Faceted equipment handle

Abstract

A sporting equipment handle grip may include, but is not limited to: a body including a wall defining an interior surface and an exterior surface, where the interior surface is at least partially cylindrical, and the exterior surface includes two or more facets. The facets may include adjacent surfaces having distinct surface shapes (e.g., planar, concave, convex, cylindrical, oblong, and the like) separated by at least one ridge or furrow.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63 / 632,858, filed Apr. 11, 2024, entitled FACETED BAT HANDLE, naming Gunner Peterson as inventor, which is incorporated herein by reference in the entirety.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to the field of athletic equipment grips.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0003] The numerous advantages of the disclosure may be better understood by those skilled in the art by reference to the accompanying figures in which:

[0004] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of baseball bat including a faceted grip portion;

[0005] FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of a baseball bat including a faceted grip portion;

[0006] FIG. 3 shows an enlarged perspective view of baseball bat handle including a faceted grip portion;

[0007] FIG. 4 shows an enlarged perspective view of baseball bat handle including a faceted grip portion;

[0008] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of faceted grip portion;

[0009] FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of a faceted grip portion;

[0010] FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of a faceted grip portion;

[0011] FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of a faceted grip portion;

[0012] FIG. 9 shows a cross-sectional view of faceted grip portion;

[0013] FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of baseball bat handle including an integrated faceted grip portion;

[0014] FIG. 11 shows a cross-sectional view of a faceted grip portion;

[0015] FIG. 12 shows a cross-sectional view of a faceted grip portion

[0016] FIG. 13 shows a cross-sectional view of a faceted grip portion

[0017] FIG. 14 shows a cross-sectional view of a faceted grip portion

[0018] FIG. 15 shows a cross-sectional view of a faceted grip portion; and

[0019] FIG. 16 shows a perspective view of a faceted grip portion.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The present disclosure has been particularly shown and described with respect to certain embodiments and specific features thereof. The embodiments set forth herein are taken to be illustrative rather than limiting. It should be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.

[0021] Reference will now be made in detail to the subject matter disclosed, which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Referring generally to FIGS. 1 through 16, embodiments of the present disclosure are generally directed to an article of sporting having a faceted grip portion. Facets, as described herein, may include any two adjacent surfaces having distinct surface shapes (e.g., planar, concave, convex, cylindrical, oblong, and the like) separated by at least one ridge or furrow.

[0022] Referring to FIG. 1, an article of sporting equipment 100 is shown. While generally described herein as being generally applicable to a baseball or softball bat, it will be understood by one of skill in the art that the present invention may be applicable to any number of pieces of sporting equipment or other devices having handle portions including, but not limited to, golf clubs, tennis rackets, weight lifting bars or handles, household tools such as shovels, rakes or hammers, and the like.

[0023] In one example, as shown in FIG. 1, the equipment 100 may be a baseball bat having a barrel portion 101, a tapered portion 102, a non-tapering handle portion 103 and a knob portion 104 at a distal end opposite the barrel portion 101. The equipment 100 may further include a grip portion 105 which may either be applied around the handle portion 103 or be integrally formed as the handle portion 103, as described below. The grip portion 105 may include one or more faceted sides 106. In use, the faceted sides 106 may enhance grip function and / or comfort while facilitating proper grip alignment without having to grasp too tightly, which may adversely influence use results of the equipment 100.

[0024] Referring to FIGS. 2, 7-8, and 10, cross-sectional views of the equipment 100 of FIG. 1 along a cross-section 107 perpendicular to a primary axis 108 of the handle portion 103 through the handle portion 103 and various examples of the grip portion 105 are shown.

[0025] In one example, as shown in FIG. 2, the handle portion 103 may define a hollow handle wall 109 around an internal cavity 110, such as in the case of metal or composite baseball bats. Alternately, as shown in other examples, the handle portion 103 may have a substantially solid interior, such as in the case of wood bats.

[0026] The grip portion 105 may include a body having a wall 111 defining an at least partially cylindrical interior surface 127 and an exterior surface 112 defining one or more faceted sides 106. The faceted sides 106 may be angled relative to one another so create one or more intervening ridged portions 113. The faceted sides 106 / ridged portions 113 may enhance grip alignment and comfort and facilitates proper grasping of the handle portion 103 of the equipment 100 to provide increased grip friction such that a user can effectively control the movement of the equipment 100 with minimized grip pressure. As shown in FIGS. 1-7, the faceted sides 106 may be generally planar in structure.

[0027] The adjacent faceted sides 106 may define a perimeter with equivalent planar surfaces of the grip portion 105 extending substantially around the handle portion 103. In one example, perimeter of the grip portion 105 may form a regular polygon (e.g., an octagon, hexagon, pentagon, or any other regular shape) with faceted sides 106 each having an equal width 114 at a given cross-section. In other examples, the faceted sides 106 of grip portion 105 may form an irregular polygon with faceted sides 106 each having an unequal widths at a given cross-section, as further described below.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 3, in one example, the perimeter of the grip portion 105 may form a regular polygon (e.g., an octagon) where the width 114 of each of the faceted sides 106 is uniform as the grip portion 105 proceeds from the knob portion 104 along the handle portion 103. In such a configuration, the thickness and / or cross-sectional area of the wall 111 of the grip portion 105 may, correspondingly, remain uniform as the grip portion 105 proceeds from the knob portion 104 along the handle portion 103.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 4, in one example, the perimeter of the grip portion 105 may again form a regular polygon (e.g., an octagon) where the width 114 of each of the faceted sides 106 may taper as the grip portion 105 proceeds, from the end of the grip portion 105 proximate to the end of the equipment 100 to be gripped (e.g., in the case of baseball bat-type equipment 100, towards the knob portion 104) along the handle portion 103 towards the opposite end of the equipment 100 (e.g., in the case of baseball bat-type equipment 100, towards the barrel portion 101). In such a configuration, the thickness and / or cross-sectional area of the wall 111 of the grip portion 105 may correspondingly decrease as the grip portion 105 proceeds from the knob portion 104 along the handle portion 103.

[0030] In a case where the width 114 of each of the faceted sides 106 tapers as the grip portion 105 such that the thickness and / or cross-sectional area of the wall 111 of the grip portion 105 correspondingly decreases as the grip portion 105 proceeds from the knob portion 104 along the handle portion 103, as shown in FIG. 4, the pitch of that taper may change as well. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the taper of the faceted sides 106 the grip portion 105 may result in in a first portion 115 of the grip portion 105 having a first pitch 116 and a second portion 117 of the grip portion 105 having second pitch 118 different than the first pitch 116 of the first portion 115.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 6, the perimeter of the grip portion 105 may define faceted sides 106 as well as at least one curved facet 119 (e.g. partially cylindrical or oblong). The faceted sides 106 and the curved facet 119 may have a distribution and sizing so as correspond to the relative hand structures of a user. Each of the faceted sides 106 may have a width generally approximating (e.g., an average of) the respective lengths between a user or group of users' (e.g., an age-grouped set of users) finger joints. For example, the faceted sides 106 may have a length corresponding to an average of the lengths between the tip of a user's finger and their distal interphalangeal finger joint, between the user's distal interphalangeal finger joint and their proximal interphalangeal finger joint, and between the user's proximal interphalangeal finger joint and their metacarpophalangeal joint. Further the curvature of the curved facet 119 may be dimensioned so as to correspond to the curvature of the hand and thumb of a user between the metacarpophalangeal joints and the tip of the thumb when the user is grasping the grip portion 105.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 7, the faceted sides 106 and / or the curved facet 119 may have varying widths dimensioned so as more closely correspond to the relative hand dimensions of a user to provide a customizable grip. For example, a first faceted side 106A may have a first width generally correspond to a length between the tip of a user's finger and their distal interphalangeal finger joint. A second faceted side 106B may have a second width, (e.g., greater than the first width), generally corresponding to a length between a user's distal interphalangeal finger joint and their proximal interphalangeal finger joint. A third faceted side 106C may have a third width (e.g., greater than the second width), generally corresponding to the length between a user's proximal interphalangeal finger joint and their metacarpophalangeal finger joint. In this way, the grip portion 105 may be individually customized (e.g., via discrete user measurements and custom fabrication, such as, via 3D printing) for a given user or set of users having similar hand structures so as to maximize the interaction of the ridged portions 113 with the corresponding joints of the user's hand to enhance grip.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 1-3, the grip portion 105 may have a single-piece construction where the grip portion 105 is produced either via a molding or 3D-printing process. In such cases, the grip portion 105 may be constructed from a material having sufficient elasticity (e.g., silicone, rubber, or other elastic materials) such that the grip portion 105 may be stretched over the knob portion 104 or the barrel portion 101 to be applied to handle portion 103 of the equipment 100. The internal diameter of the wall 111 of such an elastic grip portion 105 may, when in a relaxed state, be dimensioned to be smaller than the handle portion 103 of the equipment 100 onto which it will be disposed such that the elastic characteristics of the grip portion 105 serve to retain the grip portion 105 in place following application to the handle portion 103.

[0034] Alternately, it may be the case that a user desires a grip portion 105 having a more rigid construction than could be provided by one having the elasticity necessary to be stretched over the knob portion 104 or the barrel portion 101. Referring to FIG. 8, to allow for application of a more rigid grip portion 105 (e.g., having a plastic or polymeric composition), the grip portion 105 may be constructed such that it has a non-continuous perimeter which includes a seam 120. The seam 120 may run the length of the grip portion 105 and allow the two sides of the seam 120 to, with the application of force, be flexed apart to allow for the grip portion 105 to be disposed around the handle portion 103.

[0035] In other examples, the grip portion 105 may have two or more seams 120 forming two or more components parts of the grip portion 105 which may be coupled together around the handle portion 103 via one or more locking mechanisms (e.g., one or more clips, bands, wraps, cooperatively interlocking members, and the like).

[0036] Referring to FIG. 9, in order to at least partially secure a grip portion 105 having the seam 120 to a handle portion 103, the grip portion 105 may further include one or more friction pads 121 configured to resist rotation or slippage of the grip portion 105 relative to a handle portion 103 when gripped and used by a user. For example, friction pads 121 may include one or more adhesive layers (e.g., double sided adhesive tape), or rubberized layers which engage the exterior surface of the handle portion 103.

[0037] As noted above and as described with respect to FIGS. 1-9, the grip portion 105 may be separate from the handle portion 103 and may be placed around and secured to the handle portion 103. Now referring to FIGS. 10-12, as noted above, the grip portion 105 having the faceted sides 106 may be integrally formed as a portion of the handle portion 103. For example, the handle portion 103 may be constructed (e.g., molded, extruded, milled, forged, or otherwise manufactured) such that the handle portion 103 and the faceted sides 106 are unitary in nature. As shown in FIG. 10, the handle portion 103 may transition from a knob portion 104 having an at least partially planar or rounded end cap 122 to form to the handle portion 103 including the faceted sides 106.

[0038] Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, cross-sectional views of the equipment 100 of FIG. 10 along a cross-section 123 perpendicular to a primary axis 124 of the handle portion 103 through the handle portion 103 are shown.

[0039] Referring to FIG. 11, the equipment 100 may have a handle portion 103 that has been formed (e.g., molded, extruded, milled, forged, or otherwise manufactured) to have a solid construction such as for a wood bat. As described above, the handle portion 103 may include the integrally formed faceted sides 106.

[0040] Referring to FIG. 12, the equipment 100 may have a handle portion 103 that has been formed (e.g., molded, extruded, milled, forged, or otherwise manufactured) to define a handle wall 109 around an internal cavity 110, such as in the case of metal or composite baseball bats. As described above, the handle portion 103 may include the integrally formed faceted sides 106.

[0041] Referring to FIGS. 13-15, cross-sectional views of a grip portion 105 having additional exemplary surface geometries for the faceted sides 106 are shown. In FIG. 13, the faceted sides 106 may have an at least partially convex shape separated by one or more furrows 128. Such a configuration may serve to reduce the degree of frictional interaction with the hands of a user thereby providing a more comfortable grip while still maintaining the alignment and some amount of grip control.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 14, the faceted sides 106 may have an at least partially concave shape. The concave shape of the faceted sides 106 may provide for acute ridged portions 113 providing for maximized grip control. In one example, the degree of curvature of the concave faceted sides 106 may correspond to the curvature of the finger pad tissue portions of fingers of a user (e.g., the finger pad tissue between the tip of a user's finger and their distal interphalangeal finger joint, the finger pad tissue between a user's distal interphalangeal finger joint and their proximal interphalangeal finger joint, the finger pad tissue between a user's proximal interphalangeal finger joint and their metacarpophalangeal finger joint, etc).

[0043] As shown in FIG. 15, the grip portion 105 may include faceted sides 106 having alternating segments of concave and convex segments. In other examples (not shown), the grip portion 105 may include faceted sides 106 having any irregularly configured set of concave, linear, or convex segments without departing from the scope of the present disclosures.

[0044] In the case of a grip portion 105 designed to be gripped by a user with two hands (e.g., a baseball bat), to properly align the user's hands for optimized swing results, it may be desirable to have the relative hand placements of the user defined by the faceted sides 106 rotated relative to one another. For example, it may be desirable to have a user's proximal interphalangeal finger joints of their top grip and rotated about the handle portion 103 relative to their bottom grip hand to some degree (e.g., from 15 degrees to 30 degrees) during use. As shown in FIG. 16, to facilitate such hand alignment, the grip portion 105 may include a top first portion 125 which is rotated (e.g., in the case of an 8-sided grip portion 105, around 22.5 degrees) relative to a bottom second portion 126.

[0045] The various examples of the equipment 100 having a grip portion 105 including faceted sides 106 described herein, the equipment 100 may be constructed of a single material used to make known conventional equipment 100. For example, baseball bats may may be constructed from ash wood, maple wood, hickory wood, bamboo wood, carbon fiber, graphite, and aluminum alloy, but other materials may be used. It is contemplated that other materials may be used in equipment 100 which would not meet typical playing rules for the sport but which might provide an enhanced experience for practice such as increased weight, varied weight distribution, or other modifications which may correspond to training exercises to enhance skill in swinging the equipment 100 during a game with a rule-compliant instance of the equipment 100.

[0046] One skilled in the art will recognize that the herein described components (e.g., operations), devices, objects, and the discussion accompanying them are used as examples for the sake of conceptual clarity and that various configuration modifications are contemplated. Consequently, as used herein, the specific exemplars set forth and the accompanying discussion are intended to be representative of their more general classes. In general, use of any specific exemplar is intended to be representative of its class, and the non-inclusion of specific components (e.g., operations), devices, and objects should not be taken as limiting.

[0047] The previous description is presented to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention as provided in the context of a particular application and its requirements. As used herein, directional terms such as “top,”“bottom,”“over,”“under,”“upper,”“upward,”“lower,”“down,” and “downward” are intended to provide relative positions for purposes of description, and are not intended to designate an absolute frame of reference. Various modifications to the described embodiments will be apparent to those with skill in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments. Therefore, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments shown and described, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features herein disclosed.

[0048] With respect to the use of substantially any plural and / or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and / or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and / or application. The various singular / plural permutations are not expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity.

[0049] It is further contemplated that each of the embodiments of the method described above may include any other step(s) of any other method(s) described herein. In addition, each of the embodiments of the method described above may be performed by any of the systems described herein.

[0050] The herein described subject matter sometimes illustrates different components contained within, or connected with, other components. It is to be understood that such depicted architectures are merely exemplary, and that in fact many other architectures can be implemented which achieve the same functionality. In a conceptual sense, any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality is effectively “associated” such that the desired functionality is achieved. Hence, any two components herein combined to achieve a particular functionality can be seen as “associated with” each other such that the desired functionality is achieved, irrespective of architectures or intermedial components. Likewise, any two components so associated can also be viewed as being “connected,” or “coupled,” to each other to achieve the desired functionality, and any two components capable of being so associated can also be viewed as being “couplable,” to each other to achieve the desired functionality. Specific examples of couplable include but are not limited to physically mateable and / or physically interacting components and / or wirelessly interactable and / or wirelessly interacting components and / or logically interacting and / or logically interactable components.

[0051] Furthermore, it is to be understood that the invention is defined by the appended claims. It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” and the like). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and / or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, and the like” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and / or A, B, and C together, and the like). In those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, and the like” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and / or A, B, and C together, and the like). It will be further understood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive word and / or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase “A or B” will be understood to include the possibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.”

[0052] It is believed that the present disclosure and many of its attendant advantages will be understood by the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the components without departing from the disclosed subject matter or without sacrificing all of its material advantages. The form described is merely explanatory, and it is the intention of the following claims to encompass and include such changes. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the invention is defined by the appended claims.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0020]The present disclosure has been particularly shown and described with respect to certain embodiments and specific features thereof. The embodiments set forth herein are taken to be illustrative rather than limiting. It should be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.

[0021]Reference will now be made in detail to the subject matter disclosed, which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Referring generally to FIGS. 1 through 16, embodiments of the present disclosure are generally directed to an article of sporting having a faceted grip portion. Facets, as described herein, may include any two adjacent surfaces having distinct surface shapes (e.g., planar, concave, convex, cylindrical, oblong, and the like) separated by at least one ridge or furrow.

[0022]Referring to FIG. 1, an article of sporting equipment 100 is shown. While ...

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63 / 632,858, filed Apr. 11, 2024, entitled FACETED BAT HANDLE, naming Gunner Peterson as inventor, which is incorporated herein by reference in the entirety.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to the field of athletic equipment grips.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0003] The numerous advantages of the disclosure may be better understood by those skilled in the art by reference to the accompanying figures in which:

[0004] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of baseball bat including a faceted grip portion;

[0005] FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of a baseball bat including a faceted grip portion;

[0006] FIG. 3 shows an enlarged perspective view of baseball bat handle including a faceted grip portion;

[0007] FIG. 4 shows an enlarged perspective view of baseball bat handle including a faceted grip portion;

[0008] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of faceted grip portion;

[0009] FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of a faceted grip portion;

[0010] FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of a faceted grip portion;

[0011] FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of a faceted grip portion;

[0012] FIG. 9 shows a cross-sectional view of faceted grip portion;

[0013] FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of baseball bat handle including an integrated faceted grip portion;

[0014] FIG. 11 shows a cross-sectional view of a faceted grip portion;

[0015] FIG. 12 shows a cross-sectional view of a faceted grip portion

[0016] FIG. 13 shows a cross-sectional view of a faceted grip portion

[0017] FIG. 14 shows a cross-sectional view of a faceted grip portion

[0018] FIG. 15 shows a cross-sectional view of a faceted grip portion; and

[0019] FIG. 16 shows a perspective view of a faceted grip portion.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The present disclosure has been particularly shown and described with respect to certain embodiments and specific features thereof. The embodiments set forth herein are taken to be illustrative rather than limiting. It should be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.

[0021] Reference will now be made in detail to the subject matter disclosed, which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Referring generally to FIGS. 1 through 16, embodiments of the present disclosure are generally directed to an article of sporting having a faceted grip portion. Facets, as described herein, may include any two adjacent surfaces having distinct surface shapes (e.g., planar, concave, convex, cylindrical, oblong, and the like) separated by at least one ridge or furrow.

[0022] Referring to FIG. 1, an article of sporting equipment 100 is shown. While generally described herein as being generally applicable to a baseball or softball bat, it will be understood by one of skill in the art that the present invention may be applicable to any number of pieces of sporting equipment or other devices having handle portions including, but not limited to, golf clubs, tennis rackets, weight lifting bars or handles, household tools such as shovels, rakes or hammers, and the like.

[0023] In one example, as shown in FIG. 1, the equipment 100 may be a baseball bat having a barrel portion 101, a tapered portion 102, a non-tapering handle portion 103 and a knob portion 104 at a distal end opposite the barrel portion 101. The equipment 100 may further include a grip portion 105 which may either be applied around the handle portion 103 or be integrally formed as the handle portion 103, as described below. The grip portion 105 may include one or more faceted sides 106. In use, the faceted sides 106 may enhance grip function and / or comfort while facilitating proper grip alignment without having to grasp too tightly, which may adversely influence use results of the equipment 100.

[0024] Referring to FIGS. 2, 7-8, and 10, cross-sectional views of the equipment 100 of FIG. 1 along a cross-section 107 perpendicular to a primary axis 108 of the handle portion 103 through the handle portion 103 and various examples of the grip portion 105 are shown.

[0025] In one example, as shown in FIG. 2, the handle portion 103 may define a hollow handle wall 109 around an internal cavity 110, such as in the case of metal or composite baseball bats. Alternately, as shown in other examples, the handle portion 103 may have a substantially solid interior, such as in the case of wood bats.

[0026] The grip portion 105 may include a body having a wall 111 defining an at least partially cylindrical interior surface 127 and an exterior surface 112 defining one or more faceted sides 106. The faceted sides 106 may be angled relative to one another so create one or more intervening ridged portions 113. The faceted sides 106 / ridged portions 113 may enhance grip alignment and comfort and facilitates proper grasping of the handle portion 103 of the equipment 100 to provide increased grip friction such that a user can effectively control the movement of the equipment 100 with minimized grip pressure. As shown in FIGS. 1-7, the faceted sides 106 may be generally planar in structure.

[0027] The adjacent faceted sides 106 may define a perimeter with equivalent planar surfaces of the grip portion 105 extending substantially around the handle portion 103. In one example, perimeter of the grip portion 105 may form a regular polygon (e.g., an octagon, hexagon, pentagon, or any other regular shape) with faceted sides 106 each having an equal width 114 at a given cross-section. In other examples, the faceted sides 106 of grip portion 105 may form an irregular polygon with faceted sides 106 each having an unequal widths at a given cross-section, as further described below.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 3, in one example, the perimeter of the grip portion 105 may form a regular polygon (e.g., an octagon) where the width 114 of each of the faceted sides 106 is uniform as the grip portion 105 proceeds from the knob portion 104 along the handle portion 103. In such a configuration, the thickness and / or cross-sectional area of the wall 111 of the grip portion 105 may, correspondingly, remain uniform as the grip portion 105 proceeds from the knob portion 104 along the handle portion 103.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 4, in one example, the perimeter of the grip portion 105 may again form a regular polygon (e.g., an octagon) where the width 114 of each of the faceted sides 106 may taper as the grip portion 105 proceeds, from the end of the grip portion 105 proximate to the end of the equipment 100 to be gripped (e.g., in the case of baseball bat-type equipment 100, towards the knob portion 104) along the handle portion 103 towards the opposite end of the equipment 100 (e.g., in the case of baseball bat-type equipment 100, towards the barrel portion 101). In such a configuration, the thickness and / or cross-sectional area of the wall 111 of the grip portion 105 may correspondingly decrease as the grip portion 105 proceeds from the knob portion 104 along the handle portion 103.

[0030] In a case where the width 114 of each of the faceted sides 106 tapers as the grip portion 105 such that the thickness and / or cross-sectional area of the wall 111 of the grip portion 105 correspondingly decreases as the grip portion 105 proceeds from the knob portion 104 along the handle portion 103, as shown in FIG. 4, the pitch of that taper may change as well. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the taper of the faceted sides 106 the grip portion 105 may result in in a first portion 115 of the grip portion 105 having a first pitch 116 and a second portion 117 of the grip portion 105 having second pitch 118 different than the first pitch 116 of the first portion 115.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 6, the perimeter of the grip portion 105 may define faceted sides 106 as well as at least one curved facet 119 (e.g. partially cylindrical or oblong). The faceted sides 106 and the curved facet 119 may have a distribution and sizing so as correspond to the relative hand structures of a user. Each of the faceted sides 106 may have a width generally approximating (e.g., an average of) the respective lengths between a user or group of users' (e.g., an age-grouped set of users) finger joints. For example, the faceted sides 106 may have a length corresponding to an average of the lengths between the tip of a user's finger and their distal interphalangeal finger joint, between the user's distal interphalangeal finger joint and their proximal interphalangeal finger joint, and between the user's proximal interphalangeal finger joint and their metacarpophalangeal joint. Further the curvature of the curved facet 119 may be dimensioned so as to correspond to the curvature of the hand and thumb of a user between the metacarpophalangeal joints and the tip of the thumb when the user is grasping the grip portion 105.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 7, the faceted sides 106 and / or the curved facet 119 may have varying widths dimensioned so as more closely correspond to the relative hand dimensions of a user to provide a customizable grip. For example, a first faceted side 106A may have a first width generally correspond to a length between the tip of a user's finger and their distal interphalangeal finger joint. A second faceted side 106B may have a second width, (e.g., greater than the first width), generally corresponding to a length between a user's distal interphalangeal finger joint and their proximal interphalangeal finger joint. A third faceted side 106C may have a third width (e.g., greater than the second width), generally corresponding to the length between a user's proximal interphalangeal finger joint and their metacarpophalangeal finger joint. In this way, the grip portion 105 may be individually customized (e.g., via discrete user measurements and custom fabrication, such as, via 3D printing) for a given user or set of users having similar hand structures so as to maximize the interaction of the ridged portions 113 with the corresponding joints of the user's hand to enhance grip.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 1-3, the grip portion 105 may have a single-piece construction where the grip portion 105 is produced either via a molding or 3D-printing process. In such cases, the grip portion 105 may be constructed from a material having sufficient elasticity (e.g., silicone, rubber, or other elastic materials) such that the grip portion 105 may be stretched over the knob portion 104 or the barrel portion 101 to be applied to handle portion 103 of the equipment 100. The internal diameter of the wall 111 of such an elastic grip portion 105 may, when in a relaxed state, be dimensioned to be smaller than the handle portion 103 of the equipment 100 onto which it will be disposed such that the elastic characteristics of the grip portion 105 serve to retain the grip portion 105 in place following application to the handle portion 103.

[0034] Alternately, it may be the case that a user desires a grip portion 105 having a more rigid construction than could be provided by one having the elasticity necessary to be stretched over the knob portion 104 or the barrel portion 101. Referring to FIG. 8, to allow for application of a more rigid grip portion 105 (e.g., having a plastic or polymeric composition), the grip portion 105 may be constructed such that it has a non-continuous perimeter which includes a seam 120. The seam 120 may run the length of the grip portion 105 and allow the two sides of the seam 120 to, with the application of force, be flexed apart to allow for the grip portion 105 to be disposed around the handle portion 103.

[0035] In other examples, the grip portion 105 may have two or more seams 120 forming two or more components parts of the grip portion 105 which may be coupled together around the handle portion 103 via one or more locking mechanisms (e.g., one or more clips, bands, wraps, cooperatively interlocking members, and the like).

[0036] Referring to FIG. 9, in order to at least partially secure a grip portion 105 having the seam 120 to a handle portion 103, the grip portion 105 may further include one or more friction pads 121 configured to resist rotation or slippage of the grip portion 105 relative to a handle portion 103 when gripped and used by a user. For example, friction pads 121 may include one or more adhesive layers (e.g., double sided adhesive tape), or rubberized layers which engage the exterior surface of the handle portion 103.

[0037] As noted above and as described with respect to FIGS. 1-9, the grip portion 105 may be separate from the handle portion 103 and may be placed around and secured to the handle portion 103. Now referring to FIGS. 10-12, as noted above, the grip portion 105 having the faceted sides 106 may be integrally formed as a portion of the handle portion 103. For example, the handle portion 103 may be constructed (e.g., molded, extruded, milled, forged, or otherwise manufactured) such that the handle portion 103 and the faceted sides 106 are unitary in nature. As shown in FIG. 10, the handle portion 103 may transition from a knob portion 104 having an at least partially planar or rounded end cap 122 to form to the handle portion 103 including the faceted sides 106.

[0038] Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, cross-sectional views of the equipment 100 of FIG. 10 along a cross-section 123 perpendicular to a primary axis 124 of the handle portion 103 through the handle portion 103 are shown.

[0039] Referring to FIG. 11, the equipment 100 may have a handle portion 103 that has been formed (e.g., molded, extruded, milled, forged, or otherwise manufactured) to have a solid construction such as for a wood bat. As described above, the handle portion 103 may include the integrally formed faceted sides 106.

[0040] Referring to FIG. 12, the equipment 100 may have a handle portion 103 that has been formed (e.g., molded, extruded, milled, forged, or otherwise manufactured) to define a handle wall 109 around an internal cavity 110, such as in the case of metal or composite baseball bats. As described above, the handle portion 103 may include the integrally formed faceted sides 106.

[0041] Referring to FIGS. 13-15, cross-sectional views of a grip portion 105 having additional exemplary surface geometries for the faceted sides 106 are shown. In FIG. 13, the faceted sides 106 may have an at least partially convex shape separated by one or more furrows 128. Such a configuration may serve to reduce the degree of frictional interaction with the hands of a user thereby providing a more comfortable grip while still maintaining the alignment and some amount of grip control.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 14, the faceted sides 106 may have an at least partially concave shape. The concave shape of the faceted sides 106 may provide for acute ridged portions 113 providing for maximized grip control. In one example, the degree of curvature of the concave faceted sides 106 may correspond to the curvature of the finger pad tissue portions of fingers of a user (e.g., the finger pad tissue between the tip of a user's finger and their distal interphalangeal finger joint, the finger pad tissue between a user's distal interphalangeal finger joint and their proximal interphalangeal finger joint, the finger pad tissue between a user's proximal interphalangeal finger joint and their metacarpophalangeal finger joint, etc).

[0043] As shown in FIG. 15, the grip portion 105 may include faceted sides 106 having alternating segments of concave and convex segments. In other examples (not shown), the grip portion 105 may include faceted sides 106 having any irregularly configured set of concave, linear, or convex segments without departing from the scope of the present disclosures.

[0044] In the case of a grip portion 105 designed to be gripped by a user with two hands (e.g., a baseball bat), to properly align the user's hands for optimized swing results, it may be desirable to have the relative hand placements of the user defined by the faceted sides 106 rotated relative to one another. For example, it may be desirable to have a user's proximal interphalangeal finger joints of their top grip and rotated about the handle portion 103 relative to their bottom grip hand to some degree (e.g., from 15 degrees to 30 degrees) during use. As shown in FIG. 16, to facilitate such hand alignment, the grip portion 105 may include a top first portion 125 which is rotated (e.g., in the case of an 8-sided grip portion 105, around 22.5 degrees) relative to a bottom second portion 126.

[0045] The various examples of the equipment 100 having a grip portion 105 including faceted sides 106 described herein, the equipment 100 may be constructed of a single material used to make known conventional equipment 100. For example, baseball bats may may be constructed from ash wood, maple wood, hickory wood, bamboo wood, carbon fiber, graphite, and aluminum alloy, but other materials may be used. It is contemplated that other materials may be used in equipment 100 which would not meet typical playing rules for the sport but which might provide an enhanced experience for practice such as increased weight, varied weight distribution, or other modifications which may correspond to training exercises to enhance skill in swinging the equipment 100 during a game with a rule-compliant instance of the equipment 100.

[0046] One skilled in the art will recognize that the herein described components (e.g., operations), devices, objects, and the discussion accompanying them are used as examples for the sake of conceptual clarity and that various configuration modifications are contemplated. Consequently, as used herein, the specific exemplars set forth and the accompanying discussion are intended to be representative of their more general classes. In general, use of any specific exemplar is intended to be representative of its class, and the non-inclusion of specific components (e.g., operations), devices, and objects should not be taken as limiting.

[0047] The previous description is presented to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention as provided in the context of a particular application and its requirements. As used herein, directional terms such as “top,”“bottom,”“over,”“under,”“upper,”“upward,”“lower,”“down,” and “downward” are intended to provide relative positions for purposes of description, and are not intended to designate an absolute frame of reference. Various modifications to the described embodiments will be apparent to those with skill in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments. Therefore, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments shown and described, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features herein disclosed.

[0048] With respect to the use of substantially any plural and / or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and / or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and / or application. The various singular / plural permutations are not expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity.

[0049] It is further contemplated that each of the embodiments of the method described above may include any other step(s) of any other method(s) described herein. In addition, each of the embodiments of the method described above may be performed by any of the systems described herein.

[0050] The herein described subject matter sometimes illustrates different components contained within, or connected with, other components. It is to be understood that such depicted architectures are merely exemplary, and that in fact many other architectures can be implemented which achieve the same functionality. In a conceptual sense, any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality is effectively “associated” such that the desired functionality is achieved. Hence, any two components herein combined to achieve a particular functionality can be seen as “associated with” each other such that the desired functionality is achieved, irrespective of architectures or intermedial components. Likewise, any two components so associated can also be viewed as being “connected,” or “coupled,” to each other to achieve the desired functionality, and any two components capable of being so associated can also be viewed as being “couplable,” to each other to achieve the desired functionality. Specific examples of couplable include but are not limited to physically mateable and / or physically interacting components and / or wirelessly interactable and / or wirelessly interacting components and / or logically interacting and / or logically interactable components.

[0051] Furthermore, it is to be understood that the invention is defined by the appended claims. It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” and the like). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and / or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, and the like” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and / or A, B, and C together, and the like). In those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, and the like” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and / or A, B, and C together, and the like). It will be further understood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive word and / or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase “A or B” will be understood to include the possibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.”

[0052] It is believed that the present disclosure and many of its attendant advantages will be understood by the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the components without departing from the disclosed subject matter or without sacrificing all of its material advantages. The form described is merely explanatory, and it is the intention of the following claims to encompass and include such changes. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the invention is defined by the appended claims.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0020]The present disclosure has been particularly shown and described with respect to certain embodiments and specific features thereof. The embodiments set forth herein are taken to be illustrative rather than limiting. It should be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.

[0021]Reference will now be made in detail to the subject matter disclosed, which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Referring generally to FIGS. 1 through 16, embodiments of the present disclosure are generally directed to an article of sporting having a faceted grip portion. Facets, as described herein, may include any two adjacent surfaces having distinct surface shapes (e.g., planar, concave, convex, cylindrical, oblong, and the like) separated by at least one ridge or furrow.

[0022]Referring to FIG. 1, an article of sporting equipment 100 is shown. While ...

Claims

1. A sporting equipment handle grip comprising:a body including a wall defining an interior surface and an exterior surface,wherein the interior surface is at least partially cylindrical, andwherein the exterior surface includes two or more facets.

2. The sporting equipment handle grip of claim 1, wherein at least one of the two or more facets includes:at least one planar surface.

3. The sporting equipment handle grip of claim 1, wherein the two or more facets include:a first facet having a planar surface; anda second facet, directly adjacent to the first facet, having planar surface.

4. The sporting equipment handle grip of claim 1, wherein the two or more facets includes:a first facet; anda second facet, directly adjacent to the first facet, having an equivalent surface size and surface shape.

5. The sporting equipment handle grip of claim 1, wherein at least one of the two or more facets includes:a facet having:a first width at a first edge of the facet configured to be disposed proximate to an end of a sporting equipment handle to be gripped by a user; anda second width, less than the first width, at an edge of the facet opposite the first edge.

6. The sporting equipment handle grip of claim 1, wherein at least one of the two or more facets includes:a facet having:a first portion having first pitch; anda second portion having a second pitch different than the first pitch.

7. The sporting equipment handle grip of claim 1, wherein the two or more facets includes:a first facet having a planar surface; anda second facet, directly adjacent to the first facet, having an at least partially cylindrical surface.

8. The sporting equipment handle grip of claim 1, wherein the two or more facets includes:a first facet having a first width; anda second facet, directly adjacent to the first facet, having a second width different than the first width.

9. The sporting equipment handle grip of claim 1, wherein the wall includes a seam running a full length of the sporting equipment handle grip and defining opening from the interior surface to the exterior surface.

10. The sporting equipment handle grip of claim 1, further comprising:one or more friction pads disposed on the interior surface.

11. The sporting equipment handle grip of claim 1,wherein at least one of the two or more facets includes:at least one concave surface.

12. The sporting equipment handle grip of claim 1, wherein at least one of the two or more facets includes:at least one convex surface.

13. The sporting equipment handle grip of claim 1, further comprising:a first portion including at least two facets; anda second portion including at least two facets,wherein the first portion and the second portion have at least a portion having the same cross-section, andwherein the second portion is rotated relative to the first portion about a primary axis of the sporting equipment handle grip.

14. The sporting equipment handle grip of claim 1, wherein the sporting equipment handle grip is detachable from the sporting equipment handle.

15. The sporting equipment handle grip of claim 1, wherein the sporting equipment handle grip is integral to a sporting equipment handle.

16. A baseball bat comprising:a barrel portion;a tapered portion;a grip portion, the grip portion including two or more facets; anda knob portion.

17. The baseball bat of claim 16, wherein at least one of the two or more facets includes:a facet having:a first width at a first edge of the facet proximate to the knob; anda second width, less than the first width, at an edge of the facet opposite the first edge towards the barrel portion.

18. The baseball bat of claim 16, wherein the grip portion is integral to the baseball bat.

19. A sporting equipment device comprising:a handle portion including two or more facets, wherein the two or more facets include:a first facet having a planar surface; anda second facet, directly adjacent to the first facet, having planar surface.

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