Knob sleeve for a ball bat handle assembly
AssigneeWilson Sporting Goods Co.
InventorsRyan D. Stevens, Adam G. Gray, James M. Earley
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A knob sleeve for a ball bat extending along a longitudinal axis and having a tubular handle portion and a knob attached to the handle portion. The knob sleeve includes a tubular body having a distal end and a proximal end. The body defines a central bore for receiving the handle portion. The body includes at least first and second regions positioned adjacent the distal and proximal ends of the body, respectively. The first and second regions have first and second maximum outside diameters, respectively. The second maximum outside diameter is greater than the first maximum outside diameter. Each of the first and second regions has a height measured with respect to the longitudinal axis of at least 0.4 inch.
Claims23
A knob sleeve for a ball bat extending along a longitudinal axis and having a tubular handle portion and a knob attached to the handle portion, the knob sleeve comprising:
- a tubular body having a distal end and a proximal end, the body defining a central bore for receiving the handle portion, the body including at least first and second regions positioned adjacent the distal and proximal ends of the body, respectively, the first and second regions having first and second maximum outside diameters, respectively, the second maximum outside diameter being greater than the first maximum outside diameter, each of the first and second regions having a height measured with respect to the longitudinal axis of at least 0.4 inch, a first bearing surface positioned between the first and second regions, at least a portion of the first bearing surface being generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.
A ball bat for gripping by the hands of a player, the ball bat extending along a longitudinal axis and comprising:
- a barrel portion;
- a handle portion including a proximal region, the handle portion coupled to the barrel portion;
- a knob coupled to the proximal region of the handle portion;
- and
- a knob sleeve coupled to the handle portion, the knob sleeve including a unitary tubular body having a distal end and a proximal end, the body defining a central bore for receiving the handle portion, the body including at least first, second and third regions, the first and third regions positioned adjacent the distal and proximal ends of the body, respectively, the second region longitudinally spacing apart the first and third regions, the first, second and third regions having first, second and third maximum outside diameters, respectively, the second maximum outside diameter being greater than the first maximum outside diameter, and the third maximum outside diameter being greater than the second maximum outside diameter, a first bearing surface positioned between the first and second regions and a second bearing surface positioned between the second and third regions, at least a portion of at least one of the first and second bearing surfaces being generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.