Low-inertia moment modular combined bat structure and production process

Abstract

This invention relates to a low-moment-of-inertia modular composite baseball bat structure and manufacturing process. The bat structure includes a one-piece molded aluminum alloy bat body and an assembly end cap located on the front side of the one-piece molded aluminum alloy bat body. The assembly end cap includes a tubular carbon fiber sleeve and a snap cap located at the front end of the carbon fiber sleeve. An aluminum alloy bat rolling mill is used, which includes a mandrel and pressure rollers located on the upper and lower sides of the mandrel. The pressure rollers are driven by a drive mechanism and can reciprocate along the axial direction of the mandrel. This invention features a simple assembly process, efficiently manufacturing the aluminum alloy body and carbon fiber end separately, which are then bonded together with structural adhesive, greatly simplifying the process. Compared to traditional aluminum alloy bats, this reduces the weight at the end, allowing the bat's balance point to shift towards the grip direction and reducing the harmful moment of inertia.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a low-moment-of-inertia modular composite bat structure and its manufacturing process. Background Technology

[0002] Existing aluminum alloy baseball bats generally use multi-segment threaded connections, requiring shock absorption or adhesive at the joints. These connections are prone to breakage during professional matches. Current one-piece molded bats are manufactured using rolled rods, typically with a plastic top section. However, the overall weight of an all-aluminum alloy bat is significant, causing the center of gravity to shift considerably from the grip area, requiring greater force and resulting in higher inertia during impact. To address this, carbon fiber is used to mold the front end of the bat, reducing overall weight. However, existing carbon fiber materials require a sealed end, necessitating the pre-impregnated carbon fiber composite fabric to form a cap, which is then pre-molded into the aluminum alloy bat before air-blowing molding. This process is inefficient and costly.

[0003] In addition, the conventional rolling bars used in the production of baseball bats have poor stability, and the thickness of the striking bar and the holding part is uneven. The tubular blanks are easy to detach and loosen during operation. Furthermore, manual loading and unloading are used, and the high temperature of the aluminum bars during the unloading process can easily cause damage. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the issue of the complex and inefficient manufacturing process of existing aluminum alloy baseball bats combined with carbon fiber composite materials.

[0005] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows: a low moment of inertia modular combined baseball bat structure, comprising an integrally formed aluminum alloy rod body and an assembly end cap located on the front side of the integrally formed aluminum alloy rod body, wherein the assembly end cap comprises a tubular carbon fiber sleeve and a buckle cap located at the front end of the carbon fiber sleeve.

[0006] A manufacturing process for molding the low moment of inertia modular composite baseball bat as described above specifically includes the following steps:

[0007] (1) Preparation of aluminum alloy integral forming rod: A tubular aluminum alloy of equal diameter is placed in a rolling mill for rolling; the rolling mill for the aluminum alloy rod includes a mandrel and pressure rollers located on the upper and lower sides of the mandrel. The pressure rollers are driven by a drive mechanism and can move back and forth along the axial direction of the mandrel; the surface of the pressure rollers has a concave surface that is adapted to the outer contour of the mandrel; the mandrel is fixed on the output end of a mandrel motor;

[0008] (2) After the roll forming is completed, the formed ball bar blank is surface treated;

[0009] (3) Preparation of carbon fiber sleeve: The carbon fiber composite prepreg is wound onto a tubular sleeve, and then the sleeve is removed. The formed tubular carbon fiber composite prepreg is thermoformed into a carbon fiber tube.

[0010] (4) Cutting step (3) Cut the formed carbon fiber tube into segments to form carbon fiber tube segments;

[0011] (5) Process the carbon fiber tube segment formed in step (4) so ​​that one side of the carbon fiber tube segment is formed into an inner sleeve that can be inserted into the forming rod body to form a carbon fiber sleeve.

[0012] (5) The carbon fiber sleeve is installed on the aluminum alloy integral molded rod body; the surfaces of the assembled rod and carbon fiber tube are polished;

[0013] (6) Fix the cap to the outer end of the fiber tube.

[0014] Preferably, the carbon fiber tube utilizes a carbon fiber tube production device, which includes a roller platform, on which a sleeve is placed, and one end of the carbon fiber composite prepreg is pre-wound around the outside of the sleeve. The roller platform is fixedly connected to a rubbing board via a lifting cylinder, and the lifting cylinder is driven to move laterally by a horizontal cylinder.

[0015] During operation, one end of the carbon fiber composite prepreg is pre-wound around the outside of the sleeve. The lifting cylinder drives the rubbing plate to move downward. After the bottom surface of the rubbing plate contacts the carbon fiber composite prepreg outside the sleeve, the transverse cylinder drives the rubbing plate to move laterally, so that the carbon fiber composite prepreg is continuously and tightly wrapped around the outside of the sleeve. The carbon fiber composite prepreg is continuously wrapped around the outside of the rubbing roller to form a cylindrical shape. After the edge of the outermost carbon fiber composite prepreg is glued and the sleeve is removed, a cylindrical carbon fiber composite prepreg with a certain thickness is formed.

[0016] Preferably, the preparation of the integral aluminum alloy rod includes the following steps:

[0017] The mandrel includes a cylindrical section of equal diameter with the same diameter as the striking part of the shaped baseball bat and a reduced cylindrical section for the gripping part of the shaped baseball bat; a tubular blank is fitted onto the mandrel, and the front end of the tubular blank is pushed into the cylindrical section of equal diameter; the mandrel includes a cylindrical section of equal diameter with the same diameter as the striking part of the shaped baseball bat and a reduced cylindrical section for the gripping part of the shaped baseball bat.

[0018] The two pressure rollers are driven by a drive mechanism to move back and forth along the axial direction of the tubular blank, so that the inner surface of the tubular blank gradually fits with the outer surface of the mandrel under the action of the pressure rollers, thereby forming a ball bar blank.

[0019] The mandrel is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the mandrel motor. The mandrel motor drives the mandrel and the tubular blank to rotate. The mandrel drives the tubular blank to rotate under the drive of the mandrel motor while the pressure roller is working.

[0020] Remove the tubular blank from the mandrel.

[0021] Preferably, the mandrel end has a limiting protrusion, and the limiting protrusion has an annular groove for limiting the tubular blank end facing the tubular blank end, which has an annular groove for fastening the tubular blank.

[0022] Preferably, the rolling mill includes an outer shell, a rack is fixed to the side of the outer shell, and movable seats are fixed on both sides of the pressure roller inside the rolling mill. The two pressure rollers are hinged to the movable seats, and gears are fixed coaxially on the pressure rollers. The gears mesh with the rack. When the movable seats are driven to reciprocate by the drive device, the two pressure rollers can rotate synchronously to achieve rolling of the tubular blank.

[0023] Preferably, the aluminum alloy ball rolling equipment has a clamping mechanism on the rear side for pushing the tubular blank and extracting the ball blank. The clamping mechanism includes a transverse telescopic cylinder and a finger cylinder fixed to the front end of the cylinder. The telescopic end of the finger cylinder has a clamping block.

[0024] Preferably, the inner surface of the clamping block includes a front recess that matches the outer diameter of the tubular blank and an arc-shaped recess that grips the rear side of the baseball blank. The lower part of the clamping block has a raised stepped surface, and the clamping block is made of rubber.

[0025] Preferably, the driving device is a hydraulic cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, or a crank-connecting rod mechanism.

[0026] Preferably, the top of the outer casing has a coolant nozzle, which is connected to a storage tank for storing coolant via a pipeline, and a pump is installed on the pipeline.

[0027] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0028] (1) The assembly process of this invention is simple. The aluminum alloy body and carbon fiber end are manufactured efficiently and can be bonded together with structural adhesive, which greatly simplifies the process. Taking a 33-foot baseball bat as an example: the 50mm long carbon end design can reduce the weight of the bat end by 16-20 grams compared with the traditional aluminum alloy, which can shift the balance point of the bat towards the grip and reduce the moment of inertia by about 400-500 oz.in2 (the moment of inertia test standard refers to ASTM2398). For players, it is easier to swing the bat.

[0029] (2) The present invention uses a carbon fiber production device, which can easily realize the uniform molding of carbon fiber tubular structures. After that, it is simple and convenient to operate, which improves the work efficiency. Multiple carbon fiber tubes can be manufactured simultaneously in the same row. The length of the carbon fiber tube can be pre-formed to be relatively long. After molding, it is cut into multiple carbon fiber tubes that meet the length requirements, thereby effectively meeting the different specifications of bat sizes.

[0030] (3) The present invention utilizes a pair of concave pressure rollers to make the thickness of the aluminum alloy integrally formed ball rod more uniform during the rolling process. In the embodiment, the clamping device can automatically load and unload the material within a time limit to avoid damage caused by manual material handling and direct contact with the ball rod. In addition, the present invention uses a mobile frame and a robotic arm for transportation to facilitate the subsequent surface painting and treatment of the aluminum alloy ball rod. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the combined bat structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the bat assembly end cap structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the tubular blank installation structure of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the forming structure of the ball and rod blank of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a bar rolling mill according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 6 This is a side view of the bar rolling equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the mandrel annular groove structure of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the clamping block structure of the ball bat finger cylinder part of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the clamping block structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the carbon fiber tube production device of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0041] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0042] See Figure 1 A low moment of inertia modular composite baseball bat structure includes an aluminum alloy integral molded rod body 1001 and an assembly end cap located on the front side of the aluminum alloy integral molded rod body. The assembly end cap includes a tubular carbon fiber sleeve 1002 and a buckle cap 1003 located at the front end of the carbon fiber sleeve.

[0043] A manufacturing process for molding the low moment of inertia modular composite baseball bat as described above, characterized by the following steps:

[0044] (1) Preparation of aluminum alloy integral forming rod: A tubular aluminum alloy of equal diameter is placed in a rolling mill for rolling; the rolling mill for the aluminum alloy rod includes a mandrel and pressure rollers located on the upper and lower sides of the mandrel. The pressure rollers are driven by a drive mechanism and can move back and forth along the axial direction of the mandrel; the surface of the pressure rollers has a concave surface that is adapted to the outer contour of the mandrel; the mandrel is fixed on the output end of a mandrel motor;

[0045] (2) After the rolling process is completed, the formed ball bar blank is subjected to surface treatment;

[0046] (3) Preparation of carbon fiber sleeve: The carbon fiber composite prepreg is wound onto a tubular sleeve, and then the sleeve is removed. The formed tubular carbon fiber composite prepreg is thermoformed into a carbon fiber tube.

[0047] (4) Cutting step (3) Cut the formed carbon fiber tube into segments to form carbon fiber tube segments;

[0048] (5) The carbon fiber tube segment formed in step (4) is processed so that one side of the carbon fiber tube segment is formed into an inner sleeve 1004 that can be inserted into the forming rod body, thereby forming a carbon fiber sleeve.

[0049] (6) The carbon fiber sleeve is installed on the aluminum alloy integral molded rod body; the surfaces of the assembled bat and carbon fiber tube are polished so that the front striking part of the installed alloy integral molded rod body and the surface of the installed carbon fiber tube are smoothly transitioned.

[0050] (7) Fix the cap 1003 to the outer end of the fiber tube.

[0051] Specifically, in steps (1) and (2), such as Figure 2-8 The present invention utilizes a rolling equipment for aluminum alloy balls. The rolling equipment includes an outer shell 10, a mandrel motor 101 fixed at one end of the outer shell 10, a mandrel 30 fixed on the output shaft of the mandrel motor, and pressure rollers 20 located on the upper and lower sides of the mandrel 30. The pressure rollers 20 are driven by a driving mechanism and can reciprocate along the axial direction of the mandrel.

[0052] In order to form a bat shape, the mandrel 30 includes a cylindrical section 310 with the same diameter as the hitting part of the bat and a reduced cylindrical section 320 for the grip part of the bat.

[0053] A rack 110 is fixed to the side of the outer shell. Movable seats 120 are fixed on both sides of the pressure roller inside the rolling mill. Two pressure rollers 20 are hinged to the movable seats. A gear 210 is fixed coaxially to the pressure rollers. The gear 210 meshes with the rack 110. When the movable seat 120 is driven to reciprocate by the drive device, the two pressure rollers can rotate synchronously to achieve rolling of the tubular blank.

[0054] Since the mandrel has a variable cross-section and the inner diameter of the integral ball bat blank 101 gradually decreases from the striking part to the holding part, the surface of the pressure roller 20 should also have a concave surface 201 that is adapted to the outer contour of the mandrel 20. In this way, the ball bat is formed by rolling and pressing the tubular blank 100 back and forth during the process of the pressure roller 20.

[0055] The specific steps for forming the aluminum alloy integral rod body 1001 by the bar rolling equipment during operation are as follows:

[0056] A tubular blank 100 is fitted onto a mandrel 30, and the front end of the tubular blank is pushed into a cylindrical section of equal diameter; initially, the tubular blank 100 is a tube with an equal inner diameter.

[0057] The two pressure rollers are driven by a drive mechanism to move back and forth along the axial direction of the tubular blank, so that the inner surface of the tubular blank gradually fits with the outer surface of the mandrel under the action of the pressure rollers, thereby forming a ball bar blank.

[0058] While the pressure rollers are working, the mandrel drives the tubular blank 100 to rotate under the drive of the mandrel motor;

[0059] Remove the tubular blank from the mandrel.

[0060] In one embodiment of the present invention, the top of the outer casing has a coolant nozzle 40, which is connected to a storage tank for storing coolant via a pipeline, and a pump is installed on the pipeline. The coolant nozzle 40 is used to spray coolant onto the tubular blank during the rolling process. Existing integral ball-and-bar rolling processes employ manual feeding.

[0061] Generally, the inner surface of the tubular blank is in contact with the outer surface of the mandrel. In order to better ensure the limiting during the rolling process, in one embodiment of the present invention, the mandrel 30 has a limiting protrusion 320 at its end, and the limiting protrusion 320 has an annular groove for limiting the tubular blank at its end and an annular groove 321 for fastening the tubular blank.

[0062] The tubular blank 100 is snapped into the annular groove 321. The surface friction is large to achieve a limit and prevent it from falling off during the rolling process.

[0063] The mandrel motor is fixed to the end of the rolling mill. The mandrel is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the mandrel motor. When the moving seat 120 is driven to move back and forth by the drive mechanism, the mandrel motor drives the mandrel and the tubular blank to rotate.

[0064] In one embodiment of the present invention, the rear side of the aluminum alloy ball rolling equipment has a clamping mechanism for pushing the tubular blank and extracting the ball blank. The clamping mechanism includes a transverse telescopic cylinder 50 and a finger cylinder 510 fixed to the front end of the cylinder. The telescopic end of the finger cylinder 510 has a clamping block 520.

[0065] The inner surface of the clamping block 520 includes a front recess 521 that matches the outer diameter of the tubular blank and an arc-shaped recess 522 that grips the rear side of the baseball blank. The lower part of the clamping block has a raised stepped surface 523. The clamping block is made of rubber.

[0066] During operation, a robotic arm or a person inserts the tubular blank into the tail of the mandrel (simply inserting it is sufficient). Then, the telescopic cylinder 50 extends to the preset position, and the finger cylinder drives the clamping block 520 to move towards each other to clamp the tubular blank 100. The stepped surface 523 pushes the tubular blank into the mandrel so that the end of the tubular blank enters the annular groove 321. Afterward, the finger cylinder releases the clamping of the tubular blank 100 and resets it.

[0067] When the bat blank 101 is removed, the telescopic cylinder 50 extends, the finger cylinder drives the clamping block to move towards each other, 520 clamps the bat blank 101 and uses the arc-shaped concave part 522 to hold the gripping part of the bat blank 101, and then uses the telescopic cylinder 50 to retract and remove the bat blank 101.

[0068] In actual design, the telescopic cylinder 50 can also be driven by a moving mechanism such as an electric cylinder or an electric slide to move the finger cylinder.

[0069] In this embodiment, the driving device of the movable seat 120 is a hydraulic cylinder or a pneumatic cylinder. Alternatively, a conventional motor-driven crank-connecting rod mechanism can be used to make the movable seat 120 reciprocate. To improve stability, the movable seat 120 generally has guide rails and guide grooves that cooperate with the outer shell.

[0070] To improve the rolling mill for aluminum alloy balls, a robotic arm is provided on the side to hold the tubular blank and the tubular ball blank.

[0071] like Figure 10 As shown, in this invention, the carbon fiber tube utilizes a carbon fiber tube production device, which includes a roller platform 60, on which a sleeve 601 is placed. One end of the carbon fiber composite prepreg fabric 610 is pre-wound around the outside of the sleeve. The roller platform is fixedly connected to a rubbing plate 620 via a lifting cylinder 621, which is driven to move laterally by a transverse cylinder 630.

[0072] During operation, one end of the carbon fiber composite prepreg is first pre-wound around the outside of the sleeve 601. A lifting cylinder drives the rubbing plate 620 downwards. After the bottom surface of the rubbing plate 620 contacts the carbon fiber composite prepreg outside the sleeve 601, a transverse cylinder drives the rubbing plate 620 to move laterally, thus ensuring the carbon fiber composite prepreg remains tightly wrapped around the outside of the sleeve 601. This forms a cylindrical shape as the carbon fiber composite prepreg is continuously wrapped around the outside of the rubbing roller. After the outermost edge of the carbon fiber composite prepreg is glued and the sleeve 60 is removed, a cylindrical carbon fiber composite prepreg with a certain thickness is formed. Finally, it is thermoset using a mold to form the carbon fiber tube. This method is simple in structure and convenient to operate, improving work efficiency. Multiple carbon fiber tubes can be manufactured simultaneously in the same row. After the carbon fiber tube is formed, it is cut into multiple carbon fiber tube segments that meet the required length, and then installed onto the aluminum alloy integrally formed rod 1001.

[0073] This invention uses a carbon fiber production device, which can easily achieve uniform molding of carbon fiber tubular structures. The simple and convenient operation improves work efficiency. Multiple carbon fiber tubes can be manufactured simultaneously in the same row. The length of the carbon fiber tubes can be pre-formed to a relatively long length, and after molding, they can be cut into multiple carbon fiber tube segments that meet the length requirements, thereby effectively meeting the needs of different specifications of baseball bat sizes.

[0074] The above description is merely an embodiment of the present invention. The presence of an annular groove for limiting the position of the limiting protrusion facing the end of the tubular blank does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structural or process transformations made based on the description and drawings of the present invention, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A manufacturing process for a low moment of inertia modular composite baseball bat, wherein the low moment of inertia modular composite baseball bat comprises a one-piece molded aluminum alloy bat body and an assembly end cap located on the front side of the one-piece molded aluminum alloy bat body, the assembly end cap comprising a tubular carbon fiber sleeve and a snap cap located at the front end of the carbon fiber sleeve. Its features are: Specifically, the following steps are included: (1) Preparation of aluminum alloy integral forming rod: A tubular aluminum alloy of equal diameter is placed in a rolling mill for rolling; the rolling mill includes a mandrel and pressure rollers located on the upper and lower sides of the mandrel. The pressure rollers are driven by a drive mechanism and can move back and forth along the axial direction of the mandrel; the surface of the pressure rollers has a concave surface that is adapted to the outer contour of the mandrel; the mandrel is fixed on the output end of a mandrel motor. (2) After the rolling process is completed, the formed ball bar blank is subjected to surface treatment; (3) Preparation of carbon fiber sleeve: The carbon fiber composite prepreg is wound onto a tubular sleeve, and then the sleeve is removed. The formed tubular carbon fiber composite prepreg is thermoformed into a carbon fiber tube. (4) Cutting step (3) Cut the formed carbon fiber tube into segments to form carbon fiber tube segments; (5) Process the carbon fiber tube segment formed in step (4) so ​​that one side of the carbon fiber tube segment is formed into an inner sleeve that can be inserted into the forming rod body to form a carbon fiber sleeve. (6) Step (5) Form the carbon fiber sleeve and install it on the aluminum alloy integral molded rod body; polish the surfaces of the assembled aluminum alloy integral molded rod body and carbon fiber sleeve. (7) Fix the buckle cap to the outer end of the carbon fiber sleeve; The carbon fiber sleeve utilizes a carbon fiber tube production device, which includes a roller platform on which a sleeve is placed. One end of the carbon fiber composite prepreg is pre-wound around the outside of the sleeve. The roller platform is fixedly connected to a rubbing plate via a lifting cylinder, which is driven to move laterally by a horizontal cylinder. During operation, one end of the carbon fiber composite prepreg is pre-wound around the outside of the sleeve. The lifting cylinder drives the rubbing plate to move down. When the bottom surface of the rubbing plate contacts the carbon fiber composite prepreg outside the sleeve, the transverse cylinder drives the rubbing plate to move laterally, so that the carbon fiber composite prepreg is continuously and tightly wrapped around the outside of the sleeve, forming a cylindrical shape. After the edge of the outermost carbon fiber composite prepreg is glued and the sleeve is removed, a cylindrical carbon fiber composite prepreg with a certain thickness is formed. The preparation of an integral aluminum alloy rod includes the following steps: (1) The mandrel includes a cylindrical section of equal diameter with the same diameter as the striking part of the shaped bat and a reduced cylindrical section for the gripping part of the shaped bat; the tubular blank is fitted onto the mandrel and the front end of the tubular blank is pushed into the cylindrical section of equal diameter; (2) The two pressure rollers are driven by the drive mechanism to move back and forth along the axial direction of the tubular blank, so that the inner surface of the tubular blank gradually fits with the outer surface of the mandrel under the action of the pressure rollers, thereby forming a ball bar blank; (3) The mandrel is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the mandrel motor. The mandrel motor drives the mandrel and the tubular blank to rotate. The mandrel drives the tubular blank to rotate under the drive of the mandrel motor while the pressure roller is working. (4) Remove the tubular blank from the mandrel; The rear side of the rolling mill has a clamping mechanism for pushing tubular blanks and extracting ball blanks. The clamping mechanism includes a transverse telescopic cylinder and a finger cylinder fixed to the front end of the transverse telescopic cylinder. The telescopic end of the finger cylinder has a clamping block.

2. The manufacturing process of a low moment of inertia modular composite baseball bat according to claim 1, characterized in that, The end of the mandrel has a limiting protrusion, and the limiting protrusion has an annular groove facing the end of the tubular blank for fastening the tubular blank.

3. The manufacturing process of a low moment-of-inertia modular composite baseball bat according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rolling mill includes an outer shell with a rack fixed to its side. Inside the rolling mill, there are movable seats fixed on both sides of the pressure rollers. The two pressure rollers are hinged to the movable seats. Gears are fixed coaxially to the pressure rollers and mesh with the rack. When the movable seats are driven to reciprocate by the drive mechanism, the two pressure rollers can rotate synchronously to achieve rolling of the tubular blank.

4. The manufacturing process of a low moment-of-inertia modular composite baseball bat according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner surface of the clamping block includes a front recess that matches the outer diameter of the tubular blank and an arc-shaped recess that grips the rear of the ball-shaped blank. The lower part of the clamping block has a raised stepped surface, and the clamping block is made of rubber.

5. The manufacturing process of a low moment of inertia modular composite baseball bat according to claim 3, characterized in that, The drive mechanism is a hydraulic cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, or a crank-connecting rod mechanism.

6. The manufacturing process of a low moment-of-inertia modular composite baseball bat according to claim 3, characterized in that, The top of the outer casing has a coolant nozzle, which is connected to a storage tank for storing coolant via a pipeline, and a pump is installed on the pipeline.

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