Bat Damping Section Protrusion-Depression Fit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bats with damping sections provide a feel that is too soft, and attempts to make them harder result in manufacturing difficulties due to the need for a large force to deform the damping section, making it challenging to insert the preformed damping section into the barrel.
Innovation Solution
A bat design featuring a first damping section with a protrusion that fits into a depression in the barrel's inner surface, allowing easy insertion even when the section is hard, by using a material with a D hardness of 60 or more and a loss coefficient tan δ of 0.11 or more, which provides a harder feel without increased manufacturing complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the damping section is made harder to provide a hard feel, then the feel of striking a ball is improved, but a relatively large force is required to elastically deform the damping section, making it difficult to insert into the hollow portion of the barrel
Solution Approach 1:
The damping section is divided into two distinct portions: a first portion with higher hardness (Shore A 60-100) positioned closer to the barrel to provide a hard feel, and a second portion with lower hardness (Shore A 20-40) positioned closer to the handle to facilitate easy insertion through elastic deformation. This segmentation allows each portion to serve its specific function independently.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the damping section are assigned different material properties - the first portion near the barrel uses harder material for strike feel, while the second portion near the handle uses softer material for insertion ease. This local differentiation of material properties resolves the contradiction between hardness for performance and softness for manufacturing.
2Ease of manufacture
If the damping section is made softer to facilitate insertion, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the feel of striking a ball becomes too soft
Solution Approach 1:
The damping section is divided into two distinct portions: a first portion with higher hardness (Shore A 60-100) positioned closer to the barrel to provide a hard feel, and a second portion with lower hardness (Shore A 20-40) positioned closer to the handle to facilitate easy insertion through elastic deformation. This segmentation allows each portion to serve its specific function independently.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the damping section are assigned different material properties - the first portion near the barrel uses harder material for strike feel, while the second portion near the handle uses softer material for insertion ease. This local differentiation of material properties resolves the contradiction between hardness for performance and softness for manufacturing.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design allows for a bat with a harder feel compared to conventional models while reducing numbness and pain in the hands during use, and facilitates easier manufacturing by enabling the use of harder damping materials with specific viscoelastic properties.
Implementation Method 1
The first damping section is elastically deformed by a relatively weak force. Because of this, for example, after the handle, the barrel, the first damping section, and the second damping section are prepared by molding, the first damping section and the second damping section can be easily inserted into the hollow portion from the proximate end side of the barrel
Implementation Method 2
a bat having shock absorbing capabilities
Implementation Method 3
Bats having damping sections for damping vibrations in striking a ball are conventionally known
Data Source
AI summary
A bat includes a handle having a proximate end and a distal end, a barrel having a hollow portion that accommodates the distal end, and a first damping section at least partially sandwiched between the handle and the barrel in the interior of the hollow portion. The first damping section includes a first portion in contact with each of the handle and the barrel in the interior of the hollow portion, and a second portion disposed closer to the proximate end than the first portion, the second portion being in contact with an inner peripheral surface of the barrel and not being in contact with an outer peripheral surface of the handle. In a cross section along a center axis of the barrel, the barrel has a depression depressed relative to the inner peripheral surface in the cross section, the second portion has a protrusion fitted in the depression.