US20050202909A1 - Ball bat with a strain energy optimized barrel - Google Patents
Ball bat with a strain energy optimized barrel Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20050202909A1 US20050202909A1 US11/044,430 US4443005A US2005202909A1 US 20050202909 A1 US20050202909 A1 US 20050202909A1 US 4443005 A US4443005 A US 4443005A US 2005202909 A1 US2005202909 A1 US 2005202909A1
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- wall
- barrel
- ball bat
- bat
- iscz
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Images
Classifications
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
- A63B59/00—Bats, rackets, or the like, not covered by groups A63B49/00 - A63B57/00
- A63B59/50—Substantially rod-shaped bats for hitting a ball in the air, e.g. for baseball
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
- A63B2102/00—Application of clubs, bats, rackets or the like to the sporting activity ; particular sports involving the use of balls and clubs, bats, rackets, or the like
- A63B2102/18—Baseball, rounders or similar games
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
- A63B2209/00—Characteristics of used materials
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
- A63B2209/00—Characteristics of used materials
- A63B2209/02—Characteristics of used materials with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
Definitions
- Ball bats typically include a handle, a barrel, and a tapered section joining the handle to the barrel.
- the outer shell of these bats is generally formed from aluminum or another suitable metal, and/or one or more composite materials.
- Barrel construction is particularly important in modern bat design. Barrels having a single-wall construction, and more recently, a multi-wall construction, have been developed. Modern ball bats typically include a hollow interior, such that the bats are relatively lightweight and allow a ball player to generate substantial “bat speed” or “swing speed.”
- Single-wall bats generally include a single tubular spring in the barrel section.
- Multi-wall barrels typically include two or more tubular springs, or similar structures, that may be of the same or different material composition, in the barrel section.
- the tubular springs in these multi-wall bats are typically either in contact with one another, such that they form friction joints, are bonded to one another with weld or bonding adhesive, or are separated from one another forming frictionless joints. If the tubular springs are bonded using a structural adhesive, or other structural bonding material, the barrel is essentially a single-wall construction.
- U.S. Pat. No. 5,364,095 the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference, describes a variety of bats having multi-walled barrel constructions.
- Hollow bats typically exhibit a phenomenon known as the “trampoline effect,” which essentially refers to the rebound velocity of a ball leaving the bat barrel as a result of flexing of the barrel wall(s).
- trampoline effect essentially refers to the rebound velocity of a ball leaving the bat barrel as a result of flexing of the barrel wall(s).
- Multi-walled bats were developed in an effort to increase the amount of acceptable barrel deflection beyond that which is possible in typical single-wall designs. These multi-walled constructions generally provide added barrel deflection, without increasing stresses beyond the material limits of the barrel materials. Accordingly, multi-wall barrels are typically more efficient at transferring energy back to the ball, and the more flexible property of the multi-wall barrel reduces undesirable deflection and deformation in the ball, which is typically made of highly inefficient material.
- a multi-wall bat differs from a single-wall bat because there is no shear energy transfer through the interface shear control zone(s) (“ISCZ”), i.e., the region(s) between the barrel walls.
- ISCZ interface shear control zone
- this shear energy which creates shear deformation in a single-wall barrel, is converted to bending energy in a multi-wall barrel.
- the walls of a multi-wall bat typically exhibit a lower strain energy loss than a single wall design.
- multi-wall barrels are generally preferred over single-wall designs for producing efficient bat-ball collision dynamics, or a better “trampoline effect.”
- a single neutral axis which is defined as the centroid axis about which all deformation occurs, is present for both radial and axial deformations.
- the shear stress in the barrel wall is at a maximum, and the bending stress is zero, along this neutral axis.
- an additional independent neutral axis results from each ISCZ present, i.e., each wall of a multi-wall barrel includes an independent neutral axis.
- each barrel wall deforms such that the highest compressive stresses occur radially above (i.e., on the impact side of) the neutral axis, while the highest tensile stresses occur radially below (i.e., on the non-impact side of) the neutral axis.
- the COR decreases. It is important to maintain a sufficient wall thickness, however, because the durability of the ball bat typically decreases if the wall(s) are too thin. If the barrel wall(s) are too thin, the barrel may be subject to denting, in the case of metal bats, or to progressive material failure, in the case of composite bats. As a result, the performance and lifetime of the bat may be reduced if the barrel wall(s) are not thick enough.
- a material with high tensile/compressive strength and low modulus and density will have good energy storage properties.
- Elastic materials undergo deformation (i.e., spring like behavior) when influenced by the application of a force.
- deformation i.e., spring like behavior
- kinetic energy is transformed at the elastic material interface into potential energy in the form of deformation.
- the elastic material When the available kinetic energy of impact is transformed into deformation in the elastic material, the elastic material releases this stored energy in the form of kinetic energy back to the impacting body (i.e., the ball), if it is in contact, and/or the stored energy is dissipated within the elastic material, if the impacting body is not in contact with the elastic material. As a result of irreversible energy losses, the elastic material eventually returns to its original stress-free condition.
- the invention is directed to a ball bat that exhibits minimal strain energy losses associated with bat-ball collisions by employing one or more integral interface shear control zones in the bat barrel, and/or by the selection and placement of specific composite materials with respect to the neutral axes in the barrel walls.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a ball bat.
- FIG. 2 is a perspective partially cutaway view of the ball bat illustrated in FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 3 is a close up sectional view of Section A of FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view of the barrel cross section illustrated in FIG. 3 .
- FIG. 5 is a table showing various properties of common composite structural materials.
- a baseball or softball bat 10 hereinafter collectively referred to as a “ball bat” or “bat,” includes a handle 12 , a barrel 14 , and a tapered section 16 joining the handle 12 to the barrel 14 .
- the free end of the handle 12 includes a knob 18 or similar structure.
- the barrel 14 is preferably closed off by a suitable cap 20 or plug.
- the interior 19 of the bat 10 is preferably hollow, which allows the bat 10 to be relatively lightweight so that ball players may generate substantial bat speed when swinging the bat 10 .
- the ball bat 10 preferably has an overall length of 20 to 40 inches, more preferably 26 to 34 inches.
- the overall barrel diameter is preferably 2.0 to 3.0 inches, more preferably 2.25 to 2.75 inches.
- Typical bats have diameters of 2.25, 2.69, or 2.75 inches. Bats having various combinations of these overall lengths and barrel diameters are contemplated herein.
- the specific preferred combination of bat dimensions is generally dictated by the user of the bat 10 , and may vary greatly between users.
- the present invention is primarily directed to the ball striking area of the bat 10 , which typically extends throughout the length of the barrel 14 , and which may extend partially into the tapered section 16 of the bat 10 .
- this striking area will generally be referred to as the “barrel” throughout the remainder of the description.
- the barrel 14 is made up of one or more substantially cylindrical layers.
- the actual shape of each barrel layer may vary according to the desired shape of the overall barrel structure. Accordingly, “substantially cylindrical” will be used herein to describe cylindrical barrel layers, as well as other similar barrel shapes.
- the barrel 14 preferably includes an outer barrel wall 22 and an inner barrel wall 24 located within the outer barrel wall 22 , each preferably made up of one or more plies 38 of a composite material.
- the barrel 14 may include only a single wall, or may include three or more walls.
- the barrel wall(s) may additionally or alternatively be made of one or more metallic materials, such as aluminum or titanium.
- a bond inhibiting layer 30 preferably separates the outer barrel wall 22 from the inner barrel wall 24 .
- the bond inhibiting layer 30 acts as an interlaminar shear control zone (“ISCZ”) between the outer wall 22 and the inner wall 24 . Accordingly, the bond inhibiting layer 30 prevents shear stresses from passing between the outer wall 22 and the inner wall 24 , and also prevents the outer wall 22 from bonding to the inner wall 24 during curing of the bat 10 , and throughout the life of the bat 10 . Because the bond inhibiting layer 30 acts as an ISCZ, the outer barrel wall 22 has a first neutral axis 32 , and the inner barrel 24 wall has a second neutral axis 34 , as described above.
- the bond-inhibiting layer 30 preferably has a radial thickness of approximately 0.001 to 0.004 inches, more preferably 0.002 to 0.003 inches.
- the bond-inhibiting layer is preferably made of a fluoropolymer, such as FEP (fluorinated ethylene propylene), PVF (Polyvinyl Fluoride), ETFE (EthyleneTetrafluoroethylene), PCTFE (PolyChloroTriFluoroEthylene), or PTFE/Teflon® (Polytetraflouroethylene), and/or another material, such as PMP (Polymethylpentene), Nylon (polyamide), or Cellophane.
- FEP fluorinated ethylene propylene
- PVF Polyvinyl Fluoride
- ETFE EthyleneTetrafluoroethylene
- PCTFE PolyChloroTriFluoroEthylene
- PTFE/Teflon® Polytetraflour
- ISCZs such as a friction joint, a sliding joint, or an elastomeric joint
- the bond inhibiting layer 30 may be located at the radial midpoint of the barrel 14 , such that each barrel wall 22 , 24 has approximately the same radial thickness, or it may be located elsewhere in the barrel 14 .
- the bond-inhibiting layer 30 is shown at the approximate radial midpoint of the barrel 14 by way of example only.
- a bond-inhibiting layer 30 or other ISCZ is preferably located between each of the barrel walls, to increase barrel deflection.
- a three-wall barrel preferably includes two bond-inhibiting layers 30 or other ISCZs
- a four-wall barrel preferably includes three bond-inhibiting layers 30 or other ISCZs
- bond-inhibiting layers 30 or ISCZs may be located between selected barrel walls only.
- a two-wall barrel 14 will be discussed herein, but any other number of barrel walls may be employed in the ball bat 10 .
- the outer barrel wall 22 and the inner barrel wall 24 each include a plurality of composite plies 38 .
- the composite materials used are preferably fiber-reinforced, and may include glass, graphite, boron, carbon, aramid, ceramic, kevlar, and/or any other suitable reinforcement material, preferably in epoxy form.
- Each composite ply preferably has a thickness of approximately 0.003 to 0.008 inches, more preferably 0.005 to 0.006 inches.
- the overall radial thickness of each barrel wall 22 , 24 (including barrel portions on both sides of the central axis of the bat) is preferably approximately 0.060 inches to 0.100 inches, more preferably 0.075 to 0.090 inches. Optimal selection and placement of the specific composite materials employed in the ball bat 10 is described in detail below.
- the radial location of the neutral axis in each wall varies according to the distribution of the composite layers, and the stiffness of the specific layers. Only the radial components of stress are considered herein, due to their high relative magnitude in comparison to the axial stresses present. If a barrel wall is made up of homogeneous isotropoic layers, the neutral axis will be located at the midpoint of the wall. If more than one composite material is used in a wall, and/or if the material is not uniformly distributed, the neutral axis may reside at a different radial location. Thus, the first and second neutral axes 32 , 34 are shown at the approximate radial midpoints of their respective walls 22 , 24 by way of example only.
- a double-wall barrel structure may be broken down into four zones, numbered 1 , 2 , 3 , and 4 .
- Zones 1 and 3 are the outer and inner barrel wall compressive stress regions, as they are located above, or radially outwardly from (i.e., on the impact side of), their respective neutral axes.
- Zones 2 and 4 are the outer and inner barrel wall tensile stress regions, as they are located below, or radially inwardly from (i.e., on the non-impact side of), their respective neutral axes.
- Materials in compressive zones 1 and 3 are used primarily to increase the durability of the barrel 14 .
- Materials in tensile zones 2 and 4 are used primarily to increase the stiffness of the barrel 14 , and to substantially match the fundamental frequencies of the outer and inner barrel walls 22 , 24 to minimize energy losses in the barrel 14 .
- the fundamental frequency of each barrel wall 22 , 24 preferably falls within a constructive coupling range between the walls 22 , 24 , such that minimal losses are encountered during the energy transfer from the outer barrel wall 22 to the inner barrel wall 24 .
- the fundamental hoop frequency (i.e., the vibration measured around the diameter of the barrel wall) of the outer barrel wall 22 is within 20%, more preferably 10%, of the fundamental hoop frequency of the inner barrel wall 24 .
- the fundametal hoop frequency of each of the outer and inner walls 22 , 24 is preferably in the range of 900 to 2000 Hz, more preferably 1000 to 1200 Hz.
- High specific energy storage compression materials are best suited to zones 1 and 3
- high stiffness (i.e., high tensile modulus) materials are best suited to zones 2 and 4 .
- the composite materials used in zones 1 and 3 define the resultant durability of the structure, while the composite materials used in zones 2 and 4 adjust the stiffness of the barrel for maximum coupling of energy transfer between the outer and inner walls 22 , 24 . Accordingly, by placing specific materials in specific zones, the performance and durability of the structure can be modified independently of one another.
- structural (S) glass-reinforced epoxy resin, or S-glass epoxy is used predominantly in zones 1 and 3 , due to its extremely high specific energy storage in compression (approximately 2230 psi).
- Boron-reinforced epoxy resin, or boron epoxy which has a specific energy storage in compression of approximately 2220 psi, may additionally or alternatively be used in zones 1 and 3 .
- Other materials having a high specific energy storage in compression may additionally or alternatively be used in zones 1 and 3 .
- the materials used in zones 1 and 3 have a specific energy storage in compression of at least 2000 psi, and more preferably, 2200 to 2400 psi.
- the material(s) used in zone 1 may be the same, or may differ, from those used in zone 3 .
- S-glass epoxy may also be utilized in zones 2 and 4 , due to its high tensile specific energy storage (approximately 4790 psi). Indeed, from a durability standpoint, the entire barrel would benefit from a 100% S-glass multi-wall structure. S-glass epoxy, however, has a relatively low stiffness, or tensile modulus (approximately 6.91 million psi). Thus, if S-glass epoxy were used predominantly in zones 2 and 4 , barrel performance would suffer due to a lack of barrel stiffness and poor energy coupling between the barrel walls 22 , 24 .
- graphite-reinforced epoxy resin or graphite epoxy, which has a stiffness or tensile modulus of approximately 20 million psi, is preferably predominantly used in zones 2 and 4 , for adjusting the stiffness of the barrel.
- a limited amount of S-glass epoxy may also be used in zones 2 and 4 , however.
- Boron epoxy which has a stiffness or tensile modulus of approximately 29.6 million psi, may additionally or alternatively be used in zones 2 and 4 .
- Graphite epoxy is preferred over boron epoxy, however, because the tensile specific energy storage of graphite epoxy (approximately 1380 psi) is much greater than the tensile specific energy storage of boron epoxy (approximately 565 psi).
- zones 2 and 4 Other materials having a high stiffness or tensile modulus, preferably in conjunction with a relatively high tensile specific energy storage, may additionally or alternatively be used in zones 2 and 4 .
- the materials used in zones 2 and 4 have a stiffness or tensile modulus of at least 18 million psi, and more preferably 20 to 30 million psi.
- the materials used in zones 2 and 4 also preferably have a tensile specific energy storage of at least 1000 psi, although the stiffness of the material, which dictates bat performance, is the more significant variable.
- the material(s) used in zone 2 may be the same, or may differ, from those used in zone 4 .
- each of the composite plies 38 in zones 1 and 3 is oriented at approximately 50 to 700 relative to their respective neutral axes 32 , 34 .
- Each of the composite plies 38 in zones 2 and 4 is preferably oriented at approximately 20 to 50° relative to their respective neutral axes 32 , 34 .
- Each ply within a zone may be oriented at the same or different angles than other plies in that zone.
- the graphite epoxy was moved to the tensile zones in the design of a sample bat according to one embodiment of the present invention, and S-glass epoxy was used predominantly in the compressive zones. Durability tests were then performed on the bat, and it was surprisingly discovered that durability increased by a factor of three (e.g., from approximately 150 ball hits until failure, to approximately 450 ball hits until failure) over the previous designs.
- the bat 10 is generally constructed by rolling the various layers of the bat 10 onto a mandrel or similar structure having the desired bat shape.
- the ends of the layers are preferably “clocked” or offset from one another so that they do not all end in the same location before curing. Accordingly, when heat and pressure are applied to cure the bat 10 , the various barrel layers blend together into a distinctive “one-piece” multi-wall construction.
- all of the layers of the bat are “co-cured” in a single step, and blend or terminate together at at least one end, resulting in a single-piece multi-wall structure with no gaps (at the at least one end), such that the barrel 14 is not made up of a series of tubes, each with a wall thickness that terminates at the ends of the tubes.
- all of the layers act in unison under loading conditions, such as during striking of a ball.
- the blending of the layers into a single-piece multi-wall construction offers an extremely durable assembly, particularly when impact occurs at the extreme ends of the layer separation zones.
- the barrel 14 acts as a unitized structure where no single layer works independently of the other layers.
- One or both ends of the barrel 14 may terminate together in this manner to form the one-piece barrel.
- the bat 10 is constructed as follows. First, the various layers of the bat 10 are pre-cut and pre-shaped with conventional machinery. Composite plies 38 used to form the inner wall tensile zone, such as graphite epoxy, and/or other suitable materials, are rolled onto the bat-shaped mandrel. Composite plies 38 used to form the inner wall compressive zone, such as S-glass epoxy, and/or other suitable materials, are then rolled onto the plies 38 of the inner wall tensile zone.
- Composite plies 38 used to form the inner wall tensile zone such as graphite epoxy, and/or other suitable materials
- a bond-inhibiting layer 30 may then be rolled onto the plies 38 of the inner wall compressive zone, if such a layer is desired.
- composite plies 38 used to form the outer wall tensile zone such as graphite epoxy, and/or other suitable materials, are rolled onto the bond-inhibiting layer 30 , or onto the plies 38 of the inner wall compressive section if a bond-inhibiting layer 30 is not employed.
- Composite plies 38 used to form the outer wall compressive zone such as S-glass epoxy, and/or other suitable materials, are then rolled onto the plies 38 of the outer wall tensile zone.
- the composite plies 38 are preferably rolled onto the mandrel such that their ends are offset from another, so that they do not all end in the same location before curing.
- heat and pressure are applied to the layers to cure the bat 10 into a one-piece multi-wall barreled structure, in which the ends of the layers all terminate together such that there are no gaps between the barrel walls and the ISCZ.
- the layers may be arranged to terminate in this manner at one or both ends of the barrel 14 .
- the described bat construction, and method of making the same provides a bat having excellent “trampoline effect” and durability. These results are primarily due to the selection and placement of specific materials relative to the neutral axes in the outer and inner barrel walls 22 , 24 . Specifically, locating materials having a high specific energy storage in compression above the neutral axes, and materials with a high stiffness or tensile modulus below the neutral axes, yields a durable high performance ball bat. Additionally, the blending of barrel layers in a single curing step provides for increased durability, especially during impact at the extreme ends of the barrel layers.
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Abstract
Description
- This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/712,251, filed Nov. 13, 2003, and now pending, which is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/336,130, filed Jan. 3, 2003, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,764,419 on Jul. 20, 2004, each of which are incorporated herein by reference.
- Baseball and softball bat manufacturers are continually attempting to develop ball bats that exhibit increased durability and improved performance characteristics. Ball bats typically include a handle, a barrel, and a tapered section joining the handle to the barrel. The outer shell of these bats is generally formed from aluminum or another suitable metal, and/or one or more composite materials.
- Barrel construction is particularly important in modern bat design. Barrels having a single-wall construction, and more recently, a multi-wall construction, have been developed. Modern ball bats typically include a hollow interior, such that the bats are relatively lightweight and allow a ball player to generate substantial “bat speed” or “swing speed.”
- Single-wall bats generally include a single tubular spring in the barrel section. Multi-wall barrels typically include two or more tubular springs, or similar structures, that may be of the same or different material composition, in the barrel section. The tubular springs in these multi-wall bats are typically either in contact with one another, such that they form friction joints, are bonded to one another with weld or bonding adhesive, or are separated from one another forming frictionless joints. If the tubular springs are bonded using a structural adhesive, or other structural bonding material, the barrel is essentially a single-wall construction. U.S. Pat. No. 5,364,095, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference, describes a variety of bats having multi-walled barrel constructions.
- It is generally desirable to have a bat barrel that is durable, while also exhibiting optimal performance characteristics. Hollow bats typically exhibit a phenomenon known as the “trampoline effect,” which essentially refers to the rebound velocity of a ball leaving the bat barrel as a result of flexing of the barrel wall(s). Thus, it is desirable to construct a ball bat having a high “trampoline effect,” so that the bat may provide a high rebound velocity to a pitched ball upon contact.
- The “trampoline effect” is a direct result of the compression and resulting strain recovery of the barrel. During this process of barrel compression and decompression, energy is transferred to the ball resulting in an effective coefficient of restitution (COR) of the barrel, which is the ratio of the post impact ball velocity to the incident ball velocity (COR=Vpost impact/Vincident). In other words, the “trampoline effect” of the bat improves as the COR of the bat barrel increases.
- Multi-walled bats were developed in an effort to increase the amount of acceptable barrel deflection beyond that which is possible in typical single-wall designs. These multi-walled constructions generally provide added barrel deflection, without increasing stresses beyond the material limits of the barrel materials. Accordingly, multi-wall barrels are typically more efficient at transferring energy back to the ball, and the more flexible property of the multi-wall barrel reduces undesirable deflection and deformation in the ball, which is typically made of highly inefficient material.
- Additionally, a multi-wall bat differs from a single-wall bat because there is no shear energy transfer through the interface shear control zone(s) (“ISCZ”), i.e., the region(s) between the barrel walls. As a result of strain energy equilibrium, this shear energy, which creates shear deformation in a single-wall barrel, is converted to bending energy in a multi-wall barrel. And since bending deformation is more efficient in transferring energy than is shear deformation, the walls of a multi-wall bat typically exhibit a lower strain energy loss than a single wall design. Thus, multi-wall barrels are generally preferred over single-wall designs for producing efficient bat-ball collision dynamics, or a better “trampoline effect.”
- In a single wall bat, a single neutral axis, which is defined as the centroid axis about which all deformation occurs, is present for both radial and axial deformations. The shear stress in the barrel wall is at a maximum, and the bending stress is zero, along this neutral axis. In a multi-wall bat, an additional independent neutral axis results from each ISCZ present, i.e., each wall of a multi-wall barrel includes an independent neutral axis. As the bat barrel is impacted, each barrel wall deforms such that the highest compressive stresses occur radially above (i.e., on the impact side of) the neutral axis, while the highest tensile stresses occur radially below (i.e., on the non-impact side of) the neutral axis.
- In general, as the wall thickness or barrel stiffness is increased in a bat barrel, the COR decreases. It is important to maintain a sufficient wall thickness, however, because the durability of the ball bat typically decreases if the wall(s) are too thin. If the barrel wall(s) are too thin, the barrel may be subject to denting, in the case of metal bats, or to progressive material failure, in the case of composite bats. As a result, the performance and lifetime of the bat may be reduced if the barrel wall(s) are not thick enough.
- The use of composite materials has become increasingly popular in modern barrel design. The impact and fracture behavior of composite materials is very complex. Structural composite materials do not undergo plastic deformation, like metals, but undergo a series of local fractures resulting in a highly complicated redistribution of stress. When these resultant stresses exceed a predefined limit, ultimate breakdown of the structure occurs. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to accurately predict the initiation and progression of failure in these complex structures based on the behavior of unidirectional laminates in the structure. There is a way, however, to predict the amount of elastic energy that can be stored per unit mass for a particular mode of stressing. This is defined as the specific energy storage, which is the amount of energy that can be stored in a material before the material fails.
- The specific energy storage capability of a material for tensile or compression loading is defined as follows:
ξ=σIt 2 /E Itρ
where -
- ξ=specific energy storage
- σIt=ultimate longitudinal tensile (or compressive) strength
- EIt=Young's longitudinal tensile (or compressive) modulus
- ρ=density
- Thus, a material with high tensile/compressive strength and low modulus and density will have good energy storage properties.
- Elastic materials undergo deformation (i.e., spring like behavior) when influenced by the application of a force. Under conditions such as impact loading, when large forces are applied over short periods of time, kinetic energy is transformed at the elastic material interface into potential energy in the form of deformation. As a result of entropy, some irreversible losses, in the form of noise and heat, occur during this energy transfer process.
- When the available kinetic energy of impact is transformed into deformation in the elastic material, the elastic material releases this stored energy in the form of kinetic energy back to the impacting body (i.e., the ball), if it is in contact, and/or the stored energy is dissipated within the elastic material, if the impacting body is not in contact with the elastic material. As a result of irreversible energy losses, the elastic material eventually returns to its original stress-free condition.
- The total conservation of energy equation for a bat-ball collision is as follows:
U K1b +U K2b =U K1a +U K2a +U II +U BM +U MS
where, -
- UK1b=ball kinetic energy before impact
- UKb2=bat kinetic energy before impact
- UK1a=ball kinetic energy after impact
- UK2a=bat kinetic energy after impact
- UII=local bat and ball strain energy loss
- UBM=energy loss associated with bat beam modes
- UMS=energy losses associated with heat and noise
(Mustone, Timothy J., Sherwood, James, “Using LS-DYNA to Develop a Baseball Bat Performance and Design Tool”, 6 th International LS-DYNA Users Conference, Detroit, Mich., Apr. 9-10, 2000).
- Control and optimization of these losses is important to the design of high performance durable ball bats, particularly the losses associated with local bat and ball strain energy. The other losses, such as those associated with heat and noise, although a significant component in the overall equilibrium equation, are minor in comparison to the strain energy losses. Thus, to design a high performance durable bat, it is desirable to minimize strain energy losses in the barrel of the ball bat.
- The invention is directed to a ball bat that exhibits minimal strain energy losses associated with bat-ball collisions by employing one or more integral interface shear control zones in the bat barrel, and/or by the selection and placement of specific composite materials with respect to the neutral axes in the barrel walls.
- Further embodiments, including modifications, variations, and enhancements of the invention, will become apparent. The invention resides as well in subcombinations of the features shown and described.
- In the drawings, wherein the same reference number indicates the same element throughout the several views:
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a ball bat. -
FIG. 2 is a perspective partially cutaway view of the ball bat illustrated inFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 3 is a close up sectional view of Section A ofFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view of the barrel cross section illustrated inFIG. 3 . -
FIG. 5 is a table showing various properties of common composite structural materials. - Turning now in detail to the drawings, as shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2 , a baseball orsoftball bat 10, hereinafter collectively referred to as a “ball bat” or “bat,” includes ahandle 12, abarrel 14, and a taperedsection 16 joining thehandle 12 to thebarrel 14. The free end of thehandle 12 includes aknob 18 or similar structure. Thebarrel 14 is preferably closed off by asuitable cap 20 or plug. The interior 19 of thebat 10 is preferably hollow, which allows thebat 10 to be relatively lightweight so that ball players may generate substantial bat speed when swinging thebat 10. - The
ball bat 10 preferably has an overall length of 20 to 40 inches, more preferably 26 to 34 inches. The overall barrel diameter is preferably 2.0 to 3.0 inches, more preferably 2.25 to 2.75 inches. Typical bats have diameters of 2.25, 2.69, or 2.75 inches. Bats having various combinations of these overall lengths and barrel diameters are contemplated herein. The specific preferred combination of bat dimensions is generally dictated by the user of thebat 10, and may vary greatly between users. - The present invention is primarily directed to the ball striking area of the
bat 10, which typically extends throughout the length of thebarrel 14, and which may extend partially into the taperedsection 16 of thebat 10. For ease of description, this striking area will generally be referred to as the “barrel” throughout the remainder of the description. - As illustrated in
FIG. 2 , thebarrel 14 is made up of one or more substantially cylindrical layers. The actual shape of each barrel layer may vary according to the desired shape of the overall barrel structure. Accordingly, “substantially cylindrical” will be used herein to describe cylindrical barrel layers, as well as other similar barrel shapes. Thebarrel 14 preferably includes anouter barrel wall 22 and aninner barrel wall 24 located within theouter barrel wall 22, each preferably made up of one ormore plies 38 of a composite material. Alternatively, thebarrel 14 may include only a single wall, or may include three or more walls. The barrel wall(s) may additionally or alternatively be made of one or more metallic materials, such as aluminum or titanium. - A
bond inhibiting layer 30, or a disbonding layer, preferably separates theouter barrel wall 22 from theinner barrel wall 24. Thebond inhibiting layer 30 acts as an interlaminar shear control zone (“ISCZ”) between theouter wall 22 and theinner wall 24. Accordingly, thebond inhibiting layer 30 prevents shear stresses from passing between theouter wall 22 and theinner wall 24, and also prevents theouter wall 22 from bonding to theinner wall 24 during curing of thebat 10, and throughout the life of thebat 10. Because thebond inhibiting layer 30 acts as an ISCZ, theouter barrel wall 22 has a firstneutral axis 32, and theinner barrel 24 wall has a secondneutral axis 34, as described above. - The bond-inhibiting
layer 30 preferably has a radial thickness of approximately 0.001 to 0.004 inches, more preferably 0.002 to 0.003 inches. The bond-inhibiting layer is preferably made of a fluoropolymer, such as FEP (fluorinated ethylene propylene), PVF (Polyvinyl Fluoride), ETFE (EthyleneTetrafluoroethylene), PCTFE (PolyChloroTriFluoroEthylene), or PTFE/Teflon® (Polytetraflouroethylene), and/or another material, such as PMP (Polymethylpentene), Nylon (polyamide), or Cellophane. Other ISCZs, such as a friction joint, a sliding joint, or an elastomeric joint, may be used as an alternative to thebond inhibiting layer 30. Thebond inhibiting layer 30, or other ISCZ, may be located at the radial midpoint of thebarrel 14, such that eachbarrel wall barrel 14. Thus, the bond-inhibitinglayer 30 is shown at the approximate radial midpoint of thebarrel 14 by way of example only. - If the
barrel 14 includes three or more walls, a bond-inhibitinglayer 30 or other ISCZ is preferably located between each of the barrel walls, to increase barrel deflection. Thus, a three-wall barrel preferably includes two bond-inhibitinglayers 30 or other ISCZs, a four-wall barrel preferably includes three bond-inhibitinglayers 30 or other ISCZs, etc. Alternatively, bond-inhibitinglayers 30 or ISCZs may be located between selected barrel walls only. For ease of description, a two-wall barrel 14 will be discussed herein, but any other number of barrel walls may be employed in theball bat 10. - In the embodiment illustrated in
FIGS. 2 and 3 , theouter barrel wall 22 and theinner barrel wall 24 each include a plurality of composite plies 38. The composite materials used are preferably fiber-reinforced, and may include glass, graphite, boron, carbon, aramid, ceramic, kevlar, and/or any other suitable reinforcement material, preferably in epoxy form. Each composite ply preferably has a thickness of approximately 0.003 to 0.008 inches, more preferably 0.005 to 0.006 inches. The overall radial thickness of eachbarrel wall 22, 24 (including barrel portions on both sides of the central axis of the bat) is preferably approximately 0.060 inches to 0.100 inches, more preferably 0.075 to 0.090 inches. Optimal selection and placement of the specific composite materials employed in theball bat 10 is described in detail below. - The radial location of the neutral axis in each wall varies according to the distribution of the composite layers, and the stiffness of the specific layers. Only the radial components of stress are considered herein, due to their high relative magnitude in comparison to the axial stresses present. If a barrel wall is made up of homogeneous isotropoic layers, the neutral axis will be located at the midpoint of the wall. If more than one composite material is used in a wall, and/or if the material is not uniformly distributed, the neutral axis may reside at a different radial location. Thus, the first and second
neutral axes respective walls - As illustrated in the diagram of
FIG. 4 , a double-wall barrel structure may be broken down into four zones, numbered 1, 2, 3, and 4.Zones Zones - Materials in
compressive zones barrel 14. Materials intensile zones barrel 14, and to substantially match the fundamental frequencies of the outer andinner barrel walls barrel 14. The fundamental frequency of eachbarrel wall walls outer barrel wall 22 to theinner barrel wall 24. In a preferred embodiment, the fundamental hoop frequency (i.e., the vibration measured around the diameter of the barrel wall) of theouter barrel wall 22 is within 20%, more preferably 10%, of the fundamental hoop frequency of theinner barrel wall 24. The fundametal hoop frequency of each of the outer andinner walls - Various properties of several common structural composite materials are listed in Table 1 of
FIG. 5 . High specific energy storage compression materials are best suited tozones zones zones zones inner walls - In a preferred embodiment, structural (S) glass-reinforced epoxy resin, or S-glass epoxy, is used predominantly in
zones zones zones zones zone 1 may be the same, or may differ, from those used inzone 3. - S-glass epoxy may also be utilized in
zones zones barrel walls zones zones - Boron epoxy, which has a stiffness or tensile modulus of approximately 29.6 million psi, may additionally or alternatively be used in
zones - Other materials having a high stiffness or tensile modulus, preferably in conjunction with a relatively high tensile specific energy storage, may additionally or alternatively be used in
zones zones zones zone 2 may be the same, or may differ, from those used inzone 4. - The layers of selected composite materials may be oriented at various angles relative to their respective
neutral axes inner barrel walls zones neutral axes zones neutral axes - The idea of locating graphite epoxy in the tensile zones (
zones 2 and 4) was not initially intuitive. Previous barrel designs, having graphite epoxy predominantly located inzones zones 1 and 3) of the barrel. Accordingly, there was no motivation to move the graphite fibers into the tensile zones, since compressive failure did not appear to occur in the graphite epoxy fibers. - The graphite epoxy was moved to the tensile zones in the design of a sample bat according to one embodiment of the present invention, and S-glass epoxy was used predominantly in the compressive zones. Durability tests were then performed on the bat, and it was surprisingly discovered that durability increased by a factor of three (e.g., from approximately 150 ball hits until failure, to approximately 450 ball hits until failure) over the previous designs.
- Thus, while initial analysis did not indicate compressive failure of the graphite epoxy fibers in the previous bat designs, it is likely that unseen graphite fiber failure was actually occurring in the compressive zones. In other words, the discovery of a dramatic increase in bat durability, resulting from moving graphite epoxy fibers to the tensile zones of the bat barrel, and using S-glass epoxy in the compressive zones of the bat barrel, was unexpected, since analysis did not indicate that compressive fiber failure was occurring in samples constructed following previous designs.
- The
bat 10 is generally constructed by rolling the various layers of thebat 10 onto a mandrel or similar structure having the desired bat shape. The ends of the layers are preferably “clocked” or offset from one another so that they do not all end in the same location before curing. Accordingly, when heat and pressure are applied to cure thebat 10, the various barrel layers blend together into a distinctive “one-piece” multi-wall construction. Put another way, all of the layers of the bat are “co-cured” in a single step, and blend or terminate together at at least one end, resulting in a single-piece multi-wall structure with no gaps (at the at least one end), such that thebarrel 14 is not made up of a series of tubes, each with a wall thickness that terminates at the ends of the tubes. As a result, all of the layers act in unison under loading conditions, such as during striking of a ball. - The blending of the layers into a single-piece multi-wall construction, like tying the ends of a leaf spring together, offers an extremely durable assembly, particularly when impact occurs at the extreme ends of the layer separation zones. By blending the multiple layers together, the
barrel 14 acts as a unitized structure where no single layer works independently of the other layers. One or both ends of thebarrel 14 may terminate together in this manner to form the one-piece barrel. - In a preferred embodiment, the
bat 10 is constructed as follows. First, the various layers of thebat 10 are pre-cut and pre-shaped with conventional machinery. Composite plies 38 used to form the inner wall tensile zone, such as graphite epoxy, and/or other suitable materials, are rolled onto the bat-shaped mandrel. Composite plies 38 used to form the inner wall compressive zone, such as S-glass epoxy, and/or other suitable materials, are then rolled onto theplies 38 of the inner wall tensile zone. - A bond-inhibiting
layer 30, or other ISCZ layer or material, may then be rolled onto theplies 38 of the inner wall compressive zone, if such a layer is desired. Next, composite plies 38 used to form the outer wall tensile zone, such as graphite epoxy, and/or other suitable materials, are rolled onto the bond-inhibitinglayer 30, or onto theplies 38 of the inner wall compressive section if a bond-inhibitinglayer 30 is not employed. Composite plies 38 used to form the outer wall compressive zone, such as S-glass epoxy, and/or other suitable materials, are then rolled onto theplies 38 of the outer wall tensile zone. - As described above, the composite plies 38 are preferably rolled onto the mandrel such that their ends are offset from another, so that they do not all end in the same location before curing. Once all of the layers are arranged, heat and pressure are applied to the layers to cure the
bat 10 into a one-piece multi-wall barreled structure, in which the ends of the layers all terminate together such that there are no gaps between the barrel walls and the ISCZ. The layers may be arranged to terminate in this manner at one or both ends of thebarrel 14. - The described bat construction, and method of making the same, provides a bat having excellent “trampoline effect” and durability. These results are primarily due to the selection and placement of specific materials relative to the neutral axes in the outer and
inner barrel walls - Thus, while several embodiments have been shown and described, various changes and substitutions may of course be made, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The invention, therefore, should not be limited, except by the following claims and their equivalents.
Claims (20)
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US11/044,430 US20050202909A1 (en) | 2003-01-03 | 2005-01-26 | Ball bat with a strain energy optimized barrel |
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US10/336,130 US6764419B1 (en) | 2003-01-03 | 2003-01-03 | Composite baseball bat having an interface section in the bat barrel |
US10/712,251 US6866598B2 (en) | 2003-01-03 | 2003-11-13 | Ball bat with a strain energy optimized barrel |
US11/044,430 US20050202909A1 (en) | 2003-01-03 | 2005-01-26 | Ball bat with a strain energy optimized barrel |
Related Parent Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US10/712,251 Continuation US6866598B2 (en) | 2003-01-03 | 2003-11-13 | Ball bat with a strain energy optimized barrel |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US20050202909A1 true US20050202909A1 (en) | 2005-09-15 |
Family
ID=32716879
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US11/044,430 Abandoned US20050202909A1 (en) | 2003-01-03 | 2005-01-26 | Ball bat with a strain energy optimized barrel |
Country Status (5)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20050202909A1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP4252538B2 (en) |
AU (1) | AU2003300281B2 (en) |
CA (1) | CA2509448C (en) |
WO (1) | WO2004062734A2 (en) |
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US9504891B1 (en) * | 2015-07-20 | 2016-11-29 | Well Jet International Co., Ltd. | Baseball bat |
US20210252358A1 (en) * | 2017-07-19 | 2021-08-19 | Easton Diamond Sports, Llc | Ball bats with reduced durability regions for deterring alteration |
US11890517B2 (en) * | 2020-08-10 | 2024-02-06 | Wilson Sporting Goods Co. | Ball bat with one-piece multi-wall barrel portion |
Families Citing this family (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JP2008132309A (en) * | 2006-10-31 | 2008-06-12 | Mizuno Corp | Bat for baseball or soft ball |
US10159878B2 (en) | 2015-08-27 | 2018-12-25 | Easton Diamond Sports, Llc | Composite ball bat including a barrel with structural regions separated by a porous non-adhesion layer |
US11167190B2 (en) | 2017-07-19 | 2021-11-09 | Easton Diamond Sports, Llc | Ball bats with reduced durability regions for deterring alteration |
US10940377B2 (en) | 2018-06-19 | 2021-03-09 | Easton Diamond Sports, Llc | Composite ball bats with transverse fibers |
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2003
- 2003-12-19 WO PCT/US2003/041008 patent/WO2004062734A2/en active Application Filing
- 2003-12-19 AU AU2003300281A patent/AU2003300281B2/en not_active Ceased
- 2003-12-19 JP JP2004566590A patent/JP4252538B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2003-12-19 CA CA2509448A patent/CA2509448C/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
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US9504891B1 (en) * | 2015-07-20 | 2016-11-29 | Well Jet International Co., Ltd. | Baseball bat |
US20210252358A1 (en) * | 2017-07-19 | 2021-08-19 | Easton Diamond Sports, Llc | Ball bats with reduced durability regions for deterring alteration |
US11890517B2 (en) * | 2020-08-10 | 2024-02-06 | Wilson Sporting Goods Co. | Ball bat with one-piece multi-wall barrel portion |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
JP4252538B2 (en) | 2009-04-08 |
AU2003300281B2 (en) | 2007-10-18 |
CA2509448A1 (en) | 2004-07-29 |
CA2509448C (en) | 2010-09-14 |
WO2004062734A3 (en) | 2005-03-10 |
WO2004062734B1 (en) | 2005-04-28 |
JP2006512170A (en) | 2006-04-13 |
WO2004062734A2 (en) | 2004-07-29 |
AU2003300281A1 (en) | 2004-08-10 |
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