Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090215559 | Layered Composite Material Bat - A layered composite bat is designed to include fiber angles of orientation that are layered and progressive. The bat includes a multi-layered composite material configuration wherein progressing from an innermost layer to an outermost layer, the unidirectional fiber angle of orientation within each layer increases from an angle substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the bat to an angle substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bat. In progressing from an innermost layer to an outermost layer, there also exists at least one instance where subsequent positive angles of orientation are separated by or vary by about 15 degrees. The bat may include multiple walls. Each wall contains layers that progress from a low angle to a high angle in 15-degree increments. | 08-27-2009 |
20090215560 | Composite Bat - A bat includes a composite material barrel. The barrel includes a plurality of layers. A stiffening layer forms one of the exterior layers of the barrel. The stiffening layer includes unidirectional fibers, where the unidirectional fibers are oriented to substantially encircle the barrel. The stiffening layer is positioned on the barrel to cover at least a portion of the sweet zone. The barrel may include multiple walls, where each wall includes a stiffening layer. | 08-27-2009 |
20090325744 | Sport Balls And Methods Of Manufacturing The Sport Balls - A sport ball may include a casing, an intermediate layer, and a bladder. In manufacturing the sport ball, a panel element of the casing and the bladder may be located in a mold, and a polymer foam material of the intermediate layer may be injected into an area between the bladder and the panel element. In addition, edges of panel element may be heatbonded to each other to join the panel elements and form seams of the casing. | 12-31-2009 |
20110296582 | Ergonomic Curved Athletic Glove - An ergonomic curved athletic glove is provided. The glove comprises palm and back portions as well as four finger sheaths and a thumb sheath, each sheath having a front and back finger portion and one or more gussets. The thumb, pinky, and index finger sheaths may incorporate a “seamless” design that avoids seams where the glove comes in contact with a sporting implement and reduces potential gripping interference. The palm portion of the glove may comprise multiple sections connected with a stretchable palm gusset to minimize bunching when a sporting implement is gripped. The length of each front finger portion is shorter than the length of the corresponding back finger portion to provide the glove with a gripping curve. Providing the glove with a gripping curve minimizes bunching of the front finger portions, front thumb portion, and palm portion while a received hand grips the sporting implement. | 12-08-2011 |
20120005805 | Energy Absorbing Athletic Glove - An energy absorbing receiving glove constructed with a substrate having an exterior surface and a complementary interior surface. The substrate is used in constructing a palmar portion of the glove. The glove may incorporates a gripping layer of material affixed to the exterior surface of the substrate. Further, the glove may incorporate an energy absorbing layer of material affixed to the interior surface of the substrate. Additionally, the energy absorbing layer of material may have both a first thickness in a first location and a second thickness in a second location of the substrate. In an embodiment, the energy absorbing material is a silicone gel and the gripping material is a silicone material. Additionally, the varied thicknesses of the energy absorbing material may be effective for covering a palmar side of joints located on a hand wearing the glove. | 01-12-2012 |
20120180190 | Glove With Strengthening Inserts - An athletic glove capable of receiving a human hand is provided. The glove comprises an exterior glove shell having a palm side portion and a back portion and an interior glove liner connected together to form index, middle, ring, and pinky finger sheaths and a thumb sheath. A glove webbing is connected to and extends between the thumb sheath and the index finger sheath. A middle layer is located between the exterior shell and the interior liner. One or more low-elasticity strengthening inserts are affixed to the palm-side portion of the exterior glove shell. The inserts maintain the integrity of the exterior glove shell after repeated use of the glove by limiting the amount the exterior glove shell stretches. | 07-19-2012 |
20120180191 | Glove With Thermally Moldable Shaping Inserts - An athletic glove capable of receiving a human hand is provided. The glove comprises an exterior glove shell and an interior glove liner connected together to form index, middle, ring, and pinky finger sheaths and a thumb sheath. A glove webbing is connected to and extends between the thumb sheath and the index finger sheath. At least one middle layer is located between the exterior shell and the interior liner. At least one thermally moldable shaping insert is embedded in a finger or thumb sheath between the exterior glove shell and the interior glove liner. When heated beyond a threshold temperature, the embedded insert becomes temporarily pliable such that the insert can be molded while the threshold temperature is exceeded and retains the molded shape after the insert cools below the threshold temperature, the molded insert providing the glove a desired shape. | 07-19-2012 |
20120184402 | Bat With Stiffening Insert - A tubular bat having a barrel of thin walls is stiffened by rings to adjust and tune performance. The walls of a bat is thinned to reduce weight and to enhance a batters control. However, regulatory bodies dictate performance standards that may require stiffer walls. Additionally different regulatory bodies dictate different standards. Therefore in order to meet regulatory standards in various jurisdictions, the walls of the bat barrel may be stiffened using rings to adjust and tune performance while minimizing the weight of the bat. The design, size and material from which the ring is made may vary. The placement of the ring may be used to tune specific performance profile of a bat. | 07-19-2012 |
20120202627 | Sport Ball - A sport ball may include a casing, an intermediate layer, and a bladder. In manufacturing the sport ball, a panel element of the casing and the bladder may be located in a mold, and a polymer foam material of the intermediate layer may be injected into an area between the bladder and the panel element. In addition, edges of panel element may be heatbonded to each other to join the panel elements and form seams of the casing. | 08-09-2012 |
20120283055 | Sport Ball With An Inflation-Retention Bladder - A sport ball may include a casing, a bladder, and a valve. The casing forms at least a portion of an exterior surface of the ball. The bladder is located within the casing for enclosing a pressurized fluid, and the bladder may be formed from a material that includes a first layer of thermoplastic polymer material and a second layer of a barrier material. The valve is for introducing the fluid to the bladder, and the valve is secured to the bladder and accessible from an exterior of the casing. A tie layer may be located between the flange and a surface of the bladder to join the flange to the bladder. | 11-08-2012 |
20120283056 | Sport Ball With An Inflation-Retention Bladder - A sport ball may include a casing, a bladder, and a valve. The casing forms at least a portion of an exterior surface of the ball. The bladder is located within the casing for enclosing a pressurized fluid, and the bladder may be formed from a material that includes a first layer of thermoplastic polymer material and a second layer of a barrier material. The valve is for introducing the fluid to the bladder, and the valve is secured to the bladder and accessible from an exterior of the casing. A tie layer may be located between the flange and a surface of the bladder to join the flange to the bladder. | 11-08-2012 |
20130324333 | Football with Segmented Cover Panels - A prolate spheroidal inflatable game ball in the form of a football is provided with a segmented panel having stripes formed by attaching stripe pieces to adjacent segments. In one embodiment, the stripe pieces have beveled edges and the edges of adjacent segments have corresponding beveled edges. The component pieces of the panel can be joined to the stripe pieces using stitching to securely fasten the components of the segmented panel together. A segmented panel of this construction can allow different materials having different characteristics to be used for various portions of the segmented panel. | 12-05-2013 |
20140182781 | Sport Ball With An Inflation-Retention Bladder - A sport ball may include a casing, a bladder, and a valve. The casing forms at least a portion of an exterior surface of the ball. The bladder is located within the casing for enclosing a pressurized fluid, and the bladder may be formed from a material that includes a first layer of thermoplastic polymer material and a second layer of a barrier material. The valve is for introducing the fluid to the bladder, and the valve is secured to the bladder and accessible from an exterior of the casing. A tie layer may be located between the flange and a surface of the bladder to join the flange to the bladder. | 07-03-2014 |
20140213396 | Football with Segmented Cover Panels - A prolate spheroidal inflatable game ball in the form of a football is provided with a segmented panel having stripes formed by attaching stripe pieces to adjacent segments. In one embodiment, the stripe pieces have beveled edges and the edges of adjacent segments have corresponding beveled edges. The component pieces of the panel can be joined to the stripe pieces using stitching to securely fasten the components of the segmented panel together. A segmented panel of this construction can allow different materials having different characteristics to be used for various portions of the segmented panel. | 07-31-2014 |
20140243124 | Method Of Inflatable Game Ball Panel Construction - An inflatable game ball and a method of constructing an inflatable game ball is described. Panel segments are formed from an outer panel portion and an inner panel portion having different sizes, with the inner panel portion being smaller than the outer panel portion. The inner panel portion and the outer panel portion are joined so that peripheral edges of the inner panel portion and the outer panel portion are aligned. Multiple panel segments are attached together to form a cover. Due to the differences in sizes between the inner panel portion and the outer panel portion, when an inflatable bladder within an interior of the cover is inflated to a fully inflated condition, variations in the dimensions of the ball caused by stretching of the cover may be reduced or minimized. In one embodiment, an alignment guide can assist with aligning the peripheral edges of the panel portions. | 08-28-2014 |
20140259257 | Breathable And Adjustable Fielding Glove - A baseball fielding glove capable of receiving a human hand is provided. The glove comprises an exterior glove shell and an interior glove liner. The glove comprises a strut in place of traditional webbing. Further, the glove's exterior shell corresponding to the palm of a wearer comprises a plurality of perforations for enhancing ventilation. The fielding glove disclosed is readily adjustable eliminating the need for a breaking-in process. A tensioning cord extending between the strut and finger/thumb stalls of the glove provide an enhanced degree of adjustable characteristics to the glove. | 09-18-2014 |
20140332160 | Sport Ball With An Inflation-Retention Bladder - A sport ball may include a casing, a bladder, and a valve. The casing forms at least a portion of an exterior surface of the ball. The bladder is located within the casing for enclosing a pressurized fluid, and the bladder may be formed from a material that includes a first layer of thermoplastic polymer material and a second layer of a barrier material. The valve is for introducing the fluid to the bladder, and the valve is secured to the bladder and accessible from an exterior of the casing. A tie layer may be located between the flange and a surface of the bladder to join the flange to the bladder. | 11-13-2014 |