WO2020194039A1

WO2020194039A1 - A cricket bat

Info

Publication number: WO2020194039A1
Application number: PCT/IB2019/053976
Authority: WO
Inventors: Vinayak Ramchandra Virkar
Original assignee: Vinayak Ramchandra Virkar
Priority date: 2019-03-28
Filing date: 2019-05-14
Publication date: 2020-10-01

Abstract

The present invention relates to equipment used in sports and more particularly to a cricket bat (100) comprising a first handle (10), a second handle (20) and a bat blade (30). The first handle is secured into a corresponding first wedge (31) and the second handle is secured into the second wedge (32). For ease of use, the first handle and the second handle are spaced apart with their respective axes (11,21) inclined at an angle to each other. One hand of the batsman firmly grips the first handle while the other hand of the batsman firmly grips the second handle. The two-handled cricket bat enables the batsman in hitting a ball directed at high speeds in the desired direction with less strength and reduces the chances of injury to the batsman due to the impact of the shock getting divided between the two handles.

Description

A CRICKET BAT

FIELD

The present invention relates to equipment used in sports and more particularly to a bat used in cricket to hit a ball. DEFINITIONS

As used in the present disclosure, the following terms are generally intended to have the meaning as set forth below, except to the extent that the context in which they are used indicate otherwise.

Off side - the half of the field in front of the batsman's body as he takes stance for striking a ball.

Leg side - the half of the field to the rear of the batsman as he takes stance for striking a ball (also known as the on side).

Wicket/Pitch - the rectangular surface in the center of the field where most of the action takes place, usually made of earth or clay which is 22 yards in length. Wide - a delivery that passes illegally wide of the wicket

Out - dismissal of a player from the field for that particular inning

Batsman - a player in the game of cricket who takes a stance to hit the ball

BACKGROUND

The background information herein below relates to the present disclosure but is not necessarily prior art.

Presently, sportsmen playing cricket are using a bat with a single handle to strike a ball approaching at high speeds and directed away from the batsman. However, such bats pose a number of drawbacks. Such bats slip or twist as firm grip over the single handle cannot be obtained, especially when a batsman tries to strike a ball that is directed at high speeds. As a result, the batsman using the single handle bat is unable to deliver optimum performance and gets out. Moreover, with the single handle bat, the batsman often faces difficulty in reaching out to balls directed away from their bodies. Also, due to the inability to find a firm grip over the handle of the single handle bat, more strength is required for hitting, especially when the ball is directed at high speeds. Lastly, the impact of the high speed ball on the single handle bat leaves the batsman susceptible to injuries. There is, therefore, felt a need to overcome the above said problems.

OBJECTS

Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment herein satisfies, are as follows:

An object of the present disclosure is a bat that requires less strength for hitting a ball directed at high speeds.

Another object of the present disclosure is a bat that can hit a ball which is directed out of reach of the batsman.

Still another object of the present disclosure is a bat that offers a firm grip for the batsman’s hands. Yet another object of the present disclosure is a bat that decreases possibility of injuries especially to the forehand and the elbow of the batsman.

Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description, which is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

SUMMARY The present invention relates to equipment used in cricket and more particularly to a bat used to strike a ball hurled at a batsman comprising two handles and a body. Each of the two handles is fitted into a corresponding wedge in the body of the bat on either side of the centerline of the bat. Each of the hands of the batsman grip each of the two respective handles. The axes of the two handles are oriented at an angle to each other such that the hands of the batsman are accommodated comfortably between the two handles. The inclination between the two handles is typically maintained between 5 degrees to 20 degrees. This enables the batsman to obtain a firm grip over the two handles and assists the batsman in hitting a ball directed at high speeds in the desired direction with ease. Twisting the bat as desired becomes easy as there is a gap between the two handles as effected by the angle between the two handles. Moreover, the length of the handles can be varied as desired in order to suit the batsman’s needs, which enhances the ability of the batsman to hit balls that are directed away from the body of the batsman. Also, the risk of injury to the batsman is reduced drastically as the impact of the shock of the ball striking the bat gets divided between the two handles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWING

The double handle bat of the present disclosure, will now be described with the help of the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a front view of a double handle bat for a right-handed batsman with both the handles are inclined to the bat blade axis , in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure;

Figure 2 illustrates a front view of a double handle bat for a left-handed batsman with both the handles are inclined to the bat blade axis, in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure and;

Figure 3 illustrates a front view of a double handle bat for a right-handed batsman where the longer or the first handle has its axis parallel to the bat blade axis and the shorter or the second handle has its axis inclined to the blade axis, in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

100 - a double handle bat

10 - first handle 20 - second handle 30 - blade

31 - wedge of the first handle 10

32 - wedge of the second handle 20

33,34 - bat edge 35 - bottom of first wedge

36 - bottom of second wedge

37 - centerline of the bat blade

38 - shoulder of the bat 39 - toe of the bat

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments, of the present disclosure, will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing. Embodiments are provided so as to thoroughly and fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to the person skilled in the art. Numerous details are set forth, relating to specific components, and methods, to provide a complete understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to the person skilled in the art that the details provided in the embodiments should not be construed to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, well-known processes, well-known apparatus structures, and well-known techniques are not described in detail.

The terminology used, in the present disclosure, is only for the purpose of explaining a particular embodiment and such terminology shall not be considered to limit the scope of the present disclosure. As used in the present disclosure, the forms“a”,“an” and“the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly suggests otherwise. The terms“comprises”,“comprising”,“including” and“having” are open-ended transitional phrases and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, modules, units and/or components, but do not forbid the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The particular order of steps disclosed in the method and process of the present disclosure is not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance as described or illustrated. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.

When an element is referred to as being“mounted on”,“engaged to”,“connected to” or “coupled to” another element, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element. As used herein, the term“and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed elements.

The terms first, second, third, etc., should not be construed to limit the scope of the present disclosure as the aforementioned terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another component, region, layer or section. Terms such as first, second, third etc., when used herein do not imply a specific sequence or order unless clearly suggested by the present disclosure.

Terms such as“inner”,“outer”,“beneath”,“below”,“lower”,“above”,“upper” and the like, may be used in the present disclosure to describe relationships between different elements as depicted from the figures.

The prior art bats used in cricket employ a single handle to be gripped by a batsman for striking a ball. However, usage of these prior art bats does not provide sufficient grip and hence require more strength by a batsman to swing the bat, especially while encountering balls at high speeds. Moreover, due to lack of sufficient grip, the batsman cannot hit balls that are out of reach of the batsman due to inability of the batsman to twist the bat as desired. Even in case if the bat twists, the amount of twist obtained is never to the satisfaction of the batsman and hence, performance of the batsman often gets compromised resulting in getting the batsman dismissed as per rules of the game. Lastly, due to the inability of the single handle bat to provide a firm grip, the forearms and elbows of the batsman are often prone to injuries.

The present disclosure offers a solution to the above mentioned shortcomings by a bat with two handles secured into the body of the bat. The two-handled feature of this bat allows the batsman to swing the bat with applying less strength as compared to a single-handled bat, especially when balls are directed at high speeds that leave greater impact on the handle. This type of construction offers increased shock resistance of the bat as the high speed ball directed towards the batsman gets divided among the two handles of the bat. Moreover, the double handle makes it easy for a batsman to play balls that are directed away from the body of the batsman. Finally, the probability of causing an injury to the elbow joints and forearms of the batsman is drastically reduced at the contrivance of the double -handle feature of the bat. Referring to figure 1, the bat (100) used by a right handed batsman of the present disclosure comprises a first handle (10), a second handle (20) and a blade (30). The first handle (10) being the longer of the two handles is operatively configured on the left side of the bat (100) when viewed normal to the front face of the bat (100). The length of the first handle (10) varies from 260mm to 290mm while the length of the second handle (20) varies from 130mm to 150mm. The blade (30) of the bat (100) has a first wedge (31) defined in a shoulder (38) of the bat (100) disposed on one side of the centerline of the bat blade (37), in which the first handle (10) is secured. Similarly, there is a second wedge (32) defined in the shoulder (38) of the bat (100) on the other side of the centerline of the bat blade (37), in which the second handle (20) is secured. The axes of the wedges (11,21) are inclined at an angle with respect to the axis of the bat blade (37), which coincide with the axes passing through the center and along the length of each of the two handles so that respective handles (10,20) are secured firmly inside the wedges (31,32). With this, a firm grip over the bat is achieved which assists the batsman to apply less force or strength while attempting to hit balls directed at high speeds. The angle between the handles is maintained between 5 degrees to 20 degrees to aid the batsman in gripping the handles comfortably even with hand gloves put on. For a right- handed batsman, the right hand of the batsman grips the second handle (20) while the first handle (10) is gripped by the left hand, as the right hand of a right-handed batsman dominates the change in magnitude of the force applied to hit the ball, while the left hand of a right- handed batsman dominates providing the desired direction to the ball being hit.

One of the prime objectives achieved with the double-handle bat (100) is reduction in the shock of the impact of the incoming ball incident on the batsman’s hands, while ensuring that the two-handled bat (100) remains strong enough as compared to a single handle bat. For this purpose, distance of the bottom of the first wedge (35) from the edge (33) of the bat and the distance of the bottom of the second wedge (36) from the edge (34) of the bat as shown in figure 1 is maintained uniform.

Referring to figure 2, the construction of the bat (100) is similar to the construction of the bat (100) for a right-handed batsman as shown in figure 1, except that the positions of the first handle (10) and the second handle (20) fixed on the blade (30) of the bat (100) are interchanged with respect to the centerline of blade (37) of the bat (100) in order to make the bat (100) suitable for use by a left- handed batsman.

Referring to figure 3, the bat (100) used by the right-handed batsman is shown with the longer handle or the first handle (10) having axis parallel to the bat blade axis (37) while the shorter handle or the second handle (20) has its axis inclined to the bat blade axis (37). This is done to provide desired level of comfort to the batsman.

The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Individual components of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, are interchangeable. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the present disclosure, and all such modifications are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

TECHNICAL ADVANCEMENTS The present disclosure described herein above has several technical advantages including, but not limited to, the realization of a cricket bat that:

• Required less strength required to hit the high speed ball incoming with high impact capacity

• Offers enhanced ability to strike wide balls that are out of reach of the batsman · Offers a firm grip over the bat which enables increased performance as bat does not slip or twist unnecessarily

• Decreases risk of injuries to the batsman’s forehand or elbow joints as the impact force absorbed due to the high speed ball gets divided between the two handles of the bat The foregoing disclosure has been described with reference to the accompanying embodiments which do not limit the scope and ambit of the disclosure. The description provided is purely by way of example and illustration.

The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained with reference to the non-limiting embodiments in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.

The foregoing description of the specific embodiments so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.

The use of the expression“at least” or“at least one” suggests the use of one or more elements or ingredients or quantities, as the use may be in the embodiment of the disclosure to achieve one or more of the desired objects or results.

Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like that has been included in this specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the disclosure. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form a part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the disclosure as it existed anywhere before the priority date of this application.

The numerical values mentioned for the various physical parameters, dimensions or quantities are only approximations and it is envisaged that the values higher/lower than the numerical values assigned to the parameters, dimensions or quantities fall within the scope of the disclosure, unless there is a statement in the specification specific to the contrary.

While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the components and component parts of the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the disclosure. These and other changes in the preferred embodiment as well as other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the disclosure and not as a limitation.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A cricket bat, comprising:

• a blade defined by a body having a toe at one end and a shoulder at the other;

• a first handle extending from said shoulder and a second handle extending from said shoulder wherein the axis of said first handle is inclined to the axis of the second handle;

• wedges are defined in said shoulders for securing said first and second handles therein.

2. The cricket bat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the length of the second handle is less than the length of the first handle.

3. The cricket bat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the length of the first varies between 260mm and 290mm.

4. The cricket bat as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the length of the second handle varies between 130mm and 150mm.

5. The cricket bat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the axis of the longer handle is parallel to the blade axis.

6. The cricket bat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the axis of the first handle and the axis of the second handle are inclinded to the blade axis.

7. The cricket bat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the axes of the wedges are inclinded to the axis of the blade.

8. The cricket bat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the angle between the axes of the two handles is between 5 degrees to 20 degrees.

9. The cricket bat as claimed in claim 1, configured operatively for a right-handed batsman wherein, the longer handle is operatively on the left side of the bat and for a left handed batsman wherein said longer handle is configured operatively on right side when said bat is viewed at its front face.