US 12,251,608 B2
Ball bats with inner barrel structures
Frederic St-Laurent, Simi Valley, CA (US); Michael Haas, West Salem, WI (US); Ian Montgomery, Simi Valley, CA (US); Rebecca S. O'Hara, University City, MO (US); Linda Hunt, Simi Valley, CA (US); and Douglas Wade Heimer, Caledonia, MN (US)
Assigned to RAWLINGS SPORTING GOODS COMPANY, INC., St. Louis, MO (US)
Filed by RAWLINGS SPORTING GOODS COMPANY, INC., St. Louis, MO (US)
Filed on Jan. 7, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/647,433.
Prior Publication US 2023/0218963 A1, Jul. 13, 2023
Int. Cl. A63B 60/54 (2015.01); A63B 60/16 (2015.01); A63B 102/18 (2015.01)
CPC A63B 60/54 (2015.10) [A63B 60/16 (2015.10); A63B 2102/18 (2015.10); A63B 2102/182 (2015.10)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A bat extending along a longitudinal axis between a proximal end of the bat and a distal end of the bat, the bat comprising:
a barrel shell extending along the longitudinal axis between a proximal end of the barrel shell and a distal end of the barrel shell, the barrel shell including a barrel region of the bat and at least part of a tapered region of the bat; and
a frame structure extending along the longitudinal axis, the frame structure including a first portion that is positioned outside the barrel shell and a second portion that is concentrically positioned inside the barrel shell, wherein the first portion includes a handle region of the bat; and
an end cap attached to the distal end of the barrel shell;
wherein:
(a) the frame structure extends within the barrel shell, toward the distal end of the barrel shell, beyond the tapered region, and into the barrel region;
(b) the frame structure is longitudinally spaced apart from the end cap;
(c) the frame structure comprises a first tapered portion and a second tapered portion, wherein (i) each of the first tapered portion and the second tapered portion is positioned within the tapered region of the bat, (ii) the first tapered portion tapers away from the longitudinal axis from the proximal end of the barrel shell to the second tapered portion, and (iii) the second tapered portion tapers toward the longitudinal axis from the first tapered portion toward a distal end of the frame structure;
(d) the first tapered portion includes an inner diameter that varies along the longitudinal axis; and
(e) the only connection between the frame structure and the barrel shell within the barrel shell is a connection between the first tapered portion of the frame structure and an inner tapered portion of the barrel shell, wherein a portion of the frame structure including the second tapered portion and the distal end of the frame structure is cantilevered from the first tapered portion.