Hand implement vibration isolation system
OwnerRobert Tintiinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vibration isolation system for hand implements including sporting equipment and tools to substantially reduce impact forces from being delivered to the user's hands. Isolation elements provide low spring rates enabling the system to isolate bending vibration, recoil, and twist. An outer shell member substantially encircles the grip end of the hand implement and is spaced outwardly thereto allowing the grip end to freely deflect within the outer shell member.
Claims26
A vibration isolation system for a hand implement having a grip end and a impact end, the hand implement having a fundamental bending natural frequency (ω) and a mass (m), the vibration isolation system comprising:
- a outer shell member having an inner surface substantially encircling and spaced outwardly from the grip end, the outer shell member sufficiently spaced outwardly from the grip end allowing the grip end to freely deflect within the outer shell member when the impact end of the hand implement impacts an object within an intended zone of contact;
- and,
- at least two isolation elements positioned between the grip end and the outer shell member and supporting the outer shell member about the grip end, each isolation element having an inner mounting surface and an outer mounting surface, the inner mounting surface affixed to the grip end of the hand implement and the outer mounting surface affixed to the inner surface of the outer shell member, the isolation elements establishing a spring rate (k) of the vibration isolation system when the system is affixed to the hand implement, the square root of the spring rate (k) divided by the mass (m) of the hand implement defines a natural frequency of the vibration isolation system (ωo), (ωo=(k÷m)1/2), wherein the ratio of the fundamental bending natural frequency (ω) divided by the natural frequency of the vibration isolation system (ωo) is greater than 1.5;
- and,
- the isolation elements having a footprint length and the outer shell member having a length that is at least 2 times greater than the footprint length of the isolation elements.
A vibration isolation system for a hand implement having a grip end and a impact end, the hand implement having a polar moment of inertia (J) about the centerline of the grip end and an effective forcing frequency (ωf) based on the effective duration of impulse when impacting an object, the vibration isolation system comprising:
- a outer shell member having an inner surface substantially encircling and spaced outwardly from the grip end, the outer shell member sufficiently spaced outwardly from the grip end allowing the grip end to torsionally deflect within the outer shell member when the impact end of the hand implement impacts an object within an intended zone of contact;
- at least one isolation element positioned between the grip end and the outer shell member and supporting the outer shell member about the grip end, the isolation element having an inner mounting surface and an outer mounting surface, the inner mounting surface affixed to the grip end of the hand implement and the outer mounting surface affixed to the inner surface of the outer shell member, the isolation element establishing a torsional spring rate (Kt) of the vibration isolation system when the system is affixed to the hand implement;
- and,
- wherein the square root of the torsional spring rate (Kt) divided by the polar moment of inertia (J) of the hand implement defines a torsional natural frequency of the vibration isolation system (ωt), (ωt=(Kt÷J)1/2), and the ratio of the effective forcing frequency (ωf) divided by the torsional natural frequency of the vibration isolation system (ωt) is greater than 1.5.
A vibration isolation system for a baseball bat having a grip end and a impact end, the baseball bat having a fundamental bending natural frequency (ω) and a mass (m), the vibration isolation system comprising:
- a outer shell member having an inner surface substantially encircling and spaced outwardly from the grip end, the outer shell member sufficiently spaced outwardly from the grip end allowing the grip end to freely deflect within the outer shell member when the impact end of the hand implement impacts an object within an intended zone of contact;
- at least two isolation elements positioned between the grip end and the outer shell member and supporting the outer shell member about the grip end, each isolation element having an inner mounting surface and an outer mounting surface, the inner mounting surface affixed to the grip end of the hand implement and the outer mounting surface affixed to the inner surface of the outer shell member, the isolation elements establishing a spring rate (k) of the vibration isolation system when the system is affixed to the hand implement, the square root of the spring rate (k) divided by the mass (m) of the hand implement defines a natural frequency of the vibration isolation system (ωo), (ωo=(k÷m)1/2), wherein the ratio of the fundamental bending natural frequency (ω) divided by the natural frequency of the vibration isolation system (wo) is greater than 1.5;
- and,
- the isolation elements having a footprint length and the outer shell member having a length that is at least 2 times greater than the footprint length of the isolation elements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.