WO1999006124A1 - Batte de softball longue duree - Google Patents

Batte de softball longue duree Download PDF

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Publication number
WO1999006124A1
WO1999006124A1 PCT/US1998/015922 US9815922W WO9906124A1 WO 1999006124 A1 WO1999006124 A1 WO 1999006124A1 US 9815922 W US9815922 W US 9815922W WO 9906124 A1 WO9906124 A1 WO 9906124A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
bat
reference marks
positional reference
long life
distributed
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US1998/015922
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Marini Raymond Vincent De
Original Assignee
Marini Raymond Vincent De
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from US08/904,899 external-priority patent/US6149539A/en
Application filed by Marini Raymond Vincent De filed Critical Marini Raymond Vincent De
Priority to AU86765/98A priority Critical patent/AU8676598A/en
Publication of WO1999006124A1 publication Critical patent/WO1999006124A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • 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
    • A63B60/00—Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
    • A63B60/06—Handles
    • A63B60/16—Caps; Ferrules
    • 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

Definitions

  • This invention relates to the field of Softball and baseball bats and more particularly relates to design changes made to said bats to increase their useful life.
  • Tubular metallic and wooden softball and baseball bats are well known to the art.
  • a common example is the tubular aluminum bat.
  • Such bats have the advantage of a generally good impact response, meaning that the bat effectively transfers power to a batted ball. This effective power transfer results in ball players achieving good "slugging" distances with batted balls.
  • Many of the design efforts to date have focused upon the materials, components and geometric shape (exterior and interior) of the bat.
  • a fine example of such an effort is U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,398 (May 16, 1995), entitled “Softball Bat,” to Michael D. Eggiman.
  • bats feature a manufacturer's logo or trademark on some portion of the surface of the bat. These logos invariably are not symmetrically placed around the circumference of the bat; rather, they present their appearance predominantly on one side (at one location) of the bat. Human nature being what it is, the ball player will frequently, out of simple habit, grasp the bat, adopt his hitting stance, and prepare to swing, with the bat in hand in the same posi tion each time . The result is obvious enough: each time he hits the ball (whether fair or foul) , the ball strikes the same portion of the bat.
  • Conventional softball and baseball bats feature a relatively common design. They feature a large diameter impact portion, an intermediate tapering portion, and a relatively small diameter handle portion. Most bats also feature an end portion and a handle cap.
  • the softball bat of the present invention is fitted with positional reference marks which are placed about the surface of the bat .
  • the utility of the positional reference marks is that the marks provide a frame of reference which enables the softball player to distribute the impact force of the batted ball around the entire surface of the ba .
  • a batter hits a ball he rotates the bat to a new radial location, ensuring that a hard spot strikes the ball each time and that the bat enjoys the longest life possible.
  • positional reference marks is intended to encompass not only numeric markings, but, in addition, markings which are equivalent, such as alphabetic characters, colors, card suits, symbols, or other shapes. Braille indentations would also serve. While the inventor has found that eight positional reference marks are convenient and effective, it is also possible to derive the benefit of the invention by using two, three, four, five, six, seven, nine, or some other number of markings. The key is to distribute the work of the bat throughout the bat. The result is increased average hitting power and longer bat life.
  • FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of the invention, a long life softball bat.
  • FIGURE 2 is a close up side view of the invention, clearly revealing the positional reference marks of the invention.
  • the FIGURE 2 view of the positional reference marks is a magnification of the marks appearing indistinctly in FIGURE 1.
  • FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional end view of the invention, taken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2, depicting the physical location of the positional reference marks of the invention.
  • FIGURE 4 is a close-up view of a positional reference mark which has been found to be effective.
  • a novel, long life softball (or baseball) bat 10 is shown.
  • the bat 10 is frequently referred to as a softball bat in this application, the bat 10 might also be a baseball bat, and the term "bat" is specifically intended to encompass both softball bats and baseball bats.
  • the bat 10 features a relatively large diameter impact portion 12, an intermediate tapering portion 14, and a relatively small diameter handle portion 16.
  • the bat also features an end portion 18 and a handle cap 20.
  • positional reference marks 22 which, in FIGURE 1, are placed about the cylindrical surface of the impact portion 12 of the bat 10. These positional reference marks 22 appear somewhat indistinctly in FIGURE 1 and much more prominently and readably in the section magnification of FIGURE 1 which appears in FIGURE 2.
  • the positional reference marks 22 may be spaced about the impact portion 12 of the bat, the tapering portion 14, the handle portion 16, the end cap 18, or the handle cap 20 of the bat. However, it is convenient and effective to place them about the impact portion 12 of the bat, where they are highly visible. It is this placement of the positional reference marks 22 that is shown in FIGURES 1 and 2.
  • FIGURE 3 reveals that, in the example shown in the drawings, there are eight positional reference marks which are evenly distributed about the entire radial hitting surface of the bat 10. See FIGURE 3 (showing the eight radial locations where the positional reference marks of FIGURES 1 and 2 are placed) .
  • each time a batter hits a foul ball for example, he may rotate the bat to one of seven new radial locations, ensuring that a hard spot strikes the ball each time and that the bat 10 enjoys the longest life possible.
  • the positional reference marks 22 are evenly radially distributed about the surface of the bat. See FIGURE 3. However, it is also readily conceivable that some bats might feature preferred hitting areas on the bat surface. In such cases, the positional reference marks would be unevenly radially distributed about the surface of the bat. This would reveal itself in an asymmetrical distribution of the reference arrows shown in FIGURE 3.
  • the positional reference marks 22 shown in FIGURE 2 are distributed about the surface of the bat at a single axial location. That is, the positional reference marks 22 appear at a fixed distance (along the axis of the bat) from the handle cap 20. Distributing the positional reference marks 22 at a plurality of axial locations would distribute the force of the impacted ball along the length of the impact portion 12 of the bat.
  • positional reference marks For example, assuming sequential numeric positional reference marks were used, if even-numbered positional reference marks 22 were placed one inch further away from the handle cap 20 than odd-numbered positional reference marks 22, then the user of the bat would, by adjusting his swing, position, choke, etc., increase the probability that the force of the next impact would be felt at a portion of the impact portion 12 closer to the end portion 18 of the bat 10.
  • positional reference marks is intended to encompass the numeric markings 22 depicted in FIGURE 2. However, the term is also intended to encompass markings which are equivalent, such as alphabetic characters, colors, card suits, symbols, or other shapes.
  • a particularly effective positional reference mark that the inventor has employed, and the one recommended for a preferred embodiment, is the circular, targeted positional reference mark 22 shown in FIGURE 4. While eight positional reference marks 22 are used about the circumference of the bat 10 shown in FIGURES 1-3, it would also be possible to derive the benefit of the invention by using two, three, four, five, six, seven, nine, or some other number of markings. Furthermore, when sequential positional reference marks are used, they may be placed so as to induce a variety of radial rotation patterns.
  • an effective, and preferred, rotational pattern is incremental, conrotatory rotation of the bat, wherein the user rotates the bat in successive increments in the same direction.
  • the user rotates the bat 10 in equal successive increments of one-eighth of its total rotation (12.5 per cent of total rotation, or forty-five degrees) in a clockwise direction (viewed from the end portion 18 of the bat looking towards the handle cap 20 in the distance) each time he strikes a ball.
  • Other rotation patterns would doubtless also be effective.
  • the key, as discussed hereinabove, is to distribute the work of the bat throughout the bat .

Landscapes

  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Physical Education & Sports Medicine (AREA)
  • Golf Clubs (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne une batte de softball longue durée comprenant une batte (10) et plusieurs marques (22) de repère de position. Les marques (22) de repère de position constituent un cadre de référence permettant à l'utilisateur de la batte (10) de répartir sur la surface de la batte (10) la force de choc d'une balle frappée.
PCT/US1998/015922 1997-07-29 1998-07-29 Batte de softball longue duree WO1999006124A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU86765/98A AU8676598A (en) 1997-07-29 1998-07-29 Long life softball bat

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US90194497A 1997-07-29 1997-07-29
US8/901,944 1997-07-29
US08/904,899 US6149539A (en) 1997-08-01 1997-08-01 Long life bat
US8/904,899970801 1997-08-01

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1999006124A1 true WO1999006124A1 (fr) 1999-02-11

Family

ID=27129306

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US1998/015922 WO1999006124A1 (fr) 1997-07-29 1998-07-29 Batte de softball longue duree

Country Status (2)

Country Link
AU (1) AU8676598A (fr)
WO (1) WO1999006124A1 (fr)

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US727359A (en) * 1902-09-08 1903-05-05 Charles F Held Base-ball bat.
US2944820A (en) * 1957-09-26 1960-07-12 Hillerich & Bradsby Co Inc Ball-striking implement
US4644630A (en) * 1984-11-05 1987-02-24 H-G Toys Inc. Method of producing a plastic baseball bat or the like having metallic appearance
US5284332A (en) * 1992-09-23 1994-02-08 Massachusetts Institute Of Technology Reduced aerodynamic drag baseball bat
US5303917A (en) * 1992-04-13 1994-04-19 Uke Alan K Bat for baseball or softball
US5516097A (en) * 1995-04-13 1996-05-14 Huddleston; Allen D. Flexible section baseball bat

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US727359A (en) * 1902-09-08 1903-05-05 Charles F Held Base-ball bat.
US2944820A (en) * 1957-09-26 1960-07-12 Hillerich & Bradsby Co Inc Ball-striking implement
US4644630A (en) * 1984-11-05 1987-02-24 H-G Toys Inc. Method of producing a plastic baseball bat or the like having metallic appearance
US5303917A (en) * 1992-04-13 1994-04-19 Uke Alan K Bat for baseball or softball
US5284332A (en) * 1992-09-23 1994-02-08 Massachusetts Institute Of Technology Reduced aerodynamic drag baseball bat
US5516097A (en) * 1995-04-13 1996-05-14 Huddleston; Allen D. Flexible section baseball bat

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
"PLAYER PICTURES ON BASEBALL BATS.", SPORTING GOODS DEALER, ST. LOUIS, US, 1 January 1978 (1978-01-01), US, pages 338., XP002913322, ISSN: 0038-8017 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU8676598A (en) 1999-02-22

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