Ball bat with a fused end cap

Abstract

A ball bat includes an end cap that is fused directly or indirectly to an inner or outer surface of the bat barrel. In one embodiment, a sleeve Is molded or bonded to an inner surface or an outer surface of the bat barrel. The end cap is then fused to the sleeve, optionally via a spin-welding process. If removal of the end cap is attempted, a fracture zone results that damages the end cap and makes it unusable and effectively irreplaceable.

Description

Background technique [0001] Many modern bats include plastic end caps that are mechanically secured or bonded to the end of the barrel. Plastic end caps provide a lightweight seal to the end of the bat barrel. Due to the violent impact of hitting balls, the end cap and its attachment must withstand numerous impacts while remaining in place. One problem that often arises is that the plastic does not bond easily to fiber composites or other commonly used bat materials, and the bonding process itself may not be reliable. The mechanical mechanisms that secure the end cap to the barrel are also generally unreliable. [0002] An example of a prior art end cap that is mechanically attached to a bat barrel 12 is shown in FIG. 1 . The end cap 10 may be made of injection molded thermoplastic or other suitable material. Such an end cap 10 generally wraps around the end 14 of the barrel 12 and the diameter of the outer rim 16 of the cap 10 is substantially equal to the outer diameter ...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0004] After such an unauthorized modification, the end cap 10 can generally be reinstalled on the bat barrel 12 so that the internal modification cannot be detected.

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