System for adapting a sports implement
The present invention is a sports implement for hitting a pitched object. The sports implement includes attachments for a contact end of the implement allowing variation of the weight and/or length of the sports implement.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/229,875, filed Aug. 28, 2002 and entitled ‘System For Adapting A Sports Implement’, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein as if being set forth in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention pertains to adjusting the weight of a sports implement, and more particularly to adjusting the weight of the barrel end of a baseball bat to allow the weight to be tailored to an individual batter.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe size, weight, and shape of a baseball bat effects the kinematics of the swing of the baseball bat by a batter. The weight of the barrel end affects the ability of the batter to swing the bat rapidly enough to meet a pitched ball. A heavier barrel end requires greater strength to achieve the same barrel speed as a lighter barrel end. A heavier barrel end, however, carries greater momentum when a pitched baseball is struck. In addition to the weight of the barrel end of the bat, the length of the bat also affects the ability of a batter to both control the swing, as well as generate an effective barrel velocity at impact with a pitched ball.
Typical baseball bats are formed from a substantially homogenous material, such as wood or aluminum. Some bats are formed from multiple materials, such as using a fiberglass handle with an aluminum head. Notwithstanding, these bats are formed with a fixed weight of the barrel end, fixed length, and fixed grip size.
In addition to affecting the swing of the bat at a pitched ball, it is typical for a batter to desire a heavier barrel end of the bat for practice swings, to both build up and stretch the muscles used for swinging the bat. To this end, doughnuts may be provided. Doughnuts are toroidal shaped weights that may be placed around the barrel end of the bat to add weight to the barrel. The use of a doughnut precludes the ability of the batter to actually hit a ball when the doughnut is on the bat, since the doughnut does not provide a uniform hitting surface.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention is a sports implement for hitting a pitched ball or the like. The contact end of the sports implement is adapted to allow the selective engagement of varying weights or contact extensions, hereinafter further referred to collectively as attachments, to the sports implement, allowing weight and/or length parameters of the sports implement to be varied as desired for individual users of the sports implement, or as desired at various times by an individual user.
The barrel end of the sports implement may be provided with a system for allowing weights in the barrel end of a baseball bat to be easily substituted to allow varying the barrel weight of a bat, without varying the hitting surface of the bat. Such a system may include weights having a smaller diameter than the contact surface of the sports implement, such that the weights nested within the end of the sports implement.
The attachment could also have an outer size and shape consistent with the sports implement, allowing the attachment to form a portion of the contact surface of the sports implement.
The attachment may be engaged to the sports implement by any method however the use of a threaded joint as a bayonet joint allows rapid engagement and removal of an attachment from the sports implement.
Biasing means may be provided to ensure that an attachment engaged to a sports implement remains engaged until such time as a user decides to remove the attachment. The biasing means may include an elastic element urging portion of the attachment and the sports implement into contact, or creating a friction or other retaining force to maintain engagement of the attachment to the sports implement.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURESUnderstanding of the present invention will be facilitated by consideration of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals refer to like parts:
It is to be understood that the figures and descriptions of the present invention have been simplified to illustrate elements that are relevant for a clear understanding of the present invention, while eliminating, for the purpose of clarity, many other elements found in sporting implement systems and devices. Those of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that other elements and/or steps are desirable and/or required in implementing the present invention. However, because such elements and steps are well known in the art, and because they do not facilitate a better understanding of the present invention, a discussion of such elements and steps is not provided herein. The disclosure herein is directed to all such variations and modifications to such elements and methods known to those skilled in the art.
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Furthermore, the design of the retention channel 602 must address the force generated by the acceleration of the weight on the end of the bat, which may tend to force the attachment 600 away from the sports implement 2, creating a gap between the attachment 600 and the sports implement 2 where the attachment 600 is used to form a portion of the contact surface 606 of the sports implement 2. The use of an L-shaped retention channel 608 allows the attachment to be snugly mounted against the sports implement 2, but may not provide a positive detent to ensure retention of the attachment 600 to the sports implement 2. A friction ring 610, such as a thin rubber washer or a pair of rubber washers may be added to the end surfaces 612, 614 of the attachment 600 and/or sports implement 2 to improve the retention of the attachment 600 to the sports implement 2. Alternately, serrated surface features 700, such as shown in
Although the engagement means has heretofore been illustrated as integral to the sports implement or to the attachment, the engagement means may be also formed through fabrication of an intermediary engagement device formed to be joined to the sports implement or to an attachment. As shown in
As is apparent from the above description, the benefits of the present invention are not limited to baseball bats, but extend to other sports implements used to impact thrown or flying objects, such as, but not limited to, softball bats or cricket bats.
Those of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many modifications and variations of the present invention may be implemented without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
Claims
1. A sports implement for hitting a pitched ball, said sports implement having a grip end and a contacting end and an axis extending between said grip end and said contacting end, said contacting end having a tip end located distally from said grip end, said sports implement further comprising:
- an engagement feature located on said contacting end;
- at least one weight, wherein said at least one weight engages said engagement feature; and
- a cap, wherein said cap is removably secured to said at least one weight.
2. A sports implement according to claim 1, wherein said engagement feature comprises a substantially cylindrical bore in said contacting end of said sports implement, said bore having an opening at said tip end and a sidewall extending for a depth into said sports implement, said bore having at least one retention channel formed in said sidewall, and wherein said at least one weight comprises a substantially cylindrical body and at least one retention pin extending from said body, said cylindrical body having an outer diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the bore.
3. A sports implement according to claim 2, wherein said retention channel has an engaged end, said sports implement further comprising an elastic element, said elastic element biasing said retention pin to said engaged end of said retention channel when said at least one weight is engaged to said engagement feature.
4. A sports implement according to claim 3, wherein said at least one weight each being individually engageable with said engagement feature, said weights having varying masses.
5. A sports implement according to claim 1, wherein said engagement feature further comprises first engagement face, said at least one weight having a second attachment face, said first engagement face contacting said second engagement face when said at least one weight is engaged to said sports implement, said first and second engagement faces having serrated surfaces.
6. A sports implement according to claim 2, wherein said engagement feature comprises a bore in said contacting end of said sports implement, said bore having an opening at said tip end and a sidewall extending for a depth into said sports implement, said bore having a female thread formed along at least a portion of said sidewall, and wherein said at least one weight comprises a substantially cylindrical body, said cylindrical body having a male thread formed on at least a portion of said cylindrical body, said male thread engageable with said female thread.
7. A sports implement according to claim 2, wherein said engagement feature comprises a post extending from said tip end of said sports implement, said post having a substantially cylindrical shape, said post having at least one retention pin extending from a sidewall of said post, and wherein said at least on e weight comprises a bore, said bore having an opening, a diameter, and a long axis and a sidewall extending for a depth along said long axis into said at least one weight, said bore having at least one retention trough formed in said sidewall, wherein said post has an outer diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the bore.
8. A sports implement for hitting a pitched object, said sports implement having a grip adjacent a first end, a barrel, and a barrel end located opposite said first end, said sports implement further comprising:
- a weight attaching means located adjacent said barrel end, said weight attaching means for selectively attaching a weight;
- at least one weight means, said weight means for adjusting the weight of the barrel of said sports implement, said weight means further being engageable in said weight attaching means; and
- a cap, wherein said cap is removably secured to said at least one weight means.
9. A sports implement for hitting a pitched object according to claim 8, wherein said weight attaching means further comprises an engagement biasing means.
10. A sports implement according to claim 9, wherein said biasing means comprises a spring located to exert force against said weight means when said weight means is engaged in said weight attaching means.
11. A sports implement according to claim 8, wherein said weight means further comprises an engagement biasing means.
12. A sports implement according to claim 11, wherein said engagement biasing means comprises a spring located to exert force against said sports implement when said weight means is engaged in said weight attaching means.
13. A sports implement for hitting a pitched object, said sports implement having a first end and a second end and a center axis extending from said first end to said second end, said sports implement further comprising:
- an attachment engagement for receiving an attachment located adjacent said first end;
- at least one attachment, said at least one attachment adapted to engage said attachment engagement;
- wherein said attachment engagement comprises a socket, said socket having a floor, a depth, an opening adjacent said first end, and at least one retention pin channel, said retention pin channel having at least a first leg and a second leg, said first leg extending from said opening adjacent said first end and extending for at least a portion of said depth, said second leg joining said first leg and forming an angle with said first leg, said second leg not extending to said opening, wherein said at least one attachment further comprises at least one retention pin, said retention pin having a length adapted to engage said retention pin channel; and
- a cap, wherein said cap is removably secured to said at least one attachment.
14. A sports implement according to claim 13, wherein said attachment engagement comprises a socket, said socket having a floor, a depth, an opening adjacent said first end, and at least one retention pin channel, said retention pin channel having at least a first leg and a second leg, said first leg extending from said opening adjacent said first end and extending for at least a portion of said depth, said second leg joining said first leg and forming an angle with said first leg, said second leg not extending to said opening, and wherein said at least one weight further comprises at least one retention pin, said retention pin having a length adapted to engage said retention pin trough.
15. A sports implement according to claim 14, wherein said attachment further comprises an elastic element, said elastic element contacting said floor when said attachment is engaged in said attachment engagement.
16. A sports implement according to claim 15, wherein said elastic element is a spring.
17. A sports implement according to claim 14, wherein said attachment engagement further comprises an elastic element attached to said floor, said elastic element engaging said at least one attachment when said at least one attachment is engaged in said attachment engagement.
18. A sports implement according to claim 17, wherein said elastic element comprises a spring.
19. A sports implement according to claim 13, wherein said attachment engagement comprises at least one female thread, and said at least one attachment comprises at least one male thread, said at least one attachment being threadably engageable into said attachment engagement.
20. A sports implement according to claim 19, wherein said attachment engagement further comprises an elastic element, said elastic element engaging said at least one attachment when said at least one attachment is threadedly engaged in said attachment engagement.
21. A sports implement according to claim 19, wherein said at least one attachment further comprises an elastic element, said elastic element engaging said floor when said at least one attachment is threadedly engaged in said attachment engagement.
Type: Application
Filed: May 5, 2005
Publication Date: Sep 15, 2005
Inventor: James Haynes (Philadelphia, PA)
Application Number: 11/122,352