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US 12,005,330 B2Granted
Double-barrel ball bats
AssigneeEaston Diamond Sports, LLC
InventorsIan Montgomery, Linda Hunt, Dewey Chauvin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A ball bat includes an outer shell and an insert positioned in a ball striking area of the outer shell. The insert may include a tube element and one or more spacer elements positioned to form a gap between the tube element and the outer shell along at least a portion of a length of the tube element. In some embodiments, the insert or the gap may extend along only the length of the ball striking area. The outer shell may provide some compliance during a hit to create a trampoline effect, while the insert may provide a backstop to limit radial deflection of the outer shell.
Claims14
A ball bat, comprising:
- an outer shell comprising a barrel segment that includes at least part of a barrel portion of the outer shell, a handle segment that includes at least part of a handle portion of the outer shell, and a tapered section between the barrel portion and the handle portion, wherein the handle segment is separate from, but attached to, the barrel segment, and wherein the barrel portion includes a distal end of the outer shell and the handle portion includes a proximal end of the outer shell;
- and
- an insert comprising a tube element extending along a longitudinal axis of the bat between a first end of the insert and a second end of the insert, the insert further comprising a first spacer element positioned toward the first end of the insert and a second spacer element positioned toward the second end of the insert;
- wherein:
- the first end of the insert is positioned in the distal end of the outer shell and the second end of the insert is positioned in the tapered section of the outer shell;
- the tube element is spaced apart from the outer shell along at least a portion of a length of the tube element between the first and second spacer elements to form a gap between the tube element and the outer shell;
- and
- the insert is spaced apart from the handle segment along the longitudinal axis of the bat.
5 more elements
A ball bat, comprising:
- a single-piece outer shell comprising a barrel portion formed with one or more layers of composite laminate material, a handle portion, and a tapered section joining the barrel portion to the handle portion, wherein the barrel portion includes a distal end of the outer shell and the handle portion includes a proximal end of the outer shell;
- and
- an insert comprising a tube element extending between a first end of the insert and a second end of the insert, the insert further comprising a first spacer element positioned toward the first end of the insert and a second spacer element positioned toward the second end of the insert, wherein at least one of the first spacer element or the second spacer element is integral with the tube element;
- wherein the first end of the insert is positioned in the distal end of the outer shell and the second end of the insert is positioned in the tapered section of the outer shell;
- and wherein the tube element is spaced apart from the outer shell along at least a portion of a length of the tube element between the first and second spacer elements to form a gap between the tube element and the outer shell.
2 more elements
A ball bat comprising:
- an outer shell comprising a barrel portion formed with one or more layers of composite laminate material, a handle portion, and a tapered section joining the barrel portion to the handle portion, wherein the barrel portion includes a distal end of the outer shell and the handle portion includes a proximal end of the outer shell;
- and
- an insert comprising a tube element extending between a first end of the insert and a second end of the insert, the insert further comprising a spacer element positioned toward the first end of the insert;
- wherein:
- the first end of the insert is positioned in the distal end of the outer shell, and the second end of the insert is positioned in the tapered section of the outer shell;
- the tube element is spaced apart from the outer shell along at least a portion of a length of the tube element between the spacer element and the second end of the insert to form a gap between the tube element and the outer shell;
- and
- the second end of the insert contacts an interior surface of the tapered section of the outer shell.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.