US20100004077A1

US20100004077A1 - Bat for striking ball

Info

Publication number: US20100004077A1
Application number: US12/167,480
Authority: US
Inventors: Kenneth Shimamoto; Jim Relyea; Rodney Winters
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-07-03
Filing date: 2008-07-03
Publication date: 2010-01-07

Abstract

Disclosed is a bat for striking a ball. The bat includes an elongated ball striking portion and a handle portion. The handle portion is configured at an end portion of the elongated ball striking portion. The handle portion includes a pair of elongated flat surfaces and a pair of elongated curved surfaces. The pair of elongated flat surfaces is spaced-apart by a predetermined distance and extends longitudinally opposite to each other from the end portion of the elongated ball striking portion. The pair of elongated curved surfaces extends between longitudinal edge portions of the pair of elongated flat surfaces.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to sports equipment, and, more particularly, to a bat for striking a ball.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many sports, such as a baseball, softball, tennis, badminton, cricket and the like, utilize a swinging sport implement such as a bat, a racquet and the like for striking a ball. Striking of the ball in a controlled manner is essential for the effective execution of the sport. For instance, in baseball, a player is required to strike the ball projected towards him at an elevation with effective force. The striking of the ball in a controlled manner is dependent on a grip of a player on the handle portion of the bat. Accordingly, for effective execution of the sport the configuration of the handle portion of the bat is important.
Although conventional bats are designed for the effective execution of the sport, the configuration of the conventional bats has numerous limitations. For example, the conventional bats are not able to prevent a shock generated as a result of the impact of the ball striking on the bat. Further, the handle portion of the conventional bats is susceptible to breakage upon frequent use of the bat. Moreover, the conventional bats are not able to provide a proper grip to a user thereof for effective striking of a ball. More specifically, the handle portion of the conventional bat is not able to provide a firm grip to the user, thereby preventing the user from making a balanced flat swing of the bat. Accordingly, the user experiences a loss of swing power and swing speed.
Accordingly, based on the foregoing, there is a need for a bat for striking a ball, which is capable of providing a comfortable and firm grip to a user thereof. Furthermore, there is a need for a bat for striking a ball, which is resistant to breakage of a handle portion thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the prior art, the general purpose of the present invention is to provide a bat for striking a ball configured to include all the advantages of the prior art, and to overcome the drawbacks inherent therein.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a bat for striking a ball, which is capable of providing a comfortable and firm grip to a user thereof.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a bat for striking a ball, which is resistant to breakage of a handle portion thereof.
In light of the above objects, in one aspect of the present invention, a bat for striking a ball is provided. The bat includes an elongated ball striking portion and a handle portion. The elongated ball striking portion is adapted to strike a ball. The handle portion is configured at an end portion of the elongated ball striking portion. The handle portion includes a pair of elongated flat surfaces and a pair of elongated curved surfaces. The pair of elongated flat surfaces extended longitudinally opposite to each other from the end portion of the elongated ball striking portion and is spaced apart by a predetermined distance. The pair of elongated curved surfaces extends between longitudinal edge portions of the pair of elongated flat surfaces.
In another aspect of the present invention, the handle portion of the bat is composed of wood. The wood comprises a plurality of wood grains aligned parallel to each other.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, the handle portion of the bat is configured in a manner such that the plurality of wood grains of the handle portion is aligned perpendicular to the pair of elongated flat surfaces of the handle portion.
These together with other aspects of the present invention, along with the various features of novelty that characterize the present invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and form a part of this present invention. For a better understanding of the present invention, its operating advantages, and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a bat for striking a ball, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 1A illustrates an enlarged view of an encircled portion of a handle portion of the bat of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross sectional view of the handle portion of the bat of FIG. 1 taken along a section line X-X in FIG. 1.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the description of several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The exemplary embodiments described herein detail for illustrative purposes are subject to many variations in structure and design. It should be emphasized, however, that the present invention is not limited to a particular bat for striking ball, as shown and described. It is understood that various omissions and substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, but these are intended to cover the application or implementation without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims of the present invention.
The terms “first,” “second,” and the like, herein do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another, and the terms “a” and “an” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced item.
The present invention provides a bat for striking a ball. The bat includes an elongated ball striking portion and a handle portion. The handle portion of the bat is configured in a manner to provide a user of the bat with a comfortable and firm grip, thereby enabling the user to execute a balanced swing of the bat. Moreover, the handle portion of the bat is configured in a manner such that the handle portion is resistant to breakage upon frequent use of the bat. The bat, as described herein, may be configured in a multitude of sizes and structural configurations for users of different ages and sizes.
Referring to FIG. 1, a bat 100 for striking a ball (not shown) is illustrated. The bat 100 may include a baseball bat, a softball bat, and the like. The bat 100 includes an elongated ball striking portion 102 and a handle portion 104. The elongated ball striking portion 102 is configured to strike a ball. In an embodiment of the present invention, the elongated ball striking portion 102 may be configured to have a cylindrical shape, such that the elongated ball striking portion 102 has a circular cross section throughout its length. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the elongated ball striking portion 102 may have a diameter of about two and one-fourth of an inch. In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the elongated ball striking portion 102 may have a diameter of about two and three-fourth of an inch. The elongated ball striking portion 102 includes an end portion 106 adapted to configure the handle portion 104 to the elongated ball striking portion 102. More specifically, the end portion 106 is configured to have a reduced diameter as compared to the elongated ball striking portion 102 and is adapted to extend between the elongated ball striking portion 102 and the handle portion 104.
The configuration of the handle portion 104 will be explained by referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 1A and FIG. 2. More specifically, FIG. 1A illustrates an enlarged view of an encircled portion of the handle portion 104 and FIG. 2 illustrates a cross sectional view of the handle portion 104 taken along section line X-X in FIG. 1. As shown in FIGS. 1, 1A and 2, the handle portion 104 includes a pair of elongated flat surfaces such as, an elongated flat surface 108 a and an elongated flat surface 108 b (hereinafter collectively referred to as “pair of elongated flat surfaces 108”) and a pair of elongated curved surfaces, such as an elongated curved surface 110 a and an elongated curved surface 110 b (hereinafter collectively referred to as “pair of elongated curved surfaces 110”). The pair of elongated flat surfaces 108 extend longitudinally opposite to each other from the end portion 106 of the elongated ball striking portion 102 in a manner such that the pair of elongated flat surfaces 108 is spaced-apart by a predetermined distance. The predetermined distance may be selected based upon a desired size of the handle portion 104. For example, in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the pair of elongated flat surfaces 108 may be spaced-apart from each other by a predetermined distance ranging from about three-fourth of an inch to about one and one-fourth of an inch. Moreover, the pair of elongated flat surfaces 108 may extend from the end portion 106 up to a length that is selected based on a desired length of the handle portion 104. For instance, in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the length of the pair of elongated flat surfaces 108 may range from about ten inches to about fourteen inches.
Further, each elongated flat surfaces of the pair of elongated flat surfaces 108 is configured to have a first longitudinal edge portion and a second longitudinal edge portion extending parallel to each other. For example, as shown in FIG. 1A, the elongated flat surface 108 a is configured to have a first longitudinal edge portion 112 a, and a second longitudinal edge portion 112 b. The first longitudinal edge portion 112 a and the second longitudinal edge portion 112 b may be hereinafter collectively referred to as “longitudinal edge portions 112”. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the longitudinal edge portions 112 may be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance ranging from about one inch to about two inches.
Further, the pair of elongated flat surfaces 108 is joined with each other by means of the pair of elongated curved surfaces 110, as shown in FIG. 2. More specifically, the pair of elongated curved surfaces 110 extends between the longitudinal edge portions 112 of the pair of elongated flat surfaces 108. Referring to FIG. 2, the elongated curved surface 110 a extends between the first longitudinal edge portion 112 a of the elongated flat surfaces 108 a and the first longitudinal edge portion 112 a of the elongated flat surfaces 108 b. Similarly, the elongated curved surface 110 b extends between the second longitudinal edge portion 112 b of the elongated flat surfaces 108 a and the second longitudinal edge portion 112 b of the elongated flat surfaces 108 b. In an embodiment of the present invention, the pair of elongated curved surfaces 110 is configured to have a semi cylindrical shape. Accordingly, the handle portion 104 of the bat 100 is configured to have an oblong cross-section, as shown in FIG. 2. The oblong cross-section enables a user (not shown) of the bat 100 to grip the handle portion 104 firmly and comfortably, thereby enabling the user to execute a balanced swing of the bat 100.
The handle portion 104 of the bat 100 may be composed of a light weight material. In an embodiment of the present invention, the handle portion 104 may be composed of a wood material, such that the wood material comprises a plurality of wood grains 114 aligned parallel to each other, as shown in FIG. 2. The alignment of the plurality of wood grains 114 with each other maximizes the strength of the wood material, thereby improving the strength of the handle portion 104. In another embodiment of the present invention, the handle portion 104 may be configured in a manner such that the plurality of wood grains 114 of the handle portion 104 are aligned perpendicular to the pair of elongated flat surfaces 108, as shown in FIG. 2. Such a configuration of the handle portion 104 provides extra strength to the handle portion 104, thereby rendering the handle portion 104 resistant to breakage.
Referring back to FIG. 1, in one embodiment of the present invention the bat 100 may further include a knob 116. The knob 116 may be configured at an end portion 118 of the handle portion 104. The knob 116 is configured in a manner to prevent the bat 100 from sliding out of the user's hands and to provide a better grip to the user.
Although the present invention has been described with respect to the bat 100 to be utilized as a baseball bat or a softball bat, the present invention is not limited to be used as a baseball bat or a softball bat. The bat, as described herein, may also be effectively utilized in other sports, such as cricket, tennis and the like, that utilize a swinging sport implement for striking a ball. Moreover, the bat, as described herein, may be subject to many variations. For example, in an embodiment of the present invention, the handle portion, such as the handle portion 104, of the bat, such as the bat 100, may be composed of various other materials such as metal, plastic and the like. Moreover, the bat may be configured in a multitude of sizes, so that the bat may be conveniently utilized by users of different age groups ranging from a small child to an adult. For instance, in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the length of the bat may be varied in the range of about 32 inches to about 34 inches.
Various embodiments of the present invention offer following advantages. The bat, as disclosed herein, is capable of providing a comfortable and firm grip to a user thereof. More specifically, the handle portion of the bat is configured in a manner to improve the grip of the user, thereby enabling the user to improve the swing of the bat. Still further, the handle portion of the bat, as described herein, enables lining up of the knuckles of the user for enabling the user to swing the bat faster and with more power. Furthermore, the bat of the present invention is capable of facilitating the user to hold the bat in a manner consistent with most coaching techniques and accordingly the bat is useful for imparting training to the user. Moreover, the handle portion of the bat is configured in a manner to be resistant to breakage upon frequent use, thereby enabling the user to utilize the bat in a cost-effective manner.
The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the present invention and its practical application, and to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the present invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is understood that various omissions and substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, but such omissions and substitutions are intended to cover the application or implementation without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A bat for striking a ball, the bat comprising:

an elongated ball striking portion adapted to strike a ball; and

a handle portion configured at an end portion of the elongated ball striking portion, the handle portion comprising,

a pair of elongated flat surfaces parallelly spaced apart by a predetermined distance and extending longitudinally opposite to each other from the end portion of the elongated ball striking portion, and

a pair of elongated curved surfaces extending between longitudinal edge portions of the pair of elongated flat surfaces.

2. The bat of claim 1, wherein the handle portion is composed of wood, the wood having a plurality of wood grains.

3. The bat of claim 2, wherein the plurality of wood grains is aligned parallel to each other.

4. The bat of claim 3, wherein the handle portion is configured in a manner such that the plurality of wood grains is aligned perpendicular to the pair of elongated flat surfaces of the handle portion.