US 12,528,000 B1 · Ball bats and systems and methods for making ball bats

Abstract

Representative embodiments of the present technology include a ball bat in which part of an inner surface of the bat wall has a contoured region including a plurality of radially inwardly curving portions and a plurality of radially outwardly curving portions. In some embodiments, the contoured region is asymmetric relative to a longitudinal center location of the contoured region. In some embodiments, the curving portions are unevenly distributed along the length of the contoured region. In some embodiments, a method of manufacturing a ball bat includes generating a simulated body within a simulation region, the body having a starting geometry that is modified to include less material (less mass) while conforming to displacement limits associated with loads at specified loading locations, among other variables.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A ball bat comprising:

a handle portion comprising a proximal end of the bat;
a barrel portion attached to or continuous with the handle portion along a longitudinal axis of the bat, wherein the barrel portion comprises a distal end of the bat;
a bat wall forming at least part of the barrel portion, wherein an inner surface of the bat wall has a contoured region;
and
a hollow region inside the bat wall;
wherein:
the contoured region extends along the longitudinal axis by a distance;
the contoured region comprises a plurality of radially inwardly curving portions and a plurality of radially outwardly curving portions such that a thickness of the bat wall within the contoured region varies along the distance;
and
the radially inwardly curving portions and the radially outwardly curving portions are unevenly distributed within the contoured region.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Ball bats and systems and methods for making ball bats

Life of this patent

Ball bats and systems and methods for making ball bats

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17