for the support post  12  and the cup  10  may include the following. The support post  12  may include a pair of top lock latches  30  radially extending from the top end and the cup  10  may include a pair of cup latch slots  40  radially extending from the cup opening. The cup latch slots  40  are positioned to align with and sized to receive the top lock latches  30 . The top latch slots  40  lead to a cup lock channel. The cup lock channel is perpendicular to the cup latch slots  40 , extends along at least a portion of a circumference of the cup opening and sized to receive and retain the top lock latches  30  within. A stopper  44  may be disposed within the cup lock channel. The top end of the support post  12  may be inserted into the cup opening such that the top lock latches  30  are inserted into the cup latch slots  40  until the top lock latches  30  reach the cup lock channel. The support post  12  may be rotated until the top lock latches  30  hit the stopper  44 , thereby locking the support post  12  to the cup  10 . 
     In certain embodiments, the present invention may include a resistance mechanism to retain the bat  50  within the cup  10 . In such embodiments, a side housing  23  may extend from the sidewall of the cup  10 . A cam  18  having a lobe and a recess is rotatably mounted within the side housing  23  so that a portion of the cam  18  is protruding into the internal portion of the cup  10 . A spring  22  biases the recess of the cam  18  within the internal portion. The cam  18  is rotatable to a position where the lobe is protruding into the internal portion against the bias of the spring  22 . Therefore, a user may insert the hitting end of the bat  50  into the cup  10  and twist the bat  50 . The bat  50  rotates against the recess portion, thereby rotating the cam  18  such that the lobe protrudes into the internal portion against the bat  50 , thereby applying pressure against the bat  50  and retaining the bat  50  within the cup  10 . To remove the bat  50 , the user may rotate the bat  50  in the opposing direction, step on the base plate  14  and pull the bat  50  out. 
     The cam  18  and side housing  23  of the present invention may include multiple configurations. In certain embodiments, the side housing  23  may be covered by a sidewall cap  26 . In such embodiments, cup slide guides  36  may run from a top rim to the side housing  23 . The sidewall cap  26  may include cap slide guides  34  that mate with the cup slide guides  36 . The sidewall cap  26  may slide onto the sidewall via the guides  34 ,  36  and a flange of the sidewall cap  26  may cover an exposed top portion of the side housing  23 . A screw  28  may be used to secure the sidewall cap  26  to the sidewall. 
     In certain embodiments, the cam  18  may be rotatably mounted within the side housing  18  by a pivot pin  24 . The pivot pin  24  may include a top end secured to a portion of the sidewall and a bottom end secured to a portion of the sidewall. A cam bushing  20  may fit within the cam  18 . The pivot pin  24  may run through the cam bushing  20 . The spring  22  may include a torsion spring having a first terminating end secured to the cam bushing  18  via a spring slot  48  and a second terminating end secured to the side housing  23  via spring supports  46 . 
     When the present invention is fully assembled it allows a user to insert a bat in the cup, keeping the bat in an upright position off of the ground. The present invention thereby prevents the bat from coming into contact with rough surfaces. The present invention also protects the bat during travel. If you take the present invention apart and leave the sleeve on the bat hitting end or head, a simple twist locks the bat in place protecting the bat while traveling. When the bat is in use, the present invention may be assembled and setup in the dugout. 
     It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.